#musicindustryarticles

[gibsonmusicart]

What's Fair In A Record Deal

By Chris Standring

I recently re-read Courtney Love's famous "rant on the major label cartel", a fascinating and inciteful criticism of the major record company contract system from a signed artist's perspective. If you haven't yet read this you can read this here in the A&R online reading room. For those of you who are not up on this drama, Courtney Love sometime ago expressed her dissatisfaction with her own record deal and artist deals in general, deeming them to be corrupt, an "act of piracy" and exploitative. She goes on to say that it would take millions of record sales for an artist to recoup promotional money spent in order to see any money at all from record sales. It is a very long, yet thoughtful essay on the music business seen through the eyes of a successful artist. I would like to offer my take on this subject if I may indulge myself, and offer a personal opinion on what changes might be made in order to exercise a more fair record contract situation. Courtney is absolutely right when she talks about artists not making money from record sales. I think that first I should quickly point out (for the benefit of lesser experienced artists) that there are two royalty sources that an artist is technically able to benefit from. The first (and Courtney's main concern) is "artist" royalties. These are royalties due to an artist from record sales. Usually, an artist can be offered anywhere between 10 to 20 royalty points depending on his/her credibility, etc. The second royalty source is "mechanical" royalties. These are royalties payable to the songwriters. Last time I checked the statutory rate was around 7 cents per song (possibly changed again by now). A songwriter who writes 100% of an album's worth of let's say 10 songs will, therefore, make 70 cents per album sold. This is payable from record one. It is therefore extremely beneficial for artists to write the music they record! Anyway, the only real drama with mechanicals is that labels somehow get away with paying artists only 75% of the statutory rate, which means labels are effectively withholding 25% of the copyright income. There is absolutely no reason for them to do this apart from the fact that they have always got away with it! This is one thing I would like to see changed. Very successful artists can usually negotiate 100% of the stat. New artists, very very rarely. Let's go back to our "artist" royalties because this is where ALL the problems really lie. Let me explain what the problem is really all about. Let's say a major label has just signed your band "The Ahmesh Conspiracy" and offered you an exorbitant amount of money. Your attorney has negotiated an artist royalty of 15 points. Traditionally not bad for a new artist. Here's the way it works... Every single promotional penny spent on promoting your record, be it video costs, indie radio promotion or retail programs, etc, is recoupable from your royalty points in some way, depending on how your contract is set up. Some things are charged to the artist at 100%, some 50%. What this means is that in order for you to recoup let's say $100,000 in promotion, the record company will have to receive income almost 10 times that amount before you clear that recoupment. (Don't forget, you the artist won't see a penny until your recoupment is clear). How is this so? When $100,000 of income goes to the record label, only 15% of that goes towards your recoupment. You are recouping at a snail's pace because you are recouping at 15% of the pie! That means that realistically, you can never really make money because if records are selling well, the label will continue to spend X amount of promotional dollars which in turn gets recouped at the 15% snail's pace. It's a complete joke! While you are going more and more in debt, the label may be making millions! It takes an Elton John or Mick Jagger to make artist royalties. Pretty frightening huh? So how have artists been existing up until now and what is there to hope for? Firstly, smarter artists become hip to the fact that they HAVE to write their own material. Secondly, once they have a hit record, if they are really smart they will have their attorney attempt to re-negotiate certain things in order to keep everyone pacified. (Let's face it there is nothing more counter-productive than a reluctant artist!) One of those things may be to "clean slate", which essentially means to have the label wipe their recoupment bill from a previous record. This is only possible from an artist with a very successful CD, however. There has to be a tremendous amount of positioning to pull this off. Aside from living off publishing income (mechanical royalties), a successful artist can always tour. The more successful an artist is the more the band can be "guaranteed" high-performance fees. A successful artist touring can command thousands of dollars per show which record companies do not take a hand in. This is an important revenue for artists. So this is the way it has been up until now. I say "up until now" as nothing has changed yet, but with people like Courtney Love going to court over this, things may indeed take a turn, whether it be now or later. I would personally like to see two important things changed in standard recording contracts: Firstly, regarding artist royalties, artists should be able to recoup at (at least) 50% (50 artist royalty points) until their debt is paid. Once their debt is paid, then a lower artist royalty rate might then be acceptable. The sheer fact that labels recoup from artists at such a pathetically low rate means that there is no hope for artists to make money this way. There has to be a new higher percentage to recoup at. Secondly, regarding mechanicals, as I mentioned before, I would like to see it made illegal that labels can even offer 75% stat. It HAS to be 100%, non-negotiable. Finally, and something I want to say that Courtney will probably disagree with, is that labels should make the lion's share. Why? because I believe that anyone who stumps up the money in the first place should make a larger percentage. Otherwise, artists should do it on their own (and of course are doing that now, but usually with complications as there is little money to play with). I am more than happy to see artists sign a record deal where a record label makes more money than them, especially if an artist is new, undiscovered and needs a huge promotional break. That takes a ton of money. Money artists don't have on their own. That's why we have record deals. HOWEVER, this aside, I want to know I too can not only eat but make good money if I am signed to a label that has me signed to a contract for 7 frickin' albums!! That's a long long time to be tied up let me tell you. Especially if CD's are selling and you ain’t collecting! So, sure, I want to see big changes, it's high time! I think it has to be in perspective that's all.

Source: Music-Articles.com

[gibsonmusicart]

