Will Music Streaming Kill the Music Business for Good?

Guest Blogger: Moses Avalon, author of many music business books, including 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business and Confessions of a Record Producer. Check out all his books here. Watch Avalon Wednesday (July 24th) morning on Fox News on Varney & Co. at 9:20am-11am EST. He will be discussing streaming music’s effect on the music industry. The following is a teaser from his blog on this topic. Visit mosesavalon.com to read the entire article.

Will subscription services, like Spotify & Last.FMobsoletize the need or desire to own music files, thus killing the lifeline of artist and record company revenue?

Some say not enough people will pay for music monthly (as if it were electricity) for it to be sustainable. Who’s being realistic verses who is being romantic can be hard to pinpoint if you don’t know the player’s agendas. In this three-part series internationally recognized music business expert Moses Avalon will try to bring clarity to this latest deep disruption to the music space.

Part 1: Why Major Labels Love Getting Pennies Instead of Dollars

Moses Avalon

In 2001 the Internet community declared the music industry DOA, predicating total decimation by illegal P2P file sharing services within five years. The major record labels disagreed.

Today, after a decade of lawsuits and lobbying major labels make about the same revenue from albums while selling 30% less units then they did in the pre-Internet era. (1989-2000: $48.6B, 2001-2011: $53.3B)

Tortured album sales (which inched ahead since 2010 with the death of the two biggest illegal P2P services: Limewire and Kazaa) has inspired cost-cutting in the supply chain, thus reducing royalties and fees paid to music creators. Net result: the industry has hovered at $10 Billion a year and thus-far survived the Internet transition many other industries have failed to do.  Score one (a big one) for the majors.

But will it matter?

The latest music Armageddon theory is that subscription based streaming services like, Spotify, MOG, Last.fm and Rdio  (“Streaming”) will cannibalize recording artist’s main revenue: ownership, both of physical CDs and downloads from stores like iTunes and Amazon.

Why buy and maintain files if you can stream them on demand any time, anywhere, through any device for nine bucks a month?

The industry jargon for this is called going from an “ownership model to an access model.”

Keep reading this article on Moses Avalon’s blog!

About Moses Avalon’s 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business…

For the first time, industry expert Moses Avalon, the author of truth-to-power tomes likeConfessions of a Record Producer and Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract, answers readers’ questions directly in this pointed analysis of business issues for musicians, producers, and managers. Chosen from questions submitted by readers of Avalon’s popular blog, the 50 questions he addresses in this book represent the most pressing issues in the modern music business, and his no-nonsense answers make up an essential “cheat sheet” for anyone looking to break into this challenging industry.

Asking the Right Questions about Music’s Future

Guest Blogger: Moses Avalon is a blogger and the author of 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business. Visit mosesavalon.com for this entire article.

The labels are history, so say the blogs. Music is more popular than ever, so say the metrics. But, with the right to “share” dominating the debate are we asking the wrong questions about what this really means for music’s place in our culture?

When I was in college people were proud of their LP collections. LPs were works of art in-and-of-themselves. Artists took advantage of the 12″ canvas to extend their vision and fans also found practical uses for the jackets: shelf liners, wallpaper and of course, cleaning weed. The point is (or was) that the tactile relationship to the LP itself had a bonding effect to the music and bolstered its social significance.

This was the industry that many music executives battling front lines in the RIAA/ISP war today fell in love with; one that was about affecting culture in a positive way with a tangible product.

These days, record collections exist on a flash drive. You can’t really clean pot on a flash drive.  And that is the vortex of the dwindling public respect for music.

MP3 PLAYER HATERS

Certain tech companies (and yes, unfortunately I think we do have to include Apple) are pushing this downgrade in status because it suits the selling of “freemium” Internet-based services or mobile devices. To them pop music is a lure, the free toy at the bottom of their cereal box. They think labels should forget about selling the steak and instead sell the sizzle. (Although when pressed for a clear answer on what the “sizzle” is techies start ranting about consumer’s rights.)

Fire all the lazy support staff at labels, cut back on releases, reduce advances, reduce budgets and sell a file of ones and zeros in a cheap, easy to share format, say the technocrats.

