Who likes the entertainment business?

Touchscreen Technology And Music: Future Of the Entertainment Industry

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 20:58:00 +0000

Over time, the development of smart phones and iPods have become standard in communications and media to cater to. The creation of these devices has prompted the creation of various applications and etc. But the most interesting fact of them is that the use of touchscreen technology has now become and essential piece of our societal norm. The use of it in particular in the music industry has changed the way we enjoy our movies, music, and other forms of media. The use of DJs having this technology has developed to not even having to use turntables. If you have your console hooked up to a decent running computer, you can spin music with it and even more recently, the touchscreen technology has been developed for it.

I would like to involve myself in of the future of developing technology that involves the music industry. The use of touchscreen technology is part of the future that could possibly developed into a different medium. Right now, it is very easy to have access to such networks as twitter, facebook, myspace, soundcloud, and etc. with devices that have this feature. In the music industry, it is being used for more so musicians with different devices. Mostly DJs who play music but keyboards and midi controllers that allows a person to produce, it is becoming more of a key element. If there was a way to develop more ways to how this technology could affect the music industry in terms helping artists sell music and merchandise, I would like to find more ways to do it. The importance of it is to keep customers in buying the music so there any use of the new technology that been acquired, will help the business in new ways. Also, it can help independent artists who do not have the advantages of marketing themselves if they have the knowledge and access of this technology. I would like to see if a company that is very optimistic to the idea would be willing to collaborate on helping out independent artists and also companies to be able to market themselves in an industry that is swaying more towards the technological side to help with sales and a customer base.

Resources:

http://www.protouchblog.co.uk/2011/05/touch-screen-technology-the-future-of-the-music-industry/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/sound-artists/touchscreen-technology-change-lives

Alternative Funding

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 00:44:00 +0000

Need a financial start to your business in entertainment? Seeking some help with budgeting your business properly? The alternative funding programs from the various sources are available for small businesses. Two sites in particular that can be looked at for this kind of assistance would be The Association For Enterprise Opportunity, also known as the AEO (http://www.microenterpriseworks.org/), and The Coalition of Community Development Financial Institutions, also known as the The CDFI (http://www.cdfi.org/). The AEO offers information on finding a mentor and microenterprise development organizations. It seems as though the AEO offers this assistance without having any requirements but they do offer the help if an self-employed business owner is interested. The CDFI offers awards and programs to communities that require a lot of development and financial support. Such programs as The New Markets Tax Credits Program, initiated in 2002, encourages private sector investment by offering tax credits for qualified community development investments.

The qualifications for being part of a program in the CDFI programs vary. For example, if you wanted to be involved with the Microenterprise Development Loan Fund, the business owner would have to file the business as a 501 (c) (3) to have it documented as a non-profit business. It is specifically by low individuals and entrepreneurs that would like to receive funding from the government and the private sector. Other programs, such as Community Development Venture Capital Fund, doesn't require the business to be registered as a 501 (c) (3) and mainly funds corporations, foundations, individuals, and parts of the government. The AEO has initiatives for people seeking funding. There is an initiative called Enter The Catalyst that caters to low-wealth entrepreneurs to develop leadership and create a microenterprise. This program is different from the Green Economy initiative they have that specifically focuses on businesses that are eco-friendly; focusing on the environment.

Other information that these sites have include information on government advocacies. The AEO has a section on its website where there is a link to help people who are uninsured to gain some assistance with their health insurance. The CDFI offers details on how to get in touch with politicians in legislation and how the process of it works. Both sites seem to have great a bit of detail for entrepreneurs to be involved in a microenterprise and to also be well aware of what they are getting into as far as being self-employed.

Review of the experts posted.

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 14:39:00 +0000

Kevin English Review

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What I've learned from Kevin English is the importance of having a business ready to submit in my field. The construction of how set up marketing, budgeting, and other factors are key to gaining investors. Also, Mr. English shows new ways of being able to maintain in the Entertainment Business when approaching third parties for assistance. Kevin English is one that specializes in the music industry given his past experience. But he does shed light on how important it is to maintain sticking to your plan in any business. If you actually do a google search on entertainment plans, there are a lot of templates that appear. For example, there are Wrestling Business Plans (http://www.bplans.com/wrestling_entertainment_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.cfm) that have specific needs in terms of financial planning and marketing.

With that said, my company would definitely follow a business that specifically relates to the model of how a music company is set up. A combination of following how a technology company functions with a business would be incorporated with those qualities. This would show how affective the business would from the standpoint of the music business and how it could maintain in the business of technology well.

Nereida Garcia Review

I've learned from Nereida Garcia that establishing yourself on the internet is a strong force in marketing. She also makes it a point to let artists that they should engage themselves in developing business plans that they should follow in each aspect. For example, she eludes to the fact that if an artists is to develop a marketing plan, it should written down with certain goals to achieve. If it is promote on certain blogs or reach out to certain types of online media, a business plan should be documented and followed according to plan.

My company would would need to have the presence of online that would a have strategic plan for online marketing. I would have to use resources from Affiliate Tips (http://www.affiliatetips.com/affiliate-marketing-internet-business-with-business-plan-services.html) with these hints on how to work with affiliate marketing online. These tips are similar to the general points that Garcia was making even though it is applied to generally large businesses. This can be applied to artists who present themselves as businesses to other companies and smaller businesses in the entertainment industry.

Two Music Business Plan Writers.

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 02:26:00 +0000

Kevin English

You would think that an artist would have a business plan written by now until you meet people who seem to have advice on the matter. Thats where you meet someone like Kevin English. On his website, http://eleetmusic.com, he offers his expertise on helping bands and artists create their own business plans to plan for the future. His actual experience with companies like Island Def Jam Music Group as a General Manager and Atlantic Recording Corporation as a publicity assistant, shows his unique diversity in helping people in the entertainment and media industry write business plans. His blogs even offer advice to artists on how to focus on themselves as a business by offering ways of acquiring an SBA Loan and being able to maintain an independent business within the music industry. He offers insight on what to do to write a good music business plan in the following post on his blog (http://eleetmusic.com/?p=2466). He states that the following key elements are important to have: 1) Executive Summary, 2) Products And Services, 3) Marketing Plan, 4) Management Plan, and 5) Financial Plan. This is also in reference to an article he had written before entitled "How To Write A Music Business Plan" (http://www.musicthinktank.com/mtt-open/2009/7/8/how-to-write-a-music-business-plan.html).

Nereida Garcia

Nereida is a freelance blogger in the market of showing artists how to make money online by utilizing media. Her views on the writing of a business plan for artists stems from the idea of the artists viewing themselves as the business. In one of her posts (http://nereidagarcia.com/online-music-marketing-strategy/), she describes the necessities of what artists should do in order to make themselves out to be the business when they deal with their customers. She recommends that artists keep track with fanbase they development and document with a business plan on how to expand their customer base over time. She gives three steps to artists on how to market their music correctly with a plan: 1) Build A Last, 2) Market To That List, and 3) Make The List Bigger. Nereida offers insight on how when your music is recorded, that it becomes a product that needs a business plan that would need to be marketed properly.

