Guess the Street loves a juicy 'for sale' sign, especially when Goldman is pulling the strings. In early morning trading on Friday, shares of Warner Music Group (WMG) boomed past 25 percent, and ultimately finished up 27.33 percent to $6.01.
Late Thursday, word leaked on a possible purchase by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR), though apparently other suitors are knocking. Either way, the potential buy screams 'buy' to traders, who all want an easy, overnight payout.
Separately, something else is happening in France, where WMG chairman Edgar Bronfman has been handed a hefty fine for illegal insider trading. This goes back to a 'past life' involving Vivendi, and a Paris court has now saddled Bronfman with a 5 million euro ($6.7 million) bill. Of course, Bronfman is planning to appeal, though this seems like a separate stage of drama.
More ahead.
Major Layoffs at Universal Music Group; As Much as 50%...
Universal Music Group has just completed massive layoff round, according to information from roughly a dozen sources. A spokesperson for the label has also confirmed the round, though specific numbers were not revealed.
So who's saying what? One source pointed to a chop as deep as 50 percent 'across the board,' which seems a bit high, though another pointed to a similar percentage reduction at Interscope. Another high-ranking partner pointed to something "big, very big," and a distribution partner pointed to sales executive Mike Davis as "the first casualty". According to information shared, Davis was most recently Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Universal Music & Video Distribution (UMVD).
The list of sources saying "huge" and "massive" goes on and on. Separately, both Variety and the New York Times are pointing to a chop of 60 in North America, though that seems only relevant to staff-level employees. Ongoing, Digital Music News is getting emailed with unconfirmed dribs-and-drabs, with most pointing to a rather extreme downsizing.
Music Marketing and Promotion 102
Posted By Musician Coaching
In Part 1 of this article I outlined the importance of having prepared properly for a new music release. This covers everything from having captured video, stills and writing about the making of your new music to making sure you have your social networks and website sorted so you have places where said footage can live and work to your advantage. I also neglected to mention that it is important that your bio, press clippings and photos are up to date at least several weeks if not months prior to your release date. Long story short – there is a ton of set up to do for any well marketed and promoted release and there are a ton of moving parts to keep your eyes on.
Yes, like a game of whack a mole. If you are releasing your record 100% on your own- chances are you are going to miss some of these metaphorical moles but I thought it would help if you at least knew them by name. An easy way for me to go over this believe it or not is to go over in very broad strokes the way record companies functioned around their releases over a decade ago. It is easier to break them down from their old terrestrial functions because the digital age has blurred the lines of what is PR vs. marketing vs. sales vs. anything else that moves the needle for an artist’s career. The solutions the different record label departments use today (and that you will use on your own) are very different than they were ten years ago but the needs that these departments addressed are still the same. You will note of course I am leaving out finance, business and legal, art, A&R – because they are slightly less applicable and there is no mention of a film and TV department or digital / online departments because ten years ago such departments were very tiny if they existed at all. They will be covered in a follow up article.
Meet the old moles:
Marketing:
It was the job of the marketing person to have relationships with various other entertainment entities and brands, to find interesting opportunities for their artists, to communicate with the band’s management and agent and make sure that all of the other departments at the label were performing their functions on a schedule that maximized the impact of everyone’s efforts.
Sales:
Sales departments at labels made sure that the chain record stores had product in stock and they cut deals to ensure that this product was priced competitively and on a priority project they spent money to ensure it was positioned in a way that made it more attractive than most albums in the rack. You know those big cardboard displays at the end of the aisle in old school record stores? Those cost labels a pretty penny.
Publicity:
It was the job of the publicist to work with artists on their image, their biography and photos and of course to make sure the press wrote about them. A publicist made sure that an artist’s press kit was as compelling and slick as possible.
