'Babyface' and others make musical discoveries online

From...

April 5, 2000
Web posted at: 1:05 p.m. EDT (1705 GMT)

by Laura Rich

(IDG) -- A 12-year-old girl from Scotts Valley, Calif., stands before a state-of-the-art recording system in the home of Grammy-winning producer David Foster, as Celine Dion, on speakerphone, tells the girl that she really liked her last track. Pop lyricist Carole Bayer Sager and Top-40 songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, who are also in the room, chime in with similar endorsements.

For aspiring singer Alysha Antonino, it must have felt like a dream come true.

Foster, Sager and Edmonds intend to keep making dreams come true through their site, Tonos.com, which launches this week. It's one of two sites to come out of Hollywood recently that focuses on giving amateur singers and musicians access to professional tools and advice. IAM.com, which launched March 22, will reach out to models, actors and dancers, as well.

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Both sites offer the expertise of industry professionals, but the stars will be what separates the two from the companies that advertise their training services in the newspaper. "We're giving them a way to truly reach us," says Tonos' Sager.

IAM debuted with a celebrity-studded Hollywood bash that drew the likes of Mimi Rogers and James Woods. The site's main utility is as an online storage space for performers' portfolios, such as recording tracks, videotapes and headshots. But like Tonos, IAM is pitching its connections with Hollywood as its biggest draw. "We are a pure branding play," says Edward Menicheschi, IAM's chief marketing officer.

IAM closed its third round of funding two weeks ago to the tune of $35.7 million from Citicorp, Enron (ENE) Broadband, KPE, Lehman Brothers and Sierra Ventures. The company expects to make money from subscription fees, sponsorship and advertising.

Tonos has raised $7 million from Sequoia Capital, Shockwave.com and Los Angeles Dodgers Chairman and former Warner Bros. chief Bob Daly (he also happens to be Sager's husband). The company's revenues will come from advertising, sponsorship and e-commerce. Tonos may also look to be included in the proceeds of any recording contracts that may be signed through use of the site.

Both sites have held contests to generate publicity. A prelaunch contest on IAM landed the talent in the company's current commercial, which was directed by Spike Lee. Tonos' contest yielded little Alysha Antonino. Although both companies say their mission is not necessarily to make or discover stars, no doubt they'll need to chalk up a few hits to gain credibility.

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Tonos.com
IAM.com

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