General Music Structure (Outdated)
http://www.planetoftunes.com/music-industry/music-industry-structure.htm#.W3wcFvZFxPY
For a more up to date model go to this link and click on the “Music Industry” tab:
http://www.newartist.com/about
28 Replies to “September 4”
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I found this article to be very informative, and thoroughly enjoyed the explanations and examples used throughout. However, what peaked my interest was the section on distribution, and primarily CD distribution. The single use of the quote “It’s no good creating demand for a CD that remains unavailable for sale” encouraged me to further my research into what makes a CD sale in the first place. I ran into an article from Forbes in which the writer claimed that nobody wants to buy a whole album anymore and that we “live in a singles world today”. The author made some very good points, mainly about getting revenue upfront versus waiting and getting paid more later.
In order to fact check this claim, I referenced the album and EP sales of my favorite artist, Ellie Goulding. The claims appeared to be true, as Goulding had only hit the top 100 charts in the U.S. once with an album, (Delirium, 2015), and hit the charts nine times with her promotional singles.
But if this is true, wouldn’t that mean that the singles, which are unavailable to be sold physically, would outweigh the sales of her physical CDs? Yes, yes it would.
However, that position assumes that all of the times her album hit the charts was due to the purchasing of her music. This hits on a point that the original article failed to reference, the advent of the digital streaming era. But even this would have proven to be in defiance of the author’s view that there isn’t a point to producing a CD that nobody would buy.
It is obvious that the times have changed since the publication of this article, but it is still so interesting to see how much less complex the industry used to be.
For more information on the “world of singles” article, click here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2018/03/10/album-dead/#69b150656986
Ellie Goulding’s Discography and Sales:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ellie_Goulding_discography
This article on the general structure of the music industry provided a lot of good insight into the inner workings of the business. I liked how this article talked about how to distribute content as an individual artist. Unfortunately, this topic revolved around CDs. As a musician and active music consumer, I know that most people do not buy CDs nowadays. Some hardcore fans do buy CDs, but most people don’t even buy the digital copies from iTunes anymore.
In the past few years, it is a well-known fact that the general public consumes music through streaming services. The most popular services being Spotify and Apple Music.
Although this article was interesting, the information about content distribution is outdated. I have attached a link to an article from Mashable.com. The article talks about the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board ruled that songwriters must be paid more for their songs. This article was posted in late January of 2018. And continues to talk about how this law will effect the streaming companies. This is something that I was unaware!
https://mashable.com/2018/01/31/copyright-court-rules-streaming-companies-have-to-pay-artists-more/#49mq1fGFePq0
After reading the article, I became more interested in researching what artist managers do on a regular basis, since they work mostly behind the scenes. I found an article about a multi-artist manager, Leanne de Souza, who has been managing bands for more than twenty-five years. Here, you can read about an artist manager’s weekly schedule, which sheds some light on how busy and flexible they have to be:
https://musicindustryinsideout.com.au/week-life-artist-manager/
Reading this second article made me reconsider how major music streaming platforms (such as Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) are detrimental to developing artists, for two primary reasons: (1) there is no system of navigating upward towards the top tier of streaming popularity, and (2) the financial agreement between service and artist does not provide adequate return for the artist and inadequately reflects the popularity of the artist.
I came across an article about alternative streaming services that small labels are now establishing, which are geared towards enhancing the supportive relationship between listener and artists. These streaming services are not all-inclusive of known music, but do have a different goal in mind that goes against the grain of the most common streaming services.
Here’s an article on these new alternative streaming services:
https://phys.org/news/2017-08-independent-music-streaming-artists-fair.html
I’m also extremely interested in this line of work. I have a friend who manages a bands tours, schedules, interviews, and she also acts as their publicist. She has absolutely zero free time on her hands, yet every time I see her working, she’s having a blast. This reminds me of Gerald “G-Eazy” Gillum’s manager Cortez Bryant, who is also Lil Wayne’s manager. Gerald would often reminisce of times when he would put his own money into his music and art, while Bryant was too busy to actually even meet with Gerald in person, until 2013. It blows my mind how much hard work and time goes into a craft such as music. It’s not a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.
