ENTERTAINMENT ONE & BEGIN AGAIN GIVE CANADIAN MUSICIANS THEIR BIG BREAK
WITH A CHANCE TO WIN A MUSICAL RECORDING SESSION AND A SHOT AT A
DISTRIBUTION DEAL WORTH UP TO $10,000.
TORONTO – JUNE 17 2014 – Entertainment One (eOne) and Begin Again are on the search for Canada’s top undiscovered music talent! Just steps away from their Big Break, Canadian singers and bands can upload their original works to a new YouTube contest (www.youtube.com/beginagainmovie) to be entered for a chance to win a musical recording session at Metalworks Studios and a Digital Distribution opportunity from eOne Music, the #1 independent music distributor in North America, worth up to $10,000!
Contestants must rally their friends, fans and followers to vote for their original work to avoid elimination. Only the top four artists make it through to the final round. Canadian Recording Artist and Winner of Canadian Idol Eva Avila is joined by Eric Alper (Director of Media Relations at eOne Music and Host of ThatEricAlper’s Show on SiriusXM), Nathan Quinn (A&R and Label Acquisitions at eOne Music) and Kevin Dietz of Metalworks Studios in judging the four finalists and selecting the winning song.
“This inspiring film is set in NYC, and in a lot of ways, YouTube has the same huge caliber of undiscovered talent. Musicians can approach this like an open mic opportunity and do an original song to get heard by hundreds of thousands of music lovers,” explains Kai Exos, Creative Director at SPOKE and musician in his own right.
Begin Again is a soul-stirring comedy about what happens when lost souls meet and make beautiful music together. Gretta (Keira Knightley) and her long-time boyfriend Dave (Adam Levine) are college sweethearts and songwriting partners who decamp for New York when he lands a deal with a major label. But the trappings of his new-found fame soon tempt Dave to stray, and a reeling, lovelorn Gretta is left on her own. Her world takes a turn for the better when Dan (Mark Ruffalo), a disgraced record-label exec, stumbles upon her performing on an East Village stage and is immediately captivated by her raw talent. From this chance encounter emerges an enchanting portrait of a mutually transformative collaboration, set to the soundtrack of a summer in New York City.
“eOne Music Canada’s mission is to discover Canada’s next big star and showcase their stunning talent to listeners here, and around the world,” says Eric Alper, Director of Media Relations for eOne Music Canada. “We’re thrilled to be part of the Begin Again YouTube contest, so get your best song ready!”
The campaign, developed by creative agency, SPOKE, lives on YouTube and is powered by a custom YouTube contesting engine. The launch is supported by a heavy Social Media buy on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter as well as in-store POS at HMV, that forms part of eOne’s broader wide-release Media campaign, which also includes broadcast, digital, social, print, radio and Out of Home.
eOne opens Begin Again in theatres across Canada on July 11.
Yes, it’s time to let the world read this editorial, that’s just me reassuring my O.C.D perfectionist self to let it go. Not the first time Collie Buddz brought the fiyah to Toronto and probably not the last! Good music and talented artists always get repeated coverage from me because it’s so rare to find these days. Collie Buddz (Colin Harper) new school Dancehall, Reggae, Soca artist hit Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on his “Light It Up Tour” with support from Miami’s Cris Cab and Brooklyn’s New Kingston. Unlike many publications I don’t care about covering bands/artists that will give me a million new views and fans, I like introducing people to the good ones, new and old. Quality is very important because my ears don’t hear numbers but music is heard clearly. If I were to cover all of the mainstream crap everyone else does, I would be working at Much Music like everyone else instead of running my own budding media empire.
The Danforth Music Hall has been a part of East Toronto history since 1919 and was even shut down a few times since, most recently for a year and a half until it was resurrected in 2011. Come to think of it, this venue is where I saw my first ever live concert performance, a Greek Singer my Mom took me to see back in the late eighties. The Danforth is a neighbourhood in Toronto known as “Greek Town” by non Greeks and is always fun to wander, I partly grew up on that strip from Greenwood to Pape.
