General Questions:
Q: What’s the best way to send music to SBS?
A: For at least the time being, a download link or link to streaming it online. You can add those details & links into the notes section of the form where you place your official order.
Q: Is there a preferred method to link my music from?
A: Generally speaking, as long as we can get to the music, it’s fine with us. WeTransfer, Dropbox, and Google Drive have excellent, easy to use options.
Q: I’m not seeing all the options I want on the main page – are there more?
A: For sure! Each service has up to four optional additional customization features that the order process will guide you through – trust the system!
Q: Does everything take as long as the estimated delivery time states?
A: Nope! Keep in mind, we’ve always got a lot going on and we’re working with hundreds of bands & artists each & every year – we provide a date that we know we’ll be able to deliver by without question, but in many cases, our services are provided earlier for you to enjoy.
Q: Does the size of my order, or paying more, increase the quality of the end product?
A: Ultimately, no. We put our hearts & souls into everything we do, each and every time, no matter what the circumstances are.
Q: What kind of traffic is there on sleepingbagstudios?
A: Numbers & statistics are never something we’re interested in – we simply reply with “we’re the smallest fish in the sea” when asked about them. Which may, or may not be true – it’s not something that’s important in the pursuit of creating art or a community of genuine music-fans. What’s important is integrity in what we do – and that’s all that matters to us; it’s exactly why we’ve experienced such incredible results since 2012 when we first started. What we can say for sure, is that our audience is a loyal, dedicated, and supportive one…that’s what we know!
Questions About Our Music Reviews:
Q: If I’m paying for a music review, does that mean I’m guaranteed a positive one?
A: Nope! But any or all criticism is laid out in a constructive & helpful manner, designed specifically to help you improve on that next recording to follow. We tend to focus on the most positive aspects of your music that we can find, but hey, it’s up to you to make sure you supply! At the end of the day, we do what we do because we love the independent music-scene – we’re not here to tarnish your hard-work, reputation, art, or music – we’re fully respectful at all times.
Q: Is there a specific length to the review I’ll receive?
A: While there is no set maximum length for any of the reviews we write, the minimum length would still be above 500 words for even a single song. As for our reviews on EPs and albums, well, they tend to be a whole lot longer sometimes! Everything we write is inspired by the music we’re listening to…if you’re putting out tunes worth talking about, we certainly will be!
Q: Is my review guaranteed to be published on the sleepingbagstudios website?
A: Absolutely, 100%! If you’re looking for behind the scenes advice instead, please click here.
Q: Will my review ever be taken down?
A: Nope! Your review lives on our site for as long as we exist.
Q: Can I use quotes from the review for my own promotion, website, press releases, etc.?
A: Absolutely, 100% – and you’re fully encouraged to do so as you wish!
Q: Is there a benefit to providing a download link to my songs instead of a streaming one?
A: For sure! While we’d never guarantee it – Jer @ SBS has been known to play songs from all throughout the independent music-scene on the SBS Podcast…if you end up sending us your tunes, you never know, you might just end up on the show one day for additional promotion!
Q: Is there a specific type of music you prefer that will help me secure a favorable review?
A: Nope! We provide our honest objective thoughts, 100% of the time, with no exceptions. Our site’s head-writer, Jer @ SBS, has in-depth knowledge & vast experience with all forms of music – and he listens to absolutely everything he can get his ears on, from the past to present.
Q: Can I send you a track prior to ordering to see if you’ll like it first?
A: You can if you like…but we still won’t tell ya. We preserve our reputation for honesty, integrity, & objectivity, by providing real feedback – so no, we won’t tell you in advance.
Q: If I’m sending a download link to my files, is there a certain format they have to be in?
A: Not usually. You’re welcome to send your music in any format you like (Ex. wav, MP3, flac) – if for any reason we encounter any kind of playback issues where we cannot hear what you send in, we’ll be sure to contact you asap to make alternate arrangements. When in doubt, attaching an additional link to stream the files on line ensures we’ll never miss a beat!
Questions About Our Video-Interviews
Q: How long will my episode be?
A: You select a package, based on how many questions you’d like to receive. As to how you choose to answer them, or how long you’d like to answer them – that’s entirely up to you! In general, our episodes range from a half-hour to a full-hour – but if you have a lot to say, we’ll make a multi-part episode of SBS Live This Week to really highlight your creativity & efforts!
Q: Can I swear?
A: You do you, we’ll do us. The most important thing in anything you do as an artist, is your integrity. Feel free to say exactly what’s on your mind, exactly how you wanna say it.
