The Recording Academy® And Hitlab Partner For The Second Annual Worldwide Emerging Talent Competition

MONTREAL and SANTA MONICA, Calif., Nov. 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Hitlab, Inc. ("Hitlab") has entered into a partnership with The Recording Academy^® — internationally known for The GRAMMY Awards^® — to give three unsigned, up-and-coming artists or bands the chance to perform at the 4th Annual Social Media Rock Stars Summit (SMRSS), an official GRAMMY^® Week event. This exciting contest for promising new talent is called the Emerging Artist Competition. It will launch on Nov. 26, 2012 and the winning artist will perform at the SMRSS on Feb. 8, 2013, the Friday before the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards. Performance highlights from the event will be streamed live on GRAMMY.com and CBS.com as part of The Academy's GRAMMY Live coverage.

"We're excited to see emerging and aspiring artists from all over the world embracing Hitlab's technology while competing for a chance to perform during GRAMMY week," said Tomas Gauthier, CEO of Hitlab. "For the second straight year, Hitlab's partnership with The Recording Academy^® allows undiscovered artists to prove the effectiveness Hitlab's proprietary software and demonstrate how powerful DHS analysis can be when combined with social sharing."

This second edition of the Emerging Artist Competition is open to performers and songwriters around the world from Nov. 26, 2012 to Jan. 4, 2013. Artists who are interested in the opportunity will submit their music to the contest's web page (www.hitlab.com) where it will be analyzed by Hitlab's patented algorithms. Ten contest finalists will be announced on Jan. 11, 2013, from which three winners contestants will be chosen. Prizewinners, selected using a combination of online voting and a Blue Ribbon Panel, will be announced on Feb 4, 2013 and subsequently flown to Los Angeles during GRAMMY Week to perform at the SMRSS reception. The contest's grand prize winner will be invited to walk the red carpet and attend the 55th Annual GRAMMY Awards and official GRAMMY Celebration^® after-party on Feb. 10, 2013. Hitlab will have a dedicated blog for the contest winner on www.grammy.com, and will facilitate promotion of the winning song on official GRAMMY social media platforms.

About Hitlab, Inc.
Hitlab is a global social network connecting the world through hit songs. Combining patented music fingerprinting techniques with data aggregated from the social web and a captive network of engaged artists and fans, Hitlab's technology provides a means to discover, promote, distribute and experience the most relevant and most talked about music. For more information about Hitlab, please visit www.hitlab.com.

About The Recording Academy
Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, songwriters, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, and Instagram.           

SOURCE Hitlab, Inc.