Last month I found myself on the Sunset Strip looking up at the Tower Records marquee and a long line of people standing outside the building. Now, for LA natives this seems odd considering Tower Records shut down this location back in 2006. The people…
Category archives: ‘How-To’ Guides
Yes, Wealthy People Can Finance Artist Careers! Here’s How to Structure ‘Artist Investment Agreements’
I’ve negotiated artist investment agreements ranging from $25,000 to $2.5 million. Here’s everything you need to know about them. The following comes from noted music industry attorney Steve Gordon. Gordon is the author of 11 Contracts That Every Artist, Songwriter and Producer Should Know. The last chapter of the book addresses investment deals. Introduction Early […]
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13 Ways To Get Blacklisted From The Music Industry
The longer I’m in music, the bigger my network gets and the smaller the music community seems. I was on a layover at MSP (Minneapolis) and I saw Rashawn Ross, the renowned trumpet player for Dave Matthews Band, Soulive, Lettuce etc etc. I’d never met Rashawn, but a quick glance at his Instagram showed that we […]
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How To Get Your Copyrights Back From Your Label or Publisher
There’s a little known section in the US Copyright Act of 1976 enabling any copyright owner to get their rights back after 35 years. Meaning, if you wrote or released a song with a label or a publishing company after January 1st 1978, you can terminate your agreement and get all your rights back. It […]
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Five Things You Can Learn from the Best Drummer in the World
It’s rare you get to meet someone that is arguably the best at what they do. Frank Zummo is one of those people. I get it. You believe there’s a better drummer and that may be true but god dammit Frank Zummo is good. From winning competitions at Drum Center as a CHILD, to starting […]
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No, Legacy Musicians Do Not Have To Tour To Make Money If They Don’t Want To
I’m sure you’ve read by now the piece that has been shared relentlessly discussing how 69-year-old Donald Fagen (of Steely Dan) was “forced” to go on tour because his album sales money has dried up. Fagen told the Wall Street Journal: “When the bottom fell out of the record business a bunch of years ago, […]
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9 Places to Crash for Free While Touring With Your Band
1. IKEA The secret is to go for a lounge chair, not a bed. Just pick a really big, fluffy one (preferably in a quieter corner or low-traffic location). That way, it totally looks like a complete accident. If (or, when) someone wakes you up, act completely shocked that you actually fell asleep while shopping! […]
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11 Things Millennial Musicians Just Don’t Get
1) Spotify Plays Don’t Equal Fans I can’t tell you how many artists I see on Spotify with hundreds of thousands or millions of streams, but can’t get even 100 out to their local (or any) shows. Or get anyone to back their crowdfunding campaign. Or support them in any way whatsoever. These listeners are […]
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How To Get Music In Spotify Playlists
Before we dig into everything there’s to know about Spotify playlists at this moment in time, you should remember that just because someone has a ton of streams does not mean they have a ton of fans. Streams are not equivalent to downloads or sales. Apples and oranges. When someone bought a song or an […]
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Prominent Music Publicist: F*&k Press Releases
This past Friday I moderated the How To Make It in the New Music Business panel at the ASCAP Expo. One of the panelists was the co-founder of LaFamos PR and Branding, Hunter Scott. He is one of the few publicists out there who won’t take your money if he doesn’t think he can help […]
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