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Tips on The Music Business

The music business is divided into different sectors that relate to different ways of commercially exploiting music. For example, the record sector relates to the sale of physical products such as CDs, vinyl and downloads. The publishing sector exploits the copyright attached to a song, for example your publisher might place your song on advertisement in return for licensing fee. To make a living in the music industry, you need a blend of determination, talent and business sense.
  1. Rehearse Thoroughly

    • Huey from Fun Lovin' Criminals is famous for his witty stage banter.

      If your act or band is attracting attention from artist and repertoire, or A&R scouts, it is likely that they will attend one of your shows. The bits in between the songs are very important. Prepare for technical problems. Prepare a short piece of interlude music that can be performed minus one band member. That way, if the drum kit falls apart, the rest of the band can tread water until the problem is resolved. The singer should prepare a few lines to introduce each song. A&R scouts want to see a confident stage presence.

    Make Demos

    • It can be expensive to hire a professional recording studio, and for a musical act with no financial backing from a record label, it can be prohibitively expensive to record an album. Select three songs which best showcase your sound, your song writing talent and your range. Book an affordable studio. You don't need to book the most expensive recording studio to achieve good results; if your local recording studio has an eight-track mixing desk and a sound-engineer, you will get a sufficiently good sound to create a demo. Book into a studio at night to take advantage of downtime discounts.

    Press Shots

    • Rammstein make a point of evoking the surreal in their shots.

      It is an advantage to have two or three photos that represent your act or band visually. Your shots need to be high resolution so that you can send them away with your demo for magazine reviews. Coordinate what you are wearing with your band mates. You don't need matching suits, but a distinct sense of identity is key. Look at photos of your favorite bands.

    Establish Online Presence

    • Sign up for a free music-hosting platform. Upload three demos and share the link to your songs via social networking sites. It's always useful to have a link to send someone, as it means they don't need to wait until you've mailed a CD to investigate your music.

    Contact Management Companies

    • Sharon met Ozzy Osborne when she was his manager.

      When you are confident that your music and live act are the best they can be, send your demo CD and photograph to management companies. Include a biography with press clippings. The names of managers and management companies are typically listed inside the credits on an album sleeve. Refer to albums by bands that you sound like, find the name of the company and perform an Internet search for that company. When you find the company website, click "demo policy" or "submissions policy" to find the best way to send your music.

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