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Today I thought it would be interesting to detail a little bit about performance royalties. Performance royalties are made possible by certain organizations such as BMI, SESAC, ASCAP, and Sound Exchange. These organizations track usage and pay artists. Once you register a song with any of the above organizations, it will then be available for someone to purchase and use. For example bars and restaurants have to pay to play music in their facilities. I found this to be very interesting. I always assumed they just had a satellite radio subscription or something. So in reality, any business that plays music has to pay the artist in order to use that music. Except the payment does not go to the artist directly. Rather the business will pay one of the above listed organizations. Generally this is in the form of a blanket license whereby the business is allowed to play all of the songs the organization holds. Since it is a flat fee being paid, the organization such as ASCAP has to calculate how much money to pay each artist. In order to do this they measure various means such as radio stations in order to determine what artists get what percentage of the revenue they are bringing in from subscriptions. If you are interested in learning more about any of these specific organizations, head to

www.ascap.com or

www.bmi.com or

www.sesac.com or

www.soundexchange.com

Though it may seem like a complicated system, it actually makes paying royalties to artists a feasible operation. If there was not a group of organizations to monitor music usage and facilitate a payment system, musicians would lose a lot of valuable royalty income.

Tascam DR07 Portable Digital Recorder A few days ago I wrote a post about building your own recording studio. However I recently stumbled on something that might be a little more budget friendly and a lot more fun. The Tascam DR 07 is one of the world’s smallest MP3 or WAV music recording devices. It weighs only 4 ounces and is 2.2 in x 5.3 in x 1.1 in. That means this things is literally small enough to fit into your pocket. If you are on the go a lot, this could be the right pick for you. You just pull it out and it picks up a great deal of your sound. Granted this little guy won’t capture professional grade sound quality. However it is pretty crisp and clear on playback. You can then take your recorded audio and upload it directly to your website or email it to friends. It is a fast, easy, and convenient way to record some tunes for a fraction of the cost. It comes complete with a 1 GB SD card which means you can record plenty of music. One of the coolest features: it comes with a variable-speed audition function which allows you to slow down your music without ever altering the pitch.
If nothing else, it is a pretty neat little gadget to check out and is definitely worth looking into. To learn more visit American Musical Supply. If you know of any other music related gadgets, let us know. I am always excited to learn of new, convenient innovations.

Labels: MP3 recorder, Tascam DR07

As a cover band you have to remember one very important thing: your song selections can make or break you. I can’t tell you how many decent bands I have seen who have simply chosen to sing the wrong songs at the wrong time. It really is something of an art and a science. You have to look at your audience and assess the situation. Furthermore, if you are playing something like a party, you need to realize that you must give them something to dance to. This brings me to my next point: showmanship and stage presence is invaluable. I would rather watch a mediocre band (in terms of talent) perform if they are fun and upbeat, getting the audience involved. People want to have fun and experience something. That is why we listen to music, to take us out of our current situation and into another state of mind. If you can give the audience that state of mind or at least temporarily allow them to have fun, you will quickly become a crowd favorite.

Do you agree that song selection is paramount for a cover band? Can you really be successful without good song selection? Don’t discount classic songs. So many bands are afraid to play the classics because they are “overplayed.” However there is a reason they are overplayed – people love them. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Playing beetles songs is always a surefire way to engage and please the crowd.

Labels: beatles, music choice, song selection

Without question the guitar is one of the most desirable instruments. I can remember so many kids who wanted to learn the guitar but had no means of doing so. Lets face it, not everyone is bright enough to teach himself or herself to play guitar. I was lucky enough to learn in seventh grade because my school taught a course. However for those who aren’t so lucky, there is Spytunes.
This is a completely new teaching method which has been developed over the past 2 years. Spytunes uses a theory called, “The Guitar Conspiracy” combined with a practice routine known as “The Self Eliminating Practice Routine.” Music is explained in a unique how to format that you have to experience to understand. There are over fifty videos which use popular songs to teach guitar basics. Furthermore the sight offers teachings for both beginners and pros. It uses each song and breaks it down with a new system called DIY TAB. In this manner you are able to learn from popular songs you already know. This increases excitement and capability of the musician.
Additionally there is HD video for 650 online lessons about Chords, Arpeggios, and Scales. These lessons take you from beginner through professional level accomplishments. There is also a forum where users can discuss music related matters and users can pose questions to the guitar guru.
To check out this great site please visit spytunes.co.uk/

