How Should You Approach Music Agents?

How Should You Approach Music Agents?

Many independent musicians fail to make inroads with their music, not because their music isn’t up-to-par, but because they fail to treat their music career like a business. To have your music taken seriously, you have to show that you’re serious about your business, and knowing how to write a cover letter is an essential skill if you want to communicate in a business-like manner.

A great cover letter, good photos and biography will get you solid results when seeking a reputable music agent. A cover letter is your first and possibly only opportunity to get an agent’s attention. Don’t make the mistake of writing a lackluster letter or forgetting one entirely. You only get one chance to make a good first impression, use it by crafting a wise and witty introduction.

First, come recommended. The first thing an agent wants to see is that you are someone who has already verified. Comb your resources for people who will vouch for your talent and ability. Ask well-known industry professionals and former mentors or managers for their recommendations, then add that front and center in your cover letter. This tells the agent that you are desirable to others and are pre-approved.

Secondly, list all of your selling points in the second paragraph. This is the meat and potatoes part of the letter, where you concisely list all of your selling points. Include key recent club experience, commercials you’ve done, schooling, award winning productions, accolades and positive reviews you’ve received. These attributes should be written with originality and panache, without being overly wordy. As a suggestion, limit your typed cover letter to one page.  Be sure to also touch upon the genre of your music, and mention any promotional materials you’re enclosing with the letter, such as a CD or photographs.

Ask a trusted friend, colleague or family member to check the spelling and grammar in your letter. Spell the music agent’s name correctly. Keep it professional.

An Agent has over 1,000 requests sitting on his/her desk on a daily basis; therefore, an agent does not have time to sift through lengthy pages, music, conducting internet research, locating links on the internet while trying to figure out what the writer is saying due to misspelled words or slang words. I can not stress enough – KEEP IT PROFESSIONAL!

Thirdly, ask for what you want in the third paragraph. Tell the agent you’re seeking representation and would like a meeting at their convenience. This is also where you can list your website(s) address where the agent can see your performances. You can also offer to email them film/highlights on DVD, if needed. It’s much easier for someone interested in seeing your work to look online rather than wait for a mailing. If you don’t have a website, it’s time to get one.

Mention any positive reviews that your music has received, and include one or two pertinent testimonial quotes to back it up. If you’re a touring artist, this is also a good time to invite the recipient to any of your upcoming live appearances. If you’re purely a recording artist, then include links to your website or blog. This will show that you’re an artist who takes your business seriously.

Last but not least, wrap things up with a sincere thank you for reading your cover letter, resume or presskit. Let them know you’ll look forward to hearing from them, and mention that you’ll also be following up with them via email or phone. Make sure that your contact information is clearly visible on all of your promotional materials.

Be positive, but not overly cocky. You have to come across and interesting and someone they’ll want to meet and work with. Don’t come across as needy or overbearing.

If you get a negative response to your pitch, write a brief, polite note of thanks for their reply. This will show that you’re professional in your business dealings, which might hold you in good stead for any future correspondence.

Now, here you will find a few secrets most reputable agents won’t tell you. Don’t send out form letters to multiple companies; it will be obvious to most industry insiders, and nobody likes to be spammed. Don’t repeatedly follow up on an unsuccessful pitch and demand to know why you’ve been rejected; you’ll only get a reputation for being pushy and boorish.

Source: EliteStar News

Mercy (Remix) Ft Briana Nicole, JLyn, Tina World B, SweetJuices, Temper , Trinity

Mercy (Remix) Ft Briana Nicole, JLyn, Tina World B, SweetJuices, Temper , Trinity

Jay Davis Show Female Cypher Part 1

Check out some of the hottest female rappers going H.A.M on this Mercy remix. Courtesy of TP Radio100. Visit www.tpradio100.com to listen to some of the hottest Hip Hop / R&B music. 

Stay tuned for Part 2

How To Record A Great Vocal Take

For any recording project that includes a vocal, capturing the ultimate performance might require some push and pull between the producer and the talent, and often the tact and technique of the producer plays a pivotal role in the quality of the recorded performance. Echoes’ Andre Calilhanna sat with producer/engineer/studio owner Jon Marc Weiss to discuss production techniques and gather insight into how to get the optimum vocal performance on tape.
I read an article in which Adele commented on how Paul Epworth – or it might have been Rick Rubin – got her to sing notes on 21 she didn’t know she could sing. I found that really interesting, that someone who had already achieved success and notoriety as star vocalist was able to discover new facets to her voice because of a producer she obviously trusted. As a producer, how do you know how far you can push an artist?
I think the producer’s experience plays a big part in this. How many artists they’ve worked with in their career has a lot to do with their ability to get the most out of people. I usually go in, put the mic up, and let the vocalist run through the track a few times. I’ll let them roll for a little bit, and I’ll tell them I’m not even listening, I’ve got the monitors down, but once in a while I’ll listen in to see where they are. And just from that you almost can identify where the peak is – you can hear an artist and determine, “I know where their strengths and shortcomings are and it’s going to get to this level.” Or sometimes you’ll know that last record or demo didn’t really showcase the best of this singer and you can get something better and you push for more.
I’ve worked with artists where we start at 6 PM, and it’s not until 10 PM that, their voice might be a little sore, but they like the tone that’s coming out. I’ve had them go back at midnight – six hours later – and have them retake something they did earlier in the day and it comes out better.
There’s a standard that every producer is looking for from a vocal take. The type of song has a lot to do with how much emotion you want to pull out of the artists. A lot of times the artist is a bit hesitant to show emotion or really give themselves to the take. You’ve got to feel the artist out. Listen to the words, if they have a lot of meaning to the artist, you can use that psychology and say, “Hey, you’re talking about how this guy broke your heart, try drawing on that anger and emotion.” It’s really a situational thing.

