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If you're looking for a break on a ride to 2NMC, check out the current Internet specials to Nashville from Southwest Airlines.
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Those of you interested in getting better listings on Google should definitely take a look at Search Engine Radio.
Search Engine Radio is the only Internet talk radio show 100% dedicated to Search. From the best strategies for optimizing your site, to the best software tips for tracking pay-per-click campaigns, to the latest news about Google, tune in to keep up on everything about Search.
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Can you believe it? Your home away from home, the cubicle, is turning 40!
Get the full story (and info on the guy responsible) here. Apparently, he didn't mean the "Action Office" to become what it did.
"The dark side of this is that not all organizations are intelligent and progressive," he says. "Lots are run by crass people who can take the same kind of equipment and create hellholes. They make little bitty cubicles and stuff people in them. Barren, rat-hole places."
How true...
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Rep. Ed Schrock is a two-term Republican congressman from Virginia's Second District. The National Journal ties him as the second most conservative person in all of Congress in 2003, behind only Dennis Hastert. This isn't necessarily a turn-off in his district, which includes Virginia Beach, home of Pat Robertson, as well as Hampton Roads, home of 300,000 active-duty military and veterans. A strong family man with a wife and kids, Schrock was a co-sponsor of the Federal Marriage Amendment and opposes any possible rights for gay people, including non-discrimination in employment.
The problem is, his constituents may soon discriminate against his employment, as Schrock also seeks out gay sex on telephone dating services, and gay activists have released the tape.
And the tape says...
Schrock: Uh, hi, I weigh 200 pounds, uh, six-foot-four, hazel eyes, blond hair, very muscular, very buffed-up, uh, very tanned, um, I'd just like to get together with a guy from time to time just to -- just to play. I'd like him to be, uh, in very good shape, flat stomach, good chest, good arms, well-hung, cut, uh, just get naked, play, and see what happens, nothing real heavy duty, but just a fun time, go down on him, he can go down on me, and just, uh, take it from there. Hope to hear from you. Bye.
U.S. Rep. Ed Schrock withdrew from his re-election race this afternoon, citing unspecified allegations.
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By Christopher Knab
Note: The following article is an edited and updated version of the introduction to a chapter on major label and independent label relations published in the book "The Musicians Business and Legal Guide, 3rd Edition" by Prentice-Hall.
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Major labels and independent labels have a legacy of exposing and discovering all the great music of the last century, but the role these two types of record labels have played over the decades has changed as much as the music itself has changed. Defining the roles these different kind of record labels have in today's marketplace, as well as understanding the reliance they have on each other, is important for anyone who wishes to start their own label or develop an existing label. The independent labels and the majors realize that to maximize their marketing efforts in an increasingly competitive environment, working together to achieve their mutual goals can be quite beneficial to both parties.
A 'major label' is the name given to those labels that currently control over 80% of the records sold every year in this country. These labels have achieved such a high profile over the last couple of decades by operating their own distribution companies that sell directly to the many music chain stores, sub-distributors, and mass merchandisers across the country. Examples are Sony, BMG (Bertlesmann Music Group), UMG (Universal Music Group), WMG (Warner Music Group), and EMM (EMI Music Marketing).
'Independent labels,' in the purest sense of the word, are those record labels that distribute their records through what are called independent distributors, and are not usually connected to the major's distribution systems. But of course it can't be as simple as all that now, can it?
In today's popular music environment, there are more records being released every year than ever before. The cost of recording and manufacturing records over the last two decades has decreased dramatically, so there is more music being recorded and competing for the attention of a consumer than ever before. However, when it comes to exposing any of this music, the ownership of and the relationships with the media that plays and hypes popular music is now controlled for the most part by the Majors and/or their parent companies.
Without access to the essential media outlets of radio, TV, internet, magazines and newspapers, an independent label might have a difficult time today without the assistance of a major label. (There are, however, more and more independent labels that have learned how to find a niche and through unique marketing efforts, have been able to thrive.)
Recently, the high cost of major label mergers and buyouts has put pressure for the major labels to return a profit on all the investments they've made in controlling the lucrative music marketplace. The time when a major label could slowly build an act over several releases has come and gone. Any act signing to a major label these days must impress the label with significant CD sales on their initial release, or they run the risk of being dropped by the label. What we have now is a scenario in which the major labels and the independent labels do rely more on each other than ever before.