In my experience great publicists were that they were able to take elements of an artist’s life and persona and magnify or mythologize them in a way that made for a compelling story or several compelling stories that they could pitch to different kinds of periodicals for write ups or appearances on morning television news shows, talk shows etc…
Promotion:
The job of the promotion department (both video and radio although they were usually somewhat separate) was to get the artist played on radio (or video outlets) – develop relationships with all of the programmers who were the gatekeepers to these stations or channels and to make sure that their artists appeared not only in terms of getting their single or video spun but played at live events put on by radio stations, showed up on air in radio and video studios and generally maximized their artist’s presence at these outlets by leveraging their relationships.
I will come back around for part three on how the hell these different departments are translatable to you doing your own thing in the digital world and of course introduce you to some newer moles.
More soon,
R
Touring Collapsed In 2010. So What Happens Next?Wasn't this supposed to happen in 2009, when consumers were freaking out and slashing unnecessary expenditures? Actually, the concert sector displayed strength and resiliency in '09, but simply collapsed this year. Figures recently released by Billboard show the following for North America in 2010: - Gross receipts: Down 26.6%
- Attendance: Down 24.4%
- Number of Shows: Down 16%
So what was the final tally? A total of 11,555 shows attracted 38 million people and $2.1 billion in gross, according to the 
stats. The worldwide declines were somewhat better, but not by much. Still, there were bright spots, but mainly at the top. Huge, superstar tours from acts like Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga outperformed, as did mega-festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. But while the rich got richer, the once-rich were cancelling and staying home, including stars like Christina Aguilera, Lilith, and the touring Idols. Meanwhile, serious questions surround the little guy. The talking point is that indies are enjoying more opportunities on the road, and some are definitely pulling it off. But many bands are hitting the road out of necessity, and finding it difficult to make serious money from strapped fans. That leaves the question: is there enough money out there to support the touring artist - of whatever level - or are different solutions needed?
EMI TO BE RAN BY CITIGROUP
If Music Startups Were Bands, Which Bands Would They Be?
Every music app has its own crazy personality, just like bands. But if music apps *were* bands, which ones would they be? Try these on for size.
(1) Napster = Nirvana
Both appeared suddenly, both were huge smashes, and both forever changed the world. And, both ended tragically.
(2) Mp3.com = The Sex Pistols
Both were scary, hated, and groundbreaking. And after burning really bright, both burnt out.
(3) Pandora = The Allman Brothers
Success sometimes comes easy, but not for these weathered veterans. Neither said die, even after years of suffering and setback.
(4) BurnLounge = Milli Vanilli
Both were clearly frauds.
(5) Imeem = MC Hammer
Both were big, lived well beyond their means, and vanished into penniless obscurity.
(6) Project Playlist = Shyne
Like twins, these were both industry-backed favorites. But something went terribly wrong in each case: Playlist was abandoned and left for bankruptcy, while Shyne languished for a decade in prison. Whoops.
(7) Grooveshark = Kanye West
Controversial, popular, and great at pissing off important people.
(8) Last.fm = Robbie Williams
Both basked in ridiculous hype in the UK and Europe, both signed insanely massive deals, and both fell miserably short of expectations.
(9) Spiralfrog = Nicole Sherzinger
Both craftily cultivated hype of the highest degree. And then...
(10) MySpace Music = Nelly
Once white hot, now not-so-white-hot. But still sort of around, still sort of doing okay.
(11) Tunecore = Amy Winehouse
Successful. Talented. Visionary. Crazy.
Permalink: http://digitalmusicnews.com/
Touring Collapsed In 2010. So What Happens Next?Wasn't this supposed to happen in 2009, when consumers were freaking out and slashing unnecessary expenditures? Actually, the concert sector displayed strength and resiliency in '09, but simply collapsed this year. Figures recently released by Billboard show the following for North America in 2010: - Gross receipts: Down 26.6%
- Attendance: Down 24.4%
- Number of Shows: Down 16%
So what was the final tally? A total of 11,555 shows attracted 38 million people and $2.1 billion in gross, according to the stats. The worldwide declines were somewhat better, but not by much. Still, there were bright spots, but mainly at the top. Huge, superstar tours from acts like Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga outperformed, as did mega-festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. But while the rich got richer, the once-rich were cancelling and staying home, including stars like Christina Aguilera, Lilith, and the touring Idols. Meanwhile, serious questions surround the little guy. The talking point is that indies are enjoying more opportunities on the road, and some are definitely pulling it off. But many bands are hitting the road out of necessity, and finding it difficult to make serious money from strapped fans. That leaves the question: is there enough money out there to support the touring artist - of whatever level - or are different solutions needed?
