Listen To Digital Music Often!

Listening to digital music can create many different emotions in your mind and even in your heart at times, just like if you learn how to play violin! If you are an avid digital music fan then you will most definitely want to take the time out to read through this little article because I am quite certain there will be many different points discussed that you can truly relate to because of something you might be going through within your life.

Take time out of your busy schedule to sit back and relax, listening to some of your favorite digital music downloads because it honestly will help to get you through the rest of your day, trust me, I know from experience. Music is extremely therapeutic and it really is fascinating how that is possible but it in fact does do something to our brain waves, kind of placing us in a different type of frame of mind, or a different mood that we might not have been in before hearing that particular song.

Digital music of all kinds is more popular now than it was whenever it first came available to us all because more and more people are becoming familiar with how all of those incredible little gadgets are supposed to be being used and they are also much more affordable now than they were whenever they were first available on the market to us all.

The expenses of maintaining a good solid music collection is sometimes outrageous but with digital music downloads being free and other ways of holding on to our favorite songs, it is more possible to enjoy listening now than it ever was before and more people are able to do so, which is truly a blessing for us all who are. Digital music changes each and everyday and the ways that we can listen to these songs is changing too, so get prepared for an unbelievably fantastic and fascinating future.

It is really going to be quite thrilling to see what all they come out with next and you know yourself that you will be jumping up and down, waiting in line to get your hands on those goodies. Therapy is something that most of us could most definitely benefit from and if that comes from listening to some of your all time favorite digital music then you are quite lucky really. Listening to music can be very therapeutic indeed and I am certain that many of you reading this article know exactly what I am talking about and can relate to this in one way or another can't you.

Digital music makes it possible for us to kind of vent without speaking. We can listen to whatever songs suits our fancy or our mood and the next thing you know, you are feeling much better about your current situation and can actually move on to the next phase in your day or in your life. And who knows, it may help you learn how to play violin more effectively!

How Digital Music Is Changing

Believe it or not people, even though it seems as though it could not get any better when it comes to us all enjoying listening to digital music, times are changing very quickly and yes, things are only going to continue growing and getting even better over the years, probably much sooner than most of us ever anticipate. There are many different ways that we all can enjoy listening to our most awesome digital music collection and in this article that is just what I am going to tell you a little bit more about.

We now have ipods, which are highly popular with the young and the much older because they are getting less expensive than they were when they first came out on the market. There are so many wonderful new technological advancements being made each and everyday, that all we have to look forward to is even more and more unbelievable designs and features, which will make our digital music experience even greater than it has already been for all of us who can get the opportunity to purchase one for ourselves.

There is something else where we can listen to digital music and that is through our mp3 players, which most people from all around already have gotten the opportunity to enjoy experiencing. They are incredible little devices that are much less expensive than they first were in the beginning, that is for sure and you all already know that right! You can now listen to your digital music through your mp3 player and life just seems so much more enjoyable and definitely more convenient.

We also have the opportunity to enjoy listening to our digital music through our home personal computers or at the office if you choose to do so or if it is permitted. Digital music can easily be enjoyed just about anywhere that you go throughout your days or nights, as long as you have yourself one of the new handy little devices which makes it all possible in the first place.

Listening to digital music of all types is truly an experience in itself but did you also know that it is very therapeutic as well, to many individuals who are struggling or stressing about something or another in their lives. Having the opportunity or ability to listen to your digital music recordings through some tiny little device make everything so much better doesn't it.

Even flying the skies is more fun now days since you can enjoy listening to your digital music on your ipod, mp3 player, or any other little digital music device that you have gotten your hands on. You can relax peacefully listening to music that is actually music that you love, not just what the other passengers are hearing in their ears. The convenience of having these wonderful devices makes it so worth any amount of money having to be spent to purchase any of them.

Digital Music Is Getting Better

Sure, there is nothing like listening to music live (another reason I recommend learning how to play violin!) But Digital music is something that has really grown on me throughout my years of listening to music and to this day is still absolutely amazing to me. No matter how you listen to your digital music, you are going to enjoy every second of it and can always look forward to hearing the newer songs coming out by all of the new artists out there. Your digital music collection will indeed grow tremendously if you continue keeping up with the times, there is absolutely no little doubt about that at all because who doesn't just adore their music sometime during their day anyway?