Back to present day, I was hoping to make it on time for the first band New Kingston and I did! Finally I saw their full set! Well, kind of…I missed one song but did get a few good shots from the pit, they actually had a pit! Very surprised and excited when I saw the pit because I was ready for a general admission, no pit shoot from the crowd event, so I came prepped with different lenses. No complaints here, this show ended up being my favorite of the year thus far! New Kingston is a band of brothers with a “Fathager” (Father & Manager) Courtney Panton Sr. who also plays the Bass in the band. Brooklyn, NY is where they: Tahir Panton – Vocals/Keys, Stephen Suckarie – Vocals/Guitar and Courtney Panton Jr. – Vocals/Drums) are from. They have two records available for you to hear “Kingston University” and “In The Streets“. You can usually find them on tour with Harper (they are also his backup band), it is pretty fantastic that they get to kick off the night with their own material. I remember last year, they had a set in the city without Buddz that I wanted to cover but I had another show and all my photographers were booked. It’s hard to be five places at once, unless you can freeze time or fly which unfortunately I have yet to learn how to do.
The band was vibing it out, still I felt like they were not fully comfortable on stage but did warm up and let loose by the end of the set. Drummer/Singer Courtney Panton Jr. migrated from behind his drum kit, took off his shirt and sang for the people of Toronto. The females were loving every minute of the shirt removal and I noticed every time I wandered to different areas of the venue the crowd was growing quickly. New Kingston has this one tune with a sick beat that I have heard before but never know the name of the tune because they don’t introduce all the songs. Advice for all newbies: introduce your songs to the crowd if you want people to actually remember them and check out your music. Tahir was a lot more enthusiastic, he even smiled a few times as he was rocking a portable keyboard instead of being so serious all the time. Steve did a commendable job entertaining the crowd but he could talk to them a bit more. They need to separate themselves from being the backup band and embody more of a headlining act attitude with every performance. They also need to work on tightening up those harmonies, they were pitchy in a few songs but overall well done, I would see them again for sure.
The next artist to heat the stage was Cris Cab, he is new to my ears, I have never heard of him or his music but quite a few people in the crowd seemed to be familiar with him. There were plenty of different age groups, couples and of course the hard core Collie Buddz fans keeping their space hostage at the front of the barricade. Cris Cab is from Miami, Florida and like many people from Miami he has Cuban roots. Cuba is such a beautiful country and my heart aches for the people who live there, prisoners of paradise.
The crowd cheered Cab on as he was jamming out with his band, strumming a few tunes on the acoustic himself. Not bad for a young Larry, a little work is still needed here and there but he already has swagger and a presence about him. Cris was working the stage and a crowd like a seasoned veteran and looks absolutely natural! Truly coming from his heart you could see how much he loves being on the stage, I could tell he was nervous but had it under control almost immediately. He just released the Red Road Mixtape which you can grab here. Cris was discovered by Pharrell Williams and was signed to Mercury/Island Def Jam in 2011, one thing I know is Pharrell is right, this kid is the future.
The headliner for the evening Collie (Colin Harper) Buddz was up next! The crowd was more than ready chanting his stage name “Collie Buddz!”, “Collie Buddz!”. Once the house music stopped and the band started to jam the packed venue erupted into cheers of excitement for their favorite Reggae artist. The girls were going nuts, I avoided the area he was performing right in front of because the fans were getting grabby and “Too Watchy” (laughs). I really didn’t feel like having a chunk of my hair pulled out or my head whacked by hands.
Better lighting this time around and the setlist had old tunes and new, he even played a few super fresh tunes like “Light It Up” and “Payback’s A Bitch”. I was shocked when he threw down “Come Around” so early in the set, I think it was the last pit tune before I migrated back into the crowd. Usually when I’m shooting in the media pit and I have a three song limit I can barely remember the songs, its all a blur! This was true for the first two but the last one I photographed I remembered. “Come Around” is one of his big tunes and I’m used to it being played in the middle or near the end of the set, this time he mixed it up. Looking forward to hearing what Collie drops next his tunes are always original big tunes.
