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One of the most prevalent myths you’ll ever hear about working in the recording industry, is that your likelihood of carving out a career in entertainment rests solely on who you know. In fact, this kind of talk permeates all facets of job hunting and sales to the point where, God-forbid, one might think it completely impossible to accomplish just about anything in life without some sort of inside connection.

Well, while an inside track to a gig as a recording engineer, or record promotion person might be a beautiful thing, and save you a ton of work, it is without a doubt NOT the only way to start or continue your job in the music business.

Let’s say, for example that you would like to work in a studio as a recording engineer. If your uncle’s best friend’s cousin owned a studio, then you’d be in like Flynn, right? But what if you didn’t know anyone? How would you get started sweeping up the floors of a recording studio and miking drums without knowing someone? How would you even find a studio to start your search?

Well, here is what I would do, and if you follow these few simple steps, you’re bound to have some results.

First, hop online and do some searching for where there are recording studios in your town, or nearby where you live. If you feel you’re stuck in a town with absolutely no music scene and there isn’t a studio around, then you might want to read my initial Music Myth Busting Post: “My town is too small to get a job in music.” In there you’ll see how I break apart this myth once and for all by highlighting a ton of opportunities in what is statistically the smallest town in America. It might open your eyes a bit as to what sort of career opportunities in the music industry exist in even the tiniest of towns anywhere in the world.

So, back to our dream job of working in a recording studio. . .the next ProTools master!! Okay, so your dream is probably to either run a studio someday or work with artists in the studio as a producer or some sort of tech. My guess then is that you’re already somewhat familiar with what that job entails, but if you’re not, or if you would like to learn a bit more before you start to dedicate your valuable job/internship time searching for something that you might not enjoy, you might want to pick up a copy of what are probably the two best books on what it’s like to be a record producer and work in a studio day in and day out. The two books I would recommend are: Confessions of a Record Producer, by Moses Avalon, and Producing Hit Records: Secrets from the Studio, by David Farinella. They’re both brilliant insider books on a recording career.

Once you’re sure you’re set for a career as a recording engineer, or record producer follow these steps, and watch the magic start. Heck, it’s what I’d do, at least, and you’re results are only guaranteed by the time you put into it. When I was first starting and looking for my first college internship at a record label, I sent over 100 resumes out to the labels with a cover letter stating my interest in working with them and rattling off the experience I already had working for two years as an intern at WZZO radio in Allentown, PA. ‘ZZO is no piddly-ant station, yet despite this effort, and Lord knows how much money to have each cover letter typed (yup, this was a while ago. . .), it yielded only ONE single call. Which led, however to ONE single job. Yeah! I heard back from Sony, Crysalis, EMI, Capitol and a host of other record labels that they didn’t need my help, but one label. . .Virgin. . .got back to me, and that ONE single gig (after tons of energy) was the gig that sparked my career.

I mention this because I want you to know that no amount of wishing is going to help you get that music job. . .you’ve got to take some action. And remember, it’s NOT who you know. I didn’t know a soul at Virgin, and no one at my radio station vouched for me either. It was ALL hustle.

Okay, here are the steps as I would pursue it if I were looking for a job in a recording studio today.

