Do Parents Allow the Entertainment Industry to Eat Their Young?

In today’s society we know that the moral fiber of our communities is in peril. Why then, do we not protect our children? We have a responsibility to safeguard our most vulnerable; instead, we prematurely catapult them into a world they are not mature enough to handle and destroy their innocence.

Frequently, I am asked by parents and friends of aspiring “stars” to offer my opinion about getting their child into show business. Recently my publicist, Marsha Friedman, President of Event Management sent me the following question:

“…After the performance I spoke with her mom (who was in tears the whole time) about their incredible daughter and her future. Their daughter's dream is to be on stage singing professionally…I said I would forward some information to you - to get your thoughts.”

After much contemplation, I wrote to the parents (excerpt):

“No matter how strong your daughter or your dream is, wait until she is 18 to try for stardom. She is already doing what she most wants, and that is to be on stage. Once she is 18 and you are ready for her to sell sex to other teenagers and older men in their 20's - 60's, she will be better equipped to handle the response, as you will be also...”

These words may strike you as unnecessarily candid, and perhaps a touch vulgar, but the reality is that most parents and children do NOT dream of just “being on stage.” If that was the sole requirement for their happiness, then local stage performances (a much safer avenue) would satisfy their dream. Since the child may already be doing that, there would be no more questions as the goal would have been achieved. Sadly, the aim as stated is wrong. What the parents and child really want is stardom, without knowing the cost.

They focus on the Hollywood dream and convince themselves that the path to stardom will be a romantic ride. The fantasy is filled with adoring fans, endless wealth, eternal fame and glamorous travel. This illusion inevitably fades, and what remains is disappointment, heartache, bills and endless travel (in less than desirable circumstances). More ominously, some of the “adoring fans” may actually be obsessed with the child, to the point of danger. This should not be entirely surprising as the child is being sold to look like the American male fantasy of an adult woman.

Many people reading this article will be convinced that I am wrong, or at least exaggerating. I ask you to consider the last time you saw a child “star” that looked like a child in their videos? The typical images are a 15 year old Britney Spears, a 14 year old JoJo, or a 13 year old Leanne Rimes.

When Spears came into the public eye, she was dressed like a Catholic school girl, seducing the audience with, “Ooh, baby baby.” Leanne Rimes was dressed in a black satin outfit singing, “How Do I Live Without You.” (It should be noted that her ‘look’ would be considered tame by today’s standards.) Why are they dressed this way? Frankly, the music industry sells sex, sex sells.

These girls (although Leanne and Britney are now adults) are talented and beautiful, yet they are strategically packaged to entice older men. The fans who are young teenage girls don’t care whether the artists are sexy when they purchase music. However, continually seeing their idols dressed seductively has made them aware of sexuality and they want to dress the same way. This contributes to the cheapening of children’s values and image, and the cycle continues.

Recently, I was running on the treadmill at the gym when I was stunned by what I saw on one of the news channels. It was a feature about a modeling contest for children limited to those twelve and under. The winner would receive a one million dollar modeling contract, which of course sounds amazing! However, as the clip continued, mouths dropped throughout the gym. Three girls (under 12 – contest requirements) dressed in skimpy bikinis were being drenched with water and gazing at the camera like they wanted to seduce each man watching. If the girls were twenty five, aware of what they were doing and, as adults, making their own decisions, I wouldn’t think much about it. However, the participation of twelve year olds is horrifying. Child pornography is universally condemned and pedophiles treated with not only revulsion, but the full force of the law. Doesn’t this fall under the same category, just corporately condoned?

In my opinion, prostituting children in this manner is perpetuating child pornography in a purportedly “legal” manner. This practice needs to be stopped. While the music industry to date, has not participated in such an extreme level of exploitation of children, I still believe that children should be kept out of the music industry on a professional level until they are at least 18. Even with the strongest family support possible, they are not emotionally equipped to handle the issues that will inevitably emerge. Realistically, however, I know that children will continue to be signed and sold long before their eighteenth birthdays, let me offer some practical advice.

1. From a financial perspective, learn the business inside and out. You MUST know: Who gets what, and why? How much was made, or lost? What is the bottom line? If you don’t make this a priority, you will join the host of famous artists who have been forced to claim bankruptcy.

2. Put together a dazzling press kit. People receiving the kit must be enticed into opening the package, so you will have to present your child in their best light. The demo must be well produced and include four of your child’s best numbers. Keep in mind that each song will be listened to for about thirty seconds before moving on to the next piece. It’s possible to make a pretty impressive demo on your own for about two thousand dollars, including pressing. Don’t fall victim to the scam of someone guaranteeing stardom for your child with a professionally cut demo if you simply write a ten thousand dollar check.

3. If possible, establish a track record of sales BEFORE any contact with recording labels. (Get your CD listed on Soundscan.) You’ll have greater bargaining power if you know your product value prior to negotiating.

4. If a label finances the recording of a CD, it is a loan, NOT a gift, and must be paid back. The recording industry is a business, not a charity. Beware of becoming competitors insurance. If you fall into that trap, you may lose everything. (I detail all of this in my book, The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money.)

5. The phrase is, accurately, “Show Business,” and your child must be prepared to put on a “show,” just as you and they need to learn the “business.” Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Madonna and Justin Timberlake are great examples of how this is done and the work involved to sustain sell-out crowds.

6. Provide acting, vocal and dance lessons for your child, and register them for writing classes. Writers currently receive 8.5 cents per song on a CD, while the artist generally receives one point per album. Writers make the most money, with little or no initial investment. Make sure you understand how to legitimately copyright music. The aptly named ‘poor man’s copyright’ won’t hold up in court.

7. Avoid anyone stating that for an upfront fee, they can make your child a star. Managers and agents get paid a percentage in the range of 10-20%. Managers usually receive 10-15%, while agents receive 15-20%. You also need to know and understand the difference between managers and agents. Similarly, lawyers shopping a deal for your child on his/her own volition will take a percentage of the contract. (Lawyers that you hire on your own request must be paid up front.)

8. Marketing and promotion are imperative and can be very expensive. Labels have access to promotion capabilities that most individuals cannot afford. However, there is no limit or cost to imagination, so be creative! Affordable promotion can be attainable.

9. Develop personal relationships with contacts at the labels. Once you get to know people, they may offer you a special code to put on the outside of your package which signals to the front desk that your package is requested. (simply writing “material requested” on the outside of the package will not work) DON’T submit anything without permission; most throw unsolicited press kits in the garbage and a few return them unopened. Warner Brothers sends a nice note referencing legal concerns, while Disney sends a nicer more detailed note explaining their policy around copyright laws. Don’t waste valuable product and time.

Currently, many people are considering the ‘American Idol’ route, while forgetting that only one person in the 22 million that showed up for auditions last year actually made it.

One last note: Label representation can be an awesome thing, but you must know the business first! There is much more detailed and valuable information in my book, “The Indie Guide To Music, Marketing and Money” ISBN 978-0-9746229-4-1. Additionally, my website contains a number of applicable articles on the music industry which can be accessed free of charge. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors.

About Author:
Jaci Rae is the #1 Nationally Best Selling author of “The Indie Guide To Music, Marketing and Money” ISBN 978-0-9746229-4-1 and “Winning Points with the Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time.”

