Welcome to the editorial guidelines for CD-ROM Musique, a Paris-based music magazine dedicated to exploring the vibrant world of digital-era music journalism.
At CD-ROM Musique, we invite writers to contribute features, reviews, and photo essays that reflect the dynamic nature of contemporary music. Our content is inspired by the digital landscape, aiming to provide fresh perspectives rather than replicating existing sites.
When writing for us, please consider the following:
- Originality: We value unique voices and fresh ideas. Your work should offer new insights into the music scene.
- Clarity: Write clearly and concisely. Avoid jargon unless it's essential to your piece.
- Engagement: Aim to captivate our readers with compelling narratives and vivid descriptions.
- Relevance: Ensure your topics align with our focus on digital-era music and its cultural impact.
We look forward to your contributions that enrich the conversation around music in the digital age. Thank you for being a part of CD-ROM Musique!
Style Points: Names, Formats and Fair Criticism
Beyond the broad principles above, a few practical conventions keep our pages consistent and help editors move your piece from draft to publication with fewer rounds of changes.
Names, titles and languages
Use artists' names exactly as they style them, including unusual capitalisation or punctuation, and keep that spelling throughout the piece. Album titles go in italics; song titles sit in quotation marks. Because we are based in Paris and cover French and international scenes side by side, keep French titles and venue names in their original form rather than translating them, and add a short English gloss only where the meaning matters to your argument. Accents belong on the letters that carry them: Françoise, not Francoise.
Formats and context
Digital-era music arrives in many shapes: streaming singles, surprise drops, Bandcamp-only releases, reissues with bonus material, and physical editions that differ from the digital version. Say which version you heard. If a track list or credit changed between formats, note it. Readers coming to a piece months later through the archive should still understand what you were writing about.
Reviews and fairness
Strong opinions are welcome, but they should be earned by listening. Describe what the music actually does, from production choices and arrangement to vocal delivery, before deciding whether it works. Criticise the record, not the person. If you have a personal or professional connection to an artist, label or promoter, tell the editors before you start writing. Our reviews section shows the range of tones we publish.
Facts and sources
Check release details, line-ups and quotations against reliable sources, and keep notes in case an editor asks. Quote interviewees accurately; light tidying of spoken hesitations is fine, while changing meaning is not. For live reports, never describe a performance you did not attend.
Photo essays
Submit only images you took yourself or have clear permission to use, with a caption naming the place and the performers where known. Respect venue photography rules and the privacy of audience members who have not agreed to appear.
If anything here is unclear, get in touch through our contact page before you pitch.
Also on this site: CDROM-MUSIQUE