1. Read the aforementioned books to be sure I wanted this type of gig.
2. Create a resume that highlights at least some of the experience I’ve already got. (This can be anything. . .even a mere love of music CAN get you places if you apply it logically for whatever job you’re trying to get. . .alas, you’re much better off if you’ve been in a band, worked with a band, have a home studio, recording stuff using some sort of MacGyver set up in the woods. . .whatever. . .just demonstrate your initiative.
3. On your resume, skip the references section, and play like the big-boys and gals do. Include “testimonials” instead. These are written references from your bosses. So, instead of merely placing your boss’s name and number down, get him/her to write something say why you’re awesome, and put THAT in there!! No one your age will be doing this. . .trust me.
4. Create a personalized cover letter. My advice here, is don’t get too carried away. MOST of these will not be read, and if you spend too much time crafting great letters for 100 people, you’ll never get anything done. Try to write a cover letter that speaks as directly to the studio you’re trying to get work at, while at the same time crafting it in a way that allows you to put it in a mail merge program for maximum productivity.
5. If you’re not great at resume writing you can use any number of services out there that provide such a service. Folks like Employment 911 (who write music-specific resumes) and Resume Rabbit are good in my experience. You might also find folks who do this sort of thing locally and in-person. (In the interest of full disclosure, I do receive a commission if you happen to work with these folks.)
6. Search online using Google’s business search to find the recording studios near you. If you’re going to be a recording engineer, you’re going to have to know where the business is at. So drum up a list and create an excel sheet with all the pertinent data that you can later import into your favorite letter writing program for a mail merge.
7. Once you’ve got your list and your resume ready, stamp ‘em and send out the letters. Send them out in manageable bunches, because the most important step comes next, and you’ll want to leave enough time in your day to complete it successfully.
8. Here it is. The most important step. Pick up the phone and call the people you sent your resume to. I guarantee you most, if not all, people who send out resumes to recording studios will never do this step. Call it what you will, cold-calling. . .warm-calling. . .whatever, it’s gotta’ be done if you want to score that job. If I had done this earlier in my career, I’m sure I would have had even more success than I initially had at the time. So, please pick up the phone. . .introduce yourself, and tell them why you want to work with them. This, by the way, is the stage where you’ll want to know more about how each studio works and who they work with. . .if you know what you’re talking about when you call, you’re two steps ahead of the game.
9. Rinse, lather, repeat. Keep going. If you call and get no response. . .voice mail. . .leave a message. If you leave messages and no one ever calls you back, try putting a date when you’ll call in your cover letter. If you do that and it still doesn’t work, when you leave a message, ask if they can return your call with a good time to call them. If that doesn’t work, locate their address and show up at their door. I’m not kidding. Just go there. Again, most folks won’t do this. When I interned at ‘ZZO I dropped off my resume personally even though the person I was dropping it off for wasn’t there. Then I followed up with a phone call. In showing up and later calling, not only did I demonstrate a little chutzpa, but I also knew the receptionist’s name as well as the name of the person that just happened to cover for her when I came in for lunch. Ah, I hear you saying, “Now you knew someone!” Yup. But not at first! But with a little hustle you can do the same.

This system does work if you put a plan into action. Case in point of hustle in action: My new pal, Justin Travis. . .graduate of the Berklee College of Music and now intern at TopSpin. A month or two ago, Justin started following my MusicBizJobs account on Twitter. And like most folks, he was just “out there” in the stream. Yet one day I saw a tweet of his where he asked for folks interested in creating a podcast with him about the goings on in the music business.

Well, heck, I didn’t know Justin from “Adam,” but, it sounded like a solid idea, so I said I was “game” if he still needed the help. He did, and I was in. Now the MusicBizWeekly podcast is a weekly occurrence, and I even dragged my long-time compatriot, Heather McDonald from Musician’s at About.com in for the fun. The best part is, though, Justin took the initiative as he saw it to literally create a name for himself. Great idea, and SO do-able these days with the simplicity of blog writing and podcasting, etc. Just creating good content can get you noticed these days. . .in the 80’s and prior to that these options were not even possibilites, so the advatange is truly yours.

What’s even better about Justin’s story though, is that when I first spoke with him he wanted to land a job in LA. A good place to be for someone looking to work in the music industry, right? Well, damn, Justin didnt’ know a soul in LA, how could he land a 3 month internship with a new media/new music firm in just a month or two, without knowing anyone? Hmmm…well, how about majoring in music business at a great school? How about interning while in school instead of drinking beer every night and failing out? How about researching the places online where he would like to work, then hustling to get his foot in the door with a resume, follow-up and an eventual interview? How about putting together a MusicBizWeekly podcast with two veteran music people to show your initiative?

Clearly, you must see where this is going, right? Correct. Justin will soon be moving to Los Angeles to start what will, no doubt, be the beginning of a great career in the entertainment industry at what was his first-choice company as far as I know: TopSpin. Awesome-ness, made real by H.U.S.T.L.E!!

Go get ‘em. It is NOT who you know. It’s ACTION that makes your dream gig possible!

See you at the meet and greet! ™

Cheers,
Doc

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Sell your records. Find a gig. Learn more.

This week myself, Berklee student, Justin Travis and Heather McDonald your About.com Musicians guide tackle music for free, a bit of Trent Reznor, hobby-musicians vs. career-musicians, and getting the most out of your a career in music, and the new Universal Music video channel.

