Happy New Year from the folks who have been bringing you your favorite music networking event for over 2-years in counting... IdOMusic! STAY TUNED FOR OUR 2010 DATES & DETAILS!
With the new year quickly approaching I'm certain most of you are thinking about your "MASTER PLAN" aka your "success" strategy for 2010. That's GREAT! And Yes - Success happens where preparation meets opportunity... but now that you've gotten that out of the way I'm going to let you in on a little secret most of the people we label as successful already know...
"WE ARE CONFRONTED WITH OPPORTUNITY EVERY SINGLE DAY... IT IS ONLY WHEN WE "THINK" THAT WE'RE READY THAT WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THEM AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM"
Well I'm here to tell you that you are more "ready"than you have EVER been! Get out of your own way! It's on you... only you have the power to beat YOU at this game. Keep a keen eye out for any opportunity that comes your way and most importantly, open your mind to the possibilities and make yourself believe that you're ready for ANYTHING! If you choose to approach everyday with that attitude, everyday will be another opportunity and you won't have to wait for New Years Eve to "get ready" for new successes. Look at it like this... you have 365 WHOLE DAYS to make it happen... to find some new great producers to work with... to find that talented artist you've been looking for... to make those contacts you've been needing... to get you're career to the next level... the clock is ticking! STOP PLAYING! Don't waste another second! Start NOW! Decide what you want! Then seize the day... EVERYDAY!
It’s time to learn a little history about one of America’s favorite plug-ins; the almighty Auto-Tune. It seems to be all the rage currently with hip-hop, county, and pop artists who continuously are using the tool on their vocal projects. Artists such as T-Pain, Faith Hill, and Cher have openly admitting to using this voice correcting tool.
Engineer Andy Hildebrand accidentally invented this pop-culture tool while doing research on electric waves that affect the earth’s surface. After experimentation, Hildebrand concluded that his tool can also affect pitch by analyzing, detecting and even modifying it.
After further modification and minor tweaking, Antares Audio Technologies created the first version of Auto-Tune, which we know today. Antares Audio Technologies created this tool to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. This nifty little gadget can disguise mistakes and even give artists the boost of vocal pitch they’ve been longing for. With this being said, Auto-Tune can be used on recorded tracks as well as LIVE performances.
Some artists and fans are reluctant to accept this growing “gimmick.” Released mid 2009, Jay-Z’s, D.O.A (Death of Auto-Tune), obviously speaks volume on his abhor for this fad along with rock band, Death Cab for Cutie, appearing on the 51st Grammy Awards wearing blue ribbons honoring their protest against Auto-Tune. In early 2009, a Grammy-winning recording engineer gave an anonymous interview with Time Magazine saying, “Let’s just say I’ve had Auto-Tune saved vocals on everything from Britney Spears to Bollywood soundtrack albums. And every singer now presumes that you’ll just run their voice through the box.”
Spectators love to love and love to hate on the new and old trends of the industry. Will this fad die out? Or will our music forever be turned into cheap gold with the magic of Auto-Tune? You decide.
There could be some truth to this. Music Intelligence Solutions is a company that has software called hit song science. This software has found that hits have certain common patterns of rhythm, harmony, chord progression, length and lyrics. A series of algorithms that are used to look at what's the potential of a song to be sticky with a listener. A study conducted by the Harvard Business School found that the software was accurate 8 out of 10 times. The Black Eyed Peas' single "I Gotta Feeling" received a hit score of 8.9 out 10. The song has so far sold 4,000,000+ digital downloads in the United States.
It's important for you to know what laws are affecting your music career. Almost a decade after the major labels launched their legal assault on Napster, courts are still writing the rules of the road for the music business's digital future. Companies can't set out to build a business based on their users' infringement of copyright, courts had already ruled. But the precise meaning of that dictate remains in doubt. What steps must sites take to combat infringement? What are the proper penalties for those who infringe? This year, courts inched toward resolution of these questions, giving label, publishers, and artists a bit more certainty as they decide whom to work with and whom to sue.
2009's top five cases that will shape the future of the music business.
Gridlock (www.engineeringatlanta.blogspot.com) is a very good blog all about recording and mixing. Specifically, It takes a close look at Engineering and Music in Atlanta. If you are an engineer, producer, or music fan interested in learning, sharing and inspiring, this is the blog for you!
