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Music Business Terms You Must Know
Going into the music business you have to make sure you are up to date with the lingo. Everything you say can potentially make or break your career. Like I have previously stated in other blogs the business is quickly and constantly changing. To keep yourself in the loop try to practice using the terms that are currently popular in the music industry. It is important to display yourself as an educated business person and not only a musician. You do not want to be taken advantage of just because you do not understand the contracts in front of you. Here is a list of some commonly used terms that you should familiarize yourself with:
360 Deals- A business relationship between an artist and a music industry company. The company agrees to provide financial support for the artist, including direct advances as well as funds for marketing, promotion and touring, as an investment to the artist’s lucrative potential. The artist agrees to give the company a percentage of all of their interests, including sales of recorded music, live performances and any other income.
Door Split- A type of payment deal for a live performance, in which the band and promoter agree to split the proceeds for the show, after the promoter has recouped their costs.
Mechanical Royalties- Royalties paid to the songwriter per album pressed (or sold, depending on the deal). Also sometimes called “mechanicals.”
One Sheet- In music publicity and distribution, a one-sheet is exactly what the name implies: One sheet of paper, on which information is provided about the music artist and/or a specific release which is being distributed. One-sheets often accompany a record or CD when it is being shipped to radio stations and music publications (i.e. magazines, Web- based forms, etc.). A one-sheet is sometimes also referred to as a press sheet or a promo sheet.
Preforming Rights Royalties- Royalties paid to a songwriter when a song they have written is performed.
Promo Package- A package used to promote music, including a promo CD and any appropriate press releases, one sheets, photos and other information. Also known as press kit or press pack
Publishing- Essentially another level of copyright control for songs, publishing deals simply put a person in charge of making sure the appropriate amount of royalties are collected for a song, in exchange for a portion of those royalties and some rights to the song. Most publishers go further than that and actively try to place songs in revenue generating positions, like advertisements or with other artists for cover version, etc.
Session Musician- A musician who contributes to a recording or a live performance but is not actually a full time member of the band.
Tech Spec- Short for “technical specifications.” A venue or promoter usually asks for a tech spec so they can set up the stage properly for a band and ensure all of the bands technical needs can be met.
Remember your career is your own responsibility. Take time to look over other popular terms, you don’t want to be left behind because you don’t understand the business. There are many good outlets to research this information online, use them. Its important to advance your knowledge and feel comfortable with the conversations people in the music industry will be having around you.
HOTT PICK of the Week: WICKER
Welcome to the world of Hollywood’s fast pace party people. Wicker is a band of energetic booty shaking music that gets everyone out of their sets on and onto the dance floor. Their beats are contagious and lyrics stand true for most young people today. They have graced the stage with chart topping artists like LMFAO and have plans to continue booking outrageously fun shows. They are bursting with enthusiasm and definitely bring the heat to all of their performances. This is the music you bump from your car stereo while driving to the beach or headed out for a night on the town, you can’t help it but feel liberated. These four guys are earning their ranks in a town that’s hard to conquer.
Wicker at the world famous ROXY, Hollywood Ca
Through Fast Break Wicker has landed some pretty outstanding placements. We are proud to announce that their hit song “Electro Indie Hop” will be featured in an upcoming Sundance film entitled ‘Douchebag’. This film has been selected for distribution and will soon have a 10 city major market release! Keep an eye out on your local theaters for dates and times. Also if your a fan of MTV’s the REAL WORLD maybe you remember hearing their song “People Going Crazy” on last years season in Cancun. There is no stopping this band, next thing you know they could be touring in a town near you.