Kellee Maize: Social Networking Done Right

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 23 May 2011 02:58:00 +0000

I have to be honest, I was very skeptical about Kellee Maize at first. I was wondering if she would give off the perception of females rappers like Princess Superstar or even remind you of an Amanda Blank (if you're familiar with those artists). But she's actually a breed of positive lyrics, choreography, and production with amazing catchy dance rhythms. But the one thing that she is known for currently is her out reach on the internet. Her site: . It has her listed as the #1 Download Female Rapper on Amazon.com with over 38,000 fans on Facebook that have "liked" her page.

People might wonder how'd she get so popular and what is she doing right in order to gain popularity. Well, part of it seems involve how she has presented herself on Amazon. She is probably the most downloaded female rapper on Amazon because all the songs are for free. Also, her videos range from 70,000 to 200,000 videos each on YouTube. A very strategic way of promoting her message online. The visuals are things that do not lack either. Her shows often present a very solid dance routine that entertains the audience. Her shows appear to range from college appearances around the nation to shows in that she hosts in her local area of Pittsburgh, PA.

The only thing that I could say that could help her with promoting more on the internet is to work with others people may not expect her to reach out to. Her demographic is definitely concrete. And she achieved her goal without any co-signs from any other hip hop artist that is popular. At the point she is at online, she could very well join up with other underground hip hop artists that could show her diversity in terms of the music she is making. Also, it would be helpful if she also developed presence on other video sites like Daily Motion and Vimeo. Her fan base can increase more through people who check those outlets for visuals.

Contact

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sun, 22 May 2011 10:50:00 +0000

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Why Free Downloads Are Considered Great In Digital Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 09 May 2011 02:30:00 +0000

The problem with music industry for the past few years since the days of Napster getting A&M Records upset has been downloading music. The major record companies that were once able to re-coop on the money they have spent on major artists are having to shift their ways on how work in the digital world within their means on a budget. The one thing that has helped with free music is that it is a good way for you to market music. It was a good way to drawn in a fan base even though it has its risk financially.

Lets look at a few websites that offer this free service to their audience. There is a website by the name of www.datpiff.com. It is a urban music genre based website that specializes in the distribution of mixtapes over the internet; primarily focused on hip hop. I inquired about their prices once because they usually allow people to upload their music on their website for free. They give special treatment to mixtapes that are sponsored with the cost of $50 to come with the particular project. For a feature, it is $500 but the company reviews the material first then contacts the artist once a decision is made to see if the mix tape would be able to be presented as a feature. The thing that helps datpiff.com is that if you do a search on their demographics, you will find that they are a successful site (http://www.quantcast.com/www.datpiff.com). Techinically, as for digital marketing, datpiff is a good website for artist would like to have their music up for digital download.

Then you the option of variable pricing through a site called www.bandcamp.com. Bandcamp appears to give artist the option to charge for the downloads or to have them given away for free. Or have the audience to name their price if they were to download the music. On the major level, this mostly would not be looked at as a very good option. You would have to take into account of the money invested in an artist since there would be an expected ROI (return on investment) estimated. Such groups like Coldplay or Nine Inch Nails for example were able to do this with some of their previous efforts because they were branded as successful artists and could afford to take that risk. However, it has been stated that more independent artists and labels should try this method in order to grasp what their audience is willing to pay as far as their product is concerned.

In conclusion, the age of free music in the digital world is nothing. If Lil Wayne can give away tons of music for free and become recognized for being one of the top stars in music, then it must work in some fashion. Now that music is being digitally marketed, you have wonder what can be profited from it? Merchandise? Shows? Advertisements? More than likely, all of the above.

Reference(s):

http://elemental-consulting.com/blog/will-variable-pricing-ruin-the-music-industry/

ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC: which one should I choose?

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 21:36:00 +0000

When an artist decides to sign up for their publishing, they usually want to pick the company that is best suited for them. You have the option of having your independent publishing or you can choose from some of the biggest companies to assist you. Those companies happen to be ASCAP (American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers), BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.), and SESAC (Society of European Stage Authors and Composers). What they all three have in common is that they protect the publishing rights of all artists included. Their differences however range from where the protect your publishing to how its protected.

ASCAP

More than likely, this publishing company is the most popular within its main membership located in the U.S. However, it is stated that they also cover publishing for artists worldwide; but their ties to the international market is not as strong as SESAC. ASCAP is the only publishing organization who's membership votes for those to be chosen on the board. This organization is representing for the artists and publishers who need coverage to protect their copyrights and work. The pay out system for ASCAP is considered to be more steady.

BMI

This company has a very striking similarity to ASCAP except for the fact that is mainly for broadcasters instead. They also are based out of the U.S. and represent different artists in various areas. However, their payout to the artists appears to more in the beginning and if an artist is receiving mainstream airplay, they can receive bonuses from that later on. The downside of it is that the money tends to dwindle after the money in the beginning is distributed in large amounts.

SESAC

Considered a company that was once limited to European and gospel music, SESAC has expanded its doors to genres that include rock, jazz, r&b, hip hop, and etc. SESAC, in comparison to ASCAP and BMI, is smaller but they focus on the issue of quality vs. quantity in terms of the artists that they deal with for their publishing. In comparison with ASCAP, it is the second oldest company that has been established for artists copyrights and publishing.

In conclusion, I would advise that any artist that would like to get their publishing through any of these companies is to look into further detail. Examine whether or not each company will be suitable for the artists based on how they treat their membership and distribute their finances. Also, each company should be further looked into as far protective rights to publishing for any artists.

Reference(s):

http://www.events-in-music.com/ascap-vs-bmi-vs-sesac.html

http://jagmmp.com/music_articles/should_i_join_ascap_bmi_or_sesac.html

A Look At Sampling And Publishing

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 19:35:00 +0000

The foundation of hip hop production came from being able to sample from artists from different musical genres such as R&B, Disco, Jazz, and Rock. From DJs using two records to restart back from a certain point on a record to the development of technology (such as Akai MPC samplers), it has become a very important aspect of the hip hop genre. It started from using such popular drum sounds (also known as drum breaks) from artists such as Clyde Stubblefield. It has been rumored that musicians such as Stubblefield have never received proper credit or compensation on some of the biggest hip hop records produced that has used pieces of his work.

With this issus, there has been on-going battle of lawsuits between hip hop artists and the copyright owners whenever samples are used without permission. De La Soul was in trouble for using portions of Sgt. Peppers on "De La Soul is Dead". Beasties Boys almost caught a very serious lawsuit from the samples used on their album "Paul's Boutique" but was able to not endure consequences like others have before. In certain instances, artists have been able to get away with sampling because of how there is not enough money made from the hip hop artist that original sampled musician can receive back.

I would suggest for anyone who is either curious about this issue of hip hop and sampling to please check out the documentary, Copyright Criminals. Not only does it give the proper background on the issue of why sampling in hip hop is popular it gives insight on the ownership of publishing. Some of these previous artists mentioned in this blog posts are very big part of this documentary. Even though this more so territory that involves legal infringements in the entertainment business, it is still a an issue that involves music publishing companies. If you look in the liner notes of hip hop albums, you can see credits now that will state sample clearance companies that have cleared any samples used on the record. Hopefully, hip hop artists would be able to use a sampling license in order to be able create more music. However, the issue at hand seems to be that artists that have been sampled from need to be paid for their contribution. As it stands, this battle of hip hop artists and sampling will not be resolved anytime soon.

