Music is a powerful tool that can be used to inspire and connect with people. It can even help you launch your brand. But what exactly is a brand strategy? And how do you use it to promote your music? Let’s explore this in detail:
When you’re building a brand, you’re creating an identity for your music. This includes everything from the logo to the color palette, fonts, and more. Your identity is what makes people associate with your brand–it’s how they recognize it as yours in the first place.
Creating a strong sense of self will help define who you are as a musician (and business). It also helps build trust among potential fans because they know exactly what they’re getting when they buy into your music or come see one of your shows: You’re going to deliver quality content every time!
When it comes to branding, there are a few things that you need to think about:
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.
SMART goals help you to stay focused on what is important. They help you to measure your progress and avoid procrastination.
Provide value to your audience and fans.
You have to give people something they want, but also something they didn’t know they wanted. The best brands do this by providing useful products or services that will help their customers achieve their goals, whether it’s selling more music or helping them achieve a certain look/style in their wardrobe.
The same goes for you: if you want to build up your brand strategy and become successful as an independent musician, then provide value through whatever means possible (e-books/ebooks/freebies, etc.). This could be by offering free downloads of songs from specific albums or even just posting videos on YouTube explaining how certain chords work together in order for beginners who don’t know much about music theory yet!
The music business is complicated and everyone who works in it must earn money. While there are many ways to get paid, the most common method is through royalties. This article will explain how royalties work and how they can impact your earnings as an artist or manager.
Royalties are the money paid to songwriters and artists for the use of their work. They’re paid by record labels, radio stations, and live venues, who typically pay a percentage of their gross revenue on each song.
Your earnings as a musician can come from a number of sources. The most obvious is record sales, but there are many other ways to make money as an artist.
Labels also earn money through sales of physical products, such as CDs and vinyl records. In addition to the royalties they receive from artists (more on that below), labels receive royalties from each sale of an artist’s physical release.
According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), in 2017 consumers bought 1.22 billion albums in the United States alone. Based on the average price point per album (which is around $10 these days), that amounts to more than $12 billion worth of music sold by record companies and artists alike—money that goes straight into their pockets! Labels also make money by selling digital downloads and streaming subscriptions for individual songs or albums, licensing out music for commercials or movies, merchandising clothing lines affiliated with artists’ names…the list goes on!
The publishing company’s earnings are based on the number of streams, downloads, and physical copies sold. For example, if you write a song that someone else records and sells 100,000 albums, then your publishing company will be entitled to 10% of those sales (10% being standard for top-line writers).
These numbers can add up quickly. But what about other ways artists get paid?
Your manager is a professional who works with you to improve your career. They are paid from the money you make, so they only get paid if you’re making money.
They negotiate contracts and help book gigs, and keep an eye on what’s going on in the business. In some cases, they help with songwriting (in exchange for a cut of course!).
A good manager knows how to get things done and can help you get out there and succeed as an artist!
Lawyers are an essential part of the music business. They help negotiate contracts, make sure everyone gets paid, and mediate disputes between artists and managers, labels, and publishers.
There are two main types of lawyers in the music industry: corporate lawyers (who work for record labels or publishing companies), and litigation attorneys (who represent artists). Litigation attorneys range from general practice to specialists like entertainment lawyers or intellectual property lawyers.
Corporate law firms can earn anywhere from $150 per hour to over $1000 per hour for their services; it depends on their level of specialization as well as their experience with major clients such as record labels and publishers. Litigation attorneys usually charge a flat fee based on the amount of time they think your case will take them for example, if you have a simple dispute with your manager over money owed from touring revenue then you might pay only a few hundred dollars in legal fees while any case involving copyright infringement could cost tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands!
The music business is complicated and everyone who works in it must earn money. The first part of this statement is obvious, but it’s also worth repeating: the music business is complicated. It involves a lot of people and there are lots of ways to make money as a musician or producer. This truth leads us to the second point: everyone must earn money.
Independent musicians are always looking to establish a fan base and promote their original songs/tracks. To do this, they must first become familiar with branding and marketing.
