The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) recently sent a fundraising letter (click here to read) to its members calling on them to fight organizations like Creative Commons and other supporters of the “free culture movement,” claiming that they work to undermine copyright.
Creative Commons, which was founded by Professor Lawrence Lessig, offers authors, including artists and songwriters, a choice of licenses that they can append to their works. Under a Creative Commons license, a composer, for example, can choose to allow others to use her compositions in new songs, such as a remix, in exchange for credit, and/or compensation if the remix is released commercially. Under another type of CC license, a songwriter could waive his right to compensation, including public performance, entirely.
ASCAP’s letter states that organizations such as Creative Commons “are mobilizing to promote ‘Copyleft’ in order to undermine ‘Copyright,’” and that “these groups simply do not want to pay for the use of our music…[t]heir mission is to spread the word that our music should be free.”
Creative Commons responded to this letter in the news section of their website dated June 30, 2010 (click here to read). The Creative Commons response stated:
CC licenses are legal tools that creators can use to offer certain usage rights to the public, while reserving other rights. Without copyright, these tools don’t work. Artists and record labels that want to make their music available to the public for certain uses, like noncommercial sharing or remixing, should consider using CC licenses. Artists and labels that want to reserve all of their copyright rights should absolutely not use CC licenses.
It seems to me that ASCAP’s real concern is that if enough writers waive their right to receive royalties, this could impact their bottom line. ASCAP, together with sister performing rights organizations, BMI and SESAC, currently represent almost all commercially popular songs. If, for example, 10% of songs became subject to a gratis license under Creative Commons, this would decrease the value of a blanket license from the PROs including ASCAP, which could drive their license fees down.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Is Myspace Dead?
Launched in August 2003, MySpace seemed to be the destination for music-related social networking. With both regular user and music accounts, fans and musicians alike could create pages to interact with each other, and musicians could easily friend other musicians, thus creating virtual communities based on mutual genres or location. In June 2006 it was ranked the most popular social networking site in the United States, but in recent years other sites have risen far past MySpace. In April 2008, Facebook came out on top as the world’s premier social network, and as other sites like Twitter and YouTube soar in popularity, MySpace seems to be stopping dead in its tracks. The pages are inundated with advertisements and the interface is clunky (not to mention the music player crushes mp3s to 96 kbps, a dreadfully low bit rate that often severely distorts the original sound). With the panoply of options for sharing one’s music online, is MySpace really necessary anymore? While some would argue that it’s still a useful tool for keeping in touch – and it’s never a bad idea to have all your bases covered – other sites exist that may be able to promote and in some cases, sell your music, better.
Why spend the time using a social network where YOU don't come first? Here is an example of unrelated, unwanted advertisements AT THE TOP of my page, making me look as if I am sponsored by Contact lenses and Cheerios. Not to mention it is the FIRST thing you see when you visit my page. How does this advertisement adversely position me? Suppose it were a weight loss program, a medicine, or something else inappropriate to my image? Conclusion: Myspace users are not Myspace's first priority, and thus it may not be the most effective way of communicating with your audience. The better choice would be a social network that caters to your image and art.
Here is another example of an advertisement MOST artists would NOT want next to their music video!
Why spend the time using a social network where YOU don't come first? Here is an example of unrelated, unwanted advertisements AT THE TOP of my page, making me look as if I am sponsored by Contact lenses and Cheerios. Not to mention it is the FIRST thing you see when you visit my page. How does this advertisement adversely position me? Suppose it were a weight loss program, a medicine, or something else inappropriate to my image? Conclusion: Myspace users are not Myspace's first priority, and thus it may not be the most effective way of communicating with your audience. The better choice would be a social network that caters to your image and art.
Here is another example of an advertisement MOST artists would NOT want next to their music video!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
3rd Edition of The Future Of The Music Business
Hal Leonard, my publisher, recently requested a 3rd edition of The Future of the Music Business. During the course of writing the new edition, I would like to blog about various topics and issues to be addressed in the book. I may post sections of new material and ask for comments, or raise questions, or analyze cases and ask your opinion. Any thoughts, comments, questions and constructive criticism are welcome. I urge you to share your ideas with me and whoever else may read the blog. You are even welcome to directly communicate with other readers.
