The B# Newsletter (For Musicians)

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| The B# Newsletter | October 17, 2007

Publisher: MuBiz.com
http://www.MuBiz.com
Editor: Kenny Love
Primary Email: kennylove@...
Web Site Sign-Up: http://yahoogroups.com/group/BSharpNews
Email Subscribe: BSharpNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Email Unsubscribe: BSharpNews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: BSharpNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

Copyright © 2007 MuBiz.com All Rights Reserved

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"The B# Newsletter" is a FREE music industry newsletter
published by MuBiz.com. It is focused toward independent
musicians and recording artists. Its intent is to inform and
enlighten artists through articles, resources, products, and
services that will significantly enhance them in their music
careers. Additionally, it offers Op-Ed/Commentary on various
Music industry headline news.

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IN THIS ISSUE…

I. "Radiohead's Honor System (More Hurtful Than Helpful)"

II. Music Business & Career Resources/Products/Services

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I. "Radiohead's Honor System (More Hurtful Than Helpful)"

By Kenny Love


Music for free??? Oh, what next shall our hungering eyes
feast upon to be given away in "gratis" or "libre" capacities?
Automobiles? Homes? Oh, wait a second...

The Federal government's law enforcement agencies are
already giving those away through their ongoing confiscation
and auctioning of properties (the ill-gotten garden variety type)
derived from numerous midnightly excursions in the forms of
assaults on poor unsuspecting drug dealers as a result of
their "lookout" guys experiencing sleep apnea during raids.

"Honestly, Mr. Gotti...I never seen 'em comin', Sir!"

What about the time and expense that are (still) incurred in
music production and promotion? Are we now assuming
that everyone who hears (and graciously receives) music
for free in this 'Age of Enlightenment' in the New Music
Industry will suddenly experience an epiphany, resulting in
a change of heart that now compels him/her to own a
tee-shirt from each recording artist whose music s/he
has received freely?

"This band is so hot, I just *HAD* to buy that $85 tee
shirt!"

Or, that all of these new "freebie" downloaders will now
dedicate and allocate a significant portion of their time (and
income) to attending these artists' live shows? Heck, on
the flip side of that argument, most independent musicians
can't even afford mini-tours, let alone national touring.

And, as for merchandising, what about bands with members,
such as guitarists who have an exceedingly difficult time
budgeting for strings, regular instrument maintenance, or
worse, enough money to get from one out-of-town gig to the
next? Where will they suddenly get the additional money to
invest upfront in tee-shirts, bobbleheads (are bobbleheads
still selling?), posters, etc., hoping to be able to sell them at
a future live performance? Their recorded music is all most
independent musicians have to sell as a product anyway.

Seriously, ...where shall it end? While I agree that the
corporate music bastards are ultimately responsible for
getting all of us in this mess in the first place, with their
greedy eyes having been set on the age old 'mo money'
factor for their own benefit, while their "slaves" (recording
artists) earned mere pittances in comparison, I predict that
an alternative "honor" system such as Radiohead is
suggesting and attempting to establish in respect to
music purchases, will be short lived while reverting the
hard working local "live performance" musician to an
income bracket lower than a New York sewer (with my
apologies to sewer dwellers).

As for a future "honor" system, if a group of people were
not purchasing music before in any context, and otherwise
elected to illegally download or file-share, it is unrealistic to
assume that most, if not all, of this same group will now
start to "money share" fairly with artists regardless of how
little money recording artists require to be paid for their
music downloads.

Although I don't feel that this new honor idea is completely
meritless, again, I do feel that it is just another idea that
will work best, again, at the corporate music level,
particularly benefiting already wealthy former major label
recording artists who are already well established (think
Prince, Madonna, Sting, and that ilk) and who can afford to
eliminate this portion (music sales) from their income while
"beefing up" their merchandising and live performance sales
with an already established and ever increasing fan base.

[---SIDEBAR---]

So, here's a tip for independent musicians and, possibly,
a tip that you have thought of...