Q: Is it only my music that is on the episode?
A: In some cases, yes, in others, no. We often cross-promote by adding other bands, and artists into the mix with spotlights & videos into the shows we post.
Q: Where will I be able to find the show online, and can I obtain a copy for my own promotion?
A: Your episode(s) of SBS Live This Week will be published right here at the homepage, in addition to our channel at Vimeo. We’ll send you all the links on where to find it online once it’s posted, and if you’d prefer to have a copy for yourself, we’ll send you the file to download too.
Q: Are these standard interview questions?
A: Not by any stretch of the imagination – each show we create is tailored to our featured guest. We do intense research, listen to whatever we can, and create compelling questions completely designed to get the best out of you for your existing fans & new fans. You’re fully encouraged to include live music, film in creative places, and have a whole lot of fun in the process.
Q: Do I have to answer every single question sent in order for the interview to be on the show?
A: Nope! Of course, every time that comes up, we think you’re officially crazy for not taking advantage of every moment. Think of it this way – every question provides the opportunity for you to be onscreen with another answer, or another way of representing you, your music, and your art – no one here at SBS is saying you have to answer everything as directly as possible.
Q: So when I’m answering your questions – I don’t actually have to give an ‘answer’ at all then?
A: It is 100% up to you and your own creativity. You can stare blankly into the camera, film your cat, choose to answer the question sarcastically, or anything else you can think of – creative control is in your hands at all times & whether you want to take it seriously or not, is up to you!
Q: Do the files I send back for my answers have to be in any specific format?
A: Not usually. In most cases, we can work with any kind of file. In the event that we run into some sort of issue, we’ll be sure to reach out and assist however we can to resolve it.
Q: Once I’ve sent in the answers, how long until the show is posted?
A: It can vary – depending on the show’s schedule, some wait-times can be longer than others, but we’ll be sure to communicate with you every step of the way to let you know when it gets posted up on our site.
Questions About Our Spotlights On SBS Live This Week:
Q: Do I supply the information to you about my project or band?
A: If there’s something specific you want mentioned, be sure to let us know – but generally speaking, providing us with your social-media links online will get us what we need to create a profile and highlight what you’re all about on the show.
Q: Who will see the episode?
A: As a featured spotlight, you’ll be a part of another main guest’s episode, which creates a cross-promotion of its own kind. Their fans will see you, and vice versa of course. Our readers and followers will likely also tune-in at some point in time – we don’t pump-up the hit-counts with fictional numbers, everything we do at SBS is posted up and free to be viewed by anyone that wants to check it out, organically.
Q: What if I’m a brand-new artist? What makes this the right service for my music?
A: That’s an excellent opportunity to announce your brand-new solo adventure, next band, next recording – any time you’ve got something exciting going on is always a great time to get involved and do some unique promotions like this service offers.
Questions About Our Audio Ads On The SBS Podcast:
Q: Can my advertisement be about anything – even stuff that’s not music-related?
A: Yep, that’s not a problem at all – just keep in mind, you’re reaching a music-related audience.
Q: If I select the option to have my script read out loud on the show – can I get a copy of the audio-file afterwards for my own use?
A: Not a problem at all – if that’s something you’d like, we’ll clip it out from the official show and send it over to you as an MP3 file you can continue to use however you like afterwards.
Q: What if I’m not a business or selling a product…what if I’m an artist or band and just want to advertise the fact that we exist, shout-out my website addresses, and encourage people to listen to our music & come out to our shows?
A: You’re more than welcome – sounds like a great idea to us!
Questions About ‘Our Insight Into Your Recording’ Service:
Q: Is this a published article?
A: No. This is a service designed for behind the scenes communication, giving you advice on what we hear in the music to help you move forward with your latest project.
Q: Am I going to like everything you say?
A: Hopefully, but it’s not a service that’s designed to beat around the bush. We’ll tell you honestly how we feel about certain aspects of accessibility, sound quality, and songwriting – so be sure you’re ready for the feedback! As with all things we do relating to our clients and to the independent music-scene, we’re fully respectful – we want you to sound great every bit as much as you do, & if there’s any advice we can give you to help assist in making that happen, we’ll certainly provide you with as many details as we can, to serve you & your music the best we can.
Q: What makes Jer @ SBS such an expert on music anyway? Why would his opinion matter?