Wasn't this supposed to happen in 2009, when consumers were freaking out and slashing unnecessary expenditures? Actually, the concert sector displayed strength and resiliency in '09, but simply collapsed this year. Figures recently released by Billboard show the following for North America in 2010:
- Gross receipts: Down 26.6%
- Attendance: Down 24.4%
- Number of Shows: Down 16%
So what was the final tally? A total of 11,555 shows attracted 38 million people and $2.1 billion in gross, according to the stats. The worldwide declines were somewhat better, but not by much.
stats. The worldwide declines were somewhat better, but not by much. Still, there were bright spots, but mainly at the top. Huge, superstar tours from acts like Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga outperformed, as did mega-festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo. But while the rich got richer, the once-rich were cancelling and staying home, including stars like Christina Aguilera, Lilith, and the touring Idols.
Meanwhile, serious questions surround the little guy. The talking point is that indies are enjoying more opportunities on the road, and some are definitely pulling it off. But many bands are hitting the road out of necessity, and finding it difficult to make serious money from strapped fans. That leaves the question: is there enough money out there to support the touring artist - of whatever level - or are different solutions needed?
EMI TO BE RAN BY CITIGROUP
(1) Napster = Nirvana
Both appeared suddenly, both were huge smashes, and both forever changed the world. And, both ended tragically.
(2) Mp3.com = The Sex Pistols
Both were scary, hated, and groundbreaking. And after burning really bright, both burnt out.
(3) Pandora = The Allman Brothers
Success sometimes comes easy, but not for these weathered veterans. Neither said die, even after years of suffering and setback.
(4) BurnLounge = Milli Vanilli
Both were clearly frauds.
(5) Imeem = MC Hammer
Both were big, lived well beyond their means, and vanished into penniless obscurity.
(6) Project Playlist = Shyne
Like twins, these were both industry-backed favorites. But something went terribly wrong in each case: Playlist was abandoned and left for bankruptcy, while Shyne languished for a decade in prison. Whoops.
(7) Grooveshark = Kanye West
Controversial, popular, and great at pissing off important people.
(8) Last.fm = Robbie Williams
Both basked in ridiculous hype in the UK and Europe, both signed insanely massive deals, and both fell miserably short of expectations.
(9) Spiralfrog = Nicole Sherzinger
Both craftily cultivated hype of the highest degree. And then...
(10) MySpace Music = Nelly
Once white hot, now not-so-white-hot. But still sort of around, still sort of doing okay.
(11) Tunecore = Amy Winehouse
Successful. Talented. Visionary. Crazy.
