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…
University of North Alabama Students Plan Concerts, Run Record Label
Here’s another case study of a college-based music management degree program taking things to the next level: At the University of North Alabama, students in an Artist Management and Touring course have to stage a concert for a final project.…
No more “Dadager” for Beyonce
The entertainment press buzzes this morning with news that Beyonce has dropped her dad as her manager. It’s not unusual for artists and managers to evolve in different directions, but it’s very rare for a successful family partnership to last…
David Barbe to head University of Georgia music business program full-time.
I’ve written in the past about the music business major degree programs popping up at colleges and universities all over the United States. While it still worries me that we may be creating a bigger supply of would-be music managers…
Grow Your Band’s Audience Only $2.99 on Kindle! (SPONSORED POST)
[At the start and end of every week, I’ll reserve one post for a product, service, or sponsor that’s paying to keep the lights on at spinme.com.] Even though I’ve offered a version of Grow Your Band’s Audience as a…
Philadelphia Event Alert: Grammy Awards 101 at Gershman Y, 4/12/11
Could your next album qualify for a Grammy? If you’re in the Philadelphia region, my home chapter of NARAS is sponsoring a free “Grammy Awards 101” session for performers, producers, and music managers to learn everything about submitting your recordings…
Songcatch.com: the future of free MP3 search forces a strategy shift for music sales.
Artists sometimes ask me why I focus my books on earning revenue from touring and merchandise sales, instead of from boosting album sales. In response, let me introduce you to Arizona State University Economics and Finance major Hasan Siddiqui. The…