The transition from a comfort zone in a rehearsal or performance environment and translating that to recording can be especially difficult for a vocalist. We’ve used the word clinical before, but if nothing else, you’re often wearing headphones, standing in a room all by yourself – which is just strange. How do you help ease that transition?
Well, a couple of things. First, not too many artists work with both phones over their ears, they want to hear their voice in the room as well. So one mistake artists make is putting both ears on. And a mistake an engineer often makes is not cutting the feed to one of the ears when the artists has it off and then you’ve got the playback noise coming into the microphone.
You want to have a really good mix for the vocalist. They need to be able to imagine their voice in that track. It needs to be sitting in that track in a place that’s comfortable for them. A lot of engineers won’t put delay or reverb on a track until they mix, but with vocals, you really want it to sound good, you might even want to pick out the reverb you’re going to use when you mix, and give the vocalist what they want. Make sure they’re happy with what they’re hearing in their ears. You’ll probably work longer with the vocalist to make sure they get exactly what they want. When they’re hearing what they want in the cans, then you’re ready to start the recording process.
Also, with most singers, try to get as many people out of the control room as possible. If it’s just the engineer and producer, that’s probably the best case scenario. Occasionally someone from the band wants to be in there to critique and hear what’s going down, but a lot of times I think the artist is more comfortable if it’s just the engineer getting the sounds to tape and the producer getting the best performance out of the person.
The producer probably already knows the group a little bit, I mean, how can a producer jump in and put his ideas on top of something without really knowing their history, hearing some rehearsals, looking for some of the idiosyncrasies of the band, and knowing the interrelations of the players? You want to know the singer a little bit, before you go in there. If you just go in cold, and it’s the singer’s first time with the producer, there’s going to be this period of acclimation. It’s going to take a while to get comfortable.
I’ve seen it happen when you go in that first day and nothing gets kept – and that’s OK. I really recommend a scratch track. Once you get the majority of the instruments down, get a scratch vocal on there and have everyone take the mix home and listen to it and determine, “Here’s where we really need to bring the vocals up. Or here’s a chance to try a different approach.” Stuff like that.
I remember reading about a producer who was working with, I think it was Reba McEntire, and he mentioned that he was recording the rhythm tracks with the band, and they were playing it very adeptly. But then he introduced Reba into the mix, and all of a sudden the level of intensity was elevated as the players fed off of her performance.

