2006 Archives

A brief history of the rise of the mp3 communities

When the International Online Music Awards (IOMAs) were established in October 2003, there were a handful of 'mp3' preview and download sites. Today, there are thousands, each with their own respective communities that are generally made up of indie bands, DJs, and musicians. The periods between 2001 and 2003 in particular, were an exciting time for indie artists because they didn't need the 'trade papers' to tell them how good or bad they were... recording no longer cost the earth.. and there was a sense of 'community'.

It was all happening inside the mp3 community sites and forums where guys would swap stories, share news of each other's freshly completed masterpieces and their community chart positions. The thing that was really important however, was that musicians separated by language, culture, borders, and often vast distances, could now offer each other the kind of support that motivated and inspired more creativity. And, for the most part at least, it was all entirely experimental but magnificently free!

As far as actual promotion went... musicians all over the world became aware of each other's music. Some sites offered reviews and interviews, others created advertising (at a price) in the form of basic flash banners and logos etc. The problem was, that almost all of these attempts at promotion were contained inside individual sites and the communities that existed within them. Additionally, some site owners were very reluctant to support each other's endeavors through collaboartion. Ultimately, the carefully created mp3 masterpieces were becoming part of an ever expanding library of thousands of others.. each having its own merit but fast becoming lost almost as quickly as they had appeared.

A brief history of the rise of the International Online Music Awards

In 2003, and particularly in and around the mp3 communities, there were no awards that could add any weight to the value of independent artists contributions to the newly emerging digital music industry. There were of course a few 'website awards' that you could 'apply' for.. but there were virtually no music awards events for these guys making music and uploading them onto the community sites. It seemed to me that it would be a bloody good idea to straighten that out..

I talked to a whole load of bands and musicians from various indie communities, weighed a few things up, and decided to create and establish an event that focused almost entirely on these communities that could conceivably enable indie artists to show their appreciation for each others work. My objective was to make it possible for there be an online music award event where votes could be submitted by artists for artists!

Plans were drawn, money was spent (my partner's!!), and the announcements were made... there would be five final nominees in each awards category that had received the highest number of votes and of these nominees the one (or more) that received the highest votes would be declared the winner. Oh it was so much easier said than done!

There were certain conditions of course.. we could foot the entire costs involved so that there would be no charge for entries, only artists could vote for each other and not for themselves, no multiple entries from the same source, and the only prize would be free promotion, web-awards and certificates and the entire thing presented online!

Certain additional requests were made. We made physical presentation awards available for all final nominees and winners that had to be manufactured completely professionally at a reasonable cost to the artist. The cost of manufacturing and shipping meant that we were losing money and although we managed to get those costs down without sacrificing quality or increasing prices.. the aim of covering our costs was not going to happen without sponsorship. At the time... I simply couldn't be bothered! We'd created a spectacular awards event that had never previously existed.. the only one of it's kind... and we'd made a hell of alot of otherwise unrecognized artists dead happy!

In a conversation with the head of a leading music distribution company.. I was asked 'yea Colin it's all very nice to wanna save the world but... what do YOU get out of it?' Until the question was raised, I honestly had never considered that. I wasn't raised to think like that but then I was no Saint and I wondered if my naivety has got the better of me? My reaction then was the same as it is today... 'Sod it!

When I was a young and frequently unemployed musician with an equally young and impossibly supportive wife, I would have given the earth to have been recognized beyond my town for my bass playing and my doubtfully strong vocals.. that was enough of a 'return on investment' for me.. plain and simple! The thing is, without effective promotion and publicity, no one knows who you are or what you have to contribute! The issues are sadly very much the same today as they were when I first started out.

Nominations then and now

In January 2004, we received 1,500 award nominations, in 2005, 15,000 nominations and in 2006, 34,000 nominations worldwide. These were impossible figures to deal with (Some would go as far as to say that they're impossible period!) It was a logistical nightmare to say the least because the administration alone was completely unprepared and under resourced! Happily, for the 2007 awards, we had a more comprehensive database design which made the distribution of purified water and headache tablets so much easier!