Understanding where and how you fit into the marketplace

By Chris Standring

Let's take an interesting scenario... Let's suppose I gave you one million dollars. I heard your band, really liked it and believed that you could be successful. Let's also suppose I have plenty of money to throw away. Here's the deal though. I'm not a record company, just an interested investor. I give you one million dollars to promote your group, to get on the radio and to sell records and get in the big music industry game. In exactly two years I want my money back. It's kind of a loan. If I get my money back after two years, I will give you a bigger deal to promote your next record, one and a half million dollars. If I don't get my money back we never speak again. Deal over, along with your career. Think about it. This could be your big chance. One million dollars to put your music career on the map. Better yet, another million and a half for your next record. No strings attached. Just a chance to get you in the door and compete with the big boys. Here's my question. What do you do with this money? Where do you begin? How do you entertain the idea of marketing yourself successfully? It's a good question isn't it? Think about it. What the hell do you do?? I would be interested to get some answers right around now because I guarantee that 90% of you wouldn't know exactly where to begin. I don't say this disdainfully, after all most of you are creative people, not business heads, but the world has changed, and is changing rapidly. The days of being discovered are over. The days of signing a major record deal are diminishing rapidly. Of course there will always be deals to sign but right now it is about self marketing to get the attention of big industry folks. So give this scenario some thought because it may not be unreal. Whether you have $5000 or $1,000,000 to invest in your career, the thought process should be the same. "What can I do to get myself to the next level, minimizing all risk?" Let me delve further... The painful truth is that one million dollars is a pitiful amount of money to play with in the major league music business. So, unless you are extremely careful, and I mean EXTREMELY careful, it will be unbelievably easy to literally throw this money away unless you know exactly what you are doing. With this in mind, I would suggest you learn 'exactly' what you are doing. The next question becomes, "What do I need to learn?" Well, you will need to learn about radio because you now have money to promote your record to it. You do want to compete with the big boys right? Already, we might have stepped one rung of the ladder too far. If we are going to go to radio, what do we promote to radio? Surely a single that will lessen the odds of disaster. Now you will need to be aware of your competition, you will need to know what is hot at radio, indeed what is hot at YOUR radio format. But what is YOUR radio format? Is it CHR, Urban, Urban AC, AC, NAC, Alternative, Country? Any ideas? (Clue: go to www.rronline.com and peruse the radio charts, get familiar with where you fit in). Now, let's not forget that in order to promote to commercial radio it costs literally thousands upon thousands of dollars, out of the box. You shouldn't even begin to consider spending your money until you know that you will have some success in your format. It's a complete waste of time and money otherwise. You will need to test market, do a ton of research before you even spend a dime. Don't forget, I want my money back in two years and I will give you a bigger deal if you get me my money back. There is every incentive for you to get this right. So already you are now thinking about lessening the odds of disaster because you want a succcessful career right? Ok, We have the radio thing down. Let's talk about Retail. You will need to get this wired. Here's a little info you might not know about. We all know how difficult it is to get distribution, right? They seem to want to deal with established relationships. Let's assume you have an 'in' and have a good distributor working with you. That distribution company has to sell your product to each retail store they are assigned to. Why will a Tower records or Warehouse stock your record? Because you have good distribution? Hell no!! A distributor is only as good as the record company promoting your record. You, the label, will need to convince retail to stock your record. How do you do that? One way might be to deliver them hot faxes on a weekly basis telling them of all the promotion you are giving your record, namely; radio action, gigs, special marketing programs, paying retail exorbitant amounts of money to get 'end caps' (those cool stands at the front of the store, displaying 50 copies of your record at sale price). And so on. And this is just the beginning.... How much of this did you know? Be honest. To promote a record effectively, you have a small window of time where you can buy listening stations, promote to radio via an independent radio promoter and market you record effectively. And don't forget, I want my money back or you don't get the next million and a half. Once you put yourself in the competetive world of music business promotion something interesting happens. The artist seperates himself/herself from the art and sees things from a purely marketing standpoint. But not just marketing, marketing TODAY. And the point of this little scenario? It is important to look at your product and ask yourself, "Do I have what it takes, and if not, how can I get to that neccessary place in order to compete?" We have to exist in a professional playground, like it or not. How do we fit into this playground? Well, It's become a highly competetive world which means we have to try to keep one step ahead, and really know the business. Try to think above who you are as an artist and understand how you might fit into the marketplace. Because, frankly, I would really like my money back!

Source: Music-Articles.com

[gibsonmusicart]

The real truth behind pay to play!

By Chris Standring

Few things get my goat. "Pay To Play" has always been one of them, as long as I can remember. Until recently. For those of you who are not familiar with this concept, I will briefly explain. I should preface this article by saying that there are indeed many other band-booking scenarios. This article is specific to one and one only. Also, the concept of pay to play is rife in big US cities such as Los Angeles and New York. It may not exist in certain countries. It's not a perfect world, just the one that we live in. Ok, with that little disclaimer aside, I will continue.... An unknown (and unproven) band will approach a club booker and try to get their act booked on a certain date. The booker listens to the band's CD and decides that they are worthy of public attention and agrees to give the band a date. There are two ways this will pan out. First, about 300 tickets will be printed up and sold to the band by the club. The band then sell these tickets to their fans and do their promotional job enticing people to come to see their show. It is in the band's interest to sell all the tickets otherwise they are out of pocket and end up "paying to play". The second way is where a contract is issued to the band explaining that they need to have a certain amount of people in the club for them to make a profit, let us say 100. If 100 people do not show up and pay 5 bucks to get in, the remaining amount is due to the club. So if a band only fill that club with 50 people, then 50 people (that haven't paid $5) is due to the club. The band end up paying the club $250.00 Ok so now we have that understood let's try to get a new perspective on this. Although I have always abhorred this behavior from club bookers I have a new attitude to it, something that changed once I started touring as a recording artist, promoting my own records. What all bands want is a nice guarantee to perform at venues and start making a profit. However, as a new unproven artist, one has absolutely no market share. This is an essential "ticket value". If a promoter wants to book The Eagles to play live then he knows that this band has an enormous fanbase and can guarantee an audience. He then does a deal with the bands' agent who later accepts. The promoter is initially out of pocket but with low risk as he has done the numbers and knows that he will turn a profit with this proven act. The new artist has no market price as this band is unknown. Therefore a club booker cannot offer a guarantee because he is at risk with this band. It is, therefore, the band's responsibility to take the risk. Usually, the band does take a hit because it cannot draw a crowd and ends up out of pocket. Now the band has an attitude about giving away free entertainment! But this is business. A product needs to be proven to work before other business people decide to get involved and give away money. Here is something that opened my eyes once I got in the record game. A manager friend of mine said to me as I signed my first record deal, "Welcome Chris, now you're off to the races let's see how much money you lose in the first year!" Now there's the encouragement I thought. Wise words however and I took heed... As my first radio single took off on the airwaves I started to get invitations to perform at radio station events and promotional functions. Most radio stations like to have annual events they call "listener parties" where they invite thousands of listeners to an event they put on and invite let us say 3 bands to perform. The first two artists will be proven stars, the third (little old me in this example) what they call a "new rising star". The first two bands may be offered a guarantee to perform, but quite possibly not. Usually, if money is offered for radio events it will be minimal as they expect record label tour support. Sponsors sometimes jump on board and offer free hotel and air so ostensibly the radio station ends upcoming just a little out of pocket to promote their event. So, I am invited to perform at one of these listener parties but the radio station only wants to pay $1500.00 assuming that my label will kick in the rest. I go back to my label and ask for a further $2000.00. The event is on the east coast and I have to fly 4 other guys as there is no air sponsor. Air tickets are costing $595 each as it's peak summertime. That's $2975.00 before I have even paid my sidemen! My label agrees to kick in $1500 and that's it! So now I have a guaranteed budget of $3000 and my airfares for the band have tapped that! I absolutely have to pay my band as they should not have to take a hit, it's my career after all! I decided to try and do the show without a sax player. That will save me airfare and show fees. Now my airfare is down to $2380.00. I'll pay my band $250.00 each to do this show. Now I am up to $3130.00 I am down $130.00 and I haven't paid myself a penny!!! Do I do the show? You're damn right I do, this listener party has 7000 people coming in checking me out, possibly buying my CD and becoming new fans. Now 3 years later and another hit record to my name I am being offered more healthy guarantees from promoters in the USA and Europe. Why? because I was smart in the beginning and made sure I got things to work when I needed them to. Now I even have musicians I call to do shows that live in New York, Los Angeles and London to make an even healthier profit. This is obviously not such a good idea if you are a 4 piece band but as a solo artist, you can do this very effectively. By hiring musicians in London for a UK show I can save myself around $2400.00 That's a big slice if you do this on a regular basis! To understand one thing. You have to start small and build your fan base. Once you have a legitimate fan base, you can do good deals with promoters. In order to do this, you need to localize. Build-in one area and expand. It's a "baby step" program. Watch for the con artists, they do exist as I'm sure you know. Be smart. I love contracts, you should grow to love them too. Prove yourself. Build your market share and understand that "pay to play" does exist but it's nothing more than smart business. Once you have market worth, trust me promoters will be calling you offering healthy guarantees!

