Talent search

It's all about your music!

Finding it hard to get your music heard? The biggest search to unearth the next big thing could be your gateway to success as Gilles Peterson, The Worldwide Festival and 7digital indiestore team up to discover the hottest new talent around.

Open to both solo artists and bands (signed or unsigned) from around the globe and unique in its purpose to discover original and ground-breaking artists, the Worldwide Talent Search is in the spirit of the Worldwide Festival music policy and Gilles's passion for eclectic music across many genres - Progressive Rock, Folk, Samba, Soul, Jazz, Funk, Latin, Deep, Eclectic, Afro Beat, Minimal, Underground, Techno, House, Deep House, Electro, Hip Hop, Dub, Reggae, Drum & Bass, R&B, Breaks, Tribal, Old Skool, Neo Soul, New Jazz, Jazz Funk, Dub Step, Broken Beat...

NB: To fully validate your entry you have to

1. Subscribe to the Worldwide Festival newsletter (newsletter subscribe box at the top of the right hand side column),
2. Register, set up a store and upload a minimum of 2 tracks via the talent search's partner indiestore,
3. Go to the "manager" section of your store and opt-in for the Worldwide Talent Search,
4. Send your network to rate your music to the store that has the Worldwide Talent Search banner at the top.

If you have any questions or problem registering to the talent search, please email franck@worldwidefestival.com.

And don't forget to invite your friends, family and fans to support you by sending them to your Worldwide Talent Search indiestore page.

To enter the Worldwide Talent Search simply complete the indiestore registration form and upload a minimum of two tracks. Click here to enter the competition and upload your music on the Worldwide Talent Search partner's website indiestore. Once you have your own store make sure you invite your friends and fans to rate your music. A shortlist of the top 20 most highly rated acts by the public will be presented to a panel of top music industry experts, led by Gilles Peterson and the winning act will perform live alongside artists like Cinematic Orchestra, Sebastien Tellier, Henrik Schwarz, Laurent Garnier, DJ Benga, Gilles Peterson and many more... at the Worldwide Festival in Sete (South of France), which takes place between 3-5 July 2008.

In addition, the winning act will enjoy a free digital release of one of their tracks via 7digital and the WWF and inclusion of a selected track to go on a Brownswood compilation album, Gilles Peterson's prominent record label.

The shortlist will be announced on May 15 and the winning act on May 22 2008

Gilles says, 'I am very excited by this initiative to uncover new hidden musical gems. There is fantastic talent all over the world and this search will be truly global in its reach, giving lesser known artists a platform to promote and perform their music in front of new audiences at the Worldwide Festival, which I am proud to have been involved with for the last two years'.

For the chance to get your music heard by some of the most influential names in the industry and play live at the Worldwide Festival, register here.

The Worldwide Talent Search is in association with indiestore, a service from 7digital that empowers independent artists and labels to sell their music direct to fans online. Artists can create their own digital music shop to sell music without DRM and in multiple formats (MP3, AAC, WMA); making it easy for everyone to discover and download new music.

Click here to read the terms and conditions.

The panel

Gilles Peterson, Artistic Director of WWF is widely acclaimed as a musical tastemaker that spreads his influence to music listeners around the world most often through his “Worldwide” radio shows on BBC Radio One (also syndicated to over 20 radios around the world) as well as his many compilations and DJ gigs, captivating and educating millions of listeners and fans around the world.

A regular contributor to the NME in the late 80's, but stung by the lack of interest in the developing club and warehouse party scene, Paul Bradshaw co-launched Straight No Chaser, a designer fanzine dedicated to the "Freedom Principle". As the editor of Chaser, Paul Bradshaw consistently championed new talent from Courtney Pine to Galliano and linked them to previous generations of artists and musicians like Yusef Lateef, Roy Ayers, Fela Kuti…the list goes on! In 2008 Straight No Chaser the magazine is no more and Paul Bradshaw is concentrating his efforts on-line as well as planning a bunch of publications that reflect his passion for the visual arts and his commitment to the urban music born of the African Diaspora.

Simon Goffe is MD of Brownswood Recordings and has also run Heavyweight Management for many years. He was manager of Roni Size, Sway, The Freestylers, Shut Up & Dance, US3 and Double Trouble & Rebel MC. He was Senior A&R Manager at Universal Music and started his career as a DJ and music journalist.

Chris Sice has spent the last 12 years managing TV and Digital content businesses in the music industry. In the Jurassic days of the Internet in the mid 90's Sice built dotmusic into the UK's most popular music website, before joining MTV Interactive in 2000 as its UK MD. Subsequently Sice was promoted to General Manager, running four of its TV channels, before going on to head up content for all MTV UK channels as Vice President of Programming and Development.

Karen established herself at the tender age of 23, as one of the youngest producer at BBC Radio One, on Gilles Peterson's weekly "Worldwide" broadcasting phenomenon. A natural people person, Karen has worked with artists such as N.E.R.D, Bjork, The Roots, Herbert, Amp Fiddler, Dizzee Rascal, Gangstarr, Roots Manuva, Beck, TY, Dwele, Kindred and Roy Ayers – whether in the broadcasting or recording studio. Always hungry for whatever's new, Karen has quickly established herself as a global authority on podcasts and "post-broadcast" audio, setting up the groundbreaking projects that underpin the company that takes her name.

Mal Fogarty is a specialist music marketing consultant who over the past 12 years has developed international music marketing strategies for clients such as Nokia, O2, Heineken, Glenfiddich, Warner Music International and Sony BMG. He is passionate about music and has made a successful career of creating innovative and fun music initiatives for brands, bands and fans. Mal is also a keen DJ and has regularly played alongside Gilles Peterson.

Established in January 2004, 7digital is a privately held company based in central London and is the UK's leading digital media delivery company, catering for record companies, artists, film and TV companies as well as other digital media owners throughout the world. And James Kane is the CTO & Co-Founder of 7 Digital