Music Biz Academy Digest - Issue #59 - February 2004
An update from http://www.musicbizacademy.com.

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THE MUSIC BIZ ACADEMY
http://www.musicbizacademy.com

The Musician's Online Directory:
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/directory

The Academy (Articles and Tips)
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles

The Bookstore
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore

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Hello everyone! Welcome to the February, 2004 edition of the
Music Biz Academy Digest!

I've added quite a few new articles to our archive over the last
few weeks. I want to direct your attention to two, in particular.

The first is:

CAN YOU AFFORD DISTRIBUTION?
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/cs_distribution.htm

I get a lot of questions about distribution at the Academy. This
article focuses on retail distribution, and is an excellent
overview of some of the obstacles independent artists face.

The second article is:

MASTERING YOUR MUSIC: WHY YOU NEED IT, WHERE TO GET IT, AND HOW
TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT.
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/gman_mastering.htm

This is perhaps the finest overview of the mastering process I've
read. Best of all, it's NOT overly technical. You can no nothing
about mastering and still get something out of it, which is
pretty much the point.



IN CASE YOU MISSED IT...

Here are some hand-picked stories you shouldn't miss:


PETER GABRIEL, BRIAN ENO UNVEIL DIGITAL "MANIFESTO"
http://tinyurl.com/yv37q
Rock veterans Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno are launching a
provocative new musicians' alliance that would cut against the
industry grain.


ALMOST HALF OF KAZAA DOWNLOADS CONTAIN VIRUSES
http://tinyurl.com/2zlvx
Just in case you didn't know...


MTV'S LITTLE SECRET: EXCLUSIVITY
http://tinyurl.com/yu4yg
http://www.rollingstone.com/news/newsarticle.asp?nid=19142
From the 'no surprise' department.


STEVE JOBS: THE ROLLING STONE INTERVIEW
http://www.rollingstone.com/features/featuregen.asp?pid=2529
A little insight into the man behind iTunes.


MUSICIANS TURN TO WEED AFTER DEMISE OF MP3.COM
http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=60045
Weed. The next big thing? Certainly the next BEST thing.


For more on the latest news that matters to you and me, see
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/newsfeed.htm


THE 2004 MUSICIAN'S ATLAS
One other announcement, I've got the 2004 edition of the
Musician's Atlas now in stock. It's selling in the stores for
$39.95, but I'm selling it for just $36.95. You can even get it
as low as $32.95. Read all about it at
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/musiciansatlas.htm


More great articles, as well as web site reviews and resources
below!


David Nevue
Editor, The Music Biz Academy
http://www.musicbizacademy.com
Author, How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the Internet
http://www.promoteyourmusic.com
Musician, Recording Artist & Composer
http://www.davidnevue.com



PAID ADVERTISMENT -----------------------------------------------

Do you need music marketing for your website? Get exposure and
traffic from 200+ music specific resources.

Visit http://www.musicSUBMIT.com

"I just wanted to say that MusicSubmit.com is fantastic. Quite
simply, you guys do exactly as advertised. I've had a whole lot
of opportunity sent my way because of you. Thank you for a great
service. I will spread the word." Marc Douglas Berardo,
MarcDouglas.com

"Every musician who has a website should be using this service!!"
Nick Stamoulis, VisionMusicUSA.com



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Latest Additions To The Academy
http://musicbizacademy.com/articles/
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10 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR MAKING A LIVING WITH YOUR MUSIC
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/10makealiving.htm
While there are a million ways to get to any intended
destination, from my observations over the years, this list of
professional habits are shared my most successful musicians who
truly have what it takes to succeed in this totally unpredictable
business of music. Article by Christopher Knab.



MASTERING YOUR MUSIC: WHY YOU NEED IT, WHERE TO GET IT,
AND HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT.
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/gman_mastering.htm
Mastering is widely misunderstood, often mangled, and sometimes
mistaken for mixing. So, what is mastering? Mastering is what
gives depth, punch, clarity and volume to your tracks. It is part
science, part craft, and part alchemy... just like songwriting,
singing, performing and recording. It's a crucial step, and this
is the essential guide. Article by the G-Man.



