100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business Table of Contents
This is the table of contents from my latest book 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business. There is a section to cover every stage a recording artist goes through as they take their career to the next level. Browse through the topics and see where you fit in.
NOTE: Any title that is highlighted is clickable and you can view an excerpt from that topic. Check back frequently as these will continue to be updated over the next several weeks.
Enjoy
-Mo
Introduction: Can I Just Get One Simple Answer?
Chapter 1: I Just Joined a Band/Group:
Questions/Answers to the Challenges Facing Those Getting Started
- We’re All Jammin’, So Who Is the Songwriter?
- What Is a Producer, and Why Do I Need One?
- I’m a Studio Rat. Do I Really Need to Perform Live?
- Can I Perform Live to a Prerecorded Track?
- Do I Need to Learn to Read Music?
- When Am I Really in the Band—for Good?
- Do We Need to Incorporate or Trademark the Band/Group Name?
- What Is a Copyright, and Do I Really Need One in the Internet Age?
- How Do I Get a Copyright?
- When Do I Need a Manager?
- Are Fans Important in the Internet Age?
- What Social Networks Are Worth Joining to Get More Fans and Sell More Music?
- How Can I Maintain an Efficient Mailing List That Works?
- How Do You Make Money from Music Other than Selling CDs?
- What Do Major Labels Really Want from a New Artist in Order to Sign Them?
- What Music Biz Blogs Are Worth My Time?
Chapter 2: I Just Made My First Lousy Little Deal:
Questions/Answers for Those Who Have Gotten Serious
- What’s a Good Deal Anyway?
- What Is a 360 Deal? How Is It Different from an “Old School” Deal, and Do I Need to Sign Either to Be Successful?
- Does a 360 Deal Guarantee A Stronger Commitment to the Artist?
- Why Are There So Many Scam Companies That Claim to Help Indie Artists with Their Careers, and How Can I Avoid Them?
- Are Music Conferences a Waste of Time? Does Anyone Get Great Deals from Them?
- Are CDs Dead? When Will Digital Sales Make Up the Majority of Revenue?
- What Are the Pros and Cons of Working with a Publishing Company? Should I Just Start My Own?
- Why the Heck Is Music Publishing So Arcane and Hard to Explain to Anyone?
- What Is a Good First Publishing Deal?
- What’s the Difference Between ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC? Which One Should I Join?
- Does Staying Indie Mean I’ll Have More Freedom but Less Money? Has Anyone Stayed Indie and Gone Platinum in the US? How Did They Do it?
- Does the Public Really Prefer Singles to Albums?
- Why Don’t Radio Stations Play Unsigned Acts? Why Can’t You Get on Radio Without Major Label Backing?
- Where Should I Tour, and How Do I Get Booked?
- Can You Get Discovered on the Internet, and Will You Make Good Money Because People Hear You on YouTube?
- How Much Can I Make If I Stay Indie?
- How Much Money Do I Need to Invest to Make It as an Artist or Producer?
- What Kind of Terms Should Be in a Licensing Agreement?
- Has the Internet Helped or Hurt the Music Business?
Chapter 3: I’m About to Sign My First Real Deal:
Questions/Answers for Those Who Have Arrived.
- How Can I Tap into Money from Overseas?
- What Are the Numbers: How Many Acts Per Year Do the Major Labels Sign and Release?
- How Much Do the Majors/Indies Budget for Studio Recordings?
- How Much Do the Majors/Indies Budget for Tour Support?
- What Is “Payola”? Why Is It Important? Will It Ever Stop?
- Do I Need a Written Business Plan? How Do I Do It?
Chapter 4: I Want Out of This Deal:
Questions/Answers for Those Who Have Had Enough
- With Digital Technology It Is Possible to Track Almost All Performances. So Why Are the Societies Not Collecting or Paying the Royalties Due Their Independent Artists?
- Why Do the US-Based PROs Persist in Their Archaic and Inaccurate Method of Monitoring?
- Can I Just Stop Making Music Once I’m Signed?
- Why Doesn’t the Government Do Something About Piracy?
- I’m Being Hassled About Song Theft? What Can I Do?
- How Can Stop Some Scab P2P Site from Distributing or BitTorrenting My Music?
- Reversion of Master Rights. When Is an Artist Eligible?
- Should I Let My Record Company Keep the Rights After They Revert to Me?
Chapter 5: Will Things Ever Change?:
Questions/Answers from Veterans About the State of the Industry
- Will They?
- With So Much Music Being Given Away, How Does A Producer Make Money In The Coming Years?
- Why Are All These Music Managers So Afraid/Lazy About Signing New Artists?
- Why Has the Average Music Lover Happily Given Up Their CD Audio Quality for a Lousy MP3?
- Why Were Major Labels So Slow/Resistant to Respond to the Internet as a Sales Platform in the Early 2000s?
- With CD Sales Going into the Abyss, How Are Major Labels Staying in Business?
- Will the Music Business Survive Another 20 Years?
Afterword: What Is the Music Biz for? Is It Just for Making Money, or Can It Really Be a Vehicle for Social Change?