How To Succeed In The Music Business By Tony Guidry

If you’re an artist  waiting to be “discovered” or hoping to be given a record deal based on your perceived talent or the “uniqueness” of your sound, it’s time to educate yourself on the basics of the music business. The belief that major labels are LOOKING to sign new artists because of their talent is very far from the truth, and the sooner a person who desires to be an entertainer learns this, the better.

Click to read more ...

Why Most Indie Music Groups and Labels Fail (Part 2)

This is part 2 of a 2 part article I wrote strictly based on my professional experience producing and engineering and managing artists. Since 2006, I’ve been involved as a key member in several music groups, labels, and production teams that despite all their potential to achieve greatness, fail and fall apart, often at critical moments.

Click to read more ...

Make Money From Your Music - Songwriter Royalties

Making money from your music.

All those hours spent working out tunes on the guitar, or those long nights in front of the computer finishing your hip-hop track. You obviously enjoy making music, but you would like to see some financial reward for your effort. We all know making money is hard work, but this article looks at songwriter royalties and some of the issues you need to be aware of.

If you are a songwriter and wish to earn money from your songs then you will most likely need to sign an agreement with a publisher.

Click to read more ...

When Running A Record Label, Don’t Forget To Budget For Recoveries

Nothing is more fulfilling than opening your record label, getting your artist in the studio, laying down some tracks and mastering your final project. You’ve gotten investors involved who really believe in your project as much as you do and they’re putting a significant amount of money behind your company for both production and marketing. The only uncomfortable part about the whole process is that they have accountants, business managers and financial gurus working for them behind the scenes and they need you to put together a budget

Click to read more ...

Big Machine's Deal with Clear Channel: A Win for the Music Business?

At the beginning of June, it was announced that Big Machine Label Group struck a groundbreaking deal with Clear Channel that will provide payment of royalties to artists and record labels for terrestrial radio play. What does this mean for the music business? Let’s break this down:

Click to read more ...

Life Coaching & The Music Biz

I’ve been working in the music industry most of my life. I’ve been working as an entertainment life coach for about a year. The 2 questions that I get asked the most are…1) What is a life coach? Well, that’s easy. A life coach helps you reach your goals easier and faster than you would on your own. 2) What does an entertainment life coach do? Well, with that question, I find , it is easier to give you a scenerio…

Let’s sat you’ve been studying voice.(or another instrument, or dance etc. Singer/songwriter is just an example) You’ve been working your butt off. Maybe you have one of the best vocal coaches on the planet. You can sing anything. You especially sound amazing when you sing the songs that you’ve written. You work with experienced co-writers and spend time and money going to workshops to make sure your song is just right! You go to other interactive workshops given by some of the best on-stage coaches in the biz. They work with you on how to create a magical show, with your beautiful songs and your kick ass voice. You’re ready to go! But wait….

Click to read more ...

"I Want To Work In The Music Industry"

You know the saying: if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.  It’s not 100% accurate (there will always be aspects of your job that you’ll hate… I’m looking at you, accounting), but I do think people need to follow their passions and make careers out of them.

I meet lots of people who tell me they want to work in the music industry.  After all, music is something that’s easy to be passionate about, so why not make a career out of that?  Makes sense.

I get lots of people asking me advice on how to get started. I was just speaking with someone last week who graduated with an MBA who wanted to work in the industry, and he asked me “Where do I start? Who’s hiring? What kind of jobs are out there?”

Click to read more ...

Competition: Win A Year's Subscription To The IMA Music Business Academy ($181 Value)

Hi guys. I’ve been a long term reader and contributor of Music Think Tank, and thought it’s about time I gave something more back to the community.

As some of you may know, I recently released my course ‘The IMA Music Business Academy’. It’s a course that aims to teach the independent musician the business side of the industry, giving them all the knowledge and practical skills they need to fast track their music career.

The course has received a lot of good feedback so far, and with the door now back open, I want give you the chance to get involved free of charge.

I’m giving away three prizes of a year’s long access to the IMA Music Business Academy (Each prize valued at $181). If you want to win this great prize, all you have to do is:

Click to read more ...

10 Awesome Independent Record Labels [LIST]

Here at Music Without Labels we do our best at providing you with some of the top independent music worldwide, which is why I’ve decide to show some love and promote the main industry that helps manage these artists’ insanely busy music schedules; Independent Record Labels! Now this list is in no particular order so their is no hierarchy of which label is better than the next. This is an independent community so it’s our job as indie people to promote quality independent music equally together. We will continue to promote the Independent Record Labels in this new series. Hope this comes as a great reference, and please stay tuned for more:

Click to read more ...

I'm bringing Christmas In May!

Every year I walk into the mall on a nice fall day and at some point it happens. I start noticing the red and green decorations and find myself humming “Chestnuts Roasting” (Yes, I know the real title is “Christmas Song”. I choose to not use it as I think that’s a cop out title!) Last year, they literally had Christmas music and decorations up the first week of October! Before Halloween?!?! Seriously guys! What’s up with that!?!?!

Click to read more ...

Music Business Is Ever Changing

The changing face of the music biz.

Click to read more ...

The Music Biz Weekly Podcast Episode 3 – ReverbNation Survey, Do You Want to be Signed

Welcome to the third episode of The Music Biz Weekly, a weekly podcast co-hosted by Michael Brandvold and Brian Thompson.

Each week Michael and Brian will discuss the latest events in the music business and music marketing events and techniques.

This week’s episode, April 1, 2011 – ReverbNation Survey, Do You Want to be Signed

Listen using SoundCloud.

Click to read more ...

SXSW - Long On Experience, Short On Years

My name is David Jacobs and I consider myself somewhat of a veteran of SXSW. As a matter of fact, people tell me often they remember me there15 years ago, but these memories are quite hazy to me. Was I drunk? No. Actually, I was 8 years old. Now, at 23 years old, I find myself as the youngest person to ever appear as a panelist at SXSW.

I was born into the music industry, and have attended SXSW every year for the last 15 years. My father worked in the business and SXSW became a common family vacation. My earliest memories of SXSW are (what I now have been told to be) of epic parties my Dad threw at the Driskill Hotel, loud shows at Stubbs and bars that I was way too young to be in, playing cards and kick the can with drunken bands backstage, and perusing the swag bags for free toys.

Click to read more ...

Swiss Cheese And Toilet Paper

At least once a week I get a CD of an aspiring artist handed to me. I’m convinced Starbucks is the music and business hub of Nashville. I really try to make an effort to listen to everything that I receive. After all, I know first hand from the last fifteen years how hard being an independent musician can be.  You never know, that blank disc with the band name scribbled in mint green marker just might be the next Coldplay.

Ninety-nine percent of the time the CD is sonically not up to par (this is my nice way of saying absolutely freaking terrible!) and there are always basic song writing mistakes spread through out. Now if you had stopped reading here you would walk away thinking there is no hope and that Blake guy is a total jerk. But wait, there is hope! This is the point where we all sit back, take a deep breath, take a sip of our favorite coffee, and address the issue of why working with a producer is so important.

A friend of mine once told me about when he fell into an opportunity to work at a small

Click to read more ...