SAN FRANSICO, November 7, 2009, PatchWerk Recording Studios has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Recording studio, noncommercial records category by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)
The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that PatchWerk Recording Studios has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Recording studio, noncommercial records category.
The SBCA 2009 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Using consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies that we believe have demonstrated what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.
About Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA)
Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is a San Francisco based organization. The SBCA is a private sector entity that aims to provide tactical guidance with many day to day issues that small business owners face. In addition to our main goal of providing a central repository of small business operational advice; we use consumer feedback to identify companies that exemplify what makes small business a vital part of the American economy.
Spanish overseas pop singer, Mala Rodriguez was in PatchWerk Studios for over 3 weeks finishing the first part of the recording of her next album. This new album, the 4th one in the Spanish stars career, is without a doubt, her most avant-garde and elaborated work. The album will have production from American producer, Focus (Dr Dre, Beyonce, Busta Rhymes, J.Lo, Christina Aguilera… and the Spanish producers Griffi and Sr Tcee). All Mala’s sessions were assisted by PatchWerk engineer’s Dee Brown and Tripp Tiller.
Recording artist and producer, B.o.B. AKA Bobby Ray Simmons , is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle and Atlantic Records. He has described his influences as "80's music, Rap, techno, rock, funk, even du wop…" His debut album, The Adventures of Bobby Ray, was released in 2009 under T.I.'s record label Grand Hustle. B.o.B has been working hard at PatchWerk with the help of PatchWerk engineer Mike Wilson.
Newly elected Atlanta, Mayor, Kasim Reed stopped by PatchWerk for a few days to record voice overs and radio edits. All Reed’s sessions were engineered by PatchWerk engineer Kori Anders.
Comedian, Actor and Rapper Katt Williams was also in PatchWerk for a couple days this past November. He had sessions engineered by Mike Wilson. Williams’ latest release was his Katt Williams Pimpadelic film and album. His upcoming 2010 release will be titledCats & Dogs: The Revenge Of Kitty Galore
Other Sessions in 995 included those for Gucci Mane (K. Anders), Mars (M. Wilson), Tha Bizness (D. Brown), Radio City Music Hall (Pete/D. Brown), Chef Tone (M. Miller), Waka Flaka (K. Anders), Rich Gram (M. Wilson), Vashawn (M. Wilson), O-Va-Dose (M. Wilson), Brothers (M. Wilson), Tiffany Blue (M. Wilson), Fishskale (A. Dickey), Colt Ford and DMC (M. Wilson).
Studio 9000
Young Jeezy is working on Thug Motivation 103, his latest LP, as of July 2009. Thug Motivation 103 is the fourth studio album by rapper Young Jeezy. The album has no confirmed collaborations yet. Production will include tracks by JR Rotem, Scott Storch, Just Blaze, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League, Beewirks, Kanye West, Sakwe and The Inkredibles. This past November Jeezy was in PatchWerk Studios having songs mixed by Leslie Brathwaite assisted by Brian Pedersen.
Gucci Mane was at PatchWerk for several days working with PatchWerk engineer Kori Anders.Gucci has a new official mixtape "Guccimania" out with some of his new 2009 singles featured on the mixtape. On October 2, 2009, Gucci Mane was named #6 on MTV's annual ‘Hottest MC's In The Game’ list of 2009.
Ludacris is working with Leslie Brathwaite having songs mixed at PatchWerk Studios.Ludacris’Battle of the Sexes is the collaboration album between Ludacris & Shawnna.It is the seventh studio album released by Ludacris and the third released by Shawnna. All Ludacris sessions were assisted by Brian Pedersen.
Lyfe Jennings latest album is "Lyfe Change" which was released in early 2008. Lyfe's next album, "Sooner or Later" will feature the single "Haters". Jennings was in the studio recently with Anthony Hamilton. His session was engineered by guest engineer Khalifani assisted by PatchWerk engineer Josh Brown.
Other sessions in 9000 included those for Steph Jones (T. Tiller), Akon (T. Tiller), Outlawz (M. Miller), Verse/Mistah Fab (D. Brown), and Tha Bizness (D. Brown).
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Citadel Broadcasting Corp, the third-largest U.S. radio broadcaster, said on Sunday it filed for the bankruptcy protection, as the radio industry continues to be hard hit by depressed advertising revenue.