Labels: cool music sites, free guitar education, learn guitar, spytunes

Are you plugged in with lots of other musicians and music groups? If you are you might want to consider building your own recording studio. A friend of mine used to have a recording studio in his house, it was run on mac equipment. All together he paid about ten thousand dollars for the studio. Really that’s a pretty good deal for a decent sound studio. Anyway he used to have musicians over all the time who would pay him to record in his studio. He charged 60 bucks an hour. The best part: it was all under the table. He never had to report any of it because he only accepted cash.
Building a recording studio is even sweeter if you are an actual musician. Instead of paying some other guy to record your music, you get to record whenever you want so that your music can be uploaded instantly online. The even better news, you can make some money to support your band. After your studio is open long enough, you will have paid down the debt on the equipment and it will strictly be profit. Being honest this plan really doesn’t work great unless you are plugged in with lots of other musicians.
Anyway once you get the sound equipment, this site will help you hook it up ultimatesongwriting.com
Even if you don't decide to build a recording studio, you can still dream . . . I always like to look at equipment online just for fun. Apple.com is a great place to start.

Labels: apple, build yourself, Recording Studio, rock, young band, young musician

In some situations, the answer to this question is a firm resounding yes. The answer is a yes if you or your band is completely ready and it is a legitimate venture you are pursuing. However you have to be careful in the music industry because it is laden with con artists and get rich quick scams that will promise you exposure and money in your pocket while asking for you to front a great deal of money to them. What you want to look for is a solid opportunity. Say there is a club you would like to play. It is not uncommon for you to have to pay something like 500 to play for the night. If you can bring enough people, like 50 or 100 then you will get your money back because the owner will make up the money in entrance fees and bar sales. Therefore this method is very successful for aspiring musicians who have a small following. If you can advertise that you will be playing at a sweet joint and you are confident enough people will come through the door, then you probably won’t have to pay anything while getting some good exposure.

As stated earlier there are plenty of music related scams out there, especially with the internet. Be careful of non-reputable websites or agents who tell you to invest all your money upfront with them while they make you famous. The truth is a real agent who sees potential in you will be willing to invest money from his or her firm to help grow your career. On a side note, it’s not easy to get a real agent interested in you . . . but it is very worth it.

If you have ever considered making a music video, the cost has probably been a great concern for you. To get a music video on MTV it costs somewhere around a half a million dollars. Good news for all the up and coming bands of our country: Verizon has partnered with Next New Networks in order to launch 99dollarmusicvideos.com a sight which allows musicians to upload music videos for only 99 dollars. The sight then helps musicians to get their videos on Youtube, itunes, and other distribution mediums. This is huge news for any band with a small following. Music videos are a great way to drum up publicity for your band. If you can develop a music video and pay 99 dollars to get it online, you can then link it to your facebook while also having it searchable in the itunes and youtube database. I truly believe that this is going to revolutionize the music industry. We are going to see even more bold innovations such as these for the music industry in the days ahead. Streamlining and cutting costs are going to allow start up musicians a fair chance at accomplishing their dreams. 20 years ago before the Internet music was only spread through the radio. Now people stumble onto new music via websites and social networking sites all the time. I for one am really excited to see what other new innovations there will be for music in the coming months and years.

Labels: 99 dollar music videos, verizon

I have an interesting question to submit to you: Does music have to come from an instrument or a human beings voice or can music be created digitally? I think that it is important to define what exactly music should mean in this digital age. Can we call new and popular songs music when they rely so heavily on special effects and digital enhancement / editing? Where do we draw the line? Should there be a greater appreciation for music that is natural and not dependent on digital editing? This makes me consider techno music. Techno typically groups computer generated sounds and previously recorded tracks into one song as a sort of mix with a good beat. However if the whole song is comprised of digital sounds, I don’t consider it to be true music. I will admit that there is a place for techno music. But to me real music is that which is created through the use of an instrument or someone’s vocal chords. I don’t think that we should deviate too much from this traditional means because if we do, we will lose something very special – that is the traditional sense of music. Maybe you disagree with me, in fact you probably do. I know digital editing and music manipulated by computers is becoming ever more popular. However what I am really arguing is that there should be special appreciation for the basics: someone who can really jam on the drums, guitar, or sing difficult notes. I don’t want to see these things take a backseat to digital music enhancement in the coming days.

For those of you who play the guitar, have you ever considered dabbling with a 12 stringer? I think it goes without saying that it’s probably a good idea to get a firm grasp on the 6 string guitar first before you double up the trouble. For some reason I have always been intrigued by the twelve string guitar. Since I was a child I have seen the instrument used in movies and it always plays so beautifully. Many musicians will admit that the 12 string guitar produces a much richer sound than the traditional 6 string.

