Do New Bands Still Need To Get Signed To Make It?

Getting a record deal used to be the number one priority for unsigned bands. Having the backing of a label, with the budget to distribute and market their music, was perhaps the only way to grow and start playing bigger and better shows. But with a shift in how listeners consume music, there’s been a change in what’s actually important when you want to “make it”.

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Getting To The Top Of The Pile When Submitting Your Music For Licensing

Guest post by Evan Zwisler. This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

These days, music licensing seems to be one of the most lucrative ways to make money as a musician. Record deals usually just amount to distribution, earning money playing shows can be spotty, and merch sales are unreliable. But selling one of your songs to a movie, TV show, or video game is a great way to earn a solid chunk of royalties that could last the entirety of your career, if you’re lucky. If you’re someone who is able to write and produce your own songs, this is a particularly reliable way to earn a living.

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New Music Licensing Course Now Available From New Artist Model Online Music Business School

GET YOUR MUSIC LICENSED is an online training program that teaches students how to prepare and license their music for film, TV, games and online placements.  The 6 month program shows musicians where to pitch their music and how to pitch it to ensure they get noticed. 

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3 Unique Online Music Production Resources

Living in the heart of a music mecca like New York, Nashville, Austin, LA, Seattle etc., no doubt has its advantages when you’re trying to get your music career moving. You’re in the thick of it, and there’s no shortage of talent, resources or inspiration to draw from. Up until about 2010, if you wanted a career in music, you basically had no choice but to move to a big city. But so much has changed over the last several years, and that’s not necessarily the case anymore. In fact, more and more musicians, artists and creatives are leaving the high rent of the big city behind to find a better quality of life in more rural locations. Here are a few unique resources to help kickstart your music career when you’re not living in the heart of a buzzing music scene. 

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General Licensing Infographic

Editor’s Note: This infographic is intended to visualize the world of General Licensing and how proposed changes could affect songwriters and music licensees. For more information, please check out the proposed SXSW 2017 Panel, “General Licensing: Where Are My Royalties?”  (Votes are also encouraged; voting ends 9/2/16.)

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Texas Governor Greg Abbott Urges U.S. Department Of Justice To Reconsider Changes To PRO Licensing Model

Governor Greg Abbott today sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch urging her to reconsider The United States Department of Justice’s proposed changes to the Performance Rights Organization (PRO) licensing model. In 2015, the Department of Justice announced they would require PROs such as Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) and the American Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) to require 100 percent licensing rather than allowing PROs to negotiate licensing deals based on their market shares. Governor Abbott objected to the Department of Justice’s decision, which runs counter to longstanding industry expectations, and urged Attorney General Lynch to protect the mechanisms that allow musicians to make a living and create wealth.

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How A Visual Artist Taught Me To Earn A Living Through Licensing

Many musical artists don’t think about how to generate alternative revenue streams to supplement the money they make selling albums and playing gigs. Many artists avoid thinking about the business aspects of the industry in a more broad way than simply “play a gig and get paid”. This is a subject that has interested me for many years, as the financial roller coaster of being a professional musician can be very trying at times. When I was younger and working as a full time keyboard player, I could be playing in a big Broadway or Off-Broadway show one day, and the next be just another unemployed musician scrambling to earn a living after the show closed. But then I met Larry Rivers, the man who taught me how to merge art and commerce to generate revenue. My experiences with him have greatly influenced how I approach earning a living as a creative artist.

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