Once I stood still long enough to observe the set for a minute, my attention was drawn to the security guards who came out of the pit to converse with an older Jamaican man. He clearly had a problem with a female who was smoking weed and apparently was blowing the smoke in his face on purpose when he told her to put it out. She should not have aggravated him by showing some common courtesy and he should have known by going to a Collie “Buddz” show on the “Light It Up Tour” people would be blazing herbs. Both could have moved somewhere else in the crowd to avoid the whole problem from the start but that didn’t happen. Don’t know the outcome because I wandered off to another corner too much drama for me, that was the first and probably the last time I will ever see a Jamaican man so mad about ganja.
Unlike many musicians and people, I noticed that Collie is loyal to his crew, New Kingston always is his back up band and the fantastical Lady Alexis is always backup vocals. Lady Alexis (Alexis Layne) did a fabulous job although she didn’t get a solo this time around. I loved the shirt she was wearing, all the haters really should.
Buddz not only played fan favorites like “Mamacita”, “Sensimilla” and “Tomorrow’s Another Day” he also threw down some old school Reggae, DanceHall, Soca tunes like “Murder She Wrote”, “Who Am I (Sim Sima)” and one of my all time old school Reggae favorites “Everyone Falls In Love” by Tanto Metro and Devonte, I believe Beenie Man did a remix of the tune or was featured. I wish my siblings were with me they would have loved this show as would have many of you.
Buddz was relaxed yet extremely enthused when engaging the fans, throwing smiles at them, jumping around. He was bringing his music to life for his fans wholeheartedly with sweat cloth and mic in hand. I have not heard anyone like Collie Buddz, he is still the only one who can throw it down the way he does. With other artists you can tell many are putting on a front but with Buddz he’s as real and natural as they get. The one song the crowd loved the most and I’m basing it purely on the decibel level was “Blind To You”. As Harper came back on stage for the encores, he popped out wearing a custom Toronto Blue Jay jersey with Buddz on the back of it, the crowd exploded! Everyone loves it when people represent their city and Collie does have some history with T.O.. The largest crowd I have seen for Collie Buddz, he also noticed stating that it was his biggest Toronto show and he didn’t want to leave the stage. I will definitley be covering Collie again to see his progression, plus I still want to do an interview! You all should go check out his unique blend of island sounds live if you get the chance. I’m glad everyone was having fun and nobody ended up on a gurney this time.
Enter now for your chance to win two tickets to the “Jamaica Land We Love” Gala, contest rules are below.
CONTEST RULES:
All entrants must be 18 years of age and a legal resident of Canada at time of entry. All entrants are to answer the skill testing question below correctly to claim the prize. First person to email with correct answer to skill testing question wins and will be notified via email. ENTER NOW –>JamaicaGala@gmail.com
Skill-testing question: When and where is the Jamaica Land We Love Gala?
Contest closes at 11:59pm on Wednesday August 8th. Tickets include the Gala’s second presentation of The ’62 Reception, and for show-only Jamaica Jubilee and The After Party, 9 p.m. door – with a value of $75 per ticket.
Dress Code in effect – no jeans, baseball caps, runners or jerseys.
What: A star-studded celebration of the historic milestone of Jamaica’s 50th anniversary of independence
Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre (South building), 255 Front Street West
– An evening dedicated to the splendour, rhythms, heart and soul that is Jamaica. Toasting Jamaica and honouring great Canadian-Jamaican achievements.
– Hosted by CBC Television’s Dwight Drummond and Anne-Marie Mediwake.
– The spectacular, four-part evening includes The ’62 Reception, Dinner in Hope Gardens, Jamaica Jubilee and The After Party.
– Jamaica Jubilee:A jaw-dropping cast of Jamaican and Canadian artists and personalities will be part of a multi-media showcase of visuals, music, dance, comedy and spoken word.
