The term “Publishing Administration” gets thrown around a lot in the music industry, and if you’re a songwriter, it’s critical that you understand what it means, how it works, and what your options are. I put together a list of 10 things to know and ask before choosing a Publishing Administrator for your music, so you can get the maximum songwriter royalties possible. 1. What exactly is Publishing Administration when […]

Ever wondered why some super talented musicians don’t get the fanbase and recognition they ‘deserve’, while other not as talented musicians get a lot more exposure and seen in all the right places? Well while there could be a number of different reasons for this, one of the most common is that successful person’s ability to handle the business side of the music industry. More specifically, they probably know how […]

A recent study showed that volunteers could more accurately identify the winners of music competitions by watching video without sound rather than video with sound or audio alone. It raises the possiblity that visual cues are a much more important aspect of evaluating music quality than we realize. At the very least, the study is a reminder that all aspects of one’s performance affect how people hear or think they […]

Deciding to release your own record is only a good idea if you know what you’re getting into. As you read through the following questions, mark the ones that you can’t answer and make an effort to find the answers. Your future depends on it. (Answers to any business start-up issues are widely available on the Internet and in many books devoted to that specific topic.) 35 Things to Consider […]

There’s no shortage of lists on how bands can get free music promotion, but I’d like to add one more. My hope is that this one is a bit more up to date, and shines light on some of the great free tools that have emerged in the past 2-3 years. If you have any other great tips for promoting music for free, feel free to add them in the […]

Many naive acts who manage to get a recording contract with a label believe that just because you get signed to a record label automatically means that you’ll be treated well by your label. Not so. Once a record has been scheduled for release, a number of factors will determine if it becomes a priority at the label. The term “priority” is used to designate which releases will get the […]

One question artists often ask is “How can I get a manager?”. This blog post by Ari Herstand is a very honest look at how/why managers get involved in an artist’s career:  I’ve never had a manager. Don’t take this as I never wanted one. I made it the goal of 2008 to find a manager. I didn’t find one that year (but I did open for Ben Folds). I […]

How NOT to pitch a band sponsorship Imagine you were running a business and you received an email from someone you didn’t know that looked like this: “Hi, I do a lot of great stuff. Can you give me $10,000 or introduce me to any of your friends who might be able to?” How would you feel? What would you think? Could you imagine a high profile artist such as […]

YouTube: the new radio, the new MTV, the new record store, the new music magazine, the new everything Let’s state the obvious: the world has changed, especially for independent musicians. Music consumers aren’t moving away from the idea of music “ownership” outright (a huge part of the global music market still prefers to buy CDs, after all), but legal alternatives to ownership (ummm… streaming!) have dramatically changed the way listeners […]

360 degree deals present major disadvantages for artists, but faced with a choice of the 360 versus no deal, the 360 may be worth accepting – but only if properly negotiated and only if the major pitfalls touched upon in this article are avoided. First, let me give every artist and manager a quick primer on what a 360 degree deal is.  Basically, the 360 is an exclusive recording contract between a record company and an artist in which, […]