Season 2 of Sweden´s largest music competition, The Next Big Thing, is now up and running. Spurred on by the success of last year, The Next Big Thing are offering a new and improved platform, even bigger prizes, not the mention a wide range of opportunities for independent and unsigned artists to show their metal.

However, it not all about the artists - what makes Next Big Thing such fun is that music listeners play a central role. As Jury´s they can use their collective knowledge to demonstrate their ability to pick what hots from whats not and in turn win their own fantastic prizes. The Next Big Thing is the music competition where everybody wins.

To find out more about the competition, or become part of it, click here.

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Its official! Homegrown Record Union star Nomy has been nominated as “Innovator of the year” in the upcoming Grammy´s which will be held in Stockholm this January. Other nominees include the likes of Johnossi, IAMAMIWHOAMI, Magnus Weideskog and Robyn.

The official motivation behind his nomination is cited as his display of unique entrepreneurship, taking his home produced compositions to a global audience via the innovative use of digital channels. Also highlighted have been his dedicated use of social media to expand and strengthen his loyal fan base, the success of which has landed him on the top lists of major music services around the world.

What is clear is that Nomy has reached a level of success which is almost unheard of for independent artists - a success forged out of a shrewd and innovative use of the digital channels available to the new generation of web savvy musicians. This nomination is a clear indication that his achievements have not gone unnoticed by the more established music industry, and is a well deserved token of this recognition.

Nomy is stunned at this honour, and when we asked how he felt he said the following:

“I guess for bussines people this nomination is just peanuts, but for me this is one of the biggest things that has happened in my life - everything after this is just a bonus. This is unreal.“

From all of us here at Record Union: Congratulations Nomy. You deserve this.

As many of you are aware, iTunes has recently launched Ping - a social network for music. This exciting addition to the iTunes repertoire offers a range of social networking features for both artists and there fans and introduces a whole new dynamic into the iTunes experience. See here for a full overview of these new features.

To get set up with ping requires help from your distributor and we would like to inform you that we will be able to help you get set up with these profiles in the future. Like iTunes our goal is to make it possible for all artists to be part of ping. There is obviously a high demand for these profiles so to express your interest in getting one please send an email to content(at)recordunion.com and we will put you on the list.

We are pleased to inform you that we have just added some new features to the Record Union website. These are a few of many features that we have in mind to improve the Record Union experience which we will be adding in the near future. So, what is contained in this update?

Add links to your releases! - You can now add links which direct visitors to where your music is currently available for purchase/streaming online. These then show up on a brand new “Find music on…” menu under each release. These links can be added on “Manage content” page. Here´s one we made earlier.

Link to Twitter and YouTube - You can now add links to Twitter and YouTube on your profile.

Manage content -As requested it is now possible to see exactly what information you added to published tracks. This info will be displayed when you click on a published track on the “Submit Content” page.

These new links are another step towards making Record Union a useful place to direct fans and those interested in your music. Not satisfied with song previews, they can now select to find your music on their favourite stores and services, head over to YouTube to check your videos and Twitter to keep updated.

We always like to hear input from people using Record Union, so if you would like to suggest new features and functionality for us to look at, don’t hesitate to get in touch!

You may recognize Manon Dave from his acclaimed remixes of hit songs such as Carry Out, Say it Right and Break the Ice. Now Manon has taken an altogether different direction with the release of “Streets were raining”, a brand new single which incorporates some classic Manonesque beats into the somber sound of US alternative outfit Pyramid.

This beautifull song made an impression even before it was out, topping the pre order charts on Play.com and recieving positive responses from fans and media alike. The reviewers over at Limewire call this single an “instant summertime classic” and with the single being scheduled to air on BBC Radio 1 in the coming weeks this is one to keep an eye on. The single is produced and released by Manon on his own label Parapsych Records. Check out the video below, or give it a whirl on Spotify.

Today Spotify prepare to roll out the next generation of their platform to users around the world. Some call it the most important Spotify update since their launch in 2008, many just call it plain awesome. In this new version Spotify have gone all out and added a range of features which will further revolutionize how their users can share and experience music. Of particular note here is a range of social networking features which many have been yearning for, culminating in the dynamic new fully editable Spotify profile. Spotify will now also evolve into a music management platform, enabling you to import and manage files from your computer to create that penultimate playlist. We wont go into too many details as the information is all there on their blog, but lets just say there is something for everyone. We are particularly excited about the increased promotional potential this Spotify update will give artists and bands who have their music on the platform, and will follow with an analysis of these soon.

