Winners announced for UNSIGNED ONLY Music Comp - Press release

GRAND PRIZE WINNER LARA JOHNSTON SETS THE BAR IN
INAUGURAL UNSIGNED ONLY MUSIC COMPETITION
Cyndi Lauper, Robert Smith (The Cure), St. Vincent, Kenny Rogers,
and 3 Doors Down Are Among 2012 Judges

August 30, 2012 - Unsigned Only is pleased to announce its 2012 winners selected from almost 7,500 entries worldwide. The Grand Prize, Unsigned Only's highest honor, goes to San Francisco, CA artist Lara Johnston with the song, "K.I.S.S." Johnston was the highest scoring artist overall in the competition and a favorite among the judges. Upon learning the news, she stated, "The Unsigned Only Competition presents truly unique, hands-on opportunities for an undiscovered artist like myself, and I'm beyond honored and excited to be recognized as their first Grand Prize winner!"

What makes Lara Johnston so captivating, aside from her girl-next-door beauty, is her powerful voice, dynamic stage presence, creative spirit, and great songwriting. Only 22 years old, she has shared the bill with such acts as Willie Nelson, Huey Lewis and the News, Journey, Heart, Bonnie Raitt, Steve Miller, Don Henley, rapper J. Dash, and many others. Over the past three years she has toured throughout the world, writing and co-writing songs in LA, London, and Nashville, and balancing her career pursuits with her time as a student at USC's Thornton School of Music. This summer, Lara is touring locally, collaborating as a writer and singer with multiple producers, and putting the final touches on her debut album.

Launched only a year ago and judged by a roster of celebrity notables such as Cyndi Lauper, 3 Doors Down, Kelly Clarkson, Kenny Rogers, St. Vincent, and many more, Unsigned Only is a unique music competition designed for solo artists, bands, and singers who are not signed to a major label. With 36% of the entrants and 47% of the winners coming from outside the USA, Unsigned Only has quickly established itself as the international music competition for unsigned artists.

Unsigned Only's goal is to find outstanding, talented artists: newcomers or veterans... raw or polished... the "gems" that need to be discovered. Candace Avery and Jim Morgan, the founders and directors of Unsigned Only, emphasize that what is different about Unsigned Only is the mentoring component. "The Grand Prize winner will be mentored by a group of upper echelon music industry executives, ranging from label presidents to heads of A&R. Because these industry pros are typically hard to reach, this is a rare opportunity for an artist. Gaining access to them for guidance on a one-to-one basis could be a career changer, and we are pleased to offer the opportunity to this year's Grand Prize winner, Lara Johnston. She is an exciting artist with a great future."

In addition to the Grand Prize winner, many other deserving artists are winners in their respective categories. With a total of nine categories and First and Second Place in each (along with a list of Honorable Mentions), Unsigned Only covers all genres of commercial contemporary music, including: Adult Album Alternative (AAA); Adult Contemporary (AC); Christian; Country; Folk/Singer-Songwriter; R&B/Hip-Hop; Rock; Pop/Top 40; and Vocal Performance.
For a complete list of Unsigned Only winners and to hear the winning songs, go tohttp://www.unsignedonly.com/winners
2012 Judges include:  3 Doors Down; Kelly Clarkson; Robert Smith (The Cure); Kenny Rogers; Jeremy Camp; Musiq Soulchild; St. Vincent; Manchester Orchestra; Angie Stone; G. Love; Craig Morgan; Aaron Shust; Charlie Daniels; Steve Lillywhite (Producer); Matt and Kim; Cyndi Lauper; The Mountain Goats; Josh Jackson (Co-Founder and Editor-In-Chief, Paste Magazine) and Scott Lapatine (Founder/Editor-In-Chief, Stereogum.

2012 Mentors include: Monte Lipman (President of Universal Republic); Pete Ganbarg (Executive VP/Head of A&R, Atlantic Records); David Wolter (Senior VP of A&R, RCA Records); Kim Stephens (President, Forward Entertainment and A&R/Capitol Music Group); Trevor Jerideau (VP of A&R, J Records); David Wilkes (VP of A&R, eOne Music); Pete Giberga (Head of A&R, Razor & Tie Records); and Jason Geter (President, Grand Hustle Records).

Sponsors include: Posse, Steamboat Ampworks, Verve Management, Music Business Registry, Mrs. Fields Cookies, and Spider Capo

Unsigned is now accepting entries for 2013. Many new judges will be added, as well as a new Teen category for artists 18 years old and younger. Information on how to enter can be found at www.unsignedonly.com.
The complete list of 2012 Unsigned Only winners is below:
GRAND PRIZE
Lara Johnston - San Francisco, CA, USA - "K.I.S.S."

