Enter the Next Big Thing 2013 Competition!

The Next Big Thing is back for 2013! The Next Big Thing is Future Radio's competition for new and emergingmusical acts from the East of England.

With previous winners such as Ed Sheeran, The Kabeedies, and last year’s winner Raevennan Husbandes the competition is set to launch again from Thursday 1st August; with people able to submit entries until Wednesday 11th September.

This year, Future Radio will again be working closely with partners Outline and OPEN live venue – Norwich to bring back the competition for what will be its 10th year. Outline’s website (www.outlineonline.co.uk) will be hosting the online entry system for the competition, whilst OPEN will be providing the venues for the two semi-finals in October (13thand 20th), as well as the final on Saturday 9th November in the spectacular OPEN auditorium.

Future Radio Station Manager,Terry Lee, commented: “Following the success of last year’s ‘Next Big Thing’, I’m pleased to announce that the competition this year will see Future Radio working alongside OPEN and Outline once more. The Next Big Thing is the best up and comingmusiccompetition in the Eastern region, with a list of former winners who speak for themselves. Last year’s winner, Raevennan Husbandes, may well go on to be as successful as Ed Sheeran, who won in 2008.”

Outline editor, Emma Garwood, says Outline Magazine are proud to play a continuing role in the discovery of the region’s Next Big Thing: “At Outline, we proudly cover all the amazing acts coming in to the region to perform, but increasingly, we don't have to look beyond our own regional limits to find staggering talent andmusicians with national and international potential. The Next Big Thing brings that talent to the surface, to the attention of new fans and a wider recognition, which they deserve.”

Live Music Manager at OPEN,Rick Lennox, believes the importance of the competition to the region’smusical talent can’t be overstated: “The benefits of The Next Big Thing are considerable. It is not easy getting noticed these days so even by reaching the Semi Finals of the competition an act gains valuable awareness; playing in front ofmusicfans, local promoters, Outline Magazine journalists, fellowmusicians, and of course Future Radio. An added bonus is the sound quality that the Club Room offers at OPEN.”

The Next Big Thing is open to allmusicians – based in Norfolk or Suffolk - who can enter for a chance to win a host of prizes, including; a session to record and mix a track at OPENstudios with that track being made into a video (in both 2D and 3D!), astudiosession at Future Studios of Norwich, and a professional photoshoot from JMA Photography – with more prizes set to be announced soon.

To enter:

• Register your band on Outlineonline.co.uk:***If you're already registered, just log-in and make sure you have 'Next Big Thing' selected under 'Genre'- At the top right of the site, you should see a Login / Sign Up Now box. Click Sign Up now and fill in your details, with the answer toNumber 2. Account being Band / Musician**- Fill in your band details, and under Genre, as well as selecting which genres best describe your band,ALSO SELECT genre Next Big Thing- Confirm and thencheck your email account to activate your membership(check spam folders if you can't see it). Click on the link in the email, then log in with the details you've chosen, again at the top right of the site.

• It should say Hi [Band Name].Click on your band name, and you should see tabs belowinc. Details, Media, Profile etc.

**Details:**what you have already submitted **Media:**click Manage Media to add images and video URLS; either upload files from your computer, or add Video URL from Youtube, for example. **Profile:Ignore the 'Introduction', and move straight on to adding Text - if you want to tell us about yourself - orEmbed. This is essential if you want your entry to be counted in the competition. Please embed music, at least one track,**but bear in mind we will only listen to a max of 3 tracks. You can embed code from lots of different music sites, e.g. SoundCloud, BandCamp and more, which are all free. If you have trouble with this, please email emma@outlineonline.co.uk.

**Listings:**Please feel free to add your gig dates in, but this is not essential for the competition. These will also be added to next month's magazine.

**My Tab:**This is a custom tab for you to use for extra information. For example, if you wanted a tab to tell us about your releases, you would rename Custom Tab to 'Releases' and then add a text box or embed some info.

**View Profile:**See your profile live on the site.

We will be notified when you have added your band andwe will accept all submissions up until September 11th.