Welcome to digitalgig, a brand new internet magazine aimed at the growing masses that surf the web hunting for new music.  We know that there are an unbelievable number of fresh faces and urgent sounds out there and we aim to track them down and bring them to the world. 

Anyone that has looked for new music online knows that it can be VERY difficult to find.  Social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Bebo and the rest have made it possible for anyone to get their music into the public domain.  It can be hard, though, to know who’s going to be the next Arctic Monkeys and who needs to sit down and learn to play a bit more, without spending loads of time listening to them. 

In fact, these sites have so many artists (both signed and unsigned) that it would be almost impossible for any individual to realistically listen to them in a lifetime, and the numbers keep growing. 

MySpace, for instance had 19,801,354 artists (as of 5/1/09) listed in their top genres section.  Even taking into account that performers can list themselves under three different genres that still leaves at least 6,600,451 acts  to listen to.  If each one was given a 1 minute listen it would take 12.5 years to hear them all without any sleep, food or work and that’s just one site! 

We have put together our own database of around 12,000 unsigned acts and even this relatively small number has taken almost 3 years to research.  It’s exactly because of these volumes of artists that we felt our services were needed in the first place; a way of putting the spotlight on the best that’s out there without resorting to popularism.   

It’s our belief that all forms of music are equally valid, whether mass market or niche.  Less mainstream music is often the catalyst for new genres and movements and lets face it, we could do with a few of those at the moment.  

When faced with those kind of numbers it would be easy to just think ‘We’ve got no chance of getting heard’ but you’re wrong because there’s a strong chance we’ve already heard you.  If not we almost certainly will have soon.

Over the coming months and years we’re determined to find the best of what’s out there and show them to the world.  As we directly advertise to record companies and the music press, wherever you come from, whoever you are, the industry will hear of you.  It’s down to you then to make sure that the music you make is the best it can possibly be so you don’t slip through the net.  With this in mind we are also going to feature articles and tutorials aimed at making you stronger. 

So to all you hopefuls out there, in the words of the song ‘We are your friends… You’ll never be alone again, well come on!’