Music Industry Secrets

Get Paid Through ASCAP onStage!

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 27 Jul 2014 01:39:00 +0000

Get Paid Through ASCAP OnStage No Matter The Venue Size?

Image via ASCAP

ASCAP is known for the royalty payments it pays member songwriters and publishers. Members have their songs performed at venues, the songs are documented, and ASCAP pays a royalty...simple right? Unfortunately, all venues do not qualify. Typically, the rule is for a venue to pay ASCAP a license fee or to have 3,750 sq. feet or more. What if the venue doesn’t pay the license or it is not that large?

Welcome ASCAP onstage! If you are a songwriter and have been to one of my workshops, you know I am BIG on ASCAP. This service helps find money for the indie performer who may do gigs at smaller venues than typically monitored. Does this sound like you? Then check out the website and pull up the FAQ to learn more.

According to “ASCAP.com” (2014), “OnStage allows writer members receiving royalties via direct deposit to notify ASCAP of their live performances via member access. This data is processed and a royalty is distributed to the writers and publishers of the songs based upon the license fee paid by the respective venue. ASCAPOnStage is not a platform for reporting classical events, i.e., performances in the Symphonic, Recital and Educational fields”. So, for specific information on what is paid for your music, go to the site because it will answer a lot of your questions.

If a guided tour is more your style, reach out. I’m here to help songwriters, producers, & artists navigate their career with industry knowledge and training.

Give me a call at 646-480-2353 and leave your Name, Best Email, and Question/Need so we can get the conversation started. Thanks for reading.

About Author

Bryan Bell, owner of 2BMusicPro.com, has his Masters in Business, educated at UNC-Chapel Hill & Full Sail University. Also, he is a trainer of Pro Tools, Songwriting Technique, & Business Development including: Publishing, Business Planning, and Artist Development Plans of Action. Moreover, he is a native of North Carolina, a son, dog lover, and entrepreneur with a vision of bringing larger entertainment / tech based corporations to his home state through Music/Tech Festivals called EMusic Events.

Sources:

ASCAP.com (2014).

Home of Industry Engineer & Mind 2BPro, visit www.2BMusicPro.com for your next music project!

Pro Tools 10: A Gigantic Leap?

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Avid’s website talks about the unveiling of the new Pro Tools 10. It only seems like yesterday that Pro Tools 9 was making its way into my studio. I am going to discuss the new improvements I found most impressive. Then, I will give important examples to enhance workflow. Third, I will give a few tips and tricks to utilize the enhancements most effectively. Let’s get started.

Clip Gain

This feature gives the ability for increasing/decreasing the volume of recorded audio real-time, pre-fader without using audiosuite plugins. The greatest effect Clip Gain has on the workflow is using it as a visual reference from one recorded take to the next of how each recording matches up volume wise by just looking at the waveform. The clips can be chosen all together or one by one. It should be noted that the word “clip” has replaced its predecessor referred to as “region” inside Pro Tools.

32-Bit Floating Point Resolution

Pro Tools has enhanced the digital headroom for Pro Tools 10 by utilizing 32-Bit resolution instead of 24-Bit. That allows more sorts of audio sources to be used fro other recorded projects. Also, more can be done to process the audio before you start to hear artifacts or clipping. Keep in mind the same care to gain-staging, compression, and eq should still be used.

Enhanced RAM usage

Pro Tools 10 houses more information into your RAM than ever before. You can use all of the RAM minus 3GB (MAC) or 4GB (PC) to take the stress off CPU usage. So, if you have lots of RAM, but your computer is freezing…now you have a way out! Add more RAM and take some of the strain off of your computer…and it actually works this time!

4x’s the Automatic Delay Compensation

There is now up to 16K worth of delay compensation as opposed to 2K. Have you ever used complex routing that made your tracks need more delay compensation than you could muster? If you use UAD plugins you may run into this issue. The issue is resolved with more ADC. The only setback is that even with more ADC, if you go over approximately 1K of compensation, then you will not be able to effectively play notes live. However, higher settings for ADC do function perfectly for mixing.

System 5 Console EQ, Compression, Gating Channel Strip

New free plugin has been added to comprehensively get all major tasks to a recorded audio signal done with great flexibility. No need for multiple plugins taking up crucial CPU. I do wish it had 7 bands of EQ instead of 4 main EQ points.

Reverse Reverb

This enhancement is not readily available, but the audiosuite plugins got a facelift. One enhanced feature is the ability to make the reverbs go reverse! This saves steps in re-producing amazing sounding sound effects linked to reverse reverb creation.

Do you have any questions or concerns about Pro Tools 10?

Feel free to reach out to our staff with extensive knowledge of Pro Tools both Native/HD.

Email: e.artistdevelopment@gmail.com

Alternative Funding: The Unbeaten Path

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 23:59:00 +0000

Today I am taking a look at an alternative funding website. The site needs to answer three fundamental questions. One, what types of financing opportunities are described? Second, what are some of the requirements and qualifications to obtain the financing? Third, what other types of information are available on the site? Afterwards, I will summarize the most impressive feature found on the funding resource webpage discussed today.

http://www.microenterpriseworks.org

The website describes many things for NON-PROFIT ORGNIZATIONS through something called Catalyst Initiative. Catalyst Initiative is a network of OTHER organizations that offer services through MicroEnterpriseWorks.org. The main funding source I found was through a Catalyst Initiative partner company called the Nonprofit Finance Fund. They offer help through loans to non-profit organizations.

