I received an e-mail with a request for a post. It’s from Dan, a member of the NY/NJ based band Havoc Effect [dead link removed]. Dan writes: Hey man, love the blog, read it everyday (thanks to my RSS feed). I was hoping you can address the topic of a Rider, and when to use [...]
Music is copyrighted as soon as you present it in a fixed form. It doesn’t matter whether that fixed form is written sheet music or a recording. Most people who copyright music do so for the extra legal protection. Even though a copyright is good to have, it is essentially worthless unless you’ve registered your [...]
About six months ago Fast Company Magazine had a great cover story about John Legend and how he and others in the music industry are adapting their business strategy to negotiate the changing face of the music industry. After months of searching, I finally found this article online and thought I’d share it with you. [...]
A rock headliner-turned-artist manager shares her insights into the business side of music. By Maureen Herman In 1991 I was living in a drafty warehouse on Chicago’s South Side, practicing with my band in the basement and playing local clubs — until I got a call that would change my life. An old friend phoned [...]
Radio has always been a huge part of the music industry, yet in recent years the landscape has changed. With the iPod replacing the Walkman and the growing field of alternatives to terrestrial radio, you need to rethink your radio strategy. In the golden age of terrestrial radio, stations would reach tens of thousands (or [...]
If you’re a regular reader of RockStar Machine, you’ve probably noticed that we aren’t as focused on getting signed as we are on building a following. That’s because we believe that building a following is the most important thing you can do to make anything happen in your music career. Record labels want proven bands.
This is an article written by Steve Albini that I’ve found posted on a few sites. It was originally published in The Baffler (vol.5), and it’s a pretty thorough and highly pessimistic run through of the recording industry (it even includes a sample income/expense ledger). Albini is a musician (Shellac, Rapeman, Big Black) and producer [...]
What’s the use of building your band’s name only to find out that some other band’s using the same name? If the band has been around longer than yours, or they’ve taken the steps to protect their name, you’re out of luck. This is why it’s smart to do a little checking before you really [...]