LICENSING YOUR MUSIC OVERSEAS
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/foreignlicensing.htm
If you are an artist or indie label, one way to significantly
expand your universe is to license your master recordings to
record companies outside the United States. Article by Bart Day.



CAN YOU AFFORD DISTRIBUTION?
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/cs_distribution.htm
I get many e-mails from artists and groups asking me about
distribution. They say "We have a band and we're playing locally
and getting good crowds and we sell our CD at gigs. We started
our own label and need to get distribution so we can sell in all
the stores. How can we do that?" The answer is more complex than
you might think. Article by Chris Standring.



ASSEMBLING AN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY TEAM
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/ab_industryteam.htm
Technology today allow artists of all types to be relatively
self-contained. Nevertheless, for many artists, assembling a
"team" is still a crucial step in building a long term career in
the industry and successfully developing, marketing and
exploiting the fruits of the creative process. This article, by
entertainment attorney Anthony Berman is an overview of the
various members that may form the team.



USING COVER SONGS TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC ONLINE
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/internet/covertunes.htm
Can a singer or band find a 'niche' marketing their music on the
Internet using old tunes and cover songs? That was a question
recently put to David Nevue, the Music Biz Academy founder.



HAVE YOU ASKED YOUR FRIENDS FOR HELP LATELY?
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/bb_friends.htm
Your biggest networking resource might be right under your nose.
Article by Bob Baker.



2004 MUSIC CAREER INVENTORY SHEET
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/inventory.htm
There is no better time than the beginning of a new year to set
new goals and objectives for your music career. Christopher Knab
has created this Career Inventory Sheet as a guide to help you
organize your goals, activities, business needs, and marketing
strategies- all in one easy-to-use form.


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HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC SUCCESSFULLY ON THE INTERNET
September 2003 Edition!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/htpromotemusic.htm
Learn the marketing and promotion methods that one musician uses
to bring in over $5000 a month in income from the Internet! There
are no 'pipe dreams' sold here. The author details step-by-step
how he finally said good-bye to his day job and starting spending
more time on his music. Download Version available for only
$16.95! Includes one free PDF update!



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Popular Archives From The Academy
http://musicbizacademy.com/articles/
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DO YOU NEED A BARCODE?
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/knab/articles/barcode.htm

SENDING CDS ACROSS THE BORDER
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/comment/kloveqa5.htm

21 SONGWRITING TIPS
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/articles/songwritingtips.htm



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Recent Additions/Updates to the Musician's Directory....
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/directory
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WEED
http://www.weedshare.com/index.html
Weed is an innovative digital music distribution system that not
only gives you, as an artist, a means by which to distribute your
digital music, it also pays people to distribute your music for
you. Once you "Weedify" your song files, you can promote them
however and wherever you like. People who download your files can
listen three times for free, and after that, they're prompted to
purchase the song. You keep 50% of your song price, 15% goes to
Weed, and the remaining 35% is distributed to people who share
your music with others. This is the really cool thing about Weed.
Your fans will actually make money distributing your music for
you. Weed is a great idea who's time has come. It rewards people
who both share files AND respects artist’s rights to be paid for
their music. Best of all, it costs you, the artist, nothing to
participate.


KAZAA: THE EMERGING ARTISTS CHANNEL
http://eac.cornerband.com/eac/Channel.asp
If you’ve done any file trading on the Internet, you’re familiar
with Kazaa Media Desktop. It’s the most popular desktop file
sharing utility in the world. Over 250 million people (and
counting) have downloaded this software and use it to search for,
trade, and burn music by countless popular artists. How cool
would it be if, when someone searched Kazaa for a popular artist
such as the Dave Matthews Band (or any other artist whose music
is similar to yours), your song was recommended to them? What if
every time a Kazaa user listened to your song, a window popped up
with information about you and gave the listener the option to
purchase your music? This is all stuff you can do by promoting
your music via the Emerging Artists Channel. The initial set up
fee, however, is $49.95. After that, you’ll have to pay $9.99 per
month for each song you wish to promote on Kazaa. It’s a hefty
price tag, but if you have a single with a snazzy title and a
catchy twist, you might have a hit on your hands.


