The HILLTOP RECORDS ONLINE MUSIC FESTIVAL for SONGWRITERS

IT IS OFFICIAL!  As of 7 PM on June 6, 2011 - It is a first-ever in the music biz.  The HillTop Records Online Music Festival for Songwriters is open!
Our high-tech version of a traditional summer music festival, this one-of-a-kind event will take place entirely online. The unique concept was designed to bring together songwriters and music lovers, regardless of their geographical location, gaining a bigger audience for up and coming songwriters. Maybe you live in a small town or remote area, a place that does not tend to attract major concerts or festivals. Or perhaps you work odd hours or a very busy schedule, and do not have the time to dedicate to days of live concerts. If so, the First Annual HillTop Records Online Music Festival for Songwriters is the perfect thing for you! You will be able to virtually visit the festival whenever you want, listening to as many or as few songs at a time as you wish. All of the songs entered in the festival will be available to hear online, and all songs will be original, so it is a great way to discover new songs and songwriters. Industry professionals are also encouraged to enjoy what the festival has to offer. Music publishers, record labels, agents and even established recording artists will be able to shop for new material, thanks to the organized and easy-to-browse format of the Online Music Festival. Simply click on "The Songs" link, and select the genre of your choice. You can listen to the song while you read a little bit about the songwriter.  HillTop Records will also include a page featuring a few songs within each category that we especially recommend--and, of course, you will be able to browse all the songs in the festival by Songwriter Name or Song Title by clicking on the search feature on "The Songs" page.
Most importantly, there will be no fee to attend the festival; all you will need is an Internet connection. Festival-goers will be able to browse the music by genre, and even "like" their favorites. Listeners are encouraged to participate in the Festival by clicking "like" on as many songs as they see fit. These votes will be tallied at the end of the festival to determine the winner of The People's Choice Award. This award will be only one of eight distributed at the end of the festival--and, yes, there will be prize money involved!
The best song within each of the festival's five genres (Rock, Pop, Country, Gospel, and Urban/R&B) will all be awarded a cash prize of $250. The People's Choice Award will be worth $500, and the Best Song of the Festival as determined by the Judges will receive a Grand Prize Award of $1000 and the Festival Blue Ribbon. HillTop will also present a special Recording Contract Award to one talented songwriter.  All of the awards will be announced on the final day of the festival (Labor Day, 2011). All award recipients (except for the winner of the People's Choice Award) will be determined by our panel of expert judges. These judges are all renowned music industry professionals.  Go to http://www.hilltopmusicfestival.com/ and click on "The Judges" blue navigation bar to read about each one.  We are both proud and honored to have a fantastic panel of judges for our first festival. We know that their taste, knowledge and love of music will greatly contribute to the success of the event.
Here at HillTop Records our primary goal is to help rising songwriters gain exposure, confidence, and the tools they need to succeed in the music industry. We see this festival as an extension of that. It will be a fun, new way for songwriters to get their names, their work, and their passion for music out there! All songwriters who own the copyright (words and music) to their songs may enter those songs in the festival--you may enter as many songs as you'd like. You are welcome to participate, whether you have ever had a song recorded by HillTop Records or not. However, we ask that if you are an established songwriter who makes a substantial portion of your income from the songs you write, then please, step aside.  Attend this Festival as a listener only, and allow this first-ever Online Music Festival to celebrate the works of America's songwriters on the rise.
So, how do you go about entering a song? Up-and-coming songwriters all around the country may upload their songs on MP3s absolutely free! There is NO CHARGE to enter a song in the Festival. The songs will be sorted by genre: Rock, Pop, Country, Gospel, and Urban/R&B. A song may be entered in only one of the five genres.  It must have both music and words (no instrumentals will be accepted) and those words must be in English. You must enter a recorded version of your song in an MP3 file, and the lyrics must be entered in the box provided (you may paste-in text).  The complete Official Rules and directions for entering a song may be found by visiting the festival's website at http://www.hilltopmusicfestival.com/.  We'll see you at the Festival!