Day 2 of the Billboard Film and TV Music Conference

Two interesting points from Day 2 of the The Hollywood Reporter/Billboard Film and TV Music Conference in Los Angeles.

There are more places for indie artists to license their music and get their music out. "Last Call" does look for emerging bands that it can grow with. "It's real A&R when there is no A&R," Daly said. Daly and music booker Davis Powers listen to new artists, scan YouTube and have partnered with L.A. venues like the Hotel Cafe to find new acts. "Yo Gabba Gabba" accepts song submissions and uses some, even though they create most of their own music.

-- More music supervisors are using production music because the rights are all cleared. Production music quality has also improved. Production music companies buy music from indie artists through different types of deals. Getty Images director of music product Larry Mills said, "Once you're in, you're in" and you can write more music for them. Universal Music Production Worldwide president Gary Gross said they sign mostly work-for-hire deals, so they own the rights for the songs. Occasionally production music deal can lead to label deal as it did for Gnarls Barkely on the hit "Crazy."

And They Say People Don't Get Caught

Jury: Jammie Thomas-Rasset Owes $1.5 Million
November 04, 2010 - Legal and Management

Associated Press

A federal jury has decided that Jammie Thomas-Rasset owes $1.5 million for sharing 24 songs over the Internet.

Jurors determined Wednesday (Nov. 3) that Jammie Thomas-Rasset from Minnesota owes $62,500 per song.

Last year, a federal jury found Thomas-Rasset willfully violated the copyrights on 24 songs. She was ordered to pay $1.92 million in damages, or $80,000 per song.

But Chief U.S. District Judge Michael Davis reduced the verdict to about $54,000 in damages, calling the jury's penalty "monstrous and shocking." The Recording Industry Association of America rejected the reduced penalty, setting up the new trial to determine damages.

The RIAA says in a statement it hopes Thomas-Rasset "finally accepts responsibility for her actions."

A message left for Thomas-Rasset's attorney was not immediately returned.

Tate Music Group Launches Internet Radio Station

OKLAHOMA CITY – In the two short years since its inception, Tate Music Group has made huge strides in an industry whose future is more and more questionable each day. Taking their next step into future of music, TMG launched their very own internet radio station, TMGRadio, late last week.

Based on Tate’s high number of artists in the Christian music demographic, the station’s content is predominantly a mixture of Christian rock, contemporary, worship, and urban gospel. “We play both the top TMG artists and the best of what is currently on the charts now, from Need to Breathe to Skillet to Lacrae,” Director of Radio Promotions & Development at Tate, Allen Finch, says.

The station will include several daily programs, much like its terrestrial counterparts. According to Finch, several shows and specials are still in the works, but here’s a taste of what listeners can expect from TMGRadio:

“[During] The Morning Drive, we play only the top artists from Christian rock, AC, and CHR charts from 8-9am. At lunch we have The Retro Lunchbox, where we focus on the best Christian music from the 80’s and 90’s. And every Sunday morning we will play great worship music all morning long,” Finch says.

But the sweetheart of the operation is an unorthodox special designed for a little nostalgic inspiration. It’s called The Carman Cure.

“Yes, that is correct. We have a segment dedicated to the king of all Christian music, Carman,” Finch reports. “Every day at 2:30, we play a favorite Carman song to help get listeners over that afternoon hump.”

Whether or not they catch The Carman Cure, listeners can tune into TMGRadio at http://www.tatemusicgroup.com/radio.php. An iPhone app for the station is also being created for listeners on the go.

Record Deals Are Never Free

The biggest misconception in the music industry is that music deals are full of up front money and equal profit sharing. Again this is a huge misconception! Even though the traditional music labels are dieing daily I recently read an article in Billboard about Marilyn Manson signing a deal with an indie label overseas.

I would have to say that at best less than 1% of musicians are in a category to receive an advance. What also has to be understood is that is an "advance" the record label will hold back any profit to the artist until that advance is recouped. Also remember that it's just not the advance that has to be recouped before the artist starts making money. Any money spent on marketing, distribution, promotion etc... is part of that equation as well.

In reference to Manson's new deal "The structure is a 50-50 profit share after the label recoups its costs, which include an advance paid out to Manson and a major marketing commitment."

Everyone here at Tate Music Group and Variance Magazine continue to stand by our contract as an industry best. Our contract benefits an artist who is not in the public eye from the start to someone like Kenny Rogers, Katy Perry Toby Mac etc... TMG pays 50% on all digital sales and the artists has the ability to make 70 - 80% on physical CD sales.

TMG Radio on Live365.com

In a continuous effort to promote Tate Music Group artist on the radio TMG has officially launched TMG Radio. This is an internet station where the TMG Radio promotion department controls the content.

The content of the station is predominantly a mixture of Christian rock, contemporary, worship, and even urban. We play both the top TMG artists and the best of what is currently on the charts now (from Need to Breathe to Skillet to Lacrae).

TMG Radio has some special programing as well:

The Morning Drive – we play only the top artists from Christian rock, AC, and CHR charts. 8-9am

The Retro Lunchbox – we focus on the best Christian music from the 80’s and 90’s.

The Carman Cure – yes…that is correct. We have a segment dedicated to the king of all Christian music…and possibly the reason TMG can be TMG…Carman. Every day at 2:30, we play a favorite Carman song…to help get you over that afternoon hump.

Breakthrough Sundays – every Sunday morning we play great worship music all morning long.

Variance Magazine Passes 200,000 Hits

The revolutionary music magazine passes 200,000 hits with their second issue. Variance Magazine is a magazine for the people by the people.

Industries boast that they are concerned with what their consumers want to hear about but Variance is the only one that actually puts truth behind that statement. The magazine accepts article submissions and publishes those articles in upcoming issues. More than half of Variances articles are written by people not employed by Variance.

Their tag line says it best when referring to article submissions "if you got em we want em".

Becoming Successful in the Music Industry (Clip)

Sam Feldman is the CEO of S. L. Feldman & Associates, Canada's largest full service talent agency. The company books dates for artists such as Robbie Williams, Dido, Coldplay, Sarah McLachlan and Bryan Adams, as well as managing the careers of artists and producers like Anne Murray, Martina McBride and Bob Rock. Feldman himself helps manage the careers of Norah Jones, Diana Krall, and Elvis Costello. Check out his video clip on Becoming Successful in the Music Industry. For other great music blogs check out Music Man's Blog.