Performances and appearances by: Jay Douglas with the All-Stars Orchestra, Derrick Harriott, Leroy Gibbons, Kreesha Turner, Steele, Nana McLean, Ammoye, Blakka Ellis, DJ EugeneChang, Dwayne Morgan, Heritage Singers, Iyah Yant Drummers, Kafaye Rose, KasheDance, Letna Allen, Rachael-Lea Rikards, Robert Owen, Stephen Lewis & the KCC Choir, Wire,and Miss Universe Jamaica 2012 Chantal Zaky.
– The After Party:The thunderous energy and electric colours of Jamaica’s nightclubs today – partiers dance the night away – with set performances by featured artists – old and nu-skool.
Jamaican Rhythms, June 28, 7:30 p.m., is a three-hour, LIVE “Rocumentary” about Jamaica’s music, words and dance – a tribute to Jamaica’s 50th Anniversary of Independence.
This celebration assembles international, Grammy, and 2012 JUNO Award-nominated reggae artists from each decade, linked with music, dance and talk from 1962 to 2012. JAMAICAN RHYTHMS: ROOTS, ROCK, REGGAE!
‘60s: Iconic Fab 5 Band – paying tribute to SKA
‘70s: Classic John Holt
‘80s: Magnificent Marcia Griffiths
‘90s: Fantastic Yellow Man
2000: Grammy Award-winner Maxi Priest
2010: King of the Dancehall, Grammy Award-winner Beenie Man
2011: Exco Levi backed by Mountain Edge – 2012 Juno Award-winner/Can Con
Jay Douglas – Juno Awards’ nominee/ Can Con
Steele – Juno Awards’ nominee/ Can Con
Tickets for Jamaican Rhythms are available from the Sony Centre For The Performing Artsin person at the Sony Centre box office, by calling 1.855.872.SONY (7669) or online at www.sonycentre.ca, as well as JAMAICA 50 and Community outlets: $35, $50, $75. VIP tickets are $150 and include pre-show cocktails, meet and greet with the stars, leaders and icons.
Presented by JAMAICA 50 Celebration Inc. and produced by Jones & Jones Productions – under the auspices of Jamaica’s High Commissioner to Canada Sheila Sealy Monteith, Jamaica’s Consul General to Toronto Seth George Ramocan, Canadian Senator The Honourable Reverend Don Meredith, The HonourableMargarett Best and Councillor Michael Thompson.
Looky, looky I am keeping my word, it’s another album review and this time it’s Rebel Emergency! One of the first bands I covered at the start of my professional career when I was still in college, scouting and writing for other publications. What keeps me drawn to this band year after year other than their incredible live show, is their music and versatility! They are not afraid to change it up and still incorporate that original Rebel Emergency feel, always tastefully seducing the envelope. “Aphrodisiology” is the third record released by the quartet and has a slightly different vibe than its predecessors with a more commercial mainstream formula. I’ve heard tracks from this record on Galaxy music (Radio on TV for those who don’t know what it is.) didn’t even realize it was them until I finally listened to the full record. Before I get carried away, Rebel Emergency from Toronto is; Roddy Soul – Vox, Geoff Star – Lead Guitar, Mike “Mutten Chop” Cohen – Bass and Sir Jeremy on the Drums.
Photography By: Joanna Glezakos For FridaeTV
On this eleven track LP, most of the songs have different yet similar elements that tie them together fluidly. To me it sounds like Rebel has figured out what works for them and this record shows their continued growth with a more mature sound. Roddy is vocally coming out of his shell and finding his own voice instead of emulating the White Bob Marley. There is still more for him to discover and refine only to get better with age like a wine. I put the record in and just let it play, not stopping or rewinding any tracks it was a full run through. After about the third album spin I decided it’s time to start writing and selecting what songs need to be listened to on repeat over and over. “Up All Night” started in like a video game in some far away fantasy land and as the opening mid tempo track, it set the tone for the album perfectly. The lyrics are clever and slutty but sweet: “You know that I’m loose how dare you seduce me.” listen to the song and you’ll know what I’m saying.
