Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 42
Sign: Sagittarius
City: Ocean County
State: New Jersey
Country: US
Signup Date: 10/3/2006
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Wednesday, May 20, 2009
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SELL YOUR MUSIC AND KEEP ALL THE MONEY
Website Music Player is a service that provides Musicians,
Managers, Publishers and Record Labels with an easy way to sell
your digital music. You get multiple MP3 player widgets that
embed into home pages, blogs, Myspace/Facebook profiles and many
other types of pages. People listening to the songs can buy the
tracks straight from the player. All the money goes directly to
you and your customers can automatically download their songs.
http://www.WebsiteMusicPlayer.com
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Monday, July 23, 2007
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Category: Music
LETS TALK MONEY
RAISING MONEY FOR YOUR BAND
All Bands and especially new groups need to raise money for dozens of different projects such as recording time, band merchandise, better equipment, promotional materials, etc
So where do you start? I guess everyone knows it takes some money to make money, it also takes organization to keep track of your money, budgets to get some control of where your money goes, and some creative idea's to keep a cash flow, especially in the start up of a new group. This is a problem that all musicians seem to face at one point or another. If you are currently facing a financial crisis as a band, it's time to get out pen and paper and make a few lists and see what you can do to change this. Sometimes you have to make decisions based on bottom-line financial thinking and not just on your passion for music. If you are lucky enough to have parents, a spouse or a day job to help you make ends meet, great, but for the rest of us, it's decision time.
Here are some basics to Handling and Making More Money
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1. BUDGET - Get one and stick with it! While a career plan is key to musical success a financial plan is just as important to ensure monetary success. And be sure to set aside at least a small portion of your earnings for savings (savings for your future, your retirement, your education, your vacation,) whatever. Head to your local office supply store for planning workbooks or budget sheets to use. Or head to your favorite search engine and type in, "budget planning" for hundreds of sites with articles, free downloads, tips, e-books and other resources to help with your budget setup and tracking.
2. PLAN AHEAD - Make sure to plan for emergencies and the unexpected, like an auto break down or equipment malfunction. Even if you can only set aside $50 or so each monthly, place it in an account and earmark it for this "Miscellaneous" fund. Then when things go wrong, and they will - nothing's perfect in life - you'll be better prepared to deal with the unexpected.
3. NON-MONTHLY ITEMS - Work out a monthly payment for items that you don't pay monthly and set this up in your regular monthly budget. For example, for items like insurance on equipment, quarterly payments and annual bills such as band merchandise, etc. take the amounts and determine what they would be monthly. Then list the items on your budget log and pull these amounts aside, saving them in your account for those purposes. This way, when the bills hit, you won't be caught off guard and have to scrounge for the money.
4. PAY YOURSELF FIRST. Take 10 percent of what you make and save it. Trust me, You will not regret doing this over time it adds up. Be prepared to at some point build a team consisting of an accountant, lawyer, manager, financial planner, etc. to help you with legal requirements associated with your earnings and to provide financial advice as you need it.
Turn $100 into a Million Dollars
When I talk to a new artist or band I am considering for management, I always ask the bands goals and where they see themselves in two years from now. Most often the answer is they wish to be signed to a major label making millions of dollars and touring the world. This is a very ambitious goal to say the least, and there's nothing wrong with wanting success as an artist, but we all know success doesn't not come easy and for many not at all. Success is tough to achieve when people don't have much money to start with. Most bands I know have little more than a dream to start with and some artistic creativity. I have been pondering this dilemma and have come to a logical conclusion, which has tremendous potential for those who can grasp the simplicity of this concept.
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Let's debunk and clarify a few issues:
First It does not take much money to make money.
Secondly, It is true that you can make more money selling products than performing. Why? Because your income potential with performing is limited to your ability to deliver quantity entertainment per-hour and there are only so many hours you can perform in a day, week, etc. Whereas; a product can be produced and delivered at nearly infinite levels depending on consumer demand and production capacity. It is also true that millionaires have a superior perspective on how to make money over the common person and this can be proved true by the fact that not everybody is a millionaire.
So how does a millionaire make millions? By investing money into things and ideas that "make money"… Millionaires want a return on their investments and ROI is the KEY to success. The problem for most people who dream of making a million dollars is how to get from zero, or nearly zero dollars to a million—that's where the mental grid-lock happens. People can't figure it out and give up, as I was contemplating this issue it dawned on me that making a million dollars, with no inertia, is way to complex and basically an unachievable goal, and that is why most people cannot achieve it. Then the idea to simplify the process hit me. The way to make a million bucks is by starting with one hundred dollars. The KEY is ROI. The key is to smart small and apply one rule of thumb to whatever you do and here's the formula that will allow you to take $100.00 and turn it into a million:
Whatever you invest in with your money, double your profits when you sell it. if its T shirts, CD's, etc. It is that simple. Knowing this, then you must buy/invest into something (anything) for the lowest possible price with your initial $100.00 so that when you sell it, you recover your initial investment, cover all your costs associated with selling the product, and after the dust settles, you have $200.00. Then, repeat the process. It's kind of like the "double a penny everyday for 30 days" angle where at the end of 30 days, you have a million dollars… only this is more practical because you are exchanging a product for money rather than just doubling pennies without a source for pennies.
Let me say it again: Invest $100.00 into any product so that when you sell it, it is priced to recover all your costs and doubles your money. Then, repeat the process. That product could be anything from A to Z. The key is buying low, selling high and doubling your initial investment. If you can't double the investment under this theory, don't invest. Let's look at the math:
$100-initial investment.
$200-first ROI
$400-second ROI
$800-third ROI
$1600-fourth
$3200-fifth
$6400-sixth
$12 800-seventh
$25600-eight
$51200-ninth
$102400-tenth
$204800-eleventh (1/4 million)
$409600-twelfth (1/2 million)
$819200-thirteenth (nearly a million)
$1638400-fourteenth (nearly 2 million)
Instead of thinking about "making a million dollars" change your thinking to "doubling your money" on everything you invest in and start small. In fact, starting with $50.00 only adds one additional step to making a million dollars. Don't have $50.00? Start with $25.00, you get the point. I have pondered this and here is a truth: If you can't implement this simple, logical plan to make a million dollars, the chances are extremely high that you will never become a millionaire. Why? Because if you can't do the little things first, you will never get the big things done. Start with whatever you have to invest and double your ROI. Starting out with small investments and building as you go also helps to reduce your risk of loosing a lot of money on a bad financial decision. Start to think in terms of combining a number of smaller money-raising concepts into one sizable river of cash.You can't always bat a hundred, but stay on track and keep working your way up. Be sure to ask yourself two key questions,
1. Who has your money in their pockets?
2. How are you going to get it into your pocket?
Another thing that needs to be talked about is when people claim to have a great idea, but have no clue how to implement it.
"First, if all you've done is come up with a great idea—for example, "a new car that's fast, elegant, and gas free"—but you can't implement it, then you have nothing. In this case, don't waste anyone's time until you've found other people who can do the engineering."
I find both of these points to be very applicable to the music business. As a band, you have to determine who has money in their pockets to buy your recordings, merchandise, or pay to see you play, and you have to figure out how to compel them to fork it over to you. This is where your playing gigs, building a solid fan base, and maintaining a web site and mailing list come into play.
Perhaps if your band can afford it, you might think about giving out CD Demo's in areas near your upcoming gigs. You can get them for about 75 cents each. Shop around for deals. These are bulk CDs that come without a jacket, though you can have info on them. Plain, paper sleeves run about 10 cents each. If you have a computer available you can print sleeves yourself. Demos are great grass roots promotional tools. You can bring them into a non-traditional outlets that fans of your music may shop in, or places they frequent like skate shops, surf shops, motorcycle dealers, clubs, pool halls, radio stations, colleges, and clothing stores. Be creative. You can give CDs away to promote that you're playing and your music. It will quickly get your bands name and music on the local scene. Many record stores may be willing to give them out.
When trying to raise money or attract investors It helps to be in as many places as possible. Exposure can attract fans with money! Some people put ads in biz publications, like the Billboard, the Wall Street Journal or Crain's. If you get interest from someone, you must have some ammo to convince them that your music is worth investing in. Before you go to anyone for money, enhance your profile. Do the ground work to make it look like you've got something besides good music. Getting publicity can encourage a potential investor to touch their checkbook. Getting written up can look more impressive than a nice CD. You should be doing everything you can to get into publications, no matter what your goal. It shows that people are paying attention. If you're not ready to get press, you're probably not ready for an investor. People want to invest in something attractive. Clips give them something to hold and share with others who may be involved. Keep reminding yourself and your band members, "A press kit without press isn't impressive."
Here is a summary of some general income and expense categories that may factor into your business/budgeting forecasts. As you can see there are very few sources of income from music, and inevitably the expenses you incur must come from those income sources. So, this is a quick wake-up call to financial planning. Whatever you can raise is what you have to work with, and there is never enough money to promote and market music so careful financial and execution is key to your long term success. In general, to establish yourself as a professional artist…expenses for all the categories listed below will be much higher than whatever you are thinking they may be.)
As you look over the income sources remember that outside of some live performance fees, and sales of your music and merchandise (like T-shirts, etc) most of the income sources take time to develop. I get questions all the time about where will the money come from to start up a label, or your own business? The answer is this. From wherever you can get it… credit, loans, sugar daddies, lottery winning, investors...whatever resources you can come up with.. Raising the funds to start your own business is your own business.
Perhaps now you understand why many musicians and bands want those record deals. Major Record labels front the money to develop, market, and promote their artists. Big Record labels are businesses that understand it costs a lot of money to sell an artist's recordings, and the successful labels are well funded so that they can go out there and fight the good fight…marketing the records they have released. But in recent years even the larger labels have cut back on artist promotion and carefully watch their (ROT) return on investment..
Read this, think about and PLAN!
1) A Musician or Band's Source of Income:
a) Live Performance Fees
b) Sales of your own recording OR
c) Record Label Recording Contract Royalties
d) Songwriter/Publishing Income Sources
* Mechanical Royalties
* Performance Royalties
* Synchronization Fees
* Sheet Music Sales
* Commercials/Jingles Income
* Internet Streaming Fees (pending)
e) Merchandising Royalties ( T-Shirts etc.)
f) Misc. Income Sources
* Investment Income
* Endorsements
* Songbook and Video Sales
* Multimedia Product Sales
2. Expenses for a Musician or Band (Putting out their own record):
a) Recording fees:CD/Tape
* Producer/Engineer
* Studio Costs ( From Pro Tools to 24 Track)
* Tape and other studio supplies
* Equipment Rental charges
* Guest Musician fees
* Mixing and Mastering fees
b) Graphic Artist/Cover Art Design costs
c) CD/Tape/Vinyl Manufacturing/Duplication charges
d) Promotional Expenses (Independent Radio Promo Reps/Independent Sales Reps,)
e) Marketing and Sales Plan costs (One sheets, Co-op advertising dollars, Ad money)
f) Publicity/Promotional Material Costs
* Publicists Fees
* Promo/Publicity Kit Design costs
* Flyers, Posters, Envelope Design costs
* Printing/Copying charges
* Photographer fees and duplication charges
g) Office Expenses
* Rent
* Stationary and office supplies/furniture
* Postage
* Phone and utilities bill
* Office equipment ( computers, fax machines, phones et al.)
h) Taxes
* Local, State, and Federal taxes
* Tax preparation costs/Bookkeeper fees
i) Band Equipment Costs
* Instrument purchases/rentals
* Tour Luggage
* Misc. equipment repair/maintenance costs (strings, drumsticks etc.)
* CDs and Tapes ( for listening and study purposes)
* Misc. recording/playback equipment (4 track recorder/mixer etc.)
* Sound system
* Rehearsal space costs
j) Songwriting
* Copyright registration filing costs
* Performance Rights Organization Fees ( ASCAP-BMI-SESAC)
* Talent Lessons ( vocals, instrument instructions, etc)
* Conferences/ Seminars budget
k) Artist Business Team Costs
* Personal Manager/Consultant fees
* Business Manager/Accountant fees
* Booking Agent fees
* Publicist fees
* Music Attorney fees
l) Transportation costs
* Auto/ Van purchase/rental/Insurance costs
* Maintenance costs (gas, service, repair)
* Airline, bus, and/or train tickets
* Highway/Ferry tolls
m) Touring expenses
* Per Diem ( for food, lodging etc.)
* Road Manager/Roadies salaries
* Lighting/Sound equipment purchase/rental costs
n) Merchandise (T-Shirts etc.)
* Design costs
* Manufacturing and shipping costs
o) Web site and Internet Fees
* Web site design, maintenance, connection fees etc.)
* E-commerce setup and processing fees
* Email setup and processing fees
p) Miscellaneous Expenses
- * Costumes/Stage clothing
* Insurance (health, equipment, life etc.)
* Union dues
* Video production and manufacturing costs
* Whatever else comes along that you forgot about
As you can see creative marketing and financial planning are key to your taking a stab at the big projects, whether it be committing to a record release, buying a new PA and lighting system, producing a music video or starting a small record label. You need to build in steps to your financial and artistic success.
Getting Started
1) Get the band together for a business/financial planning session and make a commitment to start finding creative ways to raise the money. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can or can't do something, you're right." Confidence and optimism will take you a long way toward your monetary goals. Know that you can find a way to raise money for your band with work, creativity, and let your passion drive you toward reaching your goals.