Absolutely. Even if you’re just recording bass and drums, with the guitar going straight into the board as a guide, I always ask the singer to be there because it’s important that the band hears the vocal. I mean, they’re used to hearing it, so without it, they might not play the same. It can work the other way, where with the vocal you realize the instrumental parts might need a boost, they’re being outdone emotionally by the vocal, so you might need to add to the arrangement to match it.
You mentioned that you’ll work with a vocalist for hours at a time. Unlike a guitarist, or most any other instrument, there’s a fatigue factor that’s going to affect vocals differently than other instruments, right? Is that not a concern?
What’s interesting, I’ve found that often, the singer does best at the end of the night when they almost don’t have a throat left. It’s so strange, but the best takes come out of those last, “I want to do it one more time!” takes right before we leave for the night. You’ve already heard yourself quite a few times coming through the cans and the mains in the control room, you know where it’s lacking, and the singer starts taking mental notes of where they’re having problems.
And, to get the great vocal track means you have to record multiple tracks, and keep multiple tracks. What sounds good at the end of the night might not sound as good the next day. Whenever possible, I’d say the vocalist should have three full tracks recorded, and from there you can build a comp track.
With smaller budgets, it’s going to be hard to sit down and have enough time, and maybe even enough tracks, to handle tracking three vocal performances. But with DAWs and all these non-destructive tracks, you can go back 20 takes prior and take the best pieces of those takes and create one really good vocal. It’s really common, when you’re working with a vocalist, to work one line at a time. You’re not rolling through the entire song.
So what I’m hearing is it’s really unlikely to get a great vocal on the first take.
It’s not impossible. You get somebody like a Whitney Houston in there, or Peabo Bryson, and you might get lucky. There are just too many factors. It’s not like you can go in and tune up a guitar and sound a little better, or put new strings on it. It’s your voice.
One thing you can do to prep the vocalist ahead of time is have them come in warmed up. Tell them, “You’re in the studio on Thursday, Tuesday and Wednesday, I don’t want you to do any strenuous physical activity, I want you to keep a scarf around your neck for the next two to three days, stay away from spicy food…” There are so many little things. When you start getting some experience, you know these things, but not when you’re starting out.
Some scenarios, you’re going to have an artist who’ll come in, you do three takes, and that’s that. Then there’s the other extreme. I remember working with a producer in Philly who brought in this Paula Abdul reel, after her heyday in ’95 or ’96, and we soloed the vocal, and literally every word was punched in. Every single word. It’s pretty crazy, but it’s not uncommon. Some vocalists are perfectionists, and they want something that’s almost unachievable.
Back to the notion of a comfort level in the studio, you told a story once about recreating this one young woman’s bedroom in the studio, getting her actual full-length mirror and end table, because that’s where she always rehearsed and you were trying to recreate that comfortable space. And there are tricks for bassists and guitarists, moving them out of the big room and bringing them into the control room so they don’t feel so isolated or in a box. That seems less like a possibility for a vocalist.
It’s a possibility, and it happens. As a matter of fact, I think James Hetfield (Metallica) often works with a 58 in the control room – something like that. It happens. Have I had to keep takes in the control room with the music blaring? Yeah, and it sucks. It’s terrible, from an engineering standpoint. You’re going to be dealing with a lot of artifacts you wouldn’t be if you were in a separate room.
That seems kind of extreme – it certainly is compromising the integrity of the audio track for the emotional delivery you want. What other things can you do where you’re not making so much of a compromise?
Maybe there are multiple rooms you can choose from, either in a pro studio or home environment. If you have the ability to try different spaces, that’s worth doing.
I know stories of where producers have had the vocalist lie on his/her back when recording – not just to get an intimate take, but to help calm them down because they were anxious in the studio. And I’ve had singers turn their back on the control room. Physically turning the mic around so their back is to the glass. That helps alleviate the distractions of seeing people react to what you are doing in the room. Lighting is another big one. Dimming the lights for specific moods.
Throw out another tip for capturing a great vocal performance.
Sometimes you have to push to get the best take out of a singer. The artist and the band might be satisfied with a take, but you as the producer or the engineer might feel like there’s something better you can get. So you say, “OK. We’ve got a great take down, let’s roll down the track one more time, and let’s get one more on tape.” Sometimes that’s when something really special happens. You always have to be an encouraging presence.
There’s a confidence that gets built once the pressure’s off. You’ve got a good take down, so now you can lose some of that inhibition and you have room to take chances and go for something you might have been hesitant to try before. Like anything, confidence plays a big part in success.
Yeah, no doubt. And something else, it’s sorta simple, but a lot of times the vocalist is not breathing right. They’re under pressure and feeling the pressure and it affects their breathing. It’s crazy, but sometimes you need to tell the artist, “Hey, after this line, you need to take a breath.” Sometimes they can’t hit or hold a note because they just don’t have enough air.
Breathe, damnit!
Exactly. Another thing that’s really important is getting the right mic for the right voice.
I thought you might bring that up. But folks in a home studio environment probably don’t have a mic locker to choose from.
True. Renting a pro mic is an option. Of course, you need to know which mic you want to rent. Like, I’m at a point now that I’ve been doing this long enough where I can hear a voice coming through a U87 for example, and I can tell from listening to the amount of sibilance, the body of the vocal, and some other characteristics, what other mics might do them better. Like, a Neumann U87 tends to work better on male vocalists than female, unless you’re talking about Roger Taylor (Queen) or Geddy Lee (Rush). I’d bet he’s got a specific go-to mic, he’s got a very unique voice. It’s important for a vocalist, if they go into a studio and they love the vocal sound they’re getting, to take note of the mic being used. And there are companies all over the US that rent professional studio mics. If that’s really not an option, and you’ve got a decent Audio Technica in your studio or something, it’s all about using your ear, and EQ, and getting the best tone you can with the vocalist and that mic.
Anything else?
As a producer, or engineer, you need to relax. You need to take a deep breath and relax, because you have to help keep your nervous singer feeling calm and relaxed. Whether they’ve done it a billion times or not, there are going to be nerves that come into play when it comes to being on the spot when that red light comes on. Let them know that you have time, that you’re going to get this right. And it might take a lot of takes, but you’re going to get there. I’ve seen people get frustrated, they’re trying over and over to get that one note… go back to it later. If a track is not flowing, go to another song and revisit it later.
From the vocalist perspective, what advice would you give to a singer to get him in the right frame of mind for a recording session?
Well, first thing, you need to be rehearsed. Practice, but practice the right way. You don’t want to over exert yourself going into the studio. If you don’t have an instructor, you can go to YouTube and find videos for proper warm ups and techniques to sing correctly.
And make sure, when you’re choosing the songs you’re going to record that day, not to choose the screaming track first. Most vocalists know that when they start off the day with a screaming song, their voice is not going to be the same the rest of the day. Start off with the easiest track and work your way up to the most challenging.
And work with the engineer until you are totally happy with the mix in your cans. You have to be completely satisfied and as comfortable as possible if you want to perform at your best.


