industry
The music world is characterized by a blend of constants and continuous change; Beat examines the inside of the industry from recording studios to record labels, live performances, music streaming technology and beyond.
The Grammys Doesn't Give a F@!ck About Black Artists
The Grammys has long stood as the pinnacle achievement for music artist in America. Some of the world's greatest artist have graced the stage of the Grammys. So, it's no wonder that it is the biggest night in music history, that is, until it began to snub those artists who are more deserving in favor of those who are usually white and male. Shocker! In my opinion, the Grammys has a long standing history for awarding artists who represent pop culture rather than those who have created a high quality body of work that transcends the mainstream platforms.
By Lovetta Bradley8 years ago in Beat
Top 5 Tips for New Music Producers
Just as a preface to the article, I'd like to say this may not be applicable to every type of music producer. I'll be offering tips based on what I have learned personally and hope they will help as many people as possible. This also only serves as some tips I personally know, not a complete or exhaustive cheat sheet. This guide also assumes you already own a DAW.
By Matthew Harrison8 years ago in Beat
The World's Highest-Paid Women in Music
There are so many female singers out there in the world who we can't stop listening to. From Ariana Grande to Halsey, Lana Del Ray, and Lorde, each and every one of them create unique songs and melodies that fit their personality and style. Whether they're heavily involved in pop or rap, you'll find amazing female music artists in any music genre. And once they drop the album that you've been waiting for months, it's time to book seats at their concert—and meet and greets if you're a diehard fan.
By Jennifer Violet8 years ago in Beat
New Year, New Music - Pt. II
2017 was a great year for music. When you thought the mumble rappers were going to take over, in comes the lyricists. When you thought the industry forgot all about R&B, in comes a slew of R&B releases from both oldies and newbies. Streaming sales took over the game, podcast-galore, and well, the memes were downright legendary. Let’s not forget when the rest of the world seemed to catch up with us when it was announced that Hip Hop became the dominant genre of the country. Uh, duh.
By Sadé Sanchez8 years ago in Beat
New Year, New Music - Pt. I
2017 was a great year for music. When you thought the mumble rappers were going to take over, in comes the lyricists. When you thought the industry forgot all about R&B, in comes a slew of R&B releases from both oldies and newbies. Streaming sales took over the game, podcast-galore, and well, the memes were downright legendary. Let’s not forget when the rest of the world seemed to catch up with us when it was announced that Hip Hop became the dominant genre of the country. Uh, duh.
By Sadé Sanchez8 years ago in Beat
Taking Back Control of Your Royalties
There was a time not too long ago when Musicians and songwriters were able to make a decent living from their craft. If you had a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) working on your behalf, you were in a good place. Agencies like BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC collected royalties on behalf of the artists and songwriters. Radio and TV stations logged what was played and who wrote it all and then PROs sent out quarterly payments. Often these could add up to quite a bit.
By Tim Ellerbe II8 years ago in Beat
The Art of Networking
Hello my fellow artists. Today we are going to be discussing the importance of networking. The term simply means in this case, making connections with other artists or industry professionals. One of the reasons artists want to do this is to expand their professional reach and find individuals who can elevate you. Why is elevation important? Because you want to be able to go higher and higher with your career and do more along the way. You want to be able to set high goals and achieve them. These goals are made easier if you branch out and meet people who can help you.
By Tim Ellerbe II8 years ago in Beat
Music Manager 101
Having a manager can be a wonderful thing or a huge headache. Let us first look at the latter. An artist needs to have a good working relationship with their manager. There has to be a great deal of trust because this person is taking partial responsibility of your career. It is advisable to take your time choosing a good manager. You may first want to inquire of other musicians and bands you know. See who represents them and follow up on meeting with a few of the managers you discover. Determine your interview questions and treat this just like what it is; a job interview where you are the employer. You do not want to hire someone who does shoddy work. Take your time with this. A bad manager can take advantage of you, steal from you etc. So do your homework. That cannot be stressed enough.
By Tim Ellerbe II8 years ago in Beat
Promoter vs. Artist
Promoter vs. Artist. It's a constant issue in many local music scenes and communities, especially those rooted in DIY (do it yourself) themes. Over the last few years, I'm seeing more and more social media feuds over the idea of pay to play, bands selling tickets to their shows, and promoters not "doing their jobs." This is a double-edged sword I will happily break down for you.
By Miakoda Nita8 years ago in Beat
Get the Most out of Your Endorsement Relationships
Assuming everyone reading this is either a musician, works with musicians or has at least met a musician in their lifetime, there will come a certain point in your musical journey where your mind will shift towards the realm of endorsements. Those endorsements may come in the form of providing musical instruments, merchandise, food/beverages or even contraception (although with such a long standing history of musicians being model parents, who would really require that?). When that point comes and preparation meets opportunity, there is something to be remembered…endorsing an artist is a relationship and you have to feel it. Most companies will not sign an artist just to sign an artist. Companies sign an artist because they are 100% behind them. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen, like any relationship, but it may work for another company. So it’s not really about a mistake, it’s about it not really clicking. What can you keep in mind as an artist to put yourself in the best possible situation to ensure success with your endorsement? Well, it’s fairly simple…
By Christine Collins8 years ago in Beat
