Analysis of All You Need to Know about the Music Business by Passman Donald - Book Report/Review Example

Book Review Questions Introduction Practically, it is hard to imagine existence of music industry without live concert performances. Since time immemorial, live performances dominate the music industry in almost all cultures and across all musical genres. Nowadays, Wall Street Journal keeps tracking the financial health of music through live performances. Results from such tracking indicate concerts not only increase record sales for artists but also boost other related aspects popularity of an artist’s lifestyle orientation, especially clothing line and jewelry fashion. Bonnie Raitt, one of the most renowned production managers of contemporary music industry, once states that “real musicians and real fans stay together for a long, long time” (Passman 243). This means that fans prefers sticking closer to an artists, not only through purchase of records but also by attending live performances. Question 1: Staging a Concert Despite the importance of concerts in music production, it is worth acknowledging the fact that organizing and staging a live performance in today’s settings requires substantial efforts. This first part of the essay involves appraising the essential aspects required while coordinating a live performance concert. As a new event coordinator for Buskirk-Chumley Theatre, I am responsible for lifting the theatre’s reputation by organizing and staging a concert that will attract audiences beyond Bloomington. In order to organize a successful concert, I will follow all the appropriate steps emphasized in theoretical processes of event coordination. These steps include sourcing capital, meeting legal requirements, hiring a professional promoter, hiring an agent, entering into relevant contacts, marketing and ticketing (Passman 55). Prior to inception of any event coordination exercise, cash requirements features as the first essential step in staging a live performance. Artists, legal advisors, promoters and agents all need cash to cover their expenses while performing their distinct duties of organizing for a concert. Therefore, I will start by quantifying the cost of staging the live event based on information from the industry. Secondly, I will ensure that Buskirk-Chumley Theatre meets all legal requirements of Bloomington. Such requirements may include acquisition of licenses for live concerts and getting updated business registration certificates (Passman 246). The next step involves selecting and booking an artist for the concert. Questions I will ask myself before selecting an artist include, who do Buskirk-Chumley Theatre’s customers’ want to hear? Which artist enjoys popularity at that moment of the concert? After making an informed selection of one artist, I will either personally book for the performer or delegate the task to a promoter or an agent. Promoters and agents are both helpful in ensuring success of a live performance. In most cases, promoters are thoroughly conversant with the customers’ preferences. Therefore, promoters have a high chance of selecting a suitable artist for the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre. Choice of a professional promoter depends of numerous factors like service fees, popularity of a promoter and previous competency in facilitating live performance. The next step involves outsourcing relevant tasks to an agent. Unlike promoters who link fans with an artist during a live concert, agents are responsible for linking an artist with the promoter (Passman 246). Without the services of an agent, it may be hard to acquire attention of an artist. Therefore, a good agent will play a significant role in sealing essential deals between the promoters and the selected artist for Buskirk-Chumley Theatre concert, especially those deals pertaining to contract. Subsequently, I will coordinate marketing activities for the concert through advertisement in social media and popular radio channels. Successful marketing for the event will be succeeded ticketing, which involves delivering concert tickets to potential fans for the live performance. Tickets will be availed in areas outside Bloomington in order to attract many audiences. Question 2: Stages of Artist Career Based on the chapter “Putting it all together”, it is undeniable that every artist must go some stages of career development prior to gaining substantial popularity and recognition. At any point of music career development, a performer could be an emerging artist, a mid-career artist or an established artist. Before becoming either a mid-career or an established performer, an artist must go through the following stages; exploration, validation, refinement, supercharging, maximization and renewal. Exploration entails appraising one’s creativity in art. An artist explores by welcoming objective opinions and reviews from his or her first music recordings (Passman 93). Validation manifest in two forms, EP’s and live shows. This stage is instrumental in checking as to whether one’s music connects with target audience as intended. After successful validation, an artist undergoes refinement. This stage involves committing resources in perf3cting music skills and popularity. It may involve taking music related courses and hiring managers and agents for purposes of market growth. Supercharging entails accelerating one’s musical career or metaphorically stepping on the gas along the career journey. This stage involves increasing one’s availability in the industry by attending new concerts and promoting record sales through advertisements. The supercharging stage also involves strengthening an artist’s team of managers, agents and legal advisors. The fifth stage of maximization stage manifest in for of production of additional albums in the market, engaging in product endorsement deals and striving to get the first hit in