Below you'll find all the financial mumbo jumbo (for those music-makers who care to know or can even understand this stuff...ENJOY!)
Citadel, whose network consists of 165 FM stations and 58 AM stations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection under a prenegotiated deal with more than 60 percent of its senior lenders.
The deal would convert its $2.1 billion secured credit facility into a new term loan of $762.5 million, meaning about $1.4 billion of debt would be extinguished, it said.
As part of the deal, senior lenders would receive a share of the new term loan and 90 percent of the new common stock in reorganized Citadel. The company filed for bankruptcy protection in Manhattan.
FaridSuleman, Citadel's chief executive officer, said the company's "business will continue as usual" and it would seek to emerge from restructuring as quickly as possible.
Citadel, also the owner of ABC Radio Networks, which it took on debt to buy from the Walt Disney Co in 2006, has struggled along with the rest of the industry.
In the latest quarter, it reported a 14 percent drop in revenue to $183 million, and a quarterly loss of 8 cents per share versus a profit of 10 cents per share a year earlier.
Citadel said that to fund its restructuring it has reached an agreement with lenders to access about $36 million of cash on hand. It will also use all cash flow from operations, it said.
The company listed total assets of $1.4 billion and debts of $2.5 billion, according to a bankruptcy court document.
Buyout firm Forstmann Little & Co holds 28.7 percent of the company's shares, according to the document.
What is networking about? As the saying goes, "It is not what you know or do, it is who you know." While technology is a reliable tool for artists to spread the word about their music, the most effective medium to get music publicized, heard, distributed or artist booked is through people. DIY (do it yourself) musicians can become successful, but the odds are stacked up against them because being an expert in everything is literally impossible. Writing great songs is a challenging task as it is. Focus on your strengths and delegate everything else to others whose strengths are your weaknesses.
The objective for artists looking to become successful is to delegate tasks to individuals who are experts in those fields. Finding who these people are can be accomplished through networking. You can start with family, friends and then reach out beyond that. This will ensure that you increase your odds for being at the right place and the right time. Sitting at home doing nothing will not get anyone anywhere, however great of an artist one is.
As your network grows, problems become easier to tackle because you can identify people that can effectively solve those issues. Before you network, it is recommended that you do your homework and figure out the areas where you have weaknesses in and then finding the appropriate network and resources that can help you turn those weaknesses into strengths. It is critical that the networking relationship is a reciprocal one and the individuals you are networking with are appreciated and respected. Successful networking is linking together people who can help each other out through trust and relationship building.
Things to keep in mind: 1. Networking is about being genuine and authentic
2. Figure out what you are trying to accomplish so that you can select who can be a suitable candidate to help you get what you are looking for.
3. Focus on quality contacts as opposed to quantity.
4. Have plenty of professional looking business cards to give out and be visible. Do not be shy.
5.Make a positive first impression. Make a powerful impression by asking them what they do before talking about what you do. Make them feel comfortable talking to you.
6. Embrace all people, not just the right people. Who knows, they might be the next Bill Gates. Everyone demands respect and a second chance.
7. Ask questions that are discussion-friendly. Questions relating to "who, what, where, when, and how" can be more effective than ones that can be answered with a mere "yes or no." This form of questioning opens up the discussion and shows listeners that you are interested in them and makes you more memorable. Questions such as "How did you get started in your business?" , "What do you enjoy most about what you do?" and "How can I know if someone I am speaking with would be a good prospect for you?" can be impactful.
8. Honor people's time and pay attention when people are talking to you.
9. Become an expert in your field so that others can turn to you for input, suggestions and ideas. make it easy for them to reach you.
10. Have a clear perspective about why you do what you do, what you represent and separates you from the crowd.
11. Learn how to pitch in 3 or less sentences. Keep the pitch under 30 seconds.
12. Make small talk, establish common bonds and schmooze. Offer your help.
13. Follow up quickly with the people you connected with and thank them for their time. Make sure you let them know that you you found their input valuable and would love to extend the conversations further and keep them in the loop about what you are doing.
14. Be a matchmaker. Introduce and help others connect with each other. This is a skill influential and powerful people have.