This is because for the business to grow, establishing the specific areas within your business that include things such as colour schemes, logos, and consistent posts across social media platforms are important when making music your full-time career.
Another aspect of marketing your music that should be a top priority is to get yourself an established email list set up. This is owned by you and gives you direct contact with your fanbase so that you can keep your audience up-to-date with upcoming gigs or live performances, or when new music is going to be launched.
The end goal for musicians is to create a solid fan base that you (the musician) can keep in touch with regularly so that they (the fans) know what you’re up to.
This helps you as an artist because you can keep track of your fans by monitoring the lists. It also allows you to reach out to them easily. There are free resources online you can use to do this, but this can also become a lot of work on your part that you might not have the time (or expertise) to do.
Musicians tend to want to focus on their craft – making and performing music – and not on all that goes along with it.
With digital platforms in the online world becoming more of a means to distribute and get noticed, there are multiple opportunities with companies that will allow music submissions by independent music artists. Many of these can take the guesswork out of how to get your music shared and noticed, without you having to do much of the leg work.
Utilizing online music submission software is a way to get your music directly in the thick of things. This site, in particular, called Share Pro, will immediately allow your original music submission to be viewed within a 48-hour window and get back to you if they are going to share your music on their platforms, maybe even work with you or offer a record deal.
It’s a fast-track way of getting your music heard by professionals and can be helpful when you want some feedback to see if your music can truly make “the cut.”
If you’re confident that your music is mixed and mastered and ready for the big leagues, this is a great step for you to take as a musician – you never know who might be looking for your specific sound.
A music licensing company is ultimately one of the best platforms for you to submit your music to, and Marmoset is a great licensing company to start with that cares about giving indie artists new opportunities.
The music licensing process is taken care of by the company, so you don’t have to worry about all of the legalities, allowing you to be more focused on making the music rather than selling it.
The company not only accepts your original music and tracks, but they have a wide range of networks that have already utilized their services to find music. This means that you don’t have to do any networking or submitting directly to professionals, since the consensus is that many music supervisors, filmmakers, or other creatives don’t tend to “try out” new music if they are unfamiliar.
But, when a musician is accepted and part of a bigger library of tracks that creatives already go to find their perfect fit, your chances of being noticed (even on a larger platform) are much better. Plus, when your music is chosen there is an even bigger chance that you may be contacted from that point forward to produce more music for specific projects.
Believe it or not, many music-centred blogs and websites out there want your music to be promoted. One of the main reasons for this is that a lot of times with independent musicians you want your music to be heard in any capacity. There are also no royalty fees necessary as long as your music is copyrighted.
There are multiple music blogs like Indiepulse and Emerging Indie Bands blogs and articles where you can submit to have your music featured. They tend to prefer it to be unsigned and unknown, so newer and emerging music artists should consider this route.
This may now seem almost like a very old-school way of doing things, but this is always an option as a musician. You would simply send out demos of your music to multiple record labels through the mail and/or email.
This method can be a long, uphill battle, and many times your music probably won’t even be listened to (or might be listened to by a lowly intern who doesn’t push it up the chain of command).
One thing you should keep in mind if you submit directly to a record label is that many of them do not accept any unsolicited materials. This can mean two different things: the main one being that the record label themselves is not inviting you to send – which means, unless you were asked to send a demo, don’t do it.
The second thing is almost the same as the first – you have to have had some sort of business association with the record label for them to accept your music submission.
Whether you decide to submit your music is up to you. Still, the insight you gain here points to the idea that as an independent musician, you need to be sure to network and establish relations within the industry as much as possible. There are some easier and more difficult ways to do so, depending on how hard you want to work for it.
After creating the music you’re wanting to share with the public, your next priority should be marketing that music and gaining more visibility. Once you can start establishing relations with others in the business and they start to approach you for new music demos, then you have a shot at an actual record label.