Jaci also hosts the popular “Jaci Rae Show,” heard live around the world. With top music executives that share insiders information such as: Thom King (former VP of Clear Channel who now tells it like it is and works in getting sponsors for artists), Mike Corbet (former A&R for Mariah Carey, et.), Peter Visvardis former Director of A&R for Sony Records, Harvey Cooper former VP of RCA Records, Jordan Keller legal counsel for The Backstreet Boys, etc.
To gain valuable career advice, tune in every Thursday night at 8 PM PST, by going to: www.jacirae.com and clicking on the weekly show link to find out who’s on and how to tune in. Guests can email their questions live.
Dubbed by the media as "Racy Jaci" because of her quick wit and "The Rae of Hope," for her powerful insight, please make sure to check her out at: http://www.jacirae.com To a better day in every way ~ Jaci Rae “The Rae of Hope”

Article Source: http://www.amazines.com/

Become A Better Musician With Better Practice Habits

As with anything in life, you will become a better musician the more you practice and even though you can't expect to be an overnight sensation in most cases, you can dramatically increase your performance by the way you practice.

Most people don't think about warming up before practicing their music but just like an athlete it will help you to perform better and learn faster. Always warm up before you begin practicing to settle your nerves and get your body relaxed so that you will get the best results from your practice session.

Another crucial aspect to practicing music is setting realistic and attainable goals. Very few people can sit down and play a son perfectly with just a little practice, it takes time and repetition. Many musical scores may take weeks of practice just to master one song. For exceptionally long pieces, separate them into sections and concentrate on a particular section during each practice session.

Strategy is also important, especially when trying to learn a complex piece of music. You can play a tough to learn section repeatedly until you get it down or you can play it more slowly than intended and gradually increase the speed until you are playing at the tempo the music was written for.

Before you begin to play a certain piece of music, analyze it to determine the style it is supposed to be played in, what the timing should be, and the speed in which it is meant to be played. It is best to read over the entire piece a couple of times first so that you will know what the music should be played like before you get started.

If your aim is to become as good a musician as possible you need to practice as much as you can. When you see professional musicians who seem to play so flawlessly, you can believe that they practice their craft for several hours daily with extreme dedication.

You should break your practices up into segments such as this:

First you should warm up, going though through scales, chords, arpeggios, and book warm-up exercises before attempting a complicated piece of music.

The next step should to practice increasing the speed of your play by beginning at a slower tempo then moving up. This is similar to what we mentioned above about learning a difficult song.

Another way to help you to learn to read music better is to attempt to play an entire sheet of music you have never done. Doing this will assist you in your reading skill and enable you to learn to play new music much faster.

Mastering the art of music isn't something that can be done overnight, it takes years of practice and dedication.

About Author:
Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about music and Mp3 Accessories at http://www.musicstoreplusmore.com

Article Source: http://www.my-articles.com

Building A Fanbase For Your Band

The secret to getting press for your band or attention from radio, magazines, newspapers is building your fanbase.

Are you a new band just starting out and trying to get people to come out to your shows? Has your band been out for a few years and you are still having trouble getting people to care about your music? These are common situations that happen in every music scene in the country. Bands and musicians that get written about in the newspaper or talked about on the local radio show are those that are putting in the time to promote themselves.

When a musician here's the word "marketing" or "promotion", there's usually a frown or sign of dread on their faces. There are simple things you can do to promote your band that require little or no effort. Obviously, if you are willing to pound the pavement and go to other bands live shows, areas with lots of foot-traffic and local shopping areas/entertainment districts, you'll run into other people you know or some people you've seen at local shows. But, for a moment, let's say that you are a musician that has a busy day job and does not have the time to do lots of groundwork now.

Here's a basic list of questions you can ask yourself. The internet is a powerful tool and sending out e-mails is a simple way to get the ball rolling for your band.

1 - Do you create flyers & handbills for every show you play in your hometown?

(if your answer is "No", you might consider creating one in a small quantity. You can take your design and post it online at numerous places to get the word out about your next show. It takes little time and requires you sitting in front of your computer for an hour or so)

2 - Do you send out an email or press release to your local entertainment writers at the various newspapers or entertainment magazines in your hometown?

(the next time you go out to your local entertainment district, pick up 1 copy of every newspaper and magazine that services your local area. Somewhere on the first 2 pages of the newspaper is a "masthead". That tells you every staff writer that works for that paper. Write down the mailing address of that publication and the Entertainment Writer or Editor. They usually have e-mail addresses or website listings there, as well. Visit their website and look in the staff section for contact information. Add them to your "industry" e-mail folder.)

3 - Are there message boards in your hometown you can visit? Is there a way to chat with people online about your show?

(Set up an account and contribute to the discussions on the boards. Plug your next show in the "signature" of your screen name. Don't be obnoxious and post shamelessly all over the boards. You score points with your peers by bringing something of value (ie. practical knowledge) to whatever discussion they are talking about. Whether it's a favorite band thread or album of the year, or local topics. Post where appropriate and always be sure to update your signature with the most current gig)

4 - Usually, the concert calendar in your local newspaper is a separate contact than your entertainment writer. Do you make sure that all of your concert information (all of the bands on the bill, venue, address, ticket price, start time, all ages or 21+, etc) is sent to them?

(In some situations, the concert calendar will use live pictures of bands that are performing that week. If they do not have a picture of your band, you will probably be relegated to the one or two line blurb about your show. This is better than nothing. Lots of people read those concert listings over coffee and a bagel, so it's worth the time to make sure you are listed.)

5 - Is all of your information accurate on your Myspace, Facebook, Purevolume, [Artistopia] or other networking pages?
(Whether you like those places or not is irrelevant. They are proven avenues for you to promote your band. You don't have to have a page setup with them, but it won't hurt you to do so.)

6 - Do you have an e-mail list of people you can send your next show info to?

The most important question musicians can ask themselves is "Am I doing something every single day to promote my band or telling someone about our show?" Venue owners depend on bands that can draw to keep their doors open. Bands need a place to play. In most situations, it's a good relationship that benefits both parties. You will get booked on better drawing shows or shows with out-of-state bands on it, if you can demonstrate that you have a fanbase.

This list of questions and answers is structured to be a "primer" for you to begin attracting new faces to your shows. It's not a surefire way and is based on my experience working with bands over the last 10 years. Handing out flyers, talking to people on the street and supporting other musicians in your scene are other great ways to meet new people and turn them on to your band.

About Author:
Joe Cinocca is the owner of Pasadena Records and Music Supervisor for Tandem Arts in Los Angeles, CA.
http://www.myspace.com/pasadenarecords
http://www.tandemarts.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Jam Sessions - The Secret Of Becoming A Superb Musician

Music is something that has to be made, played, appreciated and enjoyed together. While it's great that you can listen to your favorite CD in the car and sing along (when no one is looking) the fact of the matter is that music is better enjoyed with friends. When you're a musician, this doesn't change. You don't become a brilliant musician by staying in your room all day and practicing your scales. You have to step out and join other musicians, learn from them, and find out that true creativity is not done solo. The closet is honestly not a very good teacher.

Jam sessions are the way to do this. This is when musicians get together and just... well, jam. Someone starts a groove, a lick, or a melody and the rest of the musicians are inspired and pick it up - letting the music take them wherever it wants to go.

Being a musician requires two things : head and soul. Most musicians have either a lot of the one and too little of the other. Musicians with a lot of 'head' know all the technical aspects of music - what mode to play when, which notes work best over which chord progressions, what kind of groove is good for a specific time signature etc. Musicians ought to know these things. But musicians that are on this side of the scale tend to lack a serious amount of creativity - they live in the box, and music is supposed to be about breaking free from the box.

The other type of musician - the one with a lot of soul - is usually the kind of musician with a lot of natural talent. He can play a groove well, or can easily pick up notes with his ear and play them. He is very creative, but has no idea how to actually structure that creativity in an effective way. Usually, he is the 'misunderstood' musician - he struggles to work with others, and tends to feel frustrated with them. The truth is that he is less of a musician if he can't work with others, and needs to learn how.