Here’s an article about G-Eazy, which describes times before he was famous. It briefly mentions Cortez Bryant, but does display the grind of the two since early 2011.
https://www.nola.com/music/index.ssf/2014/09/rapper_and_loyola_university_g.html
I found it difficult to write a reply to this article. My first couple of drafts always lead me to the conclusion of becoming signed to a record label (I am not a big fan of record labels). Somehow, once you make it that successful, they’re going to approach you with something you’ll need. Something. Somehow. Bigger money, bigger marketing, etc.
After yet more several re-writes in attempting to reply to this article, I came to the further conclusion that there should be a lot of thinking and questions involved before signing onto a record label: What’s my following? Am I making good money now? Is my administration overhead affecting my family, creativity, relationships, friendships negatively? etc. Some supporting articles:
http://alarm-magazine.com/2011/moses-supposes-the-vegas-odds-of-success-on-a-major-label/
https://indepreneur.io/blog/5-reasons-never-sign-record-deal/
After reading the article, one can definitely understand how some artists end up basically selling their souls to record labels. It is so easy to become overwhelmed with all the moving parts involved in the music. For an inexperienced artist, it appears to be a no-brainer when a record label says they’ll take care of all the business side for them. Unfortunately it more often than not turns out to be too good to be true.
In the past year I have become more familiar with the “DIY” scene of music here in town, and I can fully understand the whole idea. Sure, it can be tiresome for musicians to take care of all the business on their own, but the reward is so much greater than when labels, managers and publishers become involved.
Here is a link to an article talking about the music website “bandcamp.com”. A site that exists for sole purpose of serving independent artists without all the extra stuff involved. They are a bright spot in today’s day and age.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/20/arts/music/bandcamp-shopping-for-music.html
The part of the article that interested me the most was the tiny paragraph about Artist Managers and that’s exactly what I want to do, but what has come to my attention is that because technology has grown, artist have become more self managing artists. What does this mean? It means that Artist manager positions are slowly dwindling. Will it mean I will no longer have a future job to look forward to? I still think bigger artists need a manger to take care of the business side of things, but how do artist even grow? They need guidance. This article I will link the importance of small business with artists is now the most important role in being a Manager.
https://music.tutsplus.com/articles/do-artists-really-need-managers-anymore–audio-11800
As someone without much background knowledge of the music industry, the part that caught my eye was that record labels aren’t “making” artists anymore. I looked into the subject and found that most record labels are making enough money exploiting their artists with things like 360 contracts where they don’t have to worry about money, but I’m curious if that only applies to the major record labels, or if the independent record labels are included as well. In my head, it would make sense for lesser known independent record labels to invest in their artists and help them grow, because an increase in their artists’ popularity would mean an increase in the label’s, would it not?
Below is an article that helped me get a better understanding of how artists are exploited by record labels, and I couldn’t help but be reminded of Tom Petty and his “Lawsuit Tour.” https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2016/01/21/70725/
Something in this article that caught my attention right away was their definition of a great artist as someone who has a natural talent which can be demonstrated without the need for a large amount of technology. There has emerged a recent trend in the past 20 years of artists using technologies such as Auto-Tune to manipulate their voices. I am not a huge proponent of this when it is simply used to make an artist’s voice sound more “perfect”, but I understand that often times it’s a stylistic choice more than anything. I found myself wondering what brought on the shift from focusing on pure, natural talent, to focusing on manipulating the sounds you produce with technology.
Here’s a video I found on the history of Auto-Tune https://youtu.be/oS4Gku99Qco
After looking through both articles flow charts, I started to wonder what the flow chart would consist of if you took out the whole “Record Companies” and “Label Executives” parts of the cycle. If you could bypass the whole idea of “signing your soul” to a company, these new and upcoming indie artists can find a much easier approach to the music industry. This is what Spotify is hoping to do by just signing independent artists directly.
