We are no longer accepting submissions for the A&R Online front page. As of January 1st 2007, A&R Online will no longer be showcasing artists to the industry. Why on earth are we doing this you ask? The music industry is changing, has changed. We are in serious transition now. The days of effectively shopping an artist to record companies are coming to an end. Retail stores are about to go out of business. Just watch them if you don't believe me. So what hope is there for artists now? There is huge potential for artists! It's a fantastic time, but the model has changed. It is no longer cost effective or even smart for a record company to sign a new artist, spend gobs of money on retail promotion and maybe see the same money back that was invested. It simply doesn't make any sense. We are living in a digital world now and we must prepare for it. That means that instead of being discovered (old school) you must truly be independent and become the entrepreneurial artist now (new school). You must educate yourself about the new model and rise to the occasion. Only the strong will survive now and I firmly believe that only the smart will have longevity. We must become internet marketers and learn how to drive traffic to our websites and partner with other forward thinking music moguls and creative thinkers. The 'geek' will truly inherit the earth. There is a bright future if you want to embrace the world. But we must do away with the old school model and prepare for the new day. It is here. And with that, instead of showcasing artists and dissapointing many, the A&R Online website will help move you to the new world. This site will now be a portal for those who want to move forward into the new music business. It is here to help you help yourself. Feel free to devour this information. A manager said to me a couple of years ago, "Chris, from here on, try not to sign record deals, but licence your music to different territories and keep your masters. Look for interesting ways to get your music to the masses. TV, movie, ringtones, jingles, etc etc". This was sound advice. Take control of your career now. You have nobody to answer to you but yourself. Now go get 'em! Chris Standring CEO www.aandronline.com