Photography By: Joanna Glezakos For FridaeTVPhotography By: Joanna Glezakos For FridaeTV
The writing, mixing and production on this record is by far their best to date and they have definitely improved as musicians. Guitars sound fantastic but I wish there were a little more and maybe a few solos somewhere. There are a few tunes on this record I am not liking so much like the song “Letters”, the only one I skipped after the first run through. There was something about the vocals that just wasn’t appealing to my ears. A stand out tune worth a listen is…”Picture This” a poppier slice reminiscent of the 80’s but with better sound and production. The following songs I had on repeat in my shuffle: “Just Wanna Kiss Ya”, “Rise And Fall” and the title track “Aphrodisiology” which is a unique funky gem of it’s own. My most favorite track on this record has to be “Lion In A Cage” which features recording artist KO. I first saw this song performed live prior to the release of the record at the 2011 Toronto Freedom Festival and I named it wrong in the video I filmed. Every element in this sonata fits so well together, from the music to the lyrics and melodic arrangements, this song gets you all pumped up and excited. Roddy’s voice sounds really good with the melody, KO’s vocals came off a little theatrical but he sounds better on record than he does live. It’s a shame too because there is all this hype surrounding him and his manager pushes his music hard but I felt like he did not live up to his hype. A few lyrics from the track “You can never hold us down… / Rising up is all the rage… / You’ll never keep us locked…locked up / We’re like a Lion in a Cage”. On that note my friends, if you like a relaxing new school fusion of rock, ska and reggae, Rebel Emergency is the band for you! This record is not to be ignored, good music for your ears buy “Aphrodisiology” HERE, you won’t want to turn it off!
It’s 2012 and the first coverage of the New Year was Sunday January 29th when Collie Buddz came around to Toronto’s Sound Academy. I could not ask for a better artist to set the tone for the new year but was not too thrilled about the venue. During the winter months that area has restricted public transportation and not everyone is willing to trek around in the cold to that obscure corner of the city. Always up for an adventure, to me everyday is a new escapade so of course I trekked it. I don’t like winter but the crazy Canadian weather doesn’t keep me from a good show.
Collie Buddz is a Modern Reggae Dance Hall Artist; born Colin Harper in New Orleans, Louisiana raised in Bermuda. Buddz first appeared on the music scene in 2006 and has been lighting up the charts and Womens hearts since. Harper’s most recent record is The Playback EP available for purchase on his website where you can find more information on Collie and the newest sounds like the fresh “I Feel So Good”.
Last April I saw Collie Buddz live for the first time at the Opera House, it was a scorching show with people being pulled out of the venue on gurneys upon arrival. This time it was a much more relaxed atmosphere with even more people, if this show was in the summer or at a venue just down the street there would have been more people guaranteed. It was a good sized crowd when I arrived, the door count was almost at 900 and people seemed to be having an exceptional time.
The show had similar components to last years, more specifically there was no media pit. We were told there would be a pit but it was non existent so once again we were thrown to the Lions but thankfully this crowd was much more understanding. Thank you to the Collie Buddz team, the amazing folks at LiveNation and all the Toronto fans who I came across for being so awesome! I handled it with ease this time but I don’t know about the two photographers from the other media outlets. Once I made my way through the ocean of people to the stage I didn’t see the photographers again that night. I planned to leave the front lines but was trapped in the crowd and a few fans looked like they were going to faint so I didn’t want to be in the direct ring of fire. I actually thought someone did pass out when DJ Peewee handed a bottle of water to a fan. Luckily the person ended up being okay, there was no need for gurneys at this show and despite being trapped again, this time I didn’t have to balance on a speaker for the whole set.
