by John aka Jupiter King, Jun 25, 2008

The must-haves for any musician worth their salt.

Blues man Jack White is one of my favorite musicians, what got me hooked on Jack's music was when he did the song Portland, Oregon with Loretta Lynn. Another reason I like Jack White's music is because of the album Consolers of the Lonely. I was reading about Jack in Rolling Stone and it was then that I realized his talents are far reaching.

It is said that some just have the gift, and Jack evidently is one of those blessed with the talent it takes to make it in the harsh world of music. Music, as any seasoned musician will tell you, is like a relationship, you nurture it and it will grow.

Not to say that along the way there won't be pitfalls, but if you know what to look for and what not to do you can avoid those.

What's the Difference Between a "Good Song" and a Hit?

This question is key to any musician's bid for success in the music industry.

A "good song" might have all the right beats, it might have great musicianship, it might even be by a world-famous band, but what makes a "good" song into a Hit is how it touches the audience.
There are 10 must-haves for any musician:

1. Talent

2. An ear for other talent

3. Must work well with others

4. A distinct sound,(if you're "forcing it" the audience can tell.)

5. Authenticity (goes back to my point in the 4th must-have)
Before I go on to the next five must-have's keep in mind these are the observations of an author and that each person's ideas of music may be different.

6. A musician must have heart, I know I may have put that as the 6th point, but it is essential

7. A musician must be willing to diversify, repetition can become nauseating and redundant.

8. A musician that knows his/her audience will do far better than a self-absorbed musician

9. A clean nose (what I mean by this is, while the "bad" image may have sold in 1965, we have since learned that drugs kill, so stay away from them)

10. Most important must have for a musician is Soul, after all if your music is empty, then what's the point?

To All who read this, take it to Heart..

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By: Christopher Knab (Click here to see his book)



Top 10 Lists are a favorite hobby of our society. It’s a fun way to keep up the illusion of the simplicity of things in a complex world. So...why not a Top Ten List on the subject of Making A Living From Your Music? The following list highlights 10 habits you should develop if you want to make a living some day, just from your music. Remember that there are a million ways to get to any intended destination. From my observations over the years, this list of professional habits are shared my most successful musicians who truly have what it takes to succeed in this totally unpredictable business of music.


1. Find ways to get ordinary people who love music, to love your music.
We live in a time when everybody and their sister can and does make their own music. That doesn’t mean however that your music has what it takes for record labels to invest their money and time developing, promoting, and marketing that music. Try your music out on music fans like you solicit opinions from A&R Rep. These talent scouts of the music business are always following tips they hear from their street connections. But remember, your music must truly stand out in some significant, original, dynamic, and creative way. 95% of the independently produced CDs out there contain regurgitated ideas that were ripped off from some other more gifted musicians. Prove to the industry that ordinary music fans in your city love your music. You can find this out by giving away samples of your music on the street, or outside a musc venue where an artist similar to your music style is playing. (Be sure to have your contact information on the CD or flashdrive or whatever your music is on.) Also, put songs on your website, your MySpace page, or any of the newer social networking sites. The fact is that If people love something they let other people know about it. So, you can find out quickly if your music has what it takes by bringing your music to the people.

2. Play live often and don’t worry (at first) about getting paid for every gig.
You can always tell the difference between a musician who is in it for the money, and a musician who is in it for the music. The dedicated musician can’t not play music every chance they get. Money-focused musicians whine about the fact that they can’t get club gigs that pay anything. If you really think that you can make your living solely as a musician in the first three to four years of your career, you are headed for a breakdown and disappointment. Think about it...almost every legendary, gifted musician who has made a mark on our culture has been a musician who struggled long and hard at their craft, and...never gave up. Eat determination for breakfast! Go out there and play on the streets if you have to, play at schools, fairs, festivals, do benefits to help other people and organizations. Offer your services to non- profits, charities, church groups, and any other companies or organizations you can think of. Hang out at clubs, look for jamming possibilities, or start your own jam sessions. Look around your city or town, and you will see many places and venues where musicians can play. As you establish yourself and more and more people show up at your shows, the paid gigs will increase. Remember... play live, and then after you play live, play live again, that’s what musicians are supposed to do.

