What to look for in Music Managers? (PODCAST #1)

For my blog entry this week, I wanted to try something 'new' and 'fresh'. I enjoy sharing my experiences and different industry topics through writing. However, I wanted to try a new approach and introduce my very first Maestro Management podcast (hooray). In this podcast, I share some qualities on what artists should look for in music managers. This topic may be taboo or already known by many. However, there are many other inquiring minds out there, wanting to know "What to look for in Music Managers?" So, me being the creative genius that I am (I'm not really a genius...Ok, yes I am). I decided put together a list of 5 qualities music managers should possess.

Manager qualities:

1. Must be knowledgeable of online marketing platforms (e.g., social media, TuneCore, CD Baby, ASCAP, SoundExchange, etc.)
2. Must have the ability to put together a creative team (i.e., writers, PR, musicians, etc).
3. Haves great relationships with different booking agents.
4. Packs an entrepreneurial drive.
5. Has the willingness to work for 'FREE'.

Go on and press 'PLAY', and let the wealth of insight flow through your ears. I hope you all enjoy! Also, feel free to check out my blog entry about "HOW TO MAKE MONEY OFF YOUR MUSIC?"

How to Make Money Off Your Music

   
     Hello everyone, and first off, thanks for visiting my blog! It has been over a few months now since I started my "Maestro Management" blog. It is mind-boggling to me that each time I logon to post another entry. I notice I have new subscribers and my blog page views increases each month. Wow! Thanks so much, I really do appreciate your support! With that being said, I have yet another awesome blog entry for you all, and I do mean AWESOME! I have some great information and tips that will be helpful to you, whether you are an inspiring musician, artist, or artist manager. This information will be of great benefit to you. I am going to give you a few tips on "How to Make Money Off Your Music". Artist managers listen up!  The information that I'm providing in this blog entry will also help you make your artist money off their music too. So, let's get started!

     Okay, so you just put the last finishing touches on your single, project, mixtape, LP, EP, collection, album or whatever you want to call it. Let's just call it 'music' (I know, redundant) for the sake of this blog entry. Now, you finally have a finished product, and you're ready to share your music with the world. Great! In the process of sharing your music with the world, you book a couple of gigs and flood your website and/or social media pages promoting your music. You and/or your management team have already invested a lot into your musical career (i.e, recording, photo shoots, distribution, mastering, legal documents, and the list goes on). Becoming a well-rounded artist or musician doesn't come cheap. Which is why, generating some revenue is a very crucial part of the success of an artist. But, worry no more my friends, I have put together 3 simple tips (I love simple tips) to help you make money off your music.

TIP #1 - Actively Sell CDs (simple but, highly underrated)
      What better way for an artist/musician to promote their music career, than performing in front of a live audience? I’ll tell you, there isn’t. This is why the few musicians actively selling their music at shows often surprise me.  I am a die-hard music lover and I nearly jump at every chance to attend local performances, showcases, and concerts. As I said before, I have witnessed very few artist mention they have CDs or merchandise for sale after their performance or show. With that being said, some artists, once they’re done performing would say, “check me out on iTunes at yada yada or blah blah blah”. It’s sad, but those are the exact words I hear whenever an artist wants me to go on the web to hear or purchase their music. Unless, the artist’s music is really good, the chances of me following up with the artist on ITunes are slim to none.  This is why I encourage every musician or artist performing in front of a live audience. Mention to the audience during and after their performance that they have CDs and/or merchandise to sell for anybody that’s interested.

      Simple but, highly underrated. Work the crowd—get out there and sales some CDs. You'll be surprise to the many music-lovers like myself that are willing to purchase your music. There are plenty of artists promoting their music on iTunes and through other publishing channels. Unless, you are a widely known musician or buzzing artist, it will be pretty hard for a consumer to filter through the clutter of other musician’s music on iTunes or the web. Keep in mind that iTunes’s music library contains over 25 million songs alone. So by doing the legwork and going into the crowd, you will make more money then you would by standing around and waiting for your iTunes profits to grow-- that's if you are an inspiring musician.

Bonus tip: Be authentic when selling your music. Don’t just jump right in with the sale; start with small conversation. Ex. asks the potential buyers, “how they're doing, or anything else you can find relevant to the conversation.