Check out the latest and greatest music news from MusicBizWeekly: http://ow.ly/31lm

Here are a few of the issues we covered in this week’s MusicBizWeekly podcast.

iTunes tiered pricing
QTrax relaunching
Universal Music and YouTube laucnhing a music video site
Jeff Price from Tunecore’s iTunes promotion tricks

Cheers!
Doc

Hi everyone, just popping in today with a quick video that’ll start your mind racing with all sorts of approaches you can use to snag your first radio job this week. No kidding, watch the vid and get movin’!

Here are the links mentioned in this video:

Clear Channel’s station search tool. Good if you know the call letters, otherwise, not so good!

Wikipedia list of seemingly every Clear Channel Station by state

Knock ‘em dead, and I’ll see you at the meet and greet!

Cheers,
Doc

Since the Internet is rather timeless, I’m not entirely big on making my link roundup one that only features news from last week. After all, there is a lot of stuff that is “old” and still “new” to you and me, so it’s still worth covering in my book.

So, think of my round up, if you will, as a “news worth reading” section as opposed to just what’s happening in the blogosphere this week. After all, I don’t even really watch the news, and I’m not in possession of enough time or desire to surf all day long either.

Here are some chunks worth digesting from my side of the desk:

Money magazine has a nice little story about how to go about landing yourself an internship in today’s wacky economy. Seems they think it’s” Hard to find a job, but not an internship

Here is a cool little story from a few year’s back that’ll whet your appetite if you’re a musician, but not in a band, and don’t want to be in a band, or American Idol, or America’s Got Talent, or whatever other stupid-ass reality show is on TV this week. eMusician’s “Jingles All the Way”, will show you one way you can turn your talent into a career as an advertising jingle-maker. Please turn off your TV.

Those of you who know have picked up a copy of my book, know all about campus reps and how getting a job as a campus rep can open the door to the music industry for you, like no other. For those who haven’t yet read it and are looking for a primer on the best job to have while a college student, check out: “Life as a campus rep” from the Daily Stanford.

If you’re considering a career in entertainment and are not yet aware of the fact that many people brandish some really sharp daggers behind their backstage pass laminates, you should start to read up on reality. The music and film industry is populated with extremely vocal people who care deeply about their positions on issues relevant to them, and one such hot topic of the past ten years has been the rise of Clear Channel. Bill Wyman, former Arts editor at Salon, tosses his dagger into the mix this week on his Hitsville site, and it ain’t pretty. Wyman’s post addresses what he sees as a few of the firm’s shortfalls in his essay related to two new books about the mega entertainment business that is Clear Channel in his article: “More evidence that Clear Channel is the worst company in America.” Read it, do your research and form your own opinion. Clear Channel seems to boil the blood of a lot of people both in and outside the industry, and while they have their proponents, they’re certainly more criticized than revered. However, whether we like it or not, Clear Channel is a big force in the industry, and recognizing this fact will aid you greatly as you move forward in your career.

For even more fun, check out the insanely vulgar “Three pandering sluts and their music press stooge” response from producer Steve Albini to a Wyman article that appeared in the Chicago Reader back in 1994. Definitely NSFW, but a hilarous diatribe none-the-less.

The One of my favorite writers on the music industry is Bob Lefsetz. And while I don’t always agree with him, I learn something from him every week. His commentary is crisp and witty, quite controversial, and seriously laced with profanities. A music business dream. I didn’t know he was writing posts for the Yahoo! Music Blog site, and stumbled upon this one today that I thought was a great read. It’s profanity-free so it doesn’t get a NSFW label, so please do read “Saving the Music Business,” and thank Bob for the advice!

For more of Bob Lefsetz’ stuff check out The Lefsetz Letter

Have a brilliant weekend, enjoy it if you’re already in it, and hope
you had a great time if you’re already out of it! Cheers, Doc

Check out our new Music Industry Jobs and Internships board at MusicIndustryJobs.com It’s FREE!

If you like the blog, you’ll love our email newsletter even more. Subscribe to the Music Business Page Blog by Email today, and get your complimentary “Music Business Boot Camp” series, the introductory chapters of my Music Business Guidebook, and our 50+ page BOOK: “Tips, Tactics and other for-sure methods for getting your music career off the ground” each delivered free to your email box instantly as a courtesy just for signing up today. Don’t forget to approve the confirmation email, and please note: ONY email
subscribers will receive these extra gifts. RSS subscribers will still receive updates about the blog, email recipients will receive the extra benefits mentioned above. If it was us, we’d subscribe to both!