They call this “progress.”

For those who have been in the music business since the 1980s this is a tough pill to swallow. Many were attracted to the relatively low-pay and long-hours for reasons that may no longer be relevant.  Some have become curmudgeons, bitching about the good-old-days. Some of them blog too often. Some not enough.

Is it possible that music is ready to take its place with other art-forms that have become the tapestry of life’s aesthetic: like Rembrandt postage stamps or Picasso bathroom-mats? I have no doubt that there was a fine-art connoisseur who ranted the first time he saw Sistine Chapel bathroom tile. No one listened. Commerce marched on.

Keep reading this article on mosesavalon.com.

100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business

For the first time, industry expert Moses Avalon, the author of truth-to-power tomes like Confessions of a Record Producer and Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract, answers readers’ questions directly in this pointed analysis of business issues for musicians, producers, and managers. Chosen from questions submitted by readers of Avalon’s popular blog, the 50 questions he addresses in this book represent the most pressing issues in the modern music business, and his no-nonsense answers make up an essential “cheat sheet” for anyone looking to break into this challenging industry.

Ride Sally Ride

Guest Blogger: Moses Avalon, author of 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business. The following is an excerpt from his blog. 

A great American hero has fallen today and fallen far too soon. Sally Ride, the first American woman in space has succumb to pancreatic cancer at the age of 61….

For us in the music space Ms. Ride contributed only one somewhat insignificant anecdote, but one that resonated well with me because it exposed how unbelievably pigheaded we can be sometimes.

Ms. Ride became known to me well after headlines about her diminished and when NASA was contacted for a performance license by copyright holders of “Mustang Sally” (registered with BMI at the time) It seems the feminist icon sang “ride, Sally ride” during a press conference… while orbiting the Earth.

In their demand letter they claimed BMI’s territory is “the known universe.”

Sometimes, I just don’t have the words.

Farewell, Sally. You have inspired the dreams of many and we thank you. Rest in peace.

Read the entirety of this blog post on Moses’ blog.

——————————————————————————————-

Moses Avalon’s 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business

For the first time, industry expert Moses Avalon, the author of truth-to-power tomes like Confessions of a Record Producer and Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract, answers readers’ questions directly in this pointed analysis of business issues for musicians, producers, and managers. Chosen from questions submitted by readers of Avalon’s popular blog, the 50 questions he addresses in this book represent the most pressing issues in the modern music business, and his no-nonsense answers make up an essential “cheat sheet” for anyone looking to break into this challenging industry.

Visit MosesAvalon.com
Follow Moses on Twitter
Like Moses on Facebook

MusicPro Guides iPhone apps

Hal Leonard Releases First Two Music Apps Based on Best-Selling MusicPro Guides Series

Hal Leonard’s best-selling book and DVD series MusicPro Guides brings together the most experienced authors in the music industry to give established and aspiring music professionals quality instruction that yields professional results. Last fall, Hal Leonard re-launched its MusicPro Guides YouTube channel (youtube.com/musicproguides), which streams the high-quality audio-visual media that accompanies its books or actual excerpts from its DVDs. It’s been a huge success, reaching thousands of subscribers and reaching 1.5 million views.

And now, MusicPro Guides goes mobile. Hal Leonard has released its first two free MusicPro Guides iPhone apps featuring cornerstone authors Bobby Owsinski and Moses Avalon, with an app from Bill Gibson, author of the highly successful Hal Leonard Recording Method, to follow soon. “We are releasing these apps as part of our commitment to have MusicPro Guides available in every form that musicians use,” says John Cerullo, publisher for Hal Leonard Books. Watch for more MusicPro Guides apps in the near future.

Download the apps for free: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/avalon-apps/id449250300

Bobby Owsinski’s Delay Genie

In less than one second, Delay Genie calculates to the millisecond the exact amount of delay for any live venue setup and/or any recorded musical setup.

The “Studio” tab replaces the delay chart in many recording studios that shows delay times for drums and vocals. Tap your BPM or enter it manually, and the app displays 1/4, 1/8, 1/16, 1/32, and 1/64 note time increments, plus their respective triplet and dotted note companions. Just set your effects box to the number displayed on the app.

