Music Business For Dummies

Music Business For Dummies

by Loren Weisman
Released June 2015
Publisher(s): For Dummies
ISBN: 9781119049654

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Book description

Start your music career off right with this fun guide to the music industry

Music Business For Dummies explains the ins and outs of the music industry for artists and business people just starting out. You'll learn how file-sharing, streaming, and iTunes have transformed the industry, and how to navigate your way through the new distribution models to capitalize on your work. It all begins with the right team, and this practical guide explains who you need to have on your side as you begin to grow and get more exposure. Coverage includes rehearsing, performing, recording, publishing, copyrights, royalties, and much more, giving you the information you need to start your career off smart.

Music industry success has never been easy to achieve, and recent transformations and disruptions to the business side have made the whole idea even more daunting than before. This guide gives you a roadmap around the landmines, and provides expert advice for starting out on the right foot.

  • Find the right players, agents, and business managers
  • Make more money from your work with smart distribution
  • Build your brand and get people talking about you
  • Get gigs, go on tour, and keep on growing

If music is your calling, you need to plan your career in a way that sets you up for success from the very beginning. Put the right people in place, get the most out of your investments, and learn how to work the crowd both virtually and in person. Music Business For Dummies is your companion on your journey to the music career you want.

Table of contents

    1. Cover
    2. Introduction
      1. About This Book
      2. Icons Used in This Book
      3. Foolish Assumptions
      4. Beyond the Book
      5. Where to Go from Here
    3. Part I: Getting Started in the Music Business
      1. Chapter 1: Getting on the Path to Results
        1. Differentiating between the Music and the Music Business
        2. Practicing Responsible Career Tactics
        3. Weeding out the Myths, Scams, and Scammers
        4. Committing to, Reinforcing, and Running a Career
      2. Chapter 2: A Change is Gonna Come: Changes in the Music Business
        1. Changes for the Better
        2. Changes for the Worse
        3. Promoting and Marketing Gone Bad
        4. Making Change Work for You
      3. Chapter 3: Getting Your Music Business Job Options On
        1. Finding Your Best Fit
        2. Self-Assessment Questions
        3. Looking at Your Options in the Music Business
        4. Eyeing Options Out of the Spotlights
      4. Chapter 4: Creating a Music Business Plan
        1. Defining Your Success
        2. Projecting Your Time Frame
        3. Reviewing the Requirements and Costs of Success
        4. Looking at the Keys to Planning Success
        5. Funding Your Music Business Plan
        6. Handling the Organization and Legal Parts
        7. Promises, Percentages, Ownership, and Durations
    4. Part II: Making Music and Creating Your Brand
      1. Chapter 5: Writing, Rehearsing, Recording, and Performing
        1. Creating and Writing Music with Others
        2. Rehearsing For Production and Performance
      2. Chapter 6: Creating and Following a Production Plan
        1. Pre-Producing Your Production
        2. Your Recording Process —Picking Your Producer, Mixer, and Musicians
        3. Mastering Your Music
        4. Your Pre-Release and Post-Recording Part
      3. Chapter 7: Creating Your Brand
        1. Understanding the Importance of Your Name
        2. Getting Your Logo and Font Working for You
        3. Branding Yourself
        4. Crafting Your Tagline and its Viability
        5. Applying Your Logo, Font, and Tagline
      4. Chapter 8: Getting Noticed: Your Keywords, Bio, and Call to Action
        1. Creating Keywords and Phrases for Your Bio
        2. Making a Keyword-Rich Descriptive Bio
        3. Adding a Call to Action: Give Fans Direction
        4. Optimizing Your Message
      5. Chapter 9: Securing Your Music and Brand
        1. Finding the Best Types of People to Work With
        2. Copyrights, Publishing, and Ownership
        3. Working with Publishing Companies, Labels, Managers, and Investors
