#jamplify

We are excited to announce the launch of Show Forecasts, the latest feature of Ticket Counts Pro that algorithmically predicts sales for upcoming shows. Show Forecasts enables agents to make better-informed decisions about where to allocate both current and future promotional efforts for their clients’ shows.

Our algorithm analyzes the sales histories of thousands of shows to predict where sales will ultimately end up for each show. The algorithm takes into consideration multiple data points, including but not limited to the venue’s capacity and both the artist’s and the venue’s previous sales history. Ticket Counts Pro makes this all possible by collecting and storing ticket counts in a best-in-class cloud database, freeing your sales data from the limitations of a spreadsheet. With Show Forecasts, agents can more effectively highlight successes to their clients and focus marketing attention on shows that are lagging.

We visualize these predictions on our Artist Dashboard via a three-tiered star system:

Full star: A show will likely come close to selling out.

Half star: A show will likely sell between 50% and 80% of the house.

No star: A show will likely sell less than half the house.

Below is a screenshot of what Show Forecasts look like on the Dashboard for a particular artist:

This three-tiered system can inform both the short-term and long-term booking and marketing decisions that agents make on a daily basis. For shows with a full star, agents can feel more confident about booking their client(s) at that particular venue in the future, while shows with half or no stars serve as a signal to agents to check in on their promotional campaigns in those corresponding markets.

Anyone who was into the punk/screamo/hardcore scene within the last few decade knows Chiodos. Although the band has experimented with different styles and various members, their musicianship is tighter than ever on the newest album "Devil", which was released at the end of February. Craig Owens, Chiodos' founder & frontman is finally back in charge of the reigns after working on side projects for the past few years, and fans are thrilled to hear his unique voice back in the mix. After Owens rejoined the band Derrick Frost (the original drummer) followed him to round out the reunion. Frost does a great job dictating the direction of the group through complex rhythms so that the energy ebbs and flows seamlessly across different tracks. The new addition of Thomas Erak (former guitarist and lead singer of Fall of Troy) definitely rounds out the group with some amazing talent, and the instrumental virtuosity of the band is both refreshing and entertaining in a genre full of formulaic song composition.

Their 2005 album "All's Well That Ends Well" was released under Equal Vision records (the same label Fall of Troy signed with) and received some great feedback regarding the diverse, sprawling song arrangements. The band covers it all: Craig Owens has a dominating stage presence with one of the best screams in the genre and an incredible range of clean vocals. Rapid time signature changes keep the listener engaged at all times and it doesn't hurt to have a guitar virtuoso tastefully shredding over the drum patterns. Erak is truly a force to be reckoned with, as his technical picking and excellent tapping capabilities carry some songs that would otherwise sound simplistic in nature. "Devil" is the sound that original fans are looking for, although the pop influences are evident in tracks like "Duct Tape". Change is inevitable and necessary in music, but fans don't always like a "mature" sound when a genre is built upon technicality and intensity. 

Luckily Chiodos consistently does a great job balancing the highs and lows, and it's clear the album was produced with the goals of the musicians in mind; mass appeal was not a concern with "Devil". Tracks like "Ole Fishlips Is Dead Now" and "Expensive Conversations in Cheap Motels" feature dark, complex tapping riffs right from the start which set the stage for Owens' lyrical imagery. The song arrangements always seem to fit the poetic, sometimes-strange, sometimes-ambiguous lyrics of Craig Owens, but regardless of the song title or lyrical content one thing is clear: Owens is a master of language, utilizing complex metaphors, analogies, and personification throughout every song. Don't let the song names get to you: just hit play and give it a listen!

These guys are on a massive U.S. tour stopping at over 30 major cities across the country. One of the last tour stops includes the famed House of Blues on Hollywood's Sunset Strip, and the show is already getting a ton of attention. In addition to an unprecedented band lineup with tons of new music to debut, the group has strong support with Emarosa and Our Last Night opening up the show. This will be a wild, sweaty, heavy show that you do NOT want to miss! Luckily for you we have a sweet jampaign set up where you can win free tix and VIP upgrades by promoting the show here:   http://buff.ly/1jZGwsa . Spread the word to your friends and enjoy the music!

Hip hop is evolving. The new class of up and coming MC's has taken the infectious elements of southern bass driven beats and combined them with a new found focus on lyricism. NYC is the birthplace of hip hop (see Boogie Down Bronx) and for too long it has been a barren landscape of empty promises (Papoose?) and commercial filler (Magna Carta vs Reasonable Doubt). The A$AP crew busted onto the scene in 2011 first with A$AP Rocky's underground hit "Peso" and changed all of that. The A$AP crew, hailing from Harlem World, had taken the city by storm and was making its way across the nation. Peso was followed by Rocky's massive single "Fu**in Problem", which featured a slew of other talented new voices (K Dot represent). A$AP Ferg is the second member of the A$AP crew to step out of the group and into the spotlight. His single "Shabba", released in July, has over 10 million hits on Youtube and is creating buzz all over the blogosphere. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXZxipry6kE

A$AP Ferg has got swaggggg. Although Rocky's cameo in the single might be what catches the eye of most, Ferg most definitely holds his own lyrically. Ferg is the second member of the A$AP crew to start gaining traction fast which makes you wonder how far off his breakthrough single is. AT THE MOMENT, FERG IS TOURING AND JAMPLIFY IS PROMOTING! Check out A$AP Ferg's new jampaign, sell some tickets, and win some free ones! 

The blogosphere is a powerful force. If you don't believe me just ask Rob Resnick and Cal Shapiro, aka Timeflies. Timeflies started out as a much blogged about remix 2 part phenom (see HERE) with "smooth suburban college rapping party boy flow" written all over them. Their remix vids, with their home studio in the background, caught the like wildfire on the campus blog scene. 

With a sound similar to the likes of Mike Posner or Asher Roth, Timeflies was a natural favorite at college parties from coast to coast. The duo began producing music together while studying together at Tufts University. Their catchy pop laced hip hop was already on the launching pad for national success. Their recent video for "I Choose U" has production quality lighting, set design, and over 3 million hits on Youtube! These two are rising stars so check them out and help promote on Jamplify now! And not to worry, they're still doing their awesome remixes.