OurStage.com Launches New Web Series The OurStage Panel

new York, oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- OurStage.com, the premier destination for indie music discovery, has launched the The OurStage Panel, a revolutionary web series featuring top-ranked independent artists and influential music industry experts. A first of its kind, The OurStage Panel allows emerging OurStage.com artists the extraordinary opportunity to be reviewed and critiqued by top industry professionals from a variety of disciplines across the music industry (A&R, Radio, Management, Producers, Licensing, etc.).  Debuting Tuesday, October 25 at http://panel.ourstage.com, the series will run weekly with a monthly winner receiving the grand prize.  

Each month sixteen high ranking (from within the top 100 positions on the OurStage music charts) Premium OurStage artists/bands will be selected by a panel of experts to be evaluated on The OurStage Panel.  Every episode will then take viewers inside the intimate conversation of real industry tastemakers as they judge a group of four of these sixteen artists on their hit-making potential. While many artists spend a lifetime performing and never getting in front of industry elite, The OurStage Panel artists will get valuable feedback from the best in the business.  After four weeks, the finalists from each week will go head-to-head to compete for the grand prize:

• $5,000 in cash;
• A world-class video interview/EPK (electronic press kit) shot by Emmy award-winning Director/Producer Mitchell Stuart at a top studio in New York City;
• A mentor session in New York City with OurStage series panelists;
• And a mentor session with a senior music licensing expert.    

"We really are trying to do something unique with The OurStage Panel.  We want to provide an authentic bridge between the best of what the Internet and the traditional industry pros have to offer— by filtering the top new artists from across the web based on the wisdom of the crowd and pairing it with true industry feedback on how to groom successful artists," said OurStage.com Founder and CEO Ben Campbell. "With the flood of reality music shows that primarily focus on karaoke singers, we want to use this very popular medium to showcase real artists who have a bonafide shot at a long-term career once they get discovered."

Chosen for both their influence and their expertise, the initial lineup for The OurStage Panel features some of the most recognizable names in today's music landscape.  Hosted by the series co-creator and Founder/CEO of OurStage.com, Ben Campbell, the first month's panel includes:

• Lee Dannay - VP of A&R, Warner/Chappell Music: Dannay has over twenty years' experience in the music industry, including A&R executive credits at MCA Records, Epic Records and Columbia Records.  
• Sharon Dastur - Programming Director, Z100: The first female program director in the history of Z100, New York's hit music station, the award-winning "Most Influential Woman in Radio" (Radio Ink) took the station to #1 in the Arbitron ratings and the station was recently named radio station of the year.
• Jason Ienner – Manager, Hot Chelle Ray and former manager of The Fray: In addition to managing chart-topping pop-rock band Hot Chelle Ray, Ienner is the Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at DashBid Media and sits on the Roqbot advisory board.
• Bruce Tyler - Executive Producer; Entertainment Consultant; Former Executive VP, Sony Music: With over 25 years of music experience, Tyler played a major role in the continuing success of artists such as Beyonce, John Mayer, John Legend, The Fray and many others as Executive Vice President of Sony Music and Columbia Records.

As The OurStage Panel continues over upcoming months, viewers will see a variety of influential music industry taste makers, from label executives to award-winning producers, providing their feedback on the top talent from OurStage.com.

Directing the series is Emmy Award-winning producer/director Mitchell Stuart. Having worked with music's biggest artists, including Lady Gaga, Katie Perry, Carrie Underwood and Green Day, Stuart brings the element critical to this series.

"I wanted this to be real, not a karaoke contest. There are no bells and whistles, just original music by real artists," explained Executive Producer Bruce Tyler.  "Mitchell understood the vision immediately. Artists, whether they be A-list or emerging, have always marveled at how he captures them in a way no one else could.  He was the only choice for what we wanted to achieve through this series."

OurStage.com's unique, patented, cheat-proof judging platform allows the fans to rank the best new artists – separating real professionals who are ready to break – from the millions of hobbyists seeking attention online.  In addition to its free service, OurStage.com also offers a Premium subscription service for the more serious music professional.  These Premium Artists get access to a more advanced suite of fan-messaging tools, greater customization of their online EPK, and lucrative potential licensing opportunities.  And, importantly, it is these top-ranking Premium artists that have the opportunity to be part of The OurStage Panel, receiving both exposure and exclusive access to industry leaders.  

• To watch episode one and get more information please visit: http://panel.ourstage.com/
• Find OurStage on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ourstage
• Follow OurStage and the OurStage Panel on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ourstage and www.twitter.com/ourstagepanel.  
• Engage with the OurStage Panel series using hash tag: #ourstagepanel

About OurStage.com

Founded in 2007, OurStage.com (www.ourstage.com) is a leading destination for music listening, discovery, and quality editorial content. With more than 200,000 artists from 40 styles of music, OurStage.com receives 4 million visits each month from 170 countries. OurStage.com's most acclaimed feature is its proprietary judging engine where the site's listeners rank the music of emerging artists for competitions that reward major opportunities to the winners—such as the chance to open for headlining acts and/or record with major label performers. To date, OurStage.com has provided opportunities for artists to open, be mentored by, or collaborate with celebrity artists such as Bon Jovi, Kid Rock, Drake, Goo Goo Dolls, HANSON, Train, John Legend, Lilith 2010, John Mayer, Monica, T-Pain, Trey Songz, Keith Urban, Travis Barker, Jane's Addiction, Hot Chelle Rae and many others. OurStage.com has also partnered with a wide range of media giants over the last few years, including: Clear Channel, Guitar Center, BET, CMT, Digital Broadcasting Group, AOL Music, MTV, and Radio One. For more information: http://www.ourstage.com.

Contact:
Joe Schneider/Irving Der
Rogers & Cowan
310.854.8140 / 310.854.8194
[email protected] / [email protected]

SOURCE OurStage.com