Well folks, I have a lot of trouble believing all this negative attitude toward the New Folk Concerts. When ya cut a CD ya never know how well it's gonna sell but ya put the money out cause ya believe in yourself and your music. You don't question how much the studio and the duplicators and the engineers and the printers are making! So why do you question the promoters of the greatest folk festivals we have? By the way, the submission fee is only $16. (A Lot cheaper than a cutting a CD). They accept only the first 600 entries and they select thirty two acts to perform. There are awards, rewards and perks not to mention a very impressive bio entry for those selected. And the industry prestige associated with winning the event (and thus your future earning power) would certainly be more valuable than selling a few hundred CDs. So it's not exactly performing free and the main thing is that these events help propagate folk music to the masses and enrich us all in the process. Peace! -sc