Crucial Music review: How NBC got ahold of my song

One of my songs landed on NBC. And it was thanks to Crucial Music. 

So I thought I’d share my experience.

To be clear…

This blog post has no secrets, no guarantees, and no “special formula” for getting your songs placed.

(And if anyone promises you those things, be very suspicious).

This Crucial Music review is just my experience with this one sync licensing company. 

I tell my story in hopes it will give you insight into the sync licensing industry and encourage you to keep making and submitting music.

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How To Find Your Music In China

There is a possibility that your distributor or label might have at sometime distributed your music in the past to China and it is now floating around somewhere out there. This search will find if your music is there, it may be just a catalogue list with no sound file or it may be that it wasn’t properly removed when you changed labels or distributors and was left with no one to claim its license. If you do find your music in the search to your surprise, then you may contact your current or previous label or distributor to claim the licence or you may inquire a distributor like Musicinfo who specializes in digital music distribution to China to help claim your music.

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4 Signs You're Ready For A Music Publicist

* This post was originally featured on Symphonic’s Blog by Hugh McIntyre *

Many up-and-coming musicians dream of becoming the next critical darling, of seeing their new single praised by the collective blogosphere, and of one day gracing the cover of Rolling Stone. These are all very nice dreams, but they’re tough to turn into a reality. Between writing and recording music, touring, speaking with everyone from merchandise companies to fans to booking people, and perhaps even working a job on the side the make ends meet, it can be very difficult for indie artists to also find the time to speak with dozens, if not hundreds, of music journalists.

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Everything You Need To Know About Getting Paid In The Music Industry

The music industry relies on royalties as a form of payment from licensed copyrighted songs and recordings. However, recording artists earn their royalties on the sale of their music while songwriters earn them mainly on public performances.

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Year Of Noise For Indie Music Magazine

(ATLANTA, GA – DEC. 13, 2016) – Bi-monthly digital publication, BRASH! Magazine, started out the year spreading the word about transitioning from a music marketing blog to an online publication. In March of this year, BRASH! released at full speed executing the mission of highlighting independent artists in the music industry. Exposing music lovers to various genres of indie music was a success for this magazine as readership, social media following, and the overall brand awareness increased. In addition to highlighting music artists in the indie/underground scene, BRASH! Magazine opened its pages for fashion elements. Style artists, interviews, photo editorials, and features graced the pages within the BRASHION! (BRASH! + Fashion) section.

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5 Things Songwriters Need To Know About The Consent Decree

What is the Consent Decree, and why are people talking (and so upset!) about it?

While the music industry can seem glamorous, it does have its “unsexy” parts just like any other business sector. For songwriters, one of the least discussed (yet most important topics) is music licensing. But major changes to the consent decree – the federal agreement that governs how ASCAP and BMI operate – is bringing this topic to the surface.

The truth is, these changes could be the biggest in the music industry in 75 years and greatly impact your career.

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The Internet Killed The Record Deal: Launch Your Album On Your Own

Saying you need a record deal to launch an album these days is like saying you need a desktop computer to visit the Internet. Twenty years ago people would not have believed that you could have every song in the world in the palm of your hand or on your television, but here we are. Now it just takes a mic, a bathtub, a computer and few clicks to launch your record and make it accessible to people all over the world. But it’s also just as easy for your music to get lost in the shuffle and disappear into obscurity. The following tips are your best shot at making it in this ever-evolving music game and getting the airwaves bumping with your heartbeat.

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How To Release Music As An Independent Artist (Infographic)

I was asked to do a presentation for Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO on How To Release Music As An Independent Artist. It’s mostly from an EDM/Rap perspective, but I figured it would be beneficial for everyone to learn from. Some of the details are missing since I explained it to them in person, so if you have any questions or anything here needs to be corrected, please post them, and I’ll be sure to reply to all of them so we can disuss further.

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What Music Supervisors Really Think About Indie Music

So, what do music supervisors really think about indie artists and/or labels? What are their thoughts when they get a submission from a startup label or local musician in their already cluttered inboxes? Do they see the message and automatically think, ‘oh wow, not another indie, don’t they know we’re a big deal?’ Do they shade indie artists and wish that they were never born? Well, check out this interview to help answer your questions to how to increase your chances of securing a use of your song in film or television.

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10 Tips For Indie Artists To Start 2016 Off On The Right Foot

Alright artists, it’s time to really buckle down. 2015 is coming to an end, so how are you going to make sure that next year is really your year? Here’s a few tips to start you off on the right foot:

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Five Things To Consider When Launching A New Single

Ready for the world to hear to hear your brand new track after spending hours in the studio recording it? Not sure exactly how to go about it? You’re not alone! Understanding the moving parts behind a release is half of the battle, and we’re here to help. Let’s honour the time you spent toiling over the tracking process and do this right. This checklist is meant to be used as a resource as you plan your next single release.

So how can you successfully launch your new single into the ether and ensure maximum impact?

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SoundExchange Explained

SoundExchange is an independent nonprofit organization that is dedicated to collect and distribute royalties resulting from digital performance rights of sound recordings. When it was created in 2000, this organization was a division of the RIAA but in 2003 it became an independent organization, currently representing the interests of more than 110,000 artists and copyright owners. As reported by SoundExchange, they have already successfully paid nearly $3 billion since they first started doing business.

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4 Things Your Music Publicist Should Never Say

This article originally appeared on the Sonicbids blog

There are things that a publicist, or someone purporting to be a PR professional, will say that are instant red flags. If these statements don’t sound quite right, that means they probably aren’t. So you better ask the person who said them to clarify. That, or reserve your right to be a bit suspect.

I’ve heard certain people who claim to be/who act like PR people say a handful of things that cause my eyebrow to raise a little. These sayings indicate that they don’t know what they are doing, that they aren’t legit, or that they might be a poser. Four of the most questionable statements I’ve heard in some variation or another are below, and are what to be on the lookout for.

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