Every person that I know personally just loves being able to enjoy listening to their digital music and if you are like everyone else then you have a great deal to be thankful for when it comes to digital music and technology and you also have a great deal of cool stuff to look forward to in your near future. Your digital music experience is really just going to explode throughout the years and you are going to constantly be blown away by the clearness and great quality of it all.

It is all only going to keep getting better and better throughout time, so be prepared for what awaits us, probably just right around the corner too. There are so many wonderful things in our lives to be looking forward to and realizing all of the changes being made with our music every time that we turn around should be something else on your mind, that is for sure because if you do not keep up with all of this you are just going to be totally and completely lost through it all.

Nobody wants to be left out in the dark, whenever it comes to listening and enjoying all that technology has to offer to us, whenever it comes to our digital music experiences, typically occurring each and everyday. It is so important to continue doing things in your life that make you happy because life is just simply way too short for anyone of you to forget what it really is that makes you smile.

If listening to your digital music each day gives you a good feeling or puts a big smile on your face, then you keep on doing what it is that you are doing to always feel better, no matter what might be going on within your life. Some people have a hard enough finding anything that really makes them feel happy inside, so for those of you who do hang on to what makes you happy, good for you, keep up the good work.

Digital music can be many different things to many different people and getting the opportunity to listen to songs that remind you of something or someone in your life is always an incredible experience itself. Being prepared for the future is always a great thing to try and do anyways and the same definitely goes for new and more advanced ways of getting to listen and enjoy some of those old songs you grew up listening to with your momma. And if you learn how to play violin, you could play them yourself!

Musicals On DVD

How many of you have gone to a concert and paid well over 100 dollars for a ticket? If you like a certain group you will have to pay well over a hundred dollars to go see them in concert. I love music and can't afford to go to a concert so when I found out that I could watch a concert on a DVD I was very happy.

I caught the middle of am eagles concert on television one night. I love the eagles and I wanted to see the whole concert so I first looked on eBay for the concert on a DVD. The cheapest one I found was over 20.00 then there were shipping charges.

I know this probally doesn't seem like a lot of money to most of you but my husband and I are on disability so we don't have a lot of extra money to spend being on a fixed income. I always knew that you could go to Wal-mart and buy a movie on a DVD but I never thought they would have the eagles concert on a DVD. Well I was shopping one day and went to the musical section and found that same concert on TV on a DVD. It cost me only 11.00

I got home and was so excited to find out I could watch the eagles farewell concert on the DVD. I really liked a certain song of the Eagles and I missed the song when they were on television but now I had the DVD and it had all of the concert and extra bonus tracks on it. I don't have to worry about a commercial and I can skip through any part I want.

I have also seen a repeat of the eagles concert on television and it didn't have half as much on television as it did on the DVD. When I bought the eagles in concert I also got a booklet with the DVD that talked bout each member of the eagles band. These DVDs are absolutely wonderful. I can enjoy the comfort of my own home watching my concert rather then paying a lot of money going to the concert.

The time you have to try and get through the crowd of people and have to pay money for souvenirs and the cost of the tickets it is so much nicer to save money and feel comfortable in the privacy of your own home watching a DVD. I know a family member that spent about 500.00 for just 3 members of the family to see a concert live. I also know it was very hard to understand what they were singing because of all of the noise and the microphone.

I sure didn't have any problems with the sound or picture watching my eagles concert on my DVD. So if you like a certain group look for a concert of theirs on a DVD rather then going to a concert. It will save you a lot of money and a lot of headache. I also want to mention there are musical DVDs available and the money you spend buying the DVD goes for a good cause. I have the We are the world DVD and all the money people paid to buy the DVD went for a very good cause.

Using Your Garage For A Music Studio

Music is your hobby and you want to practice with your band.
The only available place that you can think of is your garage but you
also have neighbors that must not be disturbed while you are
practicing. The only solution to use your garage as a music
studio is to soundproof it or build a small studio in one corner of
the garage. For this you need to use two existing garage walls
and build another two new walls on an angle to improve the
acoustics of the studio.

After measuring the angle you will have to anchor sole plates to
the garage floor and frame the first new wall. After finishing the
framing for the second wall and adding a door to this one you
have to insulate the garage walls to help deaden the sounds. Next
you will hang drywall on the new walls and patch the seams. The
final layer of sound-deadening material will be applied to the
walls and to the ceiling. This layer is made of some secondhand
carpeting. After applying these carpets you can cover them with
some strip boards pinned onto the wall with nails.