Independent labels, which find and champion most new trends in popular music, do the artist development work for the majors, in many cases. This is not unlike the situation in baseball, whereby some AAA team develops the talents of an outfielder who someday gets promoted to the major leagues. The independent label of today can be a label started by an artist/band or an entrepreneur businessperson who has the talent, finances, and determination to build projects to a point where they fill a particular music niche or realize that they can only grow so far without the power or clout of a major label.
Possible Reasons For Major Label Affiliation
Major label affiliation can provide the independent label with a substantial cash infusion, which eliminates the need to continually focus on day-to-day survival issues and allows more effective operation. The major label may also take on such responsibilities as manufacturing and promotion. These factors may in turn permit the independent label to expand and/or upgrade its artist roster, or enter a mainstream genre where developmental and promotional costs are much higher than for niche market music.
Independent labels affiliate with majors to increase their artists' exposure in commercial media and to expand their distribution networks by increasing their access to major retail record chain stores and rack jobbers. Affiliating with a major label can maximize the likelihood of the independent getting paid for records sold. Independent labels, using the traditional independent distribution system, have always faced the risk that an independent distributor will go bankrupt and not pay them.
This risk is drastically reduced (if not eliminated) when an independent label distributes through a major label distribution system. These distributors have the financial backing of their multinational parent companies and are able to weather the financial storms of the music industry. They also have more clout than independent distributors to collect from retail and wholesale accounts, and are better able to implement strict controls over how many records those retail and wholesale accounts are allowed to buy on credit.
Issues to Consider
When an independent label is considering an affiliation with a major label, there are many issues to consider. Here are some specific questions that will help to focus research and analysis:
* What are the independent label's present sales volumes and what are they likely to be in the next few years (i.e., with major label affiliation versus without major label affiliation)?
* Will the major label distribute to the mom-and-pop stores, which formerly carried the independent label?
* Will the major label be responsive to regional demands and the demands of niche markets?
* What kind of reputation and support does the independent label have among its fans?
* Will a major label affiliation jeopardize this?
* Will the independent label's core fans be best served by the major label's distribution system?
There are other issues to consider as well. For example:
* Will an affiliation with a major label create an unhealthy pressure on the independent label to sell more records than it can comfortably or realistically sell?
* What is the present financial status of the independent label and what is its access to additional resources without major label affiliation?
* Assuming affiliation, what will the cash infusion (if any) be used for?
* How can the independent label's existing staff-promotion, marketing and administrative-be best utilized after affiliation?
* How will the long-term business objectives of the independent label be served by affiliating with a major label?
* Do the owners of the independent label really want the responsibilities and financial burdens of operating a fully staffed record company and overseeing the promotion and marketing of records?
* Are they only interested in the creative process of signing artists and producing records?
* What is the personal style of the independent label's owner(s)?
* Do they place a high value on being able to operate independently?
* Are they willing to take input and direction from a large corporate entity?
* What is the major label's real motivation for entering into the relationship? Is it to use the independent label as an "indie front," or to take over the label's strongest artists?
* Does it view the relationship as a mutually beneficial long-term strategic alliance?
* What is the corporate style of the major label's management? Is there sound long-term vision?
* Is there good personal chemistry between the management of the major label and the independent label?
Types of Deals
There are numerous types of deals between independent and major labels, the most common of which are as follows: (1) Pressing and distribution (P&D) deals; (2) distribution only deals; (3) fulfillment deals; (4) production deals; (5) joint ventures; (6) equity deals; (7) the licensing of records to major labels; (8) the licensing of records from major labels; and (9) rights buyouts.
As a practical matter, the type of contract offered by a major label, its specific terms, and the degree of flexibility in the major label's bargaining position, will all be dictated by the extent to which the independent label has strong artists, a healthy and ever-improving sales record, and the confidence of the major label in the independent's key personnel.
Provided by the MusicDish Network. Copyright © Tag It 2004 - Republished with Permission
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You guys know that I'm always going to other industries to see what I can learn from them and then apply that to the music business. Well, if you're interested in PR, you'll want to check out this Porno PR To-Do List.
