GENERAL
Q: What is FameCast?
A: FameCast is the premier online talent competition and community for emerging, entrepreneurial musicians. FameCast aims to shine the spotlight on those who “have what it takes, but have lacked the breaks” by providing them with an opportunity to connect to a worldwide audience and compete in a monthly online competition for worldwide exposure to new fans and opportunities to further their careers. To the audience, FameCast provides an unprecedented opportunity to discover a wide array of talented new musicians and the ability to help choose which artists rise to the top.
Q: How do I enter a competition?
A: First, you must register as an artist and create your Backstage. Once you have registered and confirmed your account via email, you can log in to your account. To enter a competition, you simply need to upload a video or audio track, selecting up to two genres and sub-genres for each video you upload. For more information on how to upload a video, click here.
Q: What if I don't have a video?
A: Make one! You do not need to submit a professional video to enter the competition. Have a friend shoot a video of you performing or simply film yourself with your web cam. If you don't have access to camera equipment, try renting it.
Q: I’m not an artist, should I be here?
A: Yes! Fans are crucial to FameCast as they have the power to decide which artists deserve the spotlight. As a registered fan, you can:
- Access our worldwide music community
- Find your new favorite artists & join their fan club
- Vote for the artists that you think deserve to get noticed
- Explore, create & share your own personal playlist
- Been seen & heard with your free fan page and blog
- Message artists and other fans
- Post to our community forums
Click here to register as a fan, or click the "Join Now" link at the top of every page.
Q: I've sent several emails to info@famecast.com but have not received any response. Does FameCast read my emails?
A: Absolutely. We read every email that we receive and can assure you that your voice is being heard. However, due to the high volume of emails we receive, we are not equipped to respond to every email. If you do not receive a response from us it is likely because we've already answered your question in this list of FAQs. Please take a moment to look through this list; if you don't find an answer, please be patient and we will respond to your email as time allows.
Q: How do I unsubscribe from FameCast emails?
A: To unsubscribe from FameCast emails, click the "unsubscribe" link located at the bottom of any email you have recieved from us. If you would like to only receive certain emails from us, you can change your Email Options in your account manager.
Q: Can I upload MP3's of my songs?
A: Yes, you can upload MP3's via the Media section of your artist account manager. If you're logged into your artist account now, click here to go directly to the "Add Audio" page.
Q: How do I convert my iTunes audio file to a .mp3?
A: There is a way to convert your audio to MP3s in iTunes. Go to your iTunes Preferences. Click "Import Settings" and select "MP3 Encoder" from the drop down menu. Click OK. Click OK. Now right click on the song you wish to convert and select "Create MP3 Version". This will create a new version of your song in MP3 format. Drag that to your desktop and you can upload it from there.
ELIGIBILITY
Q: What are the age requirements?
A: Artists and fans must be at least 18 years old to participate in the FameCast contests. If you are between the ages of 13 and 17 years old, you must have parental consent to participate.
Q: Can two or more people enter together?
A: Yes. Solo artists, bands and collaborative works are all welcome to enter. Multi-member groups that enter together are considered to be a single entry.
Q: I have audio tracks but no video, can I compete?
A: No. Currently, all contests are open to video submissions only.
Q: Are winners eligible to compete again?
A: Monthly winners cannot compete again until after their Finals month. Fenom winners are not eligible to compete again in any stage contest, but are eligible for industry opportunity awards.
Q: I am already on a record label. Can I still enter FameCast?
A: Yes. FameCast is not exclusive to emerging talent and we welcome any artist looking to increase their exposure.
Q: I am not a U.S. resident. Can I still participate?
A: Yes, non-U.S. residents are welcome to register as artists and fans. Currently, the competition is set up to accommodate artists who are legal residents of the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. However, that should not exclude artists from other countries from submitting their work as we are continually working to expand our competition to other countries.
REGISTRATION
Q: How do I register?
A: Click here to register as an artist or fan. Or, click "Join Now" at the top of every page.
Q: The address section tells me to enter a U.S. state, but I do not live in the U.S. What do I do?
A: If you are a non-U.S. resident, please disregard the State dropdown box (leave it blank). Instead, fill in the Province/Region box as well as the City, Country, and Zip (post code) boxes.
Q: I never received a confirmation email after registering. What do I do?
A: First, check your spam/bulk folder with your email provider. It's probably in there. If not, you can have the confirmation email resent to you by going here. Before doing so, be sure to add info@famecast.com to your contacts/address book so that the email does not get filtered into your spam.
Q: When I try to register it tells me that my email address has already been registered.
A: Either you've already registered and you haven't received your confirmation email, or your email is in our system and you need to use your secondary email. An email address cannot be registered twice.
Q: I perform under two different artist names. Do I need to create two separate accounts?