To be a fantastic musician, is to be a well rounded musician. This is why jam sessions are so important - they help a musician to acquire the skills that he lacks. A musician with a lot of soul learns how to structure his talent into a song, learning when to play and when not to play. A musician with a lot of 'head' and technical knowledge learns how to break free from his box a little and just let his creativity take over. This is why band's should jam, and to jam A LOT. They learn each other's (and their own) strengths, weaknesses, and learn how to 'play off' each other and inspire each other. Many a fantastic song has been written out of a jam session. Take for instance U2's "Pride (in the name of love)" - that song was written in a jam session during a sound check. U2 is a good example of a band that writes their albums from jam sessions - that's when the creativity is flowing.

Jam sessions teach musicians a number of things :

1) Songwriting - which we've discussed above.

2) Groove. A lot of technical guitarists or even drummers lack groove, which is a very bad weakness. When a jam session is going, the subtle difference between groove and sound starts becoming evident. Also, it's helpful to jam with a metronome, as it can help all the musicians to learn how to keep their rhythm in time - even if only the drummer jams with a metronome.

3) Tone. Not just guitarists need to worry - or get excited - about tone. All the musicians, including the singer and the drummer, learn during a jam session how to tweak their ear to the subtle frequencies going on, and adjust their tone to fill in the gaps that are missing, and complement the other instruments.

4) Dynamics. To know when to play, and when not to play. Many great musicians have said that it's not so much what you put in, but what you leave out, that makes a great song.

5) Using your skill tastefully. Shredding the guitar at breakneck speeds are fantastic to look at, but if every song has that kind of solo, it gets boring very quickly. In Jam sessions, you learn melody and note-placing very easy, so that when you break out into a lightning speed solo it's tasteful more than just plain showmanship.

The benefit from jam sessions cannot be understated - and once you start them, you will soon find out that they're way more fun than just going over the arrangements of a song over and over again. Jam sessions also improve your confidence - both as a musician and as a band - preparing you for the live performance, and allowing you to relax into your instrument.

About the Author:
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

Article Source: ArticlesMaker.com

Musicians Covering the Recently Covered

When bands, especially rock bands, cover songs, it usually cheapens the original song. Bands should respect the song's creator and resist the urge to interpret the song or modify the song. Bands need to learn that to be progressive in the music industry, new bands must create from scratch.

Here’s a thought. Is it reasonable to assume that if a replica of Michelangelo’s David was conjured and displayed downtown at the Museum of Fine Arts, it might be worth glancing at? Perhaps; especially to one who might appreciate ancient art forms. However, what if one were to learn that the original has been presented in a room adjacent to the impostor? All at once the copy becomes almost pointless and will probably be ignored. However, the true problem arises out of the mental inception that there now exists two of the same. This hypothetical phenomenon is not without its true-life applications.

The world of music has endured cover songs for ages. In the past decade, the mainstream rock scene in particular has suffered the remanufacturing of these creations in an over abundance. An original tune strung together only eight or nine years ago has no business being reconditioned in a “better” form by a contemporary artist deemed worthy by radio and Top 40 popularity standards. Not only is the charlatan song usually an insult to the genuine twin, it’s just plain annoying to think that a respected band or performer may have been either too lazy to write innovative material or was not very talented in the first place. This desperate action of regurgitation seems to be the popular copout of our day; can’t think of novel material, steal someone else’s and mask it with a fashionable style. When a reproduction exists in the same intersection of time and space, the original loses a certain significance of uniqueness.

Case in point, the band Shinedown, also known as the talented musicians responsible for the tune “45”; a popular original song pleasingly reminiscent of an old school Guns and Roses quality. Even though their attitude and style of music is honest and fairly refreshing, they screwed up when they covered the memorable Lynard Skynard anthem “Simple Man”. Though a decent attempt at the rendition of a classic, Shinedown frontman Brent Smith isn’t the late Ronnie Van Zant, thereby could not communicate the passion or timelessness of the original.

What’s worse than a mainstream band attempting to mimic the real thing? a mainstream band attempting to improve on the real thing. Alien Ant Farm poked a once respected Michael Jackson hit, Fred Durst desecrates The Who, and fairly recently AFI has joined in on the copy-cat debacle. A formerly well liked band in the broad spectrum of popular rock, AFI has taken advantage of their ample nationwide radio play time to remake a twelve year old Nine Inch Nails recording of “Head Like A Hole”; a song still fresh in the minds of a relevant 20-something generation of alternative-rock fans. Without Trent Reznor’s dark lyrical presence, fundamental to the song’s success and devoid of the industrial-metal sound NIN expertly synthesized at its birth, AFI doesn’t even graze the bulls-eye.

The bottom line is that cover songs are anti-progressive in that they distract new talent from developing their own innovative material. Instead of feeding a revolution of fresh concepts and new direction, modern bands seem to be dwelling in the past too often. It’s alright to be inspired but there is a limit in what should be taken with you to the studio.

Author: Ian McDonald

Article Source: http://www.en.articlesgratuits.com

Behavioural Patterns Of Musicians

These last few weeks I've been doing research in groups and forums about independent musicians and bands. I wanted to know how they would react when I sent sometimes controversial articles and messages to these groups.

I received several different types of reaction, some diplomatic, some just downright rude and some even contradicting themselves in the the same reply

Why did I do this exercise? Simply to see the different reactions from the musicians. I found it interesting that the more successful musicians were more diplomatic and used good reasoning when replying to the messages.

Those contradictory replies, in general came from the more younger musician who had a rough idea of more or less how the music industry works, but were not absolutely sure.

The third group, of the rude answers, in general came from musicians that tried and failed to make some sort of impression in the music world. They believed that the music industry was working against them, that everybody was corrupt, speaking of bribery and exclusive groups, they even said that the discussion groups didn't want to discuss this sort of topic, etc, the list of their arguments was quite extensive.

After doing this research I came to three conclusions.

When we are talking to somebody we don't know personally, we shouldn't abuse them, because it could be this very person who has the key to open up the door we are needing to get to the next level in the music business. Just because they have a different opinion as we do, doesn't make them an enemy.

Those people who never reached a successful conclusion in their career still should be asking themselves why they never managed to get that 'helping hand' or opportunity, a lot of the time very necessary in their attempt of making some sort of success of their music career.

There was one person in particular who stood out for his extremely abusive manner. He insisted that he never wanted and doesn't want to be successful with his music, he just wants to get his music out there. He gave me a clue as to his identity. I did some extra research and found out that he was the King Midas of failure. Anything he turned has hands to musically was a failure, as a member of a band, as a 'music producer', and he even tried it as a solo artist.

Sure, everybody around him was to blame for his failure. It could never be him. He was just simply a victim. He managed to turn himself into an isolated person, an island of frustration.

Be honest. If we are not sure about a certain subject, say so. Never be ashamed to say 'I don't know'. Be open. Find out. We could learn something. Everybody learns new things every single day. Even if it's not the right time for your star to shine at this moment, have patience and determination. Your star could be waiting for you in the future.

Always be diplomatic. The true professionals are not professional by accident. They know it's not easy to always be working and that without allies, they would lose the war. One more contact is one more possible ally to offer you that tip or inside information of what's happening.

For a person, who is seriously considering making a career in anything, it's fundamental to be surrounded by people who are our allies. Knowledgeable people, technical people, people who become our friends, people who offer us incentive, positive people.

About Author:
Steve Allen is consultant and music producer. Author of "Marketing Your Music - Success Strategies", "Personal Management in the Music Industry" and "Street Teams - Expand your Fan Base" http://www.marketingyourmusic.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_J._R._Allen

2 For 1: 2 Music Articles by David Hooper

If You're Going To Go Broke, At Least Don't Be Tired Doing It

You're calling club to book your band and the guy on the other end says, "I can get the same thing from a band down the street for half the price."

What now? Most musicians start cutting prices. The truth is though, that if you're not making money on the gig (or getting some other form of payment), it's not worth playing.

And you're probably better off not doing ANYTHING. Nothing will happen for your music career, but at least you won't be tired.

