"News like that almost makes you think that a contest might be worth a shot, no?"
Ott, actually, "No." Not for me. I also won one in 1984 and was signed to MCA records. And within a few weeks was the answer to a trivia question. And Billboard has several charts encompassing hundreds of formats and often it is not what it seems. Getting "millions of hits' does not nessasarily transfer into financial or other type of success.
But I will concede as I always have, that they work for some people. Particularly artists, as it gives them a higher profile utilizing an existing structured format like a contest. But even with those, and things like American Idol and the Voice, the contest only was one part of a larger career. Might have given them a career boost, but the contest itself had a very short lived effect.
So if they work for you, that is fine. I will still maintain that there has never or will ever be a song out of a contest that goes very far. The reason is very simple, that the song and all contests, exclude proffessionals. It is written into the rules. You cannot have had a major cut, publishing deal, or anything in the way of actually being a professional in this business. So the songs (and artists are up against the contest, not the industry). And an amateur is never going to be able to compete against someone that does this for a living every day all day. Just not going to happen. Which is why almost all of the winners dissapear very quickly upon being released into the legitimate music industry.
My comments all come from personal experience and those that I know who are involved with them, and I have quite a few people I have worked with and continue to work with that have had great success with a lot of contests. They are fleeting. But what in the music business isn't?
Everything I talk about is about NOT putting all your eggs in one basket. One song. One artist. One opportunity. It is about doing it consistantly, being smart in what you do and more than anything ineract with other people. That is my total point in any of this.
So congratulations on your successes and if you enter them, enjoy them and get some recognition from them, that is very good. Any kind of recognition in this day and age is well earned.
MAB