Not a lot unlike the music business...
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Those of you who enjoy this blog should check out the Blog Directory for other useful sites.
And if you feel like setting up your own blog, try Blogger. This is a free site owned by Google which will have you up and publishing within minutes.
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Masa could best be described as the Japanese version of folk punk rock. Just about everything he does, from his web site, to his music, his his email newsletter breaks every conventional rule, but it all works for him.
I've gotten a lot of great stuff for Masa over the last couple of years and it's always consistent and compelling enough that I read the entire thing.
An example...
Hey dudes and babes!
Ok, I know it might not be to you, but I want to say
"Welcome" to those folks just joined S.P.A.M (Special
People And Me) mailing list recently.
Just for your record, you WILL NOT RECIEVE any porn
mail from me, however, there's no such a thing said in
the agreement between Yahoo service and I that "I
cannot recieve such a material from a sender". So that
said, if you have any thing might be interesting, I
would be glad to check it out.
Also, there's nothing that says about not to bash the
president (or Howard Stern, Pedro Gacia, Rush
Limbaugh, Bruce Springsteen, US Soldiers with Iraqi
Prisoners or anyone), you might receive my personal
thoughts/opinions in ther mail for my own
entertainment purpose regardless of what you might
think or believe. But I won't bring up how stinky your
(or mine) under wear is.
So welcome to my world, now let's talk abour what
you're wearing now....
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Masa gig news!!
Friday 27
The Nick (Birmingham, AL)
w/ Taylor & The Puff, Go Gol Bordello
10pm
Saturday 28
Alley Kat [aka Blue Nile] (New Orleans, LA)
2004 Cutting Edge Music Conference
9pm
Friday, September 3
DT's Down Under (Athens, GA)
9pm
Saturday, September 4
Star Bar (Atlanta, GA)
9pm
More info: http://gomasa.com yep, U got it.
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Join us for the the most ass kicking writer's night in
Nashville at 12th and Porter every Monday!
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Til next time,
Masa
http://gomasa.com
-------------------------------------------------------
Take-me-off-you-son-of-bitch link:
http://www.angelfire.com/rock3/masanote/remove
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The pre-2NMC Music Business Conference Call Series starts next week.
Current schedule is below with more calls being added. Please keep in mind that all times listed are EASTERN (GMT -5).
Our conference call line is located in Santa Cruz, CA and you will not be charged outside your normal phone rates.
The number for all calls is 831-600-1000.
Send me your music business question via this form and I'll try to get it answered for you. Please be sure to specify who the question is for.
The current schedule...
Tuesday, August 31st
4pm - Music Law
Danica Mathes - Attorney
891255# is the code.
6pm - More Music Law
Greg Seneff
512174# is the code.
9pm - Production and A&R
Lawrence Gelburd - Producer
612352# is the code.
Wednesday, September 1st
7pm - Booking and Non-Traditional Touring
Joe Taylor
631256# is the code.
9pm - Production and Recording
Ronan Chris Murphy - Producer
532254# is the code.
Thursday, September 2nd
4pm - A&R and Film Music
Ritch Esra - Music Registry
412563# is the code.
Friday, September 3rd
2pm - Self-Promotion for Musicians
Bob Baker - The Buzz Factor
156195# is the code.
4pm - DiY Radio Promotion
Notorious L.I.Z. - Nortorious Radio
812352# is the code.
More information on the speakers...
Calls are still being scheduled. Send an email to 2nmc-call@aweber.com or check here to get the latest updates.
Hope to see you September 16-18 at 2NMC in Nashville!
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Got an advanced copy of the new CD by Bob Baker, "What Every Musician Should Know About Self-Promotion: The 29 Key Principles of Independent Music Marketing" and it's great.
One of the things I love about Bob is his ability to break complicated subjects down into bite-sized pieces that are easy to grasp. "29 Key Principles" is the kind of thing you'll want to listen to with a pen and pad in hand because the ideas you'll get from this CD could literally be life-changing for you. This CD is a real bargain for the price and I think ANY musician (or creative person) will benefit from what it contains.
By the way, if you're not already on Bob's free newsletter, you should subcribe immediately. Really good stuff... Go to TheBuzzFactor.com and sign up in the top left of your screen.
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