Career Options

     This week in class we read about the different career options you have in the music industry. As I was reading the one occupation that caught my eye was a jingle writer. How cool would that be? A jingle writer writes music for radio, TV, and online video commercials. They have to write a short song or composition about a product or service they are assigned. This profession does not seem easy though. A jingle writer has to be skilled in many musical styles and must be good at song arranging. The composition/song that you write has to be able to reach out to others and be memorable. The lyrics you write are important too. They will have to be relatable to the product and the person who is watching it.
     My favorite jingle is probably the K9 Advantage Commercial. Its been years since I've seen that commercial and I still have the melody and lyrics stuck in my head. The melody is simple and it repeats its self so its easy to sing along to. The lyrics rhyme so they are easy to remember. The factor that appeals to viewers the most though is how the dog is singing it, which makes it even more cute and memorable.
     Having to constantly come of with short catchy songs is no easy task. I've never really thought of what all goes behind making a jingle so reading about this in the book was definitely an eye opener. Although being a jingle writer sounds like a lot of fun, there is a lot of work that goes behind every short song.

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Censorship

This week in Music History we learned about censorship in music. I decided to do some research and learn more about it.

Music censorship dates back to the late 1800s, when Southerners were prohibited from singing Confederate songs after the Civil War ended. In 1940, NBC Radio released a list of 150 songs that radio stations were prohibited from playing because of obscene content. Many use the First Amendment (freedom of speech) to argue against censorship but obscene speech is not protected by it. Artist are allowed to use profanity in their music, radios/tv just cant play it because of the potential exposure to children. A song can be censored by the following: blanking, beeping, resampling, resinging, back masking, repeating, skipping, cutting, disc scratching, distorting, or by not being played at all.

Now, here are some examples of songs that got censored.

"Love Game" - Lady Gaga 

This 2009 hit was not allowed to be played on the radio due to the line "I want to take a ride on your disco stick." Lady Gaga wouldn't censor it because the line was not intended to be subtle and felt that they were being too hard on her.

"My Generation" - The Who 

In 1965 this song was banned from the radio not for it's lyrical content but because it has stuttering in the chorus. BBC prohibited the song from receiving any airplay because they didn't want to offend anyone with a speech impediment. However, once the song became a huge hit, they allowed in to be played. 

"Rolling in the Deep" - Adele 

This song was censored because they couldn't decided if she said the word "shit" or "ship" in the line "Go ahead and sell me out and I'll lay your ___ bare." Many online lyric sites have it as "ship" but Adele had it written down as "shit." Another line in the song that goes "reaching the fever pitch" has been replaced as well by some radios because it sounded like "bitch." 

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Sources: http://www.billingsschools.org/cms/lib3/MT01001765/Centricity/Domain/289/Grade%2010%20-%20Argumentative%20-%20Music%20Censorship%20articles.pdf

http://ncac.org/blog/turn-that-down-40-banned-and-censored-songs/

Promotion

This week in class we've been learning about the music venue business. This Friday the band Striking Matches will be playing at Converse College. The most important part of getting the show ready is promotion. We want to make sure we have a good crowd. I decided to look up different ways to promote a show to help myself and my fellow classmates out. Here are just a few ideas I picked up from different websites.

Gathering the Materials 
Before you start promoting the show, you need all the materials together.

• CD's from the band 
• Band bios and photos 
• Poster for the show 
• Press release for the show 

Make the Contacts 

The next step is building a promotional package to send to local radio stations, newspapers, and tv shows. You need to include where/when the show is and if/when the band is available to interview.

Hype Up the Show on Social Media

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are the top social media sites used. Using these sites to promote shows will reach to an audience with the average range of people from 18 to 29 years old. 

Run a Contest 

Having a ticket giveaway will help attract more attention and help promote the show. The people who enter the contest and don't win will have a better chance of buying a ticket then those who never entered the contest. 

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http://musicians.about.com/od/musicindustrybasics/ht/firstpromoters.htm

http://www.postano.com/blog/the-social-media-checklist-for-concert-promotion-2

Music Merchandise

This is the blog that was due the 13th (whoops).

