Do you use your local library? Imagine taking advantage of the system with an added bonus: local music discovery. I remember being a kid and getting excited about finding Ohio authors. Imagine the same happening with music.

Blimp City Beats is a program that is providing opportunities for artists to get discovered via a free streaming service provided by the library system. One caveat – you must be a resident of Summit County, OH region to apply. And, all who submit receive $150 if they are chosen. Not bad!

Personally, I have some questions about how the library plans to market this to the community – will people be willing to go to a platform off Spotify to stream local stuff? How is this different than a playlist? But I applaud the initiative.

Read more about the opportunity below:

Blimp City Beats is an online platform that showcases and streams current local music for free. A jury of local members of the music community and Library staff selects a diverse array of musical styles to create a soundtrack for Summit County. Anyone can stream the albums for free by visiting our website on their desktop or mobile device.

Our jury selects the albums in the collection through open calls for submission twice a year. Local musicians and bands are encouraged to submit a sample track for consideration. Visit our website for the latest updates on submission rounds. Artists whose work is included in the collection will receive an honorarium for their work. The amount is subject to change depending on available funds.

Any questions or requests to be a part of our jury can be sent to blimpcitybeats@akronlibrary.org.