Written By: Constantine Roussos for musicmusic.com
Constantine Roussos is a serial entrepreneur, musician, songwriter, producer, engineer and Internet technology geek. Constantine was born and raised in Cyprus and runs Roussos Group of Companies ( Cyprus ) headquartered in Limassol. Roussos Group activities include music entertainment, eBusiness, night clubs, hotels, manufacturing, international trade, land development, commercial real estate, luxury villas, construction, virtual real estate development and domain name acquisitions. Original article in its entirety can be found at the following link: http://musicmusic.com/articles/how-to-network-in-the-music-industry-successful-business-networking-tips-basics--career-advice.html
Mobile ringtone and media provider Myxer is expanding into artist services with a new program called MobileStage. Dubbed the "MySpace for Mobile," MobileStage is a suite of mobile marketing tools and services for iPhone, BlackBerry and Android devices.
Myxer claims some 30 million customers downloading content from the site regularly. Through the MobileStage program, it will now promote artist apps to that base, as well as that of participating digital music services.
For artists, the program offers mobile Web site development, mobile fanlist management and messaging services, a data analytics tool, promotional campaigns tied to location and tour dates, and for unsigned artists an A&R pipe into participating music industry partners.
Music industry partners at launch include ReverbNation, Kedar Entertainment, AmieStreet, SonicBids, OurStage, INgrooves, The Orchard, Audiolife and SellaBand. Artists with featured apps at launch include Pearl Jam, U2, The Crystal Method and Spinal Tap.
By Antony Bruno, for Billboard.biz ('MySpace For Mobile' Flips Switch On Artist Services)
Curtis Daniel III, COO at PatchWerk Recording Studios, has told me time and time again, "there are a lot of GOOD people out here, but there's only a few that are GREAT". So true. However, so unfortunate! Let's take musicians for example. Other than the rare, truly unavoidable circumstances, for the most part there are two primary reasons why some (or arguably most) musically inclined individuals don't go on to be highly successful in the music industry. Either they had the wrong attitude and never got to the point where they would ONLY ACCEPT THE BEST from themselves and the people they worked with, or they lost faith and QUIT before it happened for them.
The reality is 1 + 1 will always equal 2 and a person who trains themselves to ONLY ACCEPT THE BEST will always BE THE BEST because "perception is reality" where we come from. So don't settle for a good beat, DEMAND THE BEST BEAT. Don't settle for a good song, DEMAND THE BEST SONG. And don't be mistaken... We've all felt the overwhelming feeling of witnessing something genuinely great.... So YOU know, all too well, deep down when something is AMAZING. Simply put, DON'T LET IT OUT THE LAB UNTIL IT GIVES YOOUUU THE GOOSEBUMPS! Period! Until you get into the habit of ONLY ACCEPTING THE BEST, you will continue to be part of the "just good" majority. To break through and shine amongst the masses... you have to be different! You have to be better! You have to be GREAT!
Sony Ericsson has launched its PlayNow Plus music service in Brazil. Aliado Digital reports that the service, available on W508 Walkman phones via wireless operator Vivo, includes 1,000 pre-loaded songs and unlimited DRM-protected track downloads for six months. After that time is up, the user must buy a monthly subscription or lose the downloaded songs - except for 100 of them, which the user gets to keep as DRM-free tracks.
The catalog contains 2 million songs from all four majors as well as indies.
Sony Ericsson reportedly plans to expand the service in Brazil to other phone models and operators in the first quarter of next year, and that PlayNow Plus could also hit Mexico and Chile in 2010.
Nokia's Comes With Music all-you-can-eat plan has been more successful in Mexico and Brazil than in some European countries, according to active-user numbers obtained by Music Ally earlier this year.
December 11, 2009 - Digital and Mobile | RB Hip-Hop
On December 3rd Vinyl was filled with artists, producers, managers, and a crowd of others anxious to gain knowledge about the music industry. Our topic this month, “Tips On How To Successfully Book and Manage an Independent Tour,” kept everyone engaged because all artists need maximum exposure for maximum success.