TIP #2 - Collect Royalties
      Let's talk royalties. Many artist pass up the chance to receive royalties from their live performances, or (in the words of my late grandfather) they just "don't know what they don't know" (think about it?). Whenever your music is performed in public places, you earn money via Royalty Collection Companies. Venues that are licensed are required to pay performance fees to play music in their venue. If you (artist) fail to register your music with a royalty collection company, then you could be missing out on a big opportunities to cash in on live performances of your music. There are a lot of royalty collection companies out there that will scout for royalty payments due to their clients (i.e., SoundExchange, BMI, TuneCore, etc.).

TIP #3 -  Gigs, Gigs, and more Gigs!
      Paid gigs are the best gigs! Unfortunately, in the music world the truth is that most music gigs are not exactly just that-- paid gigs. However, depending on the persistence of the artists and/or their management team building up a fan base. The artists can increase their chances of receiving a paid gig by putting on shows where their fans are willing to pay to see them perform live. Now, this is an ideal situation for any artist. However, unpaid gigs are not bad either, they provide great exposure opportunities for a growing artist. Once you gain more performance experience and add more to your performance resumé so to speak, consider entertaining the fact of booking paid gigs with different venues. You or your manager can work out the way you would receive compensation for your performances. Whether, 1.) taking a percentage of the door sales or 2.) receiving a prorated amount to perform. If you do decide to go along with the second option. Be sure to collect any dues owed to you before you perform. This will help prevent any fraud issues or future conflicts. As always, document everything and seek advice from an entertainment attorney (click here to read my blog entry on why it's important to get an entertainment attorney) if needed.

      The following 3 tips above are just mere examples on how any artist can make money off their music. I really do hope you all find this information to be helpful to you and apply these tips to your music career. If you would like to learned more about other industry topics in the world of entertainment feel free to browse through my blog. A good blog entry from my blog to check out is "What is Copyright Protection?" Thanks for reading and check back later on Maestro Management for my latest post.

My Visit to Entertainment Law Update

     This week I had the pleasure in visiting a very informative entertainment site called, Entertainment Law Update. Now, for those who are unfamiliar with Entertainment Law Update, it is an online platform where entertainment attorneys Gordon P. Firemark and Tamera H. Bennett host a series of podcasts where they discuss legal news, analyze court cases, and provide their own commentary on other legal matters in the world of entertainment. While browsing through the many podcasts available on Entertainment Law Update, two distinctive podcasts caught my attention, podcast episode 23: 'Monkeying Around with Copyright Law' and podcast episode 33: 'Cease and Desist, but Nicely'. After I listened to both podcasts in its entirety, I took away some valuable information to apply throughout my career in the entertainment industry.  Whether starting my company, or working for other businesses. Knowing a great deal of the topics discussed in both podcast episodes would be helpful.

     Copyright Law was the main topic of Entertainment Law Update’s podcast episode 23 - 'Monkeying Around with Copyright Law'.  One case both Gordon and Tamera  (the hosts) talked about was Warner Bros. winning their copyright infringement lawsuit against AVELA. Warner Bros. sued AVELA for infringing on their copyrighted characters from the Wizard of Oz film, and other protected works Warner Bros. own (i.e. Gone with the Wind and several Tom & Jerry short films. The famous children's novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz recently entered the public domain. The company AVELA began to shop around restored images from the Wizard of Oz film onto nostalgic type merchandise. Gordon talked about how Warner Bros. sued and won the case because the district court stated that, “the film copyrights cover 'all visual depictions' of the characters”. I found this information to be helpful because I occasionally reference work sitting in the public domain (well, at least I thought was sitting in the public domain as reported by faulty public domain sites).  Knowing that derivatives of works sitting in the public domain can still be protected under copyright could be a ‘copyright deathtrap’ to the untrained eye.  To prevent this from ever occurring in my line of business in the future, I most definitely will be extensively researching any works I reference or use from the public domain.

     In Entertainment Law Update’s podcast episode 33 - 'Cease and Desist, but Nicely'. Gordon and Tamera shared how an author by the name of Patrick Wensink was gearing up to publish a book entitled, “Broken Piano For President”.  However, Wensink ‘s book cover bared a remarkable resemblance to the Jack Daniel’s Liquor Brand label. Jack Daniel’s immediately sent out a cease and desist letter to Wensink ‘s book publisher. Instead of lashing out in harsh legal terms (typically seen in most cease and desist letters), attorneys from Jack Daniel’s camp took a more subtle approach. Jack Daniel’s cease and desist letter to Wensink ‘s book publisher read:

"We are certainly flattered by your affection for the brand," it states in a very unlawyerly manner, continuing "because you are both a Louisville"neighbor" and a fan of the brand, we simply request that you change the cover design when the book is re-printed. If you would be willing to change the design sooner than that... we would be willing to contribute a reasonable amount towards the costs of doing so."