While looking up information on merchandising for bands I came across this great website for new bands. Every month they post an advise blog. In March the topic was "20 Things Every Band Should Know About Merchandise." I decided to point out the major points they talked about.

1. Spelling Matters 
Make sure you check, and then double check, your merchandise for correct spelling.

2. Be Creative 
When it comes to your merch you need to think outside of the box. You want to add items to your store that you've never seen before. Don't be afraid to try new things. If it fails, move on to the next.

3. Look At Your Audience 
Know what your fans are wearing and what they are buying more of. What is their look all about? You want it looking more like a clothing brand, not band merch.  

4. Symbols Win 
Putting symbols on your merch will make it memorable. It's important to have a brand and logo for people to identify with.

5. Trust Your Merch To A Trust Worthy Seller 
Being a merch person is not an easy job, so you need to trust the person. They are the first to arrive and the last to leave. They need to stay sober, handle money, keep up stock, and talk with fans/customers.

Source: http://www.rocksound.tv/features/read/20-things-every-band-should-know-aboutmerchandise

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Concert Venues

This week in class we started talking about what all goes into a concert. I feel like one of the important factors that go into a concert is the location. Since I hope to open my own venue one day, I thought I'd look up some of the top concert venues. 

Bowery Ballroom: New York

The Bowery Ballroom was build in the 1920's and has been thriving ever since. Although there are many other music venues in the city, this one is praised for its elite sound system. The venue features musicians of many genres and can hold up to 500 people. The best feature of the building is the balconies where you can get good views. 

Red Rocks Amphitheater: Golden, CO 

The Red Rocks Amphitheater was opened up in the early 1940's. I got to see The Avett Brothers here last year and it was by far one of the best venues I've ever been to. Heres a fun fact: In 1964 when The Beatles came to the U.S they played here at it was the only show of theirs that wasn't sold out. It sits 6,450 feet above sea level and can hold up to 9,450 people. 

The Tabernacle: Atlanta, GA 

The Tabernacle first opened its door over a century ago as The Broughton Tabernacle. After 1966 the church was remodeled into a House of Blues. Many legends played here including The Blues Brothers (their first show when they reunited), Johnny Cash, and James Brown. In 1998 the club was renamed The Tabernacle. One cool feature about this club is the original pipe organ that can be seen from behind the stage. It can hold 2,600 people. 

The Orange Peel: Asheville, NC

The Orange Peel first served as the Skateland Rollerdome in the 1950's. Ten years later it became home to many R&B and Soul clubs. The most popular club that inhabited the space was named The Orange Peel. After three decades of vacancy, the venue reopened in 2002 and stuck with the name The Orange Peel.  It has a good reputation for live shows and is known as one of the best live music clubs in the South. One cool feature is how it has a bar underneath called Pulp. Down there you can relax and drink up while watching on TV instead of battling the crowd upstairs. It can hold 1,110 people. 

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Sun Records

Sun Records is a favorite of mine, so I thought I'd learn more about it and the history behind it. 

Sam Phillips was an American musician, record executive and a music producer. He played a major role in the development of rock and roll music in the 1950s. Phillips started his career in the 1940s as a DJ and Radio Engineer for Music Shoals radio station. The radio station had an “open format” which means that they broadcasted music from both back and white musicians. Working here would later inspired Phillips work in Memphis. 

In 1950 he started his own label called Memphis Recording Service (later named Sun Studio). His slogan was "We Record Anything - Anywhere - Anytime." During the 1950s the black musicians did not have as much opportunity to record as other folks did. Phillips felt it was his responsibility to record them and get their music out to the white population. This is how amateur artists like B.B King, Junior Parker, and Howlin' Wolf ended up recording here. To keep his doors open, Phillips would sell their performances to larger recording labels to make money. He would also record weddings and funerals.

Producing alone didn’t make him much money and he could hardly pay the bills so he decided to cut out the middle man and both produce and distribute the albums himself. In 1952 he launched his own record label called Sun Records.Phillips combine his love for R&B with Country, creating a unique sound. Influential artist like Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash first were discovered by Phillips and first recorded at Sun Records.