The article I’m linking goes deeper into this projected idea that Spotify is trying to put into fruition. If Spotify starts signing artists directly, that gives more profit from the streams directly through to the artists instead of paying the royalties to the label to which the artists was signed. This greatly benefits the artists by giving them truly the money they deserve.
However, as the article points out this also can be tougher for the artists with regards to the whole business side of the artists brand. Without a label backing up an artists, its putting more pressure on the artist as well as the artists manager to put more work into the marketing of the artist and the artists brand. While some may look at this as a hassle or struggle for the artist’s brand, I think this actually gives the artist more freedom to do as they wish, especially if the team behind the artists is willing to work for the artists success.
For more information on Spotify moving towards signing new artists check out this article https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobbyowsinski/2018/06/09/spotify-strategy/#2cae47343f38
While reading through the first article, though outdated, I began to wonder how the shift away from CD’s would disrupt the flow of the chart. Although Vinyls have seem to make a comeback, the way people consume music is making more of a shift from physical to digital. I began to wonder how this affects the retail and distribution portions of the music industry and whether or not that would help or hurt an artist.
Check out this article for more information about how retail in the music industry is seeing a change.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alisoncoleman/2015/05/14/how-the-music-retail-industry-is-being-disrupted-beyond-all-recognition/#100f752c5b8c
What I’m most interested in is the people who get sent “back to the streets.” For years that was it for them, but now if they get tossed aside or cut from their label for whatever reason they can still put their music out there. Using a mic in their room and a computer people can upload whatever they want to Soundcloud or YouTube or any streaming platform. Just look at Chance the Rapper, he rose up through Soundcloud and Apple Music and won a grammy without selling a single album or signing with anyone. Granted very few artists can make it going that route, but it’s a route they can go down nonetheless. It makes me wonder; how many artists are there out in the world who don’t get the recognition they deserve because they’re forced to go this route and who’s going to be the next artist to pop up in the mainstream media after being undiscovered for year?
For some interesting charts about undiscovered Artists check out this link:
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2014/01/17/nbs/
For more information about Chance the Rapper’s story look at this article by BBC after his grammy win:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/38953734/grammys-2017-the-rise-of-chance-the-rapper
Indeed so Brandon, the music industry used to be dominated by large major labels and by these label-artist relationships where the artist had little to no leverage in any decisions or their influence, however with the coming of this last decade, the artist has become the entire engine of the train that delivers the music to the people.
Chance did just that and proved that success was truly in the hands of the people. Releasing a series of mixtapes on sites like Soundcloud, Youtube, and Dat Piff, which was arguably the home and huge distribution site for free mixtapes on the internet and gave rise to artist giants like Lil Wayne, he was proving the point that if you provided a steady platform where people can find your music, that the rest will fall into place.
There has always been an anomaly like Chance the Rapper currently is, going back when the previous structure of the industry was still strong, Jay-Z broke new grounds and arguably started a new wave in the move to becoming independent. After being rejected time and time again, Jay-Z formed his own label with the assistance of of his Roc-A-Fella team, consisting of Damon Dash for promotion and marketing, business techniques of Biggs, the experience of Clark Kent as well as a few smaller rappers like Memphis Bleek and Sauce Money. Proving he was someone to reckon with, Jay-Z brought the music to the people first hand himself and put himself closer to the consumer than ever before. This attracted the attention of the major lable Def Jam, which they settled a deal for %50 each, becoming partners.