How it works: Hi folks. Because I tend to get a lot of questions about how to get a job in the music business, and because it is difficult to craft a new response for every one I get, I’m going to start sharing a few of my more common responses here on the blog. Each time I do so, I’ll ask if I can post the message online before doing so, and if I receive your approval, as I did with today’s question, I’ll put ‘er up.

Today’s question comes from a reader interested in breaking “back” into the music business after interning several years ago. He initially asked about recruiting agencies in the New York area, which I also comment about briefly. Below is the text of a few emails back and forth with the names and places of the innocent removed for the obvious reasons, and as well as some of the extraneous stuff like the ‘”thank yous” and “hellos”

What sort of questions do you have about a career in entertainment? Place them in the comments section of this post. If your questions is chosen as our next “Reader’s Question”, I’ll send you a free copy of my book: “The Music Industry Guidebook: A clear guide to getting a job in the music industry. . .fast!”

First email volley from our intrepid reader:

“I’m currently looking for a job in music marketing/promotions. Do you know of any music industry recruiters based in New York? The recruiters that I have investigated so far do not help with promotions/marketing placements.”

My initial response:

“Thanks for the note. Recruiters in the music business are mostly for entry level admin jobs, unless you’re an exec already who needs an “agent”of sorts to help you get a bigger paying job. Can I ask what sort of work you do now? Are you a college grad, or still in school? And what sort of music you’re into?”

His second reply:

“For the past eight years I have been pursuing an acting career. While I have had success, I am now searching for a more traditional means of employment. I graduated with a Marketing degree from XYZ School in 1999. I also minored in Music Merchandising. My current job is as a customer service representative for XYZ Company. I’ve been working there for about a year and a half and still act as a hobby.

During college, I interned at Mercury Records and Roadrunner Records for a year each. I have had many jobs in street promotion, bar tending, administrative work and temping to supplement my acting income.

My present goal is to work in music promotions or marketing preferably in the heavy metal and rock genre. companies like Roadrunner Records, Sirius Satellite Radio, Revolver Magazine and Metal Maniacs magazine would be ideal. A place comparable to the now defunct Concrete Marketing and Concrete Management would be great too.

There’s nothing better than promoting music to people especially at events like concerts. The look on a person’s face after hearing a great band for the first time is priceless. I feel music is the impetus to bring people together in an increasingly isolated world and I thrive to make those connections.”

My second response:

“I like to shoot straight on these things, so here’s my take. First off, you’re lucky you’re be near NYC. By your area code, I’m guessing you’re in Long Island, so you’ve really got the music business right in your backyard. A lot of folks think rock music happens in LA, my opinion has always been that it’s really out East.

You’ve also already got experience in the business which is really good and can put you ahead of the competition for gigs.

The negative in this whole thing is that because the industry turns over so frequently, as often as every two to three years, many of the people you knew at Roadrunner and Mercury, and more importantly, the people THEY knew are most likely not working in music anymore, or are doing something not related to record promotion at least. I did independent promotion myself from 97-99 and probably know some of the folks you once worked with. Do you remember any names?

Question: after your internships with the labels why did you leave the business on the record side?
(he addresses this, later saying that he went to pursue a career in acting)

You mentioned Concrete. If I recall correctly, they were an independent promotion firm and are “no longer”, like many independent promotion firms, because the rules regarding indie promotion have changed, and the labels stopped paying most indies to do promotion the way they were doing it. What that means for folks interested in promotion, is that most of the real paying gigs are back “in-house” at the labels, and the labels can be hard to break into unless you’re starting from the bottom.

That said, since you’ve already interned you might be able to step your foot back in the door again at any of the labels you’re interested in as a volunteer/intern, and once you’re in and being recognized as a contributor, ask what the realities of becoming full-time staff are if you were to stay on as a volunteer. Many places will take interns of all ages. . .they might require credit. . .which you can get cheap at local community college, but it should still work. The main thing is you’ve gotta’ be willing/able to work for free again, which sucks, but might help get you back and rolling again. There are never any guarantees, but it’s a shot.