ABC's Of The Music Industry

Those looking to learn how to play violin may be interested in this article. After all, you may become professional someday. :)

Music is an art, however, when it comes to the music industry Music is about money!

If anyone or any company feels that your music will not make them money, there will be absolutely no interest in your music. That’s it in the nut shell. Remember, to always remember this. The Music Industry is about Money!

There are a few sources of money to be made in the music industry. They include but are not limited to:


· Record sales

· Songs played on the radio

· In movies and television

· Concerts

· Song writing

· Producing

· Merchandising

· Advertising

· CD-ROMs/DVDs

If you are an artist and want to get into the music business, you need 3 very important very good people in your corner batting for you on a daily basis. They include:

· Personal Manager – The most of important of the three. They should have contacts in the music industry, keep on eye on all your affairs, advise you on things to do, help promote your music, producers to hire, who to sign with when to go on tour, etc. The personal manager will receive 15% and 20% of an artists gross earnings and have good contacts with record companies A&R, Marketing / Sales, and Promotion departments.

· Music Attorney – A good attorney specializing in the music will know how to properly negotiate and structure the deals an artist makes. They should have good contacts and be trust worthy. Expect to pay between 100 and 200 per hour for a good music attorney. If an attorney thinks you will get signed, they forego a set fee and charge a percentage of artist’s earnings. In bigger cities, you’ll pay more than in smaller cities.

· Music Agent – Book concerts and special appearances. A Personal Manager will help the artist with selecting a good agent.

If you blow up and start generating the big money, then a good Manager / Accountant will be needed to handle your tax situation, review royalty statements, financing tours, offer invest advice and how to manage your money.

Getting recognized by mailing your demo to record labels isn’t impossible, however, 99.9% of the time your material will not get listened to. Even if you have the best song on the planet, it will not be listened to. Record labels want to limit their liability, so they do not listen to unsolicited music. Record labels don’t want to listen to numerous songs and then be held liable if someone claims their material was copied.

If you do decide to mail your CD to record label, send the “solicited” material. First get a contact, preferably an individual in the Artists & Repertoire (A&R) department. Call and first speak to someone. After sending your CD follow up to determine if the targeted individual received your material and another follow up call to determine if it was listened to. Submit 3 to 6 songs and send a bio and picture of yourself. Again this isn’t the preferred way to submit your material to major record labels.

Until you have music business advisors in your corner trying to promote you and there is a “buzz” going around about you, your demo will not reach the decision makers at the record labels. Record companies on a daily basis receive thousands of unsolicited CDs. Most likely your CD will be tossed into a bin located in a remote room filled with overflowing bins of CDs.

Record labels like to deal with artists who have a history of record sales. These are artist that may have produced and sold their own CDs locally or regionally. Record labels like to deal with artists who have performed their material and there is this “buzz” going on about them. MC Hammer, before he became famous, performed his own materials and sold his own records until a major record label signed him. MC Hammer had a lot of leverage in negotiating a good contract because he already proved on a local basis he could sell records.

Record companies want to limit their liability. If you are signed, you are considered an investment that will require some money and they want to see a premium return on their money invested in you. The more you can prove that you can sell record, the better chance you can get signed.

If you get signed to a record company, you the artist will go into the studio and record songs for the record company. The record company makes copies of the master recording and ships it to a distributor. The distributor is a wholesaler who then sells the CDs to retail outlets like Best Buy, Sam Goody and Tower Records. The record company then pumps money into marketing by advertising and promoting your music with hopes of selling records, thus making you a superstar and becoming rich!

It is not as easy as it sounds. It takes a lot of hard work by a talented group of people. Everyone has to work together to make this happen. There are usually many people behind the scenes working to make an artist a superstar.

Record companies often categorized into 4 groups: · Major label record companies - have the recording and operating resources to complete all function to sell records. Major label record companies are integrated in that they can handle the promotion, sales, marketing, and distribution to sell music. Major label record companies are Arista, Atlantic, Capital, and Sony.

· Major label affiliate labels – have special agreements with the major label record companies, where the major label may fund the smaller labels recording and operating expenses in exchange for a portion of the smaller label profits.

