New Music Festival

Q: What is The 2005 New Music Festival all about?
A: The 2005 New Music Festival is North Texas' premier emerging music showcase event, dedicated to uncovering and celebrating the region's best new music. From September 29th through October 1st, the 2005 New Music Festival will showcase more than 200 bands and artists of all musical styles in front of 10,000 music fans and music industry professionals. The showcases will take place over 3 nights on more than 10 stages, all within a 3-block radius, in the Deep Ellum Club District of Downtown Dallas. The festival will also host fun parties, educational panel discussions, and The Eighth Annual Bowling For Rock Tournament.

Q: How do I get tickets? How much do tickets cost?
A: One wristband gets you in to all 2005 New Music Festival showcases and events throughout the entire festival (subject to clubs' capacities and clubs' age restrictions). PASSES ARE FREE IN ADVANCE! Otherwise, wristbands may be purchased in Deep Ellum during the festival for only $10. Free pass giveaways will begin in August 2005, and details on these giveaways will be announced at www.newmusicfestival.com in late July.

Q: I work in the music business. How do I "register" for the festival?
A: Email us at info@newmusicfestival.com.

Q: At which clubs/venues will the showcases and events be held?
A: A list of 2005 venues will be announced soon at www.newmusicfestival.com. All venues (indoor and outdoor) will be located in the Deep Ellum Club District of Downtown Dallas.

Q: I am under 21 years of age. Will I be able to get in to the showcases?
A: The age restrictions of the showcases will vary according to each individual venue's age restriction policy. Most venues will allow ages 17 and up, but some venues may only allow ages 21 and up. When the list of 2005 venues is posted at www.newmusicfestival.com, the age restriction policy of each venue will be listed as well.

Q: Will the showcases take place during the day? At night? Both?
A: The showcases will take place during the evenings of Thursday September 29, Friday September 30, and Saturday October 1. Most showcases will run from about 7:30pm until 2:00am each evening.

Q: How can my band perform in a 2005 New Music Festival showcase?
A: All bands and artists are invited to create Artist Accounts and submit their music/application form/materials to our showcases committee to be considered for a performance slot. To create your Artist Account and take advantage of our free online artist submission process, click "Submissions" in the menu on the left, and then follow the submission instructions. During this simple process, you will fill in an application form, upload your songs, upload your photo, upload your bio, and provide us with other essential information about your music. Since we receive 500-1000 submissions each year, and we only have space for 200-250 bands and artists, we will not be able to invite all submitting acts to perform.

Q: How do you decide which bands will be invited to perform?
A: Our showcases committee, composed of 8 to 12 music industry professionals, reviews the submissions and invites bands and artists to perform based on musical talent. Without exception, EVERY SINGLE SUBMISSION WE RECEIVE GETS REVIEWED BY THE COMMITTEE!

Q: Can any type of band or artist submit? What types of music do you showcase? Does an artist have to be from the North Texas area to be considered?
A: Any type of band or artist that performs original music may submit (no cover bands, please). Our showcases encompass all music genres -- rock, pop, hip hop, singer/songwriter, R&B, Americana/country, metal, electronic, punk, folk, jazz, etc. - We encourage artists of all genres to submit. And we welcome submissions from anywhere in the United States.

Q: Do you showcase mostly "major label" bands? Can independent bands and artists get in?
A: Almost all of the artists that we showcase are independent / are not "signed" to major record labels. We might invite a very small number (we're talking single digits, here) of major label acts to help us kick off each night, but the focus of the New Music Festival is on showcasing and celebrating the independent, up-and-coming talent of the North Texas area and surrounding regions. In 2004, we showcased 240 artists, and 2 of them were major label acts.

Q: How much is the submission fee? What does it cost to send in our submission?
A: SUBMISSION IS FREE! THERE IS NO FEE TO SEND US YOUR SUBMISSION! Unlike other music festivals, we don't believe in taking money from bands.

Q: Do you pay the bands who are invited to perform in your showcases?
A: Because we give away thousands of advance tickets for free, we do not have a budget to pay our showcasing artists. However, all showcasing artists receive several valuable things: VIP wristbands for all band members and crew; a stack of free festival passes for your guests; a quantity of gift certificates from the festival sponsors (in 2004 our showcasing artists received over $1200 in gift certificates for very useful items); and much more.

Q: Do the bands pay to play? Do the bands have to sell festival tickets? Do the bands compete in any financial way?
A: BANDS AND ARTISTS NEVER, EVER, EVER PAY TO PLAY AT THE NEW MUSIC FESTIVAL. You don't pay a submission fee, you don't have to sell any tickets, and our booking is based solely on talent. The New Music Festival will never charge you for anything, and will never take any money from you. PERIOD. Please don't confuse us with other festivals who might.

Q: How long of a set does each artist play during the showcases?
A: Most showcasing artists will perform 35-minute to 45-minute sets.

Q: Do record label A&R reps check out artists at this festival? What other types of music industry professionals attend?
A: Record label A&R reps absolutely scout talent during the festival each year. Over the past four years, major labels with A&R reps in attendance have included American Recordings, Atlantic, Capitol, Columbia, Dreamworks, Epic, Interscope/Geffen/A&M, Island/Def Jam, Lava/Atlantic, London/Sire, Maverick, Octone/J, RCA, Roadrunner, Universal, and Warner Bros. And plenty of other music industry professionals attend as well - entertainment attorneys, indie label reps, artist managers, press, booking agents, promoters, publishing reps, and many more.

Q: When will I be notified if I've been invited to showcase? Will I be notified if I don't make the cut?
A: We will begin inviting artists via email after June 15th. All submitting artists will be contacted and notified of their status, whether they are selected to showcase or not.

Q: What if I am unable to submit my songs, photo, etc., electronically? Can I still submit?
A: No problem. Click "submissions" in the menu at the left. Fill in the application form fields with your information, continue to the 2nd screen, and then click the "submit via snail mail" option at the very bottom of the 2nd screen.