Blazetrak was a website that was launched in November 2009 by entrepreneurs Corey Stanford, Nathaniel Casey, and Ronald Harrison, to connect unknown artists, producers, and songwriters with music industry professionals that would provide feedback on songs uploaded for their review.
Stanford and Casey initially founded the web consultancy firm Clariwebs in 2007, and used the profits to develop the financial base for Blazetrak, a process that took about a year.
Users are able to choose which professional they want to submit their work to, and pay a fee that varies depending on the person they select.
Submissions are critiqued by the professional; comments are recorded on video and forwarded to the user. Professionals reported to be participating have included
Big Boi
Antwan André Patton (born February 1, 1975), known professionally as Big Boi, is an American rapper and record producer. Born in Savannah, Georgia, and raised in Atlanta, he was one half of the Southern hip-hop duo Outkast along with rapper ...
, Infinity,
Shawn Stockman
Shawn Patrick Stockman (born September 26, 1972) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. He is best known as a member of the vocal group Boyz II Men.
In addition to Boyz II Men, Stockman was a member of the group Black Men Unit ...
,
Paul Worley
Paul Worley (born February 16, 1950 in Nashville) is an American record producer and session guitarist, known primarily for his work in country music. Formerly a vice president at Sony BMG, he later joined the staff of Warner Bros. Records' Nashv ...
, Kalle Engstrom,
and
Ruben Studdard
Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978) is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second season of ''American Idol'' and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recordi ...
.
Uses for the site have included official auditions for record, production, and publishing contracts by label owners like
Andre Harrell
Andre O’Neal Harrell (September 26, 1960 – May 7, 2020) was an American record executive, media proprietor, and former rapper. He formed the short-lived East Coast hip hop duo Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde with Alonzo Brown in 1980; they sig ...
, creator of
Uptown Records
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by old school rapper ‘Dr Jekyll’ - Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip-hop.
Beginnings and success
In ...
and former President of
Motown Records
Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...
; talent managers like
Pussycat Dolls
The Pussycat Dolls were an American girl group and dance ensemble, founded in Los Angeles, California, by choreographer Robin Antin in 1995 as a neo-burlesque troupe. At the suggestion of Jimmy Iovine, Antin decided to take the troupe mainst ...
creator
Robin Antin
Robin Antin is an American dancer and choreographer. In 1995, she founded the modern burlesque troupe the Pussycat Dolls. By 2005, she diversified into various media including a pop recording group with international hits, a Las Vegas nightclub ...
; and producers like
Rodney Jerkins
Rodney Roy Jerkins (born July 29, 1977), better known by his stage name Darkchild, is an American record producer, rapper, and songwriter. He has collaborated with a broad range of popular artists.
Jerkins has won two Grammy Awards from 19 nomi ...
.
By the end of 2011 Blazetrak featured over 400 celebrities and experts, with more than 50,000 users from 202 countries.
References
External links
* {{Official website, http://www.blazetrak.com/
Online marketplaces of the United States
American music websites