Be sure visit them on myspace to check out their newest tracks and videos: www.myspace.com/wickerband
also follow them on twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wickermusic
FINDING AN AUDIENCE
How do you feel about your fan base? How many people do you see at your shows on a regular basis? Are these people your friends or your fans, and believe me there is a difference. The downfall of only playing local shows is that you are missing out on the opportunity to gain fans elsewhere. It’s understandable to sell out a show at your town venue, in fact you should be but when you look around at your guest are they the same people who would show up to your birthday party? It has to be about the music, gaining fans who don’t know you on a personal level is essential to growing as a musician. Getting people to show to up to your set, buy CD’s/ merchandise and or tickets without having to give it away is how you will make money on the road.
Going on tour is always a good idea if it’s financially possible because you are able to reach out to more people than you would at home. Get people talking about your music, latch on to a more popular band and travel with them to larger venues, stronger crowds and more gain more exposure. I know for some of you this may seem like a kick in the butt because of course you good enough to be the headliner, but set your pride aside for a minute and think about all of the fans you could be gaining and who know next time around it could be you traveling the world.
USING MYSPACE AS A PROMOTIONAL TOOL
If you are a musician, you should already have a Myspace page. Honestly it’s free, useful, easy to understand, and everybody’s got one. America is very much an over saturated music market; set yourself apart by taking pride in your page. I can’t tell you how many Myspace music profiles I have visited where I was automatically turned off by the disorganization or complete lack of professionalism. Come on guys, let’s think about this… Myspace is a free profile site that allows you to broadcast yourself internationally. Currently they even allow you to sell music through their network, plus millions people are online daily some of them don’t leave their computers for hours. It’s simple actually and I’m sure you’ve seen it happen people become ‘Myspace famous’ and for no reason, it may not be fair but if I were you I would definitely be using this to my advantage.
Step 1: Create the page. If you are not some html wizard don’t pretend to be. Over cluttering can distract your viewer from the music. If you are able to display some sort of layout my recommendation would be something clean and hip, it’s sad to say but some people still do ‘judge a book by its cover’.
Step 2: Upload your music. Of course the obvious suggestion is to upload the highest quality tracks possible. Remember Myspace ranks it’s musicians by how many plays you have so it might be a good idea to keep a few popular songs on there as a foundation.
Step 3: Network. Myspace can be a great tool if you use it correctly. Add friends, leave comments, post blogs, and stay connected. The majority of time the more friends you have the more plays you get. Adding similar bands or artists might attract the right fan base, same thing goes for record labels, publishing houses, venues, and magazines.
Step 4: Constantly update your page. Let your fans know when you are touring, any upcoming shows, and where they can expect to see you next. Make them feel important by responding to as many messages or comments as you can. If you leave a video or photo try to make it as personal as possible so people don’t feel as if they are being spammed.
Step 5: Be professional. You never know who is looking and or listening. Lots of big name industry executives, record labels, and venue owners scout bands via Myspace. You want to be portraying yourself as a professional musician. Take pride in your work and people will notice. Myspace is a great tool to gain fans but a lot of time it is the industry first glance at work, and I’m sure you know this but a great first impression means everything. This is a cut throat business people do not appreciate when their time is wasted.
I hope following these steps helps you gain some control over your page and starts building you a business around your music. Good luck!
Exciting New Opportunities for Your Music!
Hey Everyone,
Welcome to the first of many post from us here at Fast Break Music. I am excited to announce that we will currently be scouting artist in all genres to expand our catalog of music, and you could be it; the next big thing! If you are unfamiliar with what we do here take some time to check out our website at www.fastbreakmusic.com, hopefully that can clear up any questions. We are looking forward to listening to all of your music, and helping you develop as successful artists. It’s true we are always working on new projects and the opportunities is limitless. Continue checking up on us by reading this blog; I will be letting you know all about our current projects, giving you tips on the industry and keeping you updated on all of our exciting ventures.
As you may or may not know the music industry is an always changing business, and right now things are definitely different then they were just a few years ago. We are proud to say that we are one of the strongest leaders in innovating ways to tackle these problems and promote our clients in today’s new media atmosphere. The future is bright and we are more than ecstatic to be working with tomorrows freshest talent.