Do you have favorite songs that remind you of important times in your life?
Do you share new music you've discovered with others who may like it as much as you do?
Most people would answer "yes" to both questions, so it may seem a bit strange that the record industry finds itself in such a very precarious financial position because they're not selling enough CDs.
Although interest in music remains very high, sales of CDs continue to fall at a dramatic, some say fatal, rate. Music is a necessity for most people although many are not acquiring their music through traditional purchase of recorded music.
What's happening in the music business and how can musicians find success in this new world of digital downloads, MySpace, YouTube and Twitter?
I asked these questions when I attended a recent meeting of the Copyright Society of the USA. I was very pleased when one of the speakers at the meeting, Todd Brabec, agreed to supply some answers to these and other questions in an exclusive interview for The Daily Star.
Brabec has been the executive vice president and director of membership for American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers for 37 years and is respected by music industry executives and successful artists and publishers throughout the world.
Music industry success runs in his family; his twin brother, Jeff, is the vice president of business affairs for Chrysalis Music Group.
They have shared much of their music industry knowledge in their wonderfully informative book titled "Music Money and Success."
I've used their book for all the music industry classes I teach.
Tell us a bit about yourself. How and why did you get into the music business?
My brother, Jeff, and I, love music. When we were kids, we played in rock 'n' roll bands.
We had bands in high school, college and had records out on Audio Fidelity Records while we attended New York University School of Law.
We received great reviews from the "trade" magazines and newspapers but very few record sales, so we decided it was time to concentrate on the business and legal side of music. When we looked for jobs after graduation, ASCAP interviewed us. There was only one job available and it paid $160 a week. We took the job together, and three months later, ASCAP found enough money to hire us both at full salary. Jeff later took a job with the Chrysalis Music Group, but I stayed with ASCAP.
What's your favorite thing about the music business and what you do?
I enjoy music and I've enjoyed doing work for creative people. I liked to help them with their careers and show them how to meet other people who can help them.
That was really the motivation for writing our book, "Music Money and Success." Of course, the book is also used by lawyers and managers and others on an artist's team, so they can do a better job. Ignorance is not bliss unless you want to be a failure.
How has the business changed in the past 10 years?
Significantly, especially if you're trying to break in or survive. I travel a lot, so I see that major companies and publishing companies are doing limited signing. For this reason, artists have gone to smaller, independent companies, or they have built their careers themselves. It's more difficult to manage your own business, but it can be more lucrative. You have to be prepared to deal with the digital world, including streaming, downloads, websites.
If you're a company representative, you need to be aware of contract wording and what songs are worth. A good representative will be honest and know how to value intellectual property like music. At the present time, the monetary value of music is being decided mostly through court cases and agreements between music users and music owners.
Despite the downward trend of record sales, most of the money in the music business is still earned in traditional ways like television, radio, advertising commercials, video games, performances and movies.
What advice do you have for a band that has some success in a small town like Oneonta and would like to find bigger audiences and sell their recorded music?
Do touring. Try to get out of the place you're in. It's difficult to find new fans only in MySpace. Get out and build your audience and fan base so that people recognize you in a larger market.
What do you think is the biggest mistake that bands make as they try to become more successful?
Bands sometimes get caught up in their performances but forget that to have a good career, you need good music that is played a lot on radio or other broadcast media.
There's always a need for good songs. The writing of songs is a craft just as great as musicianship. Inspiration and talent are always involved in the creation of good new music.
What are the benefits of a songwriter belonging to a performance rights society such as ASCAP, Broadcast Music Inc (BMI) or SESAC?
To make money, as well as having an organization involved in the protection of the copyright of your compositions. Each organization makes payouts based on the frequency of songs being performed on radio and television. A song with very few performances can earn very little or nothing, whereas a major hit can earn millions in performance monies. And then there are the many thousands of songs in between, which can earn anywhere from $1 to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Close to $2 billion of revenue was made by ASCAP and BMI in 2007 _ $500 million of that was from foreign performances.
How can bands learn about the music industry and make good business decisions?