2) Open a Band Checking and Savings Account if you haven't already and start making deposits.
3) If all the band members have steady incomes agree on a reasonable amount for each band member to contribute into the bands account weekly to get things started. No one has extra money, but skip a star bucks coffee or bring lunch, if your dedicated you can find the money and investing in yourself and your career is always a good feeling.
4) With every gig set aside money from paid band jobs. This is a good way a band can go about raising money. If you gig regularly and don't need the cash to survive, you can build up your bands funds from your gigs.
5) Sell your own CDs, cassettes and demo's. As soon as possible you should get some kind of recorded product out and sell it to raise money for your band. If you play out or get any radio airplay at all, you're wasting a valuable revenue-producing opportunity by not having a recording available for sale at every venue and local shops. Build your street team and have them sell your recordings as well as band merchandise, T-shirts, caps, posters, stickers and other items. Having music fans watching your band at a club is the perfect environment in which to market your stuff. The street team can sell at schools they attend and other events as well as your venues. Try clothing stores, skate shops, etc to see if they might sell your stuff on consignment. Be sure to keep a reasonable inventory on hand so as not to run out at key sales opportunities.
6) Sponsorship. why not the local skate shop, surf shop, motorcycle dealer, recording studio, music store, nightclub,? You promote their business to your fans, they give you cash or free stuff in exchange. It can't hurt to investigate this often-overlooked idea.
7) Family members and friends. Many businesses have been started from these type of personal loans, but so have many arguments and a few divorces. Be very careful in this area, but don't overlook it, either. Make sure everything is in writing: how much money, when repayment is expected, who has artistic control, etc.
8) Personal credit. If you have a good relationship with a particular music store or production facility, they may extend a delayed payment plan to you based solely on your word and reputation, while rare these days it still happens.
9) Promote live shows once a month as fund-raising gigs for your next album or project. you may be surprised to find that your fans will support your band (with their dollars) if you simply ask them to.
10) Sell off old equipment you don't use or no longer need.
11) Rent equipment you already own to others. Why let that PA system gather dust when it could be generating cash for your band? Let other bands know what you have available, and post flyers at rehearsal studios, and music stores.
12) Set weekly and monthly money-raising goals. The only way you're ever going to raise that capital for your musical projects is to make the commitment and stay on track. Therefore, break down your overall money goal into manageable amounts that you can achieve each and every week—or at least every month. By raising, and saving a couple hundred dollars here, a few hundred there, a single individual can quite possibly accumulate $2,000 to $5,000 dollars in about six months. Multiply those figures by the four members in an average band (or partners in a company) are you're starting to look at some serious investment capital—all without going through the hassles of traditional bank/investment financing. Apply the principal of doubling your investments in recordings, merchandise, etc.and you can raise impressive sums of money to finance all your bands projects and needs. | ..>..> Good Luck!
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Tuesday, June 05, 2007
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Category: Music
The Basics...
Large commercial studios are not only expensive to build, but they're expensive to use. A lot of the difference between large studios and home studios isn't the basic equipment —the gap between home and commercial studio equipment is closing in every day — it's the acoustic space. Some studios are world-famous not for their equipment or engineers, but for their space. Any good engineer will tell you, a great space allows the engineer to utilize the space itself in making the recording sound good. Creating a great space to record in is harder in the home studio; chances are, your bedroom or basement wasn't designed with a recording studio environment in mind.
Choosing Your Space
When selecting and setting up the room you choose for your home studio, your goal should be to use a room that's as neutral as possible. When recording, you want what you lay on tape to be the best representation of what is being played. That being said, you also want a room that's accurate when you're mixing and listening. A room that's neutral is very important. You want to minimize recording the room itself, and when you're mixing, you don't want to be mixing to compensate for the room. A room with carpeting is your best bet; if you have hardwood floors, you'll want to add rugs or acoustic foam. The goal is to minimize reflections of the sound waves while recording, and to keep the room from favoring a certain frequency range. You should also consider possible background noise such as traffic or air conditioners etc.
Keeping Your Neighbors Happy
If you have neighbors to worry about, being courteous of your neighbors and their needs and concerns when recording at home is very important, because nothing is worse than being told by your landlord you can't record anymore because your neighbors can't handle it, or having the local cops at your door daily. The first thing to do is listen. Play something through your mixing speakers at the normal volume at which you'd listen, and walk around. If you can hear it outside your recording room when the door is closed, chances are the neighbors can hear it across the hall. If the noise bleed is a big enough problem, consider a pair of high-quality headphones to mix with. Although not as good as a pair of speakers, making do with headphones sure beats not being able to work in your home studio anymore. Otherwise, work out an arrangement with those around you; offer to keep your recording times to mutually convenient hours.
Building a Home Studio From the Ground Up
As a working musician, chances are you really want to record your own ideas in the comfort of your own home. After you've got your room selected, it's time to stock your studio.
Computer or Not?
The first step in choosing what you need for your home studio is deciding how you'll be recording. Do you plan on recording with a computer, or with a stand-alone recording device like a digital multitrack? Each way has it's advantages and disadvantages; however, the most bang-for-the-buck today is computer recording.
If you aren't computer-savvy, consider a product like the Fostex VF160EX ($799), an all-in-one digital recorder capable of recording 16 tracks simultaneously, and featuring a built-in CD recorder so you can immediately burn your creation.
If you're going for a computer-based interface, the options are limitless. The most popular interfaces are FireWire interfaces by manufacturers like M-Audio and Presonus. The things to look for when selecting an interface are pretty basic: at least two microphone inputs with pre amps (which allow you to plug in high-quality microphones and use them without a mixer), speaker and headphone outputs, and of course, compatibility with your current system. From there, choose whichever software you wish to use.
Pro Tools vs. Everything Else
It's no secret that Digidesign's Pro Tools software suite is the standard of almost every major commercial and project studio in the world, and with good reason. Pro Tools is highly stable, offers limitless expansion, and the industry-standard compatability means you can start a project in your home studio and quickly take it to almost any studio in the world for completion. For most of the tutorials here, I'll be referencing Pro Tools because of its widespread use. Pro Tools comes in three versions: M-Powered, for use with M-Audio interfaces; LE, which is designed for use with the MBox and Digi 002 products; and HD, which is meant for use with higher-end systems. When using Pro Tools, it's necessary to work with a compatable interface. Pro Tools M-Powered is a fantastic version of Pro Tools that's compatable with many of M-Audio's less expensive interfaces; the software alone will run you close to $250, but it's well worth it. Pro Tools LE requires the purchase of either the Digidesign MBox ($550 new, less if purchased used) or the Digi 002 ($2200)/Digi 002-Rack ($1200). The only exception is Pro Tools Free, a version limited to 8 tracks with limited capabilities; however, it'll work with an on-board sound card and doesn't require a specialized interface. If you choose not to go the Pro Tools route, there are many additional options; Apple's built-in GarageBand software is fully capable of multitrack recording, although the mixdown options are somewhat limited. Apple's Logic software is quickly gaining a reputation for great quality multitrack work as well. Other software packages include Cakewalk and Cubase. One thing to remember is that it's very easy to over-buy when getting started. Stick to something that's intuitive when you're just starting out and that will have the ability to expand as you do over time.
Some Other Stuff
Once you've selected your interface and software, it's time to procure the other things you'll need. How "fancy" your equipment is depends on your budget and needs. At the very least, you need a microphone and monitoring speakers. Which microphone you select, again, depends on your needs and what interface you're using. If you're not using an external interface which includes a microphone connection, you'll want a microphone that's either self-powered/USB powered or battery powered. Mics like the Samson C01U ($299) simply plug in to your USB port. A good starter microphone like the Audio-Technica AT2020 ($99) is perfect for acoustic instruments and vocals. From there, it's up to you what you want and what you can afford. Monitoring speakers serve a very important purpose: allowing you to hear well and mix your project to the very best. Choose something within your budget that sounds the best to your ears; your local music store should be able to help you audition the speakers in a controlled environment before purchase. From the M-Audio BX5a ($299/pair) to the JBL Nearfield Monitors ($2400/pair), there should be something that works perfectly for you in every price range.
Selecting The Right Mic
When selecting microphones to use both live and in your home studio, you'll commonly come across two different types of microphones, dynamic and condenser. Let's look at both of these microphone types, and what their advantages and disadvantages are.
Condenser Microphones
Condenser microphones are the most common types of microphones you'll find in studios. They have a much greater frequency response and transient response - which is the ability to reproduce the "speed" of an instrument or voice. They also generally have a louder output, but are much more sensitive to loud sounds.
Condenser microphones are generally much more expensive than dynamic microphones. They require the use of a power supply, generally 48 volt "phantom power", and that's supplied very easily by most mixing boards or external power supplies (look for a switch that says "P 48" or "48V" on the channel strip or on the back of the mixer.)
Condenser microphones are generally used only in studios because of their sensitivity to loud sounds and the fact that they're quite a bit more fragile than their dynamic counterparts. That being said, you'll find them onstage at live music venues for use as drum overheads or for use in orchestral or choral sound reinforcement.
With condenser microphones, you'll generally find two different types: small diaphragm, and large diaphragm.
Large Diaphragm Microphones - Large diaphragm microphones (LDMs) are generally the choice for studio vocals, and any instrument recording where a more "deep" sound is desired. A large diaphragm microphone generally warms up the sound of what it's recording, which also leads to the myth that most LDMs reproduce low frequencies better than small diaphragm mics; this isn't true, in fact, small diaphragm mics are much better at reproducing everything evenly, including bass. You'll want a pop screen if using a condenser microphone for vocals; they're so sensitive to transient noises that the "P" and "SH" sounds you make will cause distortion.
Small Diaphragm Microphones - Small diaphragm microphones (SDMs) are generally the best choice where you want a solid, wide frequency response and the best transient response, which as we mentioned before, is the ability for your microphone to reproduce fast sounds, such as stringed instruments. SDMs are also the preferred choice for concert taping.
Good suggestions for condenser microphones include the Oktava MC012 ($99), RODE NT1 ($199), and AKG C414B ($700)
Dynamic Microphones
Compared to condenser microphones, dynamic microphones are much more rugged. They're also especially resistant to moisture and other forms of abuse, which makes them the perfect choice onstage. Dynamic microphones like the Shure SM57 and Shure SM58 are legendary for not only their good sound quality, but the amount of abuse they can withstand. Any good rock club probably has at least 5 of each of these microphones in various states of aesthetic ruin; however, they still turn on and more than likely sound just as they did the day they came out of the package.
Dynamic microphones don't require their own power supply like condenser microphones. Their sound quality is generally not as accurate, however. Most dynamic microphones have a limited frequency response, which makes them well-suited, along with their ability to withstand high sound pressure levels, for loud guitar amps, live vocals, and drums.
Good dynamic microphones include the Shure SM57 ($99), Sennheiser E602 ($100), and the Shure SM58 ($109).
Selecting Between The Two
Let's take a look at what you might be doing.
Recording Vocals At Home - You'll want a large-diaphragm condenser microphone if you have phantom power; if not, you might want to consider a large-diaphragm dynamic microphone like the Shure SM7B ($350). If you're on a budget, you won't get much better than a Shure SM58.
Recording Acoustic Guitar - You'll want a good small-diaphragm condenser microphone. A good choice is the Oktava MC012 ($99), Marshall MXL 603S ($99), or, more expensively, the Neumann KM184 ($730).
Recording Cello/Upright Bass - You'll want a large-diaphragm condenser microphone. This is because, while the strings resonate quickly, the slower transient response of the large-diaphragm microphone will lend to better low frequency reproduction on these instruments.
Concert Taping - You'll want a pair of small-diaphragm condenser microphones for stereo recording.
Drums - Here, you'll want a combination of dynamic and condenser microphones. You need a dynamic mic on the drums themselves - Shure SM57 or Sennheiser E602 are great on toms and snare, AKG D112 and Sennheiser E602 are great on kick. Then for overhead mics and cymbals, you'll want small diaphragm condenser microphones, since they give you the best frequency and transient response.
Some Basic Home Recording Tips
1) The Better The Source, The Better The Recording
Think of your microphone as your ear. If something sounds bad to your ear, chances are it won't sound great in front of a mic. Making sure your source is the best it can be is the first thing to remember whenever starting a new project. That could mean a new set of strings, fresh drum heads, or having your vocalist do warm-ups before tracking. Remember that there's a lot you can edit out later on down the line, but there's a lot that you can't add if it's not naturally there.
2) Save Your Work Often
Nothing is worse than losing something you worked for hours on, especially when you're running your studio as a business and you have a paying client. Always save your work between takes. It also doesn't hurt to have an external hard drive that you backup your sessions to nightly; if something happens to your hard drive, you'll at least have a copy to start over from, and you won't have to waste blank media backing up every night.
3) Always Keep Spare Parts
Keeping basic items at your studio will always help keep things going smoothly when the inevitable happens. Stock a set of guitar strings (both electric and acoustic), some drum sticks, and always keep spare instrument and microphone cables on hand. You never know when your session will be saved because you came to the rescue! It also helps to be able to kindly suggest a new set of strings to the stubborn guitarist who showed up with old, dead strings on his axe.