The other way is to take a look at any outlet in your area that plays the type of music you like. If you’re into metal, look for metal shows on the air (tv or radio) or the magazines you mentioned, and try to get a part-time or intern job there. Then you’ll want to aim to be someone the labels know and need to get their music played/reviewed. Once you’re that guy, then its MUCH easier to make the transition.

It can all involve starting over in a sense, and I’ll remind you that the turnover is high at labels, particularly in promotion as its a sales job. If you’re not sellin’ you’re not stayin’ is the mentality. If you’re a great salesman, then more power to ya!

I hope this helps a bit. If I were you, I would make a list of 10 places you think you would like to work. First go in with the idea of you’re looking for work, FT or PT. If that doesn’t work, THEN go for volunteer.

Radio doesn’t pay well, neither does journalism, records does pay well, but the lasting power is short. Can’t win either way, eh? If I was independently wealthy, I would work in radio the rest of my life.

BUT, if you love it, then sometimes its worth it. I always recommend that people first think about WHY they believe they want to work in music, consider the realities of the business, then think again about how much they want it. If the pull is still there, then they’ll probably never stop dreaming about it. I’m that way in a sense too. . .most will say the bug never leaves you. Finding the happy medium is the best way. Once, I met a guy who was a major A&R guy in the 80’s and worked with Guns&Roses, and a host of Seattle bands. The band dynamics and deaths of a few notable artists in the Seattle scene whom he had known hit him hard.

He’s out now and working at a college advising students on classes (another job I’ve had). What he said to me one day when I was asking him why he didn’t want to go back to music has always stuck with me. He smiled a bit, looked me in the eyes and said: “Right now, I’m just happy being a fan.” And sometimes, he’s right. You’ll have to make that call for yourself. For me, being a fan only works for a short period of time until the “itch” returns.

Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you, and good luck!”

So, I hope this helps a bit, if you’re in a similar situation. If you’re not, and just starting out, there are nuggets in here as well! Don’t forget to send in your own questions by commenting on this post for your chance to win a copy of my book.

Indeed has among the best job search technology out there. Type in music business and see what you get, then tweak it as necessary. It works like a charm!

Check out our new Music Industry Jobs and Internships board at MusicIndustryJobs.com It’s FREE!

what	where
job title, keywords or company	city, state or zip jobs by

John Mellencamp — “My Sweet Love”

Swing those hips baby, its John Mellencamp, swaying the house with this great track from his new album “Life, Death, Love and Freedom” Backing vocals are courtesy of Little Big Town’s Karen Fairchild. I would swear that’s Kurt Neumann from BoDeans on guitar. Great song. Nuff Said. I love Mellencamp.

Pick it up wherever you buy your records, cds, itunes, etc. these days.

Three things you need to know about this record and John as an entertainment career wannabe:

1. He’s a legend.
2. He’s a legend. (that’s not a typo)
3. He’s working with Steven King on a Southern Gothic musical, that’s right. . .musical to debut in April of next year in Atlanta. The name? “The Ghost Brothers of Darkland County”

Album facts you should know:

Most likely to be heard on the following radio formats:

AAA
Americana
Rock
Adult Hot A/C

Album drops July 15, 2008

Visit John Mellencamp online at his official site
Request the song at: Radio Locator

Like the John Mellencamp “My Sweet Love” video? Download the single today from iTunes!

Check out our new Music Industry Jobs and Internships board at MusicIndustryJobs.com It’s FREE!

One of the more enjoyable reasons for opening my email box in the morning is to read my daily Napoleon Hill Foundation quote. If you don’t know Napoleon Hill, you should check out the book many successful business people point to as the one that changed their lives, and helped place them firmly on the track toward completing their life’s goals. Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich” is a simple and direct motivational book filled with all sorts of gem’s that can help you get your rear-end off the couch, away from your PlayStation or XBox and on the phone to generate entertainment industry career prospects. I would highly recommend it.

These Napoleon Hill daily emails help me start my day off on the right foot, and today’s message I thought might be interesting to share with you for two reasons. One is that I believe it serves as an excellent reminder of one way to make yourself worthy in any job environment worthy of your creative input (they’re not always one-in-the-same!), and secondly, because of the recent entry of Topspin into a sector of the marketplace not necessarily familiar to the majority of indie bands out there.