A: Yes. If you would like to submit videos under both artist names, they must be under separate accounts. And you will need a unique email address for each account.
Q: I am not an artist. Do I have to register?
A: You are not required to register to visit FameCast and watch music videos. But, you must register in order to vote and post comments.
Q: I've registered, but I would like to make changes to my profile, i.e. edit my band members, change my address, etc. Where can I do that?
A: You can make changes to your profile by logging in and selecting the Profile tab in your account manager (HINT: If you are logged in and trying to find your account manager, use the "Account" link located at the top of every page). Don't forget to click "Update" before leaving the page or you will lose your changes!
Q: My fans, friends and family are having trouble registering to vote. What should I tell them?
A: Read the answers to the above questions, it is probably related to one of the above issues. If not, please contact us with the specific details of your problem.
Q: I forgot my password. What should I do?
A: At the top of the page, click Login. Enter your email address into the appropriate field and click "forgot password?". An email with your password will be sent to you.
THE CONTEST
Q: How does the contest work?
A: All artists who have uploaded a video and assigned it a music genre are automatically entered into the next occurring Open Round, which happens every month from the 1st-7th. During the Open Round, artists with the highest combination of Buzz Factor and fan votes will advance to the Top 25 of their contest stage. From there, artists advance through the subsequent rounds (Top 10, Top 5, Winner) based on votes. Please read over the contest overview for additional information.
Q: How do I submit my video into the contest?
A: All videos are automatically entered into the contest upon upload. When you upload a video, you are required to select a genre. Select this genre carefully as it will determine which contest stage you are entered into.
Q: Can I enter my audio track into the contest?
A: No. Currently, all contests are video only.
Q: How do I know what contest stage I'm on?
A: You will receive an email at the beginning of each month notifying you of which stage your video is entered into. You can also view your contest entries at any time by going to your Contests tab.
Q: How are monthly winners determined?
A: Artists compete through four rounds of competition to become a monthly winner. During the first round (Open Round), a combination of Buzz Factor and fan votes determines who advances to the Top 25. After that point, the Top 10, Top 5 and winner are determined by highest number of fan votes.
Q: What is a Buzz Factor?
A: It’s a rating of 1-100 that our system automatically (and continuously) computes based on your fan activity on FameCast and on other places like MySpace, Google, blogs, etc. The more you promote, the higher your Buzz Factor, and the better your chance of launching your career. Click here for tips on improving your Buzz Factor.
Q: How does voting work?
A: You must register with FameCast to vote. After registering and logging into your account, watch music videos and click the vote button for any artist that you think is best. You may cast one vote per artist, per day and you may vote for as many artists as you wish. The voting rounds are the same every month and are as follows:
- Open Round voting: 1st - 7th
- Top 25 Round voting: 8th - 14th
- Top 10 Round voting: 15th - 21st
- Top 5 Round voting: 22nd - 28th
- Winner Announced on the 29th! Voting closes and does not start again until the 1st of the next month.
Q: How can I see my vote count?
A: We do not display vote counts.
Q: What is the FameCast Finals?
A: Every season (Fall, Winter, Spring & Summer), the 18 monthly winners from all six stages in the previous three months compete in the FameCast Finals for one month to determine the FameCast Fenom and winner of the Quarterly Grand Prize. This Finals month includes the same voting rounds and dates as our normal monthly contests, with the exception of the Top 25 Round. Instead, the rounds are: Open, Top 15, Top 10, Top 5.
Q: Are there any additional requirements for the FameCast Finals month?
A: Yes, all artists who advance to the FameCast Finals will be required to submit a Video Close-Up. To find out what a Video Close-Up is, click here.
Q: If I send people to my artist Backstage page, will they be able to vote for me from there?
A: No, people cannot vote for you directly on your Backstage, however, your Backstage does provide a link directly to where they can vote for you. If an artist is currently competing in a contest, you will see a "Vote for this artist..." link displayed above the video player. Click this link to go directly to the artist's video on the appropriate contest stage.
VIDEO/AUDIO
Q: How do I upload a video or audio track?
A: To upload a video/track, you must be registered as an artist and logged into your account. In your artist account manager, click the Add Video or Add Audio button located in the upper-right corner of your Media tab. To ensure your video is entered into the contest, be sure to select the appropriate genre and sub-genre in Step Two. Audio tracks are not eligible for the contest.
Q: How do I upload a cover image for my media?
A: To upload cover art, log in and go to View All under Media to view your media list. Under the Actions column, click the Edit link next to the media you would like to add a cover image to. Near the bottom you will see an Image File upload field. Browse and select the image you want. Be sure to save your changes by clicking Update before leaving the form!
Q: Can I submit a cover song?
