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Musicians Guide

MUSIC TODAY

Whether you aspire to be a professional musician, wish to pursue music as a hobbyist or occasional performer, or take pleasure out of being a dedicated fan or listener, we created this website for you. Not all musicians want to famous. Some musicians play for the pure enjoyment. Others play to earning a living. While others derive pleasure by enjoying this timeless art form. Whatever “music” means to the listener or artist we have assembled some resources and information so you can learn about the industry, connect with other musicians, and have some handy resources to help you expand your knowledge of music and how the industry works.

Today, the music industry mostly relies upon the sale, creation, distribution and delivery of music through a digital medium. In fact, the buying and selling music is mostly reserved to online and electronic store fronts. For most musicians, performers and listeners, mobile phones and wireless speakers have replaced the phonograph, compact disk and Walkman.

The old brick and mortar ones record stores requiring physical locations to promote and sell music have passed. Unimaginable only a few years ago, the sale and distribution of music has become commoditized – it can be easily “streamed”, takes very little shelf space, and requires no physical presence. Music is recorded digitally and is device independent, freely distributed, mixed and transferred, and can be heard on a variety of different electronic devices rather than being limited a single analogue player. The way we listed to music is now untethered. It can be recorded and played back on devices anywhere. Our music is no longer confined. It is free to roam with us.

A New Way of Recording

Because the music industry has been experiencing many transformational changes ranging from publishing to performing, the future of the music industry is exciting and offers musicians with unparalleled opportunities. Although the music industry, like many others, is coping with change, we should embrace it. One example of how these changes are befitting the industry can be understood by examining how indie artists and talent are free to record and distribute their creative works without the encumbrances and formalities that the previous generation of artists experienced.

Today, musicians can reach fans by distributing their recorded musical works and performances by social media rather than rely on multi-national companies for record deals that necessitated significant resources and industry contacts that were based upon cronyism and handshakes. Long gone are the prerequisites for auditions, access to start-up capital, expensive recording studios and supporting artists, and relinquishment of large profit margins to studio executives.

The new world order of digital music resources and collaborative tools has replaced the analog and offline hierarchy, giving musicians viable options and outlets for expressing themselves on their own terms.

Streaming apps give appreciators of music easy access to a library of preferred songs. If you talk to music lovers about how they listened to music 20 years ago, they will talk fluidly about the radio. They often bought an album, based more on a performer’s popularity than the music he or she played.

Digital personal playlists have changed how we listen to musician-created pieces. For example, in 1991, you could buy a popular rock album for $19.99 at a record store or retail outlet. However, 10 years later, everything changed. That is when iTunes emerged and songs could be purchased individually at $1.29 each, which also removed the need to buy an entire album.

The Effects of Streaming

Experts in the music industry believe that streaming saved the careers of musicians and the music industry. The web, which once was a venue for pirating songs, now is the music industry’s biggest source of revenue. After 2 separate lawsuits in 2000 stopped peer-to-peer sharing sites from offering illegal downloads, streaming companies, such as Apple Music and Spotify, have controlled how people listen to music.

However, musicians often believe that streaming devalues the energy and creativity they put into their music. While musicians often received royalties, in the past, from vinyl or CDs, their revenue has dropped significantly from streaming. In fact, according to the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, or ASCAP, songwriters earn only about $125 for each song streamed a million times via an audio streaming service.

Therefore, if you are a musician and want to make money at your craft, you cannot depend on streaming. It may help you to get your name and music out into the mainstream, but that is where the benefit ends.

As a result, many musical artists have depended on their recordings to schedule tours. In the past, it was the other way around. Musicians used touring or concert engagement to sell albums.

So, how do you make it as a musician in the music industry today?

Making It as a Musician Today

First, you must remain optimistic – not just every now and then, but during every step of the process – recording, promotion, and communicating with your fan base. Statistics reveal the release of about 80,000 albums each year – 200 of which Billboard reports as top releases. That type of margin can make musicians doubt themselves.

To make it in the music field, musicians need to be excellent at their craft. You need to know what excellence means and what it means to excel. Mediocrity is not an option. If you are a music student, listen carefully to your teachers. Learn from those performers who have succeeded in music. Listen to all the genres – see the beauty in all musical forms.

While it may be easy to take advice from someone who has been exceptionally successful, you usually will learn more from those who have failed and learned from their mistakes. Lean on those professionals in the music industry who can give you constructive feedback. Doing so will enable you to pursue more realistic goals.

Whether musicians want to become famous or not, they still need to get paid. The 3 main moneymakers in the industry revolve around touring, publishing, and branding. Since COVID-19, touring is not as feasible as it once was, but it does not mean you cannot stay in and write and record original music. Doing so will ensure you own both the performance/mechanical rights along with the master rights of each piece you create.

By taking this approach, a musician gains the ability to control and publish his or her own works. You can check on sites, such as CD Baby Pro, to find out if you are getting all the royalties you are owed internationally. Think of the platform as a go-to source for music promotion and branding.
Speaking of branding, you also want to emphasize your music logo, so you can share your music and what you represent to the public. All this should be aligned with your music and identity. Musicians also need to set up their band or music offerings by establishing a business entity.

That way, you can separate your band or musical persona from who you are personally. The easiest entity to set up is a limited liability company (LLC), as it limits your personal liability and benefits you by providing pass-through taxation. Anything you make passes through your business and can be reported individually.

However, this website is not just about the business of music but is a platform for you to create and collaborate with other musicians. Get inspired and stay inspired and design your career as a musician. What are your goals as a musician? What do you hope to achieve as an artist? Share your musical story with this community.

Fast Facts

We have assembled some fast facts and trivia about musicians. This information was compiled from a variety of resources including – fill in the blank.  Below you will find our profile containing facts and information to familiarize you about Musicians.com and the music industry.

Below is our country profile containing facts and information to familiarize you with Snow Skiing.

• Thriller:  Most popular selling music album. Michael Jackson

• $19B (USD):  Revenue generatged by music industry (2019)

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