Source: Music-Articles.com

[gibsonmusicart]

Tips for Improving Stage Performance

by EDMUND BRUNETTI

So, you’ve formed a band and you have your first performance – it’s exciting, right? While this may be true, a lot of bands face difficulties when they first start performing live. If you aren’t properly prepared, you could get discouraged when things go wrong and your band isn’t getting the response you want. Let’s get into some tips that you can use to improve your live performances.

Practice

Practicing is one of the most important things your band can do before getting on stage. You don’t have to practice your band’s original music – you can find guitar chords and tabs to your favorite songs to get better at your instrument. There are free tabs for guitar players available on plenty of websites, so look around and find songs you’ll love to practice.

Even if you practice using your band’s music, you don’t have to play it exactly as it’s written. Experimenting is one of the ways you can get better at your instrument, though you should aim to focus instead of just twiddling the strings. Try playing around with the song’s set up and finding what sounds best before you go out and put on a show.

A Few Days Before the Show

It may seem like bands just show up and perform, but there’s a bit more to it than that. It takes communication and planning to have a great show, which requires action on your part. Your band will need to create an input list as well as a stage plot before the performance. An input list shows the mics and lines needed for your performance while the stage plot shows your band’s set up once on stage.

Before the day of your show, check all of your band’s equipment to make sure it is functioning properly. You should also make sure that your guitar’s strings are fresh and tuned, the drum head is in good condition, and that you have plenty of wireless batteries.

On the Day of the Show

On the day of your band’s gig, be sure that you arrive as early as possible so that you have enough time to set up and hand over your stage plot and input list. Once you’ve spoken with the production staff, and have set up your equipment, tune your instruments and get ready for a soundcheck.

The amps should be set at an ideal volume so they don’t drown out the rest of the band. You should also consider the volume of monitor mixers, which can ruin the sound for fans sitting in the front tow. Some artists prefer bringing in their own mic, so make sure that the band does a quick soundcheck to ensure that each member is heard properly.

In a nutshell, having a great performance takes a lot of preparation. You should practice often, using free tabs for guitar musicians online – just make sure any guitar chords and tabs used for practice are transposed properly. Your band should also get all pre-show information and gear so that you know what you’re working with.

Source: Amazines.com

[gibsonmusicart]

Online Branding for Musicians How to - Why Branding Your Band Is Essential

By Ken Cavalier

Before I begin writing this article, I'd like to say that most artists and musicians are sometimes intimidated by the word BRAND. A lot, or even most, have no idea what it means or what it is, and most importantly how crucial it can be to set themself apart from all of the thousands of other acts out there; and being the band that ultimately achieves success.

First, let me point out that building your digital brand is not as complicated as you might think. As a matter of fact, it's probably one of the easiest and least expensive forms of marketing your music and your band. As I indicated, I am going to lay this out - step-by-step so that it is very easy to follow and implement. So, let's get into it a little:

First, let me point out that building your digital brand is not as complicated as you might think. As a matter of fact, it's probably one of the easiest and least expensive forms of marketing your music and your band. As I indicated, I am going to lay this out - step-by-step so that it is very easy to follow and implement. So, let's get into it a little:

YOUR LOGO:

This is probably the simplest form of your brand. Every act should have a logo that in some way or another represents who you are. It should be simple and easy to understand. But you must have one. Don't rush it - do many different ideas and samples until you pick the final version. Collaborate with band-members, fans, and friends for different ideas. Six heads are better than one.

YOUR STORY:

Remember, you essentially want your digital brand to tell the story of who you are. Focus on details that describe your image and likeness, your on-stage consistent look, and a consistent look and feel for your websites and social media. Once you devise your branded image, exploit it everywhere. When fans move from website to website or see you perform, your brand must be consistent. Everywhere people look for you, they must be able to absolutely know it's you - simply by seeing your consistent logo, brand, and image. It must be memorable!!

CONSTRUCT A COMMUNITY OF FOLLOWERS:

Personalize your fan engagement experiences. Build trust and affection in your close personal community. Engage as often as possible. Possibly use brand-infused giveaways as a way to increase your follower's cooperation.

Use Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to constantly spread your brand and expose it to as many followers as possible. By all means, shoot professional videos. Video will enhance your brand and give your fans a closer look at what you're all about and become closer to you.

OVERSHADOW YOUR COMPETITION:

Dominate your particular music market by being distinctive in every aspect of your digital and traditional marketing efforts. Some examples are your official website, your social media sites, and posts, new CD releases and especially in your merchandise. Your merch must be distinctive and express your image and brand in its designs. Along with your logo, merch designs should also reflect your band's character and its overall story. The designs should be original and trendy. If they're truly cool designs, people will buy them even if it had nothing to do with your band; hence, more collateral exposure for your brand.

PUBLICITY & MUSIC MEDIA RELATIONS:

Exploit your brand in the news media, interviews, radio, and in music review blogs. Getting coverage in any of the media outlets will create serious attention and awareness for your brand, and further, enhance it. This type of outreach is better handled by a seasoned music publicist. It takes a great deal of time, expertise, and an accumulation of high profile media contacts. It's extremely difficult for the average artist to be taken seriously by media outlets. A professional music publicist, who is trusted by the media, may cost you a few bucks, but it's worth every penny.

SO, IN SUMMARY:

Remember, don't get too intense or complicated. And most importantly, don't get frustrated. Take your time - do it right and keep it simple. Don't forget to work with all of your band-members, fans, friends, and followers when it comes to establishing your logo, story, image, and designs. Six heads are better than one. Take a look at the extremely popular acts that you admire - see how they approach branding. You may want to consider emulating some of their ideas.

Branding is a serious business. It's not something to be ignored. It's the visual representation of you as an artist. Just have fun, and do it!

Source: EzineArticles .com

[gibsonmusicart]

Seven Things Musicians Do In The Wrong Order

By T. Hess

A lot of musicians do the correct things, but at the wrong time (and in the wrong order). They try to build their music careers while basing many of their decisions on fear, incorrect assumptions, and tips from amateur musicians rather than proven professionals.

The following music career mistakes make achieving success in this industry very difficult:

Mistake #1: Contacting Music Companies Too Soon To Try To Get A Record Deal

A lot of musicians want a recording contract, but only a small percentage of them really know what music companies are looking for. These companies invest tons of money into musicians similar to how people put their money into stock on the market.

You have to give these companies 100% proof that their investment will pay off for many years to come. When you can do this, music companies feel comfortable investing in your career because they believe it will help them earn money. When you contact them too soon, before you can provide proof of your potential to help them succeed, you are simply wasting your time.

You don't have to have massive accomplishments before you can contact them, but you do need to make sure that a company can completely trust in:

*Your desire to achieve big things

*Your ability to work hard on a consistent basis

*Your ability to persevere

*Your mindset for business

*How well you can sell music to your existing fans

Mistake #2: Only Focusing On Mastering Your Instrument And Neglecting Your Career

Tons of musicians are afraid of growing their careers because they don't think their musical skills are good enough. They feel like they need to master their instrument completely before they can even think about getting into the music industry.

1. It takes a lot more than musical talent to grow a career in this industry. When you spend all your spare time practicing your instrument, you lose time you could be spending to work on growing other areas of your career.

2. There's no such thing as completely mastering a musical instrument because you will always find new things to improve.

You need to get started growing your career when your musical skills are around an intermediate level or above. Continue getting better musically while developing your music career at the same time.