Music streaming giant Spotify is seemingly everywhere. But they are not the only ones expanding their activities in Africa, global music labels are increasingly looking to the continent for new artists and market leaders too. Some of these include Mavins Global, Empire, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Concord Records, and Roc Nation with the latter helping Nigerian artists wizkid, Burna boy, Davido and other fast-rising artists break into the US market and reach
In the past few years, Africa has emerged as a significant market for music labels.
Fueled by a growing young-people population, great musical talent, great culture, and more streaming opportunities, Africa’s music industry is booming. And the world’s major music labels are taking notice.
1. The continent’s population is young and growing fast: According to the UN, Africa has one of the youngest populations in the world. This means that there are plenty of potential consumers who can be reached through marketing campaigns targeting young people. In addition, many African countries have high birth rates which will result in more consumers entering the market over time. For instance, Nigeria was ranked as having one of the fastest-growing populations globally due to its high fertility rate (4) and increasing life expectancy at birth (5). Furthermore, recent data shows that Nigeria will have more than 200 million people by 2050 (6).
The global music industry has been undergoing some major changes recently with streaming becoming increasingly popular among consumers around the world — especially in Africa a continent Fueled by a rowing young-people population, great musical talent, great culture, and more streaming opportunities, Africa’s music industry is booming.
In 2017, Forbes reported that Nigeria was the world’s fastest-growing market for recorded music — up 20% from 2016 — and it’s not alone.
The African continent is a hotbed of musical activity. On top of the fact that it’s home to some of the world’s most well-known musicians (such as Fela Kuti, Angelique Kidjo, Youssou N’Dour) and of course the emerging wizkid, davido, Burna boy and the likes. new artists are emerging every day.
The biggest reason why major labels are so interested in Africa right now? The growth potential is huge. A study by MIDiA Research predicts that digital music revenues will reach US$2.36bn in 2022 in sub-Saharan Africa alone — representing an increase of 40% from 2018.
I hope this helps you to put your best foot forward when sending your music industry professionals a demo of your work. There is a lot of information to be gathered, but it is there for a reason if you follow the simple steps outlined in this article, you are more likely to make the strongest impression on any A&R rep that happens across your demos. Who knows? Maybe it will lead to the break you’ve been working for!
Your song is your work of art. You’ll want to share it with the right people. Normally done over email and social sites, it’s not always easy to network; you don’t know who’s listening and you certainly need A&R reps contact information. I will help you set the scene for success.
Your song is the first impression you make on your audience. It’s the first thing that gets their attention and is an introduction to your brand. It’s also one of the most essential marketing tools for any artist.
When submitting your music for A&R DUTY, you need to keep in mind that there are no rules in this game. The best way to get noticed is by doing something different from everyone else, but here are some things to keep in mind:
1) Don’t send more than one track at a time
2) Make sure it has a good mixdown so it sounds good on every speaker/device
3) Have some kind of social media presence so people can find out more about you (Instagram, TikTok, website, Facebook page, etc.)
4) Send links directly to your YouTube videos or SoundCloud profile if possible. It makes it easier for A&Rs to check out your content without having to look for it themselves
Here are the steps you must follow before sending in a song for A&R DUTY
The submission process is the same for both A&R DUTY and A&R HIRES.
All submissions must be sent to the email address provided on our site – submissions sent to any other email address will not be considered.
A cover letter that includes your name, contact information, and a brief bio describing your musical background and experience. The cover letter should also include your preferred genre(s) of music and whether or not you’re interested in being signed as an A&R, artist, or producer.
A link to download one MP3 file of the song you would like considered (320 kbps mp3 format). If you don’t have a Dropbox account or similar service, use Google Drive, WeTransfer, etc., to send us an email with a link to download the file.
Thanks for taking the time to learn how to successfully submit your music for A&R DUTY consideration. We hope that you send us some great music, we will review it and get back to you with a decision as soon as possible. Keep in mind, if our team loves it, we can’t guarantee that anything will happen without a deal in place. Thanks again!
So, this is a very basic outline for how to submit your song for A&R. We’re going to cover two major avenues: getting your song heard by A&R directly, and then getting it heard through companies in the industry that provide A&R coverage as part of their services.