Reference(s):

http://rollingout.com/1/hip-hop-theft-or-creative-license-film-explores-music-sampling-copyright-law/

http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techpolicy/2004-09-08-sampling-ruling_x.htm

Three podcasts in relation to Entertainment Law

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 21:41:00 +0000

Entertainment Law Update by Gordon Firemark and Tamara Bennett - Episode 13: copyright, trademarks, fair use, and net profit suits.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/entertainment-law-update-episode/id313301718?i=86484747

Gordon Firemark and Tamara Bennett discuss the uses of Entertainment Law in relation to current events. The first situation that he mentions is an incident involving Justin Bieber with 15 year old that had invaded Bieber's privacy on Twitter. Justin Bieber got revenge on the person by retweeting the kid's phone number on his account. The result was a mass reception of phone calls and messages to the point the kid had to change his number. The discussion revolved around whether or not Justin Bieber would be criminally liable in this situation and if it would to go small claims court or if it is a misuse of telecommunications on Justin Bieber's side. The next subject was an issue of Joel Tennebaum getting sued by the record industry for hosting music files on a peer-to-peer network. This case is being referred in this podcast as the case that will never die being held in the District Court Of Massachusetts. The judge brought the damages down from $675,000 to $67,500 by 90% as July 9, 2010. This case is based on the fact on how much the damages this copyright infringement has caused overall for the record companies.

The next topic involved Kate Gosselin from the TV show, Jon And Kate Plus 8, on the topic of the children having proper work permits to be a part of the TV series. Kate Gosselin's brother testified in court, during Kate and Jon's divorce trial, that the constant filming of the television show might have some psychological effects on the children. State legislation ruled that labor permits would be granted to children at first. However, due to Pennsylvania law, children under 7 years old are allowed to work within film but this does not apply to television. Firemark and Bennett stated that essentially it may come down to the judge ruling that this would include television as well with some clarification. The next topic was about the ruling on the FCC's fleeting improper words list by Second Court Of Appeals is vague in its policy. Basically, Firemark and Bennett stated that the the lines of clarity of what is explicit language to use in the entertainment industry are unclear according to the FCC's standards. Therefore, a new policy is being suggested to be established in this podcast.

The next topic is the discussion of the Broadcast Performance Royalty For Sound Recordings. Bennett stated she lobbied on Capital Hill on behalf of the Grammy Organization for the Public Performance Royalty For Sound Recording Owners And Artists to be passed as law. This Broadcast Performance Royalty is stating that the broadcasters agree that royalties need to be paid but, a system needs to be set in place as it has been ongoing legal. Firemark and Bennett has summed up this situation to be the beginning of a compromise that would have to take place in the near future.

The next topic involved a lawsuit against Jay-Z involving copyright infringement. In Nafal v. Carter, Jay-Z being Shawn Carter, Ahab Joseph Nafal is suing Jay-Z for his song "Big Pimpin'" stating that is infringed on the copyright of his song "Khosara, Khosara". The two issues stemmed from the fact the song was under the Copyright Act Of 1909 and if Nafal had proper right to bring the lawsuit to Carter without having the actual exclusive rights. The lawsuit was dismissed for the moment but, Firemark stated that the case could reappear since this single has generated a vast amount of revenue. In terms of fair use, Firemark and Gordon talk about the producers of Jersey Boys are being sued Sofa Entertainment for a scene from the musical. The Jersey Boys musical is being accused of using a scene from The Ed Sullivan Show where he is introducing the Four Seasons on his television. Sofa Entertainment owns the rights to The Ed Sullivan Show. The issue that Firemark states is the actual introduction used in the Jersey Boys musical that the producers did not obtain permission to use. The ruling was that court saw the commercial use but did not see that there was market from materializing off of the Ed Sullivan introduction. Therefore, the ruling was in favor of the producers of Jersey Boys. Another fair use case involved a TV program called Eli Stone; the owner of the book, Ely Stone, is suing ABC for having similarities between the both of the works. The ruling of the court (Michigan District) is that there were similarities but not enough to claim infringement.

Getting The Attention Of Record Companies with Daniela Olivia, Female Musician Online - Vivian

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/getting-attention-record-companies/id371103379?i=91824351

Daniela Oliva is being interviewed by host, Vivian Clement. Daniela Olivia is a executive producer of the Toronto Independent Music Awards. She offers some insight into the legal aspects of the music business from he studying of Entertainment Law. Her reasoning for presenting the Toronto Independent Music Awards from wanting to work at HMV when she was younger (a music store to buy physical CDs and etc.). He work at this store got her into doing street promotion within her school for artists that she had ordered music at other major labels. One the labels she worked for was independent label that had a major label affiliation that flew her to the American Music Awards as a thank you for her hard work. When she arrived at the awards show, it made her want to apply the same idea to Toronto with the music awards ceremony.

Daniela stresses the involvement of other artists from other places with the Toronto Independent Music Awards to promote the idea of independent music. The main idea is include artists from these other areas to have the Awards ceremony. Daniela also offers her advice in terms of entertainment law and management for artists that obtain accolades and have successful careers. She states that legally you should understand what the terms of what you have when you are approached by management. Daniela advises that you should always have an entertainment lawyer on stand by in order to have legal counsel to assist you. Even though Daniela is mainly a producer behind the Toronto Independent Music Awards, she has also studied entertainment law and has had experience in management to assist other artists.

SCOREcast No. 15 - Interview with Entertainment Attorney Brad Thorton

http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id211297917?i=89207129

The hosts from Scorecast interview Entertainment Attorney Brad Thorton who is producer and actor as well. Brad Thorton explains that beginning composers in the music field should always have retain a lawyer in order to gain experience and have protection. Brad Thorton states that he acquired the knowledge to be an entertainment lawyer first then he developed his skills as far as an artists later on. He explains that the issues of looking at intellectual property and understanding the concept of net profits when dealing with legal issues can take an artists far in their career. Thorton states that sometimes entertainment lawyers in some instances can also be managers as well. However, there is a difference between an entertainment lawyer and an agent since the agent has to be officially approved to find their clients employment as well.

Thorton goes into detail about what composers should to recieve credits in their films for their music. He states that composers should review their agreements with the film studios they work with and to agree on a certain percentages of royalties. Also, Thorton states that composers should definitely look into any arbitration if there appears to be an issue with the profit earned from scoring a film.

Hip Hop Awards Shows And Liabilities

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 02:07:00 +0000

Originally I was going to research three very different issues of liabilities but in spit of the recent events of my area, I have to decided to blog on a serious issue in urban entertainment. It seems that over the years there have appeared to be fights at award shows that involve people being seriously injured and media outlets slandering these events. They are liabilities because they create the illusion amongst investors that they could potentially contributing their money. It would be terrible for their image in the future if they agree to be involved with other businesses that may be skeptical of what they may have invested that the outcome of their events ending with violence. From the standpoint of the promoter, it is a liability because any money that has been made at the door for any of these events will be given to the facility in order to cover any property damage that it probably stated in any legal documents once the terms have been agreed upon.

The first video may not look like much but this does involve a famous producer in the hip hop community, Dr. Dre. In this video, it was fight involving Dr. Dre backstage along with former G-Unit member, Young Buck. Its is unclear what actually happened but the main point is these are public figures at an awards show that will have to deal with the repercussions of their actions. For Dr. Dre and Yougn Buck, at the time this ordeal had taken place, they were both in good positions and more than likely able to obtain good legal representation so they could be cleared of any actions that had taken place at this event.

