This is area is set to expand with lots of information for musicians
trying to make it in the music industry. We've started with a list of books you can order
from Amazon.com which should get you going in the right direction. Enjoy.
"Our band is about to get beyond the local scene and start wrestling
with the industry for record deals and national tours, so I practically jumped out of my
skin when I finally found this book. It completely demystifies the workings of the entire
music industry--in a musician-friendly way. A tiny, selfish neuron in me hesitated for a
moment about telling the world of this book--but hey, we musicians are all in this
together. If everyone negotiating with record companies read and used this book, we'd
collectively be better able to get the sort of financial rewards our art deserves.",
comments by a reader. Chapter titles include: Your Team of Advisors, Record Deals,
Songwriting and Music Publishing, Group Issues, Touring, Merchandising, Motion Picture
Music. "I highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the music
business." - David Geffen (Jillionaire owner of Geffen Records).
"I almost hesitate to recommend Don's book--it gives away more inside information
than it should" - Mo Ostin, Chairman of the Board, Warner Brothers Records
Hardcover - 416 pages Rev&Updtd edition (June 1997)
List Price$27.50Our
Price $19.25 You Save $8.25 (30%)
"It is about time someone wrote a book explaining the nuts and bolts
of running a band! If you are trying to put a band together or you already have one
formed...BUY THIS BOOK! Why waste your time making stupid mistakes when you can get this
book that is full of first rate advice? I am on my second read as we speak! Great job
Marc!" comments by kim2202@aol.com from Santa Rosa, California , May 7, 1999 "Hey
Marc! Your book is my new Bible!!! I have probably spent thousands of dollars on Music
Business books over the last 10 years, and so far yours is the only one that I feel has
been totally worth the money!!! I have practiced alot of the ideas over the years, but to
have them all in one place as a reference really helps. I noticed that you managed Last
Tribe. We did a show with those guys about 4 or 5 years ago at Hollins College in Roanoke,
Va. What a great band. Now I know why it seemed that those guys really had their stuff
together. I just wanted to let you know that your book rocks!!! I will keep you informed
of my band (790 Robot Head) and how implementing your book is helping us. Thanks, Kenny
Seay", comments by Kenny Seay RobotHd790@aol.com from Virginia , September 10,
1998
Paperback - 344 pages (September 1997)
1999 Songwriter’s Market puts you in touch with the people, places
and information that will get your songs published, recorded and heard. Whether your
songwriting focuses on classical, country, gospel or rock ‘n’ roll, 1999
Songwriter’s Market covers all your best leads, providing you with listings of 400
record companies, 350 music publishers, 350 managers & booking agents, 200 record
producers and more. For less than one cent per market, you get complete, up-to-date and
accurate details on: · WHO TO CONTACT · WHAT TO SEND · HOW AND WHERE TO SEND IT ·
TYPES OF MUSIC THEY’RE SEEKING · TYPES OF MUSIC THEY’VE RELEASED · WHEN TO
FOLLOW UP · WHO THEY’VE SIGNED. And only Songwriter’s Market offers you the
insights, experiences and advice of today’s most successful music industry
professionals, featuring: Jana Stanfield, triple platinum singer/songwriter; Dan Kimpel,
producer of live shows for Qunicy Jones, Babyface and Diane Warren; Gerry House,
co-songwriter of LeAnn Rimes’, "On the Side of Angels" ; Danny Benair,
vice-president of film and TV for Polygram Music Publishing; and Karen Lampiasi, executive
director of Women in Music. "This annual directory is recognized as one of the most comprehensive guides to
music publishers record companies, managers, agents and more." --American Songwriter
"Every year over 20,000 aspiring music industry individuals pick up this book and use
it as a reference point from which they literally seek to build their career. Consider it
the foundation of your songwriting career." --Songwriter's Monthly
Paperback - 528 pages (September 1998)
A great book on music industry publicity from the editors of Billboard. " A must have for the Music Entrepreneur. This was one of the
first books I read that helped our independent record label and our artists, and
eventually our Hip Hop Entrepreneur success tools get featured on BET, Video Music Box, in
Rappages, Billboard, Source and many other outlets. It's clear, easy to follow and one of
the books we recommend in the Hip Hop Entrepreneur Niche on our site." Walt
Goodridge walt@nichemarket.com from USA , April 23, 1999
Paperback - 176 pages Revised edition (April 1997)
With this guide, you'll discover how rewarding teaching can be, both
musically and monetarily. Whether you plan to teach music full-time or you want to
supplement your performing income by giving private lessons, tou need this book to show
you how to build a profitable teaching business.
Paperback - 231 pages (March 1995)
Every musician with an interest in recording dreams of being a record
producer -- it's the top job in music. But although many aspire to become record
producers, few ever achieve their dream. This book tells how you, if you have the talent
and determination, can become one. You'll never see your name in lights, but you will have
the immense satisfaction of knowing that it was you who made that No. 1 happen. This book
explains the musical aspects of the process of producing a record, from finding a singer
or band and choosing a song, all the way through to making sure that you get your pay
check on time. It covers rehearsal and pre-production, selling the singer or band to a
record company A&R manager, and working in the studio, whether it is a modest home
setup or a top class commercial studio. You will learn how to: Spot talent; Assess demo
tapes; Develop an act; Rehearsal and pre-production; Working with live musicians and MIDI;
Dealing with record companies; Hiring musicians; Choosing a studio; Mixing and remixing.