     Wow! Such a polite cease and desist letter, wouldn’t you agree? My take away from this podcast would be to approach any and every problem with kindness first. Most people are receptive to kind words than harsh words; no matter what the circumstance. As Gordon says, “you’ll catch more flies with honey” -- I whole-heartily standby this statement. In result, Wensink and his book publisher changed the book cover.  If in the future of my career I encounter infringement issues. I plan to replicate Jack Daniel’s subtle approach whenever sending out cease and desist letters to other parties. 

     Hopefully, this post helps those wanting to acquire more information regarding copyrighted content in the public domain and effectively resolving infringement conflicts through cease and desist letters.   I guess, I have found my new entertainment ‘hotspot’ over at entertainmentlawupdate.com. I strongly recommend those wanting to learn more about entertainment law and how it is applied to real life cases visit Entertainment Law Update, as well.

RESPONSE: What is Copyright Protection?

     One question I get asked quite often from friends is, “what is copyright protection”. Since I constantly get asked this question, I figured I should share my response online and refer many who ask about ‘copyright protection’ to my blog to get a better understanding about copyright protection (great idea, right?). Now, I will not be providing a full detailed ‘college course’ about copyright protection. However, I’m going to provide some of the basics many need to know about copyright protection. If anyone would like to learn more about copyright protection, I strongly recommend  that you do some extended research online and read many different copyright protection books out there. One great copyright protection book that could be of a big help if your  looking to learn more about copyright protection is Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks For Dummies by Henri J. A. Charmasson and John Buchaca. Also, getting a copy of the Copyright Basics from the Library of Congress could help, as well.

What is copyright protection?

     Under Federal law, copyright protection protects “original works of authorship fixed in any tangible medium of expression.”  Copyright protection does not protect mere ideas or concepts. In order for any work, to be protected under copyright:

• The “work” has to be original and creative.
• The work has to be something “tangible,” i.e. physical. For example, if someone were to create a song in their head. The song will need to be written down or record (even a bad take of the song is fine, too) in order for the work (song) to be protected under copyright protection. 

What does Copyright Protection protect?

     Another thing to remember about copyright protection is that if someone was to think of/create something creative and original and decides to fix that creation into a physical form. Then, depending on the type of work, it will be assigned with a number of particular copyrights (what is being protected under copyright protection).  Those rights may include, which is also known as RP-3D:

RP-3D

•  R - Reproduce: the right to reproduce the work. Remember that song that was created and made tangible, well now it is protected under copyright with regards to any reproductions of the song. For instance, if someone were to reproduce a copyrighted song without permission. They could be penalized with legal force because they are infringing on copyrighted material. This same concept applies to the 4 additional forms of copyright protection down below;
• P - Perform: the right to perform the work publicly.
• D - Derivative: the right to make derivative works based on that work.
• D - Distribute: the right to sell & distribute copies of the work to the public.
• D - Display: the right to display the work publicly (i.e., paintings, sculptures, etc.). 

     There are many other factors to consider regarding Copyright Protection. As I mentioned before, I was not going to be diving deep into the concepts of copyright protection. I simply wanted to provide to many inquiring minds a basic of understanding of what is copyright protection and what is protected under copyright protection. Again, I strongly recommend that anyone wanting to know more copyright protection to do some extensive research online and check out Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks For Dummies by Henri J. A. Charmasson and John Buchaca, and Copyright Basics from the Library of Congress to get a more in-depth understanding of copyright protection. Understanding the purpose of copyright protection and how it works in the entertainment industry could help many wanting to protect their work (i.e, artist, companies, managers, records labels, sculptors, photographers, writers, and many other creative individuals).