Panelists: Alan Floyd-Tour Manager, Beyonce K.Woods- Tour Manager, Raekwon Mel Carter-Manager, Raekwon DJ Rasta Root-DJ, Phife from A Tribe Called Quest, Road Manager, Dwele Amir Boyd- Marketing & Promotions @ Grand Hustle Clay Evans, Tour Manager, T.I., VP @ Grand Hustle
Panel Notes: A tour first begins with a great artist then a budget is necessary to ensure costs will be covered. The last step is to create the perfect route for the artist to take based off the artist’s popularity in different cities. On tour artists need to connect with the DJs of the different cities to spread their music as far as possible. Remember…always leave a particular market with something from you to gain exposure. The budget typically controls how big a tour is going to be, but some artists (like Beyonce, Jay-Z, etc.) trump the budget and can tour and do whatever they want. Funding a tour can be costly, but artists must gain money however and from WHOM ever they can. Similar brands can benefit each other (i.e., a clothing brand could sponsor a band/artist’s tour if they have similar customers). A key theme of the evening was simply to “Get your hustle on!” Be creative about funding for the tour. It’s what you believe in and how you hustle that will get you on. Great tip for tour promotion: Build relationships with bloggers & agents. Bloggers will promote for you, and agents can help get you on a tour. The best tools you can use to help with planning a tour are Master Tour Database (which can be expensive), a company called Pollstar.com, and a very trusted Blackberry.
After the panel discussion:
The panel energized the crowd, and the main event was underway: NETWORKING! Whether you are a producer looking for the perfect artist to lay down a record or a manager looking for the right stylist to complete your artist’s new image, this segment is devoted to help you help yourself. Every month various people interact with each other in an effort to collectively make better music and do better business. Najasism, one of our very own spotlight performances, credited IdOMusic® for completely gathering his personal team. Networking will definitely make or break you as an artist.
Spotlight performances captivated the crowd with an array of producers, artists, and a very unique drummer. We had hard-hitting, bass-dropping producers such as Brel Clark, Joe Gus, 2 Aries, and Brad Taylor who had the whole crowd nodding their heads to the beat. Tru Skyy was the first artist up followed by Cato who simply gave a phenomenal performance! The drummer, Fingers, who has patented a very unique way of playing the drums using a drum machine as opposed to a traditional drum set, & his friends were up next. His show definitely left the crowd in awe. It was obvious that by far the most theatrical performance of the evening was Najasism. Our feature performance of the evening was Haziq. This artist is a great lyricist who roared on the mic. Hailing from D.C., this guy is following in the footsteps of Wale and already has a growing following. Singer/songwriter Trina Mashell was up next with her soulful song “No Pass Interference.” Jus Nice was the last but certainly not least performance. This artist had an absolutely show stopping performance with his high energy and great song. We'll definitely be bringing him back soon!
This month’s installment of I dO Music will most definitely make 2009 go out with a BANG! The new year is guaranteed to bring a lot of new surprises to the entire music industry. Join us as we continue to Empower Musicians WORLDWIDE!
Join Patchwerk Recording Studios and IdOMusic® this weekend as we help out The Songs For Kids Foundation.
Location: Eyedrum Art + Music Gallery
290 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr S
Event Time:12-6pm Lunch:By DBA BBQ 12-3pm
Arts & Crafts Gallery: Hosted By Janelle Monae & Wondalanda Art Society All Ages:Family Friendly Event, Bring The Kids! Admission: $5 Donation Or Toys (New In Box) Hosted By:Dres Tha Beatnik
Last week on the IdOMusic® Panel we had Dj Rasta Root break the game down along with a few other vets. Check out the latest spotlight we did with him at Patchwerk Recording Studios.
Finally!! The opportunity you've been waiting for!!
Every month PatchWerk Recording Studios hosts a number of different "IdOMusic®" Networking Events. The "IdOMusic®" Networking Events present a networking opportunity like none other. If you or someone you know is a band, musician, artist, songwriter, or producer who wants an opportunity to play or perform their music in front of a large group of people and build their network here's their chance!
To Get IdOMusic @ 595 North Submission Details :
Email audition4idomusic@patchwerk.com with the subject "IdM Submission 595 North"
To Get IdOMusic @ Smiths Olde Bar Submission Details:
Email audition4idomusic@patchwerk.com with the subject "IdM Submission Smiths"
I dO Music!..."Bringing Together the World's Music-Makers"
Happy New Year from the folks who have been bringing you your favorite music networking event for over 2-years in counting... IdOMusic! STAY TUNED FOR OUR 2010 DATES & DETAILS!