Know the phrase that goes, "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em?"
Well, if music giveaways become the norm or standard in
the future, simply go ahead and give your music away as
well, since not only will your music career's future depend
on your doing so as music buyers/fans will expect it to be
as free as your competitors' music is. At that point, to not
do so, will certainly and unequivocally spell the demise of
your music career.

So, if the "changing times" and a foreseeable future of
the non existence of music sales continues to frighten you,
even though Halloween has passed, consider the following...

Utilize a tactic that most of the traditional business world
has used since the beginning of time, which is to include the
price of what you would normally sell your CD (or downloads)
for into your live show's ticket price. And, if you are
negotiating a fee for your show with, say, a club owner or
another live gig, simply take the average number of CDs
that you normally sell at your show and include their costs
in your price as well.

[---MAIN TOPIC---]

I don't know for sure, but my fifty years (Earth time) of
having experienced human nature firsthand dictates so to
me regarding such an honor system. In fact, I expect such
an honor system, as it relates to the majority of independent
musicians, to have a shorter lifespan than bread crumbs in
an ant factory.

That's my three cents worth (tax included).

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* As always, your comments regarding this article are very
much appreciated, so please feel free to send them to
kennylove@...

Again, if you are an author who would like to contribute a
"unique" article that helps musicians and recording artists
succeed in their careers, please feel free to send it to me
for consideration of publication within the B# Newsletter.

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Get a complete list of articles by checking the "Messages"
section in the B# Newsletter on Yahoo! Groups at
http://yahoogroups.com/group/BSharpNews

=====

Music Dish articles by Kenny Love:
http://www.musicdish.com/kennylove/

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II. Music Business & Career Resources/Products/Services

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[---CHEAP ADVERTISING SPACE---]

The B# Newsletter now has over 2,000 dedicated
musicians as subscribers. If you own a music
business, product or service that musicians need to
know about, or you need to get information out to
musicians regarding a Music event or other function,
why not present it to this ready-to-buy market through
our newsletter?

After all, our rate is only $10 per weekly issue. Plus,
your ad stays in our archives forever, and new B#
subscribers will see it when they sign up as well,
which won't cost you anything, yet, will potentially
produce free sales for you.

Your ad will include an ALL CAPS headline and 6
additional text lines that are 60 characters in length
for each line.

To purchase your ad via http://www.PayPal.com,
simply use my email address ( kennylove@...),
as well as send your ad to me to the above email
address.

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1. http://www.MuBiz.com
(MuBiz.com Hqtrs.)

2. http://www.MuBiz.com/KL-ProPer.html
All About Me (Professionally & Personally)

3.http://www.MuBiz.com/12-StepProg.html
The Highly Popular 12-Step Program To Music $ucce$$!

4. http://www.MuBiz.com/vsm.html
Virtual Sheet Music

5. http://prweb.com/releases/2006/10/prweb466569.htm
(Billboard News on The B# Newsletter)

6. http://prwebpodcast.com/releases/pod466569.htm
(My Billboard Radio Interview)

7. http://www.MuBiz.com/aboutMuBiz.html
(MuBiz.com's Mission Statement)

8. http://www.MuBiz.com/mc101.html
(Music Business Contracts For All Your Music Needs!)

9. http://www.MuBiz.com/licensingyoursongs.html
(How To Get Your Music On Film & TV Soundtracks)

10. http://www.MuBiz.com/MultiSpeak.html
(This is THE Single Most Important Link for Doubling,
Tripling & Quadrupling YOUR Music $ales INSTANTLY!)

11. http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#RECORD_PROMOTION
(MuBiz.com's Promo/Pub.)

12. http://www.MuBiz.com/GigPromo.html
(MuBiz.com's Gig Promo)

13. http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#Video_Scripting
(MuBiz.com's Video Scripts)

14. http://www.MuBiz.com/RecordLabel-BizPlan.html
(An Indie Record Label's Fool-Proof/No-Fail Business Plan)

15. http://www.MuBiz.com/UM.html
(The Ultimate Metronome!)