This video coming up next stems from an on-going disagreement between rappers Shawty Lo and T.I. They were initially problems between the rappers when it was only said in the music. But in this instance at an awards show, one of the former members of T.I.'s crew, Alfamega, has appeared to have fought with one of the members from Shawty Lo's group and left the man unconcious. The problem here involved is the same as the previous scenario involving the law. Legally, the artists have themselves to be sued by the venue owners or even the promoters. If it is a breach in the contract amongst the agreeing parties in this instance.

The third video is the initial reason why I am posting this blog. Yesterday, the 5th annual DMV Independent Music Awards took place in Crystal City, VA. at the Hyatt Hotel. It has been noted that about 5 to 6 fights took place at this event. Virginia State Troopers showed up the event in riot gear and shut the whole event down. Reports from Washington Post and City Paper (DC) indicated that a Hyatt Hotel worker was even injured for trying to prevent a woman from stealing a bottle of Grey Goose liquor. With these facts in mind, the event that has charged $35 per person to attend the event has to now cover any and all damages that have occurred at this event. It has become a liability for the event coordinators and the investors because it makes the perception of the urban music very dangerous.

Even though there is clearly nothing legal here that you can gather from these videos but there is an on going issues with urban music seen here. These liabilities hurt the chances of venue owners to be receptive having urban music receptions in the future. And potentially lower the numbers of sponsorship that could help these events become even more popular. Overall, the pattern of this at these events expose the legal issues that occur later on from disagreements of artists at these events.

Source(s):

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2011/03/06/why-fighting-at-the-dmv-awards-is-tragic-for-the-scene/

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2004-11-16-vibe-awards_x.htm

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1600159/tis-shawty-los-camps-scuffle-at-dirty-awards.jhtml

Product And Artist Management: The Best Practices

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 02:31:00 +0000

From learning about the major effects of how to balance the needs of client and the customer, I have learned the importance of management within the industry. Its a source of organizing your presentation to potential investors and your audience. In terms of artists, you must be prepared to accurately pinpoint their wants and needs in order to mold their talent accordingly. As for product, you must be prepared for estimates of sales, expected revenue, unexpected emergencies, and other forms of knowledge that is critical in management. Between both product and artists, the 3 things that I have learned as far as management has to be: 1) proper negotiation, 2) the knowledge of who/what your managing, and 3) having a professional presentation.

1) Proper Negotiation - In the first assignment of this class, we were instructed to research Creedence Clearwater Revival and the issue of their mismanagement. This was a prime example of an artist trying to control a group of individuals that needed outside consulting on what they should do with their money and what contracts to sign. An outsider looking at this story can see that not only were their issues within the group but outside of the group in terms of their financial needs, there seemed to not be a middleman that would make sure business was properly conducted. Henceforth, the need for a manager that can be separate from the artistic process shows promise for smoother business deals and better long-term business relationships.

2) The Knowledge Of Who/What Your Managing - In the last wimba session for this class, we learned about how to prepare for sales, returns, and etc. In management, the balance of all expected situations noted will provide an estimated outcome that managers can expect. Furthermore, this should reflect that good managers will reflect issues that are relevant and applicable to their product when they are selling or making a presentation.

3) Having A Professional Presentation - The Def Jam video that showed former record executive Tina Davis gave some insight on the do's and don'ts of an artist's manager. The main importance that was stressed was the presentation. Not only is it within the packaging of a product, the manager needs to present a show of faith to what their client/artist has to offer. If the presentation is not in accordance with a professional level of confidence from the management, their ideas will not be taken seriously.

Source(s)

http://www.goodproductmanager.com/2010/02/23/realize-your-product-is-not-the-center-of-your-customers-worlds/

Introducing Molly Ruland

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 00:26:00 +0000

Interestingly enough, Molly and I were friends on Facebook and I noticed a lot of her postings. One time in particular, she mentioned something about the music scene in DC and some issues of promotion for shows of all kinds of genres. I reached out to her personally and we ended up having some good discussions about this. What I didn't know about Molly was her plans with her own company, One Love Massive Entertainment, and her vision for what she does in terms of artist management. In addition, she is a known show promoter and works with VJs (DJs that spin music videos with a modified DVD DJ setup). Working for years throwing events, she has managed to gain connections with major label artists as well artists on the independent and underground level. A self-starter and very hard-worker in the industry, Molly has taken her time to do this interview and give us some insight on her inside scoop on artist management.

Please introduce yourself and state how long you have been in Artist Management.

My name is Molly Ruland and I'm the founder of One Love Massive. I have been an artist management for one year and entertainment solutions for 10 years.

Who are the artists that you currently manage?

Currently, I manage the Empresarios.

In order to make sure your artists are successful, what are the steps that you take to help them with shows, tours, and merchandise?

I help my artists achieve success by constantly managing and growing their brand, their talent and their product or live act. I try to guide them on good business decisions while helping them maintain a positive public image. Having connections in the music business allows for better tours, better deals and ultimately a better band. Merchandise and branding are very important as is maintaining consistency while remaining appealing to the masses. This is the foundation of any successful and long-standing band.

Name one instance where you have had difficulty managing an artist but were able to overcome it.

Artists are difficult to manage by nature because you cannot manage art or talent unless you truly understand and appreciate it. Artists typically are not good business people and often make bad decisions because they are easily swayed. Artists are also typically ego driven because so much of who they are is in what they do, this is part of the reason why we love them. Having said all that dealing with personalities is probably the hardest part about managing any individual or groups of artists. This is also the main reason why good management is so crucial to an artist. Having good communication skills and practices in place is a crucial element for successful relationship.

As a manager of an artist, what is the one thing that you enjoy about the process?

Personally, I really enjoy the creative process so for me watching the talent grow and change is the best part. Being able to catch little glimpses of the new art created every time that magical connection happens is truly priceless. I've always been amazed by the talent of people who can create music because it's such a foreign concept to me so to be able to see this firsthand and to really relate to the music in that way it's invaluable to me. I've always been someone who's shared good music was wanted everyone to hear what I hear so being a manager is the ultimate dream for me because I get to tell everybody how great this music really is.

Even though you are an artist manager, what are the other projects that you are involved in? And how do you balance those projects with your artist management?

I own and operate an entertainment solutions company here in Washington DC. I have a roster of DJs, VJs, emcees, graphic designers, a sound company, the ticketing company a social networking service, and this staff that can handle the management of all of this. We offer a service to business owners that provides accountability and a top-notch roster of talent from which they can choose. In return we hope to raise the level of quality entertainment in the district one venue at a time. My concept is this, the more of us that work together to achieve a common goal the more success we will achieve. Right now I'm in the process of delegating and hiring to ensure that I have an open schedule for the Empresarios so that I can deliver to them the best manager that I can be.

What are the newest developments that you have had to deal with when it comes to your artists?

We are working on an upcoming tour to SXSW and several other tours to support the January 11, 2011 release date of the Empresarios first full-length album.

Since you are involved with managing musical acts, what do you find to the hardest challenge in the music industry when it comes managing?

The hardest challenge in the music industry is dealing with people, money and egos. Money can always cause problems and if you're dealing with people with egos it's a surefire way to have a real problem on your hands.

What key tools would you say it takes to have to be a manager?