4) Nothing Leaves Until The Check Clears
This tip applies only to the home studios that record for profit, not your simple project studio, but it deserves a mention of it's own. Don't ever, ever let any mixes leave your studio until you're paid in full. This includes mp3 copies you send out via email, and CD-Rs you let leave your studio with rough mixes. At any point during the recording process, a financial dispute of some sort may arise, and they've still got a rough mix. This is rare, but it happens.
5) Keep It Simple
I can't stress this last tip enough: keep it simple. One of the biggest and most common mistakes is being too fancy. You'll waste a lot of time — and your money, by overdoing it in the studio. Examples of this include recording an instrument in stereo when a mono (single) track will do, doing too many vocal overdubs, or laying down too many guitar layers. Let the band's music speak for itself.
No matter what type of music you record, or how simple or complex your studio is, there are a few tips to keep in mind when you're starting your recording project. Remember, these aren't just beginner's tips; I know many recording engineers who've been doing this for years who live by these same rules! Good Luck to you I look forward to hearing your recording real soon. And I hope this was at least somewhat helpful to you.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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Category: Music
Music maybe art, but if you ewant to be sucessful its a business
Category: Music
Music maybe art, but if you want to be successful its a business
Often people remind me about how great things were "in the good old days." Bands were constantly working, clubs of all sizes were booking musicians, and gigs were available for any musician who could play well. Nobody played for free, live music was every where, and there weren't enough musicians to go around. Well, I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, but really there was never a time when the phone just rang off the hook constantly with people looking for a band of any size. It just didn't happen. And it's not going to happen now. True before the crack downs on drinking and driving, bans on smoking, the increased number of fights and violence at live shows, 911, and so on things were better in the club scene, but even then if you wanted bookings, you needed to be organized, and promote yourself well.
I remember when I first started out in the music business, I would do anything to get attention and to book our band. If there was a club we really wanted to play at and couldn't get the owner's attention or the booking agent to book us or even call us back, we would call the club posing as customers, seeing if our group was playing there. After a few dozen similar calls, I'd casually stop by the club a few days later and leave a card and press kit. Often the owner or manager would say, "I think I've heard of you guys." Of course they'd heard of us; we were the ones making the calls to the club.
Another little trick I used was mailing a brochure on our group to whoever was looking for a band, in a plain envelope with no return address. On the brochure was a little note that read, "Hi Bill (or whoever was making the decision), you should check these guys out, they're fantastic! and put on one hell of a show" Then we'd just sign the note with a generic first name. In any event, I guess when I was a lot younger, I would do any crazy thing I could to get someone to book my band. Wait I think I still use some old tricks to promote the bands I manage. lol.
If you're doing club dates or freelancing and people don't know about you or who you are, they most likely won't hire you. But getting them just to know about you sometimes isn't enough. You need to get them to take action: listen to your CDs, look at your promo kit, maybe even check out your band at a current gig.
One booking agent jokingly said, "Maybe you could take off your clothes and run down Main Street naked. When they arrest you, you can tell the press your band's playing wherever, and you've got CDs available as well. At least you'll get noticed, and they might want to hear what you sound like." A bit extreme for me, but I marvel at groups who have great moxie for getting work, and don't fear rejection. In fact, I like anybody who can come up with a great idea or unique way for getting noticed. Don't be afraid to be bold, interesting, different, be as creative in your marketing as you are your music.
If you want to work as a professional musician, you need to treat your music career like a business. That means networking, promo kits, demo CDs, your own PR program, business cards, brochures, voice mail (or a decent answering machine), e-mail, a Web site, lots of creative marketing, and a good business plan.
You also need a good professional attitude and a solid business attitude. You can't blame things you can't control for not getting your band booked. By human nature, when things start going wrong, we like to come up with all kinds of excuses. Excuses like: "The economy is bad," "Clubs want bands to work for the door," "We're in a recession," or "Nobody wants to hire live musicians anymore." etc. On top of that, we blame the stock market, the President, the town where we live, the competition, or the customers themselves. However, all things taken into consideration, while some of this maybe a factor, it is easier to just look in the mirror and see who is actually responsible for getting work, or the lack thereof. It's you. You are the prophet of your own destiny. To make it in the music business today, you need to let people know who you are as a musician and a band. You need to hone your craft, and you need to tweak your business skills as well. That means marketing, selling, publicizing, networking, and promoting as well as performing. It means being aggressive and making things happen for yourself and your band. Not waiting for the world to find you.
Any roadblocks you may meet getting work as a band can be overcome. It won't be easy, at times and it will take some hard work. But if your not prepared to do what it takes, pay some dues, and hang in, no matter what, that overnight success you're trying to achieve may take just a little longer than overnight. But if you really want to make it as a musician, and if gigs are really important to you, why don't you just bite the bullet and start putting in the time, money, and effort you need to be a success? Start today--now.
A journey of a hundred miles begins with the first step. Your personal success as a professional musician is directly related to your belief in yourself and your music. Your success is in your own hands. What are you going to do with it? So, what's your answer? Do you want to go out and give it your best shot, or do you want to just sit back in your chair, sipping a beer and hoping things will get better. It's really your choice. There are plenty of opportunities out there. You need to be creative, aggressive organized, develop a plan and go after them breaks. If you don't someone else will, there are no missed opportunities, for the ones you don't take, someone else will.
Word-of-Mouth Music Promotion for Professional Musicians
If you asked 100 people who play music for a living what their best means of music promotion is, more than 90% would say, "word of mouth" music promotion. And if you asked these musicians what "word of mouth" is, only a few could tell you. To some, it means that you just sit back, do nothing, and people will just naturally seek you out. That of course is ludicrous. Successful word-of-mouth music promotion needs constant attention on your part. It means consistent tweaking of ideas to getting your bands name out there, coming up with reasons for people to talk about you in a positive manner, and staying in touch with your own personal circle of influence, such as fans, club owners, booking agents, press, other bands and people in the music industry, updating your web page, etc.
Good word-of-mouth marketing starts with knowing your craft. Nothing gets the ball rolling more than playing really well, and knowing your instrument inside-out. With a band, it means having a tight group, with talent as good as it gets. You're only as good as your last performance, so every show has to be kick ass and each performance better than the last, and a well-received playing job keeps that word-of-mouth music promotion going.
But not everyone can hear you play all the time. Not everyone knows of your successes and achievements. Not everyone knows where you are playing all the time. And that's where some coaxing is necessary to keep that positive spin going. The nice part of word-of-mouth music promotion is that it costs little or nothing. You don't have to spend big dollars on CDs, press kits, and promo packages. You just have to keep the right people talking about you.
Creating a buzz isn't limited by the type of music you play. You could be a death metal, hard rock or heavy metal band, a emo band, or symphonic string musician. The idea here is to tell everyone you come in contact with where you are playing. Let them know you're a musician and your in a band. It could be your local dry cleaner, druggist, or a Fed Ex delivery person. Doesn't matter. If you come in contact with this person on a regular basis, say, "By the way, we're playing at the Whatever Club this week, come see us. We've been getting excellent reviews." And ask if they could mention it to all their friends. Next thing you know they are telling their friends that "the musician who plays at the Whatever Club" is someone they know. They've heard the group "has been getting excellent reviews." They may have never heard you play, but they may spread the word to their friends. If you play with the local symphony, let everyone you come in contact with know as well. Don't just hand them a schedule, let them know what you play, and when the next show will be. Create some PR on your own. If your band has won an award or competition, if you play for a Charity or in a Fund Raiser, or for some good cause let people know you're involved. Word spreads. Get everyone you can on your mailing list and do regular mailings to your fans. ." Starting your own buzz is word-of-mouth marketing.
Also, don't forget about local call-in radio shows, and the opinion page and community section of your local paper. They're great venues for keeping your music promotion going. If you have a take on the local music that is even slightly controversial, it could play in your favor. Get yourself known as an expert in the area. People will talk about you. Getting your name out through word-of-mouth music promotion is easy, it's cheap, and it works if you're creative and continually working to keep it going. Remember this: people spread your buzz if it is simple to repeat, outrageous enough to get attention, and a success story to keep you in a positive light. How you come up with music promotion is up to you. Then you have to remember to fan the flames once in a while to keep it going. If you're a great musician word spreads fast. But it only spreads if you seed it yourself on a regular basis. That's what word-of-mouth music promotion is all about.
Personality skills, creativeness, and cleverness do pay off when you are trying to jump start your bands musical career Visibility is important and anything you can do without spending lots of money is the key.
I know of a band that sends out a letter with a Japanese Yen cemented to the top of the page. It reads, "We've got a Yen to play your next concert" Yen coins cost next to nothing. And I bet the letter gets read 90% of the time.
You also might want to think about your business cards. Full-color cards are relatively inexpensive today. Pictures can make a strong impact. Be creative and get those cards out to everyone you come in contact with.
You should have a up to date mailing list of people who will come to hear your group wherever you are playing. But you also need a up to date mailing list of people who might possibly book you, or your involved in the music business with as well. And you need to stay in touch with these people on a regular basis. It could be something as simple as a postcard letting them know where you're playing or a phone call in the middle of the morning when you're more apt to get an answering machine. Then you just leave the message, "Got good news for you. Please give me a call." Everybody likes good news. It could be that you have an open date, or you can supply a mailing list of 2,000 names of people that might come hear you, or have added something different to your play list.
You never know where the next creative idea for getting someone's attention is going to come from. It could be from a friend, a fellow musician, another band, or even a business down the street. Use a little ingenuity and don't be afraid to copy what is already successful.
When a gig you thought you had falls through the cracks, or club owners, agents, or anyone booking musicians start to look elsewhere, maybe there's a way to keep it from happening. Maybe it's just an issue of getting that person to hear you one more time. Maybe you need to get their attention, starting with finding ways to get them to call you back.
If you depend on club dates shows, and gigs to get your name and music out to the public, to further your music career or for an income, then it's a business. It takes more than just musical talent. You need to get your bands name out there, and you need to create attention for yourself. A little cleverness and creativity will never hurt. I look forward to hearing and seeing more about you and your band.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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Category: Music
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Internal Band Contracts
Category: Music
Internal Band Contracts
When two plumbers from Jersey City decide to go into business together, they know enough to draft a partnership agreement in writing together. For this reason I am always astonished by the fact that bands earning tens of millions of dollars often never get around to formalizing their relationship with an Internal Band Contract. And more than once in a while, this neglect and lack of a written agreement bites them in the ass.
The best time to make an Internal Band Contract is early on in the bands career, or right now if you don't have one, its not to late. When everyone is still friends, and kissy-face is the easiest time to work out the details with everyone. When band members are fighting with each other, particularly if there's a lot of money on the table, you may find yourselves killing the goose that lays the golden eggs as well as paying for that entertainment lawyers new vacation home in the British West Indies.
I know of a major group a number of years back that had no formalized contract or agreement. One of the bands members got pumped up by family who told him he was the real star of the band (even though he did not sing or write music) . So he started a fight to stop the other band members from using the group name, both sides got so angry they couldn't agree on anything with each other and finally stopped talking all together. Because they were set up as a corporation, and became deadlocked on every conceivable issue, the court appointed a neutral third director to break the tie and move the corporation forward. The appointed neutral third party was a tough, no nonsense ex-judge, who had done this for many bitterly fighting corporations in the past. After six months of long, difficult, negations with both parties no progress had been made and the judge, saying, "he had never seen anything as nasty as this in his career" disappeared into the sunset leaving behind no progress and a large bill for his efforts. The upshot was that litigation lasted over nine years, and cost the parties over one million dollars in legal fees. the irony is that the band broke up early in the process and the band member who started the fight ended up broke and filling for bankruptcy. All this could have been avoided with a simple agreement and a couple of hours of planning among the members of the band.
So make the time to take care of it now. I know that nobody likes to talk about anything negative (like a band breakup or death of a band member) when ever thing is working really well. But, believe me, when everything is going well is exactly the time to discuss it, because you can all do it in a friendly and respectful way. Its like having insurance, you may never need it, but you will sure be glad you have it if you do.
If you are an artist in a group of more than one person, then you should have a written agreement between the members of the group addressing at least the issues, I outline here for your consideration. You should consider forming a corporate entity for your group, which will protect your individual assets from liability related to group activities if you have not already formed one.
Corporation Versus Partnership
The major difference between having a partnership or corporation are the tax planning aspects (which could fill a large book by themselves), the liability limitations, and the fact that corporations are more expensive to setup and run, otherwise, it doesn't make much difference whether you're a corporation or a partnership. By liability limitations, I mean that corporations limit what assets someone suing you can grab. In a corporation, someone can only get the assets of the corporation. Within a partnership, however, someone can grab both the partnership's assets and the personal assets of every partner. (something to carefully consider) when planning how to organize your business.
The only mechanical difference between the two kinds of entities is that to form a partnership, you need a written partnership agreement, and if you want a corporation you need both a written shareholders agreement ( meaning an agreement among the shareholders, who are the owners of the corporation ), and employment agreements between yourselves and the corporation.
For the purposes of this discussion, I'm going to use partnerships because they are simpler, but all these principles can be built into a corporation just as easy if you want to.