For those of you who have dabbled with the 12 string guitar, we would love to hear your input on the subject. When reading about the 12 string, I came across a man named Sandor Szabo who pioneered and plays the 16 string guitar. One of his comments that I found particularly comical was, “25 years ago I started to discover the 12 string guitar but it seemed to me too limited” For normal people who have played a traditional six string this statement might make you laugh a little. However I have been fortunate enough to see a 16 string guitarist perform and it is one of the most beautiful and melodic and rich sounds you can imagine. I encourage you to check out a little bit more about Sandor Szabo and the instrument that he crafted. The sight I was on is: http://www.acousticguitarworkshop.com/artists/szabo.htm

So I thought it might be appropriate to dedicate a post to the most popular show in the country and probably the most popular show in the world – American Idol. First and foremost, what does everyone thing of the new judge, Cara? Does she bring something extra to the equation or could she be considered unnecessary? At first I was remiss to mess with such a successful formula. However I think the producers have done a pretty good job of finding this new team member. She is sort of a cross between Simon and Paula. She has her spirited and outspoken moments while also bringing another feminine voice to the show to balance out the two males. All in all, I think it was a good move.
Secondly I would like to submit that the judges on American Idol are not the end all for a musician’s career. I think that there are plenty of people who get cut during the beginning Hollywood rounds who could still have a very legitimate singing career. Just because you don’t make it to the top ten final round, doesn’t mean that that person can’t be successful. Furthermore I believe there are plenty of artists that get eliminated because of their lack of stage presence. I submit that stage presence can be learned. What can’t be learned is the God given gift to sing. Those with truly amazing voices and little stage presence can still be marketable to record companies.

I read a very interesting article recently about one of the premier violin players in our country today. The man’s name is Joshua Bell. One day he decided to conduct an experiment in a Washington DC. The man sat in a Metro station and played his violin for 45 minutes. During this time, thousands of people passed by and paid no attention to the lovely music wafting through the metro station. Twenty people donated money to the musician, assuming he was a beggar and moving on without listening to his music. Only six people actually stopped and listened to the musician playing Bach. The people who were most intrigued were small children with their parents. Children consistently stopped and had to be dragged along by their mothers. The children loved the sound of the music and appreciated the unexpected treat. However each parent with a child pushed the child along to hurry on with their schedule.

All said and done, this man is one of the greatest violin players in the world. He was playing this music on a 3.5 million dollar guitar which no one even noticed. What does that say about our community today? It makes me wonder if we aren’t hurrying just a little too much. Why can’t we stop to enjoy the small things like beautiful music in an unexpected place? I wonder if the results would have been similar in another country. I believe more people in Europe would probably be more open to stopping and listening to music in an unexpected context.

Labels: Joshua Bell, Music in a Metro, Violinist

There is no such thing as success without adversity. No matter who you are or what your profession is, you have endured a tremendous amount of adversity if you are successful. To any new bands or people considering starting a band / music career I would warn you that you will not blow up and become a hit overnight. In order to become successful you will have to start at the bottom of the food chain. Social networking is essential at this stage of the game. Utilize any contacts you have to get your band regular gigs. If you know someone throwing a party, offer to play the party for free on the contingency that you can sell cds afterward. If you know someone who works at a bar, get them to put in a word for you with the owner so you could play there sometime. The point is that there are usually many more options to pursue than people realize. You can get pretty creative to get your sound heard and advance your musical career. And in your spare time, if you need a day job consider teaching music (drums, guitar, base) to kids in your area. If you pursue this route, you can attack it one of two ways. Put up fliers, advertise in a local paper, or even contact a school and let them know you are offering music lessons. You will probably make more money teaching lessons yourself at your house than if you pursue the second route. The second route of musical teaching would be to get hired at a music shop and teach lessons from there. Obviously you would then have consistent and steady work but you would be paid substantially less per lesson than if you went at it on your own.

Every now and then, I think every musician needs some encouragement. Whether you are an established band with regular gigs or a new group of young rockers, it is important to surround yourself with knowledge and testimonies of some of the great musical leaders of our time. Regardless of your musical preference, I think anyone can appreciate the empire that Sean Combs has created during his short life. Born in Harlem he grew up with a love for music. Eventually his sound was heard and he became a prominent rapper with a sizable following. As if that weren't enough, Sean Combs started Bad Boy Worldwide, his company that does 300 plus million dollars in revenue yearly. This company gathers money from record sales, restaurant ownerships, a marketing company, and the Sean John clothing line. What’s the point of telling you this? My point is to inspire you in whatever your musical aspirations may be. If you aspire to become a local pub player, then know that you can make it there with some determination and hard work. If your dreams are somewhat loftier, remember the testimony of Sean Combs and others like him. True most musicians will never become globally known and world famous, but you never know until you try. Find a musician who you really like and take time to read their biography. You might be surprised to find how hard your band / artist worked to get where they are. The path to success is laden with rejections, so persistence is the golden rule.