The requirements to receive financing are found on another website that offers the loans, http://nonprofitfinancefund.org

a A 501(c)(3) organization or other entity that promotes the economic, social or cultural development of its community.

b. Been in existence for 3 years or more (some clients such as social enterprises have shorter operating histories)

c. Unrestricted annual operating revenue of at least $500,000

d. An application filled out and received at a local office where you are assigned a case manager to help you

It should be noted that NFF lenders evaluate smaller nonprofit and social enterprise organizations on a case-by-case basis.

MicroEnterpriseWorks.org is a great informational page for non-profits that need to stay in the know concerning new legislation, laws, and looking to expand networking opportunities. MicroEnterpriseWorks.org is tailored like a word press blog with many different articles focused on things that concern non-profits specifically. Furthermore, there are links to help entrepreneurs find mentors within the non-profit community. In addition, there is a big push on the site to better the community through “going green”.

Overall, this is a wonderful website for non-profit organizations looking to become more savvy in the legislative and legal side of fundraising. Loans are the main vehicle offered through partnership companies. Subsequently, there are great networking opportunities with other non-profit mentors to help you succeed.

Down to Business Part 2: Make It Your Own

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:46:00 +0000

Business Plan Expert #1: David Lee of SV Angel

What I learned from expert David Lee:

What I learned most from reading David Lee’s thoughts on what investors find important is that flowery language and great descriptive terms are more detrimental than helpful. Accredited investors, venture capitalists, angel investors, and all other types of lenders don’t care how well you put words together. (Phung, 2011)

Implementation:

In my own business plan I strive to critique each section to make it the most concise and poignant. The goal is to build belief in your idea, not your writing style and filling in all necessary sections with thought given to all aspects of a solid business model will use up enough words as it is. (Stelzner, 2011)

However, the story that has brought the business idea forward is very important. Make it brief, relevant, and inspiring. The key is to inspire with solid foundational concepts to showcase planning and passion. (Kawasaki, 2005)

Business Plan Expert #2: Guy Kawasaki of Apple

What I learned from Guy Kawasaki:

Again, concise, impactful, meaningful statements are the only sorts that make the final cut into any credible business plan. Guy Kawasaki not only champions this sentiment, but also lives by it as he reads through his own fair share of business proposals as an investor himself.

Consequently, after my first draft is written it will be edited to assure the 20-30 page rule is abided by to assure a full read given by all propositioned investors.

In conclusion, I feel the executive summary and financial portions of any business plan are the two things that bring an investor what he or she needs to make a sound business decision. These two pieces are the most important because all other business plan parts give these sections their proof.

Sources:

Kawasaki, G. (2005). Art of the start: trusting venture capitalists. Forbes.com.

Retrieved on September 24, 2011 from http://www.forbes.com/2005/06/16/entrepreneur-venture-capital-kawasaki-cx_gk_0616artofthestart.html

Phung, H. (2011). New investors helping to drive health tech innovation.

Practicefusion.com. Retrieved on September 24, 2011 from http://www.practicefusion.com/pages/pr/emr-sector-investment-round.html

Stelzner, M. (2011). The art of enchantment: how guy Kawasaki will change your

business. Socialmediaexaminer.com. Retrieved on September 23, 2011 from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/the-art-of-enchantment-how-guy-kawasaki-will-change-your-business/

Down to Business: Expert Views on Business Plans

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:22:00 +0000

Business Plan Expert #1: David Lee of SV Angel

Bio/Background

David Lee is considered an expert in business plan fundr
aising. In addition, he is a General Partner in SV Angel (venture capitalist firm) out of CA. SV Angel focuses on start up ventures that fuse technology development with entertainment. Mr. Lee’s background before joining SV Angel involves Google and StumbleUpon where he was involved with business development for both companies.

Image via CrunchBase

What is important in a BP to investors?

David Lee believes in substance over show. The information must make an impactful statement followed by hard evidence to prove and justify that statement to investors. Substance over show is imperative because the investor must know there is a solid plan in place and not just a great idea without a path to get to the destination. Moreover, it is my opinion that the sentiment discussed above is why Mr. Lee is quoted as saying, "[t] here are a bunch of rich people and firms subsidizing tech entrepreneurs, but this time the entrepreneurs are better”, within an article by Mark Lacter for LA Observed. (Lacter, 2011)

Also, Mr. Lee feels it is important for the backstory to be told for an investor to see the heart and passion necessary for a successful venture to move forward. If, the investor doesn’t see the business owner as excited for themselves as they are for others to jump onboard, then David Lee feels you are fighting a losing battle. Furthermore in a recent article by Sarah Lacy for Tech Crunch, Lee states an opinion for younger founders doing better than older company founders based off of desire to put in the work necessary to build the business from the ground up. (Lacy, 2011)

Business Plan Expert #2: Guy Kawasaki of Apple

Bio/Background

Image via Wikipedia

Guy Kawasaki is known from Apple computers where he began work in the early 1980’s. From Apple, Mr. Kawasaki started a few businesses that developed software later to return to A
pple in 1995. Later still, he left Apple to start his own company called Garage (matchmaker for angel investors and entrepreneurs). Guy Kawasaki has a B.A. from Stanford University, M.B.A. from UCLA, and is an Honorary Doctorate from Babson College.

What is important in a BP to investors?

Mr. Kawasaki believes there are certain parts to the business plan that stand out: Executive Summary, Management Team, Business Model, and Product being his top four. Furthermore, he believes a business plan developer should spend 80% of their time on the executive summary because this piece is typically first viewed by an investor and if not impressed the investor will not read further.

Subsequently, the size of the business plan should not be more than 20-30 pages in Guy Kawasaki’s opinion. He feels the plan loses its bite and effectiveness if too much information is provided. Furthermore, each section should begin with just one page per section and only augmented if absolutely necessary. In a recent article found on Artist House Music by George Howard, Mr. Kawasaki describes the power slide pitch to investors as being “…no more than 20 minutes” with 10 or so slides to succinctly get the business model concepts across to investors. (Howard, 2007)

Sources:

Howard, G. (2007). How to create a business plan. Artisthousemusic.com.