3. Know your instrument inside-out.
One of the curious developments of the late 1970’s was the huge increase in garage bands, punk bands, rappers, and ‘do-it yourselfers’, who just picked up an instrument, or started to sing with some friends, and 6 months later recorded a record and began to play live. Some great music, and new directions in music, came out of that situation. But now, 30 odd years later, the novelty of hearing amateurish thrashings has gotten a bit dull.

Prior to late 70’s, more often than not, the music that is our heritage was made by musicians who, from the time they took up their instrument, worshipped at the feet of some master bluesman, jazz player, folk legend, songwriter, or whatever. The habit of these inspired musicians was an appetite for perfection. A need to be not just ‘good enough’, but GREAT. Why settle for less. Whatever developing stage you are at, go beyond it, re-commit yourself to your instrument or voice. Take lessons, or better yet, sit yourself down at your CD player and choose a favorite guitar player’s record, and listen closely to what they are playing. then re-play it, and re-play it again. Challenge yourself to go beyond your limitations. Who knows, maybe you will fall into some new territory, wherein you will find yourself, your ‘sound’, and increase your chance to stand out from all the mediocrity that is your competition. Believe it or not, record labels love to hear innovative, accessible new sounds. Actually in their heart of hearts, that is what they are really hoping to hear on every new demo they get, and from every new act they go see at a live venue. You see...in the business of music, when we hear something new, original, and accessible to people, we can then invest in you with more security, believing that if we put our ‘label brand’ on you, with our talents of promotion and marketing coming to the front, then we ‘have something’, and your music becomes our music, and we work together to broaden you audience appeal. It’s kinda like a partnership ...something about ‘Art and Commerce’...they can work together you know?!

4. Protect your investment...register your songs for proper copyright protection.
I never cease to be amazed how few artists are willing to spend a few bucks to register their songs with the Copyright office. By the way, these folks are often the same folks who complain about not getting paid to perform their unknown music. All I know is that when an inventor comes up with some new product that they think will appeal to a certain type of customer, the first thing they do is file for a patent on their invention. The same reaction to protecting songs should be there for any serious songwriter. If you really intend to work hard and develop your career as a musician who writes your own songs, don’t wait too long to take care of this simple, but essential task. If you really believe in your unique and original music then take the time to learn the basics of copyright protection. From the Internet to the library, there a number of easy ways to learn what it takes to file for copyright protection. Do it now! Go to www.copyright.gov and follow their links on Copyright registration information.

Music Is Your Business: The Musician's FourFront Strategy for Success

5. Design and write your promotional materials so they stand out.
The topic of designing and writing effective promotional materials; bios, fact sheets, cover letters, quote sheets etc. is a lengthy one to say the least. As far as some tips that can help musicians promote their careers, and contribute to their getting any deal offers, is to make the promo materials as compelling, and informative as possible. Take the time to inventory any accomplishments, positive reviews, training and awards, past sales, and live appearance highlights; and organize them into professional written bios etc. Having done that, time also needs to be taken to research who to send the materials to, and to ask each potential recipient what type of information they would like to have sent to them. No ‘generic’ kits should ever be sent out to any gatekeepers in the music business.

6. Know the labels and music publishers you hope to be signed to.
If you were applying for a job with a certain company of corporation, wouldn’t you take some time to ask questions about their stability as a business, their reputation in the industry, and the executives background and experience? The same is true when shopping for a record deal. Some musicians get so excited when a certain label approaches them with a recording contract, or a publishing company offers to sign them. Being approached for a deal is a compliment and recognition by a label or publisher that a musician’s music is attractive to them. But, to rush ahead without taking the time to learn a few things about them is foolish indeed. How have they done with your particular genre of music? What specific ‘points’ are they offering you? Who runs the label or publishing company? What is their reputation in the music business? How do you like them as people? These and other questions can be crucial in making an unemotional decision about an arrangement that could make or break your career.