popular album or tune charts (Passman 89). Finally, an artist may reach the peak of his career and stagnate. At this point, he or she must renew musical skills by engaging in collaborations or diversifying into emerging musical genres. Members of an Artist’s Team In real contexts, an artist cannot succeed alone. Typical members of an artist’s team plays a crucial role in enhancing success rates of record sales and live performances. These members include a manager, an agent, technical assistants and a legal advisory person. Technical assistants, which include guitar tech and logistical organizer helps in enhancing technical output of tunes during studio production or live performances. A manager helps in organizing for tours in terms of logistical requirements and optimization of financial costs. Managers also link an artist with professional producers in the industry. An agent acts as an advocate between promoters and the artist. Without an agent, artists may not be able to enter into agreements with promoters. Finally, a legal advisor provides all the legal services required during production and distribution of records. Such services include licensing, supervision of agreements and provision of knowledge on copyright issues (Passman 256). Question 3: Publisher-Songwriter Agreement The agreement between me as a publisher and Jimmy Bloom as a songwriter for a single-song publishing will revolve around commercial aspects of proceeds and licensing. Currently, the purpose of music publishing involves harmonizing agreements between the publisher and the songwriter in terms of marketing and administration of sales. Publishing and eventual recording the song “Bloomington is fabulous” will possibly lead to generation of income from multiple streams. Typical streams of income for the song may include downloads, broadcast performances and synchronization of the song in films and computer games (Passman 77). Each income stream should have a license, depending on the relationship between proceeds from each source and the role played by either the publisher or the artist in contributing for the income streams. In terms of legal authorization, the publisher will have to acquire promotion license for advertisement of the song through popular channels. This license will cover for synchronization of the song in promotional channels like computer games and movies. Income distribution from this stream will be on 50-50 basis between the writer and the publisher. On the other hand, income streams from downloads will be protected by creative rights license where Jimmy Bloom will be acknowledged for his originality in lyrical composition. Finally, broadcast stream of income will require the assignment license where the writer assigns a publisher the rights to distribute and sell records through broadcast channels (Passman 67). Payments from the two income streams, which are downloads and broadcast, will be on a 50/50 basis. There will be equal split of proceeds between the writer, which in this case is Jimmy Bloom, and the publisher. Question 4: Aspects of Music Retail in America With respect to history of retail music in America, the transcontinental railroad features as the first landmark for the retail culture. During the early 19th Century, there was increase in popularity of music and musical instruments. These musical instruments were commonly used by railroad users. In fact manufacturers of musical instruments like pianos were struggling to meet the rising demand. This led to establishment of retailers who delivered finished products through parcel posts and mail orders. This period marked inception of retail music in America. During the early 20th Century, introduction of radio technology impacted substantially on the sale of musical instruments and band performances. This hitch was further worsened by the depression after the Second World War. Immediately after the Second World War, music industry exploded again with the rise of popular music and bands like The Beatles and the iconic Elvis Presley (Passman 24). Among the music retail landmarks during this period include the Sam Ash in California, the Brook Mays in Texas and several music and art centers across America. With rise of music retail stores in America, independent entrepreneurs also started distributing records to consumers. This led to development of chain stores and independent merchants as the leading distributors of records in the US. In music retailing, both independent stores and chain stores have both advantages and disadvantages. Among the pros of chain stores includes a high competitive advantage, large capital base and ease in expansion (Passman 26). On the other hand, independent stores have their own advantages which include advanced niche marketing, high profitability to cost ratio and maintenance of good relationship with customers. Disadvantages of independent retail stores include lack of market diversification in terms of expansion and limited capital for new business projects. On the contrary, chain retail stores are disadvantaged in terms of product specialty. Chain stores deals with a wide range of products, thus missing out on the benefits of niche retailing. Comparison of the pros and cons explains why independent stores investment in publicity and application of direct marketing techniques in selling their musical products. In conclusion, it is undeniable that music production, publishing and artistic career development involves articulation of numerous essential elements, all of which are necessary in order to ensure success of events or musical career as a profession. Work Cited Passman, Donald. Chapter 12: Concert Production. Harrisburg: Rosetta Books, 2011. Print. Passman, Donald. Chapter 4: Music Publishing. Harrisburg: Rosetta Books, 2011. Print. Passman, Donald. All you need to know about the Music Business. Harrisburg: Rosetta Books, 2011. Print. Read More