Patience, good negotiating skills and a hearty sense of humor are crucial. Ultimately, if you don't have a true love for music and appreciation for talent I don't think you could really handle the chaos of this business. You gotta be able to roll with the punches and figure out new ways to do the same old thing. There is no music note that's never been played, we aren't doing anything new here were just doing something different...hopefully.

Any final comments?

Thank you for including me in your research.

The Empresarios debut album, Sabor Tropical, is on sale now.

K-Murdock and negotiating deals.

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 03:08:00 +0000

Kyle Murdock, aka K-Murdock, has been known in the DC/MD/VA area for his production, mixing, and mastering skills for quite sometime. He has been able to work with artists such as Raheem DeVaughn (R&B) and Braille (Hip Hop) gaining attention for his musical ability. He is currently one half of the hip hop duo, Panacea, who has put out 5 solo albums and was received album of the year from The Hip Hop Connection (HHC) magazine in 2007 for their album, Scenic Route. He has own production company called Neosonic Productions a lot of his music can obtained at http://www.neosonicprod.com/. I had a minute or two catch up with K-Murdock for a few words about his career and about how he handles his business as an owner of his own LLC participating in the music business full-time.

The video gave a breakdown of what kinds of negotiations and deals K-Murdock has established with a lot of artists and production companies he has worked with over the years. As an artist, he goes into depth about how he just broke even on his records with his former label, Glow In The Dark. It turns out this past year, he broke even with records he put out years ago; which is a good thing. However, that same percentage he had to split 50/50 with the record label then he splits that 50 percent with the rapper (Raw Poetic) in his duo as a part of the deal that was made with the label. His insight on how he works with different labels contracting out is very in-depth. For example, one of the labels he works with, Mellow Music Group, has signed a great deal of artists from the DMV area. He is also currently part of a collaborative effort entitled Famicon Forever with Arizona emcee, Random, releasing their first album.

His experience with Sirius XM has helped him out in the long run to achieve his goals as independent audio engineer. It has helped his ear for creating music and also, expanding his boundaries as a musician. But he has learned his lesson, nowadays, by putting out his on records on his Neosonic Productions imprint. His instrumental albums and etc. have garnered him attention. The smart way he has approached his LLC is by making his profits and re-investing back into his company.

Another aspect of this interview that needs to be seen is that he gives good insight on how he treats his LLC when working with other clients behind just music. For example, his work with George Washington University for live events has given him stability for his clientele in this area with politically driven events. He was able to give some good reasoning behind not just being able to just solely depend on music and expand his expertise in the field of sound engineering for live events. The invoicing with different clients, K-Murdock does into detail about working as a contractor for different people. I think this interview shows that being able to have a diverse resume in your field for doing music and etc. will take you far with how you can work out negotiations with people you work with.

Marathon Of Dope: An Indie Label That Gets It Right

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 01:08:00 +0000

In the days of where artists like Saul Williams and Nine Inch Nails promote online with their new projects to pay what you want for their projects, you do not come across labels that specifically make this happen. You may have sensational online devices such as bandcamp. But a label like Marathon Of Dope is one in itself. Based out of Canada, this label appears to build a very concrete buzz with their basic digital philosophy on their website. Here's what is quote when you first visit in the right hand column:

The music on offer at Marathon Of Dope is available for free download. We feel very strongly about delivering our music to your ears. After all, we make the music for our fans and listeners to enjoy. When you like the music you've downloaded (and we know that you will), you have the option to make a purchase to help offset the costs involved in producing the music. All artists have expenses related to creating their music. Studio time, equipment rentals, engineers, and advertising are just a few of the things that require money when a new project is developing.

Whatever money you decide is reasonable to pay for the music at Marathon Of Dope will go directly to the artists. That money will enable them to continue making high caliber music and bring it directly to you.

So there you have it-- the straight dope on how we sell music at Marathon Of Dope. The album is FREE or it costs whatever you feel it's worth.

We trust you'll see the value of the music we produce and we appreciate everybody's support past, present, and future. THANK YOU!

The importance of what they're doing with their pay what you want strategy is allowing the fans an option. Is it cost effective? It has to be with the strategy they are presenting. However, they have are correct about the expenses the artists accrue in putting their projects together. Will they generate enough money from the pay what you want strategy to cover these costs? Lets say 50 people download an album. 25 pay and 25 don't pay. 10 pay 15 dollars, 10 pay 10 dollars, and 5 pay 5 dollars. 275 dollars, right? Seems like the more of that goes into viral promotion, the more donations you could possibly get in variation. And that 275 dollars could become 500 dollars......which could turn into a 1000 dollars. Depending upon how the gospel of what Marathon Of Dope spreads in terms of its branding.

The upside is that they are picking up artists that are on different labels for different projects that already have established a name for themselves. For example, Peanuts & Corn label mates, John Smith, Pip Skid, and Birdpares all have projects on this label. They have established themselves in the hip hop scene in the Vancouver area. Definitive Jux rapper/producer, Mike Ladd, is also a good look for Marathon Of Dope as a label. As they develop their brand some more and target their audience even further, you can expect to hear more good things from this label.

Another thing to consider is if Marathon Of Dope will expand into different mediums of distributing their content. If they were to be retro and distribute their music on tapes and vinyl for people that request it as a specialty. It could possibly cost extra but its something you could see as a collectors item from this particular label. Overall, I think more labels should follow this example of giving the customer more to chose from in terms of price and how they can match it with the talent that they are supporting. My hat goes off to Marathon Of Dope for this movement.

A Place Called DC9

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:15:00 +0000

The blog post I am about to make hits pretty close to home in my community. And how this relates to the entertainment industry is a big domino effect. And a story that you will probably never again like it.

First lets start with this article to sum up a few things:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2010/11/05/charges-dropped-against-dc9-five/

Above is an article about a venue that I am familiar with in terms of the employees and the clientele that have attended this venue. Apparently on Oct. 15th, one owner and 4 employees were accused of killing an Ethiopian man after he was thrown out of the venue for his overly intoxicated behavior. The man came back with a brick and threw it through the window. The 4 employees and one of the co-owners present caught the man and subdued him until DC Police came handled the situation. The man dies in police custody and accusations are being thrown around that the man was beaten to death by the media, Chief Lanier of the DC Police Department, and others. The medical examiner concluded no evidence showed that the man was beaten at all. As the article indicates, the charges were dropped from accusing the 5 men who were allegedly responsible for this issue. Eventually, the charges were dropped after no evidence was found. The Ethiopian community has protested as a result because no direct answers have been given by the police department. The tragedy has affected a family who has not received any answers that they are seeking. However, the investigation continues and charges could be brought back if any new evidence or information has been found. The autopsy of the body is supposedly going to take up to 60 to 90 days.

The key point that has been made has been what the media and Chief Lanier has stated before evidence was examined: that the accused men were guilty without examining the facts.Ever since the incident happened, the police department close the venue until further notice. And the liquor license was removed. However, charges were dropped and a hearing with ABRA (Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration) was held on November 17th denying the re-opening of DC9 even though charges were dropped. ABRA claims that they would like to know if "their spouses would be safe at a venue" as this. Until the autopsy of the victim comes out, ABRA did not grant them their liquor license and DC9 will remain closed. This has placed the booking company that works with DC9, Hood Booking, in a particular hole to move performance acts to different venues to perform at. The employees have had to get other jobs to make ends meet when they are available. The general managers and owners have lost investments on their profits as a result of this incident. There has not been any estimates of how much this has costed the business but, rent on the space is still being paid without any income that has been received. The employees who worked for DC9 who were not involved with the incident have been able to find work at different venues that have been connected with DC9.

