Sonicbids, the website designed to help artists leverage the power of the Internet to manage their electronic press kits (EPKs) and find and book gigs, has acquired ArtistData, an online publishing platform that more than 25,000 musicians use to update and manage their gig-related information across the Web.

“We are hyper-focused on delivering value to our customers, and ArtistData was the most frequently requested partnership from our members,” said Sonicbids Founder and CEO Panos Panay in a news release issued June 14. “Helping bands connect with promoters is great, but we were missing a piece of the puzzle in helping bands and promoters get the word out about those gigs to bring in the fans. ArtistData’s founder Brenden Mulligan really nailed this, and it’s clear based on ArtistData’s traction in the market.”

Mulligan, who assumed the title of Vice President of Strategic Development for the company, maintains “The combined offering of Sonicbids and ArtistData is extremely powerful, as it makes it easier than ever for artists to manage their touring in one place.” In an open letter posted on the ArtistData website, Mulligan maintains: “We fit perfectly. Sonicbids helps artists get gigs. We help artists promote and organize gigs once they have them. Together, we’ll build the best end-to-end solution for touring artists… We share an exciting vision for helping artists with what has become the most important revenue source they have: touring.”

Soncibids claims to have helped indie artists book more than 71,000 gigs last year and reach millions of new fans. Many presenters — including some festivals and conferences that use it exclusively — see Sonicbids as a major time-saver in finding and choosing artists. However, critics have raised concerns about what they perceive as “pay to play” offers, lack of responses to their gig submissions, and a purported lack of transparency with respect to the number of slots available in given festivals and concert series.