WE HAVE MOVED...

Here is the new website link:


http://musicindustryreport.org/

Personal Branding

If you are a CEO or an entrepreneur you are no doubt already familiar with the fact that personal branding is the new old-fashioned way to bring your business success. It’s printed everywhere! All you have to do is go out, promote your personal brand and watch your profit margins soar!

If only it were actually that easy.

The problem with personal branding is that while the technique is invariably successful, it doesn’t work very well if you aren’t familiar with the concept of personal branding and how it applies to business-both topics that articles on the subject tend to be suspiciously grey on! How a person can read a three page article on personal branding and still not have a clue what it is is a complete anomaly, but it happens. One can only assume that the people out there writing about personal branding don’t understand it any better than you do.

What is personal branding? Before you can begin to make any kind of marketing strategy work for you you have to understand its ins and outs, the way it works, how to make the most of it and what it has the potential to do for your life and your business.

You know that as a company and a business entity the most important thing you should be worrying about is your reputation. Your reputation is going to decide whether or not people come to you to meet their needs and, ultimately, whether your business will


succeed or fail. As the leader of the company, your reputation is tied up in your business. That means that while you’re in the hot spot you need to keep your reputation blemish free and do everything you can to cultivate your reputation as an expert in your field.

Welcome to personal branding.

Personal branding means marketing your image. When your image is strong enough, successful enough and popular enough, people will come to your company just to work with you. They trust your company because they know as an expert in your field you wouldn’t settle for any less than the best in your products and services.

Celebrities practice personal branding all the time. Why do you think the Olsen twins’ clothing line was so spectacularly popular when it first hit the market? Not because the clothes were remarkable (the designs didn’t really fit their niche until several years later) but because it was promoted by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen.

There isn’t a red blooded American that was alive during the eighties that doesn’t recognize those two names.

You want that to be you. You want people to flock to your company just because you’re there. You can actually use your own reputation to boost your company’s profit margin.

Personal branding is easy. All it requires is confidence in your skills and an understanding of how those skills relate to your chosen market. Now all you have to do is go out there and show the world what you're really made of.

Artist Quote of the Week

"I've outdone anyone you can name -- Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, Strauss. Irving Berlin, he wrote 1,001 tunes. I wrote 5,500."

-James Brown

Yamaha now shipping their new AUDIOGRAM 6 and AUDIOGRAM 3 Computer Recording Systems

Yamaha Corporation of America is now shipping their new AUDIOGRAM 6 and AUDIOGRAM 3 Computer Recording Systems. Recently named Best in Show at the annual NAMM music trade show, these powerful yet affordable audio interfaces are designed to turn a computer into an intuitive tool for recording from virtually any microphone, instrument or audio device. In addition, the company is offering a $20 rebate on the AUDIOGRAM when purchased with a qualifying Yamaha keyboard, guitar, or bass.

Packaged as complete computer music solutions, the AUDIOGRAM Series bundle together a hardware interface with software for recording and producing music. Recording music from instruments, microphones, CD players or MP3 players is as easy as installing the included 48 track Audio/MID music-production application, CUBASE AI, on your computer and connecting the audio interface using the USB cable provided.

The AUDIOGRAM 6 features 2 XLR combo inputs with preamps, two stereo inputs, one-knob compression for dialing in the desired sound from microphones and instruments, and a USB jack for connecting to a computer. The compact AUDIOGRAM 3 features one phantom powered combo input switchable for microphones or instrument recording, a stereo input, a stereo and headphone output and a USB jack.

Purchasing an Audiogram 3 or 6 also qualifies you to register at www.MPSN.com to receive the X Factor DVD with over 4 GB of VST instruments from Sonic Reality, IK Multimedia, FXpansion and Arturia.

The AUDIOGRAM Series are now available for $149.99 retail (AUDIOGRAM 3) and $199.99 retail (AUDIOGRAM 6). Complete rebate terms and redemption form available at www.yamaha.com/rebates. For more information, write Yamaha Corporation of America, Pro Audio & Combo Division, Music Production, P.O. Box 6600, Buena Park, CA 90622; telephone (714) 522-9011; e-mail infostation@yamaha.com; or visit www.yamaha.com.