HERATY HALL: ATTORNEY'S AT LAW
http://www.heratyhall.com/
Heraty Hall is a law firm that specializes in serving the needs
of artists and professionals in the entertainment industry.
Clients include musicians, record labels, artist management
companies, writers, composers, licensing companies, a PR firm,
and more. They draft and negotiate contracts, form LLCs, consult
on business issues, advise clients of their legal rights, and
help companies organize and define themselves. They pride
themselves on" providing quality low-cost legal representation to
those who would otherwise not have access to it."


KYMTRA DESIGN
http://www.kymtra.com/index.asp
Excellent, cutting-edge design for CDs, packaging, brochures,
posters and more. Really, really nice work.


MUSIC SPECIALIST: FREE CONTRACT EXAMPLES
http://www.asha.com/20034.htm
Music Specialist offers a large number of free sample contracts
to its visitors, including a recording agreement, audio and video
license, management agreement, co-publishing agreement, location
release forms, songwriters agreements and many more. Click on the
"Contracts" button in the left menu.


SHOWBIZJOBS.COM
http://www.showbizjobs.com/dsp_jobsearch.cfm
Although not exclusive to the music business, jobs from within
the industry are certainly included here. Some of the companies
posting job listings here include EMI Music, MTV, Universal and
Warner Bros. Post your resume or view the jobs currently
available for submission. The cost is $35 for 6 months access.


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MUSICIAN'S FRIEND - ALL THE GEAR YOU COULD EVER WANT (AND MORE)
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/musiciansfriend.htm
Musician's Friend is the worlds largest direct mail music gear
company - and one of the most respected and trusted companies of
it's kind. With a huge catalog featuring over 900 manufacturers
you can find pretty much anything you want. Check out their
'scratch and dent' specials which include their 100% satisfaction
guarantee. Order their free catalog online or enter their free
weekly $2500 gear giveaway



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Contests, Competitions, and Opportunities
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/opportunities.htm
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The Music Biz Academy has no connection with the below contests
or opportunities. They simply looked interesting to us, so we
thought they'd be interesting to you. *Participate at your own
risk.*


INDIE BIBLE LOOKING FOR BAND FOR COVER PHOTO
"My distributor has kindly asked me to ditch the cover "theme"
from the last three Indie Bible's, which was psychedelic artwork
from the famous poster artist, Bob Masse. They want to really
start pushing the book to libraries and music departments, so a
more toned down look that says "music" when you look at it is
required. My graphics person and I are looking for a live band
photo (no solo artist shots) for the next cover (Fall of 2004).
If you are interested, please send "sample" photos to Jane Denny
at themadhand@.... Please make sure that your sample
photos are 500K or less. If you are sending more than one, please
send them in separate e-mails. If your photo is chosen, we can
work out the compensation. You will, of course, be credited with
the intro section of the book."


TV SHOW SEEKING INDIE ARTISTS WITH VIDEOS
"Feedback," a television show designed to instruct independent
musicians on varying aspects of the music business, is seeking
independent artists with performance videos they wish to have
broadcast on the show. All genres are welcome. Feedback will be
aired on Cable access channel 10 in Corpus Christi, Texas and
other cable systems throughout the US, Europe and Australia.
Contact Freddie Veltz III at (361) 857-2488 or via email at
Hurricaneone@....


12TH ANNUAL BILLBOARD SONG CONTEST
http://www.billboard.com/bb/songcontest/index.jsp
Billboard, the world's leading authority on music, is looking for
songs. Whether your style of music is Pop, Rock/Alternative,
Rap/Hip Hop, Country/Folk, Jazz, World, Gospel/Contemporary
Christian, Latin, R&B/Blues, or Dance, the 12th Annual Billboard
Song Contest could offer you unparalleled professional exposure
among some of the music industry's most influential names. There
are over $30,000 in prizes, including musical equipment, song
placement on the 12th Contest Winners CD, a subscription to
Billboard Magazine, and more. Final deadline: Midnight, March 20,
2004. $30 Entry fee.


