Page 86 - ION Indie Magazine MayJune 2019
P. 86
Along with your business plan, set your company It befuddles me when I receive a submission for
up as an LLC to protect yourself and have all the the magazine that is not professionally recorded.
required documents/contracts in place and an If you can hear the water heater turn on or your
invoice system for various payment purposes. A ma yelling for you to turn it down, it simply won’t
“band contract” is one of the first orders of cut it! Put your best “musical foot” forward!
business. Professional musicians with their head
in the game, besides being accomplished on Make sure your music is tagged and your
their instruments, should have each band producer has embedded the ISRC codes
member sign a contract that outlines all properly. Also, when sending your music to radio
expectations, including a clear conduct code. stations/media make sure it is cohesively labeled
Whom you choose for your band can make you with name and song title. DO NOT SEND OUT
or break you. You are only as strong as your MUSIC FILES LABELED WITH A TRACK NUMBER!
weakest link. “Track 5” tells the recipient nothing about the
title of the song or the artist and it will surely be
Other forms of contracts are those you enter into rejected.
with venue owners, talent buyers, and various
other events organizers for performances. If you It is essential to have your music copyrighted.
have a Booking Agent, they will oversee this Information on copyrighting music is available
aspect for you – along with advancing the show online. As most music is purchased and shared
(confirming the details of your gig), which is via downloading and streaming, be sure that
another important process. Have a set of your music is distributed across all the
systems/processes in place that you follow when digital/streaming platforms. Do have CDs
you are hired for a performance. If you don’t have available for your fanbase. These can be sold on
a Booking Agent, this will include a form for your website or at your shows as merch – which
advancing the show, which will save you a lot of is why God invented silver Sharpies.
heartache. If you don’t know what “advancing the Physical distribution of your music is another
show” is, look it up! animal entirely and can mean a hefty
investment…especially if you want your CD
There are also those contracts you will have to available in the “Big Box” stores. Without proper
review, including record deals, distribution deals, marketing and promotion, it will sit there and
synchronizations, endorsement deals, etc. These eventually end up in the 99-cent bin. Again,
ALL involve contracts! l highly advise that you there is information online regarding Physical
procure an entertainment attorney to oversee Distribution and a plethora of entities that will
legal matters for you. He/she will oversee all perform this function for you. There are also
contractual matters in order to protect you, your numerous companies that produce CDs who are
music, and your career. easily found via a search.
HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOGRAPHY
When it comes to photography, don’t be stingy. I will mention another source of revenue for your
Promotional photography should be high- music, and that is placements (television, movies,
resolution and be done by a professional. You advertising). There are various people and
will need both in-studio shots and live concert businesses who specialize in this field and will
photography. These will be utilized for a variety advise you on the various versions you should
of purposes, including posters and to fulfill produce of your music to position it for
media requests. Hire a pro! And expect to update placements.
your photography at least twice a year.
VIDEOS
MUSIC/PRODUCER It is essential that you have quality videos in your
Seek out a recording studio/producer that arsenal. These include a commercial video and a
understands your vision and will produce a live performance video. There is also another
quality product. This is a critical step. And be form of video; a lyric video, that is a popular and
sure you can reproduce your sound live, without effective means of promoting a new single (and
the tricks of the studio. not as expensive as a full-production video).