Your most Important Asset
Can you guess what your most important asset is? Apart from your goods looks, charm, and talent, your most important asset is the group name. (Note: You may want to seek advice on trademark law prior to deciding on a name and/or to determine if you want to apply for a federal trademark registration for the name.) So whatever you do, by all means figure out what to do with your bands name if there's a dispute, You need to think through everything about the band name, such as what happens to the name if:
- The lead singer and songwriter leave the group.
- The drummer who doesn't write music or sing leaves the group.
- Three out of five members leave the group to form a new group.
- The group breaks up totally
Who owns the band name? What happens to the band name if the band breaks up or a band member quits/is fired? Who, if anyone, can still perform using the name? (Everyone must still be involved? The key player(s) or founder(s) must still be involved?) Obviously, there are thousands of other possibilities, but all of them can be covered with a few general rules. This means dealing with the name can be anything you want it to be, but most common solutions run along these lines:
1) No one can use the group name if the group breaks up, regardless of how many of you are still performing together (short of all of you, of course).
2) Any majority of the group members performing together can use the name. For example if there are seven people in the band and it breaks up any four of them together can use the name.
3) Only the lead singer can use the name, regardless of who she is performing with.
4) Only the songwriter who founded the group and thought of the name, can use the name, regardless of who they are performing with.
5) Only the singer and bass player can use the name as long as they perform together, but if they don't, no one can use the name.
If one or two people really created the unique sound of the band, I have always thought they should have the rights to use the band name, because the others without them would not truly represent the group to the public. Many groups choose to operate on a "majority rule" principle, regardless of that spirit. Anything you decide is ok, as long as it has some rational basis and a judge can understand it. Just do something!
What happens if you do nothing? Well as I related in my horror story, the law is not real helpful, in fact, there is not much law on the subject. This is because most disputes are settled privately, even though they start as a lawsuit they go to arbitration. The most likely result is that your band name will be treated the same as any other business partnership asset - meaning any of the partners have the non-exclusive right to use the band name. This means you could have two or three bands using the same name, and then you have the question of which one(s) may be defrauding the public. The argument is that one or more key people are the "essence" of the group and anyone using the band name without them misleads and defrauds the public. If you think this sounds like a real mess and expensive to resolve your right! So get this resolved now!
Next item Percentages
Now that were working on an agreement, the next important thing for you to decide is everybody's percentages. You may be surprised to learn that there are many bands which, despite laughing, giggling, grabbing each others ass on stage, are in fact owned or controlled by one or two band members and everyone else is merely a hired hand. being a hired hand doesn't necessarily mean you're on just a salary, while you may be in many cases you can receive both a salary and a percentage of the profits. In most cases however it is employment at will,meaning you serve at the will and pleasure of the employer. In many cases this makes for a rather pleasant band atmosphere. (some how the knowledge that they could be terminated and out in the street tomorrow keeps the egos and peoples attitudes a lot healthier and motivation stronger, than if they have life tenure.
Hiring band members for a band just starting out is not really practical because there's no money to pay them a salary, so everyone works for a percentage of the future pie.
Assuming you're all going to be partners, how should the profits be shared? Well again there are no rules, and you can do it any way you like. The easy way and a common practice is to split things equally. (if there are five of you everyone gets one-fifth, or 20%).
While this is common in new bands it can grow into a real source of irritation if some band members work much harder and contribute a lot more than others. Another approach I have used for a band I work with was the two members who founded the band and had played together before in other bands, as well as wrote much of the bands material were given bigger percentages than the other band members, and frankly, even when everyone has been together from the beginning there may be one or two key band members who are the heart of the group and deserve a higher percentage than the other members.
In addition, nothing says you have to use the same percentage for recordings, that you use in other areas. Sometimes bands split evenly on all concert monies, (theory being that all the band members are out there performing and sweating together) but have different splits for their recordings, merchandising, television performances, etc.
Some things for consideration:
How will band profits/debts be distributed? (Royalties, performance fees, etc.) Do some members receive/contribute more than others? Who will pay for what? Who will be keep track of band monies? What will happen when one band member contributes more time/money than expected? Will band members receive payment for projects completed and/or be responsible for debts incurred prior to leaving? (Does this change depending on whether the person leaves or is removed?) Does the band have to "buyout" the leaving member? ( more on this shortly)
CONTROL
Just as ownership of the partnership does not need to be equal, neither does control of the partnerships business decisions. Normally you would vote in proportion to your percentage of profits, but this is certainly not any law, nor is it carved in stone. So even if your partnership percentages are equal, one or two key members may control your vote - for example they may have two votes, where everybody else has only one vote. Or it could be setup so that the partnership can't act without at least one of the key members agreeing regardless of how many people want to do it. Once again the possibilities are endless, depending on your creativity and desires, but they need to be thought out very carefully, for example, try not to have an even number of votes, because this will allow a deadlock. (meaning a equally divided number of votes where nothing can be done) At worst you can a third party like your manager break the tie, but its better to try to have a mechanism to do it from inside the band.
Some other Issues
- Acquisition of Assets
How will the band acquire gear/assets? (Instruments, PA system, lights, van, merchandise, web site/domain name, etc.) If the band breaks up how will these assets be divided ?
- Incurring Expenses
What kind of vote do you need to approve the groups spending money? Who opens and maintains the groups bank account? How many members must sign a check? Who maintains the groups books and provides financial accountability?
- Contributions
What kind of vote do you need to make the band members contribute to the partnership (translation: put in money the group needs) to buy equipment, transportation, merchandise, press kits, cover unexpected expenses, etc.?
- Business Decisions
How will band business decisions be made? (Hiring/firing lawyers, managers, agents, spending band money, signing with a record label, etc.) Majority vote? Unanimous vote? Veto power? Tie-breaker? How can the band agreement be changed?
- Creative Decisions
Who owns the songs we write? (Note: You may want to seek advice on copyright law prior to deciding this.) Who decides which songs to perform/record? How is it determined who gets songwriting credit? Who decides what gigs to play?
- Band Members
What happens when a new member is hired or an existing member leaves the band? How can band members be fired? Can a member quit at will? What if a member becomes disabled or dies? (This may be important so surviving spouses/parents are(n't) involved with the group's business.) What are the members' responsibilities, relationship, etc.? What is required of each member?
- Firing
What kind of a vote does it take to fire a band member? Majority? Unanimous of all other band members?
- Hiring
What kind of vote do you need to take in a new partner? Majority? Unanimous? My friend Tim came back from his vacation in Florida to find his band hired a new manager and keyboard player while he was away, he quit the band and two week later they broke up.
- Quitting
Are the band members all free to quit at will? What kind of notice must they provide?, do they have to remain until a suitable replacement can be found? As a band member you are not free to quit if your under a recording contract, and if your in the middle of a tour your not able to walk out on the concert promoters. However aside from contractual obligations, there's no way to force someone to continue working as a member of the band. But it is possible to stop him or her from working as a musical artist after quitting the band, or require the member to pay his or hers solo earnings to the partnership (meaning the other group members get a piece). There are real means to enforce such contract provisions.
Personally I believe its in the best interests of the band to just let an unhappy member go, and to try to maintain the best relationship possible as long as its not in the middle of a tour.
An unhappy band member will bring little to the band worthwhile, but one can never tell what the future will bring so try to part as friends.
- Corporate Entities
I touched a bit on this earlier.
Partnership – Partnerships are easier to set up, but expose you and your personal assets to liability. You may want to start as a partnership and convert to a corporation once things get going.
Corporation – Corporations are somewhat more expensive to set up, but provide more protection and shelter your personal assets. A Limited Liability Corporation (LLC) is basically a partnership that provides the limited liability of a corporation.
Note: This checklist provides some business and legal issues you should consider if you are engaging in activities in the music business. However, the list is not exhaustive, is not necessarily in any particular order, and not every item on this list is necessarily appropriate for your situation. Please consult with an attorney in your area who has music industry experience for advice regarding your particular needs and issues. You may also want to engage the services of a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to help you with tax preparation and entity-related decisions.
- Amendment of Partnership Agreement
What kind of vote does it take to change or amend the terms of the partnership deal? For example, can a majority vote reduce your percentage? Or does it require your consent?
- Death or Disability
What happens in the event of the death or disability of a band member? One sure thing is that the remaining band members don't want the surviving family voting on partnership matters (not likely they will be singing on stage or recording with the band). For this reason there is normally a "buy-out" provision in the agreement and your treated as if you had quit the partnership or were terminated.
- Ex-Partners
What happens after you're are terminated as a partner or quit the band? Do you keep the same percentage level for past activities (almost always YES) For future activities (almost always NO)? Do you get brought out of your share of assets of the group (called a "BUY-OUT") and if so, at what price and over what period of time?
BUY-OUTS
So on the subject of buy-outs
- Price
The price of the buy-out equals the leaving partner's percentage of all "hard" assets owned by the partnership. "Hard" assets means goods that you can touch and feel (sound equipment, instruments, cash, etc.) as opposed to "intangibles" (such as the group name, recording contracts, television shows, etc.) So, if the bands assets are worth $100,000. and the partner had a 25% interest, his or her value of the assets would be $ 25,000. This is usually done on a "value" as opposed to "cost" basis, due to depreciation and the fact that used equipment is generally worth considerably less than the cost. It can also be done on the "Book Value" , which is an accounting concept meaning the "value" on the books of the partnership. Book Value is typically the original cost minus some scheduled factor of depreciation that is worked out by your accountant. Of these three methods, book value is likely to be the lowest, although it's possible the real value could be less. Cost is the least accurate measure of anything.
I feel personally that no value should be given to any intangible rights. First, I think they are difficult if not impossible to value, and second, any established value may be different after someone leaves the group. (for example, if the lead singer/songwriter goes, the group name and recording contract may become worthless.) Finally, I think the leaving band members contingent payout covers this.
- Cash Payout
The value of the hard assets is paid out over a period of two years at the rate of 25% every six months. So in the $25,000 example given means that $6,250 would be paid six months after the termination, $6,250 paid after 12 months and so forth. Because the money does not get paid all at once, the leaving band member gets interest on the unpaid balance.
The reason for structuring a pay-out over time is to protect the remaining band members from having to come up with a large amount of cash (which they may not have) all at once. Its not uncommon to provide that the terminated band member can look only to the assets of the partnership for his or her buy-out payments, which means the other individual partners aren't responsible if the partnership has no money to pay.
- Contingent Payout
The leaving member gets their continuing percentage from activities of the partnership from activities of the partnership prior to their leaving. This means royalties from recordings in which they participated, as well as monies from merchandise using their name or likeness, concerts in which they performed, television programs on which they appeared, etc. Bear in mind that there are special record contract provisions about leaving members, which may affect their continuing royalties. The leaving member does not get any portion of group earnings from activities after they leave.
Legal Ethics
You should be aware of a common ethical problem that groups have. A lawyer that represents a group and draws up a partnership agreement has a built in "conflict of interest." A conflict of interests or conflict means the lawyer represents two clients whose interests are adverse to each other. So if a lawyer represents the partnership, he or she can not take sides and represent anyone of you against any other of you. But this is what making a partnership agreement requires, because (unless everything gets divided evenly and goes by the simple majority vote) your best interests are not the same. For example,if extra percentages of money or control are going to the lead singer and songwriter they must come from the others in the group, whose best interests are to keep them. This happens every day and all ethical lawyers or personal managers will advise you of the conflicts existence.
You can do one of two things:
1) Each member can get independent counsel (which may or may not be affordable, and can get expensive, it may be destructive and take a long time if anyone decides to be a hero) It is however the best way to do this.
2) Far more commonly, the manager or lawyer explains all the issues to the group openly, and then lets you decide among yourselves, how you want to resolve them. In this case the manager or lawyer does not represent any of you, but rather just acts as a neural party, drafting whatever agreement the band members reach among themselves. if you proceed with this route, your manager or lawyer you will ask you to sign a conflict waiver, which says
he or she has explained the conflict to each of you and you chose to precede anyway.
DISCLAIMER: This information is offered as an educational and informational tool only, and should not be relied on as legal advice. Applicability of the principles discussed may differ substantially in individuals situations. If you need specific legal advise you should consult an attorney.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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Category: Music
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Music Contract Basics/Booking Agreements/Sample Contracts
Category: Music
Contracts - A Few Basics..
Get it in Writing!
A written contract:
- clarifies the agreement
- leaves less room for misunderstandings
- provides tangible evidence of the intentions of the parties if there is a disagreement
- is sometimes required for there to be an agreement at all (such as a work-for-hire)
- is more likely to be enforced by a court
- should be created to summarize verbal agreements
Contract = Offer + Acceptance + Consideration
(Contract Requirements)
Offer = What the parties are going to do for each other (Buyer hires Artist to perform for an event)
Consideration = What the parties are giving to each other (The parties agree on Artist's performance fee)
Acceptance = Usually signified by the parties' signatures (Artist agrees to perform for Buyer's event)
Cover the Basics – Who, When, Where, What, Why & How (Much)
Who are the parties to the contract?
When is the event?
Where is the event?
What are the specifications for the event? (Song requests, attire, set up time, etc.)
Why is Artist playing this event? (Wedding, concert, etc.)
How (Much) will Artist be paid for the event?