2004 USA INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION
http://www.songwriting.net/
Enter to win a grand prize of over US$50,000 in cash, merchandise
and more! This the largest prize package in any annual
songwriting competition. Also, winners' songs will be featured on
a nationally syndicated radio program serving over 60 cities in
the US and Canada. Judges include A&R Managers from Major Record
labels and publishers. Entries must be postmarked by May 28th,
2004. $30 entry fee.


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Recommended Resources
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HOW TO PROMOTE YOUR MUSIC SUCCESSFULLY ON THE INTERNET
September 2003 Edition!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/htpromotemusic.htm
Learn the marketing and promotion methods that one musician uses
to bring in over $5000 a month in income from the Internet! There
are no 'pipe dreams' sold here. The author details step-by-step
how he finally said good-bye to his day job and starting spending
more time on his music. Download Version available for only
$16.95! Includes one free PDF update!


THE MUSICIAN'S ATLAS - 2004 Edition! - DISCOUNTED!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/musiciansatlas.htm
Created by The Music Resource Group, this 368-page volume
provides access to over 30,000 music businesses and key industry
contacts in 25 categories. Current names, phone and fax numbers,
e-mail and web site addresses, detailed submission policies and
the styles of music preferred is just some of the information
you'll find on every page of The Atlas. Available in
hard copy to Music Biz Academy visitors for only $36.95! (retails
for $39.95)


THE INDIE BIBLE - The Fifth Edition!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/indiecontactbible.htm
Need to create some BUZZ about your music? Looking for reviewers?
Radio station contacts? Promotion services? Then grab The Indie
Bible. This fantastic musicians 'black book' contains pages
filled with contacts with publications and radio programmers all
over the world. These are people who actively look for music to
review! Download or Hard Copy Version Available for $27.95!


MUSIC IS YOUR BUSINESS - The Second Edition
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/musiciyb.htm
This great offering from music biz consultant Christopher Knab is
now available in PDF format! Find out why so many musicians fail
and how you can get the 'edge'. Learn how to attract
distributors, radio play, and how to create a demand for your
music. Music Is Your Business includes excellent flowcharts and
graphs, demonstrating in simple terms how the industry operates.
Sample artist bio, fact sheet, and checklists for jump-starting
your career and/or running your own record label! PDF Edition
only $19.95!


THE GUERRILLA MUSIC MARKETING HANDBOOK
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/guerrillamusic.htm
This guide to independent music success features over 175 ways to
thrive and prosper with your own band or record label. Download
Version Available! The PDF version of this great book is now only
$24.95!


THE INDIE MUSICIAN'S PDF POWER PACK!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/index.htm
Get three of our best-selling books for one low price! Set
includes 'How to Promote Your Music Successfully on the
Internet', 'The Indie Bible' and 'Music is Your Business' - All
for only $55.95!


INTERNET MUSIC MARKETING PDF POWER PACK!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/bookstore/index.htm
Get the PDF editions of 'How to Promote Your Music Successfully
on the Internet' and 'How to Build a Music Web Site That Sells' -
Both for only $31.95 - Instant Download!


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Some of our Service Partners...
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These are partnerships we've created though channels and
connections we've established over the years. In other words, we
recommend them because we trust them. If you're looking for help
in any of the following areas, these should be strongly
considered.


FREE DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION FOR ARTISTS!
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/cdbaby.htm
CD Baby is now be offering its members FREE digital distribution
to services like iTunes, Rhapsody, Napster, MusicNet and more.
There are NO setup fees for this additional service, period. Once
you sign up to sell your music at CD Baby, digital distribution
is included at no extra charge.


