Bandit A&R Newsletter Helps Make Real World Connections
By Chris Burnett
The Bandit A&R Newsletter has been helping ambitious bands, singers, songwriters and producers for over 16 years. The newsletter provides a service that is designed to target aspiring acts, producers and songwriter's work to the appropriate established connection in the entertainment industry, such as: Record Labels, Publishers, Management Firms and Producers. The Bandit A&R Newsletter does this through an established online network of affiliates and researchers who serve each area of opportunity offered. This type of dynamic connects those who are looking for new acts, songs or masters in all commercial genres, with those seeking to make their work available to such situations.
Success Stories
John is currently keeping touch with two recent success stories, which involve deals made in both directions across the Atlantic. ANDY SMYTHE, a London based artist found a US record deal and tour. Through Bandit, Converge Entertainment, Inc. has signed for US Distribution for Andy, an artist on the roster of Dream Element Records. Andy is also in the process of working on his music video. "We look forward to listing in Bandit again, and wanted to let you know about our success story," states Stephanie Levine, CEO, Converge Entertainment, Inc. New York.
Another Bandit success story is KEITH ANDERSON, who states: "My Bandit subscription is already paying dividends. We have hooked up with Holier Than Thou Records to distribute my next album "I Can Make Believe" in the UK. This includes full promotion and a UK tour for me starting next June."
Keith is currently in England to promote the release of his latest album, which features tracks produced by UK producer Stuart Wakeman (Reelsounds Studio, Shanklin IW). Wakeman is from the Isle of Wight. He has worked with Phil Collins and also with Bill Padley, the latter having worked on Atomic Kitten's number 1 UK hit, "The Tide is High".
Keith and Stuart first met over the Internet 2 years ago, through The Bandit A&R Newsletter, which is also based on the Isle of Wight, and together they produced several mixes of "I Can Make Believe" entirely over the Internet. Anderson is from Seattle, has been a long-time member of the Seattle music scene, and already has several popular albums to his credit, "Fire With Fire", and "Somewhere in Your Heart". Anderson is also well recognized in the Pacific Northwest for his long-time running cable television show, "The Real Keith Anderson". The show featured Keith's dance/funk/soul music and his quick-witted humor.
| More on Bandit A&R Newsletter * Address: Bandit Publications PO BOX 22 NEWPORT, Isle of Wight PO30 1LZ, UK * Editor / Publisher: John Waterman * Website: www.banditnewsletter.com * Bandit A&R Newsletter Order Options * FREE SAMPLE COPY * Contact Bandit A&R Telephone: 44 1983 524110 |
Connecting Creators and Buyers Online
A visit to The Bandit A&R Newsletter website will also provide current information about opportunities and subscription rates. There are also several free tips at the site, along with numerous links to resources that will enhance professional knowledge. The website has a "down-to-earth" and "indie" feel to it in terms of design and function.
The website is purposely simple. Since the site is mostly text-based, connection speed to the Internet is not necessarily a factor to users. There are also not very many fancy "bells and whistles" to slow down browser loading times, just straightforward information to put users and industry contacts together.
A great deal of information is available to browse at the site. Even after several visits to the site, one cannot help but get the impression that if the site were an actual place, it would be as busy as a New York Wall Street stock market trading floor.
Based and published in the United Kingdom, The Bandit A&R Newsletter was founded by John Waterman, who is also the editor. He offers a different up-to-date sample feature on the site each week, in order to provide prospective subscribers with a Bandit contact to try out for free. Waterman also gives visitors a sample of the current issue, without contact details so that non-subscribers can monitor the type of information provided.
John is also constantly introducing unsigned music talent to music companies looking to source new acts, songs and recordings - on a worldwide scale, from his Newport (Isle of Wight) office. Marketing and promotion uses both, the e-mail newsletter and hard copy materials sent via normal post. The focus of these efforts is to provide recipients with information by way of content features about labels, publishers, management and production companies that are in the market to sign new acts, find new songs and license musical recordings.
Two Published Editions
There are two monthly editions of The Bandit A&R Newsletter: The UK/World-wide edition which features opportunities offered by 24 companies each month, mostly in the UK, but including 4 US companies and other international contacts; and, the US edition that includes the same US content from the main edition and another additional half a dozen or more listings which are exclusive to the US edition.
All of the information contained in each issue comes directly from the sources named, and is current as of immediately prior to publication for the highest possible accuracy and timeliness of each listing. Unlike many sources that claim to offer a similar service, Bandit never publishes old, inaccurate or out of date information gathered from unreliable sources or simply from the Internet without permission.