Mistake #3: Waiting Too Long To Find A Music Career Mentor

The majority of musicians do not have any training for how to achieve success in the music business, because:

1. They don't know that music career mentoring exists.

2. They don't have enough ambition to pursue success in this business.

When you work with a music career mentor, you are investing in your future (not merely spending money). Mentoring helps you make tons more money than what you invest in it. This is how:

*You no longer have to guess when it comes to how you should grow your career. You save tons of time and money working with an experienced mentor than you would simply be guessing about what to do next.

*You find out the best way to promote yourself and your music. This gives you a massive advantage when working with/without a music company.

*You discover how to create opportunities in your music career without any outside help. This makes your career very stable and secure while giving you complete control over how much success you want to have.

Disclaimer: You might be aware that I have a music career mentoring program to help musicians become successful. So maybe you believe everything above was written just so you will join it. This is only partially correct. Of course, I want to help musicians like you to succeed. However, the benefits of working with a mentor can't be denied whether you work with me or not.

Mistake #4: Not Training Yourself To Have The Right Mindset At The Start Of Your Music Career

The way you think determines how far you get in the music industry. Have a poor mindset, and you will never achieve great success.

Fact: your mindset consists of much more than simply thinking with a positive attitude. When you train yourself with a success-oriented mindset, you train yourself to:

*Push through in the face of challenges where others would give up.

*Turn problems into massive opportunities for success.

*Do the hard work other musicians don't do, so you can achieve the big results most musicians never get it.

To do these things you have to train your mindset from the very beginning of your career and build a solid foundation from which to expand.

Mistake #5: Not Building Up A Local Following Of Fans

Music companies are way more interested in musicians who have a huge local following than those who have a moderate internet following. It's harder to grow a loyal fanbase in your local town than to attract thousands of people all over the world to check out your online videos/channel/etc. Plus, it's very difficult to fake a local following versus having a lot of likes on Facebook (for example).

Mistake #6: Waiting Too Long To Get Freedom Of Time And Money

Let's face it: you need to have the freedom to be able to accept certain opportunities in your music career as they present themselves. This means you need both time and money.

Too many musicians don't consider this until it is much too late. They spend the majority of their time working at normal day jobs while keeping their music career as a side hobby.

The majority of day jobs require you to spend full-time hours working every week. This makes it nearly impossible to grow a music career and make money at it. Many musicians get stuck at their jobs and never end up going into music.

Get back control over your time and money as soon as you can (by starting early in your music career).

Mistake #7: Planning Your Music Career From The Start Instead Of The End

You need to plan your music career by thinking from the end and working your way backward. Think about what your highest goal is and the final step you must take before you achieve it, then work backward from there. This gives you the precise path you need to take to get there.

The majority of musicians don't do this. The try to plan out the steps they have to take from where they are. This is a good way to get stuck and not achieve the things you want.

An experienced music career mentor shows you how to design a strategy to reach your musical goals as fast as possible.

Get the music business training necessary to become successful.

Source: EzineArticles.com

[gibsonmusicart]

Music Licensing - What, How and Why It's Important for Your Business

By Mark Malekpour

Music licensing commonly refers to 'royalty free music' or 'production music'. This is music that has been written and produced with the sole purpose of being used in another project. Anyone can then license this music for a fee, to use in their project.

What about commercial music?

Commercial music, written and performed by artists like Adele, M83 and U2 for example, cannot be used for any purpose other than personal/private performance. When you buy a CD or download an MP3, it is specifically stated that you cannot do anything with that song or music track except listen to it yourself. Any business use is prohibited, even playing it on the radio to customers at a hair salon.

To play commercial music to the public, a public performance licensed is required by the appropriate performing rights organization of that country. In the UK it may be PRS or PPL. In the US/Canada, it may be BMI or ASCAP. These organizations arrange a fee to the proprietor of the business, based on the size of their business/location. This can be expensive, and time-consuming just to play the radio to your customers on your premises, but does permit the business to play the radio to its customers without legal issues.

This is not a suitable solution for video production and filmmaking, as the usage and purpose of music are not the same. As many video production companies produce content for clients, they need background music for their video/film that is cleared for its intended purpose. When licensing commercial music, arranging such a license for online, public performance, in-store and mass distribution quickly becomes expensive and convoluted.

Royalty-free music licensing offers a simple and cost-effective solution to acquiring well-produced music with all necessary rights for the client, within an affordable, transparent license.

Who needs to license music?

Anyone creating digital content with the intention of publishing it online or publicly. It's really that simple. You cannot legally use music you have not written yourself, or licensed from a music library.

What about 'home movies' and 'personal projects'?

The same rules apply to home movies and personal projects, but because these are produced not-for-profit, nor professionally on behalf of a client it is possible to use commercial music in this type of content. However, when this content is published on social platforms like Facebook and YouTube, you may find your video is blocked in certain countries or deleted entirely. This is because commercial artists and record labels have an agreement in place that monitors the use of their content on these platforms, and can enforce accordingly. There is, however, many commercial artists and record labels who permit the use of their music in exchange for advertising. An ad will be attached to your content as a pre-roll, overlay or half-time break during the video in exchange for permission to use their music track. If you're producing something personal, 'for fun' then this shouldn't be an issue.

The risks of using commercial music in professional video

A client may want the latest chart hit in their video because it resonates with their target audience, or they feel it represents their brand. However, as outlined previously this could end up immediately being blocked or deleted with further implications like account suspension. If the video is not blocked or deleted, then it will be served with ads.

This is the last thing you want for your client. You've produced a video promoting their new product, and before the video has even started, viewers are being shown ads for competing brands and products. It degrades the potential of the video and the brand.

Why license ROYALTY FREE MUSIC?

There are THREE key reasons why licensing music correctly is hugely important.

1. You're using music that will NOT be subject to copyright claims, blocks or deletion when it is published online. This means you can deliver your end-product to your client without fear of any music-related issues.

2. You can MONETISE the content you produce. If you're producing the content for your own online channel on YouTube, you'll no doubt be entered into the partner program, to earn money from ads displayed on your videos. You cannot earn money from these ads if the music is not licensed, as it will go straight to the artist/producer of the music. Pay for the music license, earn money from that music license. Simple.

3. Create an identity for your video. Whether you're producing something on behalf of a client, or yourself. If you use a hugely popular, well known commercial music track, chances are that song will resonate with the viewer more than your content. However, if you create really good video content AND license the perfect music track nobody has heard before, you're offering a completely unique audio/visual package that is new and fresh.

What about free music?

If you look for it, you will find music that is available to use for free. But ask yourself, why is it free?

Free in exchange for ads and revenue.

The creator could be giving you permission to use their music in exchange for ad-revenue online via YouTube and Facebook, and you won't know this until you publish it and get informed ads will be displayed alongside your video, with all revenue going to the artist.

A poor quality sample

The free music track you're using could be a low-quality sample of something an artist is trying to sell. This could be a low 128kbs MP3 that appears suitable, but when played back against high-quality content, will sound quiet, muted and generally not as good. When music is licensed from a library, it should be available in broadcast quality WAV or 320kbps MP3 as standard.

Who else is using it?

You won't be the only one looking for free music. People creating content purely for personal projects don't have a budget for music licensing so they need something free. If you're producing a project for a client who is paying you, would they be happy with you using the same free music track as everyone else? If it's free, chances are a lot of people will make use of it.