Retrieved on Septemeber 6, 2011 from

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/articles/how+to+create+a+business+

plan

Lacter, M. (2011). Gold rush is back in silicon valley. LAObserved.com. Retrieved

on September 5, 2011 from

http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2011/04/gold_rush_is_back_in.php

Lacy, S. (2011). David lee and ron Conway bust entrepreneur myths on stage at

disrupt. TechCrunch.com. Retrieved on Septemeber 6, 2011 from

http://techcrunch.com/tag/david-lee/

Music Blogs vs. Album Release Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 02:48:00 +0000

Recently, Chris Leavins for blogs.com wrote an article discussing the top ten music blogs you haven’t heard or read yet. The article seemed to focus on bands and new releases that had their own blog made completely to generate public opinion on a specific project or release. Also, Mr. Leavins describes a trend in the music industry that stays away from creating complete project websites and has gone for a more grassroots approach via blogging to garner public interest in a new music offering.

I applaud the move to blogs because it engages the people and connects them in a way that is much better than a static website. The website has become less of a necessity and the subsequent expenses can be added to the bottom line profitability of a given music release. Furthermore, the content loss with a blog versus artist release website is minimal given the variety of content that can be offered through the blog’s simple HTML coding parameters.

Furthermore, this blog will be moving towards an approach that lends itself to better public appeal. The team here has included a brief survey for catering a series of blog postings on music production tutorials. These postings are not your typical tutorials because we take for granted you as a music producer don’t need to know the same answers to things readily available online via generic You Tube posts. This series focuses more on industry secrets and the scientific principles that undergird them in a relevant studio environment.

Be sure to fill out the survey to help us zone in on what the first few postings should be geared toward in the series. Thank you all for the support and be sure to leave your own comments.

References

Leavins, C. (n.d.). Top ten music blogs you haven't heard (or read). Blogs.com. Retrieved on August 20, 2011 from http://www.blogs.com/topten/top-10-music-blogs-you-havent-heard-or-read/

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Milton Bradley: The Answer to Unemployment?

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 02:49:00 +0000

Full Sail University's very own Ron Cook posted a recent blog entry that peaked my interest regarding entrepreneurship. Mr. Cook addressed the notion that in these tough economic times when unemployment is at record highs, you should employ yourself! Business program college graduates amass all this knowledge of how to run business the right way so that someone else can reap from their understanding.

It should be noted that part of Mr. Cook's job description is to consult with students regarding the plausibility of their business plans. Narrow focus that addresses a need that is not being met in the marketplace is key according to Professor Cook. Also, he says that seed investors should include family because if an angel investor has to ask you if any family gave to your idea and you say none have then why should a person that doesn't know you at all give one red cent? Moreover, Prof. Cook explains differentiation as something necessary and not cliché.

I agree with all points brought forth in this insightful article. I would even add a few things of my own. Today more than ever diverse revenue streams are needed to compete with the growing cost of basic necessities. Normal jobs by themselves will not fund retirement because social security may not even be there. Plus, to qualify for this government assistance you have to be worse off than any of us want to envision ourselves. Consequently, investing, learning the stock market, creating residual income, and understanding the world economy (not just domestically anymore) is a growing need.

Image via Wikipedia

Schools do not teach things even as simplistic as Monopoly, why? Perhaps the AG student in the 1^st grade would be better served playing a game from Milton Bradley than Activision or some other video game. These are the thoughts of an aspiring business owner. People around the globe

love what the United States stands for with democracy and interestingly at its fundamental concept business wise the picture of what we as Americans represents can be seen in the simple form of a Flea Market. That is free enterprise at its finest.

References:

Cook, R. (2011). Cooking up an opportunity. FSO blogs EBMS. Retreived on

August 6, 2011 from

http://www.fsoblogs.com/ebms/2011/8/3/cooking-up-an-

opportunity.html

Audiosocket: Spend Money, Make Money

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 23:02:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

Have you ever wanted to license music quickly for a marketing project or promotional effort? Have you ever stolen the song elsewhere because of the time and process? Audiosocket makes it easy to license music the right way to use in almost any marketing avenue. Plus, did you kno

w you would share in the revenue created from the plays of the songs you decided to license? I thought that might get your attention.

Listen up! Audiosocket is not easy to get into if you are an artist that makes music. They screen everything and only have about 19,000 songs so far. However, if you are lucky enough to get content in the system, then with the right promotion your music can easily be licensed by businesses, film producers, record labels, or any other business looking to make a commercial of some sort. What is in it for them you ask? They make a small revenue off the song as you do each time it is played! An investment is measured by how long and how much you get back. Imagine spending money on licensing a song, then over time making back your money through your marketing of the song and actually making more money off licensing it than you spent on it originally!

Image via Wikipedia

This is an amazing idea that could only be done legally if all the publishing houses were on board. Oh wait; Audiosocket took care of that according to an article by Anthony Bruno for Billboard where the company got BMI and ASCAP on board earlier in 2011. This idea is genius! Imagine all of those You Tube vids that use bootlegged content from your favorite artists, now using licensed material and promoting new artist’s music because it helps them make money instead of taking money from the artists. Could it be that music may have found a way to combat illegal downloads by helping people make money? My dreams have been answered…or have they? Only time will tell.

Spotify: A Brand New World?