The company remains in business as Sun Entertainment Corporation. They currently license its brand and classic hit records to independent reissue labels. Their website sells collectible items as well as compact disc bearing the original 1950s Sun Logo. The only artist to be signed to the label since the 1970's is country musician Julie Roberts. 

Here's a good video to watch if you want to learn more about Sun Records. 

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http://www.sunrecords.com/about

Music Unions

For this weeks blog I decided to write about two popular music unions I discovered.

Boston Musicians' Associations

This union represents over 1,600 professional musicians in the Boston metro area and beyond. Members play a variety of genres including classical music, jazz, latin, and rock. They play in professional orchestras, theatre pits, religious institutions, night clubs, weddings, and parties. They are a branch of the American Federation of Music. Anyone is open to join.

Some of the benefits you get from joining are:

• Democracy in action 
• Contract Guarantees 
• Pension Fund 
• Collective Bargaining Agreements with major employees 
• Livable Wages 
• Audition Notices
• Arts Advocacy 
• Local Referral Service
• National Referral Service 
• Concert listing and promotions 

There is a fee of $145 to become a new member. If you are under 21 or a full-time student, you don't have to a pay the initiation fee. After that you have to pay $44.25 on the first month of each quarter (January, April, July, and October). Members are offered a discount if they pay for the full amount a year in advance. 

American Federation of Music

This union represents over 90,000 musicians with offices in the United States and Canada. They have offices in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, DC, and Toronto. They also have a network with more than 240 local unions in cities through out the U.S and Canada. 

Some of the benefits you get from joining are: 

• Contracts/Collective Bargaining
• Pension and Health 
• Insurance Programs 
• Referral Programs 
• Subscription to International Musician 
• AFL-CIO endorsed credit card 
• Immigration help

The fees and dues depend on which local you join in. In New York, the initiation fee is $100 plus the amount quarterly dues depending on when they join (1st month of 1st quarter= $55, 1st month of 2nd quarter= 36.50, 1st month of 3rd quarter= $19). Musician under 21 do not have to pay this fee. Members pay $220 a year. 

Work Dues Include:

• Live Performances- 3.5% 
• Education Service- 2%
• RIMPFT- 5%
• Theatrical Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings- 4.25% 
• Other national non-symphonic Electronic Media Recordings- 4.5% 
• Local Recording Contracts- 4%

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How to Find a Music Manager

A music managers job is to help guide the professional career of an artist in the entertainment industry. Some of their duties include building a fan base, planning promotional activities, creating a brand, etc. If an artist is unsigned they may also help book shows, promote the band, and handle the finances. If you are looking for a music manger, here are a couple of things you should have prepared.

1. A good recording of your music 

2. Professional looking photos of you or the group 

3. A social network presence (facebook, twitter, youtube)

4. Live performance footage 

5. A well written bio that highlights your accomplishments 

Having these things will give the manager a good idea of what they are working with. If the manager will be handling the booking side, having a good recording, live performance footage, and professional picture will help them out. When they work on promoting you and building a fanbase, having access to your social networks will also help. The bio helps him know what you are all about. 

When choosing a manager you need to be wise. They say that if you don't have a lot of money to spend or are still too small to get noticed, ask a friend. If you or your band is getting big then you should look for someone who is more professional. Here are a few things you should keep in mind when looking for a manager. 

1. Experience 

If you are wanting to grow as an artist, having someone with experience is important. Again, asking a friend to manage for you is fine but they won't have as many connections or knowledge as someone with experience would. Look up who the manager has worked with and how long he has been in the business. Asking him what his plans for you are will help you get a good idea of what you will be working with. 

2. Trustworthiness 

Taking on a manager can be risky. They say you should manage yourself till you no longer can. Giving someone the responsibility of managing your fanbase, promoting, and finances could backfire. Make sure you trust them and build a relationship with them before choosing anyone from the block. 

3. Enthusiasm 

You want to work with someone who is just as excited about your music as you are. If your manager is experienced, having their input on your music will be very important and helpful to you. You  want to make sure they are interested and involved in the music you are making. 

4. Well-Connected 

Having a manager with connects will help get your career going faster. Having someone with connects will help with publicity, getting a booking agent, finding a recording studio, or a gig. 

