10 QUESTIONS WITH KEITH HARRISON OF ASCAP

There’s really no secret to it: scores of artists in the music world love to create music, have an even greater love for performing on stage, and want more and more ears to hear their music. They love to create songs and sounds that will resonate with potential fans and believers. And they have the potential to be creators, innovators, and trailblazers when it comes to making and performing this music. But when it comes to the ideals of protecting music copyrights and keeping a watchful eye on the monitoring, monetization of and compensation for public performances, things might not be quite as sexy, dramatic or fun. Still, these ideals are no less important than that of the actual creation and performance of this music, and are arguably more so. The importance of protecting works of intellectual properly and getting properly compensated for public performances cannot be stressed enough. This is where performance rights like the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, or ASCAP, comes into the fray.

Click to read more ...

5 BOOKS EVERY INDIE MUSIC ARTIST SHOULD PURCHASE RIGHT NOW

As an independent artist, no matter what your style, genre or sound, there are a few things that you have at your disposal that many mainstream or major artists don’t or can’t always claim: extreme flexibility, genuine grassroots connections at a local level, and the ability to be more adventurous and creative with your music. But one of the most important things an independent artist must realize they have a great advantage in is something that may at times be taken for granted or even shunned: self education.

Any independent worth their weight should at least be in the process of building up their personal library filled with books that they can use as reference guides to their own success. There are tons of music business books any artist can find at their local bookstore or major chain. The key is to have a solid idea of the information that you want and a plan on how to use it.

Click to read more ...

The Art of the Mixtape: A-Z Breakdown

The Art of the Mixtape. In this new music era mixtapes are a huge part of the hip-hop and r&b genre. Recently, I’ve seen and heard a lot of questions posed about mixtapes through word of mouth, blogs and social networking platforms. Questions like what’s the difference between an album and mixtape? And, why do rappers release mixtapes? The truth is there is no one reason but these days as far as the fan is concerned most albums are basically free albums.

 Here’s my quick A-Z Breakdown. In the old days, a mixtape was a DJ mix where DJs would not only showcase their work, but also break new records and they often re-mixed songs and mix matched popular vocals to beats from other popular current hits.

Fast-forward to todays fast pace consumers demand market. In order to understand the mixtape you have to understand the recording process. To mass-produce, distribute and market an album on a national, let alone a worldwide level, it takes a boatload of money. Someone has to foot the bill. Before a label, distributor, sponsor or investor puts up this kind of money; they need to believe on paper they will see a return in their investment.

Click to read more ...

This One Time At Bandcamp : The Evolution to a “Legit” Online Music Store

After Four years into beginning its service for indie artists, Bandcamp has finally got the look of a legit online music store. The site has slowly been making changes over the past few months to appeal more strongly to consumers as an alternative to iTunes and Amazon, starting with the launch of fan profiles in January. With the April 9 revision of its front page, the site now resembles a storefront rather than a sales pitch to meandering troubadours, all the while maintaining the same humility that has characterized its grassroots approach.

Click to read more ...

“The Great Hip Hop Hoax” Will Be Exposed At SXSW

“Imagine being English for over two years and describing where you went to school and the sort of food you eat and what the roads are like even though you’ve never been here.”

Jeanie Finlay suggested in an interview about her upcoming film The Great Hip Hop Hoax.  While this seems like a completely ridiculous and impossible idea, that’s precisely what Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd of Dundee, Scotland did.

Click to read more ...

Author B.J. Mendelson Explains Why “Social Media Is Bullshit”

According the author B.J. Mendelson, they are full of shit. In his latest book “Social Media Is Bullshit,” Brandon is clearly on a mission to help business see through the hype and expand their online presence.

Click to read more ...

25 Social Media Resources For Musicians

Social Media Resources For Musicians - At this point in time our society at large must have the “news” the instant it happens. With the evolution of social media this instant gratification is not only possible but prevalent. There are several forums available to the consumer at large the choice is all based on your wants, needs and who you are trying to reach.

Click to read more ...

25 Digital Media Resources For Musicians

You might want to consider listening to what these people have to say. Many of them are industry professionals that have hands on experience that they’d like to share. Others are people who know about the industry and what it takes to be a part of it. It is important to educate yourself no matter what profession you choose. So before you embark on your next gig or take any other steps towards furthering your career in music take a look at these articles.

Click to read more ...

Are You Ready For A Manager & Is That Manager Ready For You?

Do you lack the talent to be the main event? Luckily, there are no rules that say you have to be the main event to be a part of the music industry. There are plenty of positions out there for people like you to flourish in this business.

Trying to decide what you want to do with the rest of your life can be a daunting task. You need to focus on what it is you can do rather than what you can’t.

Click to read more ...

Are You Seeking a Music Publisher?

Are You Seeking a Music Publisher? The main goal of a music publishing company is to allow the artist to focus on their music while they take care of all the busy work associated with getting your songs out there. The companies on this list, provided by SongWriterUniverse will get your music to the proper channels. They will list your works with the right groups and license them to make sure you the artist are receiving the compensation you deserve.

Click to read more ...

9 Jobs In The Music Industry You Probably Never Thought Of

The time has come for you to decide what your projected career path will be. For several years now you’ve had your sights set on a career in the music industry. With all the competition out there you might find yourself a little hesitant to jump into such a cutthroat field.

A different perspective may help you land the job you have always wanted but never knew existed. The music industry operates the same as many other industries do in that one persons job makes another person’s job possible.

Click to read more ...

The Secrets To Money and Merchandise in The Digital Age

The music industry is a mere shell of what it once was. The sudden influx of technology has altered the way the music industry itself and those associated with it conduct business. The old business model had artists chomping at the bit to get signed by a label. The downside for the artist was that once they signed that piece of paper they belonged to the label. It was up to the label to market, promote and most importantly fund the album. Funding the album entailed them paying for the studio time, hiring on extra musicians and hand picking the top engineers and producers for the project. This process wasn’t about flaunting money, it was about making money. The goal for all involved was to have the first product do well. The success or in some cases the failure would decide whether the artist and their label could continue their relationship and work on future projects.

Click to read more ...

Did The Rise of Hip-Hop Cause The Decline of Black Bands?

Since the rise of Hip-Hop in the late 80′s and early 90′s, there’s no question that there has been a significant and substantial decline in the number of all black bands in comparison to those in the generations before Hip-Hop became popular. Previous the inception of Hip Hop, there was tons of bands that were all black, or were at least formed and led by African-Americans.

Click to read more ...

Why Is Europe Leading the World In Music Innovation?

Yesterday, I was on Google+ and I ran across a post from The Independent about how London is the global centre for music tech, which is very interesting because the last I checked the U.S. is still the number one music market in the world.

London has more concerts per year than anywhere in the world,” says Ian Hogarth, who co-founded the company in Shoreditch in 2007. “It’s also a place where there’s a density of people with a passion for technology – so it’s natural and organic that so many music technology companies have been founded in London.”

Europe and the UK especially, seem to have a higher respect and value for music versus us Americans and they seem to respect the art of music innovation more. Most of the entrepreneurs that I have spoken with from the U.S. are music geeks who saw a problem and wanted to create a solution – which is great! I see nothing wrong with that, but I think there needs to more of a balance between music geeks and great developers working in the music tech space in the U.S.

Click to read more ...