7. Have your own ‘Entertainment Law Attorney’ to represent you.
The business of getting signed to any deal in the music business has always had, has now, and will always have, the involvement of entertainment law attorneys. No jokes will be inserted here, because any relationship between a musician, a record label, a publisher, a merchandiser etc. will come down to two attorneys hashing out the contract for the musician and the respective companies. It should be pointed out here that when all is said in done with the ‘courting’ process, the musician is never present during the actual negotiations. The musicians attorney and the music company’s attorney meet, talk over the phone, and fax their offers and counter-offers amongst themselves. This fact serves to remind you that choosing a reputable, ethical, well respected entertainment law attorney is an absolute necessity for any serious musician who wishes to fight the good fight in the legal arena.

8. Choose a well-connected and respected personal manager.
Self-management is always a valid option in the developing stages of establishing your career as a musician. Much can be learned by taking on the jobs of securing gigs, getting some publicity, planning tours, dealing with personal issues that arise within the band, and schmoozing with A&R Reps and various other label and publishing personnel. However, there comes a time, usually when the daily tasks of doing the business of being a band takes up too much time, and it is at this time that the services of a good manager can be very useful. I have always felt that if any musician or band has worked hard to establish their career, and achieved a modicum of success, they will have a better chance to ‘attract’ the services of a professional, well-connected and respected manager.

Managers who do this job for a living can only take on clients that generate income. Making money as a personal manager is no easy task, and many upcoming artists forget that if any moneys are to be generated from their music, it can takes years for the flow of that income to be reliably there. So, as a band develops self-management, or gets help from intern/student manager-wannabees, can help pave the road for professional management.

Over the years I have heard several horror stories about ‘managers’ that approach upcoming acts and say that for X amount of dollars, they can do such and such for the artist. No... this is not the way legit personal managers work. Well-connected and respected personal managers get paid a negotiated fee for their services (get it in writing) for any and all business transactions they are responsible for (15%-20%) over a particular contract period. Please Note...No musicians should ever pay a fee to a so-called ‘manager’ who will not do any work UNLESS they are paid up front. Flim-Flam men and women still abound in this business... be forewarned.

One of the most important jobs of a manager is to secure recording and publishing contracts for their clients, this is why it is so essential to choose well connected and well respected managers. The music business is a ‘relationship’ business. Who know who, and who can get to know who, and who did what successfully for who is what this management game is all about. Choose carefully those people who will be representing you in any business dealings.

9. Don’t take advice from anyone unless you know that they know what they are talking about.
At the beginning of this article I stated that there are a million ways to do something, and that these 10 tips were just my comments from years of dealing with the business itself and musicians. Everybody has their own list of Do’s and Don’ts and the only real value they have is that they present you with ‘opinions’ about what to do to get established as a musician.

To be quite candid, the best rules in the music business comes from the experience of building your own career; learning from your own interactions with the gatekeepers at labels, the media, management, and booking companies as to what is right or wrong for you. For every Do or Don’t there is an exception to a so-called ‘rule’. As I reflect on the advice I sought out and listened to over the years, the most valid tips came from people who walked the walk, and talked the talk. If you feel that the source you have contacted knows what they are talking about, and has had first hand experience doing what you want to learn about, that is the only feedback that might stand up over time. Choose carefully.

10. Musician...Educate Thyself! If you want a record deal, learn what a record deal is, and learn something about the business of music.
Naïve or mis-informed musicians are a menace to themselves. Enough already! Over the decades there have been countless stories of musicians who were ripped off by their record labels and music publishing companies. Why? Exploitation was the name of the game way back when, and regretfully it hasn't gone away. Keeping musicians in the dark can still be standard business practice for many sleave-balls who are in this busienss. However, you can't be a naive artist these days, so any any musician who signs a record contract (and learns later what he or she signed) have only themselves to blame. )

Today there are dozens of outstanding books available on every conceivable topic related to the business of music. They can be found in bookstores, libraries, and through the Internet. In addition, there are many schools that now offer 2- 4 year programs on the business of music. Seminars, and workshops are available on a year round basis in most major American cities. Consultants, Attorneys, and Business Organizations are all around and so it is only myth, superstition, stubbornness, and immaturity that stand in the way of any musician making a commitment to educating themselves about the business that exists to exploit their music.