The point I am making is that something as violent as throwing a brick a window caused this big of an issue. It has now involved a community of people who are dealing with the loss of their own and a community of people who care for a well-respected bar/venue in the music scene. Hopefully, answers will be given within the next few months or so and issues will be resolved. With that said, only time will tell.

Creative Commons: The Fair Game Of Licensing

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:21:00 +0000

Two things that have concerned the music industry have been sampling and distribution of unauthorized work. In my line of business, this would be important in getting the word out with USB distribution. And the musical content that would be on these flash drives. My company would look to expand to other artists beyond the local area and connect with those different areas. However, some of these artists would use associations that would allow it. Therefore, we take a look at Creative Commons; a non-profit that is based on the use of sharing copyrighted work.

Creative Commons describes their organization as the following:

Creative Commons is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to making it easier for people to share and build upon the work of others, consistent with the rules of copyright.

We provide free licenses and other legal tools to mark creative work with the freedom the creator wants it to carry, so others can share, remix, use commercially, or any combination thereof.

With this in mind, the legal tools to for others to re-use and re-mix music or any other art forms is endless. My company would not go as far as providing this an option to the patrons that we would deal with. We would basically reach out to this non-profit association to see if there's any artists linked to it that would like to have their music distributed through the service we provide.

Also it seems that Creative Commons not only deals with the works of artists. It also deals in the world of education and science. The association is fairly new and started in the early 2000's. Here's a timeline of how the who organization and its different branches were divided for usage:

Founding
Founded in 2001 with the generous support of the Center for the Public Domain, CC is led by a Board of Directors comprised of thought leaders, education experts, technologists, legal scholars, investors, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

Creative Commons licenses
In December 2002, Creative Commons released its first set of copyright licenses for free to the public. Creative Commons developed its licenses — inspired in part by the Free Software Foundation’s GNU General Public License (GNU GPL) — alongside a Web application platform to help you license your works freely for certain uses, on certain conditions; or dedicate your works to the public domain.

In the years following the initial release, Creative Commons and its licenses have grown at an exponential rate around the world. The licenses have been further improved, and ported to over 50 jurisdictions.

Science
Since 2005, Creative Commons has undertaken projects to build commons-based infrastructure for science through identifying and lowering unnecessary barriers to research, crafting policy guidelines and legal agreements, and developing technology to make research, data and materials easier to find and use.

Education
Creative Commons also works to minimize legal, technical, and social barriers to sharing and reuse of educational materials, with dedicated projects in this field since starting in 2007.

Global infrastructure for sharing
Creative Commons licenses, public domain tools, and supporting technologies have become the global standard for sharing across culture, education, government, science, and more.

I think its safe to say that Creative Commons definitely bridges the gap of sharing work with others. Hoping to achieve some sort of middle ground between people who want permission to use others works and people who grant that permission. This could be the result of having a level of respect amongst peers who want to avoid illegal use of copyrighted works. I would definitely like to connect my company with this organization in order to gain some sort of knowledge on working with different artists and gaining their permission for distributing their work.

Inspirational by connecting people.

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 19:22:00 +0000

I was looking around on this www.TED.com trying to find a particular speech from a inspirational speaker with their thoughts and ideas. I saw a few good ideas that I figured were not bad but nothing that I could see that reflected my vision. Until I saw this video:

Very inspiring to see this come together. And it spoke it to me because it is the very innovation of music that I have been witnessing over the past few years. The conductor, Eric Whitacre, was not formally trained to be a classical music conductor until he was 18. Now he is a ranked one of the best composers of all of our generation. I feel kind of odd not knowing who this person was beforehand. Its probably due to my in-depth knowledge for hip hop and etc. but, the fact that he has connected with technology with classical music is very motivational.

A choir over the internet is something you wouldn't have been able to tell me about before. Its almost as if he didn't even need to speak on his shortcomings, struggles, and etc. to become one of the most well-known composers. Its all in the music he is presenting in this video. A peaceful sentiment of gathering melodic voices. Visuals that show togetherness in a shape or form that we never thought we would see in this manner. Its almost like Eric Whitacre is saying that after the hard work he has done and continues to do, he is at peace with himself with what he has accomplished. Or it could interpreted as something that he has always wanted to do as far bringing others together to share the experience of music with him. Who knows. But The one thing that speaks high volumes about this video is that he has truly made an art out of his goals and accomplishments. It has been recognized and by seeing this proves how powerful his motivational has been to have people join him in his creative process.

There are already collaborations taking place via internet. The producer will send a track to the vocalist and the vocalist will the track back with the vocals and await for a mix and final product of the song. This shows the ability to have a live connection at the same time. Having everyone in sync to have one voice. I think thats what really speaks to me about this. The fact that this can be the future of musicianship. A virtual world where everyone is logged into the internet to collaborate on a project at the same time. I hope to see more of this in the future.

Droppin' Science 1st Anniversary (Video Killers)

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 12:43:00 +0000

I had the pleasure to attend a innovative weekly event that takes place in uptown area of Washington, DC. Thanks to promoter Molly Ruland, I have been honored to attend an event called Droppin' Science which infuses DJs using videos to mix with their music by a group called Video Killers. And they are managed by Molly Ruland's entertainment group, One Love Massive Entertainment. The event took place last year and has been running every Thursday at Science Club (1136 19th St. NW) ever sense. It is free of charge and no dress code but it is 21 and up with your ID required. The main DJ, John Bowden, takes classic videos from rock/hip hop/reggae/dance music genres and remixes the audio and visual parts of each song. For example, an acapella of a Young Jeezy song could be heard over an instrumental reggae track by Peter Tosh as a mash-up. Tons of examples of these kind of remixes has made this event stand out within the Washington, DC area. Along with good marketing that involves such logos seen below which currently there are t-shirts for.

One thing that I have discussed with Molly Ruland about setting up this event is that the planning process for completing takes a long time. One thing she has told me is that it started slow and that when the event first began, it started in the fall season when the weather was pretty rough. She had to prepare with her team for that aspect and make sure that she secured the location to hold Droppin' Science at this venue. The planning to development event relied on expansion of the event and outreach to other people to assist with putting the event together. One Love Massive Entertainment has made a deal with another company, Ugo 1st Productions, in bringing in talent every other work. Mostly emcees to host the event. Ugo 1st has been planning acts at least 5 to 6 weeks in advance which has been working in their favor.

Financially, Molly and her company had to make sure that even though the event is free, the bar, the DJ, and the staff at the event get paid. Just like a lot of events like these, Molly's company takes percentage at the bar. Depending on the turnout and how the bar makes it sales will determine how much she is able to distribute amongst her team after she settles her payout with the venue. Earlier, Molly indicated that it did a take a financial hit a few times where coming out of pocket was the only way to maintain stability for this event. But now, the pace has improved for this event and Droppin' Science has gain more notice over the years.

I think most important lesson to pull away from what Molly Ruland, John Bowden, and the rest of the people who have helped developed Droppin' Science is that, persistence pays off in the end. The marketing and packaging of the event has helped developed the name of it more so than ever. Also, it gave Molly's company a chance to connect with other who would like to help out with event. And yes, I will be involved with helping this event and I am one of those people whom she reached out to. And I will end this post out with video of me showing the event some love.