AAA (ADULT ALBUM ALTERNATIVE)
First Place
Jacob Butler - Melbourne, VIC, Australia - "Mind Waltz"

Second Place
Village (AKA The Village Musicians) - Yakima, WA, USA - "All This Time"

Honorable Mention
Jen Foster - Nashville, TN, USA - "Venice Beach"
Jonell Mosser - Nashville, TN, USA - "Come On Home To Me"
Kelsy Davis Radical Soul - Atlanta, GA, USA - "No Grudge (Classic)"
Lee'Mon - Albury, NSW, Australia - "Land On The Moon"
Matthew Curry & The Fury - Normal, IL, USA - "Blinded By The Darkness"
Oh Village - Abbotsford, BC, Canada - "Red Death"
OTiS - Brooklyn, NY, USA - "Making Love Easy"
Skipping Girl Vinegar - Melbourne, VIV, Australia - "You Can"
Tommy Indian - Prague, Czech Republic - "Slow Slow Slow"

ADULT CONTEMPORARY (AC)
First Place
The Franklin Electric - Montreal, QC, Canada - "Old Piano"

Second Place
Kate Vigo - Melbourne, VIC, Australia - "Wanna Run"

Honorable Mention
Amoric - Burgas, Bulgaria - "Symphony"
Benjamin Dunn & Friends - Santa Cruz, CA, USA - "Circus Of Love"
Jen Foster - Nashville, TN, USA - "There For You"
Jessica Beach - Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Warning Signs"
Lucio Rubino - St. Augustine, FL, USA - "Fallin' From The Start"
Tiki Taane - Waitakere, New Zealand - "My Lion (RWC Remix)"
Worldfly - Darwin, NT, Australia - "A Small Boat"

CHRISTIAN
First Place
The Amorous - Clarksburg, WV, USA - "Here It Goes"

Second Place
AMP - Burtonsville, MD, USA - "Shine"

Honorable Mention
Alathea - Unicoi, TX, USA - "The River"
American Swim Lesson - Saratoga Springs, NY, USA - "Lovers"
Anna Weatherup - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Miracle"
Dan Bremnes - Kelowna, BC, Canada - "Beautiful"
David Upton - Trabuco Canyon, CA, USA - "Unshackled"
Nathan Ironside & The Stirring - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Born To Worship"
The Amorous - Clarksburg, WV, USA - "Free"
The Classic City Collective - Athens, GA, USA - "God On High"

COUNTRY
First Place
Molly Hunt - Franklin, TN, USA - "He Only Broke My Heart"

Second Place
Burly Clyde - Nashville, TN, USA - "Enjoying The Ride"

Honorable Mention
Brandon Lepere - Seabrook, NH, USA - "She Drives Me Country"
Brantley - East Dublin, GA, USA - "Plainville"
Brantley - East Dublin, GA, USA - "Country Life"
Bryce Hitchcock - Franklin, TN, USA - "Fortune Cookie"
Chance Cody & Spur 503 - Denison, TX, USA - "You Can't Argue With That"
Codie Prevost - Saskatoon, SK, Canada - "Rolling Back To You"
Jaylene Johnson - Winnipeg, MB, Canada - "When It All Goes South"
Kenny Scharlatt - Marshalls Creek, PA, USA - "Lie"
Memphis High - Memphis, TN, USA - "Pistol Heart"
Michael Whitworth - Athens, GA, USA - "Just As Surprised As You"

FOLK/SINGER-SONGWRITER
First Place
Timothy Nelson & The Infidels - Perth, WA, USA - "Let Her Go"

Second Place
Ed Romanoff - Brooklyn, NY, USA - "I Must Have Done Something Right"

Honorable Mention
Andy Brown - Fredericton, NB, Canada - "Ashes"
Ben Glover - Belfast, Ireland - "Memo"
Jesse Terry - Mamaroneck, NY, USA - "Let The Blue Skies Go To Your Head"
Keith Moody - Spring Hill, TN, USA - "One Big Ending"
Luke O'Shea - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "How Well Have You Loved?"
Markus Rill - Munich, Germany - "The Kid From Tupelo"
Paul Creane & The Changing Band - Wexford, Ireland - "All For You Baby"
SJ - Miami Beach, FL, USA - "I Like You"
The Robbie Boyd Band - London, England - "I Won't Let You Go"
Tony Villiers - Armagh, Northern Ireland - "Radio"

POP/TOP 40
First Place
Laura Steel - London, England - "Kriminal"

Second Place
KK Holliday - Kingston, Jamaica - "Shugga Daddy"