I cannot stress how important I feel this issue is. Educating yourself is THE most important suggestion I can make to help you have a chance at success.

If you won't learn about the business side of this industry, do you really expect the professionals you encounter to sit down and teach you? Get Real!

Please...spend some time and money educating yourselves about the music business, . A few hours now, can protect your future forever!.

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Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine shares some advice for new artists on how to stack the deck in your favor and help ensure a long and successful career.

Main Points

-A lot of ways to get your music out
-There is Good technology to help create your music
Don't get in a hurry and Learn your Craft
-Good Article by John aka Jupiter King
-Have a wide view of media (Be multifaceted)
Write Your Own Music - Be Critical Of Songs!
-Good Article by Christopher Knab
Be Unique
-Video By George GiBi del Barrio
-Video By Disc Makers' President, Tony van Veen

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Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine offers advice to aspiring artists on how to lay the groundwork for a long and successful career in the music industry of tomorrow.

Main Points

Get music recorded because it is easy to get to the public.

TEN WAYS TO GET YOUR SONGS RECORDED
by John Braheny

How To Record a Music Demo

Get Great Live Events and work hard on your live events

How To Take Advantage of a Gig - Turn Your Audience into Fans
By Heather McDonald

LIVE MUSIC BLOG.com

It is very easy to communicate with people about new music.

“Music fans and musicians belong to each other”

Soulja Boy had 4,000,000 kids watching his youtube video - That is why he got signed.

Don't move to fast and perfect your craft & Make very good music!

SO YOU WANNA GET SIGNED TO A RECORD LABEL?

Get website and make it good

Tips to creating your website.

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Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine discusses how new artists come to the notice of the label, and what he personally looks for in the artists he signs.

Main Points

Record Labels look everywhere when trying to find new artist.

So you want a record deal?

Not hard to get a record deal but the Music must be really good or People must think your music is very good.

Music needs to be original and unique and he spirit in music must be there.

To Be Successful In Music Marketing On Any Level Is To Define Your Musical Niche

One model does not apply to every situation - Must adapt the deal to the specific situations.

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Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine shares his opinions on what record companies need to do to survive and make money in today's music industry -- if music is free, how do you make your service good enough for people to pay for it again?

Main Points

This is basically talking abot what needs to be done for the record labels to catch up with whats going in the music industry. You must have unique content! Unique content is a must! Get the music - Mary it with technology and make the service incredible. Now there are services that are doing this. Services such as ilike.com have taken the service of music to a whole new level. This was Jimmy Iovine's main point in what record companies need to do to evolve with the future of the music industry. It is also what each band, artist and musician needs to do for themselves. It goes back to running a band like a business. Bands have to realize that starting a band or a group is just like starting a business. And just like a business, you have to be unique to bring customers into your doors. If you want to take your music to the next level - you need to first record your music, use technology (online and offline) to promote your music to the masses and then you need to service your customer to the fullest extent. Give them what they, talk to them, give them live shows via the Internet, ect...

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nterscope Records head Jimmy Iovine sheds some light on why record companies are the first to be blamed when things go wrong for an artist, and why they only sometimes deserve it.

