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Entries are currently being accepted for the 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition. Winning songs of the 17th Annual USA Songwriting Competition will receive airplay on a nationally syndicated radio program “Acoustic Café” as well as Sirius XM Satellite Radio. This is the first Songwriting Competition that gives airplay to the winning songs, giving deserving bands, songwriters the recognition and exposure they deserve. Entrants stand to win a grand prize of over US$50,000 in cash and music gear from sponsors such as Sony, D’Addario Strings, Audio-Technica, Presonus, IK Multimedia, and more, making this the largest prize package for any annual songwriting competition. Other sponsors include: New Music Weekly, Loggins Promotion, AirplayAccess.com, Onboard Research, Acoustica, Livewire Musician, Sonoma Wireworks, Livewire Musician, etc.

Songs may be entered in 15 different categories including Pop, Rock/Alternative, R&B and Country. Entries are accepted from now through May 31, 2012. First 1,000 entries will each receive a USA Songwriting Competition Compilation CD.

Entries may be entered with MP3 files, Youtube videos or Soundcloud files. For more information, visit http://www.songwriting.net or email info@songwriting.net

As part of NAMM Show 2012 being held on January 19-22 in Anaheim California, guitar manufacturing mogul Phillip Jarrell will showcase the latest and greatest creations in the Jarrell Guitar collection. Featuring the debut of the revolutionary Monte Pittman Signature Series of 3 guitars: MPS.1, MPS.f, and the MPS*Classic, attendees will have the opportunity to get 'hands on,' up close and personal with the new line, experiencing the unique vibe for themselves at the Jarrell Booth (4198). A press conference will be held on Saturday, January 21st at 11 a.m. with Jarrell Guitars, Seymour Duncan, Orange Amps, and Monte Pittman.

After a year of prototypes and tests, the first live performance on the new final design, Monte Pittman Signature Jarrell MPS will be at Super Bowl 2012, played by Monte Pittman himself during pop superstar Madonna's half-time show. Pittman has been Madonna's guitarist for the last decade.

The Monte Pittman Signature Jarrell MPS is the result of the collaboration between the award winning visionary designer Phillip Jarrell and world renowned artist, writer, and guitarist Monte Pittman. Pittman plays so many different styles of music during any given performance that, until now, he required many different types of guitars to accommodate his needs. Utilizing Pittman's feedback, Jarrell Guitars worked with MJ at the Seymour Duncan Shop to transform the finest MPS guitar at the time into something completely new - the most versatile instrument ever made. The Monte Pittman Signature Jarrell MPS boasts a mega set of Seymour Duncan pick ups with a P-Rail neck, STk-S7 Vintage Hot Stack middle and a custom design SH-13 Dime Bucker Bridge. Both neck and bridge have 3 position mini switches, with custom wiring using a Super 5 way switch, and a kill switch. All together it seems Monte Pittman and Jarrell Guitars are hell bent on rocking the world - the sound of which is none other than simply amazing.

Jarrell Guitars was named "2010 Manufacturer of the Year" at the Music Industries Association of Canada (MIAC) Show in Canada, and has received accolades from PremierGuitar.com.

Naa! Still not it !

Are You An Undiscovered Musician? Isn’t It Time To Get Discovered? A new kind of competition is beginning for ORIGINAL Musical Artists. All Original Bands, Solo Artists, All Ages, All Genres, All Over The World Are Welcome!

This competition isn’t on television and it isn’t on radio or even on the web. This competition is on what most people have with them all the time...their smart phones and mobile devices!

Here’s how it works:

1) Musicians submit their original music and information about themselves on ImUndiscovered.com (Musicians do NOT need a smart phone or mobile device to enter).

2) People can then listen and vote for and learn about their favorite artists right from an app from their smart phones and mobile devices.

The competition is starting on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad platform and will likely be expanded to the Android and other platforms in the future. Hundreds of millions of people currently own iPhones, iPod Touches, and iPads and are just waiting to be exposed to new and unlimited music. Again, musicians can submit their music on the website and they do not need any sort of mobile device to submit their music.

For complete information visit the website at http:/www.ImUndiscovered.com.

A new rumor had started to circulate that video portal Ku6 was going to move its Games and Music Operations from Shanghai to Beijing. Some Ku6 insiders recently confirmed the rumor, saying that employees willing to relocate will retain their position and salary level while receiving a 2000 RMB housing subsidy.

The official reason for this move is to improve coordination and communication of the Ku6 team. However, there's another rumor that the real purpose is to shutter the Shanghai departments, involving over 40 employees.

The rumor caps a difficult period for Ku6 since it reached an asset purchase agreement with entertainment media company Shanda that was completed on Aug. 17th 2010. Shanda has been trying to exert control over Ku6 since the start of the 2011. On March 14th, Ku6 founder Shanyou Li resigned as CEO while remaining on the board of directors. In May, Shanda's attempt to layoff 150 Ku6 employees, causing the resignation of Ku6's VP and Head Editor, followed by the departure of Shanyou Li from the Board of Directors and replacement of six senior management positions in Ku6 by Shanda executives.

While Ku6 subsequently promised no additional layoffs, the fact that most Shanghai employees are registered residents and unwilling to relocate means they will most likely end up "on the bench".

Across the straits, the Music Copyright Society of Chinese Taipei (MUST) and the Association of Recording Copyright Owners of the R.O.C. reached an agreement with the Chinese Taipei Professional Baseball League (CPBL) after two years of negotiations to pay copyright fees for the music played during games starting in 2012.

In order for the baseball fans to hear more pop songs during the game instead of boring CPBL songs, CPBL will be the first sports organization in Taiwan to pay music copyright fees. Even though there is no regulation in the Copyright Law for the open use of music by professional sports, CPBL wanted to take the lead. The move represents big step according to a CPBL officials, as it will benefit sports fans most while respecting Taiwan music copyright owners.

Looking to back to the mainland, NetDragon's subsidiary Boyuan Wireless has signed a strategic partnership agreement with China Mobile's Wireless Music Base. This partnership will provide over 30 million smart phone users with better music products and also promote legal music use in the mobile Internet arena.

Boyuan Wireless CEO Hongzhan Chen noted that Boyuan's 91 Mobile Platform is the biggest mobile app platform in China, with over 80% and 50% market share of the iPhone and Android markets respectively. Meanwhile, China Mobile's Wireless Music Base is the largest legal music distribution platform, accounting for the most music sales and user interaction in China. The partnership is likely to resolve several copyright issues in the mobile sector.

Let's move to some lighter news in China. Xinhua News Network Corporation (CNC) launched a Folk music website WOW Music on December 19th. The move into the entertainment field represents an important step for Xinhua, a media giant in China that has been working to establis itself as one of the world's leading multimedia news agencies.

From stories to pictures and audio to video products, "China's first folk music portal" will be a stage for introducing Chinese folk culture heritage to the world and "turn these resources into cultural soft power", said producer Xiaomeng Hu.

Source:               yea! Cool!