Permalink: http://digitalmusicnews.com/
Interview with AARON BAY-SCHUCK, AnR at Atlantic for Bruno Mars, B.o.B, Travie McCoy, Flo Rida
“‘Just The Way You Are’ had a massive chorus, an instantly memorable melody and lyric, and was a natural transition from the B.o.B and Travie McCoy songs. It had everything we could want in a first single for Bruno.” Three of 2010’s most infectious crossover pop hits - B.o.B’s ‘Nothin’ On You’, Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionaire’ and Bruno Mars’ ‘Just the Way You Are’ – not only share a common thread in Mars, the artist, songwriter, producer himself, but in the A&R that signed and developed the Hawaiian wunderkind, Aaron Bay-Schuck. After having taken a career defining turn A&Ring Flo Rida’s 2009 smash ‘Right Round’, the Atlantic executive has helped facilitate and fashion an extraordinary run of genre-bending singles culminating in the dramatic break out of Bruno Mars. In this exclusive interview with HitQuarters, Bay-Schuck explains how he signed, developed and broke Mars, talks about the contribution of the A&R in the studio, and details the type of artists he is looking for next. How did you first get into the music industry and what was your first big break as an A&R? I got into the music business when I finished college in 2003. Major labels were beginning to downsize and it was difficult to find a full-time position so I interned and joined a temp agency to get my foot in the door. I landed a temp gig at Interscope Records, which I turned into a full-time assistant position working for Martin Kierszenbaum (HQ interview). After a year I left for an A&R assistant position working for Mike Caren (interview) at Atlantic Records. In 2006 I was promoted to my first real A&R position. I was really fortunate to work for two incredibly successful and knowledgeable record executives so early in my career. The first hit I had as an A&R was Plies feat. T-Pain ‘Shawty’ but I considerFlo Rida’s ‘Right Round’ as the real turning point in my A&R career. Were there particular people that had a significant influence on the direction you took? For me the biggest influence was going to Columbia University in New York. It opened my eyes to urban music beyond what was playing on the radio - specifically hip-hop – and also the process of making records. During my senior year of college I met Diane Mayer - then vice president of video promotion at Capitol Records. She told me a little bit more of what she did and how the record labels operate and the next day I applied for an internship at Interscope in New York. It was not until I actually started working at a record label full-time that I discovered my passion for A&R. What’s a typical day like for you at the moment? I usually get in the office early. I spend a lot of time doing meetings and going through emails, listening to records - hundreds of tracks, hooks and songs get submitted every week and I have to go through them. I hit the phones all day making sure I stay connected with producers and songwriters. My day at the studio usually begins in the afternoon and often goes into the early morning hours. I am a very hands-on A&R so I spend most of my time in the studio working closely with songwriters, producers, and artists. I crave being part of the creative process. The search for great music and new talent never stops. Everywhere I go I'm always going through emails, searching for new music online or making calls. I also trust in my relationships with songwriters, producers, managers, lawyers etc. to put me on to new and emerging talent. My eyes and ears are always open no matter what I'm doing. You say you crave being part of the creative process, so what would you say your input is in the songwriting process? It varies, sometimes it's just identifying an instrumental that I think is a hit, and if we’re lucky we get with a songwriter that knocks it out of the park. Other times we are very involved in the melody, lyric, and arrangement of the songs. You're not getting a hit just by sitting in the office and making some phone calls and praying a smash pops up in your email. It really takes a lot of collaboration with producers, songwriters and the artist to make sure that the song is as good as possible. Do you think it's a good working combination to be in the studio with the producer, the artist and songwriter? There isn’t any clash of opinions? You do have to deal with a lot of opinions and personalities. I'm very careful not to overstep my boundaries - at the end of the day I know I'm not the producer and I'm not the songwriter, but I have had the experience of coming in and taking records to a whole other level. As long as I'm respectful with everybody's opinions in there I think it's best that it's a collaborative process. How exactly does it work then in the studio? I like to go in and start the session off by going through priority tracks and talking about the direction of the song or artist we are working on. I love to bring concepts to the table to kick off the creative process so that the writer is not shooting in the dark when writing for an artist that isn't present. I think this really increases the chances of getting what I or the artist needs out of a session; it gives the songwriter or producer as much of a leg up as possible so nobody’s time is wasted. I also like to give the creative people a chance to work without me in the room. I don't think it's effective to be sitting there the entire time. You have to let people flush out their ideas before you start critiquing them otherwise it sucks the fun out of the process. How many acts are you