Most musicians have been taught that they have to take ANYTHING that if offered to them, but that's just not a smart way to do business. Instead of taking a losing gig, you're much better off spending your time doing something else that will make you money, whether that be research on a new market, networking with industry professionals, or writing new songs.

Before you take a gig, run the numbers in the Gig Calculator and see what happens. If you can't make it so that you'll come out ahead, start looking at other options.

But won't there be potential fans at this gig you're turning down? Maybe... And this is exactly why you need to know how much a new fan is worth to you. If you know that everybody who walks in the door will eventually be worth $10 (on average) to you, and you know there will be 200 people through the club that night, the gig might be worth playing.

But if you don't know, you're going to a crap shoot.

Hey, if you just want to play, be my guest. But if you're doing this as a business, treat it like one.

Alternative Income Stream For Musicians (And Others)

What happens when you put out music that distribution companies won't touch, radio won't play, and only a small percentage of the population is interested in?

The movie industry has the same problems. The major distributors won't touch a lot of movies because they don't think there's enough money in it for them. Remember, the mainstream movie business literally runs as much on popcorn-sales as ticket-sales. Big, violent action movies bring in audiences that eat $7 boxes of popcorn and $4 cups of soft drinks.

But thanks for new technology, distribution (and return on investment) is getting a lot easier.

One alternative is Spiritual Cinema Circle, which is a DVD subscription service where subscribers get new movies automatically sent to them every month.

And here is where it gets exciting...

Subscribers are encouraged to share the movies with friends and family, in order to broaden the worldwide Spiritual Cinema community. So one DVD can be seen by potentially dozens of people.

This is how buzz is developed.

You could do the same thing with your music. It's like a record pool that bypasses the DJ and goes straight to the consumer.

Imagine having thousands of people who are interested in a certain type of music, eagerly awaiting the next compilation of mp3 files in their mailbox each month.

And because people who like a certain type of music usually know other people who like that same type of music, imagine the promotion you could get by encouraging them to pass along your files to their friends.

But wait... Shouldn't you want to get paid for your music?

Of course. And if you're able to play live, can come up with good merchandising, and other streams of income, you'll be fine. Just because you're a musician doesn't mean you have to make a living off selling recorded music. If selling shirts of your band enables you to make that music, does it really matter where the money comes from?

About the Author:
David Hooper is the founder of Kathode Ray Music, an artist development organization specializing in promotion and marketing of independent musicians and bands. Visit http://www.songwriters-resource.com for more tips and hints for musicians, bands, and songwriters.

Article Source: http://www.isnare.com

Dream Big And Sing Big: Tips For A Successful Singing Career

Since you were small, you have been dreaming of a packed concert arena, thousands of screaming fans, deafening applause, with you on stage and a mic in your hand. You have always dreamed of this moment, it is what you have always yearned for and worked so hard for, the sweet smell of success.

Although, it has always been a dream, how can you make it happen? How do you get yourself a successful singing career? Listed below are some tips that may help you do just that.

Know How To Sing

First and foremost, it is most important to know how to sing.

You may have a natural talent for singing, but it is not going to be enough. Singing involves a great deal of hard work and dedication. Therefore, it is important to begin as soon as possible and work hard. You already have the gift of the voice and the talent, so now all that remains, is the development of the two.

Develop An Image

In order to have a successful singing career, it is necessary to be memorable and distinct, which actually begins with image. This does not mean that you have to change yourself, it simply means that you should enhance the particular parts of your personality that are memorable and unique, which will in effect grab peoples attention towards you and make them listen.

Work On A Trademark

At times, a distinct image is just not enough. Sometimes it is better to have a trademark, a symbol that will remind people of who you are. Whether it is a unique hairstyle, a piece of jewelry, a dance step, or an expression, it is an important factor of you being remembered.

Original Material

Continue to work on original material. Imitation is not something that is undertaken by a professional singer. All of your work must remain original. Play and perform your work as often as possible and become known for them.

Opportunity Of Exposure

It is important to grab any opportunities of exposure. For every singer that wants to succeed, then no gig is ever too small. Meet people and let them listen to your music at every opportunity possible. After all, you will never know if one of those people watching is a talent scout or a producer.

Believe In Yourself

The most important factor it to believe in yourself. It is true that other people may not see your talent just yet, but as long as you know in your heart that you will make it big someday, then that certain someday will become the reality that you have always dreamed of. After all, if you don't believe in yourself, who will?

So if you are ready to make your dreams come true, then keep the listed tips in mind, and reach for the stars.

About Author:
Kevin Sinclair is the publisher and editor of MusicianHome.com, a site that provides information and articles for musicians at all stages of their development.

Article Source: http://www.articleblotter.com

Indie Artist Management: Economic Realities & Insightful Strategies

"An artist's music must be something I love," stated Jennifer Yeko of True Talent Management. "It has to be music I want to hear in my personal life as well as when I'm working."

This view was echoed by Ben Laski of Sonic Management, and Steve Ross of Raving Loon Management, as all three spoke on the Indie Artist Management program presented by the Los Angeles Music Network (LAMN).

"I will never work with an artist whose music I don't love," said Ross. "Commercial radio," added Laski, "sucks, and so…" He waited for the applause to subside, "…and so, why would I want to work with anything other than music that means something to me?"

Each of them acknowledged the economic realities of the marketplace ("The product has to be viable at some point," Ross pointed out), but all three were adamant that their personal reaction to an artist's music was the primary factor in selecting them for representation. "It's like a marriage," said Ross, "so it's best to make a careful choice."

Speaking before an audience made up of equal numbers of indie managers and artists seeking information about management, Ross, Yeko and Laski provided insights into their approach to guiding recording artists to achieving commercial success as well as their maximum career potential.

Moderated by Tess Taylor, LAMN President, the event covered a lot of territory and generally moved rapidly from one topic to the next, although too much time was spent on answering repeated audience questions about California labor law dealing with booking agents.

Basically, no one may "procure employment" for a client in California unless they are a registered agent who has posted a bond and followed other formalities. Since this means that managers are putting their entire contractual relationship at risk if they book a gig for a client, there were a lot of managers in attendance who were hoping to find a loophole in the law.

Both Laski and Ross are attorneys, and Ross has obtained his agent license in order to book gigs for his clients.

During a spirited Q & A session following the formal part of the presentation, one artist asked four questions without waiting for an answer and there was a bit of fun for the rest of us as we watched the microphone being wrestled away from her. It's nice to see passionate artists, but there is also something to be said for displaying a modicum of decorum in public.

Highlights from the presentation:

On obtaining publicity for clients:

Ross: "You do whatever you can for publicity." He occasionally spends time in music chat rooms to see who is into which artists in local markets. "You call, write, give out 200 sampler CDs. It all builds for the future."

Laski disagreed: "I don't believe in artists giving out free samplers to fans. Make an EP and sell it for $5."

Yeko: "We call music editors to get reviews and write-ups, but the main thing is to figure out your goals ahead of time. Under the right circumstances, you can't give out too many flyers or CDs."

Ross: "Writers across the country can be very helpful when bands come in from out of town." He also recommends that you "get on-air appearances for your artists who are on tour. Call people, tell them why your artist will be good for their station or their club." Taylor challenged him to give an example of how he talks to people on these calls. To much laughter, he said, "If I'm talking to a club, I always say the artist plays 'good drinking music.'"

Laski: "There are different levels of publicity. At the start, you call reviewers. As you move up in sales, you hire a publicist to work a release or a tour, and you make certain he is in the proper genre of music. You can also call the BMI or ASCAP publicist, who can be helpful in getting contacts in the press."

On preparing marketing plans for artists:

Yeko: "It's helpful to list your goals, and the steps you need to take to achieve them. This is a good idea even if you don't follow your plan exactly as it was written."

