I’ve been reading a lot of music industry books lately. The history kind that detail the rise and fall of the record industry. The one theme that I keep seeing time and time again is that (big shocker here) GREAT MUSIC MAKES MONEY. Whoodathunkit? Well today, just as in old times, great music will bring great money..if [...]
In the New Rockstar Philosophy Book we have a good section on making friends. The more you get into this industry the more you realize how important making friends is. But making connections outside of your industry is just as important. Especially making connections with other artists that work with other mediums. Painters, dancers, film makers, audio [...]
Maybe it’s not so new, but now it seems that EVERYONE has got the message… like Lana Del Rey’s label who didn’t want to release Video Games, the hugely successful single, that essentially made her. Only after her video exploded did the label understand the power of the song. Now Mac Miller has laid out [...]
Occasionally one can get lost in a the sheer possibilities at a recording studio. In modern studios you have infinite tonal possibilities. YOU know what your drums are supposed to sound like, but when a recording engineer joins you, their idea of what your drums sound like can quietly overrule you. The engineer likes one sounds and [...]
I have an extensive CD collection which has largely been forgotten about. Since digital music arrived I’ve been playing music off of my iPod/iPhone for a while leaving much of my CD collection to simply collect dust in the basement. But physical discs are necessary still. Especially if you are sending out your music to [...]
Instagram has finally made it over to the Andriod market. This is great news for many, but I’ve heard talk of people searching for an even cooler photo sharing app. I have found that app. Cinemagram is probably the most interesting iPhone app that I’ve come across for months. Think Instagram + GIFs = Cinemagram. [...]
If you’re an active musician then you know how quickly every night can become a Saturday night. Beers come out, guitars turn up, and everyone starts having a good time. While on my epic March bender, I realized that many of my musician friends aren’t looking out for their best long term interests as musicians. [...]
Recently we wrote about why you need a music manager. They allow you to focus on the music while your manager focuses on the rest… but how do you attract a manager? What are they looking for? What qualities do you need to have to get someone to take care of the business side of [...]
With all of the money, time, and work of showcasing at a festival, it’s often small bands that pay the biggest price for attending industry showcase festivals. Like we wrote about last year, if you don’t have any buzz coming into Austin then finding some buzz for your band amongst the thousands of others can [...]
The Most Important Part Of Your Music Team
During SXSW I met with many people. Publishers, bloggers, artists, and film makers, yet arguably the most important piece of the music industry puzzle that I met with were the music managers. I was lucky enough to have a chat with Joel Carriere from the Bedlam Music Management. Joel started working with Toronto bands more than 10 years ago [...]