Below is the quote I was greeted with this morning, courtesy of The Napoleon Hill Foundation:

It’s common knowledge that the person who knows the most about how to improve the productivity of any job is the person who holds that job. Why is it, then, that we are often reluctant to offer suggestions for improvement? Perhaps we’ve seen too many layoffs and reorganizations to trust the cracker-barrel wisdom that our goal should be to work ourselves out of a job-so that we can move on to a bigger and better position. Nevertheless, the old wisdom is still sound. If you find a way to do things better, faster, or cheaper, you increase your value to your employer. You will be asked to participate in planning sessions and quality circles because you’ve demonstrated that you know how to make things work more efficiently. It’s inevitable that you will be promoted, because you will become one of those exceptional employees who are too valuable to lose.

The quote of course assumes that you’re in a business that values your input, and doesn’t just pay lip-service to the idea of innovation. Unfortunately, I find lip-service is often easier than placing oneself in the eye of unforeseen obstacles. Call it human nature, or whatever you will, but I have always found the attitude to merely be representative of one characteristic: fear. The good thing is, I believe that unlike many other fields, the entertainment industry is a wee bit more open to creative input than you’ll find elsewhere.

That’s not to say that every “great” idea you have will be put into place, or that you won’t clash against people with grand egos steadfast in the belief that their creative solution is better than yours, but I do believe you’ll find more creative people willing to listen to your ideas, then toss fear aside in favor of finding what the solution to the problem at hand.

And that’s where Topspin comes in.Topspin has been working on a solution that enables indie bands to better manage and communicate with their fan bases in ways not commonly available today. The way I’m reading it at the moment, it’s a way for bands to leverage the power of enterprise-level CRM (Customer Relationship Management) solutions combined with technology-driven indie-distribution to better stay on top of their fan base, their sales and their marketing.

While Topspin is in limited release at the moment, I look forward to seeing how the product offerings from the company enable indie bands and other artists to take advantage of what the types of software tools available to other businesses, so as to craft a solution that works with the changing music industry landscape.

Topspin’s founders are helping to create a solution that aims to widen current industry bottlenecks, and while they kept it under their hat for awhile to ensure the time was right, they’re taking steps in the right direction to help create a new business, and help you and your band run your own business. You should always aim to do the same.

Napoleon Hill would be proud, eh?

Check out our new Music Industry Jobs and Internships board at MusicIndustryJobs.com It’s FREE!

Sell your records. Find a gig. Learn more.

You bet your Casey-Kasem, Rick-Dees lovin’ asses it is.

Without a doubt, radio is still is among one of the more powerful mediums for introducing the majority of people throughout the world (don’t forget media exists outside the US, folks), to new music, news about musicians and bands on tours, and general entertainment industry revelry. Its almost always free, and accessible just about everywhere humans tend to populate.

(Heck, even my phone, a Sony Ericsson, is a phone/walkman. So, I can get radio on my cell phone, and I didn’t have to pay a friggin’ dime more for the privilege, unlike other carriers who offer a fancy download plan that, in my opinion, just serves to add yet another monthly bill to your cash outlay.)

Despite all those that claim radio is as dead as they claim the entire music industry to be, radio is very much alive and well. It’s different, of course, than it was ten years ago, but it’s still there, and I can’t forsee it disappearing any time soon.

Too often, people mistake change for obsolescence. The type of radio that existed at its inception is a completely different beast than radio as we know it today, and I suspect, the fascinating developments in music, radio, the concert business and everything else affected by the maturation of technology and culture that gets everyone so excited, will no doubt be bandied about as “dead” in another few decades as well. Actually, given its current momentum, it’ll probably happen a lot sooner than that.

So why is radio still relevant? Here are 5 reasons why I believe it to be so, feel free to argue away if you disagree, or call out points you might find valid. I look forward to the discussion. I’m interested in learning as much possible about the realities of this situation myself, so feel free to “call me out” if your own experience suggests it’s necessary.