Clearance and Assurance

Anyone can upload a music track online. There is no vetting, no quality control or legal assurance. Any Blog or digital content platform can host a music track for others to share. So, when you're downloading a 'free music track' how do you know the provider actually has the right to provide it to you? When you license a music track from a professional curated library, you have the assurance that every single music track has been reviewed, contracted and published legally for you to license and use.

Why pay for music?

There are thousands of music tracks online. What difference is there between 'Track A' and 'Track B'? As a video producer/filmmaker, ask yourself this question: "There are thousands of video cameras available. iPhones can shoot 4K video and you can plug a microphone into them. Why should a company hire me to shoot their video"?

When you license music from a reputable library, you're paying for the expertise in writing and composing the music track. From the start, middle and end. The quality of instruments used. The production of dynamic audio, the builds, and crescendos. The post-production mastering and edits so that a 3-minute piece can be condensed into a short 30-second edit without losing any of the magic of the music track.

The difference you get when someone films a corporate video on their iPhone compared to someone filming the same video with a professional camera, lighting, and staging is painfully obvious. It is no different when it comes to music or photography. There is technology, the knowledge of the skill and the ability to combine them to achieve the highest quality result.

What can I do with licensed music?

Whatever you want. Music can be licensed for limited use or global distribution, mass production, and broadcast. You can license music for a specific purpose and tailor it to accommodate any additional requirements at any time.

Licensing royalty free music is intended to be the most cost-effective and practical solution for using music in your professional projects. General online distribution is commonly a one-time license fee per track for lifetime usage.

Source: EzineArticles.com

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Beef Up Your Music Press Kit

By Ken Cavalier

One of the biggest mistakes I've seen made by bands and artists today is to under-estimate the importance of a professional promotional kit. Your promo kit, also known as a press kit or media kit is probably one of the single most important elements in an artist's initial presentation to venues, promoters and most importantly record companies. First-impression is so important in the music business. Some artists just don't get it! With the major influx of CDs and packages that record companies receive on a daily basis... with most realizing the inside of the trash can at the receptionist's desk, its vital that your package stands out from the crowd and distinguishes you from the rest as a true professional who's package is worth reviewing and CD worth listening too.

In preparing your press kit you need to find every element possible that will distinguish you from the masses. Throwing together a bunch of poor quality copies, unprofessional photos and poorly written copy and bio all stuffed in a flimsy folder just isn't going to cut it. The press kit is a representation and extension of you. If it's a sloppy heap of papers, that's exactly how you come off. On the other hand, if it's a well-organized presentation, you come off as a pro.

Some of the elements that need to be taken into consideration when putting your kit together are things such as theme, concept, and layout. You should come up with a concept and theme for the kit, one that is memorable and basically ties every page together in some form of continuity. A theme could be based on the artists or bands name. For example, if the band's name is "Orange Freedom" The color scheme could have orange in it, either the paper or text or icons could be oranges. I'm aware this particular example may seem a bit infantile but I think you get the basic idea. Remember you want the band name to be memorable. Just to give you another example, recently we were showcasing one of our acts named "Uncle Plum" in New York City in front of 4 major record labels. The day of the showcase, we had one of our interns travel via cab around the city and deliver a reminder to each A&R and record executive invited to the showcase. Along with the cleverly written reminder invitation to the showcase, she promptly dropped off a basket of plums to each record executive. May sound silly... but it works.

Part of your concept should also be a professionally designed logo. A logo is very important and must be something easily remembered and contain the elements of your overall concept.

The utilization of professional packaging for your media kit is also vitally important. The binder must be strong, and not easily damageable. It wouldn't hurt to use a binder the same color as the band's logo once again for continuity. Although these types of portfolios can be expensive... sometimes a few bucks each, it's definitely money well spent.

A professional photo is definitely a necessity in your kit, maybe even a few photos. If you're a band, you will need the 8* x 10* B&W glossy of the band and also individual photos of each band member included in the bio section which we'll discuss later. A high-quality professional photo is a must. Having friends or relatives take a snap -hot won't cut it either. The photo is an area where you can't afford to try a save a few bucks. You need to shop around for a professional photographer to do this. I can't emphasize the importance of this enough. If you have the budget, hiring a professional music industry stylish to touch up your image may not be a bad idea either. Although I realize for most bands this may be cost-prohibitive.

The write-up section should contain two elements; your bio or the band member's bio; these should be short and to the point. Don't go nuts with a long detailed biography. Labels and others just don't have time to read it so they'll just skip it. There you will possibly lose out on providing information to the kit recipient which may be advantageous to you. Include things like your influences and other experience in the industry. They really don't care much about your baby picture or what you did when you were six years old unless, of course, you were a child sensation at the time. Your fact sheet; This should contain any favorable press or write-ups you've received such as tours, radio airplay, reviews, good sales figures on an independent release, etc. You can also include GOOD COPIES of any articles, interviews or reviews from newspapers or trade magazines. Every page of your press kit should include you or your manager's contact information and your website URL. Be truthful and keep it all as short and sweet as possible.

Now for the most important element of your kit... Your Music. Include a professionally recorded demo of your absolute best 3 songs. No more than three. The format should be on CD only. Encase your disk in a professionally labeled jewel case which includes your theme, contact information, and logo. It's important for your CD presentation to be as professional as possible. It's nice to have a separate pocket in your portfolio to house the CD so there is no chance for it to fall out or get lost. It's better contained that way. Or as we've done on occasion with some of our kits, use Velcro to hold the jewel case on the rear inside portion of the portfolio.

Now in summary, here are the elements to include:

* Create a theme and concept

* Design a professional logo

* Use professional packaging

* 8" x 10" Black & White glossy promo photo

* Individual band member photos if applicable

* Artist or band bio

* Fact Sheet... favorable write-ups and quotes

* Additional press... reviews, interviews, articles

* 3 Song CD Demo

Your press kit is your representation of you when you are not there. Don't take it lightly. Check it thoroughly for errors and content and be diligent. If your kit is special it will stand out and labels, venues, and the music media will take notice.

Article Source: EzineArticles .com

http://ronnieraven.bandcamp.com

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How to get the best results from your Studio Recording Session