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Interscope Records head Jimmy Iovine shares his thoughts on what the great producers have that the rest of us don't.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, discusses some essential books that anyone who needs to learn about how the legal side of the music business should read.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, discusses the differing tendencies between how the the 2nd Circuit of Federal courts (which includes New York) and the 9th Circuit (which includes Los Angeles) handle copyright cases, and why entertainment companies such as record labels tend to prefer to litigate such cases in the 2nd Circuit.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, shares some advice on why you should think carefully before signing any contract, because courts in the United States tend to honor any contract based on the terms written into it -- no matter how unconscionable they may seem. He also discusses exactly what "unconscionable" means, and when bad behavior or bad faith by a lawyer or manager actually could translate into you being able to get out of your unfavorable contract.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, discusses when and how often you should bring a lawyer in on business decisions you make.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, discusses what "work for hire" means in terms of copyright ownership of sound recordings, and what the thresholds are for a work to qualify as a "work for hire." His argument and discussion of copyright revisions passed in 1976 have implications for many, if not all, the current record deals in circulation.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, explains exactly what a work-for-hire arrangement is, and who owns the output of such a deal. He also discusses why the term is applied in a fairly novel fashion in the record industry.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, explains the roots of statutory license rates, why the licensing of works for recording is controlled by law in the first place, how this legislation actually helps foster freedom of use, and why the system might break down if licensing rates were set via market forces.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, explains how music publishing deals typically work, the role that performance rights societies (such as BMI, ASCAP and SESAC) play in managing publishing arrangements -- and the murky question of just how much money they get for their assistance.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, explains the two-copyright arrangement that runs the music business (i.e. the song itself, and a specific performance of that song) and how the Controlled Composition Clause of the copyright code allows record labels to reduce the royalty rate paid to artists in instances where the artist is also the songwriter and therefore is in theory entitled to royalties for both copyrights. He also discusses how the Controlled Composition Clause can really work against an artist's bottom line when choosing songs to put on album.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, shares his thoughts on how the New York music scene has changed, whether moving to New York to get your music career started is still a viable strategy, and what independent musicians living in New York generally do to get by and make a living.

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Wallace Collins, an entertainment attorney based in New York, discusses when artists should file copyrights on the work they create, and why it's important.

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Roger H. Brown, President of Berklee College of Music, puts into context the problems that confront musicians and music companies today, by comparing them to the issues that musicians faced in previous eras.

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Question-and-answer session at a meeting of the American Bar Association in 2007, Jason Flom, CEO of Capitol Music Group, shares his opinion on some of the hottest topics facing the record business today: why the RIAA continues to sue their customers; what the internet has done to help independent labels gain an advantage; and why companies like his are aggressively pursuing so-called "360 deals" with new talent they wish to sign.

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Brad Mathias, Vice President of Operations for Infinity Music Distribution, discusses what the company does and doesn't to with regard to servicing digital outlets. He also talks about when it makes sense to release albums digitally before or instead of pressing CDs, explaining how new technologies can be used to accurately track digital sales. Lastly, Mathias gives a detailed explanation of how digital profits are typically distributed, outlining Infinity's plan to steadily increase artists' share in these profits in the coming year.

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Brad Mathias, Vice President of Operations for Infinity Music Distribution, dispels some myths about what artists can expect once they have a distribution deal, explaining the intricacies involved in getting Christian records into the right retail settings as well as the inherent costs and challenges of co-op marketing.

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Russell Rains, a lawyer and Director of the Digital Media Management MBA Program at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, gives a capsule history of intellectual property and copyright law in the Western tradition, from its genesis as an offshoot of property rights in the eighteenth century and its enshrinement in the United States Constitution, through the past two centuries of tension between the law and new technologies that continually challenge the ability of the law to adequately encompass what they can do.

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Russell Rains, a lawyer and Director of the Digital Media Management MBA Program at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, discusses both sides of the assertion that copyrights should never expire; that is, that copyright should be perpetual and never revert to the public domain, and refers this debate back to the original source of American copyright law -- the US Constitution.

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G.I. Sanders, co-owner of Fancorps.com, introduces his company and its business model, which provides an online management portal through which emerging artists can leverage their hardcore fans into street teams as a force-multiplier of their marketing efforts. He also discusses how artists can best approach recruiting and using word-of-mouth marketing agents such as street teams

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Classical artist manager Kevin Coogan offers insight into the highly lucrative world of sheet music sales, explaining how sheet music and publishing can be two of the most profitable aspects of a classical artist's career.

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Russell Rains, a lawyer and Director of the Digital Media Management MBA Program at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, explains some key features of the 1909 Copyright Act -- a piece of law that led to the creation of concepts like mechanical royalties (which led directly to the rise of the modern record business, broadcast rights, performance royalties, and other revenue streams which are central to the music business of today. He also enumerates the six rights granted by copyright and how each applies to the music business, and how "fair use" rights actually work under the law.

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Russell Rains, a lawyer and Director of the Digital Media Management MBA Program at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, discusses the motivations behind the passage of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) and related copyright protection measures by the US Congress in the 1990s, as well as some of the legal issues that it was enacted to address.