working on in the moment? This year alone I A&Red or co-A&Red six albums, which in my four years was by far the most I’ve had to deal with – it was quite a workload. Bruno Mars,Travie McCoy, B.o.B, Tank, Toni Braxton, and Flo Rida all came out this year. The A&R department at Atlantic is also extremely collaborative. I am always looking for tracks, hooks, and songs for artists that are not necessarily my own and I get the same effort from my peers. It is important though to never spread yourself too thin as an A&R. I could easily work day and night on just one act so I never want to overload myself otherwise things can fall to the side that shouldn’t. That’s one reason we do not sign too many acts; we want to make sure that every act we work with is incredibly special. Are these artists you initially signed? Bruno Mars was my big signing this year and was the first artist I signed on my own. The rest of the artists mentioned were ‘inherited’, so to speak. How does a co-A&R partnership work? It's mainly about having two sets of eyes and ears out on the street looking for the best records for the artist. We will sit down every week and go over the songs and hooks that each of us have found and talk about the best ones and ways to improve them. We may split up the list of producers and songwriters that we speak to so that there are not too many people calling one person. Efficiency is key. We don't expect that our tastes will be aligned all the time but sometimes that's the best thing because you actually look at things from all angles. What artists are you looking to sign? It varies. But I think through the Bruno Mars success a few things are clear to me. First, my personal taste plays a big roll in what I want to sign. Early in my career I was so eager to say I had ‘signed’ something that I brought in a few acts that I thought fit an open lane at the label, but were not necessarily acts I would fall on the sword for. A&R can be an unforgiving and thankless job so you have to love the artist you’re working with to get the most out of it. Second, I want to sign artists that have a strong identity and really understand what kind of artist they want to be. I am not saying they should have all the answers, but it’s my job to cultivate and nurture their vision, not necessarily create or force them into a certain direction. Third, it is icing on the cake if the artist is also a talented producer and songwriter in their own right. It’s not a requirement but it certainly adds a very special quality to the record making process when the artist can deliver on his/her own. Last, I want artists that are opinionated but not close-minded. I am not always right but neither is the artist so it’s necessary to find an artist that listens and is willing to try new things. When you look at your roster it has gone from the urban hip-hop thing to a very pop thing, is that where you want to take things? I didn't plan for my taste to become more and more pop. I started in the urban department because I wanted to make rap and R&B records, but as time went on my ears changed a little bit. I became more inspired by making records that leaned a bit more crossover and pop. But that certainly doesn't mean that I have turned a blind eye to the rap/R&B records that I was making when I first started. I think there is a lot of genre bending going on right now so I try to bring my crossover sensibility to all the rap and R&B projects I still A&R. Artists and songs don’t have to fit in a box anymore. With regards to Bruno Mars, can you explain how the signing process worked and what exactly you did before the release? It was a long process. His songwriting partner Philip Lawrence first introduced me to him in 2006. The first time Bruno played the guitar and sang a couple of the songs he had written for himself I was blown away. I wanted to sign him immediately but it took a few years to get Atlantic excited about him. I used him as a songwriter and producer for all of those years but as an artist it took some time to get everyone to see our vision. In the summer of 2009 I booked him and The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine) for a week of writing sessions for Lupe Fiasco, B.o.B and Travie McCoy. We walked out of there with ‘Nothin’ On You’and ‘Billionaire’. We were already in the process of signing him but that definitely sweetened the deal [laughs]. Did you see him as a solo artist right away when you first met him? Yes. Bruno made it clear from the beginning that being an artist was always his biggest goal, but that he was also willing to write and produce and do anything that it took to be recognised as an artist. I wanted to sign him instantly but it was a long-term process. He had to spend a lot of time improving his songwriting and trying to find out exactly who he wanted to be as an artist. If Atlantic had let me sign him four years ago who knows if the outcome would have been the same. He always had the talent but he definitely went through some self-discovery over the past few years that contributed in a big way to his recent success. Can you explain in a bit more detail what involved because I think a lot of artists have the same problem? I just had him writing, writing, writing … it just never stopped. Phil and Bruno were willing to write for anything, from Flo Rida to Plies to Trey Songz. He couldn’t help but improve as a songwriter and a producer. The more you write, the more you find out what works for you and what works for other artists. We were always exchanging tracks and ideas. It was a monthly process that never stopped and still hasn’t even after he was