The resurgence of vinyl has breathed new life into a number formerly overlooked albums, bringing hitherto forgotten artists out of the woodwork. When it comes to these fresh pressings, however, it’s important that labels take the time (and money) to invest in top notch audio quality. ___________________________ Guest post by…
Category archives: Publishing & Songwriting
Learning How To Fail: An Essential Part Of Success In The Music Business
While some artists may like to believe that they’re music industry career will hold nothing but success story after success story, the reality is that finding your feet in an incredibly challenging and competitive business requires that you first learn how to fail. ____________________________ Guest post by James Shotwell of…
Eat, Sleep, Write: 5 Apps For Every Musician, Songwriter
Apps have been integrated into all aspects of the creative process for some time now, and songwriting is no exception. Beyond simply facilitating the technical aspects of composition and recording, several apps have now been released designed to help spark inspiration in composers. ________________________ In this new post to MusicThinkTank,…
Music Management Commissions – What’s Fair?
While managers in the music business have always has a lot to do with an artists’ success, never have they made or broken an artist more than in the current music economy, and never have they had to work harder – so what is a sustainable business model for managers…
ASCAP Elects New Board Of Directors
ASCAP has released the results of its biennial election for the Board of Directors and named the twelve writer and twelve publisher members elected to serve on the Board for a two-year term beginning April 1st, 2019. In addition to ASCAP President and Board Chairman Paul Williams, the writer members…
Reunion Tour! Bands, Breakups and Contracts
The vast majority of successful bands usually end up going through some kind of personnel change, sometimes to the point of having no original members at all. So what are the legal ramifications of these switcheroos and breakups? Prof. David Philp explains. _______________________________ Guest post by William Paterson University Professor…
Article 13 Copyright Directive Is Approved Ending Safe Harbor For YouTube
The European Union gave its final approval to the Article 11 and 13 Copyright Directive designed to update copyright law in Europe for the online age. Members of the European Parliament voted 348 in favor and 274 against. Google, YouTube and others in tech say that the rule, which requires…
50+ Music Companies File Copyright Suits Against ISPs Charter, Bright House
More than 50 major music companies have joined to file separate lawsuits against ISP providers Charter and Bright House for not doing enough to stop copyright infringement. Each suit could result in more than $1 billion in damages. Universal, Sony and WMG are joined by dozens of major music publishers…
Neighboring Rights: What They Are, Why They’re Important
The concept of neighboring rights parallels that of performance rights. Where performance rights reference the right to perform a composition, neighboring rights reference the ability to publicly perform the sound recording. So, why are these neighboring rights so important to artists and independent labels? _____________________________ Guest post by Randi Zimmerman…
How to Sing A Happy Tune At Tax Time: Musician’s Guide
While tax season is commonly a source of dread for most Americans, working as a musician carries with it some unique tax implications, both when it comes to paying on what you earn, and in terms of what you’re allowed to deduct. In this piece, we hear from some of…