Honorable Mention
Adam Katz - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Adore Ya"
Chinkie Brown - Atlanta, GA, USA - "Human Nature"
Juliette Ashby - London, England - "Bounce Right Back"
Kuba Oms - Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Electrolove"
Ladi6 - Christchurch, New Zealand - "Like Water"
Michael And Marisa - Boston, MA, USA - "You Feel Like Saturday"
Radio INK - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Who We Are Tonight"
Vice Vega - Saint Louis, MO, USA - "Lose Your Mind"

R&B/HIP-HOP
First Place
Young Clipp - North Hollywood, CA, USA - "So High"

Second Place
Juliette Ashby - London, England - "Crazy"

Honorable Mention
CWolfe - Santa Monica, CA, USA - "Sophisto Black Negro"
Flight School - Fuegen, Austria - "Let Me Go"
Fore - Zimbabwe - "C'est Pas Bon"
Gyles - Toronto, ON, Canada - "On One Knee"
Illin' P - Cambridge, MA, USA - "The Pick Up Problem"
Irrelevent - Dallas, TX, USA - "Cookie Cutter Club Banger"
Lady Bonsai - Buenos Aires, Argentina - "Drama Queen"
LaJon - Atlanta, GA, USA - "Try Me"
Santino Noir - Toms River, NJ, USA - "Break You Down"
T. One - Miami, FL, USA - "Gone Too Long (Ft. Leiah)"
Tasha Taylor - North Hollywood, CA, USA - "Queen"

ROCK
First Place
The Family Crest - San Francisco, CA, USA - "North"

Second Place
Golden State - Los Angeles, CA, USA - "Bombs"

Honorable Mention
Everybody Else - Los Angeles, CA, USA - "First Class"
Hug The Dog - Dublin, NH, USA - "Painted Faces"
Hunting Grounds - Ballarat, VIC, Australia - "In Colour"
StereonoiZ - Lima, Peru - "Painted Faces"
Stone Parade - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Paranoia"
The Trews - Antigonish, NS, Canada - "Hope & Ruin"
UNITE IT - Moscow, Russia - "Turn Off The Light"
V For Volume - Bogota, Colombia - "Cheap Universe"

VOCAL PERFORMANCE
First Place
Ms. Monet - Sylmar, CA, USA - "At This Moment"

Second Place
Liam Burrows - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "I Could Write A Book"

Honorable Mention
Alexandria Maillot - Vancouver, BC, Canada - "Be My Love"
Anna Weatherup - Sydney, NSW, Australia - "Wade In The Water"
Gabrielle Sterbenz - Huntington, NY, USA - "Don't Think Twice It's Alright"
Jasmine Thompson - London, England - "Safe And Sound"
Kelsy Davis Radical Soul - Atlanta, GA, USA - "Special (Ain't I?)"
Schascle - Saddle River, NJ, USA - "Justice"
Tasha Taylor - North Hollywood, CA, USA - "I Got Love"
Tiffany Desrosiers - Langley, BC, Canada - "Like I Would For You"

FANDEMONIUM
Lucio Rubino - St. Augustine, FL, USA - "Fallin' From The Start"



Information on Unsigned Only and Winners:
For more information and photos of winners, please contact Candace Avery at [email protected]
Contact information for Grand Prize winner:
Lara Johnston: [email protected]
http://larajohnston.com/lj/
http://www.facebook.com/LaraJohnstonSings

ProCopy's 'The Prof' returns with a helpful tip

Look out for more helpful tips coming from ProCopy's Prof, he's got some great information...

Check out The Prof here:

ProCopy obligations as a CD DVD manufacturer

Do you wonder why we ask so many questions when you want to place an order for CDs or DVDs,

Here's some of the obligations that are placed upon us as a reputable manufacturer of your projects.

We're happy to conform to these guidelines so that you can be sure that your product will be manufactured to the highest quality in the most reputable facilities. That's why we're occassionally a little dearer too! 

Thanks to Music Rights Australia for this information:

CD AND DVD PLANTS

What’s copyright?

When someone creates a piece of music (or a piece of text, a graphic, a photo, a film or anything else that is protected under copyright laws), there is a whole system of legal rights and obligations that comes into play. These rights and obligations called copyright outline what someone can and can't do with the material.

Who owns the copyright in music?

There is generally more than one owner of copyright in any given music track. The composer and lyricist who wrote the tune and lyrics respectively own copyright in the musical works. In addition, the maker of the recording (typically the record company) owns copyright in the sound recording.

What rights so the copyright owners have?

The copyright owners separately (i.e. the owner of the work and the owner of the sound recording) have a number of exclusive rights, including the rights to: 

• Make copies of the music tracks (reproduction);
• Perform the music in public; and
• Communicate the music to the public.

Can my plant be liable for copyright infringement?