A: No. FameCast is looking for artists to submit original music. However, there are two exceptions. One being if the copyrighted work that you'd like to submit is in public domain, and two being if you, the artist, has already secured and can provide proof of the necessary rights to perform the work for distribution on the web. For more information, please see the Terms and Conditions of Use.
Q: Once I submit my work, does FameCast own the rights to it?
A: FameCast only retains the right to market and use your video and/or audio track; we do not own your song, lyrics, film, etc. The artist maintains all intellectual property rights to their work.
Q: What’s the policy on profanity?
A: FameCast does not encourage profanity, however, we do support an artist's freedom of expression and therefore will allow responsible use of profanity and explicit content. We do retain the right to remove any videos that we believe to be abusing this policy.
Q: How do I embed a video or audio track?
A: To embed a video/track onto another web page, go to to the video/track and click the embed < > icon located directly beneath the video player. Click the Copy button and then paste the code into your web site, blog, MySpace profile, etc. For example, to embed a video onto your MySpace page, log into MySpace and click Edit Profile. Paste the embed code from your video on FameCast into one of the sections located under Interests & Personality, such as About Me or Interests. You can type text both before and after the code to explain the video or let people know when the voting deadline is. For more help with embedded players, click here.
Q: What are the icons beneath each video for?
A: The Facebook icon, 
, is for embedding videos/tracks in Facebook. Click here for directions on how to use it. The other icons, 
del.icio.us , 
digg, 
StumbleUpon and 
My Yahoo Web are for bookmarking and tagging your favorite FameCast videos and audio tracks. Clicking these icons takes you to the login page of the selected service, where you can log in or create a new account in order to share the video/track with other users of that service.
ACCOUNT MANAGER
Q: What do I do with my artist Backstage and account manager?
A: Your artist Backstage is your personal homepage at FameCast.com. This is the place for you to connect with friends and fans, manage videos and audio tracks, and organize & promote yourself. You can also create and maintain a blog, notify your fans of your upcoming gigs, and send messages to your fan club using the messaging tool. Use your BackStage as a promotion tool to increase your fan base.
Q: How do I update my Backstage?
A: Simply log in to your account and you'll be taken automatically to your account manager. From there, update your Backstage using each of the tabs at the top.
Q: I have an artist account. How do I enter new contests?
A: All videos with genre information specified are automatically entered into the monthly contests upon upload. Please ensure that for each video you uploaded, you have selected a genre and sub-genre. If you have not assigned genres, click the "Info" link next to your video and scroll down to the "Genres" section to do so.
Q: How can people join my fan club?
A: On your artist Backstage, fans can click the "Join fan club" link located across from your band name and avatar. This link is also located on your contest stage when your video is playing.
Q: How can I remove offensive or unwanted comments on my videos/tracks?
A: As an artist, you have the ability to remove any comment posted on your Backstage or on your contest video. To do this, log in and click the Comments tab located in your account manager. This page shows you all comments other users have posted on your profile/videos/tracks (Comments) as well as all comments you have posted on the profiles/videos/tracks of other users (Posted Comments). Under the Comments tab, find the comment you wish to remove by clicking View on the appropriate comment location. Then simply click the blue Delete link next to any comment you want to remove.
Q: How do I change the order that my videos or audio tracks appear in my BackStage?
A: To change the order of your videos/audio tracks, log in and click the View All link under the Media tab in your artist account manager. In your media list, you will see up and down arrows next to each of your videos/audio tracks (they are located under the Actions column). Use these arrows to reorder your media however you like. The video appearing as Track #1 is the one that automatically plays when someone goes to your Backstage page. If you've only uploaded audio, the audio appearing as Track #1 plays by default.
Q: I received an email notifying me of a friend request, but I don't know where I go to approve or decline the request. Can you help?
A: Log in to in your account manager. Your Dashboard and Friends link will both list any friend requests that are awaiting your approval.
STORE
Q: How do I sell my music on FameCast?
A: Please check back soon for detailed information on how to sell music in the FameCast Store via iTunes or Amazon.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
Q: What do I do if I have problems uploading my video or audio track?
A: Please report all upload issues using the Upload Report form.
Q: Why do videos stream in segments rather than buffering and playing in their entirety?
A: This site uses a pure streaming technology. Each time you want to play a video, it will be streamed through the Internet. If you have an unstable connection, videos may display choppy.
PRIZES
Q: What is a FameCast Fenom?
A: The winner of each quarterly FameCast Finals competition wins the title of FameCast Fenom along with a Quarterly Grand Prize.
Q: What do monthly winners get?
A: Every monthly winner (six per month) advances to the FameCast Finals month to compete for the Quarterly Grand Prize. Click here for more details on the prizes.
Q: Who gets the industry opportunity prizes, such as the Lollapalooza gig?
A: Active FameCast contestants with high buzz factors will be selected for various industry opportunities.
