David Purcell from NYU gives insight into the future of the music industry as it relates to file sharing and digital distribution online.

Peter Shukat, an entertainment lawyer with Shukat, Arrow, Hafer, Weber & Herbsman in New York City,  discusses key issues in a recording contract such as the amount of product the label agrees to give and what kind of advance/royalty is going to be paid. He also covers the restrictions and limitations an artist can put on a record company and the mechanical royalty clause.

In this video, Janet Kleinbaum, Senior VP of Artist Marketing and Video Production for Jive Records, gives some sound advice for entering the music business. Some of the points she makes in this video could apply to any business you decide to enter into.

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Jeff Ayeroff on the future of the music business.

Yeah, i know. Another fuckin post about the future of the music business. Everyone can see into the future these days. Funny thing is, this video was made before 360 deals started to become the norm and there’s some good insight here. Check it out.

Jay Cooper, a music lawyer based in Los Angeles breaks down the importance of educating yourself about the music business and cites some examples on how that can greatly benefit how you get paid.

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The formula for success in this game right now is simple. Your following is your value. Period. Creating income streams from that influence then becomes just a matter of creating partnerships with other businesses or developing a business plan of your own.

Whether you know it or not, you are a business, And  you can diversify your income in a number of Read the rest of this entry »

Good Stuff!

Dina LaPolt, an entertainment lawyer based in Los Angeles, CA, reveals what aspects of a record deal are worth fighting for, and how to tell when your relationship with your label is about to hit the skids.

This article was written back in January at the turn of the decade. I just recently discovered it. It’s a MUST READ for every hip hop artist!

The Ever-Changing Rap Music Business
By, Wendy Day (www.WendyDay.com)

2009 marked the end of a decade and there were many changes that occurred in the music business.
When Don Diva called and asked me to write about the changes I’ve seen over the last 10 years, I started writing this before I even got off the phone. It’s easy to write about something you live and are passionate about. In fact, it almost wrote itself. I’ve been in the music industry for almost 20 years now (March 2010 marks the beginning of my 19th year) and there are very few people left who started back when I did or who’ve been in it as long as I have. I chalk that up to the continual changes and to insanity—ya gotta be a little nuts to stay in this industry any length of time. Especially the folks like me who do this for the love, and not solely for the money!

Since The Dawn Of Hip Hop
Before I talk about the changes over the past decade, there are two changes that have occurred over the past two decades Read the rest of this entry »

by Hassan F. Johnson

Before getting into the Hip Hop business, you have a lot of decisions to make. You have to decide if you’re a mainstream or underground artist, whether you want a deal or to be independent, if you want to buy studio time or build one, and then there is the question of distribution and marketing.  They are probably the two most important assets of the record industry.

While record companies have a lot of power through their marketing resources, digital distribution is another story entirely. Let’s talk about some of the major changes that have occurred over the last decade in the world of Hip Hop and the music industry as a whole. Read the rest of this entry »

In this very straight forward and informative video interview, Jun Mhoon, an expert in digital media distribution, argues that the traditional music distribution model can no longer sustain itself economically.