· Independent labels - distributes records through major labels. Independent labels have few employees. They tend to find talent, sign the talent, sees to it the music is recorded and contracts with major record labels to perform the promotion, marketing, and other functions.

· True independent labels – Has no association with a major label and distribute their music through independent distributors.

The A&R (Artists & Repertoire) Department

The A&R department is the talent scout. They are in charge of finding new talents. They are the eyes and ears of the record company. However, not because you get signed to a record label because an A&R representative likes you it doesn’t mean your CD will ever get produced and released. Executives higher in the company could cancel your deal if they feel your CD will not sell. A record company will have to invest several hundred thousands of dollars to release your CD, so they will be extremely cautious on whom they release.

The Marketing and Sales Department

This department is responsible for getting the public excited about your music and first selling to retail stores the idea of carrying your CD. They are responsible for promotional merchandise, advertising your CD, in store displays, publicity, your CD cover, etc.

The Promotions Department

This department is responsible for getting your music played on the radio. The individuals in this department will visit the various radio stations to convince them to play your material. If your material doesn’t get played, no one will now how you are. People will look at your CD in the retail store and wonder who you are. There is also a direct correlation with CD sales vs. how many times a song for that CD gets played on the radio. More air time on the radio equals more CD sales for the record companies.

Remember music is art, but to the record companies, it’s about money. Keep in mind that it’s a business. Keep in mind everyone is out to make money. The minute people believe that you will not make money for them, you will be dropped and these same people will turn to seek other new artists that they believe will make them money. Unfortunately, the record business doesn’t believe in grooming people. If your first CD isn’t a success, you are out. There are rarely second chances. There are always other talented people behind you who what their shot at fame.

Distribution

Most major retailers such as Tower records will not carry a CD unless the record has a distributor. A strong distributor ensures that your CD will be available in enough places so your CD will sell to ultimately make money. Major labels use large distributors who are better able to get record stores stocked. After years of consolidation, there are only 5 major national wholesale distributors in the US who are owned by conglomerates who also own major record labels. They are:

· BMG (distributes Arista, BMG and RCA)

· EMI (distributes Capital and Virg.)

· Sony Music (distributes Columbia, Epic and Sony)

· Universal Music Group (distributes Interscope, Island/Def Jam, and MCA)

· WEA (distributes Atlantic, Elektra and Warner Bros.)

Distribution via the Internet Record labels and artists are increasingly using the web to distribute their music. Unknown artists can also use sites like this mZeus.com, http://www.mZeus.com, to generate buzz about their music. However, unknown artists will still have to work hard to get the buzz going about their music. Ultimately, signing a contract with a major record label is the way to go. The major record labels have the financial muscle and people to give you a good shot at becoming famous.

Let’s face it. It’s all about money! Yes, the entertainment industry seems fun and exciting, but people are in it to make money. As an artist the most important contract in the music industry is the record contract. The royalty is a portion of money from record sales paid to the artist for his/her music. The record contract which is a negotiated legal agreement between the record label and artist will state how much royalty an artist is entitled to among other things.

An artist should have a good understanding of how royalties are calculated. A good music attorney will help with this process by making sure the artist is paid what he/she deserves. A 13% royalty for one artist may be a lot of money, however a 13% royalty for another maybe “chump change”.

So this is how the numbers work. An artist successfully signs a record contract. The artist goes to the studio and work diligently to create a CD that the record company fully supports. The record company via its distributor sells the CD with a suggested retail list price (SRLP) of $17.99 to a retailer for about $10.99. The distributor will take 10% - 14% of the $10.99. Therefore the record company will get about ½ the SRLP of $17.99. Independent record companies may receive less than ½ the SRLP. Major record companies will pay artist royalty as a percentage of SRLP.

Rates will vary of each artist depending on how successful their record sells. For a new artist who never had a record deal or has sold less than 100,000 albums will get a typical royalty rate of 12% to 14% of the SRLP. For an independent record label it maybe 10% to 14% of the SRLP. For established artists who have a track record of selling 200,000 to 500,000 albums the royalty rate maybe 14% to 16%. For artists who have sold over 750,000 albums the royalty rates maybe 16% to 18%. As you can see, the more successful the artist is, the higher the royalty. Additionally, royalty maybe based on how well the record sells. For instance, the record contract may state that an artist will get 12% for the first 100,000 units sold, 14% for 100,001 to 300,000 units sold, and 16% for over 300,000 units sold.

