American Music Channel

American Music Channel is a website offering music videos, an online magazine populated with feature articles, InterViews, album reviews, and industry insights, and a social network that is at the same time a connection point for music fans, a platform for artists to promote and develop their careers, and information for the industry professional.

American Music Channel’s vision and intent is to offer the independent and emerging artist the same level of exposure that (to date) only those artists with major label record deals enjoy.

American Music Channel features Web 2.0 technology for video and audio.

American Music Channel's Social Networking Community, SoundEmerge, was developed with an open source platform and player. The social network will make it simple for emerging artists and songwriters to upload their latest tracks and videos and employ a multitude of tools to promote their careers. In addition, the site will also house a variety of blogs examining the music and entertainment scene from both fan and insider perspectives.

American Music Channel features an RSS feed and email newsletter. The offering of videos and editorial content available is constantly updated.

History

American Music Channel's CEO is Hal Willis. He is the founder and CEO of American Music Channel Inc. Willis was formerly CEO of Country Music Television and CMT Europe, General Counsel for The Nashville Network (now known as Spike) and Acuff-Rose Music Publishing, and co-founder of mPhase Technologies, which in conjunction with the Georgia Tech Research Institute developed the world’s first system to send digital video over telephone lines.

During Willis’ tenure at CMT and TNN, he witnessed the vast number of talented artists who were unable to be seen and heard by American music audiences due to the limited opportunities available through the existing structure of the music industry.

The site was launched in April 2000, and was originally dedicated to providing a global forum for all artists of Country, Bluegrass, Americana, and Contemporary Christian music; however, the site's April 24 relaunch expanded the site to ten genres - the four original, and newly Blues, Jazz, Rock, Pop, R&B, Folk, as well as an "Other" category, setting the site up for eventual further expansion.

Content

A Business Tennessee Magazine "Hot 100" Emerging Company for 2009 and 2010, American Music Channel offers tabs that allow visitors to browse content in genres including Country, Bluegrass, Pop, Rock, R&B, Blues, Jazz, Folk, Americana, and Christian. Each genre’s homepage highlights news, artists, reviews, videos, and blogger comments. Should one want to browse by artist, the "Artist" tab is subdivided into Featured, Independent, and Unsigned performers. In addition, a "Songwriter" section of the site profiles new music from published and unsigned songwriters across the music spectrum.

SoundEmerge

SoundEmerge is a social networking community for music fans, a platform for artists and songwriters to advance and develop their careers, and information.

Giving Back

American Music Channel is "Giving Back" through creating philanthropic campaigns.

Executive Staff

American Music Channel is based out of Brentwood, TN, just south of Nashville. The company's executive staff include Hal L. Willis, Director, Founder, CEO and Patty Silver, Director, Chief Creative Officer.

Hal Willis received a J.D. degree from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 1978, and was elected to The Order Of The Coif; the highest academic honor awarded to American law students. Previously he earned a B.S. in Business Administration, With Highest Honors, from the University of Tennessee.

Patty Silver is the former CEO of The Shekhinah Center Breast Cancer Help Program of Knoxville, TN. She was founder and director of this 501-C (3) not-for-profit organization from 1996 until 2004. During her tenure she created and implemented a pedagogical model that taught adaptability in the face of catastrophe while assisting, engaging, and empowering women with breast cancer, winning national recognition many times over.

She is a consultant, facilitator, speaker, and fundraiser, as well as an award-winning documentary filmmaker. She is also a co-owner and Vice-President of Safe Tech, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of safety devices for firearms.

Contributing Writers & Staff

Contributing writers are Andrew Vaughan, "Conversation Corner," "Music City 411;" Emily J Ramey, "Songwriter's Muse;" and Vinny Ribas, "Indie Insight." American Music Channel's news staff includes Margie Taylor and Josh Silver.

Andrew Vaughan is a Nashville based writer. As a music critic his work has appeared in Billboard, Music Week, Mojo, 'Q,' The Times, The Guardian, and Folk Roots. He was founding editor of Country Music International magazine and a regular guest on BBC Radio, BBC TV, and VH1. He was CMT's European Director of PR and has written books on women in country and an A-Z of new country. He is also the author of the best selling Danny Boy - A Life of Daniel O'Donnell (Andre Deutsch). Andrew has been contributing reviews and interviews to American Music Channel since 2001.

Emily J Ramey is a music journalist. Her background includes journalism classes at New York University and a Music Business degree from Belmont University. Emily was a regular staff contributor to Belmont's student newspaper The Vision. Her work has also been published in Nashville-based cult zine The (rabbit) and various other online portals. Emily is on staff at American Music Channel, as well as American Songwriter magazine.

Margie Taylor has worked in the music industry in Nashville, Tennessee since she graduated from college in 1989 with a marketing degree. She began her career at BMI, Broadcast Music Incorporated, and then transitioned to Country Music Television, where she was the Manager of Programming. Margie left CMT at the end of 1998 to start her own company and has been working with American Music Channel since 2003.

Josh Silver is on staff at American Music Channel, as well as SafeTech, Inc.