• by Shankar Gupta , June 6, 2006

Social networking and content-sharing site Bolt Media has launched a contest that aims to link consumer-generated media with social networking.

The contest, "Bolt Band," asks users to "audition" for spots as performers in a band by contributing tracks to a song-in-progress.

Bold Media founder Aaron Cohen said he hopes the contest will mesh the collaborative nature of social marketing sites with the individual creativity that goes into user-generated content. "The UGC so far has been self-created, but social networking is a very connected, collaborative kind of experience," he said. "There's room for overlap between the user-generated movement and the social networking movement."

Cohen added that the idea of an online, collaborative band came from the hip-hop/electronica band the Gorrilaz, which incorporates collaborative elements from multiple, often anonymous, artists. He said Michael Silverstein, Bolt's editorial director, conceived the idea after attending the Gorrilaz show at the Apollo Theater in Harlem in March.

Fast food giant Wendy's is sponsoring the contest, with branding on the Bolt page hosting the contest, as well as ads throughout. The fast food restaurant has dabbled in social networking and consumer-generated media before; in April, the company launched a MySpace promotion that allowed users to add it as a friend on their profiles.

The contest began May 23, with a Bolt staffer contributing a track of rhythm guitar, and auditions for a drummer opening. Prospective band members can download the existing track, listen, and add in their own layer. Pop band Three Days Grace then judges each entry, and the winner's layer is added into the track, ready for the next round of auditions. Currently, the contest has selected a drummer and a bassist, and is looking for a lead guitarist, vocalist, and a "wild card" performer.