Over five nonstop days and nights from Oct 16-20th, the world’s most important platform for the discovery of new music, CMJ Music Marathon, invades New York City with over 1,300 artist performances.

CMJ fills more than 80 of the city’s greatest venues, and nightclubs with over 120,000 fans, music industry professionals, college radio tastemakers, bloggers, press, and musicians.

Attendees have access to over 80 panels, seminars, Q&As, nighttime parties, meet and greets, mixers, special events and exclusive areas like the Exhibitors’ Loft and Artist Lounge.

CMJ 2012 will once again be headquartered at New York University’s Greenwich Village campus, just steps away from dozens of downtown Manhattan venues.

Artists, music fans, and industry insiders descend on New York City every fall for the annual CMJ Music Marathon. The festival is one of the world’s most important outlets for the discovery of new music, with more than 1,300 performers given a chance to shine in over 80 nightclubs and theaters spread across the city.

The CMJ Music Marathon offers an up-close opportunity to see future stars on the rise, often in an intimate setting that artists are about to leave behind.

In 2004, a then-unknown Montreal-based band named Arcade Fire played at the 250-capacity Mercury Lounge—a show still regarded as a crucial part of the band’s success story. The same venue played host to Mumford & Sons in 2009. A year later the band garnered several Grammy nominations and achieved multi-platinum status for their debut album, Sigh No More.

Other success stories at the Music Marathon have included breakout performances by an eclectic array of artists. The past 10 years at CMJ have included appearances by the following:

2002 – Iron & Wine, Lamb of God, Mark Ronson, Mastodon, Moldy Peaches, My Morning Jacket, Sigur Ros, Gossip, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Explosions in the Sky, James Murphy, The Used, Jason Mraz

2003 – Andrew WK, Killers, Damien Rice, Jet, Sufjan Stevens, Against Me!, Mars Volta, My Chemical Romance, The National, The Rapture, The Shins, Broken Social Scene, Citizen Cope

2004 – Arcade Fire, Keane, TV On The Radio, Antony & the Johnsons, The Bravery, The Decemberists, Battles, Brazilian Girls, Regina Spektor, Coheed & Cambria

2005 – Feist, Grizzly Bear, Hot Chip, Wolfmother, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, We Are Scientists, Paramore, Jose Gonzalez, Devendra Banhart, New Pornographers

2006 – Justice, The Knife, Clipse, Cold War Kids, CSS, Girl Talk, Walkmen, Shooter Jennings, Secret Machines, Beach House, Ra Ra Riot, Mute Math

2007 – M.I.A., MGMT, Band of Horses, Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, Dan Deacon, Deerhunter, Yeasayer, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Ghostland Observatory, Santigold

2008 – Lady Gaga, Passion Pit, Friendly Fires, Lykke Li, B.O.B., Crystal Castles, Janelle Monae, Jay Reatard, Justin Townes Earle, Naked & Famous

2009 – Mumford & Sons, Sleigh Bells, Surfer Blood, Temper Trap, The xx, Portugal. The Man, School of Seven Bells, The Antlers, Atlas Sound, Lana Del Rey

2010 – Avicii, Neon Indian, Dale Earnhart Jr Jr, Diamond Rings, Lower Dens, Oberhofer, Big Freedia, Oh Land, US Royalty, Braids, PS I Love You, First Aid Kit, Company of Thieves

2011 – Alabama Shakes, Gotye, Gary Clark Jr, Kendrick Lamar, Caveman, ASAP Rocky, AraabMUZIK, Art Vs. Science, EMA, Givers, Zomby

For more: http://www.cmj.com