The first thing you need to do when starting your music podcast is to define the purpose of your show. You need to figure out what type of content you want to share with your audience, and how often you wish to publish it. Once you have this information in mind, it’s time to start thinking about how much time and energy you can dedicate to this project.
Once you have answered these questions, it will be easier for you to decide if a music podcast is something that suits your needs and interests. If so, then it’s time to start thinking about what kind of equipment and software options are available for someone who wants to start their music podcast.
Several different types of equipment can be used for producing a podcast:
Recording device – This includes anything from a smartphone or tablet up through professional audio recordings equipment such as microphones, mixers, or even field recorders like portable digital recorders (DDR). It also includes audio editing software such as Audacity or GarageBand which allow you to edit together all of the different tracks into one cohesive piece of audio.
Podcasts can be a great way to promote your music, but you must create a show that people will want to listen to. Here are some tips for getting started.
1. Create Your Show Theme
The first step in creating your podcast is deciding what kind of show you’re going to do. Are you going to focus on interviews with other musicians? Or maybe you’ll just play music from your favourite artists? You could even record yourself playing live shows or talk about the equipment you use to make music. The key here is to pick something that interests you and that you’re excited about talking about — this will make your listeners feel more engaged with the show as well.
2. Pick Your Format
Once you’ve decided what type of podcast you want to do, it’s time to decide on how often it will be published and how long each episode will be. This is entirely up to you and depends on how much time and effort you want to put into each episode. Some formats work better than others depending on what kind of content they include; for example, daily podcasts tend not to work as well because they require a lot more effort than weekly ones do (and there’s probably not enough news happening in one day).
3. Create Your Episode Content
Now that you have a podcast idea, it’s time to get cracking.
Before you record your first episode, you need to think about the content and format of your show. If you’re starting as a solo podcaster, try coming up with ideas for different types of episodes that appeal to your audience. This could be interviews with other musicians or artists in your field, a songwriting tutorial or a live recording of one of your gigs.
Decide how often you want to release new episodes and plan accordingly. If you’re planning on releasing a new episode every week, then you’ll need to have most of the content ready before you start recording (or at least have an outline ready).
Once you’ve decided on what type of content each episode will include, it’s time to start writing it down in detail so that it’s easy for others to follow along with when they listen back later on.
Here are some of the equipment you’ll also need to get started.
Microphone:
A good quality microphone is essential, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. You can get a decent USB mic for under $100 ( N41,000) in Nigeria money
Software:
You’ll need a recording program such as Audacity or GarageBand, and something to edit your audio with (such as Adobe Audition).
Headphones:
Headphones are essential for monitoring your recording levels so that you don’t overload any one channel when you’re mixing multiple tracks.
Market and Analyze Your Audience
The first step in starting a music podcast is to have a good idea of who you’re talking to. This means you need to know what your audience wants, what they’re interested in and how they consume media.
You should also consider their demographics. If you’re going for a specific group of people, such as women aged 18-35 who live in the suburbs and listen to pop music, then the topics you cover and the way you present them must be tailored to those people’s needs.
For example, if your audience doesn’t care about politics or religion, don’t spend too much time on those topics during your show. Instead focus on things like movies, technology and entertainment news that are relevant to everyone but most interesting for your target group.
4. Growth
The podcasting industry has grown at a massive rate over the past few years. A recent report by Edison Research and Triton Digital found that there are more than 500 million monthly podcast listeners in America alone. That’s a lot of potential listeners!
Podcasting is not only an incredible way to share your message with the world, but it can also be a lucrative business model if you know how to do it right. In this article, we’ll show you how to start a music podcast and what steps you need to take along the way.
Step 1: Find Your Niche
The podcast is a medium that has grown exponentially in recent years. The most popular podcasts are downloaded millions of times every month, and there are even shows that are so popular that they have been able to make the transition from audio to video.
So why has this medium become so popular? And what can you do to capitalize on its growing popularity?
The growth of the podcast
The first time I heard someone talk about podcasts was back in 2005 when Apple released iTunes 4.9 with support for podcasts. At the time, there were only a few thousand shows available and most people didn’t know what they were. Fast forward ten years and we’re looking at over 700,000 podcasts and new ways to listen to them such as streaming services like Spotify or Google Play Music All Access.