CD MANUFACTURING and DUPLICATION
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/cdmanufacturing.htm
MusicBizAcademy.com has teamed up with Northwestern Media to
bring you quality CD manufacturing and duplication at a very
reasonable price. Why NW Media? Because this is the company we
ourselves use. We have partnered with them because we know how
very hard it is to find a good, reasonably priced manufacturer
that offers both great service and a high quality product. We
have been VERY satisfied with the work NW Media has done for us.
You simply cannot do much better, on quality, service, or price.


GET REPRESENTATION
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/representation.htm
The Music Biz Academy has partnered with NOMA music, a very
well-established song placement and promotion agency, to help you
get your music heard. NOMA represents worldwide bands,
songwriters, instrumentalists, and composers seeking song
licensing for motion pictures, television, commercials, and video
releases. NOMA's recent song placements include licensing with
"The Shield..Season 3 (Fox Television); "Roswell" (Home Video);
"Party of Five" (Home Video); "Hatchetman"; "Street Fury Onyx"
(DVD release); "Indian Fish - The Movie"; "Dorm Daze" (National
Lampoon) starring Tatiana Ali; "Going Greek"; "Latin Dragon"
starring Gary Busey; "Freshman Diaries" (Showtime); and "Road To
Ironman" (Bravo). NOMA offers tremendous opportunities from
the hundreds of production companies, directors and producers
they have working relationships with, and your music is
aggressively pushed on a day to day basis. There are NO up-front
fees, period. NOMA Music earns its money through licensing on a
commission only basis. Thus, the only way NOMA benefits
financially is when YOU benefit financially.


MUSIC CAREER CONSULTING
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/consulting.htm
If you'd like some help getting your music career off the ground
or preparing for that next step, contact our expert music
consultant, Christopher Knab. Chris has been called "One of the
Most Influential People in the Northwest Music Industry." by
Seattle's Rocket Magazine. He is owner of FourFront Media and
Music, a consultation service based in Seattle that helps
musicians develop marketing and career plans.


RADIO & RETAIL PROMOTION
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/radiopromo.htm
If you're looking to promote your music either via radio or
through retail, we've teamed up with a radio promoter who has
quarterbacked campaigns for RadioHead (before they were stars),
Lit (Malicious Vinyl), and others. Our contact will help arrange
on-air interviews, CD reviews, and create a custom campaign
custom designed for your music.


ART DESIGN - CDs, Posters, One-Sheets, and Web Sites
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/artdesign/
In this business of music, image means everything! You know it,
we know it, the music industry knows it. Our hand-picked graphic
designers will help you make a powerful statement about your
music! Whether you need art design for your CD package, or just a
quick logo, it's all here. Check out the very cool one-sheet
designs, the perfect item to make your press kit stand out!


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Classifieds...
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Do you need music marketing for your website? Get exposure and
traffic from 200+ music specific resources.

Visit http://www.musicSUBMIT.com

"I just wanted to say that MusicSubmit.com is fantastic. Quite
simply, you guys do exactly as advertised. I've had a whole lot
of opportunity sent my way because of you. Thank you for a great
service. I will spread the word." Marc Douglas Berardo,
MarcDouglas.com

"Every musician who has a website should be using this service!!"
Nick Stamoulis, VisionMusicUSA.com


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WANT TO GET MORE GIGS AND SELL MORE CDS?

It doesn't get any easier than this...

Discover Thousands of Places to Promote your Music
and get the contacts you need in the music industry with
The Galaris Musicians Directory 2004 Edition!

Amazing! Just point and click to email or visit the site of the
contact you need - right from your computer desktop!

"The most complete, intuitive and updated directory I've ever
seen. Highly recommended" - Derek Sivers - founder, CD Baby.

You owe it to yourself! Click below and get started now.
http://www.musicbizacademy.com/gmd.htm

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ADVERTISE HERE!
Yes, you can advertise your web site or service in this
newsletter at rates starting at just $40 per issue. Email us at
musicbiz@... for details.

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The Music Biz Academy Digest is brought to you by David Nevue and
The Music Biz Academy (http://www.musicbizacademy.com) .

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