I missed the supporting acts (what else is new) and that really was too bad for me because I wanted to check out the New Kingston Band. The trio consists of two brothers and a family friend, Stephen Suckarie – Lead Vocals/Guitar, Tahir Panton – Keys/Vocals and Courtney M. Panton on the Drums (He is too sick with those sticks). In addition to New Kingston being the opening act they are also Collie’s live band keeping it in the family with the Panton’s Father; Courtney Panton Sr. on the Bass. I definitely need to see New Kingston perform because most of them put on commendable performance as backing musicians, there were a few timing issues but I am sure they are tighter with their own music. Buddz let Suckarie sing a little lead during the set and his voice sounded pretty good but needed a little more push, I think he was surprised and nervous to be put on the spot. As a guitarist he’s actually quite skilled and with a little more practice, he could probably give a few well known Axemasters a run for their money. Tahir on the Keys was boring to watch, he didn’t smile often nor did he change his facial expression. Lacking the enthusiasm, it seemed like he was not enjoying himself at all.
DJ Peewee introduced Buddz to the stage but before Buddz made his appearance, Peewee built the momentum by interacting with the audience like every good Hypeman should. The minute Collie popped out on stage the crowd erupted, he captivated Toronto instantly with his charisma and golden boy grin. Everyone who successfully managed to get their greenery into the building sparked their blunts! I was not surprised at all! A Collie Buddz show would not be complete without various types of herbal essence floating through the air. He should come and perform for the Toronto Freedom Festival, that would definitely be of epic proportions.
It was a simple stage show that felt more like a huge house jam and kept the same vibe throughout the entire performance. Harper banged out most of his hit singles like the track he recorded in Toronto “Come Around” (He didn’t even need to sing, the crowd sang it word for word.), “Sensimillia”, “Tomorrow’s Another Day” and “Mamacita”. Collie is a very unique performer, a Singjay similar to Sean Paul but has a different delivery style. He Raps and Sings with island flavor, has great range and when he needs to bring the vocals to a more solid gritty tone he does so with ease, passion and fervor. You can tell he loves to perform but still seemed a little reserved and shy.
During “Mamacita” there was a little dance break where Blacka Di Danca (A Choreographer/Dancer) flew out like a fluid stage glider ready to teach some dancing. At the Opera House show it was Collie who broke it down but this time he volunteered Peewee to do the honors for Toronto. Obviously he didn’t have the skill Blacka does but he didn’t do too bad at all. It’s always a good show when the artist and the team make the audience feel like family and at a venue of this size you have the capabilities to do that on a more intimate level than if it were an arena show. Next time I think two fans should be brought on stage and have Blacka teach them a few steps with Peewee and Collie.
I noticed Collie took his sunglasses off more than usual or it could be that I actually had a chance to be more observant because I wasn’t focused on how much face-diving into the crowd would hurt if I lost balance on the speaker. The venue it self has great sound and lighting with such a beautiful space. They even minimized the use of red in the lights alternating between the primary and secondary colours more often.
Among the all male crew in Harper’s stage entourage, there is a female but only one, Lady Alexis. She is Collie’s sultry back up singer and has an incredibly sweet tone in her voice but needs a little more confidence, let it go girl you can sing. When it was her solo she sang an Adele tune dedicated to the females in the audience and sang it very well but I could tell she was nervous. It was more evident during “No Woman No Cry” likely due to the fact she was placed centre stage after Collie gave his respects and reminded the people that Bob Marley will always be the King of Reggae. I would love to hear Lady Alexis’ original material and see what she can do as a soloist because she does have the vocal talent. I finally manged to find a path to escape the front lines when the crowd calmed down for a few seconds before ‘Blind To You’, one of the last songs in the set and a definite crowd favorite. Collie Buddz and his team gave a very entertaining performance, I did not hear one fan complain except outside a few guys were dancing around and one said “I wish the show wasn’t over!” which is a compliment. Next time Collie Buddz come around I want to film a tune, until then you can find more photos of the show on FridaeTV Facebook. If you like quality entertainment from a true artist, you need to experience the Collie Buddz electricity live for yourself.