signed. Bruno is always creating. Was there a plan behind how you wanted to break him? Yes. We wanted to set him up with some big feature looks to create some major visibility for him before dropping a solo single. The timing was perfect with B.o.B’s ‘Nothin’ On You’ and Travie McCoy’s ‘Billionaire’. These two songs served a great dual purpose because we also wanted the public to know from the outset that there was more to Bruno than just the voice. He was also producing and writing these hits – an extremely rare quality amongst many of today’s top artists. While Bruno is more than just a pop artist, we couldn’t deny that Top 40 was going to be the main radio format for his songs. There is nothing more difficult than breaking an artist at pop radio right from the start so we were careful to make sure he had some big looks at urban, crossover, and rhythm formats to help solidify a real fan base. The final piece of the puzzle was not neglecting artist development. Bruno’s biggest passion is performing and it’s where he feels most at home. We knew hitting the road and touring underneath these big Top 40 hits was going to be crucial to breaking Bruno as a ‘real’ artist. It gave fans a chance to see that there was a real star here and it was not just about the songs they were hearing on the radio. How did the song ‘Nothin’ On You’ come together? Bruno and Phil are always humming great original melodies even when they are not trying to write a song, so one of my biggest jobs as their A&R is to identify the best of these melodies to put words to. When I got that week with the guys to work on B.o.B and Travie McCoy, it was my chance to have them flush out a couple ideas they had been singing for sometime. We started with that inspiration and they took it took a whole other level. I remember that particular week started slowly so I let them be for a couple days to let them find their groove. When I came back later in the week they played me scratch chorus-only demos of ‘Nothin’ On You’ and ‘Billionaire’. It was just Bruno singing on a guitar track but I could tell instantly that these were going to be career defining songs. It was an A&R’s dream come true. How long did it take to get from the idea to the finished song? Bruno and The Smeezingtons finished the production for ‘Nothin’ On You’ quickly. They knew exactly where they wanted to take it. The overall process took a few months though. Bruno and B.o.B spent a nice amount of time together working on the full song to get it perfect and we played with a few different arrangements. How many songs did you record before you chose which one to go for Bruno’s debut single and what made you go for it? We had about half of the album done when ‘Just the Way You Are’ was created but as soon as Bruno finished it we knew we had the first single. I had never felt the way I did when I first heard that song. I just knew. It was so special. It had everything we could want in a first single for Bruno. The track had a bit of left of centre, hip cool organic hip-hop drum break, a vibe that Bruno loved and had touched on with ‘Nothin’ On You’. It didn’t sound like anything else on the radio. It was a song written for females but one that every guy who ever had a girlfriend could relate to. It had a massive chorus, an instantly memorable melody and lyric - it just really stuck out compared to all the records on the album and was a natural transition from the B.o.B and Travie McCoy songs. It was also a multi-format song. What makes him so special is that he can live on a lot of different radio formats. You don't want to let radio dictate who you want to be as an artist but it's a very important thing to consider. Bruno is an act that was breaking on pop radio and it's very hard to be considered a genuine and real artist when people are first hearing your song on Top 40 radio when they don't know anything about you. Sometimes it is good to be on the other radio formats before because they have a bit more loyalty to the artists they are breaking and really secure a fan base before crossing over to pop radio. Bruno is a special artist because he is such an incredible live performer so it's been a blessing to have these big pop records but at the same time he's touring organically underneath all of them to really build that fan base and really being considered and seen as legitimate artist - that he's not just a guy that is featured on a couple of big songs. There’s some real depth to him. What kind of touring did he do before he was breaking with the big songs? What was his audience like? He only played local clubs in LA and it was always a mixed audience. Now he is headlining tours and playing in arenas for radio shows. As you would expect the audience is so far predominantly female but you see people of all ages – 8 to 80. When the song ‘Just the Way You Are’ was finished what were the next steps? Once we knew we had the first single, we first took a breath [laughs]. One of the first things I learned about breaking an artist is that you first have to break him within your own building. You need to make sure the people that are going to be working this project really understand who the artist is and what the direction is. I wanted them to be as passionate about Bruno as I was. So I’d say the real first step was playing this song for everyone in the Atlantic building, and they in turn, played it for all the important radio, television, media outlets etc. to wet people’s appetite and create a buzz and anticipation about Bruno as a solo artist. We firmed up a release date immediately and aggressively started to plan Bruno’s rollout from