Try to pick up books and read articles in good trade journals. Go to conferences for networking and listening to panels. Ask the experts how to present songs and find out what publishers are looking for.
What is a sign or hint that a publisher or record company might not be a good "fit" for a band?
A publisher should never ask you to pay for a publishing deal. If you're a writer, get 50 percent of the song's income or ask for a bigger share by getting a co-publishing deal. Be careful of record deals because mostly it takes forever to recoup or recover the money paid out to record the album. Be careful about subsequent albums _ make sure that earnings are not "cross-collateralized" (that is, that earnings from one album are not charged against profits from a second album). Always be careful about people who represent you. Younger, energetic managers and lawyers are good, but be careful they have some knowledge. As soon as you sign something, you're locked in for at least a year or perhaps even for the life of copyright (which might last as long as 70 years after the death of the songwriter.)
How can a songwriter who is NOT a member of a band have his or her music heard or considered by a television or movie producer or a band's publisher?
If you're a new writer, it's tough. Get some connections at conferences or places where national performances are presented, like South by Southwest in Texas. Also, perform at local conferences or one-day events.
You'll find music supervisors attending those events. Meet them. You can't mass-mail anyone anymore and you won't earn the attention of people on the telephone who don't know you. Young songwriters have to knock on doors, but you need personal contacts. It helps if you know other writers who have a recording or publishing deal. It's a good idea to co-write because that increases your chance of getting your song out there.
What are ways that songwriters and bands have to make a living? What are income sources for songwriters and bands?
A primary source of income is live performances. Another possible source, the video-game industry, uses lots of new band materials but they don't pay a great deal of money for their music. No matter what kind of deal you sign, try to keep your copyright to music you've written.
Try to get your music to the independent film market for use in a documentary or student film. This sort of filmmaker usually has very little money to pay for music, so do a deal with no fee or a low fee and structure it so you get money based on any future success of the movie. It's a license deal. Don't give up your copyright. You may earn money in the future from ASCAP or BMI for future performances of the movie on television.
What are some characteristics of bands you think will be successful during the next 10 years? Where do you hear good new bands?
There are so many good bands out there. My advice to them is "Be lucky and continue to perform."
If I'm on the road, I stop in at clubs and other venues to listen. I'm still a rock 'n' roll fan. I also hear about a lot of new bands through my friends and connections. They've weeded out a lot of lesser bands and recommend the really good ones. I don't get information from websites. It's too time-consuming.
What would you like to say about the music business and about life that I haven't asked you?
I'm optimistic as to the future of our business. Music is integral to so many entities and is used for kids' toys, toothbrushes, computer and video games, and in almost every aspect of our lives. Musicians just have to figure out how to monetize that use of their music.
I've never been a big fan of using music for free. People need to make a living.
The business has changed tremendously. You've got to know the old business, including how to license songs, but you've also got to know how the modern business works.
When you find a business like television or video games that uses music, you need to know all aspects of that particular business. It's not enough, anymore, just to know about the music business. If you want to put music in TV, know all the players in the TV world. Know how those businesses work. You need to know more about everything.
I've had a great career. I've met lots of writers and other creative people. I've traveled all over the world and I've had the opportunity to help people. It's been a good way to earn a living.
Dr. Janet Nepkie is a member of the music industry faculty in the music department of the State University College at Oneonta.
{"Standing Head"/}Music Industry Tips
1. You have to be prepared to deal with the digital world, including streaming, downloads and websites.
2. Be honest and know how to value music and other intellectual property. Be aware of contract wording and what songs are worth.
3. Tour in order to build an audience and fan base.
4. Write good music that is played on the radio and has popular appeal.
5. Don't sign an agreement with a publisher who wants you to pay money for the deal. If any advance or money is paid "up front," it is the publisher who should be paying the songwriter.
6. Songwriters and musicians should learn all aspects of how the business works, and you need to know why music is important to OTHER businesses such as radio, TV, films, video games, toys and every other place music is used.
7. Read books and articles to learn about the music business. Build a network of helpful music industry professionals by going to conferences and attending classes and workshops.
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