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Russell Rains, a lawyer and Director of the Digital Media Management MBA Program at St. Edward's University in Austin, TX, shares some predictions, opinions and educated guesses about the future of the music business -- and why, if you're brand-new to the industry -- this is the best time in history to have a career in music.

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Corey Webb and Leo Larkpor of distribution and marketing startup MogulTunes share some key insights into how today's music industry works, and what upcoming artists need to do in order to not get ahead of themselves when building a career in music.

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Corey Webb and Leo Larkpor of MogulTunes discuss why an independent artist can't hope to compete on an even footing with major labels that might spend millions promoting an album, and how to research and overhaul your marketing efforts to maximize the bang you get for your buck.

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Corey Webb and Leo Larkpor of distribution and marketing startup MogulTunes discuss some of the mistakes that upcoming artists make which undermine their long-term career prospects. The explain the difference between a "music listener" and a "fan," and what branding has to do with long-term career success, as opposed to being a one-hit wonder who ends up deep in debt to a record label.

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Corey Webb and Leo Larkpor of MogulTunes discuss the ins and outs of turning their unique online music distribution and market research business into a going concern with actual income, and how they go about pricing the music that they service to their subscriber base. They also describe the advantages that their client-based system for garnering feedback on new music has over the traditional callout model, and what this means for independent artists that contract with them.

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Stephen Rehage discusses the key components of producing a concert, including developing strong relationships with booking agents, creating compelling sponsorship opportunities, and implementing a comprehensive marketing plan.

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Corey Webb and Leo Larkpor of distribution and marketing startup MogulTunes discuss the wisdom of doing market research before deciding where and how to spend your marketing dollars, so that you don't waste money on merch that nobody will want, posters nobody will see, and publicity campaigns nobody will ever are about.

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Curtis Smith, the head of Maelstrom Music and Maelstrom Music PR, walks us through the various ways that a publicist gets attention for an artist in the press, how a regional or national press campaign is orchestrated and what such a campaign can do for an artist's reputation, and what publicists can and can't do for an artist as part of their services.

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IP professor and copyright law expert Dr. E. Michael Harrington talks about the benefits and drawbacks of subscription-based music services, and shares his views on why people don't perceive music sharing as an illegal act.

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Don Van Cleave, president of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), talks about the instances in which free goods can effectively be used in lieu of retail marketing dollars, particularly when trying to break an unknown artist.

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Don Van Cleave, president of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), offers his view on what went wrong with the music business and shares his optimism about its future.

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Don Van Cleave, president of the Coalition of Independent Music Stores (CIMS), offers examples of the ways in which CIMS stores continue to bring value to customers, from hosting in-store performances to releasing live recordings. He also shares his thoughts on why Starbucks is good for the music business while large retailers like Best Buy and Wal-Mart are not, and explains how selling collectible items like band-generated USB sticks can keep customers coming back for more.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, explains how copyright term (that is, the duration for which a work remains under exclusive ownership) works, and sketches out some "fair use" exceptions to the five exclusive rights granted to copyright owners under law.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, discusses what a band agreement is, and why signing a band agreement that sketches out how your group will handle its business, is a good idea for any group which is thinking about getting serious about their commitment to a career in music.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, explains how the "derivative works" clause of copyright law works in practice by examining the career of "Weird Al" Yankovic.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, explains the five "exclusive rights" that the law grants to a copyright holder, as well as some of the exceptions and additions that apply to music, such as the compulsory mechanical license and minimum statutory rate clauses.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, describes the major points to be found in a recording contract and what they actually mean for you, the artist, such as: the term of the contract; what your royalty checks will actually contain; and what decisions are taken out of your hands when you sign on the dotted line.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, discusses the "work for hire" provision of US copyright law, and how it affects -- and does not affect -- sound recordings made under a recording contract.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, discusses the two things you must insist that your record deal contain: a release commitment, and a marketing/promotion budget.

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Maggie Lange, an attorney and Professor of Music Business/Management at Berklee College of Music, defines the terms "intellectual property" and "copyright," and discusses the content of her course on these subjects at Berklee. She also offers additional resources for people who are interested in learning about the subject.