Source: DiscMakers

Wood-Star Music Festival

Founded by Shannon Brown, Wood-Star Music Festival promises to deliver 3 days of entertainment, empowerment and culture with proceeds benefiting the Shannon Brown Foundation. WMF will be your annual destination event!

August 17-19, 2012

Union Park

1501 W. Randolph St. Chicago, IL 60607

Public Transportation

Tickets On Sale Now

Celebrity Basketball Game - $20 Adults, $10 Kids 12 and under.

Concerts - $55 per day - 2 Day pass $100

Buy your tickets NOW on www.ticketweb.com

Basketball Clinic 

Artist Line Up

Hosted by:

VH1's Janell Snowden

 & MTV's Sway

Soul in the City R&B Concert

Saturday - August 18, 2012

Robin Thicke

Monica

Estelle

Dawn Richard

Fantasia

Shannon & Friends Celebrity Basketball Game

Ed Lover

TK-N-Cash

Kangols & Eight Ball Jackets       

Classic Hip Hop Block Party

Sunday - August 19, 2012

 

MC Lyte

Doug E Fresh

Slick Rick

Rakim

Naughty By Nature

Union Park is accessible by Chicago Transit Authority

Via Train take the Green Line to Ashland stop. Union Park will be right there.

Via Bus the festival is at #9 Ashland bus at Ashland and Lake Street

By Car

I-90/94

I-90/94 East to Chicago

Take EXIT 50A toward OGDEN AVE.

Stay straight to go onto N. RACINE AVE.

Turn slight right onto N. OGDEN AVE.

I-290

Take I-290 East to Chicago

Take EXIT 28B toward PAULINA STREET/ASHLAND BLVD.

Stay straight to go onto W. CONGRESS PKWY.

Turn left onto S. ASHLAND AVE.

End at N. ASHLAND AVE. and W. LAKE ST.

I-55

Take I-55 N. STEVENSON EXPWY N.

Merge onto I-90WI/I-94W. via EXIT 292A toward WISCONSIN

Take the WEST RANDOLPH ST. EXIT 51B

End at 1501 W. RANDOLPH ST.

Limited Parking available at Red Top Parking lots located on Ashland and Madison.  

Union Park is easily accessible on the Green Line.

By Plane

Midway International Airport

12 mi from WMF

O'hare International Airport

17 mi from WMF

Accommodations

Hotel Allegro

171 West Randolph Street

Chicago, IL 60601

(312) 236 - 0123

Hotel Allegro will give you 15% off!  Book online at www.allegrochicago.com and enter code ENM

Located in the Loop within 2 miles of Union Park. Close to all CTA trains.

Press/Sponsorship

info@captivatemarketinggroup.com

Vendor Inquiries

jennifer@captivatemarketinggroup.com

Volunteer

Christianna@captivatemarketinggroup.com

Basketball Clinic

Krystal@captivatemarketinggroup.com

How Youtube Can Get You Seen, Heard, and Trended

You Tube has been a technological sensation since its beginning in February 2005, with over 2 billions views per day and over 35 hours of video posted per minute.  There is no question that YouTube is an effective tool in marketing yourself as an artist or band as well as cost effective. YouTube is the number one places to be seen, heard, and become or continue to be a trend.

YouTube was founded as a technology start-up to provide an opportunity to easily share videos.  Within a year and a half of the site launch, there were over 65,000 videos uploaded daily with over 100 million views, being named the dominant provider of online video for the United States. Now, there are currently over 10,000 official partners with 94 of the top 100 advertisers running campaigns on the site. When posting a music video on YouTube, you are not only going to be seen from everyday people world-wide, over 70 % of the viewers are outside the US; but also industry people involved and affiliated with the site. YouTube is also a great opportunity for the average Joe to get coverage, the number 6 most viewed video is ‘Charlie bit my finger-again’ about a young boy and his infant brother biting him and how it hurt and it has almost 404 million hits. 

Technology has been constantly improving and enhancing ways to serve the public, as an artist or group, being heard is essential to success in the industry. Luckily, YouTube is in your favor for the likeliness of being heard and attaining an audience and following. An excellent example is Justin Bieber who was discovered by videos posted with him singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. Bieber went from being a gifted but normal kid from Canada to a teen sensation and holding the number spot for most views on a YouTube music video for ‘Baby’ with over 684,597,595 views.  A great perk is that when posting a music video on YouTube, not only will you have views from the site itself, but people can also post the videos and links on popular networking sites: Facebook and Twitter, which opens more opportunities to be heard and create a following. 

