MBU 1110 FALL 2018 lecture 8 Getting Started
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The document provides an extensive checklist for artists getting started in the music business. It recommends registering copyrights, tracking ownership of intellectual property, drafting agreements between band members, trademarking names and logos, forming companies, registering with performing rights organizations, digital distributors, and SoundExchange. It also suggests embedding metadata, securing websites and social profiles, producing online video, touring, hiring publicists, checking organizations that can help artists, attending conferences, getting insurance, and working hard to create great music.
MBU 1110 FALL 2018 lecture 8 Getting Started
- 1. 1 Music Publishing Intro to Music Business Lecture #8: GETTING STARTED A NEW ARTIST CHECKLIST (Sources include SoundExchange.com)
- 2. 2 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Register your copyrights Copyrights to your original creative works exist as soon as you fix the sounds or words or notes to a medium (written down or recorded). But to secure additional legal rights, you must register your copyrights with the US Copyright Office. Electronic registrations can be processed much more quickly than mailed registrations and is less expensive. Also, sound recording (SR) and music compositions (PA) can be registered together, which, if you own both, is cheaper than doing them separately. Keep track of ownership of Copyrights, etc. Always keep track of Intellectual Property and the splits and ownership of each. Who wrote it? How will you split royalties?
- 3. 3 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED If applicable, Draft an agreement between band members Always put things in writing at the beginning when everyone is still friends and money (or other things) has not yet begun to cloud the situation. Write out an agreement in case issues come up at a later time (they often do). The agreement should address the following and MORE: vRights and responsibilities of the band members vOwnership of the business vOwnership of Property vControl of Property vBand Name vWebsite vEquipment vIntellectual Property vFinances, including loans or investments and how to repay them vNew Members vLeaving Members
- 4. 4 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Trademark your name and logo The US Patent and Trademark Office oversees trade and service marks. Make sure no one else owns the rights to your name and/or logo and if not, be sure to register it. It may be your only way to prevent someone from claiming he or she owned the name first, or claiming to be you later. Registrations can be made in different “classes” to cover recordings, live performances, merchandise and other classes, so make sure you cover the bases. Registration costs can add up in a hurry, but a band or artist name and brand may become one of your biggest assets, so it’s well worth it to protect it early.
- 5. 5 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Form a company (or companies as necessary) for your label, songwriting/publishing, touring, merchandising, etc.) It’s important to look at your work as a small business, not just a creative hobby, and to get all your legal protections in place. Forming a company, partnership, sole proprietorship or LLC and keeping separate financial records can help ensure that you’re compliant with taxes and can protect your interests. You may need more than one entity. You almost always do.
- 6. 6 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Pick a songwriting Performing Rights Organization and register – ASCAP, BMI or SESAC If you’re a songwriter or publisher with a song copyright, you’re entitled to collect royalties from public performances of your musical compositions (for instance, the royalties that you are entitled to receive when the songs you wrote are played on the radio). ASCAP, BMI and SESAC take care of this kind of licensing, collect fees from them and pay them to you. They all cover the same copyright, so you only need to affiliate with one. Research and meet with them if you can to see which might be best for you. v If you have someone you co-write with regularly, you may want to sign up different places as a sort of checks & balances.
- 7. 7 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Register with SoundExchange If you performed on and/or own the masters of a sound recording, you can collect royalties from anyone who streams that track digitally (webcasters, satellite or Internet radio, etc). SoundExchange is the only organization designated by the US government to collect and distribute these royalties, so register now to claim your money.
- 8. 8 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Arrange for Distribution of MUSIC Set up an account for digital distribution with an aggregator like IODA, INgrooves, TuneCore, The Orchard or similar companies which allow you to make your music available to the public for digital downloading at popular sites like iTunes, Amazon and others. Be sure to properly enter all metadata accurately during this process since it will propagate everywhere after that. Understand the obligations, splits and commitments you make by entering into an agreement so that you know how it may limit other opportunities. Try to be everywhere that makes sense for your music and fanbase. v Don’t ignore DIY through Bandcamp, Noisetrade or other options. v How can you make $ if you give it away for FREE? v Should you give everything away?
- 9. 9 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Arrange for Distribution of MERCHANDISE Don’t forget that you may need/want to use a professional company to do your merch. There are two things you need: v Sales and e-Commerce v Fulfillment Options include: v Websites that do all of the front end and let you handle the fulfillment v Services that that do it all v Services that just do the fulfillment v Going almost full DIY and using PayPal or other shopping cart/e-commerce solution to handle the $ and doing the rest by yourself. v Print/Manufacture to order services (Zazzle, CafePress)
- 10. 10 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Embed metadata about each track into each digital file If a music service opens your file or pops in your CD, and sees ‘Track 1’ and ‘Artist Unknown,’ you could miss out on royalties. While services and webcasters are supposed to report all the tracks they play, they’re busy, and you need to make it as easy as possible. Many millions of dollars have been earmarked for “promo only,” “self- released” and “artist unknown.” Include, at the very least, the artist or group name, copyright holder or label name, and track and album titles, and the ISRC number, if available. Most mastering software includes the ability to embed this data, and online services are available.
