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Welcome to MusicBizAdvice.com!
MusicBizAdvice.com
contains music business advice and
lifestyle tips for working musicians, songwriters, indie artists, and behind-the-scenes music industry
professionals from the local to international level.
Whether you work in songwriting, publishing, recording,
live music performance, artist management, production, concert promotion, or
as part of the crew, we strive to provide you with the most accurate information.
As of June 1, 2008 MusicBizAdvice.com has readers in
77 countries and territories.
MusicBizAdvice.com's content is primarily the equivalent of PG-13, as outlined in our Terms of Use.
(Our Body and Soul musician's health &
lifestyle section may contain material
intended for readers over 18.)
Remember: Legitimate music industry companies
will never ask a minor to come to a meeting alone. The parent or legal
guardian is required to be present and must sign any contracts on the minor's
behalf.
Looking for an internship?
Check out our
Auditions and Job Opportunities section for
details.
Congratulations to MBADC Contributing Writer and MBADC
WMIW Managing Editor Darcie-Nicole Wicknick, whose article on the
downloading (DRM) controversy was quoted on the Duke University website!
This month
on MusicBizAdvice.com:
Think a Poor Man's Copyright (mailing a copy to yourself and not opening
the envelope, or emailing yourself a copy of the song) will protect you against copyright infringement? It won't.
Read this, as well as the
MusicBizAdvice Blog, to
find out why.
Speaking of Copyright, did you know that the U.S. Copyright fee has
increased? Or about the beta test of the U.S.
Copyright Office's online registration? Try it out
here on the Copyright Office website
and save $10 on your copyright registration fee (regularly $45)!
Our new section,
The MBADC Performance Coach,
helps you learn from the pros by highlighting special moments in live
performances.
Our
MBADC
American Idol Armchair Quarterback column is definitely not for the
faint of heart, but is a great way to learn from others' mistakes. This season we've added something new: "Most signable"
based on that night's performance.
In Features: Darcie-Nicole Wicknick
gives you the scoop on the
difference between a record label and a production company, and explains the
history and evolution of the production company. This month, parts
2 and
3 cover The Production Deal, the Imprint Deal, the Joint Venture, and
Pros and Cons of Recording and Production Contracts, as well as things to
consider in a major label deal.
Also, check out our
interview with Soraia's Sue Mansour, who tells how she went from studio
intern to recording at the legendary Henson (former A&M) Studios with Bon
Jovi engineer Obie O'Brien.
In How To, we offer a Quick
Tip on how to use MySpace more effectively to
gauge response to your tracks.
We've also updated
How to
Read a Live Performance Contract (the AFM
Standard Performance Agreement) to reflect varying currency rates. In this
article you'll also learn the important aspects of
Deposit and
Payment Terms, Radius clauses, Transportation, Settlement, Force majuere,
What Happens When a Show is Canceled, and Why Artists, Agents, and Managers
Won’t Work with Promoters they Don’t Know.
MBADC continues our series on the ASCAP /BMI infringement cases. The latest
installment concerns
ASCAP's lawsuits against 26 establishments that ASCAP alleges have not paid
for music licenses.
Part 1 explained
the
April 25 Federal Court Ruling Against ASCAP Regarding Performance Royalties
for Music Downloads. This is a very fluid issue, with a lot of
twists and turns, so don't believe everything you read, or think you know,
because the Battle of the Press Releases is on!
In Music Business
Lesson from Berklee Press
check out
The 5 Primary Functions of a Music Publisher. Also in Music
Business Lessons:
Management: Finding it and Making it Work for You, 3 specific things focusing on one musical
genre does for your songwriting or publishing career, and more.
In Q&A,
we update our advice about
double commissions for artist managers , advise a young songwriter
how to stop making excuses and just write, and more...such as
why it’s important for artists to write their own songs,
why label
execs don't smile much when they go to see an artist's show,
How to Find a Manager and What You Need to Know Before Contacting Management Companies,
and
what the biggest factor is in deciding whether to go for an Indie label deal
or a major label deal.
Body and Soul has
HIV/AIDS Prevention Tips and Facts, voice care tips,
how to prevent getting colds or flu at your band's next Meet and Greet,
and more.
Check out
James Auburn's interview with Red K Records CEO Clayton Savage.
In it Clayton talks about
his work with Sugar Hill Records, the early days of Hip Hop and how its
musicianship and live performance have changed over the years, and
ugly breakups in the music industry...stuff any artist can relate to, regardless of genre.
Ever wonder
why some talented, hard working local musicians never make
it past the local level, or why some artist's careers seem to stall out just
past the starting gates? Check out
20 Reasons Why Musicians Get Stuck at the Local or Regional Level,
which helped inspire an article in Independent
Weekly this past summer.
Which reminds us...Now that you know how they got there,
check out Jinjer Hundley's
Where Are They Now:
The Decline of Western Civilization Part ll: The Metal
Years,
in which we find out what ever became of the L.A. bands featured in The Decline of
Western Civilization Part ll: The Metal Years...
At the opposite end of the spectrum,
Bon Jovi, whose single for "Who Says You
Can't Go Home" made them the first rock band ever to hit #1 on
Billboard's Country Singles chart, have been going strong for nearly 25 years now.
Maintaining visibility in a music industry career for over two decades takes
as much business smarts as talent, and our
MusicBizAdvice.com Case Study:
Why Bon Jovi is Music Business 101 highlights some of their key
marketing decisions.
If someone you know
still insists on using online
modeling and talent agencies, show them our
ScamAlert Safety Alert report
about kidnappers posting fake audition notices. Although some of the facts of
the story sound hard to believe, we verified it with Emmy Award winning
reporter Kristin Stinar, who first
presented the story on The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch. This story
contains material some parents (and parental filters) may find
objectionable, but it's important to get the information out there.
Also in ScamAlert, see if you can spot the 6 red flags that indicated
the audition notice was fake. They apply to other online modeling and talent
agencies as well. (The
Red Flag Safety Quiz
Answers contain no material that parental filters should object to,
so you can still learn the red flags that indicate a potential scam.)
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MusicBizAdvice.com recommends Barbara Brabec's home business
books, such as this one .
For a list of Barbara's other books, click here. |