Ross: "Unfortunately, marketing plans require marketing money."

Laski: "Marketing plans are too time-consuming. We plan what we need to do as the need arises. Too many factors change as you go along."

On touring:

Ross: "Outside of L.A., you can actually make some money."

Laski: "Touring is going to be a losing proposition at the beginning of an artist's career, unless you can get tour support from a record label."

On making money for indie artists:

Laski: "We place songs on TV and film soundtracks. It not only makes some money for artists, it is excellent exposure."

Yeko: "We have had great success with film and TV placement of songs, but some of our artists have developed clothing items and merchandise that actually generate more income at shows than CD sales."

On artists looking for a magic formula for a breakthrough:

Yeko: "There is no shortcut to success other than hard work."

Ross: "When you get those e-mails from people offering to set-up showcases, or the ones that tell you all about a great CD sampler they're sending out, run away. These are never a good deal."

On must-do lists for artists and managers:

Ross: "Whatever you receive from anyone, whether it's a writer, club owner, or someone at retail, thank them!"

Yeko: "Look into the NACA, the National Association for Campus Activities at www.naca.org. We've also had an artist who did an entire summer of playing shopping malls."

Ross: "When you send CDs to radio or press, remove the shrinkwrap. And do not send a CD to radio without a proper 1-sheet." NOTE: you can download a PDF of a proper 1-sheet here: http://www.delvianrecords.com/onesheets/1S_Platinum_Radio.pdf

Oddly, the most provocative statement of the evening failed to draw any comment from the audience or the panelists. Taylor began the program with a prediction that "In the wake of industry changes such as the Sony/BMG merger, indie record distribution may ultimately move from a single digit percentage to as much as 25 to 30 percent." Perhaps this is really a prelude to the next LAMN or NARIP presentation.

About Author:
Scott G writes and records as The G-Man and his work is on iTunes and at http://www.gmanmusic.com.
Scott G creates songs, radio spots and music in Los Angeles. A member of NARIP and NARAS, he writes for MusicDish.com and owns G-Man Music & Radical Radio (www.gmanmusic.com). Recording as THE G-MAN, his albums are on Delvian Records and iTunes. Some songs are available free at: www.myspace.com/thegman.

The Booking Agent Inside

As a recording artist, singer or songwriter, finding a booking agent who will actually book your act or show, can be tricky at best. A well qualified booking agent is like finding the needle in the hay stack. While many companies offer traditional artist booking services on a number of levels, there are few out there who really deliver. While a former agent myself, booking many country stars at the William Morris Agency, I am well aware of the inadequacies that many young artists face, in this industry.

Before you begin looking for a booking agent, let’s look at a few concepts that might help serve you in your quest to move your singing career forward. Booking agencies like booking agents, operate on different levels. There are the large well-established booking agencies that have been around for years. These agencies are typically “order taking” agencies with large stars that bring on newer “baby acts” being promoted by the record companies. The young acts being born and promoted from the record companies now push through radio and of course the booking agency who can put that “baby act” in front of large crowds opening for some of the biggest stars in that genre. Sound familiar. That’s how the big boys operate.

The next level down on the booking agency chain is the middle guy. He or she typically books acts that are “has beens” and no longer pull the front-line or large arena crowds. Artists like many products on the shelves of stores, have a shelf life – some longer than others. But nonetheless, it’s true and the agents booking some of these acts, actually, do quite well financially. There’s still enough name recognition and smaller venue, crowd pulling ability, without undue advertising expenses. While these agencies do take on acts without a record deal, hoping to receive loyalty from the act once they have been signed, they can’t afford to take that much time promoting the act like the large agencies can.

Lowest on the totem pole is not always the least powerful. These are sometimes managers of large acts looking for their next big break-through act, but oftentimes, these are manager wannabes. They’re friends of the acts or individuals with just enough knowledge to sell an act that they can represent them, most likely looking for the management side and not the booking side. Booking is not easy work. You’re out there selling a product while spinning your wheels at the same time. There are obviously countless versions of this type of booking agent.

Now that we’ve looked at agency types and how they operate - What do you have to offer them? – Or don’t you at this point in your career, but maybe one day you will. If you understand how difficult their job is, and how much time is spent spinning wheels, then you are really beginning to understand the whole booking phenomenon and how you may or may not fit into the picture. Your act is a product and the question remains, how difficult a sell is this going to be? But before we move into the “I might as well forget it mode,” there’s one other option you might consider – You become the booking agent.

Why not? There are many advantages to booking on your own. First off there are no fees to pay. Large acts typically pay 10% to the large order taking agencies, and the other booking agencies, with more difficult acts to book, usually charge 20%. Now before you say you can’t or don’t have the know how, let me show you how easy to set up a booking agency is, knowing that booking is not an easy job, yet at least someone is actively pursuing your career.

To set up a booking agency you will need a phone, computer, and press kit info on you or the other acts that you are representing. You will need to be a good record keeper of your phone conversations, contacts and mail out dates – numerous and affordable computer software out there for this. You will need a listing of promoters. There are a number of sources out there to get promoter listings. You might start with Poll Star – a very reputable industry standard, and purchase their promoter guide along with club and venue guides. Once these basic elements are in place, you are ready to begin.

You will make call after call, placing press kits in the mail to various promoters, managers, venues and clubs. Keep detailed records of your phone conversations and where and who what was mailed to. The front end of this start up will be challenging with little to no results and so you will have to stay focused. Booking dates takes time and energy and most promoters book their dates well in advance to make sure that the particular venue is available. It will be some time before any money comes in, so be patient and continue on in some form of work that pays that bills, but gives you the time and freedom to book dates.

As you get going you will notice that there is fairly expensive software out there with a lot of valuable features, but quite honestly, you can get going for virtually nothing, if you already own a computer, and you can operate just fine without all the bells and whistles. Your biggest ongoing expense will be your phone. Figure out a good way to keep your phone bill down. I don’t have it, but some of the online phone companies seem to offer a good value with free long distance phone calls included with their basic plans.

As you look at booking and booking agencies, don’t become discouraged. It’s easy to overlook the fact that (1) you have the talent, or you wouldn’t be here, (2) you have the drive and passion for music and want to move forward, (3) if you continue you on, you will educate yourself on what it takes, and be more knowledgeable the next time you talk with an agent, manager or other music industry professional!

About The Author:
Tom Gauger is a former talent booking agent with the William Morris Agency, the founder of reelmusician.com/and has been heard on numerous TV and radio commercials as a jingle singer including Fox TV, UPN Station ID and O'Charley's to name a few. Mr Gauger has co-written the song "Who To Love" slotted for upcoming telecast on the Guiding Light. Mr Gauger can be contacted at tgauger@reelmusician.com and 615-300-5030.

The Booking Agent Inside - by Tom Gauger - copyright 2006

Article Source: http://www.articlecity.com/

Cleaning Up Your Marketing

Has your once well-organized marketing plan come to resemble the jumble of stuff in your closet (not to mention the garage and the attic)? If you are like most people, each time you come across a new marketing idea you try to adopt it and add it to your existing approach.

Strategies and tactics tend to accumulate and linger even when they may not be working as well as you'd like. Like the ill-fitting clothes that accumulate in your closet or the broken tools still in the garage, they are hard to get rid of, whether because of habit, emotional attachment or just plain not getting around to cleaning them out.

To improve your marketing, you'll need to clean out some old ways of working. While I don't want to get anywhere near your closet, and in fact I could use some help with mine, I can show you how to clean up your marketing plan so you're ready to take advantage of the New Year to grow your business.

Cleaning Up Your Marketing Plan
Every morning my friend Michael Angier of SuccessNet.org sits down at his desk and asks himself the following three questions about his business.