Understand the Agreement
It is important to know what is in the contract you are signing or presenting. Educate yourself about what the various clauses mean and/or have an entertainment attorney, personal manager, or someone with the proper expertise explain/review/revise the agreement terms. Entertainment agreements can be confusing to even attorneys who are not familiar with entertainment law, so you shouldn't expect to understand everything, especially in more complex agreements (i.e., management or recording agreements).
Typical Music Industry Contracts
Performance Agreements
Internal Group Agreements
Sidemen Agreements
Work For Hire Agreements
Mechanical License Agreements
Sample License Agreements
Publicity Release Agreements
Advisor Team Member Agreements (i.e., Manager, Agent, Attorney)
Producer Agreements
Distribution Agreements
Recording Agreements
Investor Agreements
Performing Agreements -The agreement used most by bands and agents..
Many performers, especially early in their career, agree to do live performances on a handshake or verbal agreement. While such agreements are legal, they are difficult to enforce. The more money involved in the performance, the more important a written contract becomes. It is advisable to have a simple standard contract for live performances and add special provisions in a rider/addendum to the standard contract when necessary. A performer should not be afraid to present a written agreement to a buyer -- the performer will look more professional and also will be more likely to get paid.
What to include in a Performance Agreement (a.k.a. Booking Agreement/ Engagement Contract):
Contract Basics
- Name and address of performer and buyer
- Date agreement was executed
- Date(s), time(s) and location(s) of performance(s)
- Compensation (fixed amount/guaranteed fee, percentage of door, whichever is higher, or both; advance/deposit; meals, lodging and transportation); who gets paid, when payment will be made and payment method. Note: Performers may want to ask for a portion of their compensation as a deposit. However, such advances should not be spent before the performance in case the show is cancelled, as the performer may have to return the money. It is also a good idea for performers to try to collect the balance of their compensation at the beginning of the show instead of at the end (ask for it and put it in the agreement if the buyer agrees to it). College and corporate gigs will usually provide meals, lodging and transportation, and benefits and public venue shows may not.
- Signature of both parties
Performance Details
- Nature of performance
- Number and length of sets to be performed
- Number and length of breaks between the sets
- Setup and sound check time
- Specific requirements/restrictions for performer/buyer (Announcing the performer, thanking a sponsor, attire or language, etc.)
- Other act that will be performing with you (i.e., opening or headlining act)/order of appearance; marquee billing order
Venue Details
- Admission fee/ticket price
- Capacity of venue
- Permits, licenses, insurance, security, royalties and taxes. Note: The buyer is usually responsible for these. However, performers should insure their own equipment and have permission/licenses to perform copyrighted material.
- Equipment, stage, sound, lighting and other technical requirements; who provides what and how
- Buyer's policy for food and beverage
- Right to sell merchandise on premises. Note: Smaller venues usually allow performers to do this with few, if any, restrictions (and performers often make a nice chunk of change from such sales). However, larger venues often have specific merchandise sales rules (and may also supply sales people).
- Right to record, broadcast/transmit, reproduce or photograph the performance and who controls/owns the reproduction. Note: The performer usually has the right to grant permission for such things.
- Advertising, press and publicity, if any. Note: The buyer usually has the right to use the performer's name and likeness to advertise and promote the performance. It's a good idea for the performer to provide the buyer with promotional materials and promote the show as well. An act with a bit more clout may also want to specify how and how much the buyer will spend on promoting the act, as well as any media/publicity limitations.
Other Issues
- What happens if the performance is canceled (whether it's the performer or venue's fault) Note: Usually neither party is penalized if a show is canceled with enough notice; however, it may depend on the type of show and can be handled in a variety of ways.
- Force Majeure/Acts of God such as weather or illness and other standard contract clauses
- Complimentary tickets/guest list, backstage passes, dressing room, agent terms, etc.
- The performer and the buyer should each retain a copy of the Agreement
- If a performer is not paid as agreed for a performance, small claims court may be the best option to collect the money (and potentially three times the amount as damages)
SOME SAMPLE CONTRACTS AND AGREEMENTS
BOOKING CONTRACT
..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = O />
THIS CONTRACT, entered into on this ________________ day of ________, 20_____, is for the personal services of the Musician(s) for the performance described below. The undersigned employer and the undersigned musician(s) agree and contract as follows:
1. NAME OF MUSICIAN(S):
2. NUMBER OF MUSICIAN(S):
3. NAME AND ADDRESS OF PLACE OF PERFORMANCE
4. DATE(S) OF PERFORMANCE:
5. TIME(S) OF PERFORMANCE:
6. WAGE AGREED UPON:
7. DEPOSIT:
8. PAYMENT OF BALANCE TO _____________________________________________
MADE IN U.S. CURRENCY OR CERTIFIED CHECK AT THE END OF PERFORMANCE.
9. ADDITIONAL TERMS:
10. This contract constitutes a complete and binding agreement between the employer and the musician(s). AGENT acts only as agent and assumes no responsibility as between the employer and the musician(s).
11. In case of breach of this contract by Employer, the Employer agrees to pay the amount stated in Section 6 as mitigated damages, plus reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, and legal interest.
13. The Employer agrees to be responsible for harm, loss, or damage of any kind to musician(s) person or property while located at the place of performance (Section 3 herein).
14. The persons signing for Employer and the Musician(s) agree to be personally, jointly and severally liable for the terms of this contract.
___________________________________ __________________________________
for Employer for Musician(s)
________________________________________________________________________________________________
CONCERT PERFORMANCE CONTRACT
THIS ENTERTAINMENT AGREEMENT is made this _______ day of ________, 20____ by and between _______________________________________________(Buyer)
_______________________________________ (hereinafter referred to as the "Buyer") and the entertainer or entertainers, if more than one, listed on Addendum A attached hereto and included herein (hereinafter referred to as the "Artist"), by and through their designated agent or representative ("Manager") identified below.
WHEREAS, Buyer conducts the annual event known as __________________ (hereinafter referred to as the "Concert"); and
WHEREAS, Buyer desires to hire Artist, as independent contractor(s), to provide the entertainment generally described below (the "Performance") at the 20________ Concert; and
WHEREAS, Artist(s) desire to provide such Performance at the Concert;
NOW, THEREFORE, the parties agree as follows:
1. Entertainers: The names and addresses of the Entertainers who will appear during the Performance, the amounts to be paid to each, and the Entertainer's social security numbers and union numbers, if any, are as set forth on Addendum A.
2. Manager: The name and mailing address of the Manager, who is executing this Agreement on behalf of Artist(s), is:
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________
3. Place of Performance: The place of performance is at
__________________________________________________________________
4. Date(s) and Time(s) of Performance: The date(s) of the Performance shall be ________________, 20____ and the time(s) of the Performance shall be _____________. This Performance shall have duration of at least _______ hours.
5. Performance: The entertainment to be provided by Entertainers is generally described as:
__________________________________________________________________
6. Agreement to Perform: Artist(s) agree to provide the Performance in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and any addendums or riders hereto.
7. Price of Performance: Buyer agrees to pay Artist or his agent an aggregate of ________________ DOLLARS ($ ) for the Performance by check immediately following the Performance, which check shall be made payable to the Manager. Upon proper endorsement of such check by Manager, Buyer agrees to cash the check for the Manager. The Manager shall distribute such amount to Artist(s) as agreed upon between them.
8. Recording, Reproduction or Transmission of Performance: Buyer will use its best efforts to prevent the recording, reproduction or transmission of the Performance without the written permission of Artist(s) or Artist's representative.
9. Excuse of Obligations: Buyer and Artist shall be excused from their obligations hereunder in the event of proven sickness, accident, riot, strike, epidemic, act of God or any
other legitimate condition or occurrence beyond their respective control.
10. Taxes: Buyer agrees to prepare and file all tax information required of a person who hires an independent contractor and Artist(s) agree that they have sole responsibility
for the payment of any federal or state taxes arising from the monies paid by Buyer to Artist(s) for the Performance.
11. Indemnify for Copyright Infringement: Artist(s) represent and warrant that they are knowledgeable about the copyright laws of the ..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />..:NAMESPACE PREFIX = ST1 />United States as applicable to the Performance, and that Artist(s) shall not perform any copyrighted materials of others during Performance without full compliance with such applicable copyright laws. In the event that Artist(s) breach this representation, warranty and covenant, Artist(s) hereby agree to INDEMNIFY AND HOLD HARMLESS Buyer and its employees, guests and agents from and against all liability, loss, damages, claims, and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising out of such breach.
12. Independent Contractor: Artist(s) acknowledge that they shall perform their obligations hereunder as an independent contractor and not as an employee of Buyer. Artist(s) further acknowledge that they are not on Buyer's payroll and social security or tax withholding rolls. Artist(s) shall have sole control and direction in the conduct of the Performance.
13. Merchandising: Artist(s) shall not, during the 20___ Concert sell any goods, products, merchandise or services (other than the services provided herein) on the grounds of the Concert.
14. Promotion: Buyer shall be entitled to advertise and promote the appearance of Artist(s) at the 20___ Concert and the Performance. Artist(s) acknowledge that Buyer will rely on the terms hereof in all such promotions and advertising and in the brochures to be printed setting forth the names, dates and times of all performances to be held at the 20___ Concert. Artist(s)
hereby acknowledge and agree that Buyer may use their names, photographs, likeness, facsimile signature and any other promotional materials in all of such promotions, advertising or other activities used to increase attendance at the 20___ Concert.
15. Parking: Buyer shall provide parking space for vehicles in a location of close proximity to and with direct access to the backstage area where Performance will take place on
the date(s) of Performance. This parking space will be reserved for Artist(s) for a period of four (4) hours prior to the Performance and ending three (3) hours following the Performance.
16. Security: Buyer shall provide security for the backstage and stage areas before, during and after the Performance. Buyer shall provide security personnel to protect Artist(s) and their property as deemed appropriate by Buyer in its discretion.
17. Passes: Buyer shall provide identification passes to Artist(s) and Artists assistants for the backstage and stage where Performance is to be held.
18. Stage: At its sole expense, Buyer shall furnish the stage, and stage lighting, sound and power for the Performance, and Buyer shall provide all stagehands required to assist the setup for and conduct of the Performance and takedown after the Performance.
19. Dressing Rooms: Buyer shall provide Artist(s) with one private dressing room, which will be clean, dry, well lit and air conditioned.
20. Authority to Execute: The Manager who is executing this Agreement on behalf of Artist(s) hereby warrants and represents that he has the full power and authority to bind Artist(s) on whose behalf he is executing this Agreement and acknowledges that he is making this representation and warranty with the understanding that Buyer is relying thereon.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement is executed on the date first above written.
BUYER _______________________________________
By: _______________________________________
MANAGER _____________________________________
By:_____________________________________
Title: ___________________________________
ADDENDUM A
List of Artist(s)
NAMES & ADDRESSES OF ENTERTAINERS SOCIAL SECURITY/UNION NO.
____________________________________ __________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________ __________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________ __________________________
____________________________________
____________________________________ __________________________
____________________________________
___________________________________ __________________________
___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
ARTISTS' MANAGEMENT CONTRACT
Date:_____/_____/_______
Address: _____________________________________________________
Gentlemen:
1. I hereby employ your agency as my sole and exclusive personal representative, agent and adviser for the term commencing on the above date and continuing thereafter for a Period of
year(s) throughout the world.(Not to exceed 7)
2. As such personal representative, agent and adviser your duties shall be the following: to use all reasonable diligence and make all reasonable efforts to assist me in negotiating for and procuring employment wherever my services may become available to accept such employment: and whenever reasonably requested so to do by me, to consult with, counsel, advise and assist me in all matters relating to my professional interests, which professional interests shall be deemed to embrace all branches of the entertainment business including particularly the motion picture, radio, theatre, phonograph recording and television industries, and including also all other media of entertainment now in existence and hereafter developed, invented or discovered.
3. You hereby accept this employment and agree to perform your required services for me during the term hereof. It is expressly understood and agreed, however, that you shall have the right to render your services to other persons, either in a capacity similar to that in which you are hereby employed by me, or otherwise.
4. As consideration to you for your acceptance of this employment and for your agreement to perform your required services for me hereunder, I agree to pay you, as and when received by me, a sum equal to
(Not to exceed maximum rate shown on fee schedule.) per cent of all compensation (including salaries, earnings, royalties, bonuses, shares of profit and all other direct or indirect forms of income from my professional interests) earned and/or received by and/or accruing to me during the term hereof. As a further part of your consideration hereunder, I also agree to pay you, as and when received by me, a sum equal to the percentage set forth above in this paragraph of all compensation (as above defined) earned and/or received by and/or accruing to me after the expiration of the term hereof, for as long as I shall either directly or indirectly be employed or receive compensation under any employment or contracts entered into and negotiated for during the term of this agreement and/or under any renewal or extension of any such contracts and/or employment and/or under any employment and/or contracts entered into by me at any time in substitution or replacement of any employment or contracts entered into prior to the expiration of said term. Payment to you of the consideration specified in this paragraph is not conditioned on your obtaining employment for me, and said consideration shall be paid to you regardless of whether or not employment with respect to which the same is computed by you or by me or by anyone else.
5. It is agreed that if you shall submit to me a bonafide offer in writing and I fail to accept such offer, within the term of this agreement, but thereafter, and within a period of six (6) months from the date upon which you submitted the offer, I shall accept an offer on substantially the same terms, then in that event it shall be deemed to have been consummated during the term hereof and you shall thereupon be entitled to compensation thereon as herein provided.