From Crackle: Open Labs interview with "Teddy Riley"--super prod...

Music industry turning against LOUD recordings?

Turn Me Up!™ is a non-profit music industry organization campaigning to give artists back the choice to release more dynamic records. To be clear, it's not our goal to discourage loud records; they are, of course, a valid choice for many artists. We simply want to make the choice for a more dynamic record an option for artists.

Today, artists generally feel they have to master their records to be as loud as everybody else's. This certainly works for many artists. However, there are many other artists who feel their music would be better served by a more dynamic record, but who don't feel like that option is available to them.

This all comes down to the moment a consumer hears a record, and the fear that if the record is more dynamic, the consumer won't know to just turn up the volume. This is an understandable concern, and one Turn Me Up! is working to resolve.



Check it out here:
http://www.turnmeup.org/index.shtml

TuneCore, iLike Bundle Indie Services

TuneCore and iLike have teamed up to offer independent and unsigned artists a package deal on both distributing and promoting their music. The partnership is more of a bundled product than it is a new service, as both companies offer their core services independently. But together, the two hope to present a more complete message than they could marketing their services separately.

TuneCore brings to the table a wide digital distribution platform, which can post clients' music to all the major digital retailers and subscriptions services. Once the music is available, iLike then lets users promote it through full-song streaming applications on social networks like Facebook, Bebo and other channels. Each time their music is played, artists get a royalty from the corresponding service hosting the file.

The partnership between the two firms lets artists sign up for both services at the same time, rather than requiring separate agreements.

Artist Quote of the Week

"Most of us go to our graves with our music still inside of us."

-unknown

Five Lessons Publishing Should Learn from Music

1. An iPod for Books Will Change Everything....

2. Think Beyond DRM....

3. If You Help Us, We Will Buy

The music business and Hollywood made a big mistake by fighting online distribution....

So, to publishers: Make your stuff available online. Make it easy to find. Make it easy to buy. And don't insult us: if a physical book -- with the cost of production, distribution and retail overhead -- is worth $20, a digital book is not. Cut the price accordingly. Take your margin, but don't abuse your customers with outrageous prices for e-books (otherwise, we will find other ways to get our books).

4. Don't Be Afraid of Free

Do you remember how in the olden days, the publishing business lead a massive effort to shut down public libraries, because free was the enemy of the publishing business? How they fought to stop people giving a gift of their favorite books to a friend? Me neither. Libraries help readers, they help publishers, they help books in general....

5. Find Out What Your Customers Want

Then build your business around that....Don't try to shoehorn us into an old business model that doesn't make sense with new technology. Your job is not to force customers to behave the way you want them to. Your job is to find out what your customers want, and then deliver it to them. Times are changing. Find out what we want, what we need, and then help us get it....

In Digital Music Market iTunes Still No.1

According to Ipsos’ fifth annual TEMPO Digital Music Brandscape study iTunes is the No. 1 fee-based digital music venue. Apple’s music distribution service managed to hold on to its position despite Amazon’s success this year, and RealNetworks’ Rhapsody’s gains, Retailer Daily reports. The object of the study was tracking fee-based online music brands and consumer digital music behaviors. The survey revealed to Ipsos that awareness and use were steady among the most dominant brands this year.

While iTunes grew in terms of awareness, usage, familiarity, and “best brand” mentions, Amazon’s first year also proved strong. According to the study, initial awareness, usage, favorability and “best brand” ratings were comparable to any of the top brands following iTunes. In fact, the online music retailer managed to match iTunes’ user satisfaction level. Rhapsody gained in both aided and unaided awareness, usage and favorability, but not as much as iTunes and Amazon did, of course. For the rest of the brands, total awareness, familiarity, and favorability decreased – not by much, though!