The “Live” tab saves live mixing engineers the agonizing math required to suss out a concert venue. Enter room measurements, and the app displays delay time between the stage and speaker cabinets. It also accounts for differences in temperature that can affect live delay times.

Bobby Owsinksi, creator of the app, says, “I wanted to design an app that I would use myself. Setting delay times, especially triplets and dotted notes, is vitally important to the mixing process, and the Delay Genie helps a mixer do this job very easily. What’s more, the price is right (free)!”

Bobby Owsinski is a music producer/engineer and best-selling author of over a dozen books including the new second edition of Music 3.0: A Survival Guide for Making Music in the Internet Age (Hal Leonard Books). Visit BobbyOwsinski.com.

Moses Avalon’s MyRecord Deal

MyRecord Deal is a mobile app version of the MARC (Moses Avalon Royalty Calculator), which music business professionals and educators have been using for over a decade. It calculates the profits and losses generated by virtually any US record deal, offering information on how much musicians actually make on record sales and the actual “penny rate” of each single or album. It’s a tool for both serious music professionals looking to budget a production and for anyone curious about how much a hit song is actually worth.

MyRecord Deal also comes with an in-app help book that explains record label accounting procedures, how labels calculate royalties, and how to negotiate effectively with a label to get the best deal for the artist.

“This app will do two things:  For those signed or signing to a label deal, it will give you transparency both in money owed and how to negotiate a better deal,” Moses Avalon, creator of the app, explains. “For those doing the DIY thing, it will allow you to accurately budget your recording and touring so that you don’t overspend.  For many, an App like this is nothing short of a truly liberating experience.”

Moses Avalon is a top music business consultant, artists’ rights advocate, and best-selling author of music business texts such as Confessions of a Record Producer and 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business. Visit MosesAvalon.com

Enter for a chance to win a premium upgrade to MyRecord Deal.

Hal Leonard at Winter NAMM 2012

Bobby Owsinksi, author of Music 3.0 and his Handbook series, says “The 2012 Winter NAMM was a picture of enthusiasm, both from an exhibitor and attendee standpoint, a sign that the economy might finally be turning around. I was happy to be there in support of the release of the 2nd edition of my Music 3.0 book, which continues to enjoy enormous support from both musicians and the music business community alike.”
He has further reported on NAMM 2012 on his blog:
Part 1: Audio Gear
Part 2: Guitars and Amps
Part 3: Unusual Things
You can also read his Q&A on Twitter about NAMM

For Steve Turnidge, author of the upcoming Hal Leonard book Desktop Mastering (March 2012), this year’s NAMM was the best ever. He is especially exited to try out hosting his Desktop Mastering plug-in chain in iZotope’s RX 2 Advanced, and experimenting with implementation of the mastering chain using iZotope Ozone 5. He looks forward to trying out some new Waves plug-ins and putting the Sonnox Pro-Codec into his digital delivery workflow. Several of his circuit board designs launched at this show, including the Pigtronix Infinity Looper and several products from Synthwerks. His favorite (and most surprising) new release at the show was the Yamaha THR-10 guitar amp, with big sound and capability from a small, portable box.

Tom Wheeler (author of The Dream Factory) talks about NAMM

Guitar World magazine (authors of The Complete History of Guitar World, the forthcoming Dear Guitar Hero, and many other books) reports on NAMM

Moses Avalon (pictured below) reports on NAMM on his blog.

Before the show, a booth waiting to be filled with NAMM-goers

Two of our authors Moses Avalon and Alan Parsons

Moses Avalon Book Giveaway

YOU could win one of my books!

You can win a free book by Moses Avalon! Just post a comment on this blog post, and make sure you include your email address in your comment so that we can get in contact with you. Check below for some topic suggestions. Five winners will be chosen February 15th.

.

.

 .
Books you could win

100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business

Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract

Million Dollar Mistakes

Confessions of a Record Producer

Post your thoughts in comments about…

Did you see Moses Avalon at NAMM this year? What are your thoughts on the topics discussed in his panels?

