Pop fans read this book!!

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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.