Today’s roundup of music business news from around the web: James Altucher asks Alex Day about how his YouTube-driven album beat Justin Timberlake on the UK charts. [TechCrunch] New European research shows that musicians shouldn’t worry too much about music…
Nashville music business expands beyond Music Row, one booking agency handles 600 acts, and a band sues former manager over conflict of interest
Today’s roundup of music business news from around the web: Nashville’s music business community is gradually giving up Music Row addresses in favor of more affordable, functional office space. [The Tennesseean] Booking agent Tom Windish reflects on SXSW, where a…
Managers and labels under one roof, support for music business apps, and life in the music biz after radio
Today’s roundup of news for artists from around the web: Cathy Pellow wants to change the relationship between managers and record labels, by bringing both functions under one roof. [Alarm] Nashville startup Artist Growth lands venture capital funding for musician-support…
How to get out of a bad music management contract
It happens all the time. You’re having a great night on stage, and somebody slick tells you that they’d love to represent you. In a whirlwind, you sign a contract because they assure you that “it’s boilerplate” and “everybody signs…
Seven things I learned from fifteen years behind the wheel at spinme.com
When spinme.com launched in 1997, we thought it would grow up to be Pitchfork. It hosted “Daily Digital Opinion,” J.F. Parnell’s album review mailing list, and our original discussion forums. What a precious logo we had when we launched: While…
Should you release a CD or an EP?
Ever since attending last Saturday’s interview with John Oates, I’ve been talking to folks about the pros and cons of working on albums vs. EPs. There’s a school of thought among music promotion professionals right now that you might not…
Gamification in reverse: a music business where charts mean less
Folks have been talking to me a lot lately about “gamification.” It’s a popular business trend that hopes to leverage the video game habits of recent generations into stronger workplace productivity. Take a set of tasks that would otherwise sound…
Three essential qualities of a successful indie record label
When I ran Handwritten Records in the 90s with my friend Kristen, indie labels still had a clear role in the music business. I was a production geek with access to a studio and a mass CD duplication machine, and…
Five things John Oates taught me about the new music business
The Philadelphia Chapter of The Recording Academy welcomed Temple alum John Oates back to campus last Saturday night, for an intimate acoustic performance and an interview conducted by my friend and former colleague, Gene Shay. Mississippi Mile is Oates’ tribute…
What Rebecca Black can teach you about music contracts.
It doesn’t take long for partners to become enemies when a record “pops” and royalty checks start rolling in. Rebecca Black’s bizarre path to the Billboard charts has generated buzz about what she’s going to do with tens of thousands…
Could your music marketing eclipse your music?
Ed Simons from the Chemical Brothers wonders that aloud, in response to Radiohead’s new album release. In an age of quickly copied digital downloads, turning your album into an artifact can help you preserve sales and reward your most loyal…
Is it tough to make a living as a music manager? Ask Quincy Jones.
At 78, you couldn’t possibly begrudge Quincy Jones the right to slow down a little. “Slowing down” for Q means working on just one album project at a time. This powerful career retrospective and interview from The National reveals some…