1. What's working?
2. What's not working?
3. What can I improve?

You may not want to review your marketing plan five times a week, but it is a good idea to do it at least once a year. So take out your pencil or fire up your computer and assess your marketing plan:

Your Marketing Plan
1. Is your plan working?
2. Do you have a well defined marketing strategy that helps you achieve the three phases of marketing: Getting Attention, Positioning, and Selling?
3. Do you need to write or rewrite your marketing plan?
4. Do you need additional information or coaching to complete your marketing plan?
5. What are you going to do to improve your marketing plan?

Getting Attention
6. Does your marketing message prompt prospects to contact you?
7. Do your ads, letters, and web site motivate prospects to contact you?
8. What are your conversion rates?
9. What steps can you take to improve them?

Positioning
10. What are you doing to establish your credibility with prospects, to help them know and trust you?
11. Is it working as well as you'd like?
12. What could you improve?
13. Is the value of your products and services clear to your prospects or do they question you about merits and price?
14. Want to learn how to ensure that your prospects understand the value of your products and services?

Selling
15. How successful are you in selling, that is, in getting commitments for everything from appointments to orders?
16. What's your conversion rate of prospects contacted to clients and customers?
17. Do initial sales generate repeat sales and referrals for years to come?
18. Want to learn how to generate more sales from each client?

Evaluating Your Marketing Plan
Use Michael's three questions to summarize your comments
about your marketing plan and your success in getting
attention, positioning and selling.

1. What's working?
2. What's not?
3. What do you want to improve?

The hardest part about cleaning out your closet, attic, garage or your marketing is getting started. It may be time to straighten up or throw out some of your old marketing strategies and tactics and replace them with new more effective ones. Start [this coming year] with a well organized marketing plan, one that helps you Get Attention, Position your products and services and Sell and you'll find your business growing in leaps and bounds in the coming year.

2004 © In Mind Communications, LLC. All rights reserved.

About Author:
The author, Charlie Cook, helps service professionals and small business owners attract more clients and be more successful. Sign up for the Marketing Plan eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business at http://www.marketingforsuccess.com
ccook@marketingforsuccess.com

Article Source: http://www.digitalites.org/

How to Market Your Band's Music and CD to Make Money

As a musician, bands have it easier than a solo artist in terms of cost to make a CD. Other than that, there are little or no differences. For bands/artists who wish to start the process of making, distributing, and getting radio airplay by themselves, believe it or not, you are starting your own record label. Even if your goal is to land a major recording contract, you will still need to gather more attention for your music by cutting, distributing and promoting your own music. You'll have a much better chance at getting a great record deal with a major label if you are successful on your own first. You may even find out that initially you can even be more financially successful on your own than if you had a record deal.

In my book, The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money, I discuss how MC Hammer started out by himself. He knew the bottom line and how much he made working his record in dance clubs. When a record company approached and wanted to sign him, he initially said no. Face it, if we were offered a deal like that or any deal, most of us would be rendered speechless and simply nod our heads to say "yes." After all, that's the musician's dream, right? Why did he say no? Because he knew and understood his business model. MC knew how much he made on his own, and he knew he could make a lot more money on his own than they initially offered. Eventually the record label had to meet him on his terms. They offered him a much better deal in the end.

So, how do you do what MC Hammer did? Marketing, Marketing, Marketing - and it's not all dependent on having your own label or producing your own music. In my book, "The Ultimate Guide to Music Success" there's a chapter of do's and don'ts for those of you who aren't interested in creating your own record label and promoting a CD yourself. It will show you the correct ways to send a demo and get heard by the A&R staff of major-labels. It also includes a truck load of fresh contacts, email addresses, phone numbers and web sites to help you on this journey.

If you are one of the lucky few and have a lot of contacts and a lot of extra money, your path will be much easier, but still not guaranteed. If you are like the rest of us, you have a limited budget, fewer contacts, and even less time to spare. What do you do?

First you need to spend some money no matter how limited your funds are. There's no way around that. You must also spend some time to start your business up and make your CD (a budget guide is also available in my book).

It's the same with contacts. You have to put yourself out there and network. You need to spend a lot of very early mornings and very late nights initially surfing the internet for information on how to find and meet the people you need to help you on your path. You will also need to attend various functions and music gatherings where the music makers meet. Remember - it's a see and be seen world. Join your local version of the BAMM or WAMI association. These are local clubs where musicians meet on a regular basis. Many important local musicians will be members and might be there to network with. Most every major city will have some sort of club like this.

The next step is marketing. Collect all of the write-ups on yourself and your band and put them into a folder. Then based on those, you'll need to write a one-sheet up and pass it out to the people you meet at the parties. (A one-sheet is a one page marketing tool that emphasis the important aspects of your band/act.) If writing is not your gig, find someone who writes professional one-sheets or bios on a regular basis.

Once you have those marketing tools in hand, start making appointments to audition for local clubs. Take every gig that is offered to you initially, whether you are paid for it or not, and make sure to get the most press out of that gig. If you do get paying gigs when you first start out, great! Make sure you have a contract in your hands that is signed by the person who will be paying you. In case there is a dispute, and they do arise, you have a contract spelling out whether or not you were going to be paid and how much. Although it would be nice if everyone could work on faith and trust, make sure you get your contracts written, signed and in place.

Before you sign any contracts, make sure you get a reputable entertainment attorney to look it over. NEVER sign a contract before you have followed that step. You could lose the shirt off your back and much more!

What's next? Work it baby! Work it! This is not the time to be shy and bashful about your career. You have to grab onto every single opportunity and use it to your advantage. Unabashed marketing is what you need to do...so go for it! Just do it! No is just a word in the dictionary. It may hurt for a minute, but it's the people that can take the "no" 50 thousand times that will get the prize in the end.

Something I recommend is to take a few courses at your local community college on Business Management and Accounting. This will help you immensely when it comes to watching your money and the bottom line. Whether you're producing your own label and watching every penny or whether you've signed with a major label, you still need good accounting skills or a good accountant you can trust. With or without an accountant, it's just good business to look at your books daily. Oprah is notorious for this and look where she is! No-one will care about your money or your success like you do.

About Author:
Jaci Rae is a #1 Best Selling author of The Indie Guide to Music, Marketing and Money and Winning Points with the Woman in Your Life One Touchdown at a Time. Tune in for "The Jaci Rae Show" heard live around the world every Thursday: Click on the weekly show link

Article Source: http://www.articlecrack.com

How To Get Signed To A Label - Top 10 Ways

Firstly, as a musical artist, there is no exact "formula" that can get you signed to a label and this may be disappointing for some to hear but don't be discouraged.

Getting signed to a label can sometimes come about just by being in the right place at the right time, however, there are several things you can do to maximize the possibility of attracting a major label or production company and get them interested in signing you.

1. Be well prepared! Make sure your skills are developed to the point that they can compete with the best the industry has to offer.

2. You must look "signable". No one will want to sign you to a label unless you are going to make them money. As such, you or your band must be confident, experienced, dedicated and professional. You need to stand out from the rest.

3. Don't wait to be discovered. Promoting yourself and developing your own fan base is a great way to get noticed by major labels. It helps to have an established following, a good street team, and some strong independent sales when seeking a record deal. The more you do on your own, the less the label has to do, and ultimately the happier they are. In fact, A&R will often seek you out (eg. come to your show to hear what all the fuss is about) if you've done a really good job of promoting yourself.

4. So get out and do live performances. Offer to play at clubs for free if they are reluctant to book you. If you win over the crowd (or bring a healthy crowd of your own) they'll have you back. To build a regional fan base, you should be doing shows, selling CD’s, trying to get some radio support (even if it’s just college radio), and doing anything and everything else you can to get some kind of following.

5. Be creative. Go where your audience is. Does your music appeal to high school students? Play lunchtime shows at high schools. Or shopping malls.

