Essential reading for the budding rock God
When not catching up on listening material over the holiday season, I was finishing off reading an electronic work by Will Beattie.
Beattie’s ‘The Rock & Roll Times: Music Industry Bible’ was first published in 2007 but is now available electronically and can be purchased and downloaded from stores like Amazon.
It can then be viewed on Kindle readers or via your computer with software like Adobe Digital reader.
And the updated reissue on electronic format makes perfect sense…
As the author points out the presentation and distribution of music, along with the music business itself, has changed dramatically in recent years.
And that is courtesy of the wonderful World Wide Web. Or the big bad Internet.
Which of those phrases you favour usually depends on whether you are getting your music to the global masses instantly and legally, or suffering at the hands of music pirates and illegal downloads.
Beattie’s book advises on how best to make the digital age and electronic technology work for the hopeful musician but the second part of its title best describes the core of the book and what is found within.
This truly is a Music Industry Bible, aimed fairly and squarely at new bands and budding artists while also giving solid and important pointers for those who may be interested in pursuing other musical avenues like management or artist promotion.
The book is clearly mapped out in a chapter-by-chapter basis, with each of the two-dozen plus chapters concentrating on a specific and important part of the business.
From publishers, managers and music agents to the band itself and on to the recording studio, gigging and pressing those CD’s and making that video.
But it’s not just a Music Industry 101 guide on what to do.
Beattie also makes sure he informs the reader or would-be rock god of what not to do.
From basics to helpful advice to warning of more complicated matters that can be musical minefields, this book is the definitive guide for the amateur, naive or just-starting-out musician.
And I’m willing to bet that even veteran musicians will find some use for this book, because even seasoned professionals can be caught out with musical legalities, contracts and the thorny issue of royalties.
The latter is a genuinely confusing and distressing issue for many an artist and I know a number of musicians who have lost out on royalty agreements and publishing rights because they assumed they were automatic.
They expected the lion’s share and ended up with next-to-nothing.
Another excellent part of the book is the addition of commentary and interview from people in the business including managers and A&R personnel.
It’s astonishing how many in the music business don’t know what A&R (Artist & Repertoire) people actually do, yet they can be a new band’s best friend as they endeavour to find, sign and develop new talent with genuine potential.
As regards management, any book on the music industry that has a featured interview with and advisory from Rod Smallwood is clearly pointing you in the right direction.
Smallwood is the manager of Iron Maiden (and has been since their formative years) and in case you hadn’t noticed Maiden has done all right, thank you metal much. And that’s not down to musical product alone.
But then with the most successful bands, it hardly ever is.
Many may feel that the road to success is getting on American Idol, X-Factor or similar make-me-a-star shows. But the fact of the matter is for all the millions who watch and the countless thousands who try, it’s an incredibly small percentage that will make the grade. Or continue to make the grade once they are on their own.
For the rest, who understand there is no substitute for hard work, dedication to craft, rehearsal and making an impact with original material, you also need to accept no substitute in advisory terms.
But you don’t want Simon Cowell, you want The Rock & Roll Times: Music Industry Bible.
Ross Muir
January 2012
Beattie’s ‘The Rock & Roll Times: Music Industry Bible’ was first published in 2007 but is now available electronically and can be purchased and downloaded from stores like Amazon.
It can then be viewed on Kindle readers or via your computer with software like Adobe Digital reader.
And the updated reissue on electronic format makes perfect sense…
As the author points out the presentation and distribution of music, along with the music business itself, has changed dramatically in recent years.
And that is courtesy of the wonderful World Wide Web. Or the big bad Internet.
Which of those phrases you favour usually depends on whether you are getting your music to the global masses instantly and legally, or suffering at the hands of music pirates and illegal downloads.
Beattie’s book advises on how best to make the digital age and electronic technology work for the hopeful musician but the second part of its title best describes the core of the book and what is found within.
This truly is a Music Industry Bible, aimed fairly and squarely at new bands and budding artists while also giving solid and important pointers for those who may be interested in pursuing other musical avenues like management or artist promotion.
The book is clearly mapped out in a chapter-by-chapter basis, with each of the two-dozen plus chapters concentrating on a specific and important part of the business.
From publishers, managers and music agents to the band itself and on to the recording studio, gigging and pressing those CD’s and making that video.
But it’s not just a Music Industry 101 guide on what to do.
Beattie also makes sure he informs the reader or would-be rock god of what not to do.
From basics to helpful advice to warning of more complicated matters that can be musical minefields, this book is the definitive guide for the amateur, naive or just-starting-out musician.
And I’m willing to bet that even veteran musicians will find some use for this book, because even seasoned professionals can be caught out with musical legalities, contracts and the thorny issue of royalties.
The latter is a genuinely confusing and distressing issue for many an artist and I know a number of musicians who have lost out on royalty agreements and publishing rights because they assumed they were automatic.
They expected the lion’s share and ended up with next-to-nothing.
Another excellent part of the book is the addition of commentary and interview from people in the business including managers and A&R personnel.
It’s astonishing how many in the music business don’t know what A&R (Artist & Repertoire) people actually do, yet they can be a new band’s best friend as they endeavour to find, sign and develop new talent with genuine potential.
As regards management, any book on the music industry that has a featured interview with and advisory from Rod Smallwood is clearly pointing you in the right direction.
Smallwood is the manager of Iron Maiden (and has been since their formative years) and in case you hadn’t noticed Maiden has done all right, thank you metal much. And that’s not down to musical product alone.
But then with the most successful bands, it hardly ever is.
Many may feel that the road to success is getting on American Idol, X-Factor or similar make-me-a-star shows. But the fact of the matter is for all the millions who watch and the countless thousands who try, it’s an incredibly small percentage that will make the grade. Or continue to make the grade once they are on their own.
For the rest, who understand there is no substitute for hard work, dedication to craft, rehearsal and making an impact with original material, you also need to accept no substitute in advisory terms.
But you don’t want Simon Cowell, you want The Rock & Roll Times: Music Industry Bible.
Ross Muir
January 2012