Originally, we received nominations that were almost entirely made up of developing and semi-pro artists based at the community sites. Things began to change when we realized that most entries were also being submitted by and on behalf of much more experienced artists who had their own sites or who belonged to the ever increasing number of more serious indie sites. Essentially, our entire awards audience had changed as time went by and so we decided to include media and industry components to enhance the event and further promote the artists. Some pretty big names came on board and we had to accommodate them.

Controversy upon controversy

Over time, we had a few bitterness and resentment issues to deal with. I have since learned that in any contest, even in sports, this is entirely normal but it still bugs you when people get it wrong or completely misunderstand the actual intent!

Firstly, there were the occasional artists who wanted much more than they had been awarded. I had one guy swear he didn't want to be entered in just one winning category when he thought he should have won them all! Another guy pointed out publicly that his winning caused him lots of problems with jealousies and resentments in the community forums he attended but then the very next day sent us his personal nominations and hoped he would win again!

You sometimes get the other issues within communities that did not get a look-in at the event. You'll get the blame for being biased and even prejudiced especially in our case where R Cat can sometimes be nominated as 'best whatever' in a given category. Personally.. I'd sooner they vote for us with some sincerity and appreciation than vote for someone they didn't believe in and although, on the face of it at least, it might seem a bit much, I look at it like it's just as valid except I'd be a little worried if we ended up with scores of votes because people thought that would get them somewhere!

Recently, a community forum had comments from a handful of artists that want everything for free regardless of the work and cost to others.One by one, each forum posting from people who should know better got nastier and nastier with regards to awards events like ours. Well... as I've said many times before... we're here to promote artists who really want to do better than just reside in forums that are part of an mp3 library. We're not people's psychiatric nurses!

There's an issue I guess with all competitions and contests... sometimes, its just not possible to win or be nominated and we have to accept that. I think the IOMAs is a very fair and progressive awards event. Admittedly, there are lots of 'sore' losers out there and people who don't really understand the benefits of good promotion and publicity. On the other hand, it's nice when you are nominated and even nicer when you win!

but who needs awards?

Being a recognized finalist is generally a huge achievement in itself. If we get 20,000 nominations at an event, being a winner among finalists simply means you were awarded the highest number of votes or you were judged to be the best depending of course upon the awards event and how its being run. To be voted best anything out of 20,000 nominations is better than a pat on the back!

The most important thing however, is the massive amount of valuable publicity an award can give you which sometimes outweighs any entry fees (not in our case) that you may have had to pay. You can use your nominations or awards to good effect in your press kits, promotions, web presence and in local papers etc. Ultimately however, your music is taken much more seriously when a regional, national, or international awards event has shined its spotlight in your direction!

Prizes and prizes

The only thing you win in the International Online Music Awards is promotion and publicity and the appreciation of the artists that voted for you. That should be easily enough but you also get a free web-based award, certificate, and, for winners, a professional press kit and some free advertising. You can also order a physical presentation award at cost plus shipping. At the end of the day though.. it's the being nominated and/or winning courtesy of your peers that counts!

For event organizers, an awards event of this kind of magnitude is a hell of alot of hard work but it's a real buzz when the nominations come in. The IOMAs takes up about six months work for us but the fact that final nominees are announced on Christmas Day and winners are announced on New Years Day is all the reward you'd want especially when you get the acceptance speeches and comments!

When the announcements are made, that immensely busy day leads to someone somewhere in the world being totally over the moon on two of the already most special days of the year!

In other awards, especially those that are sponsored, you can win gear, cash prizes or studio time etc It's all worth it whatever way you look at it, but it's the fact that your music was entered and chosen to win that gives you one of the most incredible buzz's that you're ever likely to receive on that long and winding road to success in the independent and major music industry.

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