5. Financially Responsible 

Make sure you pick someone who knows how to handle finances. They need to be able to watch over the touring expenses, recording expenses, and the financial risk that come from signing with a label. Their income comes from the money that you make so if you don't see any money, they shouldn't either. 

Above all, you want a manage who is willing to work with you and has your best interest at heart. A manager is a lifelong partner so you need to think of him as family. Having someone who is looking out for you and taking care of the business side will help keep you focused on the music. 

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http://www.musicmarketing.com/2011/07/music-manager.html
http://diymusician.cdbaby.com/musician-tips/5-tips-to-finding-a-music-manager
http://www.musicthinktank.com/blog/how-to-find-a-music-manager.html

Music Cities

It seems like every guest speaker we have had has mentioned how important it is to be were the music is happening. You are most likely to get your music out in Nashville than you are in Spartanburg. So I decided to write about the three music cities that I'm aware of and what makes artist go to them.

New York 

New York is where some of the most iconic music originated. There is also diverse music there. You can go from listening to music at the jazz club to the Carnegie Hall. It is an every-changing place to live in. There is always the opportunity to create new things here and it will be attractive to the creative people that live there. However, others say New York's entertainment is a "winner-take-all industry." This means that the vast majority of economic value depends on the effort of only a small number to top performers. So few participants (artists) reap high incomes from their work while the vast majority receives very little. If your a musician starting off in New York, you will make little until you make it big.

Nashville

Nashville is definitely a hot spot when it comes to country music. Great starts have started here or recorded albums here like Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel, Elvis Presley, and many more. Behind health care, music is Nashville's second largest job generator. For every 1.000 people working there are 7.5 music industry jobs. The cost of living there is 10.2 percent less than the national average which is good for musicians starting off there. There is a reason Nashville is referred to as the "Music City."There are so many musicians there and diverse music. That also means more competition. Most musicians starting out have one or more jobs to help pay the rent. It could be a struggle to be heard or get gigs anywhere.

Atlanta 

Atlanta is known for its hip hop and R&B but artists like Jimi Hendrix, Macklemore, and Death Cab for Cutie have come from here as well. They are known for consistently discovering new hip hop artists and featuring them on V-103, Hot 107.9, and Street 94.5. Artists like Usher, Outkast, Cee lo Green started out in Atlanta.

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http://www.orbitz.com/blog/2014/12/7-best-music-cities-u-s/
https://nextcity.org/features/view/why-nashville-is-still-americas-music-city
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/05/atlanta_n_5008299.html

YouTube

     During class on Friday (9.5.15) we got to talk to Mr. Brauner, an agent at The Agency Group. During the discussion he brought up the fact that he would never sign someone who is YouTube famous because they are a risk and usually don't last. This conversation got me interested in how many artists we know who started on YouTube.
     

     Justin  Bieber   

In 2007 Justin Bieber put a cover of Chris Brown's "With You" on YouTube. Usher saw the video and signed him to his label. 8 years later he is making around $80 million a year from his music, fragrances, model campaigns, and other businesses ventures and has an estimated net worth $200 million. 34 of his songs made the Billboard top 100 and 9 of those were in the top 20. He just got his first number 1 in the U.K charts this past week. 

Gotye 

In 2011, Gotye was a diy artist and uploaded his song "Somebody That I Use To Know." Two 

years later it received the Grammy for Record of the Year. In 2012 it was number 1 on the Billboard charts. The song has made an estimated amount of $7,840,000. 

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 

This hip hop duo has been together since 2000 and has been putting videos on YouTube since 2010. It wasn't till 2012 when their song "Thrift Shop" went viral. It peaked at number 1 on the billboard charts and has sold more than 7 million copies in the U.S.

Carly Ray Jepsen

In 2012 Justin Bieber discovered Carly Jepsen on YouTube when her video "Call Me Maybe" went viral (There was an older version of this song but it got taken down when a VEVO video was made). Justin ended up adding her to his label after going through her YouTube channel and listening to her other songs. This song spent seven weeks on Billboard as number one and was the "song of the summer" in 2012.


