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Music Business 101:
Recommended Links
by Christopher Knab
Workshops | Articles | Links | About Chris
Close Friends....
Also Recommended....
A&R
Online - This is a site where unsigned artists and music industry
moguls come face to face. Showcasing top quality unsigned artists to major and independent record companies. The
professional music industry tip sheet. No artist sign up fees, no hidden agendas, just pure quality is their mission.
But please...are you sure you are ready for the almighty 'deal'?
ASCAP - The home of the Performance Rights Association. You will find lots of uses
for this site. As a songwriter you will need to affiliate with one of the 3 PRO's anyway. But, for anyone interested
in the songwriting end of things on the Internet, this remarkable site will provide many hours of browsing around.
Berklee College
of Music/Berklee Press - The Berklee Press publishes many music
related books, and also offer some free interactive music lessons from their site. Their links page is also very
useful.
BMI - It wouldn't be fair for me to post a link to ASCAP without also posting a link
to BMI. The second oldest Performance Rights Association should be a site for any new songrwriters to visit when
they are contemplating which PRO to join. They have much of the same information as ASCAP, meaning data and links
to help you with your songwriting career.
Chcs.com - Hey folks if you have read any of my articles, you know how important getting
a killer website is for your music careers. Charlie Hamilton and his stafff at CHCS have the tools to help you
create an attractive and potent website that will have your fans and customers coming back to visit you again and
again. This is my choice for the premier company for all your web-developement needs.
Frontline's
Merchants of Cool page - The PBS website has posted an indepth
report on their recent 'Mecrchants of Cool' program. If you want to really understand how entertainment product
is marketed these days, please read all the amazing interviews and articles on this site.
GEM
(Global Express Media) - This is a one-stop shopping site for
information on copyright registration, barcodes, soundscan, trademarks and many other tools you will need to get
your career up and running, or re-organized. They provide pdf downloads of many useful forms and contracts for
serious diy artists and bands.
Get Signed.com - I have to admit that I am a contributing wiiter to this site, but that is hopefully
a plus in it's favor. If you are looking for articles on the business of marketing and promoting your music, Getsigned.com
is an important site for you to check out on a regular basis. They were bought out in mid 2000 by Garageband.com
but that is really good news because it verified how important their new parent company thought music business
education was. The many writers for this site are all active in the industry and they all contribute valuable information
to the independent musician.
Indiebiz.com - Dave Hooper of Kathode Ray Music is behind this great website. It has lots
of free articles, most of them available as Adobe pdf files for free. They also have services you can check out,
if you want to cough up some bucks. In many ways their mission is the same as mine...to help musicians help themselves
with music business information.
Inside.com - WOW! That is the only word for this site. If you REALLY want to stay on top
of all the changes in e-music commerce and anything related to digital content, INSIDE is THE place to go. You
get a free daily email newsletter that is loaded with important information on the business of entertainment. To
tell you the truth this is the most useful site I have come across in 5 years of internet cruising. Check it out,
once you are bitten, you will never get enough of their information and many useful services.
John
Vestman's website - I was recently contacted by John, who also
writes for www.getsigned.com. When I visited his site I was very impressed with his link page. I suggest you check
it out, and while you are there, take a browze around his site, it is loaded with great Tech articles!
mi2n - I would call this an independent music version of Inside.com This site is packed
with articles, reports, and indepth analysis on the business of independent music ONLINE. Tney have a FREE newsletter
you can subscribe to by email, and this is one site I could not live without in my daily fix for information to
help you with your music marketing.
Music Dish - MusicDish.com is a very important and usefull site for any independent musician
or label to visit. Be sure to sign up for their FREE newsletters while you are there. They have up to date information
on opportunities for artists and bands, plus have many promotional tools and services for you to take advantage
of.
Musicians
Network - Alex Johnson's "MASSIVE MUSIC LINKS": The
fearless leader of the Musicians Network site has put together his own list of links that are useful for any aspiring
and serious musician...check it out.
Recording Industry
Association of America - The record industry organization that
every DIY'er loves to hate...but shouldn't. The small independent label of today could grow to become the next
Interscope Records. The RIAA site is loaded with reports and facts about the recording industry, with sales figures
and updates on how records are selling, as well as the threats downloadable music may have on the traditional distribution
systems.
Senate
Hearings on Digital Copyright - April 2001 - The battle lines
have been drawn, when it comes to copyright issues for music over the Internet. An April 3, 2001 more than a dozen
musicians and music industry honchos testified before a Senate hearing conducted by Senator Orrin Hatch. You can
go to this site and read the testimonies of all the participants here.
SESAC - OK OK. As I said about BMI, it wouldn't be fair for me to link to ASCAP without
linking to BMI. So, to be the rightous guy I am, here is a link to the 3rd Performance Rights Organization....might
as well shop around to decide, as a songwriter, which PRO you want on your side. Hey Bob Dylan chose them AND they
have a FLASHy website for you to be impressed by.
Sounds
Of Seattle - This site is dedicated to supporting northwest musicians.
It has useful mareketing and promotion tips and is always updated to reflect current SOS activities. I am proud
to announce that they are co-sposoring my next 8 week course...Making Money With Your Music starting on March 5th.
The Velvet Rope - This is a very interesting INSIDERS website, whose only purpose is to provide
forums, news, and views on the business of music. The daily postings of news articles and the commentary that follows
them make for great reading. You will also find a place to post press releases, and look for jobs in the music
business too.
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