When you manufacture copies of music in any format eg. CDs, DVDs or CD-ROMs, you will have infringed copyright unless the relevant copyright owners have granted a licence for that copying.  Even if you have obtained a warranty and/or declaration from your customer that he has obtained all the necessary rights for the order, or even an indemnity regarding any legal claims, it is you who will be performing the actual copying and you who will be responsible for it.

What are the penalties for copyright infringement?

Under the Australian Copyright Act, infringement of copyright by illegally copying music, attracts maximum penalties of up to $60,500 or 5 years imprisonment for individuals and up to $302,500 for corporations for each infringement.  Directors can also be held personally responsible.  Civil liability may also apply.

What needs to be cleared in order for my plant to reproduce music?

Prior to processing any order involving content that may be protected by copyright eg. music, you need to ensure that the owners of the copyright have granted a licence for that reproduction. This means that your customer needs to show you evidence that they have a licence from:

1. The owner/s of the sound recording – generally from the record company or through ARIA; and
2. The owner/s of the musical work – generally from the music publisher or through their collecting society AMCOS.

What can my plant do to avoid infringing copyright?

Music Rights Australia, recommends that all plants as a minimum implement the following measures:

1. Notify your customers - Notify your customers in writing that your plant observes copyrightbusiness practices;
2. Employ SID Codes - For plants involved in replication, employ Source Identification (SID) Code mastering (LBR) and mould codes for both pre-recorded optical discs and recordable media such as CD-Rs and DVD-Rs.  This ensures that every disc produced at your plant carries a distinct code identifying your plant.  For more information see https://www.ip.philips.com/licensing/services_and_ordering/Manufacturer_codes/sid_codes.html
3. Employ RID Codes - For plants involved in duplication, you should ensure that your recording equipment is programmed to apply its unique Recorder Identification (RID) Code onto each disc as specified in the Philips Orange Book Standard.  For further information see https://www.ip.philips.com/licensing/services_and_ordering/indexservicesandordering.html
4. Compliance Officer - Designate a qualified plant employee as the Compliance Officer to be responsible for internal training of plant personnel, reviewing orders and conducting necessary customer background checks.
5. Customer Identification - Ensure that you obtain reliable identification and background information from all customers including complete street addresses and phone numbers.  Brokers must always provide this information in respect of their customers.
6. Content Details - Ensure that you obtain a complete artist and track list for each order.  Examine artwork and inlay cards to ensure that it is consistent with the details provided by your customer.
7. Appropriate copyright licences – Require your customers to produce verifiable ownership/ licensing documentation (including the name of the rights owner) to prove that they have the rights to place the order.  Offers of indemnity and simple declarations of ownership should not be accepted as a substitute.  You should expect to see a licence from the rights owners (generally the record company or ARIA and the music publisher or AMCOS) to your customer.
8. Keep records – Ensure that your customer records are kept for six (6) years.

 You should also be on the lookout for the following:

• Unusual customer requests such as, ‘cover versions’ of popular artists, compilations in mp3 format, or that the SID Codes or any standard plant identification marks be omitted.
• Orders to be shipped on spindles and/or with unorthodox delivery/shipping arrangements.
• Orders using commercially pressed discs as input data or recordings marked as ‘Promotional Copy’ and/or ‘Not for Sale’ and/or ‘For DJ Use Only’.
• Entire albums, live concert recordings, studio out takes (incomplete mixes/recordings) or compilation discs containing tracks of major artists appearing on ‘unknown labels’.
• Incorrect information or misspellings on the disc or packaging, such as the artist’s name, song title, copyright notices or country of origin.
• Missing or inconsistent information on the disc and/or packaging, such as artist listing, graphics, trademarks, catalogue numbers or album title.

MIPI renamed Music Rights Australia

ARIA and APRA|AMCOS have announced today that their joint venture body MIPI has 

been renamed MUSIC RIGHTS AUSTRALIA, effective immediately.

The new name better reflects the organisation’s focus on the rights of Australian music 

creators and performers, specifically its role in advocacy, education and protection.  A 

new-look website also provides easily-accessible information and resources for 

stakeholders and the wider public. 

MUSIC RIGHTS AUSTRALIA General Manager Vanessa Hutley said that while the name had 

changed, the core values had not.

Read full Details about MIPI's change of name here:

MIRC 2012 - Music Industry Reunion Club - Charles Hotel May 25th

The Music Industry Reunion Club annual event is on this Friday the 25th May at the Charles Hotel in North Perth.

              MIRC club presents

MUSIC INDUSTRY REUNION

       SUNDOWNER 2012

WAM Hall Of Fame presentations to: 

Matt Taylor

Dom Mariani

Paul McCarthy

Annie Neil

Proudly sponsored by

X-Press

Wami Festival

DC Productions

Starr Special Events

Charles

Procopy