Digital Music - Guidelines for submitting to Starfleet Music Pool

Below is a set of guidelines for submitting digital music, MP3s, to Starfleet Music Pool & other music professionals. A fellow pool director, Gary Deane, has submitted this info to the music industry for a couple of years & I agree with him, so I thought I'd post this for all record labels & artist to see. I have added additional content specifically for Starfleet Music Pool's needs.

Dear Digital Music supplier:

Due to the GLUT of product promoted via the Internet, and more precisely, E-Mail, we have found that keeping track of all the product requires a large amount of our time. It seems that many "promoters" are simply throwing out their product to as many email addresses as possible. This is commonly known as "The Shotgun Approach".

It usually doesn't work. Well thought out, properly planned, and diligently executed plans work the best. In order to help you make an impact with the record pools you deal with, let me give you MY REQUIREMENTS for digital service.

You will get back what you put into your project.

Here we go - MP3 Submission Requirements:

    * EMAIL directly or through yousendit.com => (Call Me for this e-mail address). Any MP3s sent to any other address will be trashed automatically since these mailboxes have size limitations.

    * TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS: 192 kbps 16bit 44.1 quality will be the LEAST quality we will accept for service to our members. We prefer 320 kbps 16bit 44.1, because it's gives us the best quality sound of your music! If you are not familar with how to do this, we can do this for you for the small setup fee of $25 per project. Also, if you don't have a program in your computer to do this, you can download these free softwares, WinAmp at www.winamp.com & or iTunes at www.apple.com/itunes. Also, you can convert your CDs to mp3s via Windows Media player, too. If you need instructions for working with either of these programs, there's a small fee to show you how they work. (Remember, time is money & it takes us extra time to help, fix or convert your music to a proper format to get the best out of your music. Again, it's $25 per project)  *This fee has nothing to do with working the music, only the initial setup & loading into our systems!*

    * INCLUDE in the file name "Artist" - "Title" ("Mix").mp3, example > Janet Jackson - Feedback (Radio Version).mp3

    * In every MP3 file, there is a feature to include the Artist, Title, Mix, BPM, Genre, and many other attributes and info on the song that is encoded. This is called the IDv2 or IDv3 Tag. Fill out AS MUCH AS YOU CAN. There will even be plenty of space to include a contact email address so when a track does take off, we are not looking through 500 emails in 20 different mailboxes to get you feedback.

You will only get back what you put into your promotional campaign..............We have limited time and resources and must apply them to those who support us the most. (Support includes paying for servies rendered, which you can make through our website)

ALSO, please include the following information for whomever is working the music from the label, name, company name, address, phones, e-mail address & website. (I’m amazed at how much music we receive that has no contact info attached both digital & hard copies)

In addition - NO "Come to MYSPACE" links will be followed. We are music promoters of a professional nature. If we went to those site to review your music, then we'd never have enough time to actually setup & work your music. If you get us quality material, we can help make it happen. If you throw stuff at us, we duck.

If you do not include tracks or links thereto, take us off your email "hype" lists. Too much "hype" and we consider you SPAM and will filter you out.

A weekly update email is cool. Four a day (or more God help us) wastes your time and ours.

Also, please include in your e-mail, "We give Starfleet Music Pool permission to work our digital music for promotional purposes.".. We like to keep things legal, too.

Last, but not least, PLEASE keep us in mind if you have hard copies too, vinyl & or CDs. We have many members that still like to spin hard copies. The quality of sound coming from hard copies is much better than digital, overall. Don't you want our members spinning the best quality versions of your music? 

We hope this helps you in your promotional program............