Stop dreaming and start to take your first steps into the exciting world of record
production.
Paperback - 128 pages (December 1997)
Covering the gambit from General MIDI to Liquid Audio, this excellent
guide explores all of the current and upcoming technologies available for distributing
audio over the Internet. The book explores each solution in detail, walking you through
the process of creation and deployment, with a focus on the variety of tools you'll need
to master. Many of these--plus some general HTML and Java utilities--are included on the
bundled CD-ROM as demos or trial versions. Internet Audio Sourcebook discusses the pros
and cons of various scripting and streaming solutions--quality versus bandwidth, available
user base--in each section. There's even a chapter that serves as a digital home studio
primer, introducing basic audio and setup concepts that are essential for preparing audio
for Internet distribution and just good to understand.
The chapter on MIDI is an excellent explanation of an often misused,
misunderstood, and much maligned format. You will also find discussions of real-time
communication, voice synthesis, and voice recognition. Appendices cover HTML 3.2 and other
sources of audio and Internet information, and the glossary provides quick reference for
many of the terms used throughout the text.
Paperback - 553 pages Bk&Cd-Rom edition (September 1997)
Advises personnel in college- level music departments on such topics as
management, organizational structure, leadership styles, faculty evaluation, curriculum
design and planning, budget and finances, fund raising, and public relations.
Hardcover - 328 pages 2nd edition (May 1991)
Whether it's music, voice, or ambient noise, your Web site is crying out
for sound. Let the geniuses behind the Internet Underground Music Archive (IUMA) teach you
how to create, compress, and optimize downloadable and streaming audio for the Web, then
post clips to your site for peak user experience. The accompanying CDROM contains a
variety of software utilities and sample digitized songs.
Paperback - 203 pages Bk&Cd-Rom edition (July 1998)
Payola, Shmayola. Getting Radio Airplay shows musicians the real way to
get their music played on the radio. The new Third Edition features interviews with radio
station Music Directors, record label Promotions staff and independent artists who’ve
done it, plus a new section on internet radio and listings of over 1,000 radio stations in
the U.S. and Canada. “Quite simply, the best and most
useful book on the subject of radio. If you are a musician trying to put out your own
music, you definitely need this book. Solid information and invaluable directories.”
—Spotlight Magazine
Paperback - 150 pages 3rd edition (March 1998)
Hit Men is the shocking, highly controversial expose of the venality,
greed, and corruption of many of the assorted kingpins and hustlers who rule over the
music industry. "A sobering, blunt, and unusually well-observed depiction of the
sometimes sordid inner workings of the music business."--Billboard. 4 pages of
photographs. A nauseatingly honest and therefore
controversial expose of the base beings that inhabit the higher levels of the music
industry.
Paperback - 407 pages Reprint edition (July 1991)
This book is aimed both at those considering a career as a musician, and
those already in music who are looking to jump-start their career or change direction. It
contains practical advice for getting work as a musician in a wide variety of areas of the
business including nightclubs, private parties, Broadway and musical theater and classical
music. In addition, this book also covers getting studio work, as well as jingle writing
and other commercial composing. The composing section contains an extensive how-to section
on the nuts and bolts of scoring to picture. This can serve as a valuable reference to
anyone wishing to get started in that end of the business. This book was written by a
full-time professional musician who interviewed over fifty industry professionals who were
interviewed during the writing process. “How to Be a Working Musician”. It
contains profiles of a number of these people, as well as Q&A sections and plenty of
quotes.
when writing the book.
Paperback - 224 pages (October 1997)
Referred to as the musician's bible, this comprehensive manual covers
every aspect of recording and shows step-by-step how to set up a small independent
recording label for promoting and marketing from one to many titles.
Paperback - 243 pages Rev/4th edition (November 1992)
THE REAL DEAL should interest both professional and amateur musicians, as
well as managers, lawyers, producers, and songwriters working with talented musicians and
needing direction and knowledge. All parents with talented children and looking to give
qualitative support should also have a look at this title. Written from the perspective of
an educator, songwriter, musician, and President of Women in Music, Inc., this book
provides practical advice to anyone wanting to break into the music business as an artist.
Advice from industry pros such as artists Chuck D., Phoebe Snow, and LeAnn Rimes; record
label heads like Karin Berg and Kirk Burrowes; as well as publicists, managers, booking
agents, and entertainment attorney provide more valuable information in 288 pages than
college courses can provide in an entire semester.
