Get Your Free On: Where to Find Gear Giveaways
While musing over a recent Scooptacular Giveaway of music gear I couldn’t afford, some obscure references flitted through my head. The old “I’m not gonna pay a lot for this muffler!” Meineke commercials and The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio movie about the single mom who cleans up with jingles contests did more than just remind me that my brain’s abilities are seriously misused, they reinvigorated me to go for the gusto in terms of acquiring free studio goodies.
Most of us have entered gear giveaways at some point; few have won. But persistence pays, or so I’ve heard. Don’t stop believin’. If you want to keep the dream alive of a free studio upgrade, or try your hand at the modern-day jingle contest – the remix contest — this compendium can act as your treasure map.
FREE-DOM AND THE PRESS
In your search for musical winnings, definitely hit up the big gear magazine, blog, news and info sites. They intermittently have tantalizing giveaways from sponsors that include equipment and musician services, usually at the price of signing up for their newsletters. While it’s a slow period for some of these sites right now, there’s still plenty to try for. Of course you’ll begin at the beginning: Sonic Scoop’s regular Scooptacular Giveaway currently features a Mytek Digital Studioclock192 CX (MSRP $995, enter by July 28).
KVR's celebrating its 10th Anniversary with awesome software giveaways!
KVR Audio’s 10-year anniversary year-long giveaway is slinging out more than 10 grand in loot over 12 monthly giveaways. Prize booty comes from the likes of Arturia, Ableton, iZotope, Big Fish Audio, NI, Universal Audio, Camel Audio, IK Multimedia and more.
You can still get in on the July giveaway, which includes Nomad Factory Integral Studio Pack (all 48 Nomad plug-ins), by filling out their online survey. Completing the survey automatically enters you in the monthly prize drawings until January 2011.
Guitar Player currently offers two artist-focused giveaways. Win the Pat Benatar Fan Pack: an iPad loaded up with all of the Heartbreaker’s 11 albums and a digital download of her new memoir, Between a Heart and a Rock Place. Also, 25 runners up will receive a copy of the book. The winner of the Joe Bonamassa Black Rock Giveaway will receive a limited-edition Epiphone Les Paul Special II guitar signed by Joe and Joe’s entire catalog: 10 CDs and 3 DVDs.
ONLINE DEALERS GIVE YOU A TASTE
Zoom R24
For a more robust selection of fabulous prizes, go to the source. The big online gear dealers frequently hold giveaways, for which you again will usually have to consent to receive emails and/or catalogs.
For example, the current Zzounds.com giveaway tempts you with the new Zoom R24 multitrack recorder, audio interface, control surface and drum machine/sampler (pictured), a $499 product.
Sweetwater Sound has a monthly gear giveaway, and if you’re already receiving their catalogs anyway, you might as well enter to win some sweet, sweet freebies as well. For July they are tripling your pleasure with a giveaway of three Wechter acoustic guitars, a Nashville Special Elite Cutaway, a Pathmaker Deluxe Thinline and a Travel Elite Spruce.
Enter by August 20 to win PSSL.com’s American DJ Scan 250 EX DMX Scanner System, which includes 4 Scan 250-EX mobile scanners, a UC-3 Universival Controller and connecting cables, a package that sells for $899 on PSSL.com. So what if you don’t need them, they’re pretty lights! Expensive pretty lights!
The American DJ Scan 250 EX DMX Scanner System
NovaMusik.com’s homepage is simply bursting with free stuff contests that you can enter once per day. Four Summer 2010 giveaways include a Korg package (PadKontrol, Sound on Sound, Kaossilator and Kaossilator bag), a synth package (DSI Mopho Module, Arturia The One, M-Audio Prokeys Sono 61 and Moog gift bag), a mic package (a Blue Yeti, Icicle and Black Snowball along with two Rode M2s) and a “studio” package (Yamaha HS50M monitors, Akai APC20 and Alesis I/O 2 Express interface).
Interstatemusic.com’s Pearl Real Deal Sweepstakes will grant five winners a share of six grand in prizes, topped by the $4,999 Pearl E-Pro Live kit as the Grand Prize. Enter by October 1.
