You Could Make More Money Writing and Playing Commercial Jingles

Indeed, I must say I applaud all the garage startup bands of all the teenagers across this great nation who'd like to break into the music industry. As an entrepreneur it makes me smile, as I see they are serious, and they all have big dreams of becoming big-name musicians or rock stars. It is that energy, and way of thinking that makes America great.

Of course just like every little league baseball player will not grow up to be a major league baseball player, some of them will. Statistically yes, the odds are stacked against them, but you can't tell that to a group of teenagers who are pursuing their dream, and we all know you have to believe to achieve. Still, many of these young guitarists, drummers, and vocalists don't realize that they could actually make more money, and have a much better chance for success writing, playing, and producing commercial jingles for corporations.

In fact, the way it stands now with all the small businesses operating online, and all the multimedia content online, every business, big and small needs a commercial jingle to go along with their marketing and branding. They all need professionally done YouTube videos to put onto their website because we live in the information age and people wish to be entertained, and the businesses which can deliver that, will be pleased to see the consumers and customers responding with purchases - especially this new generation.

Interestingly enough, I was at Starbucks last year and I talked to a couple of teenagers who were sitting outside with their guitars and they had a small band, and I told them that they should write commercial jingles and go selling business to business offering to record something trendy and cool for each company owner. I later saw them a few weeks ago, well, at least two of the members of that band, and I guess there'd been some changeover so there were new people involved now, but those two thanked me for the advice, and had actually made a few thousand dollars writing jingles for local companies in our area.

Now then, with that money they were able to buy better equipment, recording studio time, and some electronics; synthesizing equipment to help with their future music projects. Okay so, they are still working on cutting a second CD and signing with a second level music label, and I'm sure that day will come because these kids are serious.

However, they also know they need to make money in the meantime, and they know there are lots of companies that need commercial jingles, until they can totally break into the big time and/or can perhaps sell a commercial jingle to a major corporation for some real money. Indeed, it is my sincere hope you will please consider all this and think on it. Don't ever give up on your dream, but consider other ways to make money while chasing it. Please think on this.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. http://www.worldthinktank.net/ - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.

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Cons Against Signing A Rap Record Deal

Hey whats good... I want to talk to you about record deals.

A lot of my friends are trying to get signed to major labels. I tell them do not do it because I feel in this day and age that is one of the worst things you can do for your music career. The independent movement is popping right now, you can now make tens of thousands and even millions digitally through iTunes or on your own website. In Today's Industry more and more independent music artists than ever are living off of their music and living their dreams.

First ask yourself what is a Record Label? Its basically two things: it is a loan company and a marketing company. They provide you with a loan and they market you to the world. A major label will most likely give you a 360 Deal which means they own rights to your masters, almost all the income made off record sales, shows, and merchandise.

Here is an example of how the shadyness goes down

Lets say an artist goes gold (certified gold = 500,000 units)

Record labels are giving the artist around 13 percent of album sales. So going gold would equal $480,000. Looks like you caking right? Wrong

Lets say the record label invested $100,000 in marketing and promotion now you are down to 380,000.

Now take another 70,000 (For an advance and studio time) now you are down $310,000. Note half of that $310,000 goes into reserve for 2-4 years.

And on top of that 20 percent goes the manager.

So the artist really gets $19,333 for going gold. (That's a raw deal!)

And 2-4 years later if they recouped they get another $63,000. And if you don't recoup you are in debt and the money will be paid back on the second or third album.

Also major labels "shelf" artists who do not want to put out that garbage we hear on the radio. The only music that is selling on a mainstream level is cookie cutter party/dance records. These songs don't have positive intention behind the music its just B.S. put out to make some money. And unless your willing to sacrifice your creative ideas to make those songs you probably wont even get signed in the first place.

All in all you do NOT need the major labels. They take advantage of you and force you to put out the kind of music they say so. What you need is you need a support team, this includes a manager, entertainment lawyer, and an agent. Get a nice promo budget and good music and you can live off music with no problem.

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When U2 Comes to Town

It's incredible to see the media go in to free fall when the U2 show comes to town. As an exercise in how to promote your show no one does it better and no one will ever do it better. It's close to an invasion, no matter what may be going on in the world, U2 becomes the number one news story. In a day when record (CD) sales are at an all time low and touring is the only way you can hope to trigger off what meagre sales are out there, they literally command centre stage.The public may not have fallen in love with their latest CD but wild horses wouldn't keep them away from the live show.

No matter what anyone says about U2, whether it's the new album, the carbon emissions debate over the tour, or anything else for that matter the one thing you can't ignore is the experience almost every single person who attends the show takes home. For them it's worth every penny. U2 bring a happiness that a lot of other bands don't and for that audience it's the best night of their lives. Paul McGuinness has been quoted as saying they don't break even until the back end of the US tour so you cannot argue about their desire to give people an experience second to none.

