What is OrlandoBands.com?
OrlandoBands.com is a networking hub that allows local and regional artist to come together with local industry professionals and build our music and arts scene. By working with other entities in town such as studios, publications, entertainment lawyers, etc., we can forge a working platform and stable basis to connect and achieve our goals as musicians. Our online directory is free to use and submit to. We also provide and online interactive calendar of events as well as a community forum/blog section. Sponsoring local events as well as producing networking functions has been the ground work for the project in the last year. Through our interaction with the community, the site has been able to achieve record breaking traffic and continues to grow. OrlandoBands.com is volunteer based and contributors to the project include musicians, artists, photographers, writers, business owners and more. The funds we generate through our advertisement and marketing campaigns help to feed the sites construction and growth. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the OrlandoBands.com project or Ben Gardner, please feel free to contact us.
A Brief History
OrlandoBands.com was founded by Ben Gardner around 2003. It first started as a spin off collaboration project between other members and started to grow. The site was a seasonal hobby project for many years and volunteer based. It wasn't until October of 2008 that Ben Gardner began making steps to generate the site in a more professional and efficient manor. One year later, with the site well under way in October of 2009 and 2,000 members strong it continues to grow. Not bad for living and producing everything out of a camper by the lake! The release of version 5 of the website promises great things to come! Thanks to everyone who has helped this project in the previous and future years.
Ben Gardner writes:
"This website has been a fun and passionate project, and is the result of great sacrifices I don't wish to express. However I can't seem to get away from it, and decided to take it as far as I can. I believe in the OrlandoBands.com site as much as I believe in the music I love. There are great artists in Orlando and all over small hometowns in America. Unfortunately some places have let the influence of an unpredictable industry that is changing day by day get the best of them. Artists have fallen into bad habits and many have become self centered in our everyone is a "Rock Star" generation. This site is here to help break many of these habits to guide bands and express a new level of professionalism. You aren't just a guitarist, or drummer anymore. You are now a producer, booker, web site designer, graphic illustrator, social networking guru and more. There are many hats that have to be worn and I want to create a place where outlets to professionals can be found quickly and relationships can be made. I’m not sure what the final answer to achieving something great in the music industry is,, but I do know that the actions people like you and I are taking today will determine how the future "business" is done. Lets make it a good one!"
The Benefits of Registering, and how you can help! Registering yourself as an artist, band or industry professional allows you to place you Weblink into our directory, post dates to our event calendar and participate in our blogs/forums. We also have periodic special offers for registered members only. Hurry and register today! How to Register Registering is simple and only takes a couple of minutes. Locate the "Register" button in the top navigation, or next to the log in field. Once you have clicked on it, fill out the simple form completely. After completing the form, you should be directed to a screen that verifies your account. Simply return to the home page and that's it! Don't forget your username and password!
Trouble Logging onto OrlandoBands.com We are sorry you are having problems logging on. It may be due to these pesky perks:
1. Did you sign up for an account?
Believe it or not, some people forget to do this! Please see the "How to Register"Section of this article
1.5 Did you check your email?
Be sure that you checked your email box for the follow up confirmation email that is automatically sent to the registered email address. This will contain your username and password in case you have forgotten it.
2. Your Username and Password IS IS IS Case sensitive!
This means, if you submitted your registration information using a capitol letter, you will have to login using a capitol letter.
3. Your browser settings are not allowing you to log in!
This is an unlikely case in Internet Explorer, but It has happened. Most of the time it is due to a firewall you have. Your computer is not allowing any "cookies" to get through. I know for you non technical people this may sound ridiculous, but double check this setting by doing this:
Check your Cookie setting by clicking opening an Internet Explorer page-->tools-->Internet Options. Now you can check out from the Security Tab your level of protection. You can set a custom level here as well. Under the Privacy Tab, you can click Advance and select more options to adjust your cookie setting there as well.
A) A generally safe setting in most all browsers is:
-Always allow first party cookies (i.e. cookies from the originating site)
-Always allow session cookies (i.e. also cookies from originating site)
-Disallow or prompt for third party cookies (i.e. cookies that are set from banners or pop ups)
BE AWARE! If you have a third party software such as a firewall, or pop-up blocking software running on your computer, you may need to adjust the settings of this as well! Check with the software provider for details on their products.
