Pop fans read this book!!

[lincolnkw]

It's entertaining, easy to understand and VERY informative.

All You Need To Know About The Music Business by Donald S.Passman.

He's a big-time music industry attorney. This book is on it's fifth edition in the past 10 years or so.

He gives the skinny on everything on how to break into, and maintain, a career in the music industry. For the artist.

Part One: Your Team of Advisors
How to Pick a Team
Personal Managers
Business Managers
Attorneys
Agents

Part Two: Record Deals
Broad-Strokes Overview of the Record Business
Advances and Recoupment
Real-Life Numbers (very interesting chapter)
Other Major Deal Points
Producer and Mixer Deals
Advanced Record Deal Points
Advanced Royalty Computations
Loan-out, Independents Production, LAbel, and Distribution Deals

Part Three: Songwriting and Music Publishing
Copyright Basics
Publishing Companies and Major Income Sources
Secondary Publishing Income
Sogwriter Deals
Copublishing and Administration Deals
Advanced Copyright Concepts
Even More Advanced Copyright Concepts

Part Four: Group Issues
Groups

Part Five: Touring
Personal Appearances - Touring

Part Six: Merchandising
Tour Merchandising
Retail Merchandising

Part Eight: Music and New Technologies


In the royalties part, he explains how a new artist (say Jason Mraz or John Mayer) on his first album going gold doesn't make what we think he makes. A CD priced $18.98 that sells 500,000 copies, will give the artist $40, 250. And not all at once, either. With Universal releasing new artists at a price point of $10.99, that means the artist is getting screwed.

Go to Borders, pull up once of those comfy chairs and a Mocha and read this for an hour or so, it's fascinating. It's easy to see how someone can be royally screwed in this business.

Comments

[ssecca01.livejournal.com]

Lincoln *bats eyes* Do you have any gay fiction rec's?

[lincolnkw.livejournal.com]

Novelwise?

[ssecca01.livejournal.com]

mhmm.. Peter gave me a few but i, being stupid, forgot to copy the stuff down. heh.

[lincolnkw.livejournal.com]

You got it.

Give me a few minutes and I shall post a list for you.

[kt-senorita.livejournal.com]

I have that book. ;)

[stormwynd.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing a documentary once about how artists depend on shows and tours (gate receipts, t-shirts, etc.) for the bulk of their actual income, how CD's (especially for young artists) are really more about generating publicity than making money.This confirms it.

And the Borders closest to me recently got rid of all of its comfy chairs in favor of hardback chairs with no cushions. It's no longer a fun place to go hang out and read. >.<

[lincolnkw.livejournal.com]

yep, our store only has four in the cafe.

And we're small.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_dragon_/]

Thanks for posting this, darling. I think I might just go out to find this book; it might be useful to me if I ever decide to actually go for a career in music. ^_^