Ways to Stay Relevant in the Entertainment Industry

     As many of us can attest, keeping up with the times can be very challenging at times, especially in the entertainment industry. However, many industry experts have proved over time, in order to remain relevant in the entertainment industry one must yield to change to keep up with the times. For instance, take a look at Cher. Cher has continuously reinvented both her music and image over the past five decades she has been in the entertainment industry. There are many other artists, industry professionals (managers, record execs, etc.), actors, companies, athletes, etc. that have all achieved what many other find to be challenging to do through the years; which is staying relevant through the industry time changes.

     Now, in an effort to help many industry professionals (especially musicians) out there stay relevant with the times. I have put together three simple approaches anyone can implement to ensure they are ‘with the times’.

1.     Update Your Website

     The only way back then to keep up with your favorite celebrity or industry professional was to read the local newspaper articles, watch television interviews, review their resumé, or contact them via the information provided on their business card. In today’s age that all has changed, we now have the luxury of reading articles, watching interviews, reviewing their resumé, and contacting them via email by simply visiting their website. Which is why it is vital that many artists, industry professionals (managers, record execs, etc.), actors, companies, athletes, etc. regularly update their website with information to stay relevant and up-to-date with the times. Also updating the appearance and software integration on your website is necessary, too. No one wants to visit a website where the software or plugins are no longer supported in the current market. Updating your website keeps your followers aware of your status in the industry. If people were to stumbled upon your website and see that there has not been any updates on your website in a few years, perhaps they would assume your currently not operating in the industry at the moment. To those who do not have a website at the moment, do not worry. Steps 2 and/or 3 down below could be of benefit to you.  Although, consider investing in a website, there are many self-publishing sites out on the web (i.e., Weebly, WordPress, Wix, Squarespace, etc.) or consider hiring a web contractor (invest wisely).

2.     Join Social Media

     Joining social media is extremely valuable when it comes to staying relevant with the times of the entertainment industry. There are many different social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Path, Myspace, and many more that act as a 'PA system' for ones’ thoughts, products, and promotions. I am not telling you to go out and flood the universe with random content on social media sites. However, try working within the medium of staying relevant by consistently updating your content, and interacting with others (whether it be with others in your prospective field or others that support your profession). Although, when joining social media pay close attention to where you receive the most traffic, meaning which social media site are you most relevant on. Creating a ‘virtual’ presence is essential wherever your followers gather; otherwise you are just simply wasting your time on social media sites that do not keep you up-to-date with the times.

3.     Say “Hello” to YouTube

     If you are an artist or industry professional and want to remain relevant in the public eye, joining YouTube will help do just that. For those who are unaware, “more than 1 billion unique users visit YouTube each month, over 6 billion hours of video are watched each month on YouTube—that's almost an hour for every person on Earth, and 50% more than last year, and 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute.” Many artists/professionals have launched their careers or maintained relevance within the entertainment industry, all thanks to YouTube (I.e, Justin Beiber, Jimmy Kimmel, and Larry King, just to name a few). The amount of things one could do by only creating a YouTube account is boundless (performing, tutorials, vlogs, etc.). YouTube also provides great opportunities for earning revenue, via the Partner Program and is one of many ways an artist or industry professional could maintain his/her relevance’s through the forever-changing times.

     Remembering to Update Your Website, Join Social Media, and join the YouTube world will not only help build/restore/secure your relevance’s in the entertainment industry, but it will also keep one in the loop of cultural and time changes in the industry. I strongly recommend that any artists, industry professionals (managers, record execs, etc.), actors, companies, athletes, etc. follow the three steps I have provided above, in return,  your career will be rewarded with longevity.

Interview: Daniel Flores’s Take On Negotiating

     Daniel Flores is the co-founder of Maximum Entertainment Group located in Orlando, Florida. Maximum Entertainment Group specializes in sound recording, music lessons, and artist development. Daniel Flores is the son of an Army Veteran, born in Leominster, Massachusetts. Daniel grew up in Longwood, Florida where he graduated from Lyman High School and received a Business Degree specializing in Marketing from the University of Central Florida. Daniel’s passion for the art of recording and creating music is what inspired him to open up his own recording studio. Daniel says he wanted to, “create a facility where artist, musicians, and students could develop themselves to their fullest potential.” Daniel prides himself on doing just that; he shared with me that being a creative individual and business owner could be very challenging whenever “negotiations” enter the picture.

