All work and no play? Not any more. Mark Gaines is in the house!

What do you do after recording, designing and manufacturing a great album at Forge Recording? Why, you play it up.

Forge Promotions Will Help You
Begin with a custom designed web site or MySpace Music page. Then record a video advertisement. Write a blog. Send email newsletters. Throw a CD release party. Film a music video. Do radio commercials. Distribute press kits. Print flyers. Put on shows at local clubs...with celebrity guests.

Visit www.forgepromotions.com to see how we get it done. Check out the promotion of our first event, Tuesday, January 20th, 9pm at Reeds in Blue Bell. We are featuring 5 of the area's best musical acts: Grindcity, Desoto Jones, Pawnshop Roses, Mark Gaines and Scholar of LnS. And if that's not enough, add a DJ and guest appearance by 94WYSP's Jennifer Reed. All for just $10.

"No one does it like we do," says Mark Gaines, Forge Promotions' Vice President of A&R, referring to the way Forge promotes its shows. "We really get the word out, and our parties are crazy!"

In addition to Reeds on January 20th, Forge Promotions will be hosting shows at the Whiskey Tango (Bustleton & Philmont Avenues) on Friday, February 6th, and dance parties every Thursday night at Alfie's in the Northeast, starting February 5th. "And this is just the beginning" says Gaines. Stay posted for more big moves.

To promote your band or venue, email Mark Gaines or call 215.885.7000 x308.

He was the heartthrob of Season One on American Idol. And Justin Guarini hasn't slowed down since. In between taping 3 TV shows and a weekly radio program, Justin stopped by Forge Recording to do a voiceover for a new Disney theme park attraction based on American Idol.

"Justin is such a pleasure to work with," says Sr. Recording Engineer Mark McNutt. "He's a true professional with a great attitude."

Look for Justin on The Justin Guarini Show (BlogTalkRadio) and on the TV Guide Network.

If you're a business or a band with a story to tell, consider the advantages of video. We can assist you and work with almost any budget. Here are three examples from our Video page.

Example 1. MySpace Ad. This inexpensive video promotes a specific event. It was shot with a single MiniDV camera using existing lighting and was edited with Pinnacle Studio.

Example 2. Corporate Capabilities. This video is shown at trade shows and on the company's web site. It was shot using a high-definition camera and additional lighting. The narrator is a seasoned professional. Editing was performed on Final Cut Studio.

Example 3. Music Video. This video is suitable for television broadcast. It was shot in a controlled environment using two high-definition cameras, a jib, and professional lighting. It was edited with Final Cut Studio.

Call 215.885.7000 to discuss your video project.

How To Register Your Songs With Gracenote

In prior issues we explained how to copyright your music, obtain mechanical licenses and register a barcode. In this issue we tell you how to register songs with Gracenote.

When you place a CD in your computer, players like iTunes will display the track names and other relevant data. While It seems like the information is being read from the CD itself, it is actually being accessed from an online database named Gracenote. If you want your track information to appear correctly, you need to register with Gracenote. Here's how.