To be a trend or be ‘trending’ is important in today’s social and media culture, as an up and coming band or artist, is an ambition to have the spotlight and attention. Youtube is an ideal outlet to post your music videos, with the amount of viewers and options to expand your video and viewing from the site to various other media outlets. By definition, a trend is to emerge, by using YouTube; you can trend and gain followers simply by posting a music video. YouTube is not only used by up and coming talent and the average person, but also established artists and bands as a way to reach out to their fans and share experiences such as music videos, interviews, and performances. A prime example is artist Jennifer Lopez featuring Pitbull for the number two most viewed YouTube video of all time ’ On the floor’ with over 463,245,100 views. When those activities are posted it keeps the bands and artists popularity up and constant and maintains a strong relationship with their fan base. 

YouTube is such a great resource for bands and musicians to create a following gain fans and show people worldwide your sound and image. Regardless of you are just starting out, been a band or musician for years and waiting for a big break, or well acclaimed, YouTube provides the opportunity to be seen, heard, trend, and rock –on.

Lotus Energy Drink is the Official Drum Squad DJ Drink

Memphis Entertainment Company and Distributor of

Lotus Energy Drink-Welcomes the Endorsement of Music Elite

Enzo Entertainment’s CEO Lennard James is making noise

In the Memphis and Atlanta markets.

Enzo Entertainment CEO Lennard James has been endorsed by Drum Squad DJ’s and TeamLomaxx, whom have made Lotus Energy Drink their energy drink of choice. Enzo Entertainment CEO Credentials include managing major concerts with artists such as Eddie Griffin, Cedric the

Entertainer and many more; welcomes the endorsement of Music Elite.

You can turn on any Hip Hop radio station across the nation and listen for 30 minutes to an hour,and chances are you will hear Drumma Boys work. 

While Drumma Boy is a pioneer in making some of the biggest hits in Urban Music such as Young Jeezy and Kanye West “PUT ON” and

T.I. double-platinum selling “Papertrail” album. He shares the credit of being a Trendsetter in

music and in business.

While DJ Lomaxx a 15 year vet in the business heads up as President of Drum Squad DJ’s and

Team Lomaxx. His business savvy and marketing steam is the reason behind this endorsement. It wasn't any surprise to Enzo CEO Lennard James whom has work with Lomaxx over the years indifferent projects and has always respected his work ethics and go get it attitude.

With this endorsement you will surely see Lotus Energy Drink at some of the hottest Night Spots in Memphis, Atlanta and across the country. Drum Squad DJ’s and Team Lomaxx will promote the product and do promotions give a ways to their fans, with that number being over 8 million fans and counting. Enzo want be disappointed and Lotus Energy Drink will become a house hold name for Enzo markets. Team Lomaxx will also provide product placement in some of Music Elite hands to introduce “the Best tasting Energy Drink on the Planet.”

Created by Nashville siblings Li Jackson, and her brothers Jay and Thomas Umboh, Lotus is fruit based (acai and mangosteen) and elegantly described by the respected Nashville Scene as “dusted with a wisp of lotus flower”, taste mixers have been overwhelmingly positive.


Take a look at some of the Cocktails created with Lotus Energy Drink


Lotus Energy and Tequila

Lotus Energy and Grey Goose











To be a distributor or to see where Lotus Energy 
is sold, Go to:
http://www.lotusforever.com/

How to Submit Your Video to MTV and Others

Hey Y’all!

It’s Your Gyrl, Ms. Carmen aka Platinum Voice PR bringing another relevant topic to you!

 Have you ever wondered how to get your video on TV? Well, here's the information to get you started I hope this helps you! 

 

Video Submission Information
Yangaroo’s Digital Media Delivery System or DMDS is web-based and hardware free. It has been designed with flexibility in mind
for implementation into your existing production workflow.

DMDS Music™ delivers the highest quality new music and music videos to radio programmers, broadcasters, journalists, and other industry influencers anywhere in the world. It’s lightning fast, highly secure, economical & environmentally friendly too!

Fast, secure, economical, and environmentally friendly Web-based and hardware-free, DMDS is easy to use and integrates with existing production workflows. It’s a complete solution for digital delivery of files inter-departmentally and to managed and imported lists of recipients. Simply upload media; attach electronic press kits, artist publicity shots, biographies, and a compelling story; select recipients; and send. All it takes is a simple click of the mouse and DMDS delivers broadcast-quality digital media.

DMDS Music offers:

Comprehensive managed list of professional recipients in the broadcast and music industry
Online reporting so senders know who has accessed their music;
A comprehensive set of tools to present your productions in a professional manner and to maintain and monitor feedback and approvals between senders and recipients; And more.

What is DMDS Music Video?

DMDS Music Video™ delivers the highest quality music videos to television broadcasters, radio broadcasters, journalists, and other industry professionals around the globe.

DMDS Music Video offers:

The highest quality SD and HD videos complete with a DMDS Quality Assurance Review to verify file formatting and check video and audio levels, correct metadata submission, etc;
Reduce the time it takes to get a video to air by delivering to all key departments and providing effective online reviewing tools.
Instant reporting so senders know who has accessed their music;
A convenient private feedback and approvals tool to make it easy to send messages back and forth between the sender and the recipient; And more.

Why choose DMDS?