As some you of may know, Record Union are strong supporters of The Peoples Music Awards - the first and only global unsigned music award. The awards is a great platform for indie artists who want to expand their fan base and get attention from an influential panel of judges, and has the potential to give apsiring artists and bands a real push on the rocky path to fame and notoreity.

On the 17th of April the ceremony of this years awards cycle will be held in London. It´s gearing up to be a killer night with 14 finalists from a range of genres committed to impressing the judges and audience alike with their live performances. If you are around London at that time we strongly urge you to attend - if so, we look forward to catching up with you at the after party! You can find out more about the ceremony and who´s playing here.

Since we wrote about The Peoples Music Awards a few months ago here on the blog we have been excited to see artists on Record Union signing up to next years award cycle. With so much talent on Record Union, we look forward to seeing some strong competition. Though entry for this years awards is closed, you can still register next years awards, its free! Head over to their website for more information.

Today we are today excited to announce another new partner. WaWaWa is the largest legitimate independent download store in China. Created exclusively for mainland Chinese consumers, the store delivers DRM-free mp3’s via a monthly subscription plan. The service also allows subscribers to stream their downloads from any location providing access for the 40% of Chinese users who access the web from Internet cafes.

A recent survey by Beijing-based research group Music 2.0 found that a third Chinese music consumers are willing to pay for downloads. In the study, listeners cited their current inability to find non-mainstream music and desire for better niche and foreign music discovery tools as chief among the reasons for this. Previously non-mainstream music was mainly available through unauthorized services. So as you can see, Wawawa is in many ways a landmark music service directly tailored to the needs of Chinese listeners.

We hope that by providing music to this platform Record Union will open the doors to the Chinese market for independent and unsigned bands from around the world, and help satiate the hunger that Chinese music lovers have for niche foreign music.

We will send our entire catalog to Wawawa in the coming week. As always, if you would for some reason not like your music featured in this store please contact content(at)recordunion.com before Wednesday 10th March, 16:00.

Getting signed to a serious record label is the aim of many musicians, and for good reason. Labels can offer unparalleled support, resources and experience in producing and releasing music. Many also have established media contacts and have a deal of promotional clout which can help you increase your listener base and music sales. They will also take care of many of the time consuming day to day management of you or your band, and let you get on with what you do best - creating music.

Now, Record Labels don´t do all of this just for the fun of it. Rather, they do it as an investment. Record Labels are a business, and just like all businesses they make risk calculations. To make yourself attractive to Record Labels they must see you are an attractive investment; that once they invest money in you they will at least get it back.

It is undeniable that the onset of the digital music revolution has created amazing new possibilities for independents, both when it comes to distribution and promotion. However, it is also an environment which has made it harder for many Record Labels to sell music. The traditional marketing machinery has lost traction, and the diffuse Internet music environment has made the access and consumption of music far more diversified. Even with money to throw around, the chance and scale of success has become smaller. Once the traditional music industry adapts, or we see the rise of more influential and innovative digilabels, they will have a hard time making the same kind of money as they once did.

In this climate of uncertainty, risk calculations become all the more prevalent. So, to get signed you must make yourself as attractive as possible. Raw talent won´t hack it anymore, not by itself. They don’t have the time, resources or money to nurture you from infancy. If you are looking to get signed, the Internet is a great place to develop your art and show the labels you got what they want.

A decent track record of digital sales is a strong plus factor, and nothing illustrates an active and engaged fan base like having thousands of plays on streaming services. Focusing on improving the scale and force of your live performances, selling merchandise and playing festivals are also plus factors when looking to gain label interest. The bottom line is that a Record Label is a business. A good business makes money. In an uncertain environment risk becomes more prevalent. So if you want a Record Deal, a wise thing would be touse the great possibilities in the online environment to make yourself into an irresistible investment.

Drum roll, please! Record Union are proud to present our very first video. It is intended to introduce new people to the service, and communicate what Record Union are all about. We would like to thank Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibus for letting us use their music for the video. Enjoy!