There are many more artists who started on YouTube including Greyson Chance, Susan Boyle, Karmin, Souljia Boy, etc. I decided to go with the four that the majority of us would know. These four artists careers are very different even though they all started out the same way.

Justin Bieber is one of the top artists to this day. He just released a song in August that went to number 1 on iTunes the week released. He also just performed on the VMA's a couple of weeks ago. He could never release another song and he will still be famous till he dies. Gotye was a big hit in 2012 but now he is just somebody that we use to know. He has released albums since then but none that hit the top charts. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis has remained active since "Thrift Shop." They have had three more singles make it in the top 20's of the Billboard charts. They also performed at the VMA's a couple of weeks ago. Carly Ray Jepsen went away for awhile after her single "Call Me Maybe" was released. She tried to release an album during all the hype but it failed to get noticed. Since then she has been keeping it low until recently when her new single "I Really Like You" was released a couple of months ago. 

I agree with Mr. Brauner when he said that signing someone from YouTube is really risky. You could have the next Justin Bieber or you could have someone like Gotye who will get a couple of number ones and then goes away. 

Sources:  google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8

                http://www.billboard.com/

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Top Four Music Distribution Systems

     In chapter two of the Music Business Handbook and Career Guide, different ways of digital

distribution were talked about. iTunes, of course, was the top music distribution system for artists. So what makes iTunes the best? I decided to so some research on the top four music distribution systems that I know of and what they provide for the artist.

Google Play is currently available in 31 territories including the U.S, Canada, Australia, France, UK, and many more. They sell the artists songs via download and streams. For every song downloaded individually you will get paid the wholesale price of Google Play's retail Price. The wholesale payout for a download of a single is $0.70 then that is how much you will get paid. The wholesale payout for an album will be $.070 x the number of tracks but the maximum payout for an album is $7.00. For the paid streaming you get paid a proportionate share of Google Play's subscription revenue per month when a subscriber streams your music. Payments will fluctuate each month, depending on the amount of subscription revenue generated and how often your music was stream. This excludes streams during a subscriber's free trial. Once you go through the process of selling your music via Google Play, it will take two weeks before your music goes live and can be streamed.

Amazon Music is currently available in 9 countries including the US, UK, Austria, France, etc. They sell the artist song via download and streams. The music will be eligible for streaming to Amazon Prime members, 90 days after your release date. You can sell your music four different ways depending on the whole price tier you choose. Front Line is the highest wholesale price. Mid Line is the a payout that is slightly lower than Front Line. Catalog is is slightly lower than the two already listed. Special is the last one and is the lowest wholesale pricing tier offered. Once you go through the process of selling your music via Amazon Music it will take 3-7 business days before your music goes live. For streams, your music will go live 90 days after your release date. 

Spotify Music is currently available in 53 territories including the US, UK, France, Spain, Mexico and many more. They sell the artists songs via paid streams. With each stream of your song your earn a share of Spotify's advertising revenue. The actual amount varies and depends on the ratio of advertising revenue and your percentage of the total number of streams on Spotify in a given month. The amount of payout has varied between $0.006 and $0.0084.

If an artist decided to sell their music via iTunes their music has the potential to be heard worldwide 121 territories including U.S, Canada, UK, Hong Kong, India, Mexico, Russia and many more. They sell the artists song via downloads and via streams (thanks T-Swizzle). Each song is sold for $0.99 an an album is $9.99 (the default price). The artist gets $0.70 for each song sold and $7.00 for each album sold. DRM-free tracks from EMI are charged at a higher price of $1.29 per song. When your music is played on iTunes radio you get paid per play fee and a proportionate share of iTunes advertising revenue for each month. The music will go live within 1-2 days.

After researching and learning about these four companies, it's pretty obvious why iTunes is the number one music distribution system. They reach out to the most people, have the lowest days till you go live and they give you the fairest prices for your music. They are they number company people go to to buy new music. iTunes has managed to become to go to site for all music needs including songs, albums, music videos, radio, and streaming. You can get your music out to your audience way the same way all these other companies are at a fairer price. 

**All the information above came from the websites of Google Play, Amazon, Spotify and iTunes

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