No more digibeta tapes and CDs; no more couriers:
Save time and money using an efficient and cost effective digital delivery system

Get setup and trained in under an hour:
It’s fast and easy to learn how to use DMDS when you take our system utilization and file formatting tutorial

Managed recipient lists:
Use DMDS managed lists or import your own to cut through red tape and deliver directly to the real decision makers at each media outlet

DMDS delivers the highest quality media:
Distribute highest quality standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) files to recipients

Solid international infrastructure moves gigantic files around the globe: Accelerate upload time of quality-assured music videos. As well, have downloads managed via DMDS’ App or have video files delivered to a location specified in your DMDS account.

World class security for releases:
Access DMDS anywhere anytime from an Internet-connected PC and secure delivery via biometrics and encryption (PC and MAC compatible)

State-of-the-art reporting capabilities:
See who’s accessing music videos

#1 Source for chart info:
Leverage chart integration with CMJ, Nielsen BDS and Mediaguide

Responsive technical support:
Get direct, instant answers from knowledgeable support reps when needed

Tools to manage your internal workflow requirements:
Distribute music videos simultaneously to multiple teams within your organization

 These are the networks that your videos could appear on! 

Video Networks

MTV Networks

All MTV/Vh1 outlets below are included when submitting video to MTV Networks.

MTV is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. MTV has had a profound impact on the music industry and popular culture around the globe.

MTV2 is a cable network that is widely available on digital cable and satellite television. The original purpose of the channel was to give music fans a place to see constant, commercial-free music videos. Today, MTV2 airs a selection of music videos, other music-related specials, and non-music shows focused on youth culture and pop culture. These shows are aimed at viewers in their teens and early 20s.

MTV Jams is available exclusively on digital cable and runs on an automated eight hour wheel schedule which repeats three times a day, starting at 6am Eastern, and then resetting at 2pm and 10pm. Promotional advertising, other interstitial programming and some events are also carried on the network, along with various theme programming to promote album releases or other happenings in the music world.

VH1 original purpose was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly older demographic than its sister channel, focusing on the lighter, softer side of popular music. While VH1 still occasionally plays music videos and the Top 20 Video Countdown, its more recent claim to fame has been in the area of music-related reality programming.

VH1Soul showcases R&B, funk, soul, and Motown music from past and present decades. Presently, a modest selection of R&B hits from the past ten years, as well as several 80's and early 90's hip-hop videos, can be seen on VH1 Soul. Several of the more R&B-influenced, more socially conscious modern-day rappers and their newest videos can also be regularly seen. However, shows focus on different types of music videos. The Channel today features a non-stop blend of all music videos new and old across all theme blocks.

MTVU is a 24-hour television channel that is available on more than 750 college and university campuses across the United States, as well as several digital cable packages. It gives advertisers and music promotion companies access to college-age viewers. The music played on the station is primarily indie rock, pop punk and hip-hop.

Tr3s is a cable, satellite and over-the-air network. It is rooted in the fusion of Latin America and American music, cultures, and languages, bringing the biggest names in pop, urban, and rock music. Tr3s includes lifestyle series, customized music video playlists, news documentaries that celebrate Latino culture, music and artists, and English-subtitled programming in Spanish imported from the MTV España and MTV Latin America channels. The channel is targeted toward bilingual Latinos and non-Latino Americans aged 12 to 34.

Launched in June 2005, the channel's programs are geared towards the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. The advertiser-supported channel struck carriage deals prior to its launch date with DirecTV, Charter Communications, Adelphia, Cablevision, Time Warner Cable of New York City, and RCN.

Music Choice programs dozens of audio music channels for digital and cable subscribers, and produces music-related content for on-demand customers with access to Music Choice On-Demand. Music Choice also offers video and audio music programming for cell phone customers through Sprint, Nextel and AT&T Wireless Services.

BET is currently viewed in more than 90 million homes worldwide and it is the most prominent television network targeting young Black-American audiences. It is the leading provider of African-American cultural and entertainment based programming. Most programming of the network comprises mainstream rap and R&B music videos and urban-oriented movies and series.

CMT is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs.

Great American Country (or GAC), is a Nashville, Tennessee-based country music cable television network.

Fuse is an American national television network dedicated exclusively to music. It features original series and specials, exclusive interviews, live concerts and video blocks. Fuse accommodates a wide range of musical tastes, while targeting a demographic between 18-34 year-olds. It offers music entertainment not only on-air but also on-line, on-demand, in high-definition and via mobile.

Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision.

Canadian Television Broadcast Networks

MTV Canada is a Canadian (English language) channel devoted to music, talk, lifestyle and documentary programming.

MuchMusic, now a sister channel of the Canadian MTV channel, was originally launched in 1984. It features a wide range of music-related programming focused on youth culture and pop culture. Also part of the MuchMusic network is MuchMore, a channel devoted to music, music-related programming and pop culture, with its music programming focusing more on adult contemporary music, classic rock, and lighter music than its sister station, MuchMusic. Its programming consists of music videos, films, concerts, reality TV and pop culture shows, including a number of titles licensed from the American channel VH1.