- 11. 11 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Buy/register your website address and social network domains Start your online marketing and fan building by registering and creating your domain names. It’s common practice for vendors to buy up domains in hopes they’ll be able to jack up the price to sell them back to you when you need them, so pin down the names as soon as you can. Also, create your band’s official profiles on the various popular social networking and sharing sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. Build your web presence Use your site and social network profiles to sell merchandise, display a photo gallery, and dispense news updates and tour events. Keep the information fresh and interesting. Cross-link and expand your social network communications to drive fans to your website. Consider periodic email or other mass-blasts to keep your audience informed. Be authentic and consistent.
- 12. 12 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Online Video A lot of musicians do this well, but others don’t. Whether you are in the studio, recording, on tour, or just fucking around — turn it into video. Find a friend or someone in your band who can do edit video footage and put it on YouTube! Remember to make sure it looks incredible because you don’t know who is going to see it. Don’t use video with 3 people in the audience, and don’t use shitty quality video — this is your brand! Also, make sure to also upload all your full-length songs onto YouTube with album covers as the “video” footage — seriously, you need to be on YouTube! To put it in perspective: YouTube gets far more traffic than all other music sites on the web combined!
- 13. 13 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Touring or Booking Agent If you want to make it in today’s industry, you have to tour! Your best bet is to find an incredible booking agent, and have them get you on as many tours as possible. Accept as many tours as you possibly can — and make sure you have albums, shirts, and creative merch items. Most of the time you will have to book yourself or have a friend do it. Opinions vary on if you should act as your own agent or create an “agent” for that purpose. #1 thing – Listen to the talent buyers and do as they request. (It’s not a request!)
- 14. 14 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Publicity Most of the things above are things you can DIY as a band and figure out on your most. But the two things you must have at some point is a booking agent and a great publicist. It is important that you have someone that understands design elements, has connections to all the blogs and media sites, and will work their ass off to get you interviews and press. A great publicist will know how to get you exposure! You can and will do much of it yourself. You are your greatest fan anyhow… or I hope so.
- 15. 15 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Check out organizations and associations which may benefit you There are lots of groups out there doing great things for musicians. Not all of them will be right for you, but a few of them may be. Consider unions like the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and the Screen Actors Guild / American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, (SAG-AFTRA) which represent a wide variety of musicians and performers, at all stages in their careers. Check out what groups like The Recording Academy (NARAS / THE GRAMMYS) and musicFIRST are doing to protect your work. There are also payment funds, including the Alliance of Artists and Recording Companies and the AFM & AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund, which may have funds to offer for certain kinds of work you’ve done. You may have a local Lawyers for the Arts organization giving free or discount legal advice. You may want or need to contact Musicares, Musicians Health Alliance, Health Alliance for Austin Musicians, etc. and utilize their assistance and services. Many regional and local organizations are also available, and many of these groups offer member benefits and discounts on services you may use. Educate yourself about all the associations which may be open to you, and find out what choices can help you advance your career.
- 16. 16 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Attend Conferences and Workshops Many professional organizations have annual or regular events and opportunities to network, learn and otherwise be a part of the music business. Don’t miss out on these. Don’t be afraid to travel to one or more. Be prepared to sell yourself and you brand when you do attend. Don’t let high costs give you concern. Most of these events offer a discount to students or musicians. If not, offer to volunteer! You will likely meet even more people and enjoy yourself even more.
- 17. 17 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Get health, equipment, touring and other insurance as soon as you can afford it. When you’re on the road or at gigs, equipment can disappear, so find affordable but adequate insurance. In addition to private companies, some labor unions and organizations, offer health plans, but do your research to find the right plan for you.
- 18. 18 Music Publishing GETTING STARTED Work your A$$ off, Create great music, Enjoy what you do! There is no substitute for creative productivity. This is what artists do. Do at least ONE thing every day in the effort to move your career forward. Just ONE thing at a minimum. Write it down in a journal or calendar. Look back on it periodically and see if you are accomplishing what you set out to do and what is contributing to that. Create often and let your audience know what you’ve been up to. It’ll take a lot of work, but if you are not willing to do it, someone else is and they will pass you by. Really. I’m not kidding.