The reason iTunes’ brand strength has not weakened in light of increasing competitive pressure is that, during this same time frame, consumers became more demanding of the digital music services they use. iTunes dominates this market, but that by no means suggests that there isn’t room for innovative competitors with differentiated offerings.

The business side and creativity of music

As you all know having someone in your corner early in your music career to steer you in the right direction is vital, and along with that being confident enough to trust someone to handle your business affairs. But keep in mind what I said earlier, watch your manager like a hawk no matter who they are.


But on the plus side, a manager who has music business and creative vision will see beyond making money from just managing your affairs but know the right A&R people for your style of music. Along with that, session players who are suitable for stage and studio work if your band has to take on hired guns. Along with being able to see what markets are suitable for your genre of music which may not be in North America, But Europe or Asia.


An agent should be separate from a Personal Manager to better enable an agent to concentrate on bookings in clubs, festivals, and bigger venues along with setting up concert dates where a band can start opening for others. Having an agent take care of the money gigs and a manager setting up your music business and taking care of personal affairs, enables you and your band to concentrate on the creative end of musicianship. But musicians should at least have a working knowledge of the business side of music. That way if you and your manager part ways, you and the other band members can take over the business end temporarily.


Learning about music and thinking differently:


Even if you've been in the business for years you can still learn from guitarists who've only been at it for a few months believe it or not. They may play something at a jam session that totally floors you and end up using that little riff or chord structure as an element of your style, by changing it slightly so you're not just stealing it. As well, and I keep saying this, learn as much as you can about the music industry from others and reading magazines such as Canadian Guitar Player Magazine, Canadian Musician and Guitar Player to learn the latest innovations and to constantly educate yourself. Associate yourself with musicians who are serious about their craft and you won't constantly find yourself spinning your wheels in bands that go no where.



I may be getting a bit off topic, but what I'm talking about in this article is imperative to do. I know a lot of music industry people would disagree with me on when to hire a manager and how to run one's music business, but then again you have to think differently guys.

Artist Quote of the Week

"Music is your own experience, your own thoughts, your wisdom. If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn. They teach you there's a boundary line to music. But, man, there's no boundary line to art."


- Charlie "YardBird" Parker

EMI jostles into busy online market

EMI is planning to enter the crowded digital music market, forming its own site to join the likes of iTunes and MySpace and marketing its artists’ music directly to fans online.

EMI.com, a consumer-facing portal to be launched before Christmas, has been closely monitored by Guy Hands, head of the Terra Firma private equity group that bought the record label for £2.4bn ($4.2bn) last year.

The digital project, which began this year, will offer audio and video content. Users will be able to buy music and download it. There will also be unique content and elements of the site will be free. EMI declined to comment further about its plans.

The record label wants to position EMI.com as a “learning lab” where people can discover new music as part of a broader digital strategy.

Mr Hands has accused the music industry of being flabby, bureaucratic and refusing to face the challenges of the internet. He has spoken often about the prospects of the internet for marketing and online communities.

However, similar digital initiatives by the music industry, such as Sony’s PressPlay, failed because they did not offer consumers access to the catalogues of rival labels.

One music industry executive said: “Research has shown that when consumers are looking for music they want it all in one place. They want to buy Beyoncé when they are buying Rihanna. I am not quite sure what EMI will get for the money they have spent on it.”

Last year EMI – whose artists include Kylie Minogue and Coldplay – had a 13 per cent share of the global music business; Universal Music had 28 per cent; Sony BMG about 17 per cent; and Warner Music 15 per cent, according to Music & Copyright.

Most of the important music labels have some consumer-facing offering. Universal Music, whose acts include Amy Winehouse, also intends to launch a video portal service that will offer professionally produced music videos and original programming early next year. That product is intended more for professional website owners and for developers than for consumers.

There are also high hopes for music downloads on mobile phones, including services such as Nokia’s “Comes with Music”, which has signed up all the big labels.

MySpace Caters To Majors, Not Indies

"KOCH Records, as the #1 Independent label in the U.S. for the last 7years, was disappointed to see MySpace's 'smoke and mirrors' announcementregarding its new music service. Essentially it has announced a deal withthe majors and has in effect become MajorSpace.