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 24 Jul 2011 22:32:00 +0000

Image via CrunchBase

Spotify comes to the U.S. It is like iTunes, meets Pandora, meets the Copyright Office, meets Harry Fox’s sample clearing agency. The revenue streams are vast with premium accounts that allow you to save playlists offline, bring up tunes on your mobile devices and home computer, as well as share via Facebook, Twitter, and instant messaging services. In addition, there is a copyright registration service for recording artists that charges $85 per submission that is user friendly, simple, and provides customer service for any concerns dealing with the copyright process. Subsequently, Harry Fox Agency has inked a deal with Spotify that will allow mechanical rights to be cleared as a new submission is distributed over the net.

Spotify serves quite a few purposes that can streamline promotional efforts on the web for artists. For instance, if I decided to release a new album, then I could upload the release on Spotify, get it copyrighted, any samples cleared, and start promoting the album via sharing it to Facebook, Twitter, vids via You Tube, and use the forums as an interactive review board for the tracks. Keep in mind Spotify pays only $0.0043 per play, so, other types of marketing will be necessary. The interesting thing on Spotify is the ability to market “leaked tracks” or “firestarter tracks” that lend themselves to build a following. Thus, Spotify can be used to get gigs, build tours, land interviews, and possible publishing/distribution deals to solidify more lucrative revenue streams via downloads, album sales, merchandise sold at venues, licensing opportunities, and more.

Some hail Spotify as the second coming, but I see it as just another tool or arrow in your online marketing quiver. It is very powerful as a sharing tool, but remember the times are circling back to the times of touring acts and bands. If you can find a way to be a touring act that never has to leave your home, then fine. But if you could do that then your garage would be large enough to sell enough tickets to make serious money. Until then, get on the road, get gigs, be willing to travel, and make money.

Legal Corner: Interview with Entertainment Lawyer, Charles Blackmon

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 20:04:00 +0000

Interview with Charles Blackmon, Entertainment Legal Attorney

QUESTION:

Hi Mr. Blackmon, I’ve already shared with you my plans to create an Entertainment Industry focused Business Plan/ Funds Raising company called B.E. nBusiness, and I have lined up a client looking to create a music production company in NC. My first question comes from them in reference to proper sample clearance. It doesn’t seem to matter if it is a drum break or royalty free cd with pre-recorded music; it all seems to need clearing if used to create something new. Radio play is the goal for many producers and clearing samples ahead of time seems to raise the asking price for a track when others are looking to purchase it.

What steps should a producer go through if they sample? Is there anything that doe not need clearance? Can a producer copyright material if they have a sample in the track, if it isn't cleared?

I know I just asked several questions, but please take me through the process because it is definitely a topic I will run into time and time again working with different clients based in intellectual property laws.

CHARLES BLACKMON’s RESPONSE:

Clarify the position on producers, which use 'samples' in their tracks; whether that's a pre-recorded loop or a drum break.

You are right; many producers use samples, which sometimes include drum breaks. Samples are portions of another song within a new song. A sample can either be taken from an actual sound recording or derivative of a sound recording. A drum break, is a pattern of drum beats played as an instrumental during the break in a song and is often used as a "fill" in a song. Since the evolution of hip hop, producers to create a drum loop have used drum breaks.

The producer's first step to clear a sample is to identify who the owner/publisher is of the sampled work; one way of finding out such information is to check the jacket covers of the CDs. Second, a producer can contact the performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) to obtain contact information on the writer/publisher. Thirdly, a producer can visit http://www.copyright.gov/ to conduct an online search of the Library of Congress' records; and fourthly, a producer can hire a sample clearance house to handle things.

If the musical work you seek to register with the copyright office embodies a "sample", copyright protection will not extend to the incorporated "sample" [the preexisting material]. The creative expression of the original work contributed by the author is independent of any copyright protection in the preexisting "sampled" material. Therefore, you can seek copyright protection in a work that embodies a "sample", but the "sample" embodied in your work will not be copy written.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is only an opinion. Do not use the ideas outlined in this article as a substitute for legal counsel.

Music Industry Secrets Legal Corner Wrapup

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 05 Jun 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

Recently, in an article by Glenn Peoples for Billboard.biz he discussed the Warner Music Group buyout. The interesting key to his article was the understanding that it will be seemingly more difficult to figure out the financial solvency and track record for WMG moving forward. Similarly, crime bosses are notorious for laundering money through convoluted levels of money management. Subsequently, given the new ownership’s diversified money holdings, shareholders should be asking a lot of questions now or forever hold your peace. The wedding vows of steadfast shareholders (for better or for worse) will ring resoundingly in their minds for many years to come if something legally is not done in quick reaction to the outcry for more financial transparency. The problem is based on the fact that Access Industries is a privately held company. Many others and I believe that in a buyout of a company as financially tumultuous as WMG has been, the “private” part of any buyout partner should be stripped clean.

Article Link #1: http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/record-labels/sale-of-warner-music-group-means-less-financial-1005173872.story

Image via CrunchBase

George Szalai wrote for Billboard.biz May 9, 2011 on the raise in average salaries for CEO’s of major companies and one in particular, CEO Philippe Dauman of Viacom. Philippe Dauman will be paid $84.3M as number one on the top 10 highest paid CEO’s. The interest I have in this number is the fact that a memom was handed out a few years ago stating the entertainment industry was on its knees. Although, I can state that Viacom in a bad economic downturn is doing relatively well in terms of financial strength through diversified holdings. Therefore, Viacom justifies its payout as a reward for holding the company afloat by Mr. Dauman at a time when they needed it most.