     Daniel says, “Negotiating with others can always be a tricky thing because in the back of everyone's mind, they either want a reasonable deal or a very reasonable deal.” When negotiating with others, Daniel tends to separate the people from the problem in his day-to-day business by focusing on what “the other side is offering and what I have to offer to them,” said by Daniel. He shared that to many times people get lost in things that do not matter once a deal is resolve. Keeping your eye on the ultimate prize (which is the problem) is what matters most in a negotiation.

     In addition to focusing on the problem in a negotiation, Daniel also talked about not doing business with others he feels wants to take advantage of him or frequently uses dirty tricks. “I do not do business with anyone who tries to take advantage of me, he says. Deal Making is all about trusting one another and fulfilling each other’s needs. If anyone tries to play a dirty trick in a negotiation, the trust has already been broken.” Daniel suggest that everyone stay away from making deals with others who is only out to “wring you dry.”

     Toward the end of my interview with Daniel Flores, he felt the need to elaborate on the importance of mutual gain. Daniel honestly believes in the term “win-win” and recommends that anyone entering a negotiation remember the term to. Daniel talked about how mutual gain is not when one person in the negotiation winds up with the short end of the stick. Mutual gain is based off a scale of “give and take.” What are both parties willing to sacrifice to meet each other’s needs? Daniel uses a strategy that would be best described as creating optimal solutions to evaluate mutual gain in a negotiation. This way both parties get a chance to understand each other’s needs.

     My negotiation interview with Maximum Entertainment Group’s co-founder Daniel Flores was very informing. I got a chance to see how Daniel separates people from the problem in his business, how he would react to dirty tricks in a negotiation, and I also learned how he implemented mutual gain in his negotiations. Some may agree with Daniel's skills and some may not. What I learned in my interview with Daniel is that different professions require different negotiating tactics and skills. No one can walk away from a negotiation with all of his or her proposals in tact. It is all about working together as a team to reach a fair resolution for both parties involved in a negotiation.

The Value of Effective Decision Making

Throughout my life I made some effective decisions and some non-effective decisions down the way. I recall making non-effective decisions when my department manager left for vacation. I was appointed my manager's duties for the week. Which entitled setting schedules, timing breaks, coaching, and more. The only problem was that I was so happy to take a break from my usual position. I let my newly appointed responsibilities slip away from me. I didn’t set team goals for the day nor did I coach or assist my team effectively. I had to remember that I was appointed to take over for my manager because I was responsible, displayed great leadership skills, and utilize proper work ethics. The "Value of Effective Decision Making" is very important, no matter what profession.

I recently visited one of my favorites sites that promotes "essential skills for an excellent career", MindTool.com. To those who are familiar with my blog, you'll pick up a since that I'm fond of MindTool.com. It is such an awesome website! MindTool.com is filled with articles, surveys, quizzes, books, exercises that promotes essential skills for an excellent career. Now, in regards to effective decision making. I wanted to get a better understanding of my decision making process, to improve, and prevent non-effective decision habits from occurring ever again whenever I'm tackling or appointed a new task. In order to get a better understanding on my decision making skills I chose to take the Mind Tool's - How Good Is Your Decision - Making? quiz.

One thing I really like about MindTool.com and the quizzes posted on the site, is that once you complete the quiz the site provides you with sources to improve your inquiring skill. After taking the 18 question quiz I received a score of 59 out of 90. Here's my score interpretation:

43-66: Your decision-making process is OK. You have a good understanding of the basics, but now you need to improve your process and be more proactive. Concentrate on finding lots of options and discovering as many risks and consequences as you can. The better your analysis, the better your decision will be in the long term. Focus specifically on the areas where you lost points, and develop a system that will work for you across a wide variety of situations. (MindTool.com)

Knowing the "Value of Effective Decision Making" would have helped me make effective decisions while I was covering for my manager. From coaching my team effectively, to providing them with their goals for the day. Making effective decisions is vital in every profession and will only work if exercised. When my manager came back from his vacation, he walked in to a stress free environment and thanked me for "holding down the fort", as he would call it. To me it was not just about making effective decisions for my manager, job, or team. It was more so about making effective decisions for myself, to utilize throughout my career. Sometimes our egos or ease of comfort can be our biggest demise in our careers. Remember each decision presents its own challenges, and we all have different ways of approaching problems; just make sure you approach the problem effectively.

I would recommend to all career professionals, go take the Mind Tool's - How Good Is Your Decision - Making? quiz. It will not only provide insight on making effective decisions in work or team environments, but it will also strengthen one's own decision making process.