There you have it. My top 10 essential readings when it comes to the music business. Of course, there are many more to read, including various articles and online courses. But these, I feel should empower you a lot and come to your aid when you step into the music world. Start with three of the most popular books about the music business, written by authors who all speak from experience and offer a road-map to success, based upon their own unique perspectives.

All You Need to Know about the Music Business: 10th Edition

It’s an unprecedented era for artists right now. Home-recording is easier and more accessible than ever, as is interacting with fans from a phone, and building a following from your bedroom studio. If you’re making music and hoping to make it big, definitely add these to your reading list. 1. How To Make It in the New Music BusinessDon has been listed in the Best Lawyers in America for more than twenty years, as well as the Top 100 Lawyers in California, the Top 500 Attorneys in America, Billboard’s Power 100, Hollywood Reporter’s Top 100 Entertainment Attorneys, Billboard’s Music’s Most Powerful Attorneys, and Southern California’s Super Lawyers. You mentioned the digital landscape has experienced the biggest change of all the music industry areas in the past few years. Are there any other major changes about how to make it in the music industry that you outline in the Eighth Edition of All You Need to Know about the Music Business? I definitely want to get more into aspects of the digital world, but having been involved with music and entertainment law for so many years, which areas in the music business do you think are the most commonly misunderstood by artists and others? When I was trying to make it as a musician, it was publishing that always baffled me. PDF / EPUB File Name: All_You_Need_to_Know_About_the_Music_Busin_-_Donald_S_Passman.pdf, All_You_Need_to_Know_About_the_Music_Busin_-_Donald_S_Passman.epub

All You Need to Know About the Music Business [PDF] [EPUB] All You Need to Know About the Music Business

And how are you seeing the heritage artists stay alive now that the master bundle of rights are not as valuable as they once were? Where are their businesses headed?

Donald S. Passman

But it still depends. On the other hand, if you want to be a world-renowned artist on the radio, promoted in every territory, that’s something no artist has been able to do yet without the help of a major label that has money, expertise and clout. Certainly in the beginning, whether you’re going to do it entirely on your own or attach to a label, you have to build a fan base, a presence and an audience. An understanding of the music business world isn’t the only thing you should be familiar with. You should also take some time to study the legal aspect if you want to run a business smoothly.

All You Need to Know About the Music Business: 10th Edition All You Need to Know About the Music Business: 10th Edition

I was also told that Van Halen actually didn’t have a lawyer during their biggest touring years. This allegedly cost them millions of dollars.

3. All You Need to Know About the Music Business

Exactly. And they also don’t care how many times they are told “No,” or how many obstacles are put in front of them; they just keep moving. Some of them do and some of them don’t. A lot of them are just completely dedicated to their music career, even to the detriment of their family and personal life. But you get that in any business. If you read the Steve Jobs book, you’ll see that his family wasn’t his top priority. I don’t think that’s unique to the music business. Some people have a lot of interests, others are more focused on one thing.

All You Need To Know About the Music Business Editions of All You Need To Know About the Music Business

All three may offer different viewpoints, but one key driver of success they all share: hard work. Talent is necessary, but will only get you so far. The rest relies on focusing your efforts on the right places — like establishing a constant presence on social media — playing frequent shows, and building a strong and loyal fan base from scratch. The book contains a lot of interesting chapters including protecting your name and music, sampling legally, avoiding legal issues, and how to collaborate with other musicians. You should look into this one. Conclusion The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Careerpairs a successful indie musician, Umphrey McGee’s Joel Cummins, with author Matt DeCoursey. The book pulls no punches when it comes to practical steps to becoming a professional, with testimonials from celebs like Robbie Williams and Huey Lewis. Can you give some solid examples of people who were really taken advantage of because they didn’t understand the business side? And that passion element is really interesting. I work in marketing, so I talk to people all the time about what really makes them unique. “Dude Releases Record” isn’t really press worthy. Of your most successful clients, would you say that most of them had interests and passions outside of music that they also pursued?Heritage artists are mostly making their money off touring. It’s very difficult if not impossible for them to get on the radio, because their audience is older and not that interested in new music. They will have some success with it, but not at the level they enjoyed in their heyday. They also make money off their catalogs, which still sell quite well and make some money for them as well. The book was first published in 1991. It is now in its tenth edition. Over the years, it has charted the extreme change that the music industry has undergone. From the addition of MTV to the MP3 revolution and now streaming services, the book has updated itself to the point that it’s still very relevant. The music business is one of the most competitive industries out there. For decades, the best a good band could hope for was to tour extensively, praying that a talent scout was at one of their shows or somehow got their demo (and actually listened to it) and then signed them to a label deal. But to say times have changed is an understatement, as big as the business itself. But this book isn’t just for musicians either. The advice here expands to others that may want to get into the business, like agents and managers, and presents the path to success without sugar-coating it.