A: Well…despite predicting the rise of Coldplay and Tegan And Sara…he’s still pretty grounded. While being an ‘expert’ on anything would be about the last way he’d ever describe himself in anything that he does, Jer @ SBS listens to music of all kinds, each and every day – and he has been for as long as he can remember. With well-over 2000 reviews written by him personally at sleepingbagstudios, and countless other projects he’s involved in from behind the scenes advice, to biographies, press releases, and so much more – he’s an active part of what’s happening in the music scene, every single day of his life. Without music, we’re not sure he’d even exist!
Questions About Our Spoken Word Services:
Q: Can I provide the direction & tone, even if I’m not able to provide the specific words?
A: Sure thing – but in our experience, it’s best to leave as much up to us as possible for the best results. Being pigeonholed into any idea without a lil’ creative freedom can make things a whole lot tougher…but it is possible, we just prefer to have the ability to surprise you with what we come up with…the fewer the restrictions, the more fantastic the results & creativity can be.
Q: Are there more voices at sleepingbagstudios that can do spoken word, or just Jer @ SBS?
A: At the moment, it’s just Jer @ SBS – though if you like, there are options to have effects added, & he always does his best to suit the vibe of your song with a style of delivery to match.
Q: Can I ask for a G-rated recording without swearing?
A: For sure. We don’t curse in everything we do, but if it’s important not to, make sure to let us know so that we keep the content clean for ya.
Q: Spoken Word…so…you mean Rap right?
A: No, not at all. If there’s one thing that Jer @ SBS is not, it’s a rapper. The closest thing he’s got to bars are all made of chocolate, we assure you. Think of Spoken Word as something much closer to an art-piece…sonic-poetry, if you will.
Questions About Your Music Video Being Shown On SBS Live This Week:
Q: Can I send in videos that are not musically related to be played on SBS Live This Week?
A: No. Music videos only, please & thanks.
Q: Can my video contain explicit content?
A: Yep – again, as long as it’s a music-video, we’ll play it with very few exceptions. We will not accept any videos that reflect any hate-speech in any way, shape, or form. Swearing is fine, nudity is fine too, even videos with a point of view that we don’t agree with are often accepted – but no videos displaying any visible forms of attacking any specific groups of people, period.
Q: Will you talk about my video if I order?
A: Not automatically…in many cases, we play the video as a bonus feature with a simple image introduction. There are options available to suit your every desire, make sure to check out the extras section during the process to ensure you get everything you’re looking for.
Q: Is there a limit to how long my video/song can be?
A: Yes. We’re not here to play your full album, we’re here to play your song(s). Please keep submissions under eight-minutes in length, or contact us to make special arrangements prior.
Questions About Music Videos Produced By sleepingbagstudios:
Q: Will you use stock footage or film an entirely new video?
A: Each project is different & has its own unique set of needs. If your song is about outer-space for example, well…we’ve never been there – so stock footage might be something we’d use in that instance. If we’re inspired to create entirely new footage for a concept we feel will fit your new single, we’d likely go that route. There is essentially no formula to creating our videos, but there are a whole lot of solutions & options we use to make the magic happen.
Q: Can I post the finished video to my YouTube channel and websites?
A: You’re more than welcome! Each video is original, you’ll be free to post anywhere you like.
Q: Is my video guaranteed to be about what my song is actually about?
A: Not at all. Sometimes it will be, sometimes it’ll be a more abstract concept. It’s very rare that any video matches the full meanings & intentions of any song out there – and we’d be foolish to claim we could make that happen better than anyone else that has already tried. We do our best to ensure that you end up with a stunning & interesting video that suits the overall vibe of your song, whether it fully echoes the theme or not.
Q: What if I don’t like the video?
A: Handle the issue with respect & care, and we’ll of course do our best to make it right for you. Keep in mind, hours or days would have been spent creating it – the work has been put in, and what the service offers is our own interpretation of your song in a visual form – you’re not guaranteed to like what we come up with any more than any other artistic collaboration you enter into out there. We do our best to make sure our videos are entertaining & engaging, and we have a great time making them – we absolutely want you to be proud of the final results & wouldn’t send out any video to our clients that we couldn’t fully stand behind.
Q: What if I just want a ‘plain’ video…what if I don’t like effects or bizarre psychedelic colors?
A: While we don’t often take direction about what we’ll create for your video – we will stay away from certain things as long as you communicate those specifically with us prior to starting. For example, if you wanted your video in black & white only, make sure to let us know.
Didn’t Find The Answer You Were Looking For?
Feel free to reach out to Jer @ SBS at Jeremy@sleepingbagstudios.ca and he’ll get back to you as soon as possible with a reply. Make sure to reference which type of order you’re interested in, your questions and concerns, and he’ll do his best to get you an answer back to you quickly.
