At Hard Working Class Heroes, it’s not just about the music. Well, it’s mostly about the music, but sometimes it’s about what goes with the music as well as the sounds themselves. HWCH Digital is about technology and solutions for those in the music industry and as such, a call for emerging start ups was made! You can see the full details below.

Hard Working Class Heroes Digital – 2014 – Thursday 2 / Friday 3 / Saturday 4 October – Dublin

Hard Working Class Heroes festival and convention, sponsored by HMV Ireland, are delighted to announce the line-up for HWCH 2014 Digital. HWCH together with Ireland’s first and leading digital accelerator the National Digital Research Centre (NDRC) made its second annual call for digital applications in June and received submissions from emerging start-ups who are developing technology and solutions for the music and broader arts community. HWCH announced its music line-up last week with 104 bands playing across 7 venues.

HWCH Digital, in partnership with the NDRC, aims to offer digital companies the same type of support and advice that is offered to musicians. Last year, HWCH Digital featured a diverse range of companies such as Soundtravel, Doortonic and Wildcard Distribution. The companies are offered the opportunity to pitch to industry and press as well as collaborate with bands around product testing.

Speaking about HWCH Digital CEO of First Music Contact Angela Dorgan said: “It’s a very exciting time for both music and technology right now in Ireland and there are a lot of shared challenges in both communities. For the second year now we’re looking forward to facilitating both communities so that they can find ways to collaborate and help each other”.

Speaking about HWCH Digital, MD of HMV Digital James Coughlan added:  “Whether you’re an emerging artist or a tech start-up, having the ability to access a support network that provides advice and the sort of exposure that could take you to the next level is exactly why HMV Ireland is getting behind HWCH Digital 2014.  We look forward to working with such a wide range of talented artists, and for the first time giving them the opportunity for making their music available to download online at hmvdigital.ie and via our mobile app.”

Speaking about HWCH Digital Reggie Murphy of Enterprise Ireland said “The impact of Irish technology companies on the global music industry cannot be underestimated. It is events such as HWCH digital that foster the community of Irish entrepreneurs, promoting a culture of collaboration that sets Irish companies above the rest. The role of HWCH in showcasing Irish technology to national and international industry experts is a huge opportunity for everyone involved and Enterprise Ireland are delighted to be able to support the event.”

The 10 companies selected to participate in this year’s showcase are:
Gigstarter
Gigstarter reduces the risk for acts and gives fans a say in where a gig takes place. On Gigstarter, acts share when they’d like to tour, fans pledge to buy tickets saying where they’d like that act to play and once the acts confirm the date the pledgers credit cards are charged and the gig is on. More at: http://try.gigstarter.com/

Inflyte
Inflyte offers a mobile solution for music promotional campaigns. Record labels, PR companies and publishers can upload press releases, artwork and audio files to an app and invite tastemakers to receive these updates either in the app or through pop-up notifications. More at: http://www.inflyteapp.com

Rehearsal 365
Finding rehearsal space is a common problem for bands and one that Rehearsal365 is trying to solve with a new centralised site that allows rehearsal studios to advertise availability and enables bands to book rooms. More at: http://rehearsal365.com/

Emeraz
Emeraz offers artists customizable websites that are connected to a worldwide music network. Each website stands alone but as a group they come together to create a stronger network. More at: https://www.emeraz.com/home. php

VisiLit
Producing an event is challenging especially when there are a number of stakeholders involved. VisiLit helps to keep everyone in the loop with its Virtual Venue event design and production software. It brings everything together in a 3D virtual environment so that all involved can collaborate ensuring that a shared vision is built. More at: http://www.visilit.com/

Grapevyne
Making it easier for fans and unsigned bands to connect, Grapevyne leverages a rewards structure to encourage fans to discover new artists.

ProTunes
ProTunes links music and media professionals looking for music to use in their productions to those creating it. It uses search technologies to filter its database of music from production libraries, labels and independent artists. More at: http://www.protunes.com/

FanPic
Fanpic creates a multi-million-pixel photo of a crowd attending an event, which fans can tag themselves in and share with friends so they can go beyond just saying ‘I was there’. FanPic provides branding and data capture opportunities, it also enables organisers to run competitions or treasure hunts after the event. More at: http://www.huggity.com/
Circuit
Circuit is a mobile and desktop platform that connects promoters who want to let people know their event is on with an audience on the lookout for something to do. Circuit combines traditional outdoor advertising, like billboards, with with cutting-edge technology to deliver a unique user experience.

No-fi Collective
No-fi Collective is creating an online social environment where original content provided by users can be treated as a valuable commodity. Through incentivisation it is aiming to encourage the promotion and patronage of art, culture, expression and interests.