The Ball takes place Oct. 26-27 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco.
“This was a very successful collaboration,” Ball founder Perry Mann said. “We know that the Ball is very visible, and that virtually any band with a sexy lead singer or provocative lyrics feels they are a great fit with the show, and many of them are.
"The problem for us is that each year we receive hundreds of requests, and become inundated with DVDs, CDs, MP3s and links. We don’t have the time or manpower to sift through the submissions. This has always bothered me, because we have a real commitment to the indie music market.
"So this year, through our hook-up with Sonicbids, every submission gets listened to and rated for our purposes; we can instantly see video, photos, read bios — all online without switching between mediums."
Hundreds of bands submitted before the Sept. 5 deadline, and winners will be notified by Sept. 20.