6. Put together a "street team" of fans in areas where you play who can help promote your shows, and spread the word. Many young, die-hard fans will work like crazy just to be recognized, included on the guest list, and be considered something of an insider.

7. Use the power of the internet to create a buzz! Promote yourself online and expand your fan base even more. Set up your own website where fans can download your songs. Create a MySpace Music page and artist profile for free! Create a blog and network with other musicians. Have people sign up to your mailing list and build your database. Regular contact with your fans is crucial if you want to retain a healthy fan base. Give them regular news updates and information about gigs and CD releases.

8. Many artists sign up to an independent label first (or even start their own label) to develop their artistry, songwriting and performance, before getting signed to a major label. Consider doing this as part of your career development.

9. One common misconception is that major labels develop artists. This is simply not true. You need to bring the whole package, including performance ability, to the label. Having your own fan base, photos, press clippings or internet presence to add to your "demo" will certainly look more impressive!

10. A&R and managers receive multiple demo's every day and are subject to hearing some pretty awful stuff. If you can offer something that sounds amazing, along with a good "promo" (promotional) package it should greatly increase your chances of getting signed.

OK, so let’s recap. You’ve honed your skills, produced a tight product and created a strong buzz. You should now be well on your way to getting signed to a label. This can be a long road, so it’s important to keep a positive mental attitude.

While every success story is different, you will find that most successful artists share a sense that their music "must be heard" at all costs, so cultivate this mindset in yourself.

This belief will help you to persevere and to make connections with others who share your vision.

About Author:
Sophie Curran is a singer and chief editor at "The Sing Studio.com" where you can find more free articles and advice on how to start your singing career, how to promote and record your songs and how to sell your music online. To learn more visit http://thesingstudio.com

Article Source: http://www.articlealley.com/

Tips on Finding the Best CD Duplication Services

Are you in the music business and you want to get you CD ready to be distributed out on the market? Or perhaps you are in the computer field and you need 500 CDs made for your employees on some recent protocol or software? Whatever your reasons may be, if you are in need of some serious CD duplication you should get CD duplication services to help you. There are many different places to go for CD duplication services. If you are in unsure of where to go for CD duplication services, please read on for some tips on finding the best CD duplication services.

The first set of tips you should utilize for finding the best CD duplication services is to go for a place with a guarantee. This guarantee should protect your CD and all of its content. All of your copies should be correctly formatted with no errors or discrepancies. The CD duplication services should be sure to guarantee the quality of the CD duplication as well. The CD duplication services should also guarantee a time frame for your CDs to be done. Time is usually of the essence when someone needs CDs duplicated, so be sure to find CD duplication services that can offer your CD duplications to be done in a timely manner.

The next set of tips you should use is to find CD duplication services that have the newest and latest technology used in order to produce the CD duplications. Some of these can be operated by a computer and some of then can even operate without the use of a computer. When you check around for CD duplication services, ask the staff about the technology they use. If the staff does not seem very knowledgeable about what they use for their CD duplication, then you probably shouldn't use them for your CD duplications.

Lastly, you need to know where to look for CD duplication services. You can always find some online. If you live in a large city, you should be able to find some in you local yellow pages. Large and reputable computer hardware or electronics companies often offer CD duplication services. Take some time and call a few or shop around to see who is the most knowledgeable and to compare rates.

These are the most important tips you should keep in mind in order to find the best CD duplication services. Hopefully all of this information was helpful to you. If you utilize all of these tips, you should easily be able to find the best CD duplication service for you and your needs. Now you are one step closer to obtaining all of those copies you need!

Author:
Bob Hett, a Financial Advisor, offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning CD Duplication.

Article Source: http://www.theirarticles.com/

Turn Your Home PC into a Complete Recording Studio

Want to turn your home PC into a complete Recording studio to record, edit, and play back digital audio files, this article, describes how and what you need do it.

Do you possess a multimedia PC with a sound card and speaker? All you require is an inexpensive recording and editing software to your PC, with this you can produce high-quality, effective voice and music recordings. The basic prerequisite to get a level of recording are a PC, Quiet recording space, microphone, speakers and headphones, recording software.

Our aim is to record a clear, close voice track, so we need a Quiet recording space, which means keeping noise and the sound of the room out of the reach till the finished recording meets all our needs. Professionals record in closets specially designed to keep noises out and make their voice sound good.

To get your voice or recordings into the computer, you need a microphone. Don't relay on the dull one that you got with your computer. Choose high-quality, inexpensive Microphone that sounds far better. Microphones are available from music or audio equipment suppliers. There are microphones for the basic voice work. Choose the microphone that best suits for female voice and male voice.

Choosing of computer speakers tends to be given importance because it impacts on getting quality output of recording. Computer speakers are adequate for recording, editing, and finishing basic recordings, but empower some decent powered speakers to get better quality output.

The net result you get in recording apparently depends on the Recording software that is being used. Choose recording software equipped with all editing features such as with best bit rate, creating special effects adding music and/or sound effects and the software should present your recordings in the formats you desire. The music software that best suits for professionals as well as beginners are FlexiMusic’s FlexiMusic Wave Editor, a software for recording and editing.

Part 1: Getting Started
Fasten up your equipment by plugging your microphone into your sound card's microphone. Be careful in this, since there are three plugs there, choose the one that Is written as “Mic”. Now launch the software that controls the sound card’s recording source (for this you can use the “Recording source” command in FlexiMusic Wave Editor). Then select your recording source (Mic) and adjust its volume at 100%.

Start your recording program (say FlexiMusic Wave Editor), choose stereo, bit rates of 16 bits, 44kHz of sampling rate and at CD-quality. Start the recording command. Adjust the volume so that Digital level meters shows 3/4th volume, if it exceeds it will sound horribly distorted.

To improve the sound of your recordings, get closer to the mic. The farther away you are from it, the more you pick up the room noise around you. Get closer and your voice is closer. Advantage of getting closer to microphone may bring out the lower frequencies in your voice and can make you sound more powerful. Obviously, locate your recording area away from noisy equipment. Some precautionary things that are to be taken care are, put a little distance between the mic and the noise source. Avoid salty foods immediately before your recording session. Have some water nearby and apply a little lip balm. These will keep your mouth and lips lubricated. When you're ready to record, speak clearly and slowly. You can always tense up your recording while editing. If an error occurs go back to the nearest sentence start and continue on again.

Part 2: Editing the recordings
“As haste makes waste”, don’t fix everything in one take. Record as many times as needed and assemble the best parts into the final recording. Calculate whether the recording done has everything that you desired. If not, don’t pamper, go back and re-record the bits you need, listen again, and repeat the process until you obtain the desired. You see a two-dimensional representation of the words as sound waveforms. You can hear the words as you play them. Cut, copy, paste is all the techniques you apply when editing sound.

Early to begin editing, make sure to turn off the mic, disconnect the headphones, and switch off speakers. Delete the unnecessary things that interrupt the output of the recording. Eliminate the junk and move further improving your performance. Never give up to until you get the best result of recording. Do carry out as many takes as needed, find the best takes out of it and build your final version from them.

Make sure of any changes you have done during editing. Analyze, if you can make it better. Check whether the volume is consistent? Are there any noises, background sounds, or other unwanted junk parts that which can be eliminated or reduce?

After editing the voice, to make it efficient better you can add music or sound effects to enhance the final version. You add the back ground effect using the same software FlexiMusic Wave Editor, open the music file in audio software, select, and copy it to the clipboard. If needed trim the music to match the length of your voice recording, then, place the cursor at the start of your voice recording, and select Edit > Paste Mix. Make sure that you can hear your voice recording clearly with the music playing in the background.