The following is an outline for Part III of the book titled “How to Succeed in the New Music Business.” I am looking for comments on the overall approach. Did I leave anything important out? Also, notice the interviews that I list in Chapter 14. I already conducted an interview with Terry McBride. But the others (Iovine and Medina) are a wish list, and if anyone can help me get in touch with them or other executive “stars” in the business, please let me know! All the best, and I look forward to hearing from you.
-----
Part III: How to Succeed in the New Music Business
Chapters 11-12 of this Part present strategies to harness the power of the Internet to promote, market and sell your music. These chapters are primarily geared to guide artists who want to make it in the indie world, and make enough money to leave their day gig.
Chapters 13-14 discuss more traditional models of succeeding which still prevail in the pop, R&B and hip hop worlds, because no matter how adept you are in using social networks and how cool your website is, you are probably never going to become the next Usher, Beyoncé, or Coldplay without a huge marketing budget. In Part B we explore how to get your hands on the money.
-----
Chapter 11: Social Networking and DIY Success
What is social networking? The essentials of creating online presence
Is MySpace dead? Other and better sites to utilize: Soundcloud, Bandcamp & Last-FM
YouTube, or, how to go viral: the Justin Bieber story, CSS and iPod commercial success, OK Go becomes a household name from making a $20 video, and other stories of viral success
Staying in touch: Facebook and Twitter
Blogs: What are blogs? Who are bloggers? Hypem and other blog aggregators, how to attract bloggers to your music, how to market your online presence in a DIY fashion, what to send and what to say (mp3s, mixtapes, videos, etc.), how to develop relationships with bloggers
Your Website: Why your own website is essential in crafting your online presence, methods to easily create your own website, content – what to include on your website and why
Ways to Sell Your Music Online: CDBaby, TuneCore, BigCartel, DIY - Create a PayPal account and keep almost all the $
Other ways to connect with fans online
-----
Chapter 12: Insights by on-line marketing guru Jason Speivak, President of
marketing company, Rockridge Music (clients include Twisted Sister,
Run DMC, RCA Records, Arista, and Atlantic)
Big Label Deals: Who gets them & how, and how many are left?
Typical Big Label Deals: Then (Big Advances for Records only), and Now (A Bit of Cash for an EP in exchange for 20% of anything you make during your career)
Are Indies any better?
How Not To Be Entirely Screwed?
-----
Chapter 14. Insights from Music Industry Professionals
Terry McBride of Nettwerk Music, original home of Coldplay, Avril Levigne & Sarah McLachlan, and creator of Polyphonic, a new investment business model founded in partnership with the MAMA Group (Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs) and ATC (Radiohead)will invest directly into artist businesses, offering an alternative to the traditional label-driven investment model of the music industry.
Benny Medina, best known for managing actress/singer/dancer Jennifer Lopez. Other clients were also managed by Medina including Tyra Banks, whom Medina helped to create a largely successful television and fashion career. Medina also managed Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and aided in the launch of the Sean John apparel and fragrance empire. He has also managed singer Mariah Carey, Brandy and R&B singer Usher.
Bruce Lundvall, President Blue Note Records, a division of EMI. Lundvall signed a wide array of artists, including Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, James Taylor, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Richard Marx, Natalie Cole, Cassandra Wilson, Anita Baker and Norah Jones. In addition to Blue Note, he heads Angel Records (classical), and Manhattan Records (adult pop).
Jimmy Iovine began his career as a recording engineer in the mid-1970s, working with John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. He went on to produce albums for U2 (Rattle & Hum), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks, Simple Minds, Dire Straits and Patti Smith. Iovine co-founded Interscope Records in 1990. It went on to become Interscope-Geffen-A&M following Universal's acquisition of PolyGram when Iovine was named co-chairman; in 2001, he became chairman, now home of such artists as Eminem, No Doubt and Black Eyed Peas.
