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Here's What You'll Learn! Course Descriptions

Click on of any the titles below to read a description of what each Lesson contains about the music business.

Lesson   1 : Who is the Music Business
  • Lesson 1.1 -- Distribution Explained: Anatomy of the Big Labels and Big Players
  • Lesson 1.2 -- What Is Payola, How It Works and Why You Should Care
  • Lesson 1.3 -- How Labels See The Artist and What Is Required to Be Signed.
  • Lesson 1.4 -- Who Earns What at the Labels and How Do We Get to Them
 Description
Analysis of each job in the record industry, from CEOs to A&R executives to interns.  Actual agendas and salaries are revealed for all levels of jobs that compose the record industry. Anatomy of the major record distributors and their many labels.  Who owns what label. How Payola works in the past, present and future and the role it will play in every artist's career.
Lesson   2 : Who is the Music Business Part II
  •  Lesson 2.1 -- Passive Revenue and Performing Rights Societies:
    Are They Really Like Coke and Pepsi and What They're Not Telling You About How They Work.
  • Lesson 2.2 -- Retail and Revenue
  • Lesson 2.3 -- Retail and Revenue Part II
 Description
Analysis of the main companies in the music industry, from ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and Harry Fox, to big distributors like Sony and Universal Music, what they make, how they fit into the big picture and how to choose with whom you should be doing business.
Lesson   3 : It All Revolves Around the Copyright
  • Lesson 3.1 -- What Is a Copyright and How Can I Steal One?
  • Lesson 3.2 -- Answers to Quiz 3
  • Lesson 3.3 -- The Mechanical Royalty Scam
 Description
A copyright tutorial that clearly demonstrates how songs generate income and how much they can earn. Use of interactive spreadsheets and Royalty Calculators show real revenue streams, real numbers and how much a "point" on a hit song can be worth.
Lesson   4 : The Deal From All Points of View
  • Lesson 4.1 -- Who Really Wrote the Song and What Is a Song Anyway
  • Lesson 4.2 -- Harry Fox and Introduction to the Deal Memo.
  • Lesson 4.3 -- Screwing the Producer
  • Lesson 4.4 -- Types of Record Deals, Kickbacks and Producer Tricks
 Description
How artist, producer and label each view the record deal from their own unique perspectives.  Conflicts of interest are covered as well as legal ethics issues for lawyers. How co-writing deals can get complex. How producers are vulnerable to fraud and how they protect themselves.
Lesson   5 : How Distribution Really Works and Who Really Is Your Daddy
  • Lesson 5.1 -- Touring, Radio and Conflicts of Interest with the Producer
  • Lesson 5.2 -- The Big Label Corporate Picture
  • Lesson 5.3 -- Stock Rotation and End of the Day Wrap Up
Review of Lessons 1-5  
  • Do not skip. This contains important summaries.
  • General Q&A on Lessons 1-5
 Description
How  the major distribution channels are structured, controlled and sometimes manipulated. How will this change in the age of the internet? Where will the new distribution opportunities be in five to ten years? How major labels are tied into multi-national conglomerates and how this effects how they treat artists.
Lesson   6 : The Deal Memo Is an Ad
  • Lesson 6.1 -- Records Sold
  • Lesson 6.2 -- Free Goods Part I - The Free Math
  • Lesson 6.3 -- Free Goods Part II - Bonus Thresholds Net Sales and Reserves
 Description
To attract artists, promises made in the deal memo are often not realized in the fine print of the final contract.  How to spot the hidden loopholes as well as techniques for adjusting them in the artist's favor. How record companies manipulate royalty statements by re-defining words like "sales."
Lesson   7 : Advances
  • Lesson 7 -- Advances - How They Really Work
 Description
Examines  how the clauses promising large Advances to new artists really work as well as how to negotiate them in the artist's favor.  
Lesson   8 : Royalties From Sales of Records
  • Lesson 8.1 -- Introduction to Royalties
  • Lesson 8.2 -- Royalty Rates and Configurations
  • Lesson 8.3 -- Penny Rate Math Part I - Albums
  • Lesson 8.4 -- Penny Rate Math Part II - Singles
 Description
Royalty rates are examined, explained and demonstrated with interactive spread sheets that show actual figures of major and indie label artists.
Lesson   9 : Mechanical Royalties - Make Money While You Sleep
  • Lesson 9.1 -- Controlled Compositions
  • Lesson 9.2 -- The Real Statutory Rate
  • Lesson 9.3 -- Penny Rate Math for Mechanicals
  • Lesson 9.4 -- How to Boil a Frog in Your Song
Description
Income streams for the artist and songwriter are compared and techniques on how to protect the writer's publishing are explained. Controlled Composition clauses are explained and demonstrated with interactive spread sheets that reveal the actual dollars of hit songs and how they affect the artist's revenue, especially when the artist makes use of samples and cover songs on their album.
Lesson 10 : Terms of the Major Label Deal - Set for Life
  • Lesson 10.1 -- How Long Is This Deal - Option Periods
  • Lesson 10.2 -- Where Does All The Money Go
 Description
How long and binding is a label deal?  Option Periods in recording contracts and techniques for limiting them are analyzed.  How much is the deal actually worth in real-life dollars, for average sized, small-time and superstar artists. Up-close analysis of real-life numbers helps to determine if going for a major label is viable. 
Lesson 11 : The Future of Music And Its Enemies
  • Lesson 11.1 -- Digital Distribution
  • Lesson 11.2 -- Tethered Downloads and DRM
  • Lesson 11.3 -- Ringtones
  • Lesson 11.4 -- Product Placement and the War for Digital Music Dollars
 Description
A realists picture of where the opportunities in the music business will be in 15 years and in 30 years. Revenue for new licensing opportunities, Digital Rights Management, ringtones, subscription services and iTunes are detailed.