But hold your horses. If you sell 500,000 albums and have a royalty rate of 12% doesn’t mean you will get 12% of 500,000 at a SRLP of $17.98 which would equal $1,078,800. This is because as specified in the record contract, there are deductions (expenses) that have to be deducted.

To start off the bat, the record company will deduct a “packaging charge” from the SRLP which is typically 20% for cassettes and 25% for CDs.

Second, more often the artist is responsible for paying the record producer a portion of his/her royalties. Typically a producer will receive 3% to 4% of the SRLP.

Third, in the record business, the contract may state that the artist’s only generates royalties on 85% of the unit sales. For every 100 albums sold, 15 albums sold, the artist gets no royalty.

Forth, the record company will hold a portion of the royalty money because the distributor typically has an agreement with the retail outlets to take back and credit the retail stores money from unsold units. This is very important, because a good portion of your album could be returned to the record company if the album doesn’t sell! The money that’s held back is called a reserve. Reserves maybe held for 2 years before it’s paid to the artist. Typically a major record label will hold a reserve of 25% to 40% of the royalties.

Fifth, advances paid from the record company to the artist are deducted from the artist’s royalty. Advances include but are not limited to the:

· Recording studio expenses (new artists to an independent my get an advancement of $0 to $80,000, new artist to a major record label $150,000 to $400,000

· Hiring independent promoters to help sell the albums

· Cost of making a music video (promotions and an inexpensive music video can cost $150,000 to $200,000.

When money is made for the record sales, these costs are deducted from the artist’s royalties. This is called re-coupment. Therefore, if the artist’s record isn’t successful, the artist may never see a dime. If the royalties are less than the deductions, they artists may well owe the record company money by being in the red! This negative cost maybe carried over to the next album release. A good record contract will not allow a negative cost from one album to be carried over to another album (cross collateralization). If there isn’t another album the record company generally eats the loss.

There are many other costs that the record company will not charge the artists. This includes marketing and in-house promotions (free CD give away, etc.).

So how much does an artist make for a gold album (500,000 albums sold).

Check out the math:

CD (suggested retail list price SRLP) = $ 17.99 Less CD Packaging of 20% = $ -4.50 NET = $ 13.49 Times: Net artist royalty rate (12% - 3% to producer) = X 9% Gross royalty per CD (9% of $13.48) = $ 1.21 Times 500,000 albums = $ 500,000 SUB TOTAL = $ 605,00 Times: Royalty bearing % (15% o = no royalty) = X 85% Gross Royalty = $ 514,250 Less advances: Recording, promo, music video, tour = $ -350,000 TOTAL ROYALTY TO ARTIST = $ 164,250 - Reserves (35%) returned by retailer) = $ -57,487.50 (1) ACTUAL ROYALTY PAID TO ARTIST = $ 106,762.50

(1)Reserves will be paid to artist in 2 years if no CDs returned by retailer

Remember the artist still has to pay TAXES! Don’t forget Uncle Sam has to get his cut! Also, don’t forget the Personal Manger, the Attorney, the Accountant, the Agent and other numerous expenses.

However, there are many other royalties that an artist can acquire. They include, Record Clubs, Compilation CDs, Samplers (low-priced albums in which a few artists are featured), Premiums (albums sold with other products, such as cereal), Film Soundtrack Album, Music Video Sales, Greatest Hit’s Album, Foreign Royalties (song played in some foreign country radio stations pay royalties, unlike the US), Master Use License (music used in a movie, television, commercial, the Internet, CD-ROM and DVD), etc.

Of course because of the Internet, the rules royalties are changing. Many people now buy their music via the Internet. Just think, no packaging required and no distribution to traditional retail stores needed. Some websites allow customers to buy individual songs as oppose to an album. Changes are currently taking place on how royalties are calculated because of the Internet. Many attorneys are pushing to have royalties be based on each song sold as oppose to each album sold. So stay tuned! And remember, learning how to play violin can pay off!

Brief Violin Facts

For those that are learning how to play violin, here are some brief facts you may be interested in.

- The Violin was developed in the early 16th century.
- A person who makes or repairs violins is a luthier.
- If you play the violin, you are considered a violinist
- One really old violin was sold for over $3.5 million once!

Source: Wikipedia


To think... you can buy a violin and get on your way to learning how to play violin for $100. Go figure... :)