marketing to promotion to publicity to video. Once we had the plans in place and knew we had adequate time to finish the album, we went right to radio with the song. If you have a new artist coming in, how do you find the right producer or the right people for them to work with? It depends on the project. I don’t just jump to put the artist in with the hottest producer and songwriter. I try to put the artist with creative people that will bring the best out of the artist. Creative people that understand the artist’s comfort zone but also encourage and push them to take risks. With Flo Rida for instance, who is an urban and pop artist, we try to find great rap lyric songwriters and put them with writers that are great with melodies. Has it happened whereby you puzzle together a song, take a chorus from here and verse from another song? Yes, that happens all the time. I may get a song submission where I love the lyric or melody of only one line and readdress it with another track. Or I may love a concept but not the track or song so we try flushing it out a different way. We may bring in additional songwriting or production collaborators to bring a fresh perspective. It’s always done, of course, with the original writers participation and permission. ‘Just the Way You Are’ started this way. How do you find new producers and writers? Especially in this day and age where everyone can submit a song with a mouse click ... I meet songwriters and producers in all kinds of different ways - sometimes it's emails; sometimes it's managers or lawyers that put me onto somebody. I make sure my relationships with the publishers are great so that they can introduce me to new talent. Sometimes the artist brings in stuff - they are in their hometown and meet someone that is talented and then tell me about it. A recording studio can be a very social place too. I meet a lot of new talented people just by being in the studio and roaming the hallways and popping into other sessions. Do you have a special way of going through the submitted music? I'm very email based. I accept mp3s - I a get a ton of them every week. Sometimes I put my favourite beats of the week or the month on a CD or iPod and listen to them for weeks – just straight instrumentals. If I am not tired of it after a few weeks, that’s a major indication that it’s something with hit potential. If I get tired of a hook quickly, that’s usually an indicator it may not be too special. Flo Rida’s ‘Right Round’ actually came about that way. I had a shuffle beat produced by DJ Frank E in my car on a beat CD. I kept hearing in my head the melody off the Dead or Alive ‘You Spin Me Round’ record on top of it. I just knew we had to find a way to update the lyrics and make it relevant. That was where that idea was given birth. If I'm a writer and I want to get in touch because I have something that I think fits your artist, what's the best approach? Just email it to me - it's abs@atlanticrecords.com. I get to everything that comes in eventually. We have a whole team of A&R people that are ready to listen to things. I am also careful to listen to someone’s entire submission. I may get a CD where beats 1-20 are not strong but lo and behold track 21 is incredible. I am paranoid about missing out on a hit so I listen to everything. How do you work out a fee for a beat or an idea? It's rare these days that we buy just an instrumental. Our recording budgets are shrinking and it’s really important to us to have a great chorus or a great song before we buy it. We may negotiate directly with the producer or the songwriter or we may deal with their manager or lawyer or whomever they want us to speak to. It’s case by case. Do you have to do that personally or do you have another person that's dealing with the business side? I always deal with the fee because I'm very budget conscious. I try to deliver all the records we do on or under budget so I'm very involved in the rate negotiation process. Our business and legal staff is responsible for all of the formal contracts and agreements. Do you normally start negotiating quite early? We wait till we have a product we love before we start the negotiation but we do ask producers or songwriters for the courtesy of putting something on ‘hold’ for us if we like it but it’s still a work in progress. What makes a good pop song in your eyes? It's about a great melody - melody is king for me. Obviously the lyric is crucial but you need that melody to have it stick with you. It's about instant gratification - something that is immediately memorable and very catchy. Most of the great pop songs have a concept that's very relatable to the mass public - they can either identify with the sentiment or the song is about a widely shared experience. The best pop songs are not disposable either, they stick with you forever. Do you actually go out to clubs and check out new artists live? Yes, more and more now that I'm involved in things outside of rap music. Acts that are more band oriented I definitely go out and see. When you think about the A&R process now, how does that differ from when you first started doing it? One of the most important things I developed is just patience. You need to recognise that it takes a long time to find that special artist. It takes a long time to put the biggest hits together. They don't come together overnight and they don't get emailed to you. It’s very important to always incorporate your personal taste into the acts you A&R because it becomes very difficult over the time to A&R a project that you're not excited about creatively. |
What is a One Stop Shop in the Music Business?