There are many reasons why podcasts have grown so much over the years:
The ease of consuming content through your phone means it’s easy to listen while doing other things like driving or working out. You don’t need a dedicated device like an iPod or CD player anymore because everything can be done through your smartphone (or tablet). It’s also convenient because it doesn’t require any extra equipment like a stereo system or headphones – just open up your favourite app, find something interesting and We hope that this article has been useful in answering some questions related to how and why to start a music podcast. If you have any comments or further suggestions on how new music podcasters could improve their results and presentations, we are happy to hear from you in the comment section below.
An A&R manager’s main job is scouting out talent and signing them to a record contract. The A&R Manager is also responsible for developing the style of an artist and matching them with producers, songwriters, recording studios, and clothing designers. They are instrumental in helping artists get public exposure through industry networking, performances, demos, and recordings. Often, they will also assist artists in managing their careers.
There are infinite definitions of an A&R manager. The job description primarily reflects the skill set of the manager, not the actual work involved. Some would say that an A&R Manager is in charge of identifying artists and repertoire while others believe they’re responsible for all aspects of songwriting and copyrights. Either way, certain traits make a good manager.
As an A&R, you’ll be responsible for the entire talent discovery process. This is both a challenging and rewarding role, as you’ll be working with some of the most talented individuals in your industry. Can you keep up with the ever-changing trends in music? As an A&R manager, you’ll need to have a professional manner but also act fast on new talent. This will often require negotiating terms between record labels and artists.
With an A&R career path, you will be in charge of the record label and its employees. You will make all the major decisions about what music is released for the label and will make recommendations to the executive team. These positions are as competitive as they are sought after, making this position rare but desirable.
Most high-profile music supervisors are freelancers who work on a project-by-project basis. However, music supervisors can also be employed by production companies; film, television, and video game studios; advertising companies; or even small music-supervision companies. The majority are based in Lagos Nigeria.
Unsurprisingly, work hours for music supervisors vary considerably. As they don’t necessarily need an office for their work, many works from home or do the majority of their job on the go, moving from meeting to meeting. On the other hand, music supervisors who are acting as full-time music directors for a show or movie tend to be much more involved in the filming process and almost always spend some time on location.
A&R managers are exceptionally well-organized, detail-oriented, flexible, and punctual, with impressive multitasking abilities. Signing and cultivating talented new artists requires patience, judgment, interpersonal connections, and persuasive written and spoken communication skills. In addition, managers are well served by strong leadership qualities and should possess a vision for the careers of artists under their wing.
Most A&R managers work for medium-sized to large record companies and music publishers. When hiring an A&R representative—the position which precedes working as an A&R manager—companies tend to look for work or internship experience in the music business, as well as demonstrable engagement in local and national music scenes.
Are you an aspiring A&R? Do you want to learn the ins and outs of the role, see how it fits in the industry, and how and a job? Well, you’re in luck. We’ve assembled a comprehensive breakdown of the a&r career path that will guide you from your first day on the job until your retirement and beyond. We know what happens to most of today’s great artists and songwriters—but what happens to their song ideas, unfinished recordings, and unrealized careers?
The fact is, you are going to have to work hard if you want to be a successful A&R (artist and repertoire) But who said that was an entirely bad thing? Hard work isn’t just a requisite for success; it’s also the foundation of your musical skill set while this may not be a popular idea, the truth is that all of the artists and repertoire will tell you the same thing. Consistency, determination and a willingness to do what it takes are key traits among those who reach the top. That’s not just good advice for A&R—it’s good advice for any endeavor in life. Sign up with A&R DUTY and start shooting for success today!
