It's that time of year, and we're getting ready for the 15th annual A3C Festival & Conference... which means we start looking for the best up-and-coming artists across the world to perform this year... what are you waiting for??
It's FREE to submit before April 12th, if you have a Soncbids account.
All selected artists will receive a free Conference pass.
Each act NOT selected to perform from Sonicbids will receive a discount for up to $100 off select A3C passes.
A few artists will be selected to receive $500 travel stipend.
We ask ourselves, is this artist prepared to take their career to the next level? And here are some of the tools we use to determine that:
Does your music sound good? Your songs need to be well recorded and engineered. This is too often overlooked, but very important.
Is your music unique? We listen to A LOT of music. Your music might sound good, and we may like it, but but if it sounds like a lot of other music we listen to, it is difficult to pick you from a crowd. We hear a lot of music that sounds like the current "hip-pop-rap" music on the radio, and while we may like the music, what makes you unique? We are looking for artists that stand out in a crowd of 2,000.
Do you have a consistent look/feel? You are a brand! If we see that you've put in the time, energy and resources necessary to develop a dope brand, it means you're taking your career seriously.
Do you have professional photos? This might seem minor, but it's a big deal. Music is about making connections. Fans aren't gonna connect with you, follow you, share your music, buy your merch... if they don't connect with your overall vibe. That can start with great photos, with a style that is right for you.
Do you have dope videos? This is one of the most important tools artists have to reach people and build a fanbase. If you don't have any videos (or your videos are poor quality) it shows that you haven't taken the proper steps to develop yourself. You need to have solid video content that make it easy for fans to like and share. A creative (and unique) video can help break an artist.
Do you have a fanbase? Yes, we look to see if you have fans. If you haven't been able to generate any fans in your local market, that's a red flag. If your friends, family and neighborhood don't support you, then you haven't done step 1 and probably aren't ready for a national stage.
How do we tell if you have fans? We look through your social media, YouTube and released music (ex. Soundcloud) to see if you have built any traction. We aren't looking for crazy numbers, but would like to see some initial engagement.
Do you engage with your fans? We look to see if you active on social media, and how much fan interaction you have. If an artist has a large social following, but isn't actively communicating with fans, that's a red flag. It shows that you aren't doing the little things. It's like having a 5 Star rating on Yelp, but never being open for business. A community needs to be nurtured, or it will die.
You have a good chance of being selected if... your music is good, unique and professionally mixed. If you have creative visuals, and an actively engaged fanbase.
A3C is the absolute best festival for rising Hip-Hop talent. - HipHopDX
A3C has been, and continues to be, what so many other music festivals can only still pretend to be; a place that truly showcases the next generation of hip-hop artists. - DJBooth.net
Luv to the team at A3C for givin artists a platform to be heard and build their craft. - Diddy (Twitter)
A3C has become a staple for independent artists to be at each year - Rapsody