Look who's getting into the crowdsourcing game. Rolling Stone magazine is asking its readers to help one band achieve the ultimate in rock 'n' roll street cred: its image on the cover of the iconic print publication.
Today, Rolling Stone announced its new "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star?" contest, for which the mag has selected 16 unsigned acts to face off for a chance to appear on the cover of the August issue, as well as score a contract from Atlantic Records.
Readers can learn about bands and listen to their jams on a page dedicated to the contest, and keep up with favorites via posts, galleries and videos.
The eight most-voted-for bands will record music with a major producer, after which a second round of voting will occur in March. The four remaining acts will then play a live showcase for editors and music execs, which will lead to a battle of the bands at Bonnaroo in June.
The victor of said battle will appear on the August 1 episode of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and, of course, the cover of Rolling Stone -- the first unsigned (until getting that Atlantic contract) band to have that honor.
While we commend the fact that such an established magazine is giving some unknowns a shot, this contest seems a little, shall we say, archaic. (Reminiscent of flop TV series I'm With Rolling Stone.)
Yes, being on the cover of Rolling Stone is still a major honor, to be sure, but we can't ignore the old media feel of the contest. A photo in a print product, a record contract and a TV spot as a prize? What about digital? How will this band be featured on the web and on mobile?