The Business of the Music Business

Lately I have been talking to artists and producers wishing to release tracks on my label and realizing how uninformed they are about the business side of the industry. I realize that unless you're in a circle that would put you in contact with music biz insiders this information is not general knowledge, but it should be. The information I'm talking about are things like performance affiliations for writers like BMI and ASCAP, copyrights, trademarking your name and logos, royalties, advances (or lack of these days) and back-end income, recoupables (anything a label shells out on your behalf such as promotion, artwork, multimedia, even meals to discuss you are recouped by the label before you get any money).

Where do you go (no plug intended) to fnd this information? The majority or publications on the bookshelves are outdated, most Internet sites want loads of money to view documents. A friend of mine and the person who released my first record Curtis Urbina actually holds seminars on the music business. Curtis is one of the few industry moguls who has been there through most of the eras of this industry and hasn't fallen victim to the changing models over the past decade and has embraced them. I say this because much of the industry has waged war on the Information age and are losing. MP3s are not the enemy. The Internet is your friend. Get past the notion that physical media and distribution has given way to digital download stores, iPods, and ringtones. Making money in this business has been primarily transformed into a model that anyone with the motivation, Internet savvy, and content can persevere just as much as a larger label. Radiohead proved it. The music industry isn't about board rooms with execs smoking big cigars anymore, its about initiative and good products. All the major label money in the world can't save Britney's career. If you have good music and can secure a proper digital distribution deal you're golden.

So how do you learn all these things? Its hard if you live in a city void of any real music industry but chances are you can find someone like myself who has been there done that and would be willing to share their experiences with you. Hit people up on MySpace. Check sites like BMI.com to learn what your rights are as a writer. See if your local colleges offer any courses on the music business.

It is important to understand that everything you write whether it's just a simple ambient track or a major production, if you're releasing it to the public you have to secure your rights so that any money derived from the sale or performance of your music finds it's way to you. Even if you put it on MySpace, you need to secure your rights.

If you have questions, feel free to contact me...