MOSES THE MYTH BUSTER

One of the reasons I wanted to start this blog is because I believe most musicians/artists know very little about the music business and I want to do my part to help change that. You don’t have to have a degree to be a rock star, you simply declare that you want to be one and Poof! you’re on your way. For this reason, I believe most don’t bother learning about the business beyond what they are learning from videos, documentaries, live concerts and other barely-scratching-the-surface media. Let’s change this so we can take control over our careers and make more informed decisions and always be in a position where we’re dealing with reality instead of these falsehoods that we are constantly being inundated with.

THANK GOD FOR MOSES!

I have to give kudos to record producer/author Moses Avalon who’s written a couple books I’ve read (and re-read), “Confessions Of A Record Producer” and “Million Dollar Mistakes.” His books are a real dose of reality and a must-read for anyone who’s looking to sustain a career in music. A very interesting observation he makes in his book “Million Dollar Mistakes” is the fact that, as a society, we know very little about what it costs to produce an album or a music DVD or to put together a concert tour for an artist. But we do know that it costs hundreds of millions of dollars to make a film like The Titanic or the Terminator movies. The film industry spends millions of dollars every year making sure you are very much aware and knowing this makes us laugh at the nominal ten dollars we are charged to go to our local theatre and see a movie. Conversely, the music industry spends nothing educating us about the cash value of making and delivering their product. And to make matters worse, think about many of the music videos that are created to promote artists’ music