6. I hereby authorize and empower you to collect all checks and monies due and payable to me as compensation earned by me as aforesaid, to endorse my name to said checks and to deposit said checks and monies to your bank account, to retain the percentage of my said earnings due you as aforesaid and to pay over the balance to me, hereby appointing you my attorney-in-fact for the aforesaid purposes.
7. If throughout any period in excess for four (4) consecutive months during the term hereof I do not receive a bonafide offer of employment from a responsible employer and if throughout such period in excess of four (4) consecutive months I shall at all times be ready, able, willing and available to accept employment, then upon the happening of both such events either you or I shall have the right to terminate this contract by forwarding to the other of us a notice in writing to that effect, which notice shall be sent by registered mail addressed to the other party to his or its last known address. However, should I receive such an offer of employment subsequent to the expiration of the four (4) month period and prior to the giving of said notice, neither of us shall have the right to terminate the agreement under the provisions of this paragraph.
8. Controversies arising between us under the Labor Code of the State and under any valid and lawful rules and regulations prescribed by the Labor Commissioner of the State of for the enforcement thereof shall be referred to said Labor Commissioner of the State of as provided in Section of said Code and the procedure thereon and the appeal therefrom shall be as prescribed and provided in said Code.
8. I acknowledge that no officer or representative of your agency has any right or authority to make any statement, representation, promise or inducement which is not hereinabove expressly set forth, and that this instrument constitutes the entire contract between us.
9. The execution hereof by you and myself will constitute this instrument a valid and binding contract
between us and this instrument may not be amended or changed in any respect except by written instrument executed by both of us.
Very truly yours,
ARTIST
ADDRESS
AGREED TO AND ACCEPTED: DATE:
ARTISTS' MANAGER
BY:
________________________________________________________________________________________________
ARTIST - RECORDING COMPANY CONTRACT
ATTACHMENT S - NON-EXCLUSIVE SONGWRITING CONTRACT.
1. SONGS. Each ARTIST agrees to write employee-for-hire songs to be recorded by RECORDING COMPANY.
2. SONGS RECORDED BY RECORDING COMPANY. Each song written by one or more of the ARTISTS which (a) RECORDING COMPANY states in writing it will record and actually does record with in 30 days after making the statement, or which (b) RECORDING COMPANY does record without having previous made such written statement, shall be deemed by the parties concerned (the songwriter(s) of the specific song(s) and RECORDING COMPANY) to have been written by the songwriter(s) as employees-for-hire for RECORDING COMPANY.
3. LIMITED EXCLUSIVE & NON-EXCLUSIVE PROVISIONS. This agreement concerns only songs described in (a) and (b) of Paragraph 2, above. Other songs and the rights thereto may be dealt with by their respective songwriter(s) as such songwriter(s) may desire. Song writer(s) may, but need not, assign copyright and other rights in such other songs to RECORDING COMPANY'S publishing companies.
4. GROSS RECEIPTS. RECORDING COMPANY shall pay to the respective songwriter(s) of each respective song fifty (50%) percent of gross receipts received by RECORDING COMPANY due to each respective song - this will be called the "songwriter's half." If more than one songwriter have written a song, then the "songwriter's half" shall be shared equally by all the songwriters of that song.
5. PERFORMANCE RIGHTS SOCIETY. Each songwriter is hereby authorized to assign to either ASCAP or BMI, whichever he may from time to time belong to, those rights which are assigned to the respective performance rights society under the usual contract in use at the time each respective song is written. Each songwriter may collect and keep ALL< U>monies which the respective performance rights society may pay to such songwriter from time to time. RECORDING COMPANY shall keep all monies which performance rights societies may from time to time pay RECORDING COMPANY (and the provisions of Paragraph 4 concerning paying the "songwriter's half" to the songwriter(s) shall not apply).
6. ROYALTY STATEMENTS. Royalty statements shall be rendered by RECORDING COMPANY concerning those songs for which "songwriter's half" amounts are payable to each songwriter to whom money is payable. Each statement shall show the name of the song and the amount per song, and the totals. If RECORDING COMPANY desires to report more information, it may do so. If a songwriter desires more information, he may audit the books and records of RECORDING COMPANY which pertain to each song written or co-written by the songwriter. Royalty statements shall cover January-June and July-December periods, and shall be rendered within 75 days after each respective half-year period. Royalty check shall accompany statements.
7. FURTHER DOCUMENTS. Concerning each song, the respective songwriter(s) and RECORDING COMPANY may, if both desires enter into a relationship other than this employee-for-hire relationship. The parties anticipate that this may be done after respective songwriters have passed their 21st birthday; however, no promise or representation that this will be done is intended or made. Each songwriter agrees to execute all documents to carry this agreement into effect, and to sign no documents with any publisher which will in any way interfere with this agreement. Specifically no other publisher shall be given any rights to any song covered by this agreement. In the event any songwriter signs any exclusive songwriter contract with anyone, the songwriter shall insist upon such contract honoring the provisions of this contract and giving precedence to the provisions of this contract.
8. RECORDING COMPANY'S PUBLISHING FIRMS. RECORDING COMPANY shall decide which song shall go into which of its publishing firms as long as the writer of the song belongs to no performance rights society. Thereafter, the song shall be placed in the publishing company which is affiliated to the performance rights society with which the songwriter is affiliated.
RECORDING COMPANY:
ARTISTS(S): _________________________________________________________
also referred to herein as songwriter(s)
_______________________________________________________________________________________
DISCLAIMER: This information is offered as an educational and informational tool only, and should not be relied on as legal advice. Applicability of the principles discussed may differ substantially in individuals situations. If you need specific legal advise you should consult an attorney.
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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Category: Music
THE MUSIC BUSINESS TODAY
The music industry is changing, and it has changed in the last few years. The music business is in serious transition now. The days of effectively shopping an artist to record companies is coming to an end. Retail stores are slowly going out of business. Record Sales are down. So what hope is there for artists now?
There is huge potential for artists! It's a fantastic time, but the music business has changed. It is no longer cost effective or even smart for a record company to sign a new artist, spend tons of money on retail promotion and maybe see the same money back that was invested. It simply doesn't make any sense. We are living in a digital world now and we must start to prepare for it. That means that instead of being discovered (old school music business) you must truly be independent and become the aggressive entrepreneurial artist now (new school music business).
You must educate yourself about the new ways of doing business in music and rise to the occasion. Only the strong will survive now and I firmly believe that only the smart will have longevity. We must become Internet marketers and learn how to drive traffic to our web sites and partner with other forward thinking music moguls, managers, promoters, and creative thinkers. The 'geek' can truly inherit the earth. There is a bright future if you want to embrace the new world of the music business. But you must do away with the old school ways and prepare for the new day. It is upon us.
"A&R" traditionally, has stood for "Artist & Repertoire", a term for record label reps who are designated the task of developing acts, honing their skills and pointing them in the right direction. This is fast becoming an antiquated idea. That labels are developing artists at all is now barely something to be entertained. From here on out, as far as you, the indie artist are concerned, "A&R" should now stand for "Armed & Ready". You are about to enter a new musical arena, and you will need as much information that pertains to this new state of play as you can possibly get.
A fellow artist manager said to me a while ago, "Jim, from here on, try not to sign record deals for your artist, but licence their music to different territories and keep the masters. Look for interesting ways to get your music to the masses. The Internet, sales at live venues, TV, movie, ring tones, jingles, etc". This was sound advice and is the new direction.
And my personal advice to your band is to build your fan base. Have people sign up on your mailing list at gigs, and build your database. Study Internet marketing and ways to get traffic to YOUR web site. Use remote sites (such as MySpace.com) to attract new fans and get them to signup on your list at YOUR web site. Understand that remote sites (such as My Space) may be out of business within a matter of years so you HAVE to work your own domain, but most of all your own opt in list. (Imagine you had 100,000 people on your subscriber list. You make a new CD and you can be guaranteed about 30,000 sales right out of the box!). Utilize timed auto responders to sell your merchandise to your fans. Automate all of this as much as possible so you can take care of the creative stuff.
Take control of your career's direction now. You have nobody to answer to you but yourself. Don't get left behind!
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Tuesday, May 22, 2007
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Category: Music
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Tips on Booking Your Band
Category: Music
TIPS ON HOW TO GIGS FOR YOUR BAND
Trying to get gigs for your band can be an exacerbating experience, much like doing your taxes or going to court for a ticket.
One fun part is when you get your phone bill. That's when you realize why.the booking agents charge a hefty 10 to 15 or 20% of a gig "just to make a few phone calls". Getting the right phone numbers to the club often is no easy task, finally getting someone on the phone, (just to find out that you're not calling the correct number for bookings,) calls regarding production etc, more calls to get info on media, radio stations and calls to band members, close fans etc. The time spent on the phone over just one booking can be unreal. Establishing really good connections with venues, booking agents, club owners, other bands, local media and press is the name of the game.
That's what the booking agents are charging for, the information and the contacts.
It takes years to cultivate the relationships and info required to adequately approach the brick wall of booking a band, not to mention knowing what to say once you get the booking person on the phone. the best way to market your band to the venue is key to getting gigs.
If you have ever tried to book yourself, you've probably found out that there's more to it than just calling some club and asking for a date your band can play on. It used to be that a band could make a few calls, throw their shit in the truck and tour the country making anywhere from $100 - $200 per night just because they were a band willing to travel.. NOT ANY MORE!
With the stupid ineffective drinking laws that went into effect all around the country, club business has taken a nose dive that, coupled with the glut of new bands makes it almost impossible to get gigs unless you're SOMEBODY. Clubs look for a known or familiar name and a band with a large fan base that can produce people for their shows.
It used to be that a band with a record out was something special. Now almost every band has a release out. Every band is on some INDIE label these days. What makes you special now, is what your record is doing . Is it selling? Is it in local stores? Is it being
played on the radio? Is it being played on college radio? Where is it on
CMJ? - HARD REPORT?- ROCKPOOL? - BILLBOARD POP 200 YET? How are your
numbers in POLLSTAR? Do you have any press, and if you do, what kind of
press. SPIN? ROLLING STONE? BILLBOARD? NY TIMES? ARE YOU DRAWING
BIG CROWDS???
Now you may be saying to yourself " we're just getting started" . Yeah, well that just means you're that far behind the bands that DO have those kinds of credentials.(and there are a shit-load of them out there too!)
I'm not saying you're not as good, just way behind. That's exactly the stuff club owners and promoters are looking for in the bands they're giving the jobs to. There are bands on MAJOR LABELS with killer college airplay begging for opening act slots!
Ask yourself. Why should a club owner book you or your band? Because you're good? Hell! There are tons of bands out there that are good. Because you draw a crowd in your home town? So What! What does that mean in THEIR town? Because you'll play for cheap? He's got a list of 30 to 50 bands that will play for FREE! (And a few that will pay him to play) You've got to be special in some respect, and you've got to figure out a way to get the
booking person to give you a chance to show what your band can do. You've got to
show him how you can start drawing crowds to his venue as well as put on a killer show.
I know it seems like just the easiest thing in the world to keep up with what you're doing, but it can get confusing and a mistake (double-booking / non confirmation) can be costly. Even more so if your booking a tour for your band. To book your band successfully you must be persistent, professional, have a killer press kit put together, and be well organized. I like to personally use those big month-at-a-time" desk calendars, one for each band as well as my computer to stay on top of things. Make sure that you do your work in pencil. The calendar will mutate before your very eyes and it's better to erase rather than mark out things. For those of you fortunate enough to a computer you can use your CALENDAR program that does everything for you but it's still good to have that paper calendar as backup and to eye ball things.
Once a week, talk with everyone in the band about THEIR schedules. Find out from your band members how far in advance you can book something. IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO ACCEPT AN OFFER ON THE PHONE without having to call everyone in the band, then call the booking person back. If you're hesitant, the job may go to someone else
who's not. Make notes on the calendar regarding who can work & when. If someone is going to be completely un-available, mark it big so you don't
forget and book a gig.
Mark a gig with a (T) for tentative until you've actually got it, then erase the (T). You wouldn't believe how many mistakes take place because someone didn't understand that it was a firm deal. It also helps you to look at sections dates and think about routing. If the (T) is still there, maybe the gig can be moved or swapped with another band. Make sure your band members know about changes you've made.
Keep a phone log of every call you make. Mark the date, time called, number called, how long you talked, name of establishment and who you spoke with. This will get very tiresome but it's important. First it lets you look back and remember the conversation. Second, it helps to write down when to call people back. When a booking person says, "call me next Friday", they don't mean next Thursday . Third, you may not believe this, but the phone
companies' equipment actually makes a mistake now and again. Check your log against your phone bill immediately when you get it. Call the phone company right away and let them know about any discrepancies. Deduct the mistakes from your phone bill. Fourth, the log also gives you a record of how much money and time you're spending on the phone so that when you DO get a gig, and it DOES pay you some money, you can reimburse the booking person. Start Building a contact file from these records to save time in the future.
Well now you've got some tools to use. It's time to make the call.