TuneCore Announces New $4.99 a Month Album Distribution Pricing.
(Jan. 17, 2012) – TuneCore, the world’s largest music distribution company, has announced a new pricing option. Albums can now be distributed to iTunes, Spotify, AmazonMP3 and all other digital stores and services TuneCore works with for a flat CDN$4.99 a month.
This flat fee is a monthly recurring charge and can be canceled at any time. This is in addition to the existing pricing of CDN$49.99 a year per album and CDN$9.99 a year for a single release.
TuneCore launched its music industry changing flat fee, keep all your rights, get 100% of the revenues global music distribution service in Canada on Jan. 10, 2012.
Using TuneCore’s new Canadian site (www.tunecore.ca), all Canadian artists can get their music to fans worldwide via distribution into numerous digital stores and services. The Canadian site is available exclusively to Canadian artists.
TuneCore is the largest distributor and has one of the highest revenue-generating music catalogs in the world: In the past two years TuneCore Artists have sold over 500 million units and generated over $250 million dollars in gross music sales and songwriter revenue.
TuneCore is a low, flat fee service that distributes music to iTunes, Spotify, eMusic, AmazonMP3, Nokia and many other major download and streaming sites while taking no rights and no revenue from the sale of the music. Artists are building careers, selling significant volumes of music and generating revenue through TuneCore. Since its launch in 2006, TuneCore has more than 700,000 account holders, including Grammy winners and unsigned artists alike. TuneCore artists include Drake, Beck, Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, Aretha Franklin, Keith Richards, Public Enemy, Nine Inch Nails, Ricky Skaggs, Paul Westerberg, The Civil Wars, Willie Nelson, They Might Be Giants, Donna Summer, MGM Studios, Warren G, Bjork, Moby, High School Musical cast members, Girl Talk, Brian Eno, Starbucks and hundreds of thousands more.
TuneCore Expands into Canada: Canadian Artists Gain Global Access to iTunes and Many More Services
Brooklyn, NY (Jan. 10, 2012) – Today TuneCore launched its industry changing flat fee, keep all your rights, get 100% of the revenues global music distribution service in Canada.
Using TuneCore’s new Canadian site (www.tunecore.ca), all Canadian artists can get their music to fans worldwide via distribution into iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and more. The Canadian site, which is available exclusively to Canadian artists, is priced in domestic currency and features no currency conversion on domestic sales.
TuneCore is now the world’s largest music distributor, placing more music into iTunes and other global music services in one month than Sony, Universal, Warner and EMI combined in a year.
TuneCore Artists include legends such as Aretha Franklin, Nine Inch Nails, Jay Z, Joan Jett, Beck, Cheap Trick, Moby, Frank Zappa, and newer and emerging artists like Blood On The Dance Floor, Girl Talk, Drake, Boyce Avenue and many more.
These and other TuneCore Artists represent over 60 percent of all new, non-“catalogue” music sales in the US. Their annual gross revenue in music sales has grown from $7 million in 2007 to over $100 million in 2011.
Access to the World
With TuneCore, getting music on digital download and streaming sites worldwide is easy and inexpensive. Artists simply upload their music and art to www.tunecore.ca, pick their stores and pay an annual flat fee of CDN$9.99 per single. For albums, they can choose to pay CDN$49.99 annually or CDN$4.99 a month.
“There has never been a record label where an artist can make 70 cents per track sold,” says Juno award-winning Canadian singer, songwriter and actress Melanie Doane. “Tunecore has enabled me to sell my music in Canada and international markets while retaining 100% of my rights and royalties.”
Hundreds of Canadian artists already use TuneCore, either via the U.S. site or the new Canadian site. In addition to Melanie Doane, they include Drake (distributed the single “Best I Ever Had” through TuneCore), Barenaked Ladies, Martha Wainwright, Joel Plaskett, Kate & Anna McGarrigle and David Usher (of Moist).