Ardamus Showing Birthday Love! from OneLoveMassive on Vimeo.

The Power Of Teamwork: Doomtree (Minneapolis, MN) and Living Legends (Los Angeles, CA)

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 02 Oct 2010 15:04:00 +0000

One thing about the entertainment industry is that teams are key to any success. No matter if it is a full team of colleagues backing one person or the playing field is even with everyone involved, it is key that the support is there. For music labels, groups, or crews, you will have various folks focus on different aspects. You will have a mastermind that can support marketing (especially in multimedia), a talented ear that can support the audio production as well as the mixing and mastering, and then you have the performance talent. This is the real importance of having a team support you. The combined efforts of people completing a big project can help more than what one person could attempt to do. Lets look at a few examples.

There's a hip hop crew by the name of Doomtree out of Minneapolis, MN. A newer group to the scene that has punk rock ethics tied to how they put their music out and support each other on their projects. You can even see it in the videos.

For example, we have one of the crew members, rapper Mike Mictlan, with his own video, "Prizefight". In support of one of his projects. Now, in the background for this you have one of the producers (also vocalist) of the group, Lazerbeak, supporting him. And you see Mike's shirt that reads "Doomtree" which indicates the support of the group as a whole even though he is enduring a solo effort.

In Lazerbeak's"Let It Go" video, you will see Mike Mictlan to the side of him in the beginning of the video. Which indicates initial peer support for the group.

Lazerbeak "Let It Go" Music Video from Doomtree Records on Vimeo.

Now, it is a small task just to appear in someone's video but honestly this proves one thing: a project can be a continuous process overall with constant support from the group. The project management here is that you are not stopping with one album as the project and are to be done with the group. The catalog of the group begins to develop as time goes on with the help of people of talents behind the scenes. Producers of the group, P.O.S., Cecil Otter, Paper Tiger, and MK Larada, often handle more than one aspect of the group's appearance and output of releases. It also helps them to become more noticeable as a unit throughout the release of their projects when people hear of them as one. Its funny because I happen to stumble upon this promotional tool of more of the artists in the Doomtree group. A website by the name of Daytrotter has created a free download of some of the crew members music to show their diversity as a musical group and overall unity as artists together (http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/doomtree-concert/20030911-37381997.html). This following write-up points out the social commonalities that the other crew members, Dessa, SIMS, Mike Mictlan, and Cecil Otter share with each other musically and in the form of the message.

To take it back a few years, lets look at indie hip hop group, Living Legends. The one thing about this group that has stuck over the years if the DIY theory they have maintained and supported one another with over the years. And as a result they have been able to grow and gain successful fame from it. Which goes back the idea of the project overall does not stop with one project but several projects. And the overall outcome is a group with a consistent sound that has a catalog.

Take a look at this video from one of the last Living Legends video.

This a song taken from their project "The Gathering". In an interview with rapper MURS, formally signed to Warner Bros., it was admitted that "The Gathering" was made once there was an opportunity for the group to use professional studios as opposed to the studios in other group members's houses. And after touring with another for so many years and not being able to put anything as a group for a while, it was seen as a good project to bring the group back together.

They have achieved their goal and it seems that the catalog of they've done is very much proof of it (click here). Doing a lot production, recording, and marketing themselves has not only garnered them a good reputation but it has financially kept them sound from project to project that they put out on an independent level. Whether it is collaborative efforts amongst each other, with outside artists from different labels, or as a crew together, Living Legends has exemplified the importance of project management many times over and over. They are all supportive of one another which has helped them endure sponsors from different companies such as clothing line LRG and Reebok to put limited edition shoes attributed to the hard work put forth by the Living Legends crew.

Overall, the point is that the team work involved in the projects that both crews have put out get recognized and they become seen as one force. Maintaining individuality with respect to everyone's craft and giving support to each other when it is most needed. And the results from these continuous collaborative efforts set the standard for unity, discipline, balance, and persistence.

Hip Hop + Internet + Innovation = www.djbooth.net

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 16:44:00 +0000

There are quite a few websites that you visit that have poor presentation. And if they have media available, its never user friendly and it gets to be a hassle to check out the website. But it looks like www.djbooth.net has broken the mold with its updates of new artists and willingness to keep its audience interested.

First thing that you will notice in the toolbar is that the website is obviously connected to the PLN Network. Their facebook currently has 11,309 fans on their page and as for twitter, they currently have 17,610 followers. This is a true testament to how this website has been able to lock down their target demographic. The site itself is complete with a sections for recent updates, new music to download, interviews, website features, and etc. all at the audience's disposal. One thing about the site that I found pretty interesting is site very own media player. Lets take for example an artist (who I actually enjoy listening to), Greenspan, was able to put out his new mixtape, Got Green 2, through DJbooth.net. One thing that DJBooth gives you the option of doing is previewing the mixtape before you download it for free. The downside of it is that you can't share the media player because honestly, its worth doing However, you share the link with options for using email, facebook, twitter, and others.

The independent charts for DJBooth.net says a lot about the artists they support. If it is an artist that is registered to the site, they use this as a promotional tool in order to have fans of the artists support their placement within the charts. However, how these charts are voted upon is still a mystery. Regardless, the charts are very up to date and current within the week's span.

There is also a section for album reviews. Not only can you read the review for yourself but you can also rate the project and give a commentary on the review also. The rating system is based on stars. The features section premieres more so events and upcoming projects that their audience maybe interested in. This is where you can see the overall usage of the site being friendly to the visitor. Beyond just being able to preview the free music they post, DJBooth is dedicated to making sure that the visitors that they have on their site are able to function on the site well.

In conclusion, I frequently visit DJBooth.net as a source of new music and innovative creativity that they put forth. This is one of the very few hip hop sites that does it well with quality and quantity even on the same playing field. Whenever you get the chance, definitely support this website.

Blockhead: The Producer You Need To Support

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 23:49:00 +0000

Known for his heavy hitter production for the Def Jux camp, his releases on Ninja Tune, and his comedic side on the Party Fun Action Committee album, I was able to get a few responses from Blockhead. Currently, he has released his new album "The Music Scene" which has gotten some good response on the PLN network (Twitter, Facebook). Before Blockhead set off to go on tour and promote his new album, he was cool enough to sit down and answer a few questions.

Blockhead. How'd you ever get that nickname? I know you had some other nicknames that were just as funny.

I got the name from my square head. back when I took it on, I was rapping and it was the early/mid 90's. Back when rappers had self depreciating names. As for other nicknames, I actually never had any. I wanted to go by YNOT (cause my real name is Tony) but Common Sense' boy had already taken that.

Ok, cool, so I think I first heard you producing back in between when Aesop Rock put out "Applseed" and when Mush Records put out Aesop Rock's "Float". Breakdown how you got you start in production.

As I said earlier, I was a rapper first. Around late 94 I decided to buy a sampler. Up until that point I had been going over to friends houses and back seat driving with their beats and I wanted to do my own shit. Shortly after that my dreams of being a rapper faded and I realized I was much better suited for making beats.

All of your albums tend to have a heavy visual presence. From seeing your last video, "The Music Scene", you have quite a connection with making sure its done right. How'd that video come about?