By Eva Brandt

Preparing for a Studio Recording Session can be an overwhelming task. Recording your music can be expensive and time-consuming but it can also be a rewarding experience leaving you with a product you can be proud of for years to come; with careful and considered pre-planning you can put yourself in the best possible position to make the most of the opportunity. Efficient Time Management Getting ready for the studio session can be chaotic, especially if you’ve not organized things beforehand. Have all of the songs written prior to recording. If you play in a band, allocate roles to all of the members so that people know what they are doing. Rehearsing at home will save you a lot of time and money. Practicing will also improve your performance, which will affect the quality of the record. You should also be certain of the quality of the equipment. Guitar strings should be changed in advance. Waiting for something to go wrong at the studio in order to fix it will interfere with the session and is a classic case of “planning to fail”. Have a Budget Decide on a specific amount that you are willing to spend on the recording session and the production of your album. Many performers and bands believe that they will be done with the recording session quickly. Quite often, the process is lengthier than initially planned. If you require more hours for studio recording than initially planned, then expect this to naturally inflate the initial cost as well. Estimate the number of hours you will need and add a few more in case you run over. Make your budget calculations on the basis of these hours. It’s always best to have an idea of how much you “may” end up spending, rather than getting an unpleasant surprise at the end. Be Mentally Prepared Have enough hours of sleep before going to the studio. Recording your music can be a physically challenging task, especially if you need many hours. Being in the right state of mind will make things easier. Drinking and recreational activities the night before may sound cool but they are usually a bad idea. Work on your focus and your commitment. Refrain from paying attention to distractions and try to play your music or to sing as naturally, as possible. Always listen to the outcome before moving on. You may think that it sounds great while recording it but things may sound a little different when examining it much later on. It’s normal to feel that a certain take you’ve done isn’t good enough. It’s ok to do re-takes until you feel you’ve nailed it but try to agree to a cut-off point. It’s easy to lose track of time obsessing over every little bit of detail, especially when you’re aiming for perfection. A Few Additional Tips and Ideas If you have a drummer, make sure that the person arrives at the studio a couple of hours before the rest of the band. The extra time would be wisely spent setting up the instruments up consulting the sound engineer. All band members should go through a soundcheck before recording starts. Keep noise to a minimum and allow the engineer to focus on the task at hand. Your producer should have a demo of the songs that you are planning to record at the studio. All of the production ideas and your specialized requirements are best discussed and agreed ahead of time. Leaving creative ideas and other aspects of the recording process to the last minute could be a source of disagreement and frustration and could just eat up precious studio time. Being prepared, rehearsing and making sure that the instruments are in top condition will only help to ensure the quality of the recording session and give you the best possible opportunity to cut that killer track.

Source: ArticleAlley.com

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Inspired Songwriting Tips

By Yuri Nikitin

Here are some exact examples of what you can do to set a song together. You can get inspired by a number of methods such as: 1. A chord progression 2. A cool riff 3. A lead melody One of the things you require to do is generate a part that compliments your original idea such as adding a melody to a chord progression or adding up a chord progression to a melody. Say you have a chord progression you truly like. To make your musical painting, you have toknow theoretically what key you're in. If you're weak on modal theory, but familiar with a scale or neck pattern that sounds fine against your chord progression, employ what you know to create a melody over it. The easiest way to accomplish this is to find a multitrack recorder and record your chord progression on one track. Play it over and over a lot of times. When you play it back, work out your melody on another track. As you're working on a melody line, try to take note for cool harmony among your melody and chord progression. If only one exacting note sounds totally great against one of the chords, go with it and start building around that great relationship. Now, if you're notes are all correct but you can't seem to come up with something you like, it may be time to inject a new technique to spice things up a bit. Let's say you recognize the chords and you know the notes. Try looking at the notes in a whole new way such as: 1. Arpeggios. (The notes of the chords) 2. Skipping strings for wider note intervals. 3. Right hand tapping. 4. Whammy bar effects. 5. Pinching harmonics... One of the biggest problems is not being able to decide for if something was good or not. If you have this trouble too, get someone else's opinion. If possible someone who can suggest helpful insight. If you can't find someone to critique your tune, you MUST decide for yourself and move on...otherwise you'll never get your tune finished.

music-articles.com

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First Impressions Are Everything

By Laura Blair

As a freelance journalist, there’s not a bigger turn-off than a CD that lands on my desk with a bio or press release that looks like it’s been written by the drummer’s 14-year old brother. Given the stacks of CDs most journalists regularly receive, packages such as this are likely to go to the bottom of the pile. As an assistant publicist I’ve learned that it’s all about perception; framing a project with the right vocabulary to make it appeal to the right people. First impressions are important whether you are sending your CD to a journalist, in the hopes a CD or live show review, a manager if you’re seeking a management deal, an A&R rep in the hopes of a record deal…or any number of the players in the industry who can help or hinder your career. Chances are, the first (and sometimes only) contact you will have with such people is via a package mailed to them. If you are an indie musician, the last thing you want to appear is unprofessional, by way of a sloppy submission package. A well thought out press kit (don’t worry, it’s not as complex as it sounds) can give you the appearance of a band with its act together. And that might actually sparks someone’s interest enough to actually listen to your music. Such a kit can be as simple as a glossy black and white photo and a bio or history of the band. Even is there is no photo, a bio, or at least a one-sheet on the band is essential. If you are going to write the material yourself, here are some brief tips: Keep it short and to the point. In my experience, unless you are already a well-known band, any bio or press release that runs beyond one side of a page, is a waste of time. Most people don’t have either the time or concentration span to read all the way through to the end. So compress all your thoughts into one side of a page. Write from a 3rd person perspective i.e. don’t use “we” or “I”. Focus on “industry-friendly” details: What style of music you play – many bands don’t want to categorize themselves, but A&R reps etc. want to know what market you could potentially reach. Any achievements thus far – local press, airplay etc. Any other interesting details about the band that could make for a good story. What makes you different than all the other bands looking for a break? Since there are so many nuances to be considered, many of which may vary according to who exactly you are approaching, it is my recommendation that you invest a small amount of money in a freelance writer who can write your bio or press release for you. A couple of reasons: they will give the impression of an objective 3rd party and it is easier for them to highlight the points of interest that a band member (or their best friend/brother etc) may not consider. It is far easier to have someone else write about you and have it sound credible than for you to do it yourself. Also, a writer, whether they are used to doing PR writing or journalistic work can lend your bio an air of professionalism. This can be the difference between someone listening to your CD because you seem serious, or it being tossed aside with the thought of ‘another amateur indie band.’ There are other things a good writer can help you out with, such as incorporating any local press that a band may have already received, or writing compelling content for your website or MP3.com site. Sometimes there are some things best left to others. Just because you can write a great lyric, doesn’t mean you can express the spirit of your band in a professional, industry-friendly manner. It’s true that PR companies will also provide you these services, but usually at a cost that is out of reach of many bands and musicians who still have day jobs. Using an individual writer will furnish you with the professional air you need at a fraction of the cost. Each writer’s fees are going to vary, but you can expect to pay half upfront and the rest on completion of the project. 

Source: http://www.music-articles.com

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5 Tips for Improving Your Song’s Melodic Hooks