For more info on Jay-Z and his growth:
https://www.stopthebreaks.com/independent-case-studies/how-jay-z-went-from-independent-to-major-label-boss/
For more info on Chance the Rapper:
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/may/13/chance-the-rapper-chicago-music-coloring-book-hip-hop
The relationship between artist and composer has always been one of curiosity to me. This article does a good job of summarizing it in a concise manner but it peeked my curiosity and pushed me to do more research on the topic. Many people tend to look negatively on artist who use writers and composers to create or assist in the creation of their music. Even though many of the worlds top artist are undoubtedly talented and prove it with each performance, there still exist a negative trope about this relationship that views it as disingenuous and assumes a lack of talent must be the reason for it. The truth though is that this relationship is extremely beneficial to multiple parties and in more than just a monetary way. The article i found goes very in depth on the relationship, debunking common misconceptions about artist/composer relationships and thoroughly covers how and why the music industry uses it. If you’re interested in music creation or performing/producing, i think it is a very eye opening read and sheds light on a somewhat taboo subject.
Here is the article: http://math.stanford.edu/~ryzhik/Feinberg1.html
After reading the article and examining the chart, it is very easy for someone to become overwhelmed with the intricacies of the music industry. What gained my interest the most is the actual process it takes from songwriting, label executives’ approval, etc all the way to getting music to the consumer. This made me realize why so many artists sign 360 degree contracts: so they can get a music deal quick and easy without having to deal with the process directly. This also made me question what it would take for an independent artist to be successful in a music world run by record labels. The following article by author Bree Noble explains the change of the music industry in the past decade (rising competition due to the internet) and a plan with 5 steps for an indie artist in the beginning of their career to be successful in the music industry without the support of a record label: https://femusician.com/professional-musician/
After reading the first article and looking at the music industry flow chart, it is clear that the music industry is very complex. A lot goes into making a successful artist. Even if an artist has the image and the talent, there is a lot of work and money that goes into actually putting out music. Though many record labels essentially own their artists and everything that the artist puts out, sometimes going the record deal route can be the best option to ensure success.
Here is an article that talks about the pros and cons of being an independent musician.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/self-releasing-music-pros-and-cons-of-diy-music-releases-2460380
Im not sure if I viewed the article right but looking at the break down I notice all the work that the music industry really does. I think its crazy how we sometimes just view the artist as main man but in reality its a whole team and process they have to go through to even get the music out. Main thing that caught my eye was creating a market plan. We see artist all the time doing their market plan and being able to know everything they do is business is kind of interesting. It shows that is more than the music it work and dedication with a team.
This article goes in to the depth of money and streaming like I said I thought that the market plan has a lot to do with the money side of the business and streaming is one.
http://www.hypebot.com/hypebot/2017/09/money-is-streaming-into-the-music-industry-chart.html
After reading the articles, I can completely understand why an artist will opt out of record deals and lean towards DIY. If artists just learned the ropes of the music industry and the roles of each job that requires to make a music career then I don’t see the need of a record label. Attached is an interview with Nathan Williams from ‘Wavves’. He talks about his unfortunate deal with Warner Bros. and has since made his own independent label.
http://diymag.com/2017/05/17/wavves-youre-welcome-interview-2017
I found both articles informative but what I found most interesting is the chart in the second link. Even though I have worked with a recording label and I have seen the process first hand, I was not aware of how complex it was and how many step there are between the songwriter and the consumer. This makes me interested in the process for artist who aren’t signed to labels and what they have to complete on their own songs and marketing.
This curiosity lead me to look into what unsigned or independent artist do to publish their work. The link I found includes a guide “Music Copy Rights and Publishing” for artist who may not be familiar with the process. It also explains import parts of the recording process such as composition, mechanics, performance, sampling, etc.
Link to article: https://heroic.academy/indie-guide-music-copyright-publishing/
After looking at the up to date diagram for the Music Industry Breakdown, I feel I have a better idea of how I fit into the Music Industry. There were two phrases in music production that always confused me before seeing this diagram. Mixing and mastering. Between Dr. Renard’s explanation of the master copy of an album during our last meeting and this diagram, i now see the difference in the two.
The attached article goes in depth on the difference between mixing and mastering and the importance of the two.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/the-difference-between-mixing-and-mastering-2460689
What an amazing resource for the newly minted student of music business. The graphics in this article highlighted my inexperience with the actual structure of the music industry. Which is centered heavily in my opinion on marketing and creating the demand for the musical experience. Capturing that revenue is a far more complicated area, regards to logistics and distribution, so there are more lateral moves to be made. With contrast, the recording and production process seem to be less complex and fluid.