Article Link #2: http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/legal-and-management/viacom-s-philippe-dauman-tops-wall-street-1005175032.story

Image via Wikipedia

Rounding off our legal article’s today has one from Erika Ramirez for Billboard.biz on May 17, 2011. Sadly, Nikki Minaj has left P. Diddy’s management group for that of “Hip Hop Since 1978” under the watchful eye of Kyambo Joshua. It should be noted that Young Money running mates Drake and Lil Wayne are already manage by Hip Hop Since 1978, so, this isn’t some shocking move by any means. This is a legally solidifying move for Young Money because now contractual obligation and negotiation can be done and managed to in a better unified fashion.

Article Link #3: http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/genre/randb-hip-hop/nicki-minaj-parts-ways-with-diddy-now-under-1005187642.story

U.S. Senate Introduces New Online Piracy Legislation

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 22 May 2011 20:34:00 +0000

In an article May 12, 2011 by Georg Szalal for The Hollywood Reporter introduced legislation was depicted that would fight against websites offering pirated content. Senator Patrick Leahy of Vermont spoke on a bill targeting online piracy. The bill would expose movies, music, TV shows, and other copyrighted material or trademarked content.

The Act would bring under U.S. jurisdiction websites that exploit U.S. based Internet service providers, search engines, and ad placement services. The House of Representatives are also looking at creating a version of the bill.

In addition the National Music Publishers’ Association, the Independent Film & Television Alliance, and the National Association of Theatre Owners recently gave public acknowledgement and thanks to the recent Senate and House legislative move.

Consequently, there has been widespread support among unions, workers, and organizations involved in the production, sale, and distribution of creative media content for quite some time and now it is finally getting traction on Capitol Hill.

“To the camera crew, the makeup artists, the truck drivers and all the other hard-working middle-class Americans involved in the making of a motion picture or television show, digital theft means declining incomes, lost jobs and reduced health and retirement benefits for them and their families," said Michael O'Leary, executive VP, government affairs at the MPAA. "We look forward to working with the Senate Judiciary Committee and

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in the House, chairman Lamar Smith and other leaders who are drafting their own bill to target rogue websites to ensure that the final legislation passed by both chambers and presented to the President provides adequate online protection of the American film and television community, an industry that supports 2.4 million American jobs."

Image via Wikipedia

Only time will tell if the legislation will in fact pass. Moreover, the bill in itself must be met with international compliance for it to have any far reaching success. Teeth added to the bill must be enforced and enforceable moving forward to win the growing fight of Internet piracy.

Warner Music Group Buyout: The End or New Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 08 May 2011 22:48:00 +0000

Warner Music Group Corp. and Access Industries announced the execution of a merger where Access Industries will buy WMG in an all-cash transaction for $3.3 billion! The purchase includes WMG’s entire recorded music and music publishing companies.

The purchase price is said to give stockholders a 34.4% premium over the average share price of $6.14.

Under the terms of the merger WMG’s Board of Directors approved the transaction and recommended that WMG’s stockholders approve the transaction. In addition to stockholder approval, the transaction is subject to customary closing and regulatory approvals. It is anticipated that the transaction will be completed in the third calendar quarter of 2011.

WMG’s Chairman and CEO, Edgar Bronfman, Jr., said, “We believe this transaction is an exceptional value-maximizing opportunity that serves the best interests of stockholders as well as the best interests of music fans, our recording artists and songwriters, and the wonderful people of this company. We are delighted that Access will be the new steward of this outstanding business. They are supportive of the company’s vision, growth strategy and artists, while bringing a fresh entrepreneurial perspective and expertise in technology and media. Most importantly, Access supports Warner Music’s commitment to our recording artists and songwriters who are the foundation of our current and future success.”

Len Blavatnik, Chairman and founder of Access Industries, said, “I am excited to extend my longstanding involvement with Warner Music. It is a great company with a strong heritage and home to many exceptional artists. I look forward to working closely with the many talented people within the company.”

Jorg Mohaupt, Head of Media at Access Industries, added, “The music industry is at an inflection point where digital adoption is rapidly gaining momentum. Warner Music, as one of the most progressive forces in the music business, is well positioned to capture this opportunity for music creation and distribution.”

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Scott Sperling, Presiding Director of WMG, said, “It has been our great pleasure working with the extraordinary team at Warner Music over these past seven years. The company has managed to significantly increase market share and profitability during our ownership period and consistently outperformed even during a challenging period for the industry. Len Blavatnik and Access are likewise deeply committed to the music business and we know that we will be leaving the company in good hands.”

Warner Music Group became the only stand-alone music company to be publicly traded in the United States in May 2005. With its broad roster of new stars and legendary artists, Warner Music Group is home to a collection of the best-known record labels in the music industry including Asylum, Atlantic, Cordless, East West, Elektra, Nonesuch, Reprise, Rhino, Roadrunner, Rykodisc, Sire, Warner Bros. and Word. Warner Music International, a leading company in national and international repertoire, operates through numerous international affiliates and licensees in more than 50 countries. Warner Music Group also includes Warner/Chappell Music, one of the world's leading music publishers, with a catalog of more than one million copyrights worldwide.

Following the closing of the transaction, WMG will become a privately held company and its stock will no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. The company will retain the Warner Music Group name and will continue to operate out of its current facilities.

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Chrysalis Negotiations - The Hard Facts

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 00:08:00 +0000

Russell Gaskins

Senior Director, Film, TV, Commercials

Chrysalis Music Group, L.A.

Interviewed by Bryan Bell

How do you pre-plan for a meeting where an artist on your radar is looking for a publishing deal?

First thing I do that may be different than most is I look up the history on the artist. Not what most describe as history, but how they got into music, what influenced them, why they do what they do. That way I may be able to see a correlation to our roster to people that artist already respects and use that in the negotiation.