"It is unconscionable that it would give equity positions to the majors andtreat the independent community as second class citizens after having builtits service on our backs, as its CEO has acknowledged. It makes no sense atall the that the Majors will benefit from the utilization of ourcontent without our participation as well. To be clear, our issue is notwith the Majors having equity but with MySpace believing that we wouldaccept this without similar terms. MySpace continually states that it isembracing the independents. It's a pretty listless and cold embrace."

About KOCH Entertainment

KOCH Entertainment, founded in 1987 and now in its twenty-second year, isthe leading and fastest-growing independent music company in the U.S.KOCH's operations encompass record and video labels, music publishing aswell as distribution companies in the U.S. and Canada. KOCH Entertainmentis the market leader among independent labels and distributors in both theU.S. and Canada. Its record label KOCH Records is the # 1 independentlabel in the U.S. and had the largest number of Billboard charting albumsamong independents for seven years in a row (2001 - 2007). KOCHEntertainment is a subsidiary of Entertainment One Ltd. which is listed onthe London Stock Exchange's AIM market (ticker symbol "ETO"

Music Business Service for Project Financing and Investments

Bandstocks is another music business service introducing an alternative to the ad supported free music business. Bandstocks is about financing music projects.

As the music industry is on the move the term project might become an interesting subject. Creativity today is not only required by the artists themselves to create something that is desired, but too by creators of concepts and marketers in the entertainment business to establish a successful business. As one may state that the time of the million billion dollar business is over for the music industry today new concepts might be needed to establish a business model based on art. Art might be the right term beside music as there indeed exists a broad playing field consisting of music, video opportunities and further ways of expression. Maybe a more comprehensive and integrated approach might be the new success model in the entertainment business. This is a chance to a broader range of market participants, the established entertainment business, independents and new artists as well as for other players like programers and even event organizers.

Artist Quote of the Week

"I don't know anything about music, In my line you don't have to." -Elvis Presley

SoundCloud Streamlines Music Sharing For Industry Professionals

Transferring large files on the web has always been a hassle, especially when you need to do it frequently. One field especially prone to this problem is the music industry - artists often collaborate with eachother by sending rough versions of tracks, but have to rely on clunky services like YouSendIt or FTP servers. SoundCloud, a German startup that launches on October 10, is looking to streamline this process by allowing an artist to upload a file once and easily distribute it to whomever they’d like. The site is currently in private beta, but you can grab one of 500 invites here.

SoundCloud isn’t meant as a consumer site - rather, it’s a service for industry professionals, including artists, music labels, and producers. From the outset, it’s clear that SoundCloud is very well designed, with an intuitive interface that falls firmly under “Web 2.0″. The site revolves around artist profiles and the tracks they’ve uploaded, which are presented in an embeddable basic music widget (you can see one below). Aside from standard playback, the widget also allows artists to open up their tracks to comments from outside visitors, which can be appended to specified times.

Artists can specify how much control their users will have over their content, setting their music to stream-only, or as available for download. The site also supports listener analytics, so artists can see how many visitors have listened to their tracks. And the site supports a wide variety of audio formats, with no restrictions on file size.

SoundCloud also includes some basic social features, with artist profiles detailing professional contact information, much like a musician’s social network, and a follow system that allows you to receive alerts whenever a friend or colleague uploads a track. There’s also a Dropbox that allows visitors to submit songs to you for review - it’s a digital version of the mailed-in demo tape.

Provided SoundCloud can get a foothold in the music industry (which isn’t an easy thing to do), it seems poised for success. There are many other options for media sharing, but SoundCloud has executed extremely well, with an interface that should make sense to even the most technically-challenged users. Major producers and music labels may be hesitant to embrace it in the near future, but there’s a massive market for indie artists and fledgling musicians that will pounce on the service immediately.

Music Business 101: Chapter 6 - Watch a funny movie here