It's never easy to talk with a booking person who has no idea who the hell you are. Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. Imagine what's it's like to get 25 to 50 calls a day or more from bands (and agents) that want to tell you how great they are, not to mention the other calls you have to handle about the bands that you DO book, plus talking with the press people, the flyers, merchandise people, the beer salesman, the radio station, the P.A. people, light crew, blah-de-blah, and so on and so forth. Hell I'm tired already . You really
don't want to blow anyone off, but your also tired of hearing the same old bullshit. Who do you think invented the answering machine? A fed-up club owner! Keep in mind that these people are busy people. Don't take up any more of their time than absolutely necessary. Let your tape and credentials do the talking. USE A PROFESSIONAL PRESSKIT and get it in the hands of the right person.
Then call them at a good time. WHEN: The best time I've found to call for a booking is between 1 PM and 5 PM. It's different for everyone, but most club people stay up fairly late
in the AM and don't get started with their business day until the afternoon. It's not the best time to try to talk business when they just got up and walked through the door.
MAKE THE CALL If you get an assistant : Identify yourself, give them your name and which band you represent. Tell them that you're calling about booking a gig for your band. Most probably, the assistant will tell you right off that you need to go ahead and send the DEMO and the PRESS KIT. Don't try to get any further at this time. The assistant is there for a reason. Don't piss them off! They can be your best ally, or they can be your worst enemy. Thank them for their time and ask if you could get the correct mailing address to send the press kit and demo too and whose attention should it be sent too as well .
ALWAYS Be polite.
Ask them when a good time to try to reach the booking person would be so you can call back after they get the info. Don't try to sell yourself to the assistant. Be relaxed, be yourself , but don't try to be some hot-shot booking agent type. If you get the real booking person, identify yourself and band. If your band has been playing out for awhile, ask them if they're familiar with the name. If they're not, give them a VERY BRIEF description and a credential or two.
EXAMPLE: "Hi! this is Jim and I'm with a band called the Evil Demons,
Are you familiar with them? ("no") Well, we're an hardcore band
out of New Jersey and we've been playing around the Tri state area. We have a good fan base, great press and We're trying to expand out to some other areas like..(his town's name)" and we were interested in talking with you about a possible date.
If you have any air play on stations that service their area, mention it.
"Yeah, they're playing our cd on WSOU and we thought it would be a good
time to try to do some shows in your area" (Club Owner "yeah, well we're kind of booked
up right now") Reply "I understand, but would it be all right if I just send you some
info and a CD on the band, we're trying to schedule some shows in your area right now for blah-de-blah week, and maybe we can put something together for then that would benefit us both."
Try to make the first contact as brief as possible if they're un-familiar with your group. If they have heard of you , don't try to impress them with statements like "REALLY?". The proper response would be "Good!" then go straight to the "looking for a date" mode.
When they're ready to talk with you about a booking, (if you're kind of new band ) they usually don't come right out and offer you the date. Instead, they'll probably want to look at their calendar and check out some possibilities. Cross check available dates of theirs with available dates of yours to determine the time frame. Have your calendar ready. KNOW your open dates. If the only dates they have open are booked for you, determine if their
date is more desirable to you. Don't cancel a premium money date for a so-so opening act slot unless you feel like that's the only date they're going to be able to offer you.
Some venues are so hard to get into that it's wise to accept anything! You may have to wait 6 months for another offer. If they offer you one date, chances are they'll offer you another, but when? Sometimes it's tough to determine if you should take one date over another date. Talk it over with your group. Ask some other bands that have played the new venue how they're doing at this place. An opening act slot in front of say, Slayer may look great until you find out that no one goes into the club until the headliner goes on. You have to weigh a lot of factors. You won't always make the right decision, but it's not the end of the world if you fuck up. There will be other opportunities. Keep the long-range big picture in mind. When
they say they have the such and such date open, and YOU have that date open too, then you say "yeah, we could do that date, let me get some information from you."
NOW THE MONEY!!! No one knows exactly what to ask for when you do your first deal with a new club.. It takes a series of maneuvers and posturing to actually arrive on a deal. My favorite line is "now what kind of money can we do on this date?".
It's short and to the point. It also throws the ball into their court. To which most of them will respond "I don't know, what do you need?".KNOW HOW MUCH IT COST YOUR BAND TO PERFORM, Review the venue size. Ask what that night of the week is like as opposed to other nights. Try to price yourself the first time in such a fashion that will guarantee your expenses, and if you have an unusually good attendance, you'll get some bonus money. Ask the booking person what kinds of guarantees they are able to offer for a first time in. A good rule is " the lower the guarantee, the higher the percentage". Some clubs have strict
policies regarding guarantees and you just have to accept them or not. If the deal they're offering is bullshit, you may want to go along with it just to establish yourself. Once you're established as a draw or a favorite act, the deal can be adjusted. Some clubs have built in audiences that are going to be there no matter who's playing. Don't try to tap the clubs
already established income. Try to get your pay determined by the ability of your band.
Most booking people that are professional will most likely give you a suggestion on exactly what to do if they don't have anything for you. If they don't, tell them that you'll give them a call back after a while ( 2-3 weeks should be sufficient). If you get the same thing again, it may be that the guy just doesn't want to take the time to try you out for any number of reasons. Maybe he didn't like your tape. Maybe he liked it but only ' OK'. Maybe he's had a bunch of bands like your band play recently and he just doesn't want to do another band like yours again. Maybe he just doesn't want to deal with new bands this week. Maybe he didn't get laid last night. There are tons of reasons why they may not be offering you a date.
Again, don't pester the shit out of them. Ask if they listened to your CD. Try to go over some bands that your band would go well with. Bands that regularly play that club and ask when they're scheduled back in there. Tell them how much you want to play their market and you REALLY want it to be in their club or venue. Ask them if it would be ok to call back in "a
week or so". If they say yes, thank them and let them go. Mark it on your calendar when to call back and even though you want to call back in three days, DON'T. (unless something comes up) If some unusual show happens to come up that your band would be good with, go ahead and call. Always be professional on the phone and in person.
OK Start booking that tour ... and Good Luck! | ..>
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Tuesday, January 23, 2007
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Category: Music
Band Press Kits
Band Press Kits are an integral part of any musicians band or music career. Sometimes they are referred to as media kits, promo packs or an artist bio. Band Press Kits are used for music promotion, music publicity, booking agents, and band promotion.
In the music business, the folder that contains your photo, bio, press clippings and demo tape/CD, is called your press kit or press package. This same package goes to record companies, agents, attorneys and the media. So it better look good and contain everything you need others to know—without giving them a week's worth of reading materials. Basically, you would send your press kit and demo to a venue if you want to secure a gig or show for your band. Press Kits are also given to booking agents to book your band or act. They go to Reporters, Media people, Public Relations Firms, Record Company A&R Executives, Booking Agents, Club Owners, etc. They would take a copy of your press kit and demo and decide if they want your indie music act. Its your press kit that represents the band to these people before they meet you in person, and your press kit is in part greatly responsible for their decision to take the next step or pass on the band.
With so much riding on the artist press kit its important to get it right. As someone who has read through countless press packages and listened to hundreds of demos, my focus is very specific — I'm listening for great songs and I want to know about the artist. Unfortunately, I don't have time to read a book of miscellaneous press clippings and scattered information, and that's often what unsigned artists send in. I listen to about four songs on the demo, and look through the bio, equipment list, song list, gig sheet, photo's and pages of info/clips in each press kit. That's it.
It seems amazing how many people put insignificant material in the front of the press kit, but if you page through to the end, you find out that this unsigned band opened for several major acts, they pre-sell 200 tickets a show in their local area, their music is being played on 15 CMJ stations and two commercial stations, they have press from local papers and music magazines, their e-mail database of fans is 5,000 and they've sold over 5,000 CDs on CDBaby.com, Amazon.com and more on the road. Don't bury this info at the back of your press kit!!!
A CLOSER LOOK AT THE PRESS KIT
By definition, a press kit is a package of promotional materials that generally accompanies a review copy of an album release or demo tape. Different versions of the press kit include materials suited for different recipients, as in music columnists, promoters, radio programmers, or a&r reps. The goal of the press kit is twofold: The factual information within is sufficient for journalists to base an article or review upon, while the editorial content of the artist's biography leaves enough room for a certain element of hype--above all else, the end result of the press kit is to generate real interest for the artist. The press kit serves as the "mouthpiece," the salesman pitching the performer du jour.
You can consider a press kit, then, to be either of two things: a), a promo package full of existing press, a promo package for the press. For a larger, national act, a press kit contains many reprints of interviews, reviews, and articles; a representation of the overall persona of the performer. In this case, the purpose is more likely to promote a new release, a new tour, or perhaps put a new spin on the artist's public image--maybe even an attempt to completely overhaul an image. For the as-yet-undiscovered act, though, the press kit is a much different animal: rather than compiling review and interview clippings, its mission is to generate some of these write-ups. As well, the press kit for a start-up act is the promotional device used to get the first live bookings, radio play, reviews, and to "shop" for the goal of every hungry artist: that huge record deal.
Is it Hype? Is it Fact?
For the established act, certainly, the press kit is much more a compilation of existing reviews, write-ups, interviews, and such. However, let's just assume that the majority of you out there are still trying to land that crucial first night opening slot, and the reviews from the "basement party you rocked last weekend" don't look exactly awe-inspiring on the printed page. How can you possibly hype yourself in the same manner as bigger acts with a backlog of glowing reviews and snappily edited interviews?
First off, just forget that concept of hype for a moment. Yes, like every other aspect of your career, there is plenty of room in your promotional presentation for sheer, unadulterated hype. For the most part, however, you need to bear in mind that at this stage of your professional career, just getting out the raw information is absolutely crucial. I realize that this will be an entirely new way of thinking, compared to the "must be on stage all the time, must be a master showman" mentality, but: It's time to start thinking of yourself as more of a newscaster than a talk-show host.
Consider this: Yes, without question, the general public responds to hype, cheap gimmicks, fads, hucksterism, and relentless hyperbole. For most performers, in fact, these are the key components of a successful rise to stardom (musical talent be damned). I'm all for it, bring on the sideshow - rock me! Unfortunately, though, at this level, the general public isn't your target audience - bored, jaded, "seen-it-all" been there done that music business professionals are. Not to say that everyone who receives your promo package is entirely immune to hype tactics, but for the most part...you're probably not going to be able to fool them into believing that you are "the next big thing," based on your biographical skills alone.
In addition to the countless packages received from complete unknowns daily, nearly everyone at every level of the music business is constantly bombarded with press releases, gimmicks, the latest "hottest new act of the year," all crafted by some of the most clever advertising execs in the country. That sort of hype is unstoppable, unbeatable, and frankly, numbing. You can gauge for yourself; just consider how much you find yourself listening to glowing reviews and the like, in magazines, on television, over the Internet, you name it. Now, can you put yourself in the position of someone who is immersed in this hype machine for a living, like a local club promoter, a artist manager, booking agent, an a&r rep for a big label? Face it, it's extremely difficult to compete with the big-label, big-money promotional machine!
More importantly, you've got to redefine your conception of who your target audience is: music industry professionals are now prospective business partners, not potential new fans. This is, indeed, the music business, and that's exactly how it needs to be approached - you're not trying to sell tickets or t-shirts to your industry contacts, rather, you are asking them to enter into a high-risk financial arrangement with you.
CREATING A SUCCESSFUL PRESSKIT
- Cover Letter - The cover of your press kit should introduce your band and tell the venue or booking agent, etc what type of music you play. It should display your Band Logo and be Eye Catching so it stands out in the crowd. Use a to the point manner. Always add your contact information whenever possible. Include your Name, Band Name, Phone number, Address, E-mail address, Web site URL, and any other contact info necessary.
- Artist Bio Page or Intro Page - Introduce your band, tell your genre of music, names of the members, specific info about each member and your band, your style of music and musical influences, how many people in the band, name some quality clubs that you have played, and what areas or cities do you perform in or are willing to perform in. Does your act have a sound system and sound man for live performances or will the venue need to provide one? Does your band have lights or a light show? Someone to run the light show? Do you sell demo's and promotional materials at your venues, Highlight this information and any key characteristics about your act. Include your Fan Base, (Do you have one?). Are you a Tribute band, Original band, Acoustic act? Remember in most cases for your band to make money or get another gig at a club, you must bring in people to see the show. So if you don't have a fan base, Reflect upon how you will promote the show on your web site, or send flyers to the venue. .Like everything else in your press package, this letter should also be short, to the point, and very pro. It should explain, in a few paragraphs, who you are, why you sent the package and what you expect
- Band Pictures - We need to spend a few minutes talking about the photos you're putting in your press packages. Do they really represent you? Do they somehow depict the kind of music you play? Do they look pro? Do not, for example, stand in front of a forest so we can't distinguish you from the trees. Do not wear a watch or be photographed in front of a calendar so the photo is dated a week later. Do not stand in front of a black curtain or backdrop wearing all black; you'll come out with a head and no body. Try to look like the music you're playing. Don't wear rainbow-colored clothes if you're in a metal band—look dark and evil, like the music. Ozzy Osbourne always looks like his music! The Rolling Stones always look like trouble-making rock & rollers! The Grateful Dead always looked and dressed like hippies on pot! And so did their enormous audience. Remember that you want to help the consumers in identifying you and your music, not confuse them. If you are serious about your band, you'll want to get some Professional 8x10's taken of your act. The better the Picture quality, the more seriously someone important may look into your press kit. If you can not afford professional taken pictures, blow up some of your best band pics to 8x10. Smaller individual shots of band members could be displayed, with a description of the picture. Use your imagination. You may even want to include your best picture on your cover.