I don't think the tour will have a significant effect on their record sales either and I'm sure they know that better than anyone. Their motivation comes from their desire to give something back to the people who have stuck with them forever. It's letting them experience something unique, something completely different to anything. Add to that the perfect host for corporate entertainment, a U2 show remains the place to be seen.

But what could they do next, where can they go? Personally I think it'll be stripped right down and the four guys will take their songs to the masses. U2 have reached such a level now that being the 'hottest ticket' in town allows them to do anything. They've earned it. They haven't earned it because of a gigantic claw and a production of epidemic proportion, they earned it from 30 plus years on the road. They've earned it from playing every tiny club that wanted to book them to every fan who wanted to see them. They've earned it from signing every autograph for every one of those fans who believed in them enough to give them a chance to do this. They posed for every picture with every fan no matter how exhausted they were. For many years they played to under a hundred people and treated every one of them to a concert of a lifetime. They stepped out front to meet and greet the fans for as long as it was safe to do so. And through it all they stuck at it. They paid their dues.

U2, David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Bruce or Led Zeppelin don't have to prove anything to me or anyone else. They earned it. It's called a work ethic and it's blood, sweat and tears. It's called taking chances and making mistakes and it's called entertainment. It isn't about any one tour, it's about understanding why you came in to this business and giving people something to cherish. The experience, the opportunity to take their hard earned cash and spend it how they want to. And if that is on two hours of a thrill of a lifetime who are we to judge? When an act get this big let's not lose site of the fact that they are still meant to entertain. It's what they do and it's what they should always do.

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What Now for the Music Biz?

The record industry needs to find something that will save it from itself. They need to find the solution to the problem now that the problem is global and has spiraled out of control. With the economy taking such an unprecedented pounding you wouldn't lay money on the music business bouncing back anytime soon. Mutiny, the mass exodus of bands wanting to find their own solutions to the problem will inspire little confidence in an industry where artists once looked to for their mentors.

Music industry people like Chris Blackwell, Ahmet Ertegun, Herb Alpert, Michael Lippman and Paul McGuinness still retain their industry crowns and their success is deserving. In their own domain they have successfully managed every part of the process and gained the respect of their artists but where do the others turn to for guidance? These people keep their own houses in order but where do they turn to for the support they once had? Labels believed in their artists and would do everything they could to support them both financially and creatively. They would inspire one another.

Where are the people who were once so enthusiastic about the music they couldn't wait to spread the word? They needed to make money but it was always the music that drove them primarily. When I first started in the music business in 1974 my immediate boss Ray Cooper was first and foremost a fan, it was why he wanted to work in the music business. And he's still a fan today. Back then we'd spend as much time discussing the music on other record labels as we did our own. It was just the same at Island later on, there didn't seem to be anyone there who wasn't there for the right reasons.

Once this was an industry abundant with adventurous, creative people. People with a passion and a love of music and intent on developing careers. Now it's an industry scared of risk, frightened by mistake and ridden with failure. They were convinced they could survive any threat the internet posed and while other industries learned to adapt they continued with an air of invincibility.

We can hope for change but it will take time. it will take a whole new business model and it will need people with vision. It's not about the lawyers and the accountants number crunching. It's about a need for creative people at labels understanding the artist and working to help them grow. It's about collaboration.

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Getting The Most Out Of Your Band Website

If you're an experienced music promoter, you know how powerful a strong web presence can be. For those that aren't experienced at promoting, there are certain elements every band website must have in order to get the most out of every visit. Read on to find out how each of these elements can impact your web presence:

Home Page: This is your main page. You don't want to waste this prime real estate by placing mundane or non interesting items on it. The goal with your home page is to draw the viewer deeper into some of your other pages. This can be done by putting some interesting "hooks" in an attention getting way such as "Party of the century coming your way! Check out our calendar for more information on this event you cannot miss!" You can also place small news clips from your page dedicated to news about your band. Of course, on the news page, you would draw the reader to your event schedule or page where you want them to buy your music. You will also want to place booking information here. Don't just put down an email address and call it good. You need all your information since each viewer is comfortable contacting you in a different way. If you're concerned about your address, get a post office box.

Event Schedule: This should be an organized and updated list of all your shows. Stick to a list format rather than a calendar since you will want to put small "hooks" under each event that allows the reader to think the event is going to be worth attending. Don't forget the location, address, and cover charge.

Band Info: You will want to put a short history of your band and a bio of each one of the members on this page including attractive photos. You can also place testimonials and achievements on this page. Your viewers want to know you've been involved with some surprisingly big shows and have shared the stage with some possibly well known artists. There are also "hooks" you can place here as well, for instance if your guitarist is very good at a certain style of riff, you may want to reference a song download that features that member doing something exceedingly well.

Samples: This page, which could be integrated into your home page, needs to have some or all of your work. You will also need to provide the user a way of downloading each song so you can maximize music sales.

There are also several other pages you could consider adding such as an online store to buy music and merchandise, a contact page for those who just want to inquire about your work or booking, and a photo gallery. As far as band art and other items go, you can integrate this throughout your entire site. Another very important element is having a band blog. This should be updated a minimum of every week to keep readers coming back to your site for entertainment value.