grea0
great article I found on by buddy and lawyer Josh Kaplan blog (http://lawyer4musicians.com/) I wish I could take credit for it. enjoy
One stop shop for musicians? Better ask some questions.
Lately we’ve noticed a growing trend in the independent music scene. Specifically in the businesses that work with independent musicians. Many companies and individuals who used to have a job or a business that covered one specific element of the music scene are now presenting themselves as the “one stop shop” for musicians. As you know, we like to dissect things around here, especially when catch phrases or “industry” speak is thrown around as if it has one universal meaning.
To me, a one stop shop conjures up images of a major highway gas station where you can get gas for your car, a slim jim, bait for your fishing trip, a slice of pie and possibly take a shower (I would not recommend the last one). Basically a one stop shop should give a consumer an option to purchase all that he or she needs in one location. Transfer the phrase to the music industry and it is not quite as clear what a one stop shop is or should be.
We know that in the past a label was supposed to be a one stop shop, with a massive amount of employees handling everything from A&R to press to accounting for its signed musicians. With the decline of the label system the number of employees at labels feel as dramatically as the number of records sold at Tower Records. Thus, the services once offered by a label were no longer present. The displaced label personnel did not simply bury their heads in the sand. Rather, they started showing up as specialty boutiques offering the specific services they once provided to labels direct to the musicians or independent labels. Because the music industry is still based on who you knew, these boutiques served a pretty powerful purpose for quite some time. For example a boutique full of ex-Warner Brothers PR experts could utilize all of the same contacts it once had at a label directly to musicians for a discounted price (lower overhead).
Still, as the economy worsened, the boutiques had a difficult road ahead of them. Boutique employees were cast off too. So now you have a bunch of skilled and connected music industry folks milling about and looking for a new way of doing what they used to get paid to do by the labels and the speciality boutiques. A PR executive befriends a merchandising expert who then befriends a music web designer and so on and so on. The displaced experts then form a “one stop shop” for musicians. Essentially becoming a lean-mean label which, ideally, avoids the red-tape and bureaucracy of the traditional label system.
However, each one of these self-proclaimed one stop shops must be examined a bit more closely prior to agreeing to work with them. Here are some questions you should ask: Do you have distribution (usually digital is enough, but physical, think vinyl, is still important)? Do you have press contacts and the ability to do an actual push to garner the attention you need (in the markets that make sense) for the release of your music? Do they have connections with booking agents? Do they have connections to a legal team that understands music and corporate law? Have they managed a band before or do they have a management team in place? What type of connections do they have to other musicians, producers and studios?
All of these questions are important when choosing to work with any business out there purporting to be a one stop shop. Oh yes, there is also that little issue of money. All the connections in the world don’t matter if you don’t have the money to fund the project. Typically, a one stop shop is not going to operate with the budgets of the labels or the indie boutiques. The shop will be more of a facilitator, a connector of the dots, rather than a bank roll. As a musician, you will want to make sure you have your music production ready to roll (whether it’s an EP or an album) before agreeing to work with a one stop shop. Otherwise, you may be stuck at their shop without the cash to buy the goods.
The model for these shops is similar to the license arrangements indie labels used to enter into (some still do) back in the day. You bring your finished product to the shop, they market it and sell it to the masses. But the shops go one step farther by attempting to manage your band, book you shows, protect you legally and sometimes keep your corporate books and records. That is why it is so important to know what you are getting into before signing anything.
The one stop shop idea can work. Due your diligence, ask the right questions, demand everything in writing (and have it reviewed in writing) and continue to do your own job as a musician: make great music.