- Equipment Page - If you did not cover equipment in your Artist Bio above, this is the place to do it. List the types of equipment your band will bring to the venue. Include Brand names, wattage of amps, whether you have a PA system, Mics, etc. If you don't own a PA, target clubs that have there own PA. But, be aware that you need someone to run the PA, so find out what they charge for their sound guy, and whether you can bring your own. Does your band have lights and someone to run them too? All this info should be included in your equipment page of your press kit.
- Booking Information - Have a page with contact Names, Phone, Web address, Fax, and E-mail address so the venue can find the info quickly. It's best to have Booking Info all through your press package. Also, include booking info on your bands demo CD's or Tapes that you send with your kit. If You have a manager be sure to include your managers information as well through out your press kit.
- Demo CD / Tape - A venue or club will want to hear what they are paying for. Create a demo CD or tape with usually no more than 6 Songs. Use your best material. Place a label on your CD with your song titles, and all your booking information. In case the Club owner etc. would lose your press kit and only had your CD, he would still be able to contact you. Make your CD/Tape look and sound as professional as possible. This will get the venue's attention, and make them listen to your material and possibly book your act. Same holds true for record company's.
- Song List - Place a list of some of the material your band performs in your press kit. Include a list of your best Cover Songs, Original Music, and any other material you may want to add.
- Gig Sheet - Include a gig sheet of where you have played or where your band will be gigging in the future.
- Newspaper Clippings / Reviews - Obviously if your local band or act is just starting out you will not have clippings just yet. But, why not contact your local municipal paper, college paper, city paper, etc, and see if they would cover one of your shows. You would be surprised at the response you can get, especially from local municipal or school newspapers. Include any copies of Newspaper Clippings in your press kit. This shows credibility and that your an established act.
- Business Cards - Include your bands business card in your press kit. If you do not have any, you can get them made at many copy stores or make them on a computer, programs like Microsoft Word, or Word Perfect are great for making Business cards and most Computer word processors include business card templates. They can be made fairly easy with a printer and business card paper. Always give your business card out at shows. You never know what person in the crowd may have significant contacts. Include Band Name, Contact Name, Phone, Web site URL, E-mail address, and any eye catching fonts or graphics (if possible) on all your Band Business Cards.
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Envelope - Even your Envelope for your Press Kit should catch the club owner or bookers eye. Use a loud color, or place stickers on your envelope that may catch a venue owners eye. Your band may want to be more conservative with submissions to record companies, but you need to be inventive and get them to open your press kit and listen to your bands demos.
FOLLOWING UP
Sometimes it will take months to hear back from these people, even with follow-up phone calls. Don't give up. Don't get frustrated. Remember that they're getting the same kinds of packages from hundreds of other people around the world, and you're probably not at the top of their list.
With Record Companies try to make connections at as many labels as possible, so you can submit enough packages and get a fair appraisal of your material. At the very least, you'll be able to reach and speak with an assistant or secretary who'll be able to tell you if your package was received. Almost all labels now log in packages on their computers with a date and the name of the artist.
These press packages are your calling cards for your career in the music business. They can be used to solicit a personal manager, agent, publisher, club gig, record label or just about anyone in the industry. So as long as you're taking the time to put one together, do yourself a favor and do it like a professional.
SAMPLE FOLLOW UP LETTER
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Dark Moon Music Management
P.O. Box 714
Barnegat, New Jersey 08005
Phone/Fax: (609) 698 - 6836
Warner Music Group Corp.
75 Rockefeller Plaza
New York, NY 10019
NY --> 10019
--> --> United States
-->Tel. 212-275-2000
Fax 212-757-3985
Attn: Mr. Craig Kallman CEO Atlantic Records Group
Jan 22, 2007
Dear Craig:
As the personal manager of the New Jersey based metal band, Demonic Fury, I have enclosed a complete press package and demo for your perusal.
The band is currently drawing about 300 people show locally and is being played on WSOU and other college stations.
I feel their songs are well-constructed, kick ass and are radio ready and value your professional input.
I'll give you a call in a few days to be sure this package arrived and talk with you more. Please don't hesitate to contact me should you need further information. Thanks in advance for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jim Clark, President
Dark Moon Music Management |
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Saturday, January 13, 2007
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Current mood:  hopeful
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Want to learn the music business - MUSIC BUSINESS INTERNS NEEDED
Dark Moon Music Management is gearing up for some expansion and looking to find the right intern or two or three to help us in the office and field. Dark Moon Music Management is currently seeking part time/full time interns for its NJ office to assist in our day-to-day activities
This is an unpaid internship for experience, credit (if you need it), and possible future employment. it is a good chance to learn the business end of the entertainment industry. We manage bands, offering professional artist management, marketing, and public relations. We also have an indie label record label Dark Emissary Records.
We would love to hear from you if you think you'd be a good fit and interested in the work we do. Email a cover letter (PLEASE don't be formal - be real and personable!), resume, and also your myspace or facebook link if you have one. We'll take all of it with a big grain of salt and we promise to follow-up if you sound like someone cool to work with. Whenever we post for an intern we get too many responses to get back to everyone, but we look over everything and follow-up with anyone we're interested in talking to more. It's based less on prior experience or quality resumes and more on how you present yourself and if you seem like someone who'd get something good from this, be successful in the music business industry, and give us some real help with our projects in return.
We want to give you hands-on experience in the music business and a chance to learn by asking questions, exposure to the terms and lingo, understanding of who does what and how things work in this business. In turn, we want you to be a valuable part of the team. We expect you to do reasonable amounts of work.. Sometimes the work will be monotonous data entry or web site research, but even then you're still getting exposure to the business of music….
The right person can get more done in a couple hours than the wrong person working a full day. It'd be good if you were a self-starter, organized, knew how to ask questions, can COMMUNICATE – verbally and textually, computer and Internet literate, trust-worthy, and most of all PASSIONATE about being in the music business. Seeing bands and visits to different venues could require travel and late night hours.
This IS a business so don't expect it to be just chilling' listening to music. We have a lot of work to do to help our artists succeed, to pull off our events, to promote and support all of our clients.
Your job will include the following:
- Answering the phones
- Coordinating tour work for our artist – in advance of shows (checking times and getting perfect directions), sending out press releases, etc.
Promoting artist online at Myspace and on message boards, along with communicating with fans around the world
- promoting other artists online and on message boards
- reaching out to artists to check out Dark Moon Music Management (email after email to good bands)
- Internet promotion for some hard rock artists/projects from our label
- … and anything else that comes up (including some non-music promotions coming down the pike possibly). From burning CD's to stuffing envelopes to searching out email addresses and creating tables in Word for lists of information we need.
Interns will be involved in the marketing, publicity, and management campaigns for our artists, including creating and compiling promotional materials, media/venue outreach, administrative duties, etc.
This is a great opportunity for someone seriously looking to gain knowledge and experience in the music industry.
IF YOU HAVE READ THIS FAR, then please send us your goods! I might quiz you on this stuff to make sure you actually read this listing. Please do not apply unless this is right for you. We want to give you your start or continued education in the music business. This is a midsize company – the boss Jim, and few assistants – we're very friendly but very serious about getting work done when necessary, in a casual atmosphere. Be the kind of person that wants to do more than they are asked and wants to really get involved in order to score points and create support/loyalty from us!
This is the kind of opportunity where you'll get out of it what you put in. if your from out of the area we may be able to provide room and board, if your willing to stay with Jim feel free to inquire. I love to give great references, but they need to be earned….. Oh and if you wish to inquire if we can manage your band that's cool. If you're in one, that's fine because you will learn much to help your group. While my plate is somewhat full I'm always open to looking at new artist and interested in right now in finding a good intern or apprentice to learn the music business!
Email: DarkMoonMusicMgr@aol.com or MasterofDemons07@aol.com
- Location: Southern New Jersey - New York-Philly Area - some travel possible.
- Compensation: none - experience and possible school credit if needed
- Hiring Organization:
- This is an internship job
- Principals only. Recruiters, please don't contact this job poster.
- Please, no phone calls about this job!
How Internships Can Help Your Music Career - By Christopher Knab
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Do's and Don'ts Music Oriented Interns:
Or, How to Impress Your Internship Employer and Become Successful in the Recording Industry
Today, anyone who wants a career producing, engineering, or working in many of the other music-oriented jobs in the recording industry has many choices when it comes to educating themselves about the business. In addition to the many schools, programs, books, web sites, and other informational tools at their disposal, the chance to do a good old-fashioned internship still exists.
In fact, more than ever many companies will not consider hiring someone unless they have had some 'real world' experience in a studio. post-production facility, record label, distributor, store, live performance venue, or other businesses related to recorded audio products.
For example, you may think you are qualified to work in a recording studio just because you have some training in Pro Tools, or have helped setup a school-related recording project. You may also have taken courses where you aced all the written projects, and marketing classes, and think you have what it takes to work for a recording facility or record label. Well, that is all great experience, but it isn't enough!
Nothing is more impressive than having done some work as an intern. Businesses that offer internships may demand a lot of you. They may (and will) test your patience by having you do what you think are mundane, boring, or menial tasks…Stick it out. Most likely you are being given a form of initiation. Most people in the recording industry started out doing menial tasks and when given the chance to express their skills…did so, and were rewarded with jobs, job-leads, promotions or recognition of some kind.
I can only do so much to encourage you to get yourself an internship. You have to bug your music industry contacts: teachers, producers and engineers you have met or just heard about. Also, go out and pound the pavement. Talk to guys who are working your favorite club or live venue. Bug the retail clerk at your favorite record store. Hang out in the music scene of your choice. Be pro-active. Ask everyone if they know of any internship openings in their field.
Do research on the types of audio-related businesses in your city. Use the Internet. Go to the library and look up the many directories, and read the weekly and monthly recording industry trade magazines and journals. Get on the phone, and do some informational interviews with the recording industry business you would most like to work for. Even knock on people's doors. Do whatever you have to do to get an internship. Internship opportunities do not come knocking on your door. You have to motivate yourself to get involved with this industry.
This technique has a tradition attached to it. It is called "The School of Hard Knocks". It means that everyone worth anything in this business had to push themselves forward and find a way to get noticed. And, artists need to do this. So, while being laid back and mellow is a great way to relax, it will get you nowhere in the whirlwind world of the recording industry. "Get Up, Stand Up!" Do something!
This industry is nothing but competition. Not just for jobs, but competition that finds one company fending of another company for clients and deals. So, businesses are looking for the most highly motivated employees they can find. Are you up for the challenge?
Once you say " Yes, I'm ready to show the world how good I am" and you have found your first internship, learn how to work that opportunity. You will have to take the good with the bad. Interns may start out as the low men and women on the ladder, but those that impress with their positive attitudes and dedication to their work, whatever it may be…will reap rewards. So, read the following suggestions on how to work with your internship employer for the mutual benefit of your career and their increased business.
DO:
Be on time, and better yet, be the first one in, and the last to leave. Be hungry to learn.
Be friendly. Introduce yourself to co-workers, even if you have not been introduced to everyone during orientation …and network often.
Complete the tasks given to you before taking on other work.
Make yourself invaluable to the company. (Look for things to do.)
Make friends with co-workers, and offer to do some of their grunt work.
Volunteer to take on the responsibilities of a worker who is ill, or going on vacation.
Be willing to do the most menial of tasks. Even the most boring and repetitive work should be eagerly undertaken.
Cover phones while co-workers are on break or at lunch.
Ask permission to use any equipment, software or computer programs.
Offer to help prepare for any studio-setup or tear-down, or to prepare any business reports.
Organize the information you need to know to carry out your work.
Create your own databases of any staff members, and their job titles.
Know that as an intern you are not being trained to take a manager's or executive's job, so do everything you can to learn the jobs that lead to those positions..
Feel free to take the initiative when you the time is right.
Make things easier for your employer or supervisor, they will remember you for that.
Offer your help when you notice help is needed.
Keep in touch once you are gone. Stop by and say hello!
Get a letter of recommendation, and send the company a thank you note for hiring you and giving you the opportunity to work for them.
DON"T:
Ask for free things like CDs, tickets or studio time right away.
Look like you are lost. Avoid standing around.
Avoid long conversations during work hours with co-workers, or celebrity guests who may be conducting business in your workplace.
Offer your opinion on how you would run things if you were in charge.
Cop an attitude of any non-professional kind, even if you're being paid.
Phone your boss or supervisor first, if you aren't going to show up.
Make any personal phone calls in front of co-workers during your shift.
Cruise the Internet on your company's time.
Get caught reading magazines or sloughing off on the job in any way.
Ask at any time "NOW, what should I do?"
Be offended if someone snaps at you. (Everyone has bad hair days)
Say thank you when any promo CDs or concert tickets, or free studio time are offered.
Attend as many concerts and events that are not your favorite music. (You will learn a lot by doing this.) Talk dirt about any recording artists, producers, or other companies while in the presence of co-workers, or at any networking functions. (It's a small world and you never know who your co-workers, boss, or supervisor knows, has dated, has worked with etc.)
CHRISTOPHER
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