The following is an outline for Part III of the book titled “How to Succeed in the New Music Business.” I am looking for comments on the overall approach. Did I leave anything important out? Also, notice the interviews that I list in Chapter 14. I already conducted an interview with Terry McBride. But the others (Iovine and Medina) are a wish list, and if anyone can help me get in touch with them or other executive “stars” in the business, please let me know! All the best, and I look forward to hearing from you.
-----
Part III: How to Succeed in the New Music Business
Chapters 11-12 of this Part present strategies to harness the power of the Internet to promote, market and sell your music. These chapters are primarily geared to guide artists who want to make it in the indie world, and make enough money to leave their day gig.
Chapters 13-14 discuss more traditional models of succeeding which still prevail in the pop, R&B and hip hop worlds, because no matter how adept you are in using social networks and how cool your website is, you are probably never going to become the next Usher, Beyoncé, or Coldplay without a huge marketing budget. In Part B we explore how to get your hands on the money.
-----
Chapter 11: Social Networking and DIY Success
What is social networking? The essentials of creating online presence
Is MySpace dead? Other and better sites to utilize: Soundcloud, Bandcamp & Last-FM
YouTube, or, how to go viral: the Justin Bieber story, CSS and iPod commercial success, OK Go becomes a household name from making a $20 video, and other stories of viral success
Staying in touch: Facebook and Twitter
Blogs: What are blogs? Who are bloggers? Hypem and other blog aggregators, how to attract bloggers to your music, how to market your online presence in a DIY fashion, what to send and what to say (mp3s, mixtapes, videos, etc.), how to develop relationships with bloggers
Your Website: Why your own website is essential in crafting your online presence, methods to easily create your own website, content – what to include on your website and why
Ways to Sell Your Music Online: CDBaby, TuneCore, BigCartel, DIY - Create a PayPal account and keep almost all the $
Other ways to connect with fans online
-----
Chapter 12: Insights by on-line marketing guru Jason Speivak, President of
marketing company, Rockridge Music (clients include Twisted Sister,
Run DMC, RCA Records, Arista, and Atlantic)
-----
Chapter 13: How to Get the Big Money & Mainstream Success: Labels, Investors and New Business ModelsBig Label Deals: Who gets them & how, and how many are left?
Typical Big Label Deals: Then (Big Advances for Records only), and Now (A Bit of Cash for an EP in exchange for 20% of anything you make during your career)
Are Indies any better?
How Not To Be Entirely Screwed?
-----
Chapter 14. Insights from Music Industry Professionals
Terry McBride of Nettwerk Music, original home of Coldplay, Avril Levigne & Sarah McLachlan, and creator of Polyphonic, a new investment business model founded in partnership with the MAMA Group (Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs) and ATC (Radiohead)will invest directly into artist businesses, offering an alternative to the traditional label-driven investment model of the music industry.
Benny Medina, best known for managing actress/singer/dancer Jennifer Lopez. Other clients were also managed by Medina including Tyra Banks, whom Medina helped to create a largely successful television and fashion career. Medina also managed Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and aided in the launch of the Sean John apparel and fragrance empire. He has also managed singer Mariah Carey, Brandy and R&B singer Usher.
Bruce Lundvall, President Blue Note Records, a division of EMI. Lundvall signed a wide array of artists, including Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Dexter Gordon, James Taylor, Stan Getz, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Richard Marx, Natalie Cole, Cassandra Wilson, Anita Baker and Norah Jones. In addition to Blue Note, he heads Angel Records (classical), and Manhattan Records (adult pop).
Jimmy Iovine began his career as a recording engineer in the mid-1970s, working with John Lennon and Bruce Springsteen. He went on to produce albums for U2 (Rattle & Hum), Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Stevie Nicks, Simple Minds, Dire Straits and Patti Smith. Iovine co-founded Interscope Records in 1990. It went on to become Interscope-Geffen-A&M following Universal's acquisition of PolyGram when Iovine was named co-chairman; in 2001, he became chairman, now home of such artists as Eminem, No Doubt and Black Eyed Peas.
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