Music Business

Recently it was announced that the pop-rock band Hanson, yes that Hanson of teeny bopper fame in the late 1990s, plans to get into the beer brewing business this year. The brothers intend to make an IPA beer named MMMMHop, bringing back fond memories of their hit tune linked above. While first, we must commend the boys for picking an exceptional style of beer and not wimp out with a more boring lager or pilsner, the boys new business venture is a perfect example of how bizarre the world of entertainment has become. It is true the band is playing off one of their songs in their beer name and not their overall band name, “Hanson,” but the lesson to be learned here is that no one can predict where ones career or business ventures turns 5, 10, or 15 years down the...

On the surface, the title of this blog would imply that I’m talking about putting your band together or finding players to work with you live or in the studio. Actually, today I’m talking about you! People send me e-mails all the time wanting to know how to be successful in the music business, how to get ahead in the game, how to find a job, how to get noticed, how to get a record deal, etc and so on. Networking (who you know) is important, but how can you be successful working with others if you’re personal skills aren’t in order? Doing what you say you’re going to do, prioritizing, being honest with other people, not making excuses and being proactive-these principles are the core of success. Start with your goals, then compare them to your priorities....

Management agreements are not the most complicated agreements an Entertainer will face, but they are certainly among the most important agreements an Entertainer will sign. A personal manager is the closest member of an Entertainer’s team, and needs to understand the entertainment industry to be able to guide an Entertainer through the variety of pitfalls in the industry. Here are the five most important things to think about when discussing a management deal from the Entertainer’s perspective. 1. Term. It may sound simple, but how long the Manager will be in charge of the Entertainer’s career is a very important question. The Entertainer wants the shortest period and the Manager wants the longest. Usually there is an initial period with options for the...

I’m sure some of us are familiar with the movie Jerry Maguire. Throughout the film, Tom Cruise’s character has a mentor named Dicky Fox, who periodically shows up with some appropriate words of wisdom. One of those is: “The key to this business is personal relationships.” And it couldn’t be truer-especially in the music business. But how do we cultivate business relationships on a personal level? Networking is and always will be an important thing. If you’re not out there shaking hands and kissing babies, how do you ever expect to move ahead in your career? However, since the advent of social media, there has been an assumption that if you have a lot of friends, fans or contacts on your favorite networking site, then you’re “networking”. I hate...

Foreword: This is a multipart blog on 360 deals. Although it is a complicated topic I have tried to keep it as simple as possible. To understand the deal points I will explain the revenue streams and their history in the music business. Once you understand where we have been I will layout the mechanics of the 360 deal as it relates to those issues. Finally we will discuss whether it is good or bad and the future of these types of deals. Without further delay, on with the show. Think of your musical career income as a whole pizza. All the money you make (or want to make) in music is represented by a slice. These pieces have names such as “tour money,” “merchandise,” “publishing,” “record sales” and “everything else.” Some pieces are bigger than...