MusiquePlus is a Canadian (French language) channel devoted to music and music related programming from various genres including pop, rock, R&B and focuses on a younger demographic than its sister station, MusiMax. It is the French language equivalent to MuchMusic. Within Quebec, the channel has mandatory cable carriage rights.

CMT Canada is a Canadian (English language) channel which airs country music and family-orientated general entertainment programs in the form of music videos, award shows, concerts, sitcoms and more.

AUX is a Canadian (English language) channel and corresponding website owned and operated by Glassbox Television. Aux is programmed to offer music video and music-related programs profiling new and emerging artists in alternative, hip hop, indie rock, indie pop and other genres.

bpm:tv (beats per minute television) is a Canadian (English language) specialty channel owned by Stornoway Communications. bpm:tv's programming is devoted to dance, club lifestyle and dance music- electronica, house, techno, eurodance, trance.

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The Money Is In Music Publishing

Music publishing remains one of the most financially lucrative areas in the music business.” The Music Publishing Industry raked in $4.9 billion in revenue in 2011 according to the IBISworld Market Research Report.

For the most part Music publishing is governed by U.S. copyright law.

You actually own the copywrite of a song once you write it. But, it’s important that you register the song with the Library of Congress as proof.

Register your music the proper way with the U.S Copyright Office using either form PA or SR. Log on to www.Copyright.Gov

Music publishing is the business of turning songs into something that earns money. So if you want to earn money from your songs and tracks, you have no choice but to take on that role of the music publisher. Songwriting and producing is the act of creating the music. Publishing is the act of looking at that musical creation and thinking of the various revenue outlets for it.

As a Songwriter or producer, you have to try to figure out where your music fits and where you will be able to place your music to earn revenue. In some cases the songwriter and artist or performer of a song are not the same person. So, Understand that there are royalties paid to the Songwriter and Royalties paid to the artist. Publishing is concerned with the royalties paid to the SONGWRITER and not the artist or performer.

As a songwriter or producer, you can earn money by licensing your songs and music for various uses, and collecting the corresponding licensing income or royalties. If Rap Music Songwriters and producers understood the importance of publishing and copyright ownership, they would not be giving their music away for free so easily.

The song “Happy Birthday To You” which is owned by Warner Chapell Publishing generates about $5000 per day ($2 million per year) in publishing royalties. The company insists that one cannot sing the “Happy Birthday to You” lyrics for profit without paying royalties. This includes use in film, television, radio, anywhere open to the public, or even among a group where a substantial number of those in attendance are not family or friends of whoever is performing the song.

Singer/Songwriter The Dream stated that he earned about $15 Million in publishing royalties for writing the song “Umbrella” for Rihanna. Did You Know That Singer/Producer Bruce Hornsby owns 75% of Tupac’s Song “Changes” due to the sampling of Hornsby’s composition with in the song. Hornsby has made millions from the song.

It has been rumored that 50 cent was able to purchase his Connecticut mansion off of one publishing check from his song “In Da Club.” Your music catalogue is an ASSET and has revenue generating potential.

The most important thing a songwriter or producer can do, is to learn to be active in exploiting (placements,etc) their own music for profit via licensing and other means. The goal is to get your music in situations where you can start making money.

Thousands of song writers and producers are generating great income from music licensing and so can you. (Monetize Your Movement)

There has been a growth in media on a worldwide basis. There are literally hundreds of hundreds of additional TV stations now than there were 10 years ago. All of these stations have shows that need music. Satellite radio continues to grow, and you hear more and more songs in advertising, video games, and ring tones.

Music Publishing is where the money is in the music business.

The most significant revenue for a songwriter comes from issuing Mechanical, Performing Rights, Synchronization, Print (Sheet Music) and Foreign Licenses.

Songs generate money for the writer when it appears on an album, gets played on the radio, used in a TV show or movie, or sold as sheet music. There are two halves in every publishing dollar. One of the halves is the “Writer’s Share,” and the other half is the “Publisher’s Share’.”

And you the songwriter own the publisher’s half as well, unless you sign a publishing or co-publishing deal with another company. Songwriters some times sign with a music publisher who will pitch the songs to record companies, TV shows, movies, commercials etc. on their behalf.

MECHANICAL ROYALTIES

Mechanical licensing is the licensing of copyrighted musical compositions for use on CDs, records, tapes and certain digital formats. The Harry Fox Agency was established as an agency to license, collect, and distribute royalties on behalf of musical copyright owners.

A song writer is entitled to receive a compulsory mechanical license fee when ever his/her song is used in a mechanized fashion. (Meaning when ever it is manufactured and sold by a record label.)

Record labels actually license songs from songwriters in order to sell them and make a profit for themselves. In return they have to pay the songwriter a mechanical royalty for each song sold.

Mechanical Royalties are generated from album sales and digital download sales.

Mechanical royalties are paid by the major record or indie company to the songwriter or publisher of the song through the Harry Fox Agency.

