Archive for the ‘Careers’ Category

Who Needs Music Contracts?

Sunday, August 2nd, 2009
Ty Cohen asked:


Whether you are a newbie to the music industry or a seasoned professional, you are going to run across music contracts, no matter what! Record companies, managers, agents, songwriters, musicians, bands, independent artists, producers, directors will all have to deal with music business contracts at one time or another, you can count on it. The only question is, will you be prepared.

Let’s say you have decided to start your own record label. You must already know that recording contracts are going to play a huge role in your day-to-day business. But the bottom line is that lawyers are extremely expensive so you may not be able to run to them to write every single legal document you need. What do you do about this?

Maybe you are an independent artist, just starting out, trying to get signed. The available cash just isn’t there! There is no way you could hire a legal team to protect yourself let alone even one lawyer to review your music contracts. You are not alone and there is something you can do about this.

You don’t have to be put in a tough situation like the ones above. It is true, having a lawyer on the side is a great idea but the hourly rate is sky high. So, cut your costs were you can, you know? Since everyone in the music industry is going to have to deal with music business contracts, you need a plan.

Don’t worry, your plan does not have to involve you going to law school or business school. All you have to do is purchase some music business contracts templates. Yes, it is as simple as 1-2-3. This way you don’t leave anything out, you are free to edit it to your liking and you display professionalism to every person you come in contact with. You can’t go wrong here. You don’t need fancy lawyer’s that charge hundreds of dollars an hour. But you do need to be prepared for any situation that may arise in the music world. The music industry is tougher than nails and you have to have a thick skin and a plan no matter what role you are trying to play.

Music business contracts, recording contracts and music contracts can get confusing and complicated if you don’t have a plan. Acquire these templates so that they can be your guide to creating contracts and using them to protect yourself, your music, your company, your job, whatever! Don’t look like an amature and don’t get taken advantage of in this industry.



Music Industry Jobs - How to Become a Sound Recording Engineer

Sunday, July 26th, 2009
Lisa Jenkins asked:


A music studio contains more equipment than just microphones and a keyboard. To produce a world class album, you need to get the best sound out of the artist and the music. One person whose job it is to do this is the music recording engineer.

When I think of an engineer, I think of an architect or someone who tinkers with wires and circuits all day. In the music business, they use a different type of engineer. He is called a recording engineer and his job begins as soon as the artist starts to sing.

The area that the recording engineer occupies is called the digital audio workstation, or DAW. This workstation contains all of the technical gadgets an engineer needs to fine tune the sounds he hears. The engineer works with the artist to lay down the best sound they can get. This may involve the artist recording certain parts of the song several times until just the right sound is achieved.

The recording engineer may have additional teammates to collaborate on the performance. They are mostly a part of larger projects with big budgets. Smaller projects use the recording engineer in several roles to compensate. Learning all aspects of music engineering can help you land a job in a smaller studio that needs a multi-tasking engineer.

Let’s move on to the mixing engineer. This person takes the best tracks and mixes those together into one blended sound. He uses the best musical tracks that the recording engineer has produced. The recording engineer can hear how the sounds mesh with each other. If it is less than optimal, the recording engineer is back in the studio with the artist recording new sound tracks. Being a mix engineer is kind of like putting together a performance.

A mastering engineer depends on their ears to enhance their experience. He will listen to see what the sound is really like. Over the years he has developed a talent for hearing tones that should be projected more and voices that need to be stronger.

Every engineer needs an assistant. If you are the assistant engineer, keep your wits about you. This could be the final step towards your big break. An assistant performs the usual duties: gopher for the artist and engineers, working with the recording and mixing agent, and learning as much as they can about the business.

The assistant learns to operate equipment and practice their sense of hearing. Music is important because the instrumental sounds and lyrics create a mood in people. It is a form of artistic expression that everyone can appreciate. I love listening to good music and a crystal clear recorded song is that much better to listen to.

Employers will expect a recording engineer to know something of the equipment when they accept the job. In the music industry, there is no substitute for learning and gaining experience. It used to be a catch-22 of sorts. No one wanted to take a chance on you if you hadn’t had any practical time using the equipment. Then again, it is hard to get the experience if no one will hire you.

Take a course or apply for a degree program that will give you the necessary hands-on training. You will need it to get into the door of a music studio for an interview. Where once this equipment was rarely seen in a classroom, many music schools have all of the resources they need to hold labs where everyone gets to utilize the equipment to do some real work.

Do you desire to be a recording engineer? Learn how to do all the jobs of every engineer in case you will be the only one. One way to know if this is right for you is to apply for an internship and try a variety of jobs.



Music Contracts: Make Entertainment Industry Insiders Take You Seriously

Thursday, July 23rd, 2009
Aaron Foreman asked:


There are millions of dollars to be made in the music industry.  However making the big bucks requires that you compete successfully against the competition.  In order to succeed, you must prove your superiority by not only being the best at what you do but also by conducting your dealings with entertainment business professionals in a business-like way.

The music business is an exceedingly challenging business for newcomers to get into.  If you plan on building a career in the music industry, then you can\’t afford to not get every contract in writing if the understanding involves money or any rights that you would like to protect.  Your role in the music business is not important.  Whether you are a musician, a songwriter, a producer, an agent, a DJ, a record label owner, a technician, an engineer, if your contract is in writing there will be no confusion about the terms of the deal.  The contract will spell out the functions of all the parties involved and who gets what.

Whether you are a newbie, or an experienced veteran, music business professionals will only take you seriously if you represent yourself in a business-like manner. Having a contract in writing proves to them that you know how to handle yourself, and that you refuse to be taken advantage of.

Of course, you can hire a lawyer and have agreements written for you but this can get very pricey and you can in most cases accomplish the same goal by downloading a standard agreement from a website offering such contracts.  You could then take the time to customize the agreement to your own situation for much less than a lawyer would charge you to make changes.  This is a possible choice if can\’t afford to consult an attorney.

Experienced entertainment attorneys can cost $400 per hour or more plus additional hiring fees if you can even get an appointment.  Why spend all that time and money when you can download more than one hundred different types of standard agreements for a low price and get back to focusing on your career quickly.  These downloadable contracts will address the needs of almost everyone in the music business.