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Darryl Hurs: Indie Week, Applying for Music Festivals & SonicBids

Joining us this week out of Toronto is Darryl Hurs, owner and programme director of Indie Week. Indie Week is an annual music festival held over four days/nights, featuring local & international acts performing in the heart of Toronto, Canada.


Indie Week’s showcases are judged by members of the music industry, and the top scoring act receives a paid trip to headline Indie Week UK. In this interview, we talk about how you can apply for music festivals, the benefits of attending music industry conferences, and SonicBids.


Highlights:




  • Darryl tells us about the benefits of music conferences and conventions, and what artists should do before attending
  • Darryl shares how he thinks many music festivals/conferences should actually be described as conventions
  • “It’s what happens off the stage and behind the scenes that makes what happens on the stage successful” - Darryl Hurs
  • We hear about the submission process for artists who are interested in showcasing at Indie Week
  • Darryl talks about why festivals use SonicBids for submissions, despite many artists being against it
  • “Many artists apply to festivals and showcases before they are ready” - Darryl Hurs
  • We hear about the benefits of applying to play at festivals as early as possible
  • Darryl tells us why festivals charge submission fees
  • “It’s better to attend a festival and start building your story rather than submitting to play when you’re not ready” - Darryl Hurs


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