For more helpful tips on the music industry and music knowledge, visit http://www.phoenixarticles.com/. You can also visit http://www.phoenixparkproductions.com/ for additional resources for artists.

Jason Cook, Phoenix Park Productions - Music Promotion, Management, and Booking

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Buy Rap Beats - Are They Safe To Buy Online?

If you got to this article your probably wondering how legit is it to buy beats online?

Is it really a safe option for me?

Well actually it's no different than buying beats offline, actually some people might say it's safer.

Let me explain, let's say if in the real world (offline) you give a producer some money for a beat and he says he'll give you the beat later and you don't end up ever getting it, there's not much you can (legally) do there.

Unless you hire an attorney for that, there's no company in between you two that's making sure everyone gets what they want and the process goes smoothly. Also, if your just making a name for yourself you most likely aren't dealing with lawyers quite yet.

This is where buying beats online can actually be safer and easier. I say this because as long as the producer has some sort of 3rd party shopping cart to handle the beat purchase then you'll have a company that has your back and will do everything in their power to make sure you get what you paid for.

This is simply because most 3rd party shopping carts (such as PayPal and Google Checkout) have to keep the consumers happy or not word will get around and people will look for other companies to do business with.

With PayPal you have their "PayPal Purchase Protection" which allows you to not have to pay if you don't receive your beat. So PayPal has the power to suspend the money from the producer's account if you didn't receive the beat.

Also, with Google Checkout they have similar protection through their "fraud protection policy". So you can actually see that you'll be BETTER off doing business online when your buying beats for your album.

Another important thing when your using these 3rd party solutions you don't have to worry about your credit card information being stolen or being seen by the producer. To make sure your credit card info never gets revealed just follow this easy quick tip.

EASY QUICK TIP TO PROTECT YOUR CREDIT CARD INFO

Look up at the top left on your Internet browser when your on a page where you have to enter your card info and look for a https:// instead of http://, which means that they have a secure site with an SSL certificate.

Now if you come across a site that doesn't use a 3rd party shopping cart then I would stay on my toes and make sure your super safe when it comes time to buy your beats. You can do some additional research on the producer's website to look for testimonials, reviews, comments and see if other people are safely doing business with them.

If you just happen to be looking to buy rap beats from a producer with serious fire that also happens to be a PayPal verified member then visit http://www.howtobuybeats.com/listen-to-rap-beats.

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Boutique Amp Maker Alexander Dumble

Alexander Dumble (formerly Howard Dumble until he legally changed his name) makes the most sought after boutique amplifiers in the world. Every amplifier is personally hand-built to order and the waiting list can take several years. And Dumble does not build them for just anyone -- his criteria for accepting a customer's order remains as much of a mystery as the 'secret' components which he conceals with black epoxy on his circuit boards.

With his 'one amplifier per customer' policy, the sheer scarcity of Dumble amplifiers in existence only adds to their overall mystique. A pre-owned Dumble, if you can find one on the market, goes for several times its original price, well above five figures.

Dumble started modifying and building amplifiers out of his backyard workshop, all the while making a living as a touring guitarist and studio musician.

In 1965, as an 18-year old, he was commissioned by Semie Moseley to build 10 Mosrite amplifiers for The Ventures who were among the very first guitar endorsees with their own signature model equipment. The Ventures did not cotton to his amps which they felt were 'a little too rock n' roll' for their kind of music but they offered young Howard a business proposition nonetheless. Dumble declined and went back to playing guitar to pay his bills.

In 1969 he built his Explosion model amp which was later improved and re-voiced to become the Overdrive Special. Ironically, the basic Dumble design is based around the Fender Deluxe circuit but modified to achieve much higher gain, more harmonic complexity at the top-end and more low-end on the bass.

Other models in the Dumble range include the Steel String Singer, the Dumbleland, 25-watt Hotel Hog, 50-watt Dumbleman, a 450-watt bass amp dubbed the Winterland, the modular rack-mounted Phoenix and the Dumbleator - the latter being a device to interface his amplifiers with effects, much like an effects loop.
Over the last 10 years or so, several Dumble amplifier owners have allowed their amplifiers to be 'de-gooped' of the black epoxy Dumble used to conceal his component values and copies of his circuit design have floated around the internet. As a result some amplifier companies have emerged with their own Dumble clones. Some have taken it further with their own variations on the design. But many who have played through a real Dumble amplifier testify that certain tonal ingredients were missing from these clones.

If you happen to come across a Dumble amp, ask if you can plug in and try it out. You'll never know when, or if, you'll ever see another one. And you owe it to yourself to experience what all the hype is about. I'm still waiting on that opportunity myself.

Clinton Carnegie is a music educator, jazz-rock guitarist and recording artist. He has two fusion guitar instrumental albums to his name, Say What You Mean and Santiago. His music blog can be found at http://www.theguitarcolumn.com/

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