Secondly, I look at the cold hard facts. People lie all the time, but numbers don’t. No advance is even discussed unless I can prove it could be covered by past releases and record sales.

What numbers grab your attention from up and coming artists versus established artists?

In a newbie, I look for at least 10,000 sales in a time from of about 3 months from release date. If I see that then at least there is a chance in my opinion of re-couping money. In an established artist with marketing, you gotta at least give me 50,000. Otherwise, what is the point of continuing your career with the major label.

Inside the meeting, what do you see the problems are that need to be addressed?

Number one, do they have a gem! If I hear an album, I have to see marketing potential in at least 1 song, just 1 song people! Can I get a Verizon ad or film trailer or something! That is key for me in particular, but like I have told people for a long time publishing is where it’s at man…remember when we spoke about things years ago? I told you back then Bryan that things were shifting and they have continued to shift in my favor lol.

Another problem as I see is not what should be given out in advance money cause that’s all easily solved by looking at the numbers, but the underlying issue from our perspective is marketing the material. Does the artist have enough fan appeal to get the machine behind him or her. Once that machine revs up the rest is easy as pie.

Does a win-win situation seem like the focus or do you find that it turns into every man for himself in these negotiations?

To be honest early in my career I was cut throat as I could be and it served me well. However, the way things are now and the people I speak with its unnecessary. What I mean by that is that things have changed to such a degree that peole understand you have to prove what you get where as before it was based more on feel what was given and what was accepted. So, yeah I definitely search for win-win situations much more now and help out as much as I can.

Have you ever been mislead in a negotiation and lost?

Hell yeah! And didn’t even know I had lost! But the company made it clear to me how I lost, what I lost, and how to stop it from happening again. I had good mentorship and people around me that didn’t pull the plug on me at the first sign of a mistake.

How has this buyout of Chrysalis affected you?

To be honest it hasn’t. It will be over years that our name would even change. Plus, my department is more relevant than it has ever been, so as far as job security, I’m fine.

Thanks for your time.

Politics: New Music Marketing Frontier? Or Forgotten Friend?

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 01:16:00 +0000

Recently, an article by Jem Oswad for Billboard.biz spoke of the SXSW music festival. This year SXSW got involved by providing fundraising efforts toward Japan in wake of the natural disaster ripping through the country earlier this year. SXSW and Hanson came together for an online, live, streaming telethon featuring performances and chats by artists at SXSW in Austin, Texas. Interestingly, the donation was funneled through to Red Cross. Moreover, the Red Cross is calling all artists to participate in the fundraiser.

Image via Wikipedia

Question: What do you believe in? Think about the answer to this quandary long and hard because when you can come up with a definitive answer, you will have the meaning to life...not really, but perhaps it will help you there as well. What I am actually getting at is to have you list things around the world you would like to get involved in or have changed.

So many things can come out of passionate compassion. One, songwriting will be more in depth, focused, and felt by your fans. Two, your stage performances will be charged with new emotion that can be tangibly transferred to your fans. Three, Recording the record becomes less about you and more about helping others get through, understand, cope, feel, desire, or grow. Interesting how those sorts of descriptions are synonymous with most record topping hits of all music generations from Tina Turner to Lady Antebellum. Four, doors will open for you that may not otherwise be accessible in lieu of you partnering with others to further reach and help get the word out about your passion. Fifth, marketing becomes easy based on the wide reaching effect of outreach efforts concerning your passion already. Believe me the positive effects of politically charged music initiatives is intense and not just a tool used by the hippies of the 1960's and '70's. This is something useful right here and right now, so, go ahead be original, be hip, be engaged, sip some coffee and do something novel...read the news, it might just be the hit you have been waiting for all along.

Artists interested in participating should contact 3CG's Rebecca Sarkar at rebeccas@3cgrecords.com.

To find out what you can do to help with Japan eartquake relief efforts, go to RedCross.org or SXSWCares.

Image by loscuadernosdejulia via Flickr

Teach An Old Dog New Tricks: Radio Single Marketing

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:29:00 +0000

In a recent article by Jon Ostrow for Miccontrol.com, he describes an oversimplified marketing tool in music, the radio single. I am going to briefly describe each type of radio single. Afterwards, this post will go deeper into proper application to create a diversified revenue stream for an artist at any level of their career.

Image via Wikipedia

1. Normal Radio Single – This is the typical single pushed by recording acts for radio play and fan support. Generally, it is kept around 3 minutes in length. In addition, it is most often the focus of artist press kits.

2. Street Single – In the days of vinyl, the street single was referred to as the B Side. This single was forwarded as a way to showcase musicianship, diversity to the band’s appeal, and a creative way to push songs the record label didn’t particularly like but the band members loved.

3. iTunes Bonus Single – Welcome to the digital age. A new sort of single is now being pushed to increase the new revenue stream of digital downloads. Do not be fooled. The iTunes Bonus single is a proven marketing tool that can help increase market saturation because this single should further increase band appeal through diversity. Unreleased tracks, LIVE tracks, or even remixed tracks reign supreme as great iTunes bonus singles.

4. Free Download Single – Sadly, music sales are much lower than decades past. Also, the music industry is flooded with new talent. The Free download single is a necessary evil and should be used creatively. Do not just offer it without a deeper driving force behind it. This clever tool can drive traffic to websites, blogs, forums, and more. Please be sure to incorporate its marketing power because it can become so popular that other opportunities spawn from its creation.

5. Leaked Single – A new rebuttal to the pirating war. This sort of single is used to create a “buzz”. It is accidentally released to subside fans desire to have something they are not supposed to have until the official release date. The key is to get the “leaked” track in the hands of influential people to help the track spread. One downside of the leaked single is the bad publicity that results if consumers find out that it was not actually “leaked”. Be careful.