If all else fails you may want to try using the Mozilla Firefox explorer. You can download this web browser by clicking the following link:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/
Changing Your Password / Editing Your Details To change your password, log onto OrlandoBands.com using your existing one. Once you have successfully logged on, locate the "Things To Do.." menu on the left side of the home page. Click on "Your Details". A new form will appear, allowing you to edit the details of your OrlandoBands.com account, including change your password.
Link Exchange
How To Submit A Weblink
*Before we talk about how to post your link, please note that we would LOVE to have a link on your site as well! Please post one of our banners, and show your support ! It is greatly appreciated!
Once you have registered with OrlandoBands.com, simply log in using the “Login Form”. Once you have logged in, locate the "Things To Do.." menu located on the left side of the homepage and click “Submit Web Link ”. Enter the name, Section you want the link to be under, the URL or web address the link will revert to, and a brief description regarding your link and what its about. All links are checked out by an official OrlandoBands.com moderator prior to being posted.
*Publish, Yes/No? You can select yes to have your link immediately posted, however please remember that ALL weblinks are moderated and will be checked out by an OrlandoBands.com representative.
Add Your Event to the Calendar
To add an event, you must be logged on. Enter the Calendar section of the site, then locate the "Add An Event" button in red letters below the calendar. Simply fill in the required fields (don't forget the date under the "Calendar" tab). Once you have finished, click the "Save" button located in the upper right of the form, and your done!
Edit an Event Once you have logged in, you may edit any events you personally have submitted to the calendar. To do this, locate the event on the calendar and open it. Once you are in the full view of the event, locate the "Edit" icon in the top right and directly across from the event title. (looks like a pencil and paper). Click the icon and your editing window will re-open so that you can perform any necessary changes.
Street Team and Volunteers We are always looking for new and interesting people to help with our work. If you feel you can contribute, please feel free to contact us. We look for professional oriented people, who are serious about helping. However, your experience does not make a difference, we look forward to giving a novice the opportunity to get involved! Currently, we are seeking talented people (or even not so talented people!) in the following fields:
-Live show support (come out and help us run the booth!)
-Writers and authors
-Photographers
-Video support
-Graphic design and web builders
-Social marketing help (Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, etc.)
If you feel you can contribute in other ways, please let us know by sending an email with your full name, phone number, weblinks, email and cell phone service provider.
*We ask for the cell phone service provider for text messaging purposes. If you don't have a cell phone or not comfortable with text messaging, please note in your email.
Can I Get a Job at OrlandoBands.com? Someday, but not yet. Backstage Newsletter
OrlandoBands.com street team member and volunteers are placed on a separate email list called the "Backstage Newsletter". This email serves as a line of communication to let you know what we have going on, as well as where help is needed. If you volunteer for the project, be sure you can check your email daily for new updates. To help out, contact us!
Network Affiliates and Sponsors OrlandoBands.com offers many different marketing campaigns as well as online advertisement. If you are interested in promoting your project or business or the OrlandoBands.com site please contact us for more details.
OrlandoBands.com Invites (Sponsorship) If you have an upcoming show or event and would like to include OrlandoBands.com, please see more details by clicking here.
Weekly Video Update Submissions
If you are interested in having your event, product or service announced in our weekly video update please contact us with the event details or service you would like us to talk about.
Donations
Keep the OrlandoBands.com project alive! Donations allow us to run contests, door prizes at our live events and more. Merchandise and promotional materials are widely accepted and entail promotion for the donor. Please contact us before sending anything in the mail so we can properly thank you for your support. We accept all forms of donations including:
Internships Currently, no internship programs are available. We are working with some of the local schools for the proper certification to open this opportunity up to students. Can You Book My Band?
No, but maybe. OrlandoBands.com is not an authorized booking agency. But, we do produce and sponsor shows and occassionaly have open positions for artists to play. To become eligible for these spots, please have your entire band (every member) register on the OrlandoBands.com site and send us an email with your appropriate contact information. (Group contact name, two phone numbers, two email address's and any weblinks you have). Keep an eye on our newsletter as well. This is where we announce any show oppenings either from OrlandoBands.com branded events or outside promoters/venues.
Have An Idea?
Maybe you have an idea on what this site needs? Or, you think you could possibly develop a division service for OrlandoBands.com. Please contact us if you have any suggestions or are looking for help with your project! Its all about the local community, and we look forward to meeting you soon!