Melodic hooks can be the heart of a song. These tasty bits of ear candy can make the difference between an “almost” – and a life-changing hit. They can be instrumental or sung and can occur in any section of a song – the intro, verse, chorus, pre-chorus, post-chorus, bridge, or outro. Catchy musical phrases hook in your listeners and keep them on the proverbial line. They can occur in multiple sections of a given song (i.e., a verse, a pre-chorus, and chorus) and although it is not typical, there can be more than one musical and/or vocal hook per section. But they are most frequently found in choruses and post-choruses. Ideally, unforgettable hooks pop into our heads–or pour out of our keyboards or guitars–spontaneously. But when they don’t, we can apply craft to create these extra-memorable melodic moments and add additional hooks to maximize our songs’ chances for success. Let’s look at five ways to embellish our melodies and help them burn into listeners’ brains. 1. Use a Stutter A stutter in a song occurs when melody is crafted so that part of a word—typically the first syllable—is repeated one or more times by the vocalist. A perfect example of a song with a st-st-st-stutter is Carrie Underwood’s smash hit, “Undo It” (written by Underwood with Kara DioGuardi, Marti Fredericksen, and Luke Laird). The title is sung “Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh-Uh-Undo It,” turning the stutter into the primary hook in the chorus. For another example, listen to Elton John’s “Bennie and the Jets” (written by Sir Elton John and Bernie Taupin). It’s hard to imagine that #1 song without its signature stutter, the “Buh-Buh-Buh” that precedes the name “Bennie.” 2. Repeat a Rhythm Write a melody that includes a unique, instantly memorable rhythm in the vocal melody of a given section of your song (i.e., verse, chorus …). Then repeat this rhythm multiple times within the same part of the song. In order to accomplish this, each line that has the same rhythm needs to have the same—or approximately the same—number of syllables in the lyric that accompanies it. This technique resulted in a powerhouse hook in GRAMMY winning Best Rock Song, “When I’m Gone” (recorded by 3 Doors Down and written by band members Brad Arnold, Todd Harrell, Matt Roberts, and Chris Henderson). Note how the last note of each line of the chorus is emphasized, and that every line of the chorus melody repeats almost the same rhythm, creating a melody that delivered it to the top of Billboard’s Top 40 Mainstream and Hot Mainstream Rock charts. To hear another great example of the power of this technique, listen to the quirky rhythms in the melodic phrases that repeat in the verses of Old Dominion’s “No Such Thing as a Broken Heart” (written by Jesse Frasure, BMI’s reigning Country Songwriter of the Year, with Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, and Brad Tursi). Also note the musical phrase that repeats in the choruses. 3. Include a “Nonsense Syllable” In this context, a nonsense syllable refers to a sound that is sung but has no meaning. These include: “Ooh,” Oh,” Yo,” “Ay,” “Ahh,” “Ooh,” and “I.” These (and other sounds) can be joined together to create vocal hooks that combine melodies with sounds such as, “Oh-I, Oh-I, Oh,” “Ooh, Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh,” and “Ay-Ay-Ay-Ay-Oh-Ay-Oh.” Camila Cabello’s breakthrough smash, “Havana” (featuring Young Thug, and written by Cabello with Jeffrey Williams, Frank Dukes, Brittany Hazzard, Ali Tamposi, Brian Lee, Andrew Watt, Pharrell Williams, Kaan Gunesberk, and Louis Bell) added the sound “ooh-na-na (ay, ay)” to the title to create an unforgettable hook. Similarly, Sugarland used “Whoa-oh, whoa-oh” to take their song, “Stuck Like Glue” (written by Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush, Kevin Griffin, and Shy Carter) to the #1 slot on Billboard’s Country Digital Songs Chart, racking up more than 2.6 millions digital sales along the way. 4. Add a catchy post-chorus A post-chorus can be defined as a part of a song that occurs after the chorus, providing an additional hook that typically includes vocals. It introduces melody that is not heard in the chorus or elsewhere in the song, and in many instances, it has few lyrics that have not previously been heard in the song. It often reiterates the title and incorporates nonsense syllables. Examples of strong post-choruses include Keith Urban’s “Wasted Time” (written by Urban with James Abrahart and William Wells). For more information about post-chorus references, check out “The Power of Post-Choruses.” 5. Include a Catchy Instrumental Lick A musical motif, sometimes referred to as a signature lick, is a melodic phrase that is typically introduced in a song’s intro and recurs throughout the song. Some hit songs, such as Vanessa Carlton’s “Thousand Miles” and Jason Derulo's "Talk Dirty" have multiple instrumental phrases that serve as hooks. Carlton’s #1 hit includes a motif that is played on piano during the intro and in the verses, as well as the instrumental hook played by the strings in the second half of the verses. One of my favorite instrumental hooks is the guitar lick that introduces Rascal Flatts’ recording of “What Hurts the Most” (written by Jeffrey Steele and Steve Robson). This version of the song reached #1 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs and Adult Contemporary charts and received a Country Song of the Year GRAMMY nomination. The same lick can be heard (with slight variations) played on a synthesizer in Cascada’s pop/dance recording of the same song. At a recent songwriting workshop, I led my students through an exercise during which they applied each of these techniques to one of their songs. They explored including a stutter, repeating hooky rhythms, adding nonsense syllables, writing a post-chorus, and incorporating a catchy musical lick. One unforgettable hook can be your song’s ticket to the top of the charts. But why stop at one, when multiple hooks can maximize your chances of success? Try these tools in your own songs. Not every song will be benefit from each of these techniques; the decision needs to be made on a song-by-song basis. But you won’t know whether one or more of these melodic tools might take your song to the next level unless you try.

https://www.songwriting.net/blog/5-tips-for-improving-your-songs-melodic-hooks

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What You Need to Know About Starting a Music Business

By David Andrew Wiebe

For many reasons, the music industry isn't the easiest sector to start a business in.

If your target audience consists of musicians, many of them don't have much by way of expendable income.

If you're an independent studio or record label, it may not be as easy for you to profit from streaming royalties and other revenue sources as it is for major labels.

And because it's such a fun and creative industry - at least from the outside looking in - it's also competitive on just about every level.

Here are some things you need to know about starting a music business.

Fundamentally, It's Just Like Starting Any Other Business

It's good to be aware of the unique industry challenges and how they might affect your ability to create a successful business.

But fundamentally, building a music business is not that different from building a business in any other sector. You need to find a need, create a product or service that alleviates the problem, and then market your offer to the people who need it.

Information can be a bit of a hard sell in today's information-rich environment. But if you can curate the best of the best and put it together in a compelling eBook or course at a price your audience can afford, you may find your footing.

That's a key point worth remembering - you must tailor your offer to the unique needs of your audience.

Every Business Needs To Be A Publisher

This is a bit of a blanket statement and may not apply to every business case. But most businesses would do well to become a publisher in their industry and share ongoing updates, news items, curated content, and tutorials or how-to guides to serve their audience.

First of all, this keeps your followers engaged. It gives them a reason to keep coming back to your website, and it gives you something worth sharing on social media.

Second of all, content helps you attract more leads. You can grow your email list on an ongoing basis by matching compelling opt-in offers to your content.

Third of all, publishing helps you sell more. This does not mean that every blog post of yours should be a sales letter. Rather, by building trust with your audience on an ongoing basis, you'll develop enough rapport with them to move them down your sales funnel to where they'll want to buy from you.

You can achieve good results with advertising and other marketing endeavors too, but publishing has many benefits (such as authority), that are hard to ignore.

Article Source: EzineArticles .com

http://ronnieraven.bandcamp.com

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9 Tips for Buying Rap Instrumentals Online

By Shalini Madhav

Nowadays, the popularity of buying rap instrumentals online is on the rise. As a matter of fact, it has been bringing artists and producers together from all parts of the world. If you are looking for some tips to buy rap beats online, read this article.

1. Music Licenses

First of all, you should know the difference between different music licenses. Basically, there are two types of licenses: exclusive and non-exclusive. With an exclusive license, you can use the instrumentals for your projects.

On the other hand, a non-exclusive license allows you to use it only for your projects, but the rights to sell the instrumental still remain with the producer.

2. Know which licenses you should buy

You should be ready to spend more money to buy exclusive licenses. You should go for this type of license if you are going to release an album. On the other hand, if you want to record a mixtape or demo, you should go for the other type of license.

3. Prices

Often, owners of instrumental sites get carried away and charge unreasonably high prices for their beats. At the time of writing this piece, they are charging up to $1000 for exclusive rights. Of course, the price tags are based on the talent and popularity of the producers, but we won't recommend shelling out too much for a track.