6. Viral Video Single – The ploy is to choose a song either incredibly original or racy/edgy…either will do the trick. Although there are no guarantees anything will become “viral”, the benefits are exponential due to the ease of which videos can be shared. Once a video becomes viral, every blog, website and social media will not only carry it, but they will also feature its content.

7. Remix Single – The idea here is again to increase visibility in a diverse consumer market. For instance, if you have a Hip Hop radio single, then create a remix using an indie rock band. Or vice versa because the perfect remix marketing strategy will augment fan base amongst listeners untapped before. Moreover, there is the opportunity to collaborate and use the notoriety of one artist to increase the appeal of another.

Image by renaissancechambara via Flickr

These individual musical creations need to be understood as businesses in and of themselves. All copyrights, publishing assignments, and marketing stratagems should be created individually to hone in on how to best maximize their profitability. Do not take for granted each single will have the effect you intended without crafting where it will be marketed, why, and having a clear understanding of how the revenue stream works. In addition, profit goals put forth in each single’s marketing plan will be different due to a list of factors including market visibility, influence, and target market persona. Keep these things in mind and you can multiply revenue with just a few song selections without the need for long albums and increased production costs. Welcome to the age of radio singles and EP’s reborn.

B.e. nBusiness: South by Southwest Technology Summit

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:31:00 +0000

The industry standard, South by Southwest Music Conference has recently outlined a new inclusion to their already stellar line of seminars and workshops held at this year’s event in Austin Texas March 11-20. The SXSW Technology Summit is March 16-17 and an open call for all international leaders and industry experts.

On www.sxsw.com, the Technology Conference link states there will be “panel sessions that reveal trends and usage patterns in various parts of the world”. Those various locations include: France, Japan, Chile, India, Israel, Columbia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, China, Italy, Portugal, England, Scandinavia, Singapore, Ireland, Russia, Canada, New Zealand, and of course United States representatives.

Conferences are key to networking with industry professionals. So, it is a necessity to attend these showcases to spot new industry trends before everyone else. Here are a few tips before you zip up the suitcase and hit the road.

1. Research: Look up the invitees and guest speakers. If you aspire to talk with industry professionals, then know what made them an industry pro. Usually, on the conference website or a simple Google search abundant information can be found concerning the speaker, the representative company, and their link to the industry. In addition, make sure you brush up on industry specific lingo to be received as an industry professional during conversation.

2. Outreach: Did you realize the attendees are looking to do the same thing you are? They want to network with those a level above where they are to increase sales, distribution outlets, marketing efforts etc. Position yourself in a light that can help their organization in some way and you have something to offer. Once that occurs, call the corporation and set up a time to showcase your offerings at the conference to the man in charge.

3. Creation of Marketing Materials: First, come up with a list of wants and desires. Make sure you understand why you are attending and set out a game plan. Second, create materials from the perspective of those you are trying to impress. Think about what it takes to impress you and bring things like business cards, press kits, media releases, and be sure to include CONTACT INFO on all promotional materials.

4. Practice your Elevator Pitch: Do you have one? If not, get one. An elevator pitch is generally 30 seconds and should clearly, succinctly, and persuasively explain your organization, vision for growth, and objectives all in one.

Hopefully, your next conference will be beneficial. Plan ahead and make sure it will be. Feel free to reach out and comment if these tips have been helpful.

B.E. nSpired: TED.com Speaker - Sir Ken Robinson...

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 00:54:00 +0000

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms.html

Sir Ken Robinson (knighted 2003 for leading the British government's advisory committee on creative and cultural education), receives sponsorship by RSA Animate to discuss the link between 3 troubling educational trends: rising drop-out rates, schools' dwindling stake in the arts, and ADHD.

Industry Relation:

Robinson's captivating story is followed through comic book style storyboarding that adds augmented detail and clarity to the intricate subject matter of learning and current trends. It should be noted that innovative visual idea representation is championed in current media marketing techniques and can be observed vividly throughout Sir Robinson's speech.

Speaker nSpiration:

Sir Ken Robinson is a creativity expert and has studied cognitive creative retention for decades. His research has been held in high acclaim both domestically in Britain and around the world. Robinson is quoted as saying, "we are educating people out of their creativity", and his latest book, The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything speaks in depth about all realms relating to cultivating creative thought.

Cover via Amazon
Audience Motivational Techniques:

Sir Robinson is a seasoned speaker with many accolades and triumphs, yet his tongue in cheek spontaneity, use of innovative teaching aids (the comic style storyboard), and habit for asking questions of the listener keeps the audience engaged and anticipatory for what will happen next.

Understanding for the Topic:

Sir Robinson stated, every country around the globe is reforming education in some way.

Image via Wikipedia
2 Reasons:

Economic – How do we help children thrive in a changing economy?

Cultural – How do we pass on the cultural genes of our community while understanding globalization?

Next, Robinson speaks of 2 modalities that drive the underlying school paradigm as we know it today.

Old modality:
We go to school to get a job.

New Modality:

No guarantees no matter the level of education towards employment.

Afterwards, Sir Robinson mentions our current educational system was conceived during the enlightenment and under the economic time of the industrial revolution.

Historically, this system has held in high regard
knowledge of classical thought and theory.
Ex - Aristotle, Plato, etc

The problem as Sir Ken Robinson sees it is that not everyone cares about classical ways of thinking.

New problems!!!

Ex – ADHD – kids are being medicated too routinely

NOW, children are being besieged from more stimuli than ever with "boring" stuff.

Interestingly, ADHD has grown parallel with the growth of end of grade testing.
ADHD and ADD to Robinson are nothing more than “Fictitious Epidemics”.