YOU MEAN I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING?
For better or for worse — like reality TV — remix and songwriting competitions are continuing to flourish as a way to gain yourself exposure and hopefully, some tasty cash and prizes. While some of them have set judges, many of them are popularity contest where you’ll have to beg friends and barely-acquaintances for their votes. There are usually dozens of these contests running at any one time, but there are some consistent places to check if you’re in the mood
Indaba Music is a remixing social community that fosters an environment of remote collaborative musicmaking and also holds regular remix contests with some fairly big-name artists. The site usually has a few contest going at once.
Remix Xzibit's "Hurt Locker" and win a bundle of Blue + Monster + Trip to LA
Currently the most lucrative lets you remix Xzibit’s “Hurt Locker” for a chance to win a custom Blue Microphone, a bundle of Monster Cables and a trip to Hollywood for an Xzibit concert and tour of Blue Microphones’ studio. Enter by July 27.
Other Indaba contest include remixing Nappy Roots “Fishbowl” (due August 5) to win an iTunes release with royalties, or Katrina & the Waves with Soweto Gospel Choir “Walking on Sunshine 25” (due July 29) for $1000.
Beatport, the popular digital download store for dance music, frequently holds remix contests with the caveat that the stems are not free. For example, the current Guy Gerber remix contest that is due August 2 charges $3.99 for the stems, but if you’re willing to pay to play, the winner receives Native Instruments Maschine, a $200 Beatport card and a label release of the remix. Many people diss Beatport for charging to enter, but look at it this way: It probably thins out the competition.
If you’re a Sony Acid user, or are willing to remix on their free Acid Xpress version, you can participate in the regular Acidplanet.com remix contests. The current competition to remix Araka is due August 23 and nets the winner Acid Pro software, five Sony loop libraries and a Sony Walkman MP3 player.
If remixing is not your thing, there are also plenty of contest with which you pimp your songwriting prowess. The MTV-partnered OurStage.com holds monthly music contests that you can submit to using your existing songs. July’s grand prize winner will receive $5,000.
The ongoing John Lennon Songwriting Contest is one of the best known, and as such sports some of the best prizes and a hefty entrance fee of $30 per song. The next deadline is December 15, and there will be 12 Grand Prize winners (for 12 genres) each taking home the spoils: $5000 in studio gear and $500 from Musician’s Friend. Additionally, the one Lennon Award winning song rakes in $20,000; a computer, monitor and Logic Studio from Apple; a Mackie monitor and mixer; and $1,000 scholarship from the Digital Media Academy.
You know you've seen this commercial...
Whoring oneself out to jingles was good enough for Lou Reed, so it’s probably good enough for you too, right? Before you agree, consider that this jingle contest is for the seriously creepy Shake Weight. Honestly, can anyone watch this thing being used without feeling like you’re in one of those surreal dreams where you’ve shown up in public without pants? Well, if not, lucky you: Here’s your chance to win up to $25,000 or an iPad.
There are always new contests popping up, and this list only scratches the surfaces. To stay up to date, the Remix Comps and Music Comps sites come in handy. There you’ll find many intriguing contests that don’t come from the usual suspects.
For example, the 100% Music Songwriting Contest, due November 16, doles out booty from Epiphone, IK Multimedia, Loopmasters and Kong Audio, as well as some cash. Entry fee is $15 per song.
CONSOLATION PRIZE
Unfortunately, remixing/songwriting contests have something in common with the recently wrapped World Cup. No, they’re not boring! But most of the people who enter will not win. I hate to see you go home empty handed, so in the spirit of bringing more sound into your life, here’s something that removes it: The Prosoniq VuvuX is a free Vuvuzela Filtering plug-in. Just because the World Cup is finished, the ubiquitous Vuvuzela buzz at soccer matches isn’t. VuvuX zaps the Vuvuzela noise while keeping the commentary and the feeling of a live crowd.
Good luck competing, and remember that it’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the music.
Markkus Rovito is a writer, musician, DJ and contributing editor at DJTechTools.com.