A New Digital Streaming Platform Seeks Local Musicians for the Inaugural Collection

January 24, 2020

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Triangle-area musicians and bands have one more week to submit work for consideration in a new streaming platform dedicated to local music. Initiated by Chapel Hill Public Library and Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture, Tracks Music Library is a user-friendly digital streaming platform that will deliver a diverse collection of curated local music. Submissions are now open to all Triangle-based artists, including those in Raleigh. Interested musicians and bands are encouraged to submit songs for consideration by Jan. 31 via the link tracksmusiclibrary.org.

Slated to launch this spring, Tracks Music Library aims to represent the diverse sounds of the Triangle area, including indie rock, bluegrass, hip hop, electronic, spiritual, and world music. This month kicked off with an open call for entries and submissions will be accepted through the end of January. “Listening to the submissions so far, I’ve heard a little of everything – twee, death metal, prog, field recordings, pop – and it’s been an amazing affirmation of the wide range of talents and tastes of the local music community,” says Steve Wright, Community Arts & Culture staff curator.

If local musicians and bands are interested in submitting, take note of these important details:

  • Musicians should be based in the Triangle area.
  • Musicians must hold the rights to the music they submit.
  • Music must have been produced in the last five years.
  • Musicians can submit up to three songs for consideration and will need a minimum of five songs if selected.
  • The deadline to submit music is Jan. 31, 2020.
  • The submission form is available at tracksmusiclibrary.org/submit.
  • Selected musicians will receive a $200 honorarium for sharing their music.

The collection will be curated by a team of local music leaders, including Vibehouse 405 and Local 506 co-owner Kevin “Kaze” Thomas, former Cat’s Cradle owner Bill Smith, Southern Folklife Collection curator Steve Weiss, jazz artist Lois Deloatch, and others. “The sheer range of talent, opportunities for creative expression, and openness to collaboration make this fertile ground for discovering, nurturing, and launching musicians of all genres. This is THE place to be, if you’re a maker!” Deloatch said of the local music landscape. These curators will select the top fifty albums for the first collection based on quality, diversity, and general connection to the Triangle music scene.

More information on the project can be found at tracksmusiclibrary.org. This project was supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (IMLS grant number LS-00-19-0034-19).