Now make the best use of your audio software's to maximize the recording's volume. Next, choose a format in which you want your recordings to be such as, Mp3, WMA, Snd, Raw, and Au. Select the recording which is in the waveform and save the file to the audio format of your choice. Using mp3 or WMA files is useful to save space on your hard drive while retaining reasonably good quality and for transmitting your work over the Internet.

Finally you have done! You can play back the file in FlexiMusic Wave Editor, or with any audio program, such as Windows Media Player or Winamp, and transliterate the recording.

About the Author:
The author is a passionate internet user. He is fond of all kinds of music, more enthusiastic in learning and programming music related software. To know about the author please visit http://www.fleximusic.com/

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The 6 Rules Of Commercial Music Success

Over the years I have had many conversations with music artists about commercial music, which usually leads to them disclosing their disdain and hatred of it. Some refer to Pop music (Pop, as in what’s popular now) as commercial music.

Others think of anything that is receiving heavy rotation on radio as commercial music. Whatever their definition, one thing is often overlooked: commercial music is the heart of the music industry which pumps the blood that keeps it alive.

So why then are so many music artists resistant to making commercial music? The answer that I’m often given is because they don’t want to "sell-out" their creative integrity by conforming to some industry version of what’s popular (i.e. what’s selling at the moment). It becomes very obvious to me that the problem is not commercial music, but rather the perception and definition of it.

The misconception is that the music industry created this superficial definition of commercial music to strip away the artistry and true identity of artists for the purpose of making money; forcing artist to create songs that the "masses" will enjoy. That fallacy is often perpetuated by music artists who are usually incapable (not unwilling) of creating commercially viable songs.

The truth is the public, not the industry, dictates what is commercial, and for decades they have gravitated towards, embraced, and purchased songs that adhere to a commercial music format.

If commercial music is the rule for success and sales in the music industry, there are inevitably going to be some exceptions to it, but unfortunately, the tendency is for music artists to try and become the exception, instead of observing the rules and why they exist.

Simply put: the rules of commercial music success have not, and will not change. Not in your life time or your children's lifetime. They exist because it's human nature to reject the unfamiliar; in the music industry, similarity is the cornerstone of acceptance. This is why so many popular songs sound similar and contain familiar elements.

It’s a rule that is prevalent in every genre, and on every continent. There are those artists who do a masterful job of observing their own artistic values while delicately balancing the demands for commercial music by industry professionals. Artists such as Prince, Sting and Bjork, have pushed the envelope of creativity for years. But artists of their caliber who possess such sublime talent and vision are rare.

For the sake of clarification and argument, I will offer my explanation and industry definition of what commercial music is; based on 25 years of listening to recordings as a music lover, music industry professional, and music critic in what I will call, "The 6 Rules of Commercial Music Success." They are songs that have the following:

1.) A STRONG HOOK/MEMORABLE CHORUS. If no one knows what your song is called, they can’t request it when they hear it on the radio. More importantly, they can’t buy it at retail...or track it down on the Internet to illegally download a copy of it.

2.) GOOD MELODY. Commercial music is characterized by good melodies (i.e. verses, choruses, and sometimes bridges that get stuck in your head and make you want to sing-along). What can the top selling hip-hop acts of the last 10 years (Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, Eminem, and 50 Cent) attribute their success to? Good melodies (not cool beats) that increase the commercial value of their music.

3.) WELL-PRODUCED. Coming from an R&B background where producers are a pivotal part of commercial music success, I did not realize until I became a consultant that many rock bands don’t utilize, nor value producers like R&B music acts. Perhaps they should since the record company often assigns top-notch producers to enhance the quality of songs (through their musical expertise) and enrich the records (through their experience and proficiency in the recording process), ultimately making them more enjoyable to listen to and, you guessed it...more commercial!

4.) APPEALING LYRICS. The lyrics don’t have to be profound; people just have to be able to emotionally connect with and mentally relate to them. If you have a way of saying common things in an uncommon way, your lyrics will have an edge over the songwriter whose song is about the same topic. Write about what's closest to your heart for credibility and sincerity, and others will be able to relate to your songs – especially if it’s on a subject matter that they know or have experienced.

5.) KEEP IT SHORT. Keep the length of your songs down to a maximum of four minutes. Jazz and World Music are exceptions. A song that is well-written makes people want to hear it again, and again, and again. The longer the song is, the less likely that will happen. Don’t believe me? Check the length of your favorite songs.

6.) TALENT/WELL-PERFORMED. Most outstanding vocalists are often surprised by how low this rule is on the list. The fact is that there are more mediocre songs performed by outstanding vocalists, than there are mediocre vocalists performing outstanding songs. A good song that is well-performed gives it an edge, but if the song is lacking, all of the yelling and vocal acrobatics that singers tend to use to compensate for it will not make it a better song...though it may help the singer to attract better songwriters to work with. If you lack talent and it's a really good song, someone more talented can (and will) sing the song and make it better.

Now that you know the 6 rules of commercial music success, hopefully you will be able to use this information to your advantage and create songs that will increase your chances of success in your professional music endeavors...or you can ignore them and continue to wonder why no one (other than your friends and family – all of which listen to commercial music) like your songs.

© Copyright 2006. All Rights Reserved.

About The Author:
Gian Fiero is a passionate music lover, music business entrepreneur, and consultant who specializes in music licensing. He has represented countless music artists, songwriters, producers, record labels, and entertainment companies during his 17 years of experience in the music industry. He got his start as a personal manager and was actively involved in the creation, production, and selection of repertoire used by the music artists that he once managed, successfully guiding 5 of his 6 acts to record deals. Gian is also the creator of The Fiero Filter, an industry lead sheet for advertising agencies and tv/film music supervisors, in addition to being the Senior Music Reviewer for The Muse's Muse (www.musesmuse.com/mrev-gian.html), where he recieves an average of 700 CDs a year from aspiring and established music artists from all over the country. His professional opinion is highly sought after by music artists in every country and his reviews have garnered the attention and respect of publicists and music business professionals throughout the world.

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How to Make the Most Money Touring

Take care of your health! Most important. If you can't play or sing, you can't make the money you need to in order to survive on tour. Zicam at the first sign of any sickness does kick it in our experience.

You also don't want the expense of an out of town or out of country doctor. If you don't have insurance, check online for temporary travelers insurance.

Save money on gas and food by getting them free. Check online for surveys.

Script copier has copies for two cents. This will help defray costs for the flyers you need for your street team. Make sure you have one.

Make sure you have black and white photo cards made up, inexpensively (the least expensive I have ever found are in Los Angeles). Autograph these free while you are sitting at your merch table after the show.

Always have someone staffing the merch booth. Many people will come during the show to avoid the lines.

Walk around after the show with your CD in hand and several in your pocket as well as change (dollar bills) to sell to people. Talk to your fans, don't just sell.

Make sure to have a sign up sheet on the table at the merch booth. Say something like, "Hey, if you sign up for my touring list, we can notify you of our shows and I will give you a free autographed picture."

To save money on hotels or hostels, contact the people who are involved with your tour. DJ's, promo, publicity and find out if they have any friends who might want to be your host family while you are there. Do not take advantage of the host family. Be of value to them and give them autographed goods, CDs, etc.

Don't waste your money on a lot of merchandise such as T-Shirts, etc. until you are more established and have a fan base that is actually yours. Why? You will spend a lot of money on product that may go to waste. Spend that money once you have a solid fan base that is showing up to your gigs because you are there, not because another band is.

Ask other bands in your genre if they would want to share lists. By that, I mean, when you send out a notice about your group, you also send a notice about theirs and visa versa. It's a great way to cross promote.

Make friends, not enemy's. You are not a diva and people don't like them so don't become one.

Make sure you have a contract. Without one, you can get screwed.

Learn the business. This is show business. Put on the show with all your heat and soul so they want to come back, but learn the business.

Make sample cards with music samples, not full songs on them and hand them out at the gigs. Keep cos