The Arts are victims of this mentality.

Subsequently, Robinson discusses the array of separations present in our current school system.

Separations Include:
Subjects, age, gender, tax bracket, proximity location, etc

In the end, Robinson forwards the idea that our current system creates the sort of citizen needed for a bygone era. It creates a production line of children.

End Result: Standardization

NEW IDEA:
Divergent Thinking – "capacity for creativity

having lots of possible answers to a single question"
Ex – How many uses can you think of using a paper clip?
%-age of children tested at genius level in kindergarten -
98%

Re-Tested at 9 yrs old – 50%
Same children tested at 15 years of age - 35%

In closing, this sort of degeneration of creative thinking takes place because of how we teach. Sir Robinson should be heralded and is included on this forum not for his ideas, which have been shared before by others, but for his clarity and innovative creative expression.

NI Maschine 1.5 Updated - MPC Nearing its End, ALMOST...

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 01:54:00 +0000

NI Maschine Production System
@ Sweetwater.com...

Music production enthusiasts are growing in number. Interestingly, producers who have made their mark for decades have nothing to fear...until now. The mainstay of most producers in urban music has been the sought after pieces of hardware including Akai MPC and the SP1200 sampler. Amazingly the company known as Native Instruments has created something called the Maschine that is a hardware unit coupled with a software interface that emulates the sounds of these two music production hardware icons!

I have been put in the wonderful position of trying out the unit alongside a new Akai MPK 25 midi controller as part of payment for music services rendered recently. My take on the product is that it blew me away!!!

Image via Wikipedia

Akai MPC 2000

Once setup I was literally able to use the unit with the standalone software to make my first instrumental template in minutes. The GUI cross references sounds (.akai MPC sounds are readable!) that are made into patterns. Those patterns are contained on each of 16 velocity sensitive pads. In addition each pad has the ability to change to keyboard mode where the MPK midi controller came in to play for chord and melody creation. Next, I created something called scenes from the interplay of the aforementioned patterns, which are linked together to ultimately arrive at a finished song arrangement.

Simple enough, but the best part is when the NI Maschine is instantiated inside a DAW for use as a plugin. Only in plugin fashion can Maschine read .rex formatted loops or have complete control over the drag and drop nature of the created pattern audio or midi data! Unfortunately, the MPC does have one leg up for now through the NI Maschine's lack of timestretch functionality. Timestretching is a second process that I had to do inside the DAW (Pro Tools 9) then dragging the stretched audio back into Maschine's software to load on one of the pads. I briefly got to chat via the NI forums with one of the chief administrators who assured me timestretch functions will be made available this year! So stay tuned because this year could be interesting indeed.

Increase Profits Through Proper Business Setup

noreply@blogger.com (Secrets of the Music Industry) — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Image by Getty Images via daylife...Recording artists are growing in number in spite of dropping record sales by major recording companies. In news, industry colleague Owen Husney (artist manager for Prince who negotiated an unprecedented deal giving complete creative control over the albums he produced and recorded over a number of years) explained how recording artists at any level need to diversify revenue streams with or without label support. Furthermore, understanding revenue diversification in music is paramount for obtaining sustainable success in the industry.

Revenue diversification is one reason why music creation has
Image via Wikipedia become so popular. Music can be made today with negligible cost and recorded at home with a simple computer based setup. The Internet provides digital marketing at little to no cost via mp3 download. Unfortunately, over-saturation in the music industry has made an even larger chasm between the majors and start-up record labels due to marketing concerns.

One fact has not changed; major record labels sell a million or more copies of records because at least a million people hear their product. Comparatively, indie labels don’t have the client outreach necessary to make substantial money without marketing effectively. Take advantage of the legal protection provided by copyright. Recent news articles that protect musician’s rights like the crackdown on p2p company Limewire by the RIAA could not be prosecuted if recording artists did not feel it necessary to protect their art. Music protection is a necessary component for all music compositions and should not be overlooked. Moreover, the business training required for proper setup of copyrights, publishing, and industry standard marketing materials stifle most recording artists from making money because of the lure for increased music production speed. Ultimately, the recording artist loses out on licensing opportunities and royalty compensation (the most important revenue streams heralded by both majors and indie artists alike) in today’s changing music economy.

In conclusion, both Owen Husney and myself champion the idea that substantial monetary compensation can be made through music creation; however, recording artists need to protect their work and solidify their ability to make self-sustainable profits. In short, protection for music is given through following the copyright procedural guidelines and sustained profit is accounted for by attaining warranted publishing rights for musical compositions. These steps must be followed to maximize any music creation’s full wealth creating potential.

-----

If you have questions or concerns about setting up your music catalog's copyrights, publishing, sample clearance negotiation, and/or A&R/Radio/PR One Sheet creation do not hesitate to contact me. I am here to help, so, leave comments with your contact information and stay in touch.

Also, feel free to reach me via phone contact. I personally check my work line throughout the day at 1.888.210.1447 and look forward to hearing from you.

-----

References:

Bruno, Antony. (2010, November 19). RIAA continues crackdown on Limewire.

Retrieved December 5, 2010, from http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/

content_display/industry/e3i02240e53d2361c71e5c3606073e8694f

Husney, Owen (2005, November). Income solutions for independent and major

label artists [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.artistshousemusic. org/videos/income+solutions+for+independent+and+major+label+artists

Bryan W. Bell

CMG Artist Development

Boyd Allen Music Group

Business Manager, ASCAP Publishing Admin.
Sample Clearance Advisor
V.Mail: 1.888.210.1447

Twitter: bryanbellmusic

E.Mail: e.artistdevelopment@gmail.com

Web: http://boydallenmusicgroup.com/

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