So many people have the notion that if a band is talented enough they will "make it". Although it's never actually been that easy, these days there's even more to consider than the standard:
1-form band
2-write songs
3-play shows
4-record album
5-cross fingers
Artists have so many resources at their fingertips in order to share their work and not only develop, but maintain and grow the relationships they forge with their fans. While it is important to have social networks and street teams in place, there is another option that may help expedite the process of finding the ever illusive "big break". With product placement in nearly every t.v. show and movie coming out, having your music be part of something with mass appeal can be even more effective than being the next viral video on YouTube.
Let's look at Ingrid Michaelson. She started out on MySpace (back when it was the virtual place to be) and did everything a budding musician is supposed to do. However, she didn't start to become a household name until her song Keep Breathing was featured in the 2006 season finale of Grey's Anatomy. I was one of many, racing to google to figure out who sang the song that was playing as Christina was begging Meredith to get her wedding dress off of her. Soon Ingrid Michaelson's music began to pop up in more episodes of Grey's Anatomy, as well as, One Tree Hill and even an Old Navy commercial. Ms. Michaelson never changed a note of who she was, but a whole lot more of us certainly knew the real her. Another great example of what can come from marrying the right song with the right storyline is how many new fans discovered MUSE when their song Supermassive Black Hole was featured in the baseball scene of Twilight. That song was from their fourth album; I for one am glad that I had a "Who was that?" moment after I got out of the theater and promptly went and checked out some more of their stuff.
I think we can all agree that the right song in the right scene can add depth to a storyline, as it helps to pull the intended emotions out of the viewer. However, you don't have to know Shonda Rhimes or Stephanie Meyer to have your music featured.. While websites like ReverbNation and Sonicbids mainly showcase opportunities for artists to play festivals or have their music critiqued at conferences (which is not at all a bad thing), MusicXray allows artists to see exactly what is being sought out and submit the right song for a particular scenario.
You could easily spend hours reading through the different categories of opportunities, ranging from label roster consideration to t.v. and movie needs. If you need reviews to round out your EPK, you can submit to have your music reviewed by a blog in your genre. Another thing that's great about MusicXray is that an industry professional can post exactly what they are looking for. Rather than being limited to the confines of their own musical repertoire they can say, "Looking for a ballad to be used in a chic flick breakup montage" or "Looking for a Cannibal Corpse type song for an epic brawl". Submitting your music for these opportunities is no different than reading an ad for an audition and physically going to it, it's just so much more convenient and time efficient for both the artist and the industry.
Obviously nothing guarantees you being the next Arcade Fire but I think it is certainly worth your time to become acquainted with a site that could be such a catalyst in your career. Don't you?
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