SUBMISSIONS

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

Thank you, for your interest in the “ROCK U REVIEW”. We value the EFFORT & COST that musicians put forth in distributing their music, & are honoured that you’ve chosen to share it with us. However, we don’t want to manipulate a competitive situation by accepting material we MAY NOT have time to write about. This has become a growing concern throughout the industry, where people & institutions accept promotional goods…then do NOTHING with them. The end result…a band that has just “loaned out” substantial dollar amounts with ZERO return – an investment that could’ve been better suited for recording purposes, purchasing new gear, building a website, further distributional needs, or providing material to diehard fans. Our contributors have a shared vision of HELPING ARTISTS attain their goals, with professional coverage & honest feedback. It all begins with HOW we receive your music, & HOW you perceive us to be able to do our job. So, we’ve implemented a simple structure to screen potential acts:

1. Send ARTIST WEB LINKS to submissions@rockureview.com, where we can catch you in action (website, MySpace, Reverbnation, Facebook, YouTube). Include a brief history (describing your talents) & the form of coverage you are looking for. An artist may not require a full CD REVIEW, if it’s already been on the market for awhile…but may want to request a FEATURE INTERVIEW, when trying to develop public outreach.

2. If we are interested in covering your project, we will request a full “HARDCOPY PRESS KIT” & instruct you WHERE to send it. We ask for a physical CD because we are trying to deliver the “actual quality” the consumer will experience when purchasing your music – pressing, sound, jacket, photos, lyrics, liner notes…all of this conveys great detail about WHO you really are & WHAT you’re trying to represent. DON’T WORRY – if you are a small, independent group that does not have physically-pressed material at this time…we will not “shun” nor “turn” you away…after all, we are living in a digital age & we have a great “Indie Ignition” section to highlight you. Instead, send us your EPK. The dimension of each client we write about, whether independent or major label, is derived in a dignified manner to assist the artist in gaining the MOST POSITIVE EXPOSURE. In other words, if we feel we cannot bring out the BEST ATTRIBUTES of your talent or music…we would rather NOT write anything about you at all. It goes with wanting to be a part of the “solution” for the ever-adapting music industry.

3. Once we’ve received your package, we will set up a time frame in which to work with you…& this is dependent upon the individual writer working on your piece. We are freelancers with jobs, families, & other life commitments…so it literally has to co-ordinate with OUR SCHEDULES – as well as yours. The QUALITY of content is the primary focus – that it’s honest, perceptive, enthusiastic, & captures the distinct individuality that the artist expresses in their career. Thus, the “beauty” of internet marketing…doesn’t matter exactly WHEN you publish an article…there’s always a great audience willing to read reputable content, & the diversity amongst them is much LARGER than what you would capture from a local newspaper.

4. FOLLOW-UP is an area that we PRIDE OURSELVES on. We are here to build “relationships” with artists, rather than just write about what’s HERE TODAY & GONE TOMORROW. You will receive a “DRAFT” for approval, before we publish your content. You can also choose to showcase “A SONG” on our site player, or actually “HIRE” our people to assist with further promotional needs. We provide a variety of services, or have connections to: contract journalism, band photography, social-media marketing, event promotion, graphic design, internet-radio submittal, merchandising, even consultation (certain services are based upon location). But the most definitive aspect in all of this is “WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH YOU” to develop plans, ideas, & long-range goals to successfully drive your music career.

The articles we provide on ROCKUREVIEW.COM are descriptive & energetic pieces that can be easily rendered to print publication & some of our contributors have had previous experience with “physical publication” at one point or another. We retain the COPYRIGHT to all of our works, but encourage artists to include excerpts in press packages or provide links & trackbacks online. The further you help expand our name, the greater the “IMPACT” when we write about future performers…& vice versa. People want to read information from reliable resources. “ROCK U REVIEW” is a licensed non-profit webzine, with a wealthy history of covering MAJOR LABEL artists & notable INDEPENDENT acts. We have successfully driven music through social-media marketing for a number of years, & our positive scope has gained us a readership of MILLIONS worldwide. It all comes back to our concept of collaborating together, so we can “ROCK THE WORLD” one reader at a time.

SUBMISSION FORMATS:

PRESS RELEASES:

Press releases can be sent to us by emailing editor@rockureview.com – with “PRESS” added BEFORE the title in the subject line. Information must be professionally & correctly written, including all pertinent links & photographs for publishing. If your release contains little viable information, a large amount of spelling errors, broken links, or improperly coded text…it will be DISCARDED. We also reserve the right to decline submissions from groups that may be abusing the system, by clogging up our email with repetitive entries. If you receive a drop one week on our LiveWire Media Blog, you WILL NOT receive placement the following week for the same type of submission. This keeps it fair for every artist to have their news published by us. “OVER LINKING” or use of over-capitalization/bold-facing will be removed. We do not want to “SHOUT” at our readers, nor spam them with an over-zealous attempt at marketing. For a more detailed description of “the rights” we claim, when using submitted content, please visit our “Terms & Conditions” page on our website.

TOUR DATES:

Show & tour listings can also be sent to the editor, following the same grammatical/publication rules. Just make sure to get your details in on time…especially if heading out on the road.

DIGITAL EPK:

Digital files should be delivered to submissions@rockureview.com & must be MP3 FORMAT (128 kbps minimum) – sent with a copy of your album cover & at least two professional images of your band. If you are submitting a FULL ALBUM or EP, it should be sealed in a .zip file along with the material mentioned above, plus contain the artist’s MEDIA ONE-SHEET. Use of download link directories, with EXPIRY DATES on the music, should definitely be brought to our attention. If coverage is approved, & the link has already expired, we will contact you. *** ARTISTS BEING REVIEWED MUST SEND THE FULL ALBUM…NO EXCEPTIONS!!! *** Single songs can also be sent for promotion, & could either be used as an exclusive FREE DOWNLOAD to our readers, or as the opening track on our site…with a visual banner titled “RUR #1 FEATURE ARTIST” – gaining it extra exposure with priority placement. We also have sections dedicated to a “FEATURED ALBUM” or the “VIDEO HOT SPOT” – so just let us know what kind of promotion you require.

ALL OTHER INQUIRIES regarding advertising, joint ventures, running contests, or becoming part of the contributing staff should be directed to the editor at editor@rockureview.com. We do accept content from “Guest Writers” as well – so make sure to hit us up! Again, for all our “Terms & Conditions” on submitted content…please visit this page.

PLEASE NOTE:

Due to the large volume of review/content inquiries we receive globally, artists ARE NOT GUARANTEED COVERAGE. It is up to the group’s correspondent to know whether the submission (press or digital) meets our required standards. ROCKUREVIEW.COM is a NON-PROFIT webzine, showcasing a variety of talent from around the world, & strives to create a “balanced atmosphere” where major & independent music will BOTH receive great, unbiased professional exposure. There is a lot of time & cost associated with running this site & all of the music-media efforts that we help promote. If you have submitted press material to us, or we have worked with your band in any capacity, & you have been satisfied with the results…we only ask that you consider making a small monetary donation to our efforts – via the “DONATE BUTTON” on our homepage.

These guidelines may be terminated without notice, & are subject to revision at any time.