The Mechanical royalty rate (Also Known as the “Statutory Mechanical rate”) is set by congress and is currently set at $.091 (9.1 cents) per unit sold. Hence, technically and hypothetically, If you had one song that was written and published solely by you on a million selling album, you would earn $91,000 in mechanical royalties.

If you’re signed to a record label and the label releases and sells a song that you are both the writer of and the artist performing on it, then you will receive both a mechanical royalty and an artist royalty from the record label.

PERFORMANCE ROYALTIES

Another lucrative part of music publishing involves Performance (Broadcast) Royalties.

Performance (Broadcast) royalties are paid when a song is played on the radio, used by businesses for background music, used by clubs, etc. A popular song can earn thousands and sometimes millions of dollars for the songwriter through the collection of performance royalties.

Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” was a mega hit. But. the person who truly made money off of it was songwriter Dolly Parton. Publishers and songwriters register with performing rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI & SESAC to collect Performance fees on their behalf.

Performance royalties are collected from radio and TV broadcasters, etc. by the Performing rights organizations ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. The Performance Rights Organizations negotiate blanket licenses with all those who use music for profit on radio, TV, commercials, in clubs, etc

Performance Rights Organizations monitor radio and television broadcasts and pay publishers and songwriters based on projected uses of a song. Performance royalties pertain to the money songwriters earn from radio airplay, television, jukeboxes, music services and live performances.

SYNCHRONIZATION LICENSES

Synchronization Licenses are licenses issued to have Music used in film, television, commercials, music videos, etc.

A songwriter earns money from songs placed in TV or Film from the Synch licensing fee paid up front.

Thus Synchronization license fees and royalties are generated by songwriters by licensing their songs to be used in TV, Films, commercials.

Synch typically means licensing the right to record the music or songs in synch with the pictures of film or TV movies, ,etc. The songwriter and publisher are paid a negotiated fee to use the song in the movie..

The Synch license fee is determined by the overall music budget a music supervisor has to work with and the negotiating power of the artist.

A prime-time network TV show might pay a license of $1000 – $8000 for an unknown artist or songwriter. Major studio pictures pay well-known artists in the tens of thousands of dollars for use of their songs in a movie. Songwriters with songs on a particular TV Show generate new royalties every time the TV show is re-run or goes into syndication.

Please Note that a sync license gives the license holder the right to only RE-RECORD a song for use in a media project. A master license gives the license holder the right to use a pre-existing recording of that song in a media project.

It’s important to understand the difference between a synch license and a master license if you’re trying to get your songs in film or TV. A master license is obtained from the person who owns the recording (in other words, owns the master). Often times master licenses are obtained from the record labels.

FOREIGN MUSIC LICENSING

Songwriters can also enter into a foreign music licensing agreement with a foreign record company and earn revenue. With a foreign music licensing agreement you authorize a foreign record company to duplicate and sell copies of existing masters.

A song writer can earn foreign royalties as a result of entering into a foreign licensing agreement with an overseas record company.

VIDEO GAME LICENSING & PLACEMENT

Equally important, Songwriters and producers can generate revenue by licensing their music to be placed in video games. When submitting your music to video game developers directly, remember that certain games require certain types of music to compliment the action on screen.

Try to find out exactly what mood the developer is looking for, and what games they are working on, before submitting your music. The role of your music is to enhance the gamer’s experience while they interact with the art on screen; it’s not supposed to take center stage.

The more your intention lay in assisting the overall artistic vision of the project, and not so much on just landing a placement, the more likely the video game music supervisors will want to work with you.

If you are interested in getting your music in video games, then it’s wise to attend video game developer conventions and network with the developers; find out who are the music directors.

So as you can see, songwriters can generate huge amounts of revenue.

Additionally, please note that songwriters can generate revenue from having their songs converted into Sheet Music as well. To sum up, songwriters can license their music and earn Mechanical Royalties (album sales & digital downloads), Performance Royalties (radio play) and Sync Royalties (licensing to TV, Films, commercials) Reach out to the music supervisors of MTV, BET and VH1 and send them songs or beats for their various programs.Reach out to the music supervisors of ESPN or other sports networks and send them songs or tracks for their programs. Try to get your music placed in video games.

It’s imperative for artists, producers and song writers to attend different conferences, seminars and workshops to build their network.

In this digital age it’s imperative that artists and producers join Sound Exchange (www.SoundExchange.com ) More importantly, the home boy way of doing things will not suffice in today’s music industry. Always utilize split sheets when collaborating on a song. A split sheet reveals the split of the ownership in a particular song.

A songwriter usually owns 100% of the underlying composition (e.g., the lyrics and/or musical arrangement), unless he/she co-wrote the song with another individual and/or gave a portion of the ownership away through an agreement with a third party.

In conclusion, The music business is changing but the constant will be PUBLISHING. Even if CD’s go completely away, there will still be mechanical, Synchronization and performance royalties.

The goal is to construct an infrastructure, a team and strategy to build a long lasting music career. The mission is to become a professional or “working musician, artist or songwriter.”

Written By Jesse Atkinson,