Paperback - 256 pages (May 1997)
Confession is good for the soul! Over the years, among many other
like-minded authors, a stockbroker, a "dirty" ballplayer, a "lapsed"
librarian, a corporate headhunter, and an advertising man have all felt the need to atone
in print either for their own misdeeds or for those of their profession. Here Avalon
pseudonymously exposes the ways the recording industry can take advantage of budding
artists. Avalon started in the business 15 years ago as a studio engineer and went on to
produce records. He has also composed soundtracks for several independent films and now
consults for artist managers, record labels, and investors. Avalon examines the various
stages of the record deal. He explains the role of each person involved and suggests what
that person's self-interest is. He also contrasts the differences among deals at the major
labels, independents, and vanity labels, and he discusses "baby" deals between
artists and production companies. Avalon's final cut is a medley of stories, rumors, and
myths about ways people can be or have been "ripped-off." Though sometimes too
blunt, Avalon provides a caveat that novices could miss out on elsewhere.
Paperback - 250 pages (September 1998)
The guide to getting you (and your music) online! This new book from the
author of Releasing an Independent Record covers the most popular areas of the Internet
(e-mail, the World Wide Web, newsgroups and more) and includes reviews of hundreds of
music-related websites. Find out how to create your own website and use new technology
like steaming audio to get your music to millions of potential listeners worldwide.
Gary Hustwit is the author of several books on the music industry
including Getting Radio Airplay. Formerly the Director of the Independent Music Seminar,
Hustwit has written for Billboard and Guitar World magazines.
Paperback - 144 pages (October 1996)
Music Law can help you see your band as a business and turn it into a
successful one. Musician and attorney Richard Stim has filled this useful book with
helpful advice on solving disputes between band members, dealing with lawyers, managers,
and record companies, and even the increasingly important matter of sample clearance. The
advice is extremely thorough; for example, the chapter on band names includes information
on researching your band's name to ensure it isn't already in use, what happens if two
bands have the same name, and even how to register your band's name and logo. Because he
advises getting all agreements in writing, Stim has provided dozens of sample agreement
forms, both as blank hard copies in the book and as templates on the enclosed disk.
Throughout the book, Stim provides important legal advice, all translated from stilted
legalese into simple English. Both big and little names get into these difficulties
sometimes; the book is peppered with cautionary tales of real musicians and their legal
squabbles. Music Law can help you avoid such pitfalls and get your band's business running
smoothly--so you might be able to quit that day job, after all.
Paperback - 400 pages Bk&Disk edition (September 1998)
Die-hard rock fans soon learn there is a way to hear live performances,
outtakes, and other material by their favorite musicians that record companies suppress.
That way is on bootlegs--unofficial, clandestinely distributed releases sanctioned by
neither artist nor record company. Heylin traces the bootleg phenomenon from Great White
Wonder (the Bob Dylan collection that kicked things off in the late 1960s) through the
punks and Springsteen (one of the most heavily bootlegged artists) to today's digital era
of easier, better sounding unofficial recording that has given bootleggers quite a boost.
He interviews (anonymously) most of the major bootleggers, explains the legal obstacles
they face, and describes some of the most outstanding material available on boots. He also
addresses the intellectual property questions, siding firmly with the bootleggers, whom he
credits with making much available that would have gone unheard and sees as motivated by
love of music as much as love of profit. Heylin seems to labor out of love, too, as he
celebrates the underground entrepreneurs responsible for freeing otherwise lost
recordings.
Paperback (July 1996)
The Mobile DJ Handbook was written as an excellent guide for the aspiring
DJ to begin his or her new business, however it is also a great refresher for the
experienced mobile DJ as well. The book contains great ideas on how to expand and develop
your business through learning to market and sell your company. The Handbook covers all of
the bases when it comes to your business. You can find sample brochures, letters,
contracts, and information sheets. For the beginner, there is information on buying
equipment, running your shows, setting your price, and essentially, how to be a
professional. The mobile dj field is a fun and exciting business to be involved in and
this book will help you be successful in it.
Paperback - 160 pages (June 1997)
The untold story of how the billion-dollar world of music really works.
The Brabecs reveal for the first time the secrets of the music business that have made
fortunes for the superstars, and they describes how the business works on a day-to-day
basis, who makes the decisions, and more. 40 illustrations.
Hardcover - 412 pages (March 1994)
On the Musician pages you'll find information on getting ahead in
the music business, music publicity, promotion and marketing.
All
You Need to Know About the Music Business
All Area Access : Personal Management for Unsigned
Musicians
1999 Songwriter's Market (Annual)
Billboard Guide to Music Publicity, The
How to Become a Record Producer
Internet Audio Sourcebook
Career Opportunities in the Music Industry (3Rd. Ed)
Administration and Supervision of Music
Audio on the Web: The Official IUMA Guide
Getting Radio Airplay : The Guide to Getting Your Music
Played on College, Public & Commercial Radio
Hit Men : Power Brokers & Fast Money Inside the Music
Business.
How to Be a Working Musician : A Practical Guide to
Earning Money in the Music Business
How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording : A Guide for the
Nineties
The Real Deal : How to Get Signed to a Record Label from
A to Z
Music Law : How to Run Your Band's Business
Bootleg : The Secret History of the Other Recording
Industry
The Mobile Dj Handbook : How to Start and Run a
Profitable Mobile Disc Jockey Service
Music, Money, and Success : The Insider's Guide to the
Music Industry