16. http://www.MuBiz.com/Finalized.mp3
(MuBiz.com's Radio Commercial)

17. http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bsharpnews
(The B# Newsletter)

18. http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/klmb101
(MuBiz.com's Online Classes)

19. http://www.MuBiz.com/klmuzres.html
(My Music Resumé)

20. http://www.MuBiz.com/writeres.html
(My Writing Resumé)

21. http://www.MuBiz.com/hiphopbts.html
(Huge Library of Hip Hop Beats)

22. http://www.MuBiz.com/proprod.html
(Get the secrets of leading studio producers)

23. http://www.MuBiz.com/Bandit.html
(Here is the inside info on getting signed to record labels)

24. http://www.MuBiz.com/musiclicense.html
(Here's how to get your music on movie & TV soundtracks)

25. http://www.MuBiz.com/zzounds.html
(Lowest Priced/Highest Quality Equipment For: Musicians & Singers!)

26. http://www.NysaLove.com
(Original Art work for your CD Cover or Music Business)

27. http://www.MuBiz.com/StunRing.html
(Be Safe & Protect Yourself On The Road, At Gigs & On Tour!)

28. http://www.MuBiz.com/schgrant.html
(Want A Music Degree, But Think You Can't Afford College? Think
Again!)

29. http://www.MuBiz.com/lifegrant.html
(Starving Musician? Never Heard Of It! What's That? Click
the above link to learn how you can get FREE money from
the government for your music career without the need to
get a boring suicidal day job!)

30. http://www.MuBiz.com/4life.html
(Life's All-Problem-Solving Resource!)

31. http://www.MuBiz.com/OnlineGigs.html
(Book Your Own Gigs & Get Gig Offers)

32. http://yahoogroups.com/group/klmb101
(Online "Real-Time" Music Business Class!!!)

33. http://www.MuBiz.com/F4.html
(Absolutely FREE Digital Electronics!)

34. http://www.MuBiz.com/bb-bf.html
(Bob Baker's Masterpiece On Taking Advantage
Of & Effectively $elling Music on MySpace)

35. http://www.MuBiz.com/MusicBlogPower.html
(Learn HOW to Blog Your Music To Riche$!)

36. http://www.MuBiz.com/viralmusic.html
(Increase Your Music Buyers Dramatically!)

37. http://www.MuBiz.com/mustsee.html
(Musicians' Must-Have Survival Products)

38. http://www.MuBiz.com/services.html#CD_COVER
(CD Cover Concepts)

39. http://www.MuBiz.com/KLFiction.html
http://www.icutek.net
(My "Other" Lives)

40. http://yahoogroups.com/group/newsletterworld-G1
(Diversified Newsletter Subject Content For Life)

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Some Humor, Perhaps?

"The Case Of The Great CD Cover Mystery"
http://www.MuBiz.com/CDMystery.html

"Nightmare on L Street"
http://www.MuBiz.com/nightmare.html

Scary Review 1
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=2132

Scary Review 2
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=4780

"Attack of the Killer Musicians!"
http://www.musicdish.com/mag/index.php3?id=4525

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Got Questions, Issues, Answers, News, or anything
of value to add to the content of "The B# Newsletter?"
If so, we encourage you to please feel free in contacting
us at: BSharpNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

Also, if you are aware of any fellow independent
musicians and recording artists who might benefit from
this newsletter, why not inform them about it? Or better
yet, why not forward them a copy of this edition for them
to preview?

Thank you for reading us...until next time…

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| The B# Newsletter | October 17, 2007

Publisher: MuBiz.com
http://www.MuBiz.com
Editor: Kenny Love
Primary Email: kennylove@...
Web Site Sign-Up: http://yahoogroups.com/group/BSharpNews
Email Subscribe: BSharpNews-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Email Unsubscribe: BSharpNews-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
List owner: BSharpNews-owner@yahoogroups.com

Copyright © 2007 MuBiz.com All Rights Reserved