4. Buy from trusted Sites

If you are going to buy from a website, make sure you choose a trustworthy seller. On the site, you should get the mailing address, email, phone number and contact details of the seller. Make sure they have a privacy policy too.

5. Look for the symbols

Aside from this, the site should also feature third-party trust symbols, such as PayPal Verified, BBB Certification, Shopping reviews, and other antivirus certifications.

6. Email the site

It may sound crazy but some instrumental sites won't get back to you if you email them. You may not want to do business with someone who doesn't even bother replying you through email. Trusted sellers will reply within a few days if not hours.

7. Look for testimonials

Testimonials are not essential, but they help a lot. As a matter of fact, testimonials will help you have a good idea of the trustworthiness of the site.

8. Avoid producers on Soundclick/MySpace page

Good produces always have their own websites. It sounds weird if someone is selling a good beat but using SoundClick or My Space as a medium. Therefore, we suggest that you avoid these sellers.

9. Google the Site

You may also want to search for the site on Google. As a matter of fact, this will give you a pretty good idea of the reputation of the site. If you find bad comments or something unusual in the search results, go back and look for some other site.

So, these 9 tips can help you buy instrumentals from the right site. Hopefully, you will have a great release.

Article Source: EzineArticles .com

http://ronnieraven.bandcamp.com

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Online Branding for Musicians How to - Why Branding Your Band Is Essential

by Ken Cavalier

Before I begin writing this article, I'd like to say that most artists and musicians are sometimes intimidated with the word BRAND. A lot, or even most, have no idea what it means or what it is, and most importantly how crucial it can be to setting themself apart from all of the thousands of other acts out there; and being the band that ultimately achieves success.

First, let me point out that building your digital brand is not as complicated as you might think. As a matter of fact, it's probably one of the easiest and least expensive forms of marketing your music, and your band. As I indicated, I am going to lay this out - step-by-step so that it is very easy to follow and implement. So, let's get into it a little:

YOUR LOGO:

This is probably the simplest form of your brand. Every act should have a logo that in some way or another represents who you are. It should be simple and easy to understand. But you must have one. Don't rush it - do many different ideas and samples until you pick the final version. Collaborate with band-members, fans, and friends for different ideas. Six heads are better than one.

YOUR STORY:

Remember, you essentially want your digital brand to tell the story of who you are. Focus on details that describe your image and likeness, your on-stage consistent look, and a consistent look and feel for your websites and social media. Once you devise your branded image, exploit it everywhere. When fans move from website to website, or see you perform, your brand must be consistent. Everywhere people look for you, they must be able to absolutely know it's you - simply by seeing your consistent logo, brand, and image. It must be memorable!!

CONSTRUCT A COMMUNITY OF FOLLOWERS:

Personalize your fan engagement experiences. Build trust and affection in your close personal community. Engage as often as possible. Possibly use brand-infused giveaways as a way to increase your follower's cooperation.

Use Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to constantly spread your brand and expose it to as many followers as possible. By all means, shoot professional videos. Video will enhance your brand and give your fans a closer look at what you're all about and become closer to you.

OVERSHADOW YOUR COMPETITION:

Dominate your particular music market by being distinctive in every aspect of your digital and traditional marketing efforts. Some examples are your official website, your social media sites and posts, new CD releases and especially in your merchandise. Your merch must be distinctive and express your image and brand in its designs. Along with your logo, merch designs should also reflect your band's character and its overall story. The designs should be original and trendy. If they're truly cool designs, people will buy them even if it had nothing to do with your band; hence, more collateral exposure for your brand.

PUBLICITY & MUSIC MEDIA RELATIONS:

Exploit your brand in the news media, interviews, radio, and in music review blogs. Getting coverage in any of the media outlets will create serious attention and awareness for your brand, and further enhance it. This type of outreach is better handled by a seasoned music publicist. It takes a great deal of time, expertise, and an accumulation of high profile media contacts. It's extremely difficult for the average artist to be taken seriously by media outlets. A professional music publicist, who is trusted by the media, may cost you a few bucks, but it's worth every penny.

SO, IN SUMMARY:

Remember, don't get too intense or complicated. And most importantly, don't get frustrated. Take your time - do it right and keep it simple. Don't forget to work with all of your band-members, fans, friends and followers when it comes to establishing your logo, story, image, and designs. Six heads are better than one. Take a look at the extremely popular acts that you admire - see how they approach branding. You may want to consider emulating some of their ideas.

Branding is serious business. It's not something to be ignored. It's the visual representation of you as an artist. Just have fun, and do it!

Article Source: EzineArticles .com

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Where To Publish Your Lyrics

Note that the ultimate goal behind publishing your lyrics is to get other musicians and songwriters to read it and write music to it. So, it makes sense to publish your lyrics on the websites that other songwriters usually visit. Always remember that your lyrics are not poetry, so poetry websites and forums might not do you any good getting musicians to see your lyrics and read them. Look for songwriting oriented places to market your lyrics...That's where musicians and other songwriters hang out!

I have compiled this short list of places and strategies in the hope that it helps you find the right music collaborator...

Songwriting Forums. There are lots of songwriting forums out there...only COLLABORATION forums might be useful. For example, there is artistcollaboration.com which gives you a chance to connect with other songwriters, musicians and lyricists, but you have to pay a subscription fee to be a member. Among free collaboration forums, Writing Fever forum is very useful (especially for online collaboration), also the collaboration forum of musesmuse.com and tunesmith.com are of excellent quality.

When you join a forum, post your work and get to know other members. Always remember to be specific about what you want so that other members can understand you and approach you in the right way.

Songwriting Classified Ads. It's always a good idea to post an Ad, and see what the wind will bring. Try gigfinder.com, getgigs.com and soundbarter.com...these websites offer classifieds posting for free and are very popular.

Now you have to be smart writing your ad, make it short, specific and be clear on what you want from your collaborator. Try to put a link to the webpage where you publish your lyrics. It's always useful if others have an idea of your style before actually contacting you.

Lyrics Directories. There are lyrics directories that list lyrics of famous singers and bands, those are useless to us. You need to find a lyrics directory for INDEPENDENT LYRICISTS. Writing Fever Lyrics Directory is free, with no censorship and offers very fast submission process. When you submit your lyrics to lyrics directories, submit correct contact information so that songwriters who read your lyrics can contact you later and ask to collaborate with you.

Remember to be patient with these directories since you will probably not get instant response to your lyrics. Lyrics directories increase the chances that your work will be read over a long period of time, while with forums you will usually have your lyrics read over the period of 2 days from your posting date at best...Forums are very dynamic, lyrics directories aren't.

Your Own Web Page. Having your own web page can be a great way to have presence and be known. It can also add to your credibility as a songwriter. You can always have yourself a profile at soundclick.com or myspace.com although these websites are more helpful for bands and artists who want to showcase their ALREADY COMPLETE songs to some AUDIENCE, which is not our case. The best way to go is to have your own independent website. It will offer you more freedom on the way you present your work to your collaborators and will be very powerful helping you manage your collaborator search the way you want. Check out this page for more information on how to get a free, professional looking personal website for free and without technical knowledge.

Finally, I'd like to stress on the fact that one strategy of the four strategies above will not cut it alone. Combine all strategies together when you search for collaboration, that way you can be sure you will have a strong presence as a lyricist and be able to find the collaborator you are looking for.

http://www.songwritingfever.com/songwritingtips/lyrics3.php