A big part of the revenue blurriness in music streaming is because many record deals were made before the advent of music streaming, using a model of selling a physical product. It’s time to tackle the job of drafting contracts to account for the fact that there are no manufacturing costs with streaming or download sales. Read more.
2015 was marked by a number of high-profile artists continuing to speak out against the music streaming business model while excluding their music from providers like Pandora, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and many more. Mainstream artists have challenged whether streaming can ever be profitable for artists. Read more.
Everyone wants to know how to make a little extra cash with their music, and music licensing is an appealing option for many independent musicians. There are measurable differences between the different levels of music libraries – finding the ones for you depends on your experience and business model. Read more.
Game composer Tom Salta and music publisher Jake Versluis advise hooking up with a quality music publisher if you can – or making a strong pitch directly to game-makers if you can’t – but how do you approach either sort of party and get taken seriously? Here’s advice on how to pitch your music for video games. Read more.
While you may find success placing music in smaller-scale video games, music publisher Jake Versluis (Director of A&R Creative for Position Music) says you need a long-term plan, a big-time work ethic, and really great music to land your work in the big-league titles. Read more.
In the broadest sense, a music publisher looks for music initially like an A&R rep at a label would. We’re searching for the best talent. We do differ in one significant way: talent alone can sometimes entice an A&R rep to sign an artist. With music publishers, that is rarely the case. Read more.
With every industry comes a set of terms that is specific to that field; the music business is no different. Check out this quick list of compiled definitions and music business terminology so you can learn to speak the language of the music industry. Read more.
Updated August 2017. A music publishing deal can be an additional revenue generator for a songwriter, and we’ve got advice on how to prepare your material and get into the mix. Read More.
DIY artist Whitey lashed out at and is making headlines for his recent spat with Betty, a London-based TV production company that “makes modern and high quality popular formats and factual television series” (i.e. reality TV). Betty wanted to use his song “Stay On The Outside,” claimed budget restrictions, and asked him to give away music for free. This was too much for Whitey, and he calls for a “public discussion.” Read more.
Performance rights organization BMI reports new records for royalty distributions and revenue for the fiscal year. ASCAP is taking a firm stand against Pandora Internet Radio, claiming that “the rights of songwriters are under attack” and asking songwriters to sign an online petition. It’s the 20th anniversary of Nirvana’s In Utero, and among the items included in the new box-set is a four-page letter from producer Steve Albini. “I would like to be paid like a plumber,” he writes. Read more.
Thom Yorke, the unmistakable voice and creative force behind Radiohead and Atoms For Peace, has made his disapproval of Spotify and it’s payment model clear by removing his non-Radiohead material from the music streaming service and tweeting about it. There’s been no mention of Radiohead removing its material from Spotify, but the move has sparked a torrent of commentary, support, solidarity, and criticism. Read more.
Revised January 2019. Whether you’re contacting magazines, music blogs, radio shows, record labels, music distributors, or promotional services, you have to check their specific submission guidelines before getting in touch. This is the most fundamental rule of music promotion. Read the post.
So one afternoon you sat down and wrote a simple four-chord song and made a rough recording on your home hard-disk multi-track. You sent it to a friend who liked it, and the next thing you know, a top artist heard it and fell in love. They want it for their next album. A few months later, the song is on the radio and it’s a hit. You’ve won the jackpot.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, your mailbox is being stuffed with large, thick envelopes from various companies. Who are they? What do they want? There seem to be hundreds of them and they all have thick forms and legal documents for you to fill out. Read more…