    5. Part III: Marketing and Promoting For the Long Haul
      1. Chapter 10: Building Your Website and Social Media Presence
        1. Graphics Designed For Everything Online
        2. Home Base for Everything: Your Website
        3. Keeping a Website and Social Media Template Form
        4. Links, All the Links, and Nothing but the Links
        5. Best Practices and Tips for Social Media Sites
      2. Chapter 11: Planning for Content Marketing throughout the Year
        1. Maintaining Best Website and Content Practices
        2. Formatting Your Content
        3. Deploying Prepared Content around the Calendar
      3. Chapter 12: Combining Online and Physical Marketing
        1. Cross-Marketing for Optimal Fan Reach and Sales
        2. Creating Promotional Items
        3. Setting up Promotional Graphics
        4. Buying and Running Advertisements
        5. Getting Your Marketing Further Out There
        6. Getting and Giving Reviews for Marketing
      4. Chapter 13: Planning Music, Merchandise, and Event Drops
        1. Creating Well-Planned Promotions and Releases
        2. Running a Productive, Well-Promoted, and Profitable Event
        3. Applying Your Branding for Announcements
        4. Buying Advertising: Physical and Digital
    6. Part IV: Maintaining Your Successful Career
      1. Chapter 14: Touring and Performing
        1. Booking a Tour
        2. Tour Preparations
        3. On-the-Road Responsibilities
        4. Before, During, and After the Show Checklists
      2. Chapter 15: Securing Sponsorships and Endorsements
        1. Defining a Sponsorship or Endorsement
        2. Different Levels of Sponsorships and Endorsements
        3. Preparing to Solicit for an Endorsement/Sponsorship
        4. Showcasing the Benefit to Endorsers
        5. Promoting Endorsements and Products
        6. Promoting Localized Sponsorships
      3. Chapter 16: Considering Additional Opportunities
        1. Making the Most Out of All Opportunities
        2. Tapping Into Various Events, Experts, Deals, and Options
        3. Supplementing Opportunities Outside of Music
        4. Supporting Your Music with Music
        5. Considering the Cost of the Conversion for Every Opportunity
        6. Due Diligence and Fact-Checking the Opportunities
      4. Chapter 17: Tracking and Analyzing Your Progress
        1. Detailing Your Detailed Account
        2. Understanding Your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats
        3. Tracking to Showcase All Things at All Levels
        4. Tracking Website Traffic and Social Media
        5. Tracking Physical and Digital Revenues
        6. Tracking your Publishing from A to Z
        7. Performance Tracking
        8. Tracking Expenses Breakdown
      5. Chapter 18: Persevering, Problem-Solving, and Retiring
        1. Keeping on when the going is good … or bad
        2. Staying Aware of Trends and Changes
        3. Finding the New Fan While Keeping the Old One Interested
        4. Testing New Products and New Methods
        5. Working to Streamline the Workload
        6. Staying in Control and Watching Others Who Share Control
        7. Clarifying the Financial Channels and Return on Investment
        8. Knowing When It’s Time to Stop or Change Careers
    7. Part V: The Part of Tens
      1. Chapter 19: Ten Habits of Successful Musicians
        1. Humility
        2. Excellent Social Respect Skills
        3. Attention to Detail
        4. Acting Like a Student of Science
        5. Problem-Solving
        6. Honor
        7. Wearing a Thick Skin
        8. Frugal Penny Pincher
        9. Endurance
        10. Patience
      2. Chapter 20: Ten Tips on Presenting Yourself Professionally
        1. Posture
        2. Your Volume Speaks Volumes
        3. Uhs, Ums, Ohs, and Stuttering
        4. Education for the Presentation
        5. Pre-Production for Pre-Presentation
        6. Adapting, Improvising, and Resonating with a Room
        7. Other Side of the Coin: Empathy
        8. Confidence without Arrogance
        9. The Little Things
        10. Talking With, Not To or At, People
    8. About the Author
    9. Cheat Sheet
    10. Advertisement Page
    11. Connect with Dummies
    12. End User License Agreement

Product information

  • Title: Music Business For Dummies
  • Author(s): Loren Weisman
  • Release date: June 2015
  • Publisher(s): For Dummies
  • ISBN: 9781119049654