Get in on Our 2011 Santa Barbara Band Guide

The music biz is no easy scene to crack. And trust us, we know. But we also want to help. This fall, for the fourth year in a row, The Independent is opening up its pages (and Web pages) to Santa Barbara musicians of all walks in an attempt to find S.B.’s next big thing. In short, if you’re in a band (or playing solo) and want to get your act some exposure, let us know! Interested parties need only visit independent.com/band_submission to get involved. By filling out our online form, you enter yourself in the running to be featured in our 2011 Santa Barbara Band Guide. You also score a customizable band profile on independent.com, which currently houses info for hundreds of S.B.-based music outfits.

And, as in years past, our annual guide will also coincide with a big-deal battle of the bands, complete with online voting rounds, live rock ‘n’ roll shows, and (most importantly) some sweet prizes, all facilitated by New Noise Santa Barbara. For a few (more) reasons to get involved, check out our list below, then visit our Web site and sign up. The deadline to register is Wednesday, August 31, at midnight.

1. The Exposure: It may not be L.A., but Santa Barbara can still be a tough spot to score a gig. By hooking yourself with our online band listings, you automatically hook up with hundreds (literally) of other S.B.-area music makers, which means more opportunities to network, network, network.

2. The Battle: For the second year in a row, we’re teaming up with New Noise S.B. for Downtown Sound, a grand-scale battle of the bands that starts online at independent.com and concludes on the stages of some of Santa Barbara’s hottest venues. Bands with the most online votes advance to the finals, finalists plug in and play, and the winners will be chosen by each show’s live audience.

3. The Festival: In turn, the band or artist that wins Downtown Sound scores a spot at this year’s third annual New Noise music festival, taking place between Thursday, November 3, and Saturday, November 6, throughout town. Drawing speakers, industry players, and musicians from around the country, New Noise could, no doubt, be a career-making gig.

4. The Schwag: The winning artist or outfit also scores a bevy of prizes, including a package from Instrumental Music, industry hookups, a spot and photo session from The Indy, and much, much more. In short, it’s the whole kit and caboodle, and just the thing every band needs to take their show to the next level.