The Next Big Sound shifts the current music industry model on its head by allowing anyone the chance to play the role of a record mogul. Moguls will predict which artists they think are going to become superstars and sign them to their own personal record label.

A mogul is anyone who registers on the site. By listening to unsigned music and signing artists, you’re expressing yourself and helping the best artists rise to the top. As your label’s artists get signed more, you’ll be recognized as a top talent scout through your mogul score.

No, it doesn’t mean that you are offering them a multi-million dollar record contract. What it does mean is that you think they have the potential to become a highly successful and popular artist. The only cost to you is giving up one of your coveted roster spots.

The player magically selects a random song out of all the demos we have collected.

As a mogul you get to go beyond just listening to the best unsigned music – you get to create your own label and sign your favorite artists. Since we track the order of signings, you’ll be able to prove that you were listening to an artist before anyone else. Finally, you’ll gain prestige as your mogul score rises and you enter our top charts.

Your mogul score is based on your ability to spot the best talent early. We put moguls in different brackets depending on how early they sign an artist. So, you receive one point for each mogul who signs an artist after you, and those points are weighed heavier depending on how early you sign the artist. 

The mogul score is a way for moguls to stand out on the site. Moguls who show their ability to recognize popular artists early will gain the prestige of being on the charts alongside the top artists on the site. Find great new music, share your talent with the world, and rule the charts. 

Imagine if everyone could only “friend” 10 people on Facebook or MySpace. The decision to add or drop a friend would not be taken lightly. The number of times a person has been “friended” in this new scenario would be a much better reflection of their true popularity than in a case where friend requests are limitless. This is the model that we’re applying to artists and moguls in order to create an environment where the best artists rise to the top.

Just sign up! It’s Free!

Nothing. It’s Free!

Yup. Go to www.thenextbigsound.com/signup/artist and sign up for free.

Since moguls are able to only sign 10 bands, the moguls that sign you are more likely to be real fans who buy your music, go to your shows, and buy your merchandise. Moguls will become advocates for you as they try to increase their score by getting people to sign you and raise your following.

The streaming radio player is our first tool to help distribute the great music that you're making. We’re also going to make a monthly compilation album of the top artists on the site for our users to download.

The artists, naturally.

The Next Big Sound is a new twist on an old idea. We believe that the current industry model for finding new talent is obsolete and due for an upgrade. Thus, we give everyone the power to be a music mogul and support their favorite bands on their personal label.

The top 10 artists are calculated based on the number of overall signings. The mogul scores are computed based on our formula which rewards moguls spotting and signing artists early on.