Interview with Bandit A&R Newsletter
[Chris Burnett] It seems that your newsletter provides a real service to the members of the music industry by serving as a conduit where viable contacts can be made among those providing and seeking services at the professional level. How did Bandit begin?
[John Waterman] I've had a life long interest in the music business, starting out by managing a school band and then later starting my own label whilst working in the communications industry. Working on the label I started to get demos from all kinds of artists who didn't know anything about what I was doing. It was obvious they were 'shooting in the dark' and wasting time and money pitching to places where there was no hope of success. Later, in 1989, I decided to pursue an idea to provide inside information to acts to help them target their efforts much more effectively to music companies that were actually looking for new talent and projects. Bandit grew from there until it became my full time business.
[Chris Burnett] When one visits your website at www.banditnewsletter.com, they are immediately given access to relevant information about your services. What have been the most effective services that you currently offer your subscribers in terms of user popularity?
[John Waterman] The website logs show that the most poplar entry pages after the home page are the free sample feature page which is changed every Tuesday and the sample current issue page which is changed every month with the new issue. The free sample feature is taken from the previous month's edition so is not so up to date as the information that subscribers receive. The information is chosen from week to week to reflect all the types of opportunity and countries that appear in the newsletter. The other very popular facility is the Free Sample Copy request form that returns a full back issue and introductory subscription deal on provision of the visitors name and e-mail address.
[Chris Burnett] Since your company imprint is on the Internet, it seems that you found it useful to establish a strong privacy policy statement. An important feature of your policy is that any names and e-mail addresses forwarded to Bandit are not disclosed to any third party and only used for keeping you informed of Bandit opportunities. Additionally, members can remove their posted details by e-mail at any time. Has this been a relevant factor toward subscriptions and assisted in client confidence in utilizing the Bandit newsletter?
[John Waterman] Yes. People should be confident that details given to me will only be used for the purposes of The Bandit Newsletter and that they can remove themselves from the enquiry database any time they want to and that they can also easily cancel any future subscription payments if they take advantage of the Standing Order subscription discounts.
[Chris Burnett] What are your current subscription rates for the newsletter?
[John Waterman] All the rates are on the website. Basically people can subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 monthly issues at a time and take the UK/World-wide, the US or both editions. I also run a continuous quarterly standing order subscription from visa/mastercard accounts which offers a continuous discount from the standard 3 monthly rate, an initial payment of just one pound or about USD 1.85, PLUS the last two back issues FREE. - A great deal! The UK/Worldwide edition can be sent by e-mail or hard copy snail mail. The US edition is only available by e-mail. As an example a 12-month e-mail subscription to BOTH editions is 67 pounds or about USD 125.
[Chris Burnett] Will you briefly describe some of the other services that you currently offer online?
[John Waterman] Through my assistant, Liam Thom, I offer excellent web design and hosting packages. Liam's islandwebservices.co.uk site has a large portfolio of sites for music companies as well as every other kind of business you can name. We understand the needs and budgets of the musician fraternity so streaming media, as standard and modest fees are the basis of the deal.
[Chris Burnett] What are some of your future plans and goals for the company?
[John Waterman] At present I am developing an idea to help subscribers get their music out to the public worldwide. Hopefully, before the end of the year Bandit subscribers will have an exclusive worldwide conduit for their music, on CD, direct to the music fans they need to impress and inform.
[Chris Burnett] How does one subscribe to The Bandit A&R Newsletter?
[John Waterman] Just visit www.banditnewsletter.com where you can order a fixed period subscription, download a single issue, or fill in the introductory offer standing order subscription form.
Additional Services
* TELEPHONE HOTLINE: UK residents can also keep in touch with some of The Bandit A&R Newsletter contacts by calling The Bandit A&R Hotline. The Hotline also features 4 new contacts from the current issue every week. Then hotline number is: 090 665 665 67 (60p/min)
* WEB DESIGN AND HOSTING: Available in various packages including streaming media as standard for any music files. There are numerous other useful services available to enhance most any efforts toward positive career progress in the industry.
* CD SAMPLER: The Bandit A&R Newsletter is again promoting its most dynamic subscriber's music on a CD sampler that was distributed to the worldwide music industry at MIDEM Cannes.
* LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES: The ' LICENSING TRACK PACK ' contains 20 tracks available for international licensing, covering Rock, Pop, Rap, Electronic, R&B, Dance etc. International licensing specialists, Gotham Records, marketed the CDs at MIDEM from the BPI Stand.
Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright Tag It 2004 - Republished with Permission