Articles

Demos That Deliver: Part 1

How to make a demo sound like a million bucks (on a $300 machine).

Real-World Success Story: Stephan Jenkins and Third Eye Blind

In mid-1995, I asked Third Eye Blind to headline my BMI showcase for a local music conference. They were one of the hottest bands in the city and there was…

Why give half your money away?

If it’s that easy to become a publisher, why would you want to give away half of your royalties by allowing someone else to publish your songs?  Well, the simple…

Better than the crap on the radio

If your goal is to have your songs on the radio, you’re missing your target if you’re trying to write songs that are “better” than those songs that are successful…

Target your market

If your goal is to have your songs recorded by artists other than yourself, you need to write the kinds of songs that are currently being recorded by artists who…

Taking care of business

If your goal is to be successful in the music business, you have to pay as much attention to the business as you do to the music.

Real-World Success Story: Counting Crows Demos

There was something very, very special about Adam Duritz’s voice and those song arrangements. The band was as cohesive a unit of players as I had ever heard, and they…

Real-World Success Story: Universal Recording Artists Stroke 9

I’ll never forget Luke Esterkyn’s striking presence onstage that night. People were really seeing him and the band for the first time, and everything clicked.

Options to Major Labels

The criteria for indie labels are as mandated as that of major labels, but use a different priority system based on similar musical tastes or kindred lifestyles.

Management Time-Line Snapshot

Chairman Mao had a five-year plan. Here’s what you can expect.