By the way, I’m interested in interviewing radio veterans from the fifties and sixties about their time on air. If you know of someone interested in chatting for a story I’m working on concerning “race music” during this era, please drop me a line at doc @ music businesspage.com Cheers. Doc

Okay, so here we go:

1. The operation of radio is typically overseen by the federal government. As far as I know, governments tend to have a vested interest in maintaining their own structure. Plus, radio serves a purpose in times of emergencies that overshadow the need to play your favorite music.
2. Radio sells records. Yup, indeed it does. And lots of ‘em too. Now I don’t care if we’re talking about singles, digital downloads, full-length albums (sic) or “free” records from artists like Radiohead or Trent Reznor, when songs get played on radio, people pay attention. And frequent “impressions” of those songs on our silly little brains that enjoy repetition and reminders about the things we like, drive us online — or into some record store — to buy that little nugget. And that little nugget puts money into the pockets of your favorite artist and the gazillion people behind them including record labels, publishing houses, songwriters, entertainment lawyers. . .everyone. One song adds up, and it often starts at radio.
3. Radio is still a business - and they generally adhere to a format. Even JackFM, famous for playing “what they want” is following a very strict programming format. So every time you hear that slammin’ AC/DC song followed by Annie Lennox (a hit is a hit is a hit!), you can bet your radio-format-hatin’ rear-end that several people sat in a room for a very long time analyzing the computer data that tells them about beat counts, song transition, what the consultants say, what the listeners say. . .all to come to the conclusion that Annie Lennox should follow Bon Scott, and that the combination would make you feel happy. Maybe happy enough to keep listening to the music long enough to hear the advertisement that follows those songs. Then, of course, maybe, just maybe you’ll buy the product that is advertised, or visit that service establishment spending their hard-earned money to have you listen to what it is they offer the marketplace. Radio is an economic juggernaut with tons of people and businesses interested in its survival. Think about that. Especially if some day you want to own your own business, or be a performer and hope you sell YOUR wares on radio. Gulp! So don’t “wish it away” too soon.
4. Radio is all about reach. Who hears it, how many hear it and where do they hear it. Many critics of radio, look at its quality, or perceived lack thereof, through their own myopic lens (or ear buds. . ). And most of those who dislike radio are so inclined because they can’t relate to the music that’s on the air any longer. They’re either too old (like me in some instances), or their preferred style of music just isn’t played on any regular format station. Styles like death metal, ska, rockabilly and Celtic music come to mind as easy examples. However, projecting their own tastes on an entire entertainment medium, prevents them from looking at radio and the music industry objectively — setting up the inevitable “doomsday” scenarios. Those of us who love Led Zepplin will always love Led Zeppelin, yet Zep will not always be on the radio!I have always found it intriguing to watch how when people of similar positions gather to “discuss” a topic, their shared conclusions never change, and, in fact, often become heightened as a result of their mutual animosities and presuppositions. Its quite a fascinating phenomenon, and one that plays itself out every day in the media, across numerous and varying topic areas. Just turn on the television, and listen to the news about the impending economic doom to get a feel for what I’m referring to. . .listen to it often enough, and talk to enough people who think their in for a rough haul, and low-and-behold, that rough haul becomes a reality. However, if you were to speak to someone benefiting from today’s economy, you’ll have a much different view of what’s “really” happening. 90% of what becomes real is perception, and the supposed “death” of radio is no different. I view these changes more like the “death” of the critics favorite type of radio, the type they grew up with, then the absolute death of a medium.
5. Radio is designed to play hits. Sure there are songs tested out that are uncertain winners from a radio programming perspective, but the idea is to play songs that work. . .songs that will sell. YouTube, MySpace and the previously heralded MP3.com (where is it now?), are at the moment at least, marketing tools for unsigned bands to generate a fan base to better their chances of getting signed by, you guessed it, a record label. Like it or not, that’s still the model, and still the one a great number of the talented artists we can find online are pursuing. Making records costs a lot of money folks, touring costs a lot of money, and playing hits costs a lot of money. When you’re the one with a vested interest in profiting from your talent, how much do you want to leave to chance? Can a new band afford to give away their records for free? Come on. Sure, Radiohead and Trent can do it, but they’re already huge money-making artists. The free record is at once a publicity stunt and a way to generate income via different means. If either one of these recording artists were still “starving artists” you can better your bottom-dollar, they’d be gigging till they couldn’t stand anymore, and trying to squeeze every dollar out of every fan they had. That’s the truth. So, artists need radio, just like they need the internet. But in order for radio to need them, they’ve gotta’ be good, they’ve got to be able to write more than two good songs (in other words, generate scale), and the fickle consumer who we hear only buys singles any longer wants them to be good too. So, I don’t think you’ll be hearing any live feeds from YouTube getting piped through your FM dial any time soon, any more than you’ll hear even a small percentage of these most “clickable” of artists getting signed to a record deal, or putting out their own records on their own label. How many true hits are there on MySpace and YouTube, and do you really want to hear the rest on radio?
6. Baker’s half dozen bonus: Lastly, for readers of the page who want to work in the music industry, you already know that I believe radio is still one of the simplest entertainment industry workplaces to penetrate as either a career changer, or a newbie with zero experience. There are often so many things to do in radio, and enough turnover at stations, that if you’re persistent enough you could almost guarantee yourself a spot at the station of your choice within a year. Try it, you might be pleasantly surprised.