Worldwide, TuneCore has more than 700,000 account holders, including Grammy winning artists, record labels and others.
“As an artist on independent label Sounds+Sights, we love the freedom that TuneCore gives us to sell our music around the world with minimal overhead,” says Canadian guitarist Parker Lauzon, a member of alternative rock band Evans Blue.
New model allows all artists global distribution into iTunes, Spotify and more while keeping all their rights and getting 100% of the revenues paid from sales of their music
2011 digital music sales topped physical sales in the US; TuneCore Artists represent over 60% of all new artist sales in the US, selling over half a billion songs and earning over US$250,000,000 in 3.5 years
TuneCore is now the world’s largest music distribution company
Sudbury Ontario based record label releasing albums by world renowned artists including KRS-One
Canada, May 30, 2011 – Sudbury, Ontario based record label, 6.8.2 Records, is gearing up for a very busy summer and a groundbreaking year. “It’s been a steady progression the last couple of years to get to this point. It’s hard to believe that we are finally readying ourselves to release some amazing new music onto the world” says Lynn Johnston Vice-President of the burgeoning label. You wouldn’t know that 6.8.2 Records has only been around for a few years, nor would you think an indie label with such a high calibre of artists would be based in Northern Ontario. With veteran artists like Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One & Bumpy Knuckles & Grand Puba releasing albums through 6.8.2 in 2011 it proves that this label is looking to make as much noise as it can right out of the gate. In fact, the first release from the label comes from KRS-One & Bumpy Knuckles on Tuesday May 31st, 2011. The album is called Royalty Check and it will be the first of many rolling out of the halls of 6.8.2 Records this year with the next album launch coming from Boogie Down Productions on June 28th. The Grand Puba album alone, produced by the Hit Squad from Bad Boy Entertainment, is a proverbial who’s who of the urban music scene with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Q-Tip, Busta Rhymes and P. Diddy making guest appearances on many of the tracks. This album is still in production so no confirmed release date has been set as of yet. The label isn’t just about releasing records from artists who already have a track record. They are also interested in artist development. “This city (Sudbury, Ontario) has some amazing talent” says Trevor Johnston CEO. “We just happen to be lucky enough to have one of the most talented local artists of the bunch (Michael O’Brien: Kill The Autocrat) signed to our label.”
Kill The Autocrat (KTA) is the first artist to be brought up through the development division. This specific project not only features Michael O’Brien as the principal songwriter and rapper, it also features the CEO of the label himself on drums and musical collaborator Scott Swain another Sudbury born artist most known for his work in the bands Far From Heroes and The Black Maria. Kill The Autocrat has also caught the attention of the Boogie Down Productions crew. Enough so that KRS-One will be collaborating with Michael O’Brien of KTA on a future track and legendary DJ Kenny Parker called the music of KTA “revolutionary” and stepped up to do all of the scratches for the album. The first release by KTA called “New World Disorder” will be unleashed to the world on July 5th, 2011.
The label 6.8.2 was started by Trevor and Lynn and Sudbury is their base of operations. Both are Northern Ontarians through and through. With Sudbury’s close proximity to Toronto it gives the label the opportunity to conduct business with clients based there easily yet the low overhead costs available in Sudbury helps them to stretch their dollars and cents allowing the 6.8.2 in house studio and development department to flourish. 2011 is a pivotal year for the label with summer releases coming from every artist on their roster, a 45 day North American tour showcasing all of their artists slated to start in mid July and extensive marketing and promotion initiatives supporting all of their artists. The music industry in the US and Canada is a buzz anticipating the release of many of the fledgling label’s artists. 6.8.2. Records’ goal is to provide honest music that has integrity to anyone who wants to listen and services that artists working in the modern era of the music industry will find to be fair and just. But don’t let the labels nicety’s fool you. They are all business and plan on making 6.8.2 Records one of the most successful indie labels in the world.
ENTERTAINMENT ONE & BEGIN AGAIN GIVE CANADIAN MUSICIANS THEIR BIG BREAK 
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