$20,000 "Pub Deal" Contest Open to Songwriters, Artists

LOS ANGELES, March 6, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Three music brands have combined forces to give songwriters and artists of all genres a shot at a coveted $20,000, one-year publishing contract.

For the second annual "Pub Deal" contest, leading music licensing, publishing and management company Secret Road has partnered with music technology startup Songspace and world- renowned instrument maker Martin Guitar.

In addition to receiving a non-recoupable $20,000 advance, the winner will work with Los Angeles-based Secret Road throughout the year to build their repertoire and market their songs for licensing in film and TV. 

Entries are open to songwriters not currently under contract with any other publishers, and the participants must submit entries by April 25. Information on how to submit is available at www.thepubdeal.com

Twenty-five semi-finalists will be featured on AmericanSongwriter.com. Five finalists will participate in an audition process that includes a series of interviews with Secret Road's staff and co-writing sessions with top songwriters.

"We're passionate about creating new and exciting opportunities for our Secret Road family of artists and writers," says Josh Sarubin, Head of Publishing.  "We're thrilled to have this platform and opportunity to tap into the undiscovered talent of Nashville and beyond."

"Throughout music's history, countless songs were created on our instruments, so playing a role in discovering the next great songwriter is a natural fit for us," said Amani Duncan, VP of Brand Marketing, Martin Guitar.

The contest will be powered by Songspace, a Nashville-based startup and partner company of American Songwriter Media. Songspace provides a song catalog for music businesses fed by a collaborative app for songwriters.

"Breaking in to the music industry isn't easy," says Jesse Feister, Songspace Director of Strategy & Operations. "Part of our mission is to work with brands and music companies to help the great artists who use our app get their shot."

Secret Road is a music licensing, publishing, and management company based in Los Angeles, CA, that has placed songs in such highly rated television shows as "Grey's Anatomy," "Parenthood," and "Pretty Little Liars," and in such films as "What to Expect When You're Expecting," "Something Borrowed," and "No Strings Attached." Additionally, Secret Road artists have provided music for a wide range of brands, including Coca-Cola, Chevrolet, Target and Google.

Songspace is creative application for songwriters, artists and musicians linked to a song catalogue management system for music enterprises. A Nashville-based partner company of American Songwriter Magazine, the Songspace platform gives artists and music stakeholders an intuitive way to organize the art and business of songwriting.

Martin Guitar & Strings has been handcrafting the finest instruments in the world for over 180 years. Martin, based in Pennsylvania, continues to innovate, introducing techniques and features that have become industry standards, including X-bracing, the 14-fret guitar and the "Dreadnought" size.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jesse Feister
[email protected]

SOURCE Songspace