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Gary L. Churgin was appointed the President and CEO of the Harry Fox Agency, Inc. (HFA) in January 2001. Here he talks about how and why Harry Fox was started and what Harry Fox does in terms of licensing and copyright.

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Peter Standish, Vice President of Marketing at Warner Bros. Music, gives an insightful look into all the different parts of the Marketing Department at Warner Bros. Music. He goes onto explain his management techniques and how his job relates to the well-being of the artist.

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Todd Brabec is the Vice President and Director of Membership for the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). Here he talks about the close relationship between video games and film, the types of music in films, and the skills necessary for a songwriter or film composer.

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Lawrence Lessig is a Professor of Law at Stanford University and chairman of the Creative Commons project. Here, he shares his view on file sharing. He does not support sharing copyrighted material. However, Lessig does not condemn file sharing. Lessig shares that many artists believe that peer to peer file sharing benefits them. File sharing makes the Internet more democratic and efficient. For instance, peer-to-peer file sharing is the most economical way of distributing film. File sharing is an essential part of the future of the Internet.

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Scott Aiges, Director of Programs, Marketing and Communications for the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, discusses with students at Loyola University, New Orleans, the things that make Austin's SXSW festival so attractive to entertainment-industry players, and why making a strong showing there can help your label, company, or career gain momentum and national attention.

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Getting signed by a major is tough right now and impossible if you haven't prepared. Don't rule out the indie market!

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Getting signed to a major label is not what it used to be. Here is a brief overview of what is going on.

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Entertainment lawyer, songwriter, and television producer Stephen Stohn discusses how he got started in his field, how he went about securing his first clients, and how he built his expertise and reputation as an entertainment lawyer.

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Artist manager Marc Oswald talks about his job and the "wagon wheel" theory of artist management.

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Brad Wavra, Vice President of Touring at Live Nation, shares his thoughts on the qualities he believes make a successful artist.

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Alan Ett, President, CEO and founder of Alan Ett Creative Group, offers advice for people hoping to pursue a career in music. He shares his thoughts on the importance of passion, the value (or lack of value) in diversions, the advantages of being open to opportunity, and much more.

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Bruce Resnikof, the President of Universal Music Enterprises, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group devoted to leveraging UMG's catalog of recordings (the largest in the business) in a variety of markets, including traditional retail, direct TV sales, film and television licensing and specialty and nontraditional retail speaks to Artists House.

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Adam Nathanson is the President and CEO of Mapleton Communications. He gives advice to artists on how to approach a radio station to get airplay.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager describes how to work with an independent radio promoter -- in particular, what a promoter does, what you should expect from one, how to know if a promoter is right for you, and how to make sure that when you hire a promoter you're getting enough bang for your buck.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager discusses some new distribution methods and services that will get your album to consumers without the need for a traditional distribution agreement, which can be nearly impossible for independent artists to secure.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager discusses the importance of contact management -- keeping a current list or database of the industry contacts you deal with as well as a fan mailing list -- and how to leverage your contact lists to advance your career.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager discusses the steps you need to take in order to persuade music retailers to agree to stock your album, and how to cultivate relationships with key stores.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager, describes how to work with an independent publicist -- in particular, what a publicist can do for you, how a publicity campaign should work, how to find the right publicist for you, and how to make sure that when you hire a publicist you're getting enough bang for your buck.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager discusses how to run a strategic and integrated marketing campaign that takes advantage of every bit of exposure you get in order to build your audience, your retail presence, and your radio and press profile as quickly and cheaply as possible.

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Mike King, a veteran music marketing manager discusses why album art still matters in the age of downloads, and shares some tips on how to make sure that the album art you choose -- cover, booklet, logo, etc. -- makes the right impression on your fans and stands out in a retail bin.

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, discusses his background in music and business, from his childhood in a Pentecostal family in California, to pursuing a Doctorate in Musicology, to his accidental founding of Powderfinger

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, advises the audience at the Berklee Music Business Seminar in the importance of trusting your instincts and having faith that this risky strategy will some times pay off with a big reward.

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, shares how he goes about finding and interviewing the right people to staff his company (hint: interns), his philosophy on managing these people into greatness.

