February 15, 2016 If you’re a serious musician, you’ve probably considered building your own space at home for playing and recording music. A home studio used to involve a lot of work and a huge expense, but in recent years recording technology has become more user friendly and less expensive, making it possible for anyone to create a recording space that operates on their schedule.
February 13, 2016 
February 12, 2016 Part and parcel of getting your music out there into the world is ensuring that you can be found in all the right stores.
I say “right” because, not everybody will want full coverage in every store, and appropriateness of certain services or platforms will be down to your judgement but generally most artists will likely want to get their music onto many of the key online stores and streaming platforms like iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Shazam and so on.
There are a few ways of doing this.
February 11, 2016 Festivals and concerts would be a great time for live music, but some people use them as an excuse to do drugs. In fact, we hear about drug deaths and drug overdoses every year at concert festivals. Along with the injuries and arrests, it can turn an awesome time at a concert into a sad experience. Because the law prohibits drug-friendly concerts, many organizers of these events enforce a zero-tolerance policy. You do have some who turn a blind eye, but they get shut down eventually.
Live Music tagged Live, case study, concerts, drugs, harm reduction, live music February 10, 2016 Today we’re going to look at a contract to enter a new musical reality competition called Songland, which is being produced by NBC. It’s supposed to be similar to The Voice (even includes Adam Levine), but this time it’s for songwriters of all genres. You can check it all out here: http://songlandcasting.com.
February 9, 2016 In any song, the chorus is often the part most anticipated by the listener. However, it is also one of the most difficult parts of a song to compose for many songwriters, as it has to sound just right to complement the rest of the song, while at the same time leave a lasting effect on the listener.
Songwriting tagged Songwriting Tips, chorus, songwriter, songwriting February 8, 2016 Under the US copyright law, an author or creator owns a copyright in his or her work the moment it is “fixed in a tangible medium” (i.e., the moment the expression of an idea is written down or recorded in some manner). When it comes to the recorded music business there are two primary copyrights of interest: one in the musical composition or song; another in the sound recording of that song. A copyright extends for the life of an author plus 70 years, and in the case of collaborators on a copyright it extends for the life of the last surviving collaborator plus 70 years.
Legal Advice, Songwriting tagged Copyright, Legal, collaboration, publishing, songwriting February 6, 2016
MTT tagged MTT Recap, Music Think Tank February 5, 2016 My ongoing music blog has carried the overarching moniker of IT ALL STARTS WITH THE MUSIC for some time now. It’s a lofty notion, touched with just the right amount of vagueness to seem proverbial.
Recently, however, I’ve had to take that notion off the shelf and boil it down to its granular form. The result? It actually all starts with the song. Music is a wonderful thing, granted, but what really brings the emotional reaction home to us all is THE SONG. Music is way too general a term and it’s incredibly subjective; but a great song is a great song. There are thousands of talented musicians and composers in Santa Monica alone making great (OK, maybe just good) music, but only a handful of great songwriters.
Songwriting tagged Creative Process, Songwriting Tips, aAdvice, fame, songwriting February 4, 2016 FACT: Musicians generally look for the answers to all the wrong questions. What questions am I talking about? The ones that all amateurs or people who have never been in music ask. These questions are based on ignorance, guesswork, fears and self-destructive thoughts centered around how some people think the music industry works. By seeking the answers to these questions, you can only reduce the likeliness that you will ever have a chance at growing a successful music career.
Advice tagged a career in music, building fans, career advice, success February 3, 2016 Spotify’s acquisition of Irish startup Soundwave just goes to show that it remains the ringleader of the music streaming niche. The company is fast-expanding amid the growing competition in the sector, seemingly leaving competitors Tidal, Rdio, and Pandora behind its shadows.
February 2, 2016 Adele and Bruce Springsteen are ready to take on the ticket hubs. Back in December, Springsteen’s concert tickets were already for sale on secondary market sites like StubHub, before they even went on sale to the public. These tickets were marked up five to ten times face value. Devoted fans are being shut out from seeing their favorite musicians and bands. Adele’s North American tour sold out in the matter of minutes. The concert industry must find a way to level the playing field.
January 31, 2016 John Kellogg is a practicing entertainment lawyer and assistant chair of Music Business/
Management at Berklee College of Music in Boston. I met him when I spoke at Berklee and my firm was delighted to represent him for the release of his book Take Care of Your Music Business, Second Edition.
January 30, 2016