What is the most useful music conference for you? Check out Moses’ top 19 music conference chart to find out what he thinks of each.

Have you read the SOPA bill? What are your thoughts? Find out what Moses says about SOPA and post your ideas in comments.

Have you read any of Moses’ books? What have you learned?

Do you have a question you wish Moses to answer about the music industry? Ask away!

Moses at NAMM
If you’re reading this before NAMM, don’t forget to stop by these panels:
Saturday, Jan. 21st in room 204-A
1p.m. Pre-lecture begins with Moses Avalon. You don’t want to miss this!
1:45 p.m.—2:45 p.m. Economics of the New “Record” Industry
3 p.m.—4 p.m. The Future of Jobs in the Music Space
4 p.m.—5 p.m. The Artist’s New Team
More info here.

Also available from Moses Avalon: Advanced Recording-Contract Negotiations for Music Industry Professionals, available here from Hal Leonard Books.

Moses Avalon is a top-selling author of music-business books and educational tools, which are part of the core curriculum in more than 40 colleges and universities. He is also a music industry consultant, an active lecturer, artists’ rights advocate, and the CEO of the Moses Avalon company. Avalon has been a featured guest on over 50 national radio and television interviews, and his music business newsletter Moses Supposes is considered required reading for industry professionals. Moses Avalon has produced and engineered records for Warner Brothers and BMG, and his work with Grammy Award–winning artists has earned him five platinum records and several Billboard and Ampex Golden Reel awards. He lives in Los Angeles.

Visit Moses on the web:
MosesAvalon.com
Moses Supposes Blog
Moses Avalon Facebook Fan Page
@MosesAvalon on Twitter

Big Opt Out: Steve Jobs’ Email From The Other Side

Guest Blogger: Moses Avalon, author of 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business, Confessions of a Record Producer, Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract, Million Dollar Mistakes, and Advanced Recording-Contract Negotiations for Music Industry Professionals.
.

.
I was not really  affected by the death of Mr. Steve Jobs until the other day when I got an email from him– about a week after he passed.  Well, clearly it could not have been from him; he’s in an important meeting right now, I’m sure. But rather someone at Apple cleaning up his affairs.

As many might know, Steve did not believe in putting many layers between him and his customers. For several years well into his world wide fame, anyone could email him at steve@apple.com. And for about six years now that addy and another that led to his inbox have been on my mailing list along with the other 14,000 (+/-) of you all.

It seems he’s carrying this policy of staying in touch, even in the after life… Keep reading on Moses Avalon’s blog.

Moses Avalon is a top-selling author of music-business books and educational tools, which are part of the core curriculum in more than 40 colleges and universities. He is also a music industry consultant, an active lecturer, artists’ rights advocate, and the CEO of the Moses Avalon company. Avalon has been a featured guest on over 50 national radio and television interviews, and his music business newsletter Moses Supposes is considered required reading for industry professionals. Moses Avalon has produced and engineered records for Warner Brothers and BMG, and his work with Grammy Award–winning artists has earned him five platinum records and several Billboard and Ampex Golden Reel awards. He lives in Los Angeles.

Visit his website | Read his blog | Like his Facebook page | Follow him on Twitter

Read more about Moses Avalon’s books here.

Author Signings at Hal Leonard Booth

Stop by booth #364 to meet the authors!

Friday

2pm—Alan Parsons (creator of Alan Parsons’ The Art & Science of Sound Recording DVD set)

3:30pm—Moses Avalon (author of Confessions of a Record Producer, Secrets of Negotiating a Record Contract, Advanced Recording-Contract Negotiations for Music Industry Professionals, and Moses Avalon’s 100 Answers to 50 Questions on the Music Business)

Saturday

2pm—Steve Gordon (author of The Future of the Music Business)

3pm—Bobby Owsinski (author of Music 3.0, The Touring Musician’s Handbook, The Musician’s Video Handbook, The Music Producer’s Handbook, How to Make Your Band Sound Great, The Studio Musician’s Handbook, and the Drum Recording Handbook)

Books and DVDs will be on sale at the booth.

For more information, please visit halleonardbooks.com.