In the article the “Structure of the Music Industry”, planet of tunes break down essential parts of the industry that set upcoming talented artists up for success and ultimately different variables that entail a “Star’s” success in the music industry.
A rather small part of the article caught my attention, particularly artist managers who essentially do all of the “dirty” work for the artists they represent and get little to no credit for it. Looking back at the diagram shown on the planet of tunes article, it is very evident that the manager handles a lot of; if not all of the relations artists have with the music industry. After researching further into my topic, I came to find that managers can do almost anything for the artists they represent, sometimes even asking the artist they represent to give them power of attorney to sign and make decisions for the artist on their behalf.
Here is an article explaining everything there is to know about being an artists manager.
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2014/08/28/now-know-everything-music-managers/
After reading this article, I was left with one question. Which is the best way to go when deciding how to promote your music and yourself as an artist. I came to realize that there is no clear answer, because it depends on what you want to do with your music and why you are in this business in the first place. I feel that if you are involved with music to make lots of money and become famous, then you may want to work with a major label to help expedite things. However, if you just enjoy your craft and money, or fame are not the driving force, then you can work the DIY angle (you still could end up famous in the long run. Anyway, there are pros and cons to both methods. Here is a link to some of them.
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/major-label-record-deals-understanding-the-pros-and-cons-2460377
I completely agree that each artist’s desired route should determine whether or not an artist goes with a major label or the DIY route which the pros and cons article fully defends. However one thing that really bothered me in the article as the music lover that I am is the acknowledgment of the people in the industry purely for money. While this is common knowledge, it just bugs me that with all the stressful aspects and truly passionate people such as I trying to get involved in the industry that there are those who not only prevent upward mobility for competing candidates but also take the fun out of the art for the musicians and artists.
Here’s an article highlighting several other negative aspects of involvement in the music industry that should keep the fakers away.
https://www.digitalmusicnews.com/2013/09/25/lies/
As well as reading the first article and learning about all the structures and steps it takes to go from the Agent to the public is outstanding. There are so many routes and artist can take in the music industry which will define how their career ultimately goes. From signing with a label and doing a 360 or being a free agent both have pros and cons. I also agree with Cheyanne that record labels deals do have many cons
Although I would like to look at the pros of artist being free agents and how them not having a record deal is also beneficial for them. In this article called “Behind the music: When artists are held hostage by labels” it explains how some artist are sacked and not given enough attention if they do not do well on the charts as well as controlling what they can and cannot release out to their fans. You can read the article here: https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2010/apr/15/artists-held-hostage-labels
Record labels don’t sound appealing to me any way possible, I will never understand artists who start at the very bottom signing their souls away to these devils who know they are going to work them until they’re exhausted and then take everything they deserve. It is a lot of work for artists to promote themselves and network themselves but in the end it is all so much more worth it to be free to do what they choose to do and sing what they want to sing. Chance the rapper is my favorite artist to exemplify this means because he still has no label and although it took him many years to finally hit the boards, now everyone knows who he is and he headlines big festivals like Coachella and Bonnaroo! The complexity of the music industry breakdown really blows my mind. I never knew how many people are involved in the stream from songwriter to consumer. It is fun for me to learn this because I hope to do marketing and promotion for artists and festivals one day, I will get to know the consumers and what it is that attracts audiences once I hold the position and market new things to them from the internet to the radio to distributing merchandise for a living!
This blog following in the link tells us about first hand perspective on how to market your own music without help of a record label. http://blog.dozmia.com/music-marketing-tips-ideas-strategies/
I always thought the music industry was a simple trio of artist, managers and producers. The amount of components and small pieces that go into a successful career as an artist were shocking to me. Talent goes a long way but, the knowledge of the business and the process behind it is really what makes the difference between success and failure.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B_fBJxkH6Y