Written by Babatunde Makinde Williams
Chinko Ekun was a musical gem that was left undiscovered for way too long. With his brand new song “Feeling”, he’ll be slipping into the spotlight and quickly becoming an artist you’ll be telling all your friends about. The record is done on an acoustic beat that will get you pumped up to take on whatever challenge is in front of you, whether it’s just getting up out of bed or going for that big promotion. Chinko’s lyrics are filled with the kind of witty puns you haven’t heard since the days of Biggie Smalls, bringing a fresh sense of creativity to the hip-hop genre. With this song, Chinko is throwing down the gauntlet and challenging other rappers to step up their game. He showcases his unique style while proving that he can rap circles around any other artists out there .
Royalties are the lifeblood of music publishing. They’re what you get paid for when someone uses your song in their project—like a movie, TV show, or commercial. But there’s more than one type of royalty involved in music publishing, and each one is based on the use of your music. In this post we’ll go over three types of royalties you should know about:
Mechanical royalties are paid to songwriters and music publishers when their songs are recorded and sold on a CD, vinyl record, or digital download. Mechanical royalties are shared with the artist who performed the song (if applicable), as well as record companies who invest in producing and distributing it.
Songwriter royalties are paid when you write your own music, while publisher royalties go to whoever owns the publishing company that controls your work (often your manager).
Performance royalties are paid to songwriters and publishers when their songs are played on the radio, in restaurants, bars, or other public places.
Performance royalties are collected by ASCAP (American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers) BMI (Broadcast Music Inc.) SESAC (Society Of European Stage Authors & Composers) SoundExchange.
Synchronization (or “blanket”) licenses are a type of music publishing royalty that allows an artist to be paid for their songs being used in the film, television shows, and commercials.
A synchronization license is typically bought by a music supervisor who works for the producer of a movie or TV show. They’ll listen to several songs before deciding which ones fit best with their project’s storyline and theme. When they select one song from an artist’s catalog and decide to use it in their project, they contact that artist’s publisher requesting permission to use their song(s) under license terms agreed upon beforehand by both parties (the publisher and artist).
Understanding the different types of royalties in music publishing is key to getting paid.
Royalty is the money or percent of the amount being earned from a published work, that is allotted to the publisher once a sale is made. The percentages will vary based upon several different factors, but suffice it to say, they are a very good way of making additional income, provided that you have established rights to your music through publishing.
I hope that in reading this article you have gained a better understanding of the many different types of royalties involved with music publishing. This is just a basic explanation but they are quite complex, and many things can occur when you are talking about publishing. I urge any individual who is considering entering the world of music publishing to seek out more information before doing any deals with publishers because it could cost you thousands later on down the road. Have fun writing your songs, and remember these important points!
Since we started back in 2006, we’ve always made artists our first priority. This new feature helps artists, managers, and indie labels track measurable success on TikTok, and we’re stoked to be able to offer it before anyone else.
“How people are consuming and interacting with music is evolving at such a rapid pace. As a distributor, it’s critical that we move quickly to get this data into the hands of our clients so they can maximize their reach. Our team is laser-focused on delivering value and we’re excited to be the first distributor to offer this level of insight into TikTok data,” says Symphonic VP of Product, Ali Lieberman.
This tool makes it easier for creators to understand the TikTok metrics that really matter and helps maximize the impact of their future TikTok marketing campaigns. Importantly, Symphonic’s proprietary TikTok analytics makes the distinction between views and creations. While view counts get a lot of attention, it is creations that actually drive royalties on the platform.
The new tool delivers comprehensive and easy-to-read metrics on how many videos have been created using an artist’s music as well as how many views, likes, comments, and shares the video generated.
Navigate to this feature by clicking on Analytics -> TikTok
The landing page provides a catalog-level view of performance across the entire catalog on a given date range that you can change. The page is broken down into the following cards:
Activity counts are displayed for Videos and Views. The video count is the metric that generates royalties. Hovering over any bar will show you the detail of a specific day.
Activity counts are displayed for each time the video using your music receives a Favorite, Comment, Share, and Like during the time period selected across your entire catalog.
Each section shows the top 5 entries sorted by Videos (created) in descending order (e.g., the Territory section shows the top 5 countries where videos were created on TikTok using your songs). Click the ‘View All’ button to see more data if available.
Source symphonic distribution