Okay, I promise you I’ll never consider pursuing a career as a copywriter with the headline above but I just can’t help myself; some of the premiere products and services in the music tech space are giving back to the community in a generous way this Holiday season and I’ve decided to round up some of the key promotions happening in cyberspace at the moment. ‘Tis better to give than receive, of course, but winning is still a whole lot of fun when prizes of this caliber are up for grabs.
Keep reading to find out how to win an unlimited subscription on Rdio for one year, a trip to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards, and a $100 gift card from Threadless.
Win a trip to the 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in Los Angeles
I discovered this contest on Mashable’s own giveaway guide, “5 Merry Musical Contests for the Holidays,” and think it’s a great way to raise awareness for a worthy cause. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has teamed up with the National Association of Recording Merchandisers (NARM) to re-launch the Give the Gift of Music campaign (a 30-year-old brand) online which facilitates the appreciation of music by encouraging consumers to share music-related gift ideas for the Holiday season or any other celebratory occasion.
To win a trip to the GRAMMY’s or one of several gift cards from J&R Music & Computer World, share your favorite music memory here by December 17th at midnight, PST.
Win a $100 gift card from Threadless courtesy of The Music Slut
That brazen hussy, The Music Slut, always gives away great prizes on her blog and this one is no exception. By chiming in with your favorite space-related song in the comments section of this post, you’re automatically qualified to win a $100 gift card to the ever-addictive Threadless store. That could buy you a lot of $10 tees right now but, personally, I’m really liking some of the LCD Soundsystem/DFA-inspired prints like this and other music-related goodies.
This contest ends on Sunday, December 12th at 11:59 PM (no specific time zone given so you better hurry). Good luck!
Win a free, unlimited subscription to Rdio for one year
Believe it or not, Rdio is giving away an unlimited subscription to one person every single day until Christmas. That means, as of this posting, there’s still 23 more winners to be selected for free, unrestricted web and mobile access to a catalog of 7+ million songs and counting.
Entering this contest is easier than most and you have to appreciate the fact that you’re not required to retweet any promotional messages to your followers. Simply “Like” Rdio on Facebook, click on the Sweepstakes tab, fill out the form, and you could be chosen to enjoy all the music your heart desires for a full year.
Download over 2,000+ mp3s free of charge from Amazon
Amazon’s Twitter account for mp3s + downloads is worth keeping on your radar solely for the amazing daily steals on top-selling releases. Recent case in point: The XX’s entire standout debut album was offered up for a mere $1.99. They also give away individual mp3s and have just compiled a selection of over 2,300 tracks, free of charge, from the likes of Beyonce, Elliot Smith, Metric, Sufjan Stevens, Mogwai, and Spoon – just to name a few. For those in the true Holiday spirit, there are plenty of Christmas tunes mixed in for your listening pleasure. Head on over and grab ’em before this list disappears.
*Author’s note: I know this is not a contest but it’s certainly worth sharing.
a music holiday gift guide!! LOVE it. seriously. brilliant.
~laura 🙂
Personally, I’d be most interested to see the Handheld & Wireless Strategy panel. As people attend concerts or events they increasingly look to their mobile phones to enhance their experience in real-time, whether it be through checking twitter feeds, uploading live photos, or searching the artist’s website in their browser. There’s a huge opportunity here for artists and entertainers to create a mobile destination for their fans, combining audience interaction and ecommerce to create additional revenue streams and build fan loyalty. The technology to do this is not only available, but is being democratized, allowing artists to build a solid mobile presence without having to hire a developer. The whole space is fascinating, and is really growing as a viable revenue solution for artists. So yeah, I think that’d be a fun convo to watch. 🙂
As a music journalist who secretly wants to be a sound engineer, it’s a tie for me between the Artist Panel and the Tour Secrets from the Pros panel. I’m a huge fan of Del the Funky Homosapien and think he is a very exciting choice for a panelist. He was one of the first artists to really embrace – and then totally capitalize on – technology culture with Deltron 3030. If I could hear tricks from Tom Petty’s monitor engineer and Del’s present thoughts on technology’s potential, I would be a very happy, inspired camper.
I’m most interested in the Music Education panel. Music education has taken a huge hit over the last few decades. I would like to hear what the this panel is doing to reverse the decline and glean ways that I can contribute to making music a more vital component in our schools. Also, I am currently working on an app to help students improve their rhythm.
I’m looking forward to “what music companies need from start ups” – having worked at a music company directly with start up services I think this is an interesting way to flip the script and have music companies directly tell start ups what they need, what are the best ways to work with them, how to approach them. You’d be surprised how often start ups dont understand where the content owner’s priorities are, or what are the best ways to work with them for their own benefit.
Okay, everyone. These fantastic responses were agonizing for me because choosing the winner was incredibly difficult. After reading through them and assessing what I think is relevant in today’s music space, I’ve decided that the winner is Helena Price. Congrats, Helena! Looking forward to seeing you on Monday
Everyone else, thank you for your thoughtful comments. Hopefully I can do this again and have even more passes to give away. 🙂