(By the way, music biz wannabes, stay tuned to Jeff Leeds’ reporting at the New York Times, his stuff rocks, and he’ll keep you very informed for your job interviews.)

Long live radio. . .even those stations we don’t like!

This week’s music business link round-up features a few new blogs and one you’re probably quite familiar with, I’m sure. So without further adieu, here are some of what I thought were great reads from around the blogosphere this week:

Fellow music-crazed writer, Heather McDonald over at musicians.about.com wrote a bevy of posts this week about a number of topics that might be of interest to you, including: the first part in a series about Long Lost Record labels, this year’s In The City music expo/conference/jam in the UK that offers a good excuse to hop on a plane and visit Europe this fall, and an interesting story covering feedback from users of Sonicbids.

A bit of interesting news about a company named Music Video Games, or MvG, that will address the growing notion of delivering some forms of music for sale on and in video games. I’m not sure what in the heck this is really going to be as of yet, but it caught my eye enough for me to bookmark it.

Rap & Hip Hop blogger/author/speaker Terrance Dean’s blog has not only one, but two informative posts on breaking into the music business on the hip-hop side of things that can be applied to any portion of the business you wish, really. Terrance, a former MTC staffer, has also written a memoir entitled “Hiding in Hip Hop”, that discusses among other things, what Newsweek magazine calls the “rap industry’s persistent “down-low” culture. He doesn’t name names, but it’s a fascinating peek inside hip-hop’s last taboo.”

And finally this week, The Infinite Dial, brought to us by Edison Media Research, brings us a quick look at one woman who has fought her way up the music industry ladder alongside all the men that most think occupy the halls of record labels across the world. My recollection was that there were many, many women of power walking those halls along side us, and Tayla Johnson, Music Director / Internship Coordinator, at Washington D.C.s WPGC 95.5 FM, illustrates this nicely in a little “ditty” about her recent recognition as one of the Infinite Dial’s 30 under 30 honorees.

Have a brilliant weekend, enjoy it if you’re already in it, and hope you had a great time if you’re already out of it! Cheers, Doc

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If you haven’t heard the recent hubbub about how Jay Z’s wallet just got about 150 million dollars thicker, then you may want to check out a bit last month’s entertainment news surrounding his signing with Live Nation, the largest concert and tour promoter and organizer in the United States.

The deal puts Jay Z in a great place not only financially, but creatively as well, lending him even more control over his career than he may have had as president of Def Jam records. What readers of the page should note, though, is that Live Nation is absolutely not (at least at this time) a record company.

What they are, is a huge entertainment conglomerate with a ton of money, its pulse on the music industry, leadership known for being smart business-folk as can be seen in their relationship-split from Ticketmaster last year, and, apparently very much innovators with some real leverage in the music industry. Heck, they’ve even got their own Facebook application page!

So stick around and watch what materializes. With U2 and Madonna also signing ridiculously long and plentiful deals with Live Nation, new opportunities are opening up for innovative people like you looking for their next, or first, music industry job. Do you think that with the kind of money they’re tossing around for these huge names, they just might need some people around to start growing this new wing of their business? You be your sweet little but they do.
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Go get ‘em.

(The above link has a few names of people you can send your resume to as well!)

If you like the blog, you’ll love our email newsletter even more. Subscribe to the Music Business Page Blog by Email today, and get your complimentary “Music Business Boot Camp” series, the introductory chapters of my Music Business Guidebook, and our 50+ page BOOK: “Tips, Tactics and other for-sure methods for getting your music career off the ground” each delivered free to your email box instantly as a courtesy just for signing up today. Please note: ONY email subscribers will receive these extra gifts. RSS subscribers will still receive updates about the blog, email recipients will receive the extra benefits mentioned above. If it was us, we’d subscribe to both!