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, responds to an audience question at the Berklee Music Business Seminar about when trust your gut instincts by recollecting his own decision to begin working with The String Cheese Incident in an era when jam bands were not fashionable, and sharing the thought process that went into that decision.

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, discusses the demands that running his own company places on his time, and how he carves out time for his family.

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, discusses what he has learned from owning and running his own radio promotion company, and what he likes best about the job. In particular, he highlights the need to learn when to say "no" to a big pile of money that would compromise your or your company's values or reputation.

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David Avery, President of Powderfinger Promotions, tells a story to the audience at the Berklee Music Business Seminar from Powderfinger's past in which what seemed like a failure to him and his staff seemed like a triumph to the client in question. He then uses this example to illustrate the need for artists, their team members, and entrepreneurs to understand what is expected from them in a given situation and adjust their expectations and goals accordingly.

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Steve Schnur, the Worldwide Executive for EA Games, dissects the expansive amount of exposure an artist receives when their song is placed in an EA video game. Schnur goes into detail about how listening to music while playing a video game is unlike any other music interactive experience. EA makes a point to go 10 steps further and exposure their artists in an impressive variety of promotional outlets.

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Shannon Brown, a recording artist for Warner Brothers Records in Nashville, talks about the songs on her debut album and how she always aims to create high-energy relatable music.

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Catherine Stellin, Vice President of Trends and Research at The Intelligence Group, establishes the differences between Generations X and Y and discusses the large role that music plays in the lives of these generations. Stellin also focuses on how the importance of music and entertainment in these generations impacts the marketing process for these age groups. The Intelligence Group assists companies like Target, Microsoft, and Warner Music Group with consumer and trend marketing research.

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Randy Newman, artist, songwriter, and film composer, discusses his unique style of songwriting.

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Former Ticketmaster CEO Fred Rosen discusses how the economics of ticket pricing for live concerts has evolved over the past few decades. He describes the invention of the "Golden Circle" (which was the first premium-priced event ticket plan) and the advent of tiered pricing based on seat location. He also shares his thoughts on how tiered pricing has transformed the business of live music for promoters, artists, managers, and agents.

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Neil Netanel talks about the basics of understanding copyright and what rights people have with a copyright. Neil Netanel joined the UCLA School of Law faculty in the Fall of 2004. He teaches Copyright, International Intellectual Property, and Intellectual Property Scholarship.

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Canadian Singer/Songwriter Brent Titcomb covers all of the essential information that independent artists today need to know. Titcomb speaks about maximizing your resources in home recording, Internet marketing, promotion, merchandise, and more.

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Andy Allen, president of Alternative Distribution Alliance, talks about the many jobs and responsibilities of a distributor. He discusses in some detail how distribution works. The limited amount of shelf space in record stores requires the distributor to promote the artist in such a way that their CD is included in the stacks. He goes on to discuss the importance of creating demand for a record and how that impacts sales. ADA works with a very successful roster of independent artists such as Bright Eyes, The Shins, Death Cab For Cutie, Nirvana, and more.

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Outkast manager Blu Williams speaks on the finer points of artist management.

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Budney, artist manager for Milestone Music Management, discusses the role and responsibilities of an artist manager.

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Neil Portnow, president of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), gives advice on how to start a career in the music industry. He also discusses the benefits of membership with NARAS.

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Wayne Kramer of the MC5 discusses some of the challenges musicians face when forming a band.

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Dennis DeYoung, former songwriter/lead singer for the rock group Styx, talks about his songwriting process and how he finds inspiration.

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Tina Davis former Def Jam A&R sits and explains the basis of good music to maybe-clients. Tina is now responsible for the career of Chris Brown on top of many other ventures.

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Chris Blackwell, founder of Island Records, gives his insights on getting your CD into the hands of music industry professionals.

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Terry McBride, CEO of the Canadian music firm Nettwerk, shares some brief thoughts on some of the most important issues in today's music business: why music entrepreneurs need to have vision and imagination; what a "360 deal" is and why major labels like them; how a subscription-based music distribution model could actually work; and where the music industry is likely to head in the future.

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