Actually, I hod nothing to do with it. My label asked me if it was cool if some dude did an animated video for one of my songs. I said "sure" but didn't really think about it after that. 5 months later , That video came out and I was blown away.

"The Music Scene" from Anthony Francisco Schepperd on Vimeo.

A long time ago, I think you mentioned Willie D was one of you favorite rappers. You ever send him some beats?

HAHA! Nah...I wish. I actually think he still has good verses left in him (when he's not selling bogus cell phones in Abu Dabi or some shit). I simply have no solid connect to him and not enough money to pay him if we did connect. It would be awesome though...

For the beatmakers/producers who drool over their MPCs, what do you use for production?

I rock an old ass ASR-10. Same one I've had since the beginning. Over the last few years I've added Abelton into the mix but I still work primarily off the ASR.

Just recently, it has been clear that Def Jux is either on some sort of hiatus or closing its doors. Being that you were a part of that family producing for Aesop Rock and doing parody music with Party Fun Committee, How do you feel about that?

I'd say it was par for the course. Record labels and selling music are pretty much a wrap unless you're one of those rare, lucky acts that still had crazy fan support. I think Jux pulled out at the right time. It's sad to see it go but , shit, these things happen. Now , more than ever.

Who is the one person you have yet to work with that you are trying to work with?

Hmm...depends. I'll always wanna work with Doom And Ghostface. Willie D. Kool G rap ( for old times sake). As for new guys, Danny Brown, Jay Electronica and Earl Sweatshirt. Basically, cause they're the only new rappers I really check for anyway.

Any final comments?

Eh, Live long and prosper?

Blockhead's new album, "The Music Scene", is out on Ninja Tune.

Downloading is not all black and white. There's some grey areas.

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 05:55:00 +0000

In the field of the music industry, the main topic is always how the average has access to download music. Furthermore, there are online content providers, or also known as bloggers, that have posted such music for free. Take for example, a popular album by a popular artist on Atlantic may drop and the album is leaked online. The labels will do a quick shutdown of the link found that is giving the musical content for free. Most of the time, its major labels who do this but, quite a few independent music labels follow this trend as well. This is very common and nothing really new if you keep with the trend of consumers downloading music more be it legal or illegally online. With that being said, what is the thin line of a legal and illegal download.

In recent news, there is a blog website I visit often called . Which is a very popular hip hop website dedicated to promoting a lot of underground artists and some major label music. From time to time, there have been links uploaded of various remix projects or original sample projects of classic albums on the website. This has has given kevinnottingham.com its standout presence within the blogosphere world of hip hop hop music. Recently, the owner of the site, Kevin Nottingham, just released a statement voicing his frustration of cease and desist letters he has received from lawyers about some of the content he has distributed. The latest cease and desist letter he has received was involving a tribute project to LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out". In all actuality, Mr. Nottingham pointed out a few things wrong with this issue. First of all, the project was free and there no profits being made the project. Second, it was a tribute so, albums that usually tributes do not have to go through the same process as regular albums. Third, the producer of the original album applauded the effort of the tribute album and did not voice an opinion of wanting of taking legal action. There was also an assumption that LL Cool J probably has not heard this album himself. Good points made by Kevin Nottingham but lets hope the legal team of Todd Smith does not go to greater lengths to sue for an album that is not making profits.

One has to question if the issue of downloading is reaching a bit. Its understandable if its an illegal download that has not been paid for. But certain downloads that are free that major labels and legal teams jump feels like they're not reading in between the lines. And also, it can sound like a desperate attempt to salvage money for clients and artists if they're in the wrong. Lets take famous producer of Gnarles Barkely, Dangermouse, for example. He remixed Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles White Album and made the Grey Album. If you don't the story here's a summary. This story important always has a few people scratching their heads because, EMI was trying to sue Dangermouse but what could they sue for? Promo copies of the album circulated and continually, the interest in the album grew. Therefore, in the end of all the chaos, the label thought "ok, lets make a deal with this guy". Apparently, they saw the popularity behind what Dangermouse has done and figured an olive branch of peace to be extended was in order.

So, in conclusion, the viral marketing of downloading is not anything easy to explain when it is a promotional tool being used to reach a broader audience. Hopefully, more companies will understand the importance and make wise decisions about downloads. They will know when stop a download from being illegal and know when a download is actually better marketing than some of their usual marketing tools. Its not easy to point out in details but it can be done.

Google Music Is Coming For You.....And You......And You.....

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 11 Sep 2010 17:56:00 +0000

Its like Google will not give up on taking over. And make Apple aware of that in the distance. If you are unware of what I speak, it is the newest installment of what Google is doing. If you are unaware of what I speak of, do yourself a quick favor and do a twitter search or even look up on facebook to find out about Google Music. Or matter of fact, you can google it; pun intended. Funny thing is the timing of when the Google Music application will be launched.

According to this recent article, http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/09/07/itunes-beware-google-music-coming-soon/, the launch of Google Music will be within the holiday season. Also, it is to be used as an alternative to iTunes. The significance of that is that even though iTunes itself has become a universal tool to use, it definitely has not been the most helpful for consumers who would like to buy music. Even with a Mac computer, the accessibility to iTunes its not always perfect and you take a chance with a PC for access; too bad Windows Media Player hasn't made more of stance in this department.

Now part of this article is asking if iTunes should be worried. Well, its funny that was brought because not only is Google talking to the record labels about their service, there will also be some involvement with the android phone (http://mashable.com/2010/06/22/google-music-android/). Seems like the future of the music business is here and we don't see it. Its not making things cheaper and its not making everything completely easier in the business. Its making everything more accessible than what most people can imagine. However, the way of how it will work seems to be very in general. Will it compete with the newly launched iTunes Ping? Sounds like it will but knowing Google, the search function for Google Music with be remarkable. And with Google Music possible giving an alternative to what iTunes can provide, we can only imagine the endless possibilities.

noreply@blogger.com (Ardamus) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 15:29:00 +0000

If you haven't seen what Dr. Dre has been up to, take a look at his latest products at http://beatsbydre.com. And no, the products are not cheap. But apparently worth every cent.

Pretty fancy, right? A producer in the hip hop community who pretty much needs no introduction is going the path of technology in order make up for the delays of his upcoming project, Detox. Or with the help of, Jimmy Iovine (president of Interscope Records), he is taking a new market that has been explored but not at this level. But wait, there is more. Check out what else Dr. Dre is doing:

Now, its getting serious. I have to thank Full Sail for providing me with a Macbook Pro but I cannot get over the crazy specs on this limited edition laptop HP created (http://www.shopping.hp.com/go/beats). Designed with Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's vision, they pretty much created a laptop that can handle multimedia capablities. In particular, its for audio production. The laptop and the headphones both have been out since last year with the price on the products dropping as the product gets more popular.

I might be a little late on posting this but the point of this is to see what is the new trend of the music industry. Will everyone come out with their very own pair of headphones? Lady Gaga apparently did (http://beatsbydre.com/products/Products.aspx?pid=B5596) and oddly enough, it is connection with Dr. Dre's new franchise. Diddy, owner of the successful Bad Boy Entertainment record label, was also convinced (http://www.beatsbydre.com/products/Products.aspx?pid=B5624). Looks like the attachment of a product will be one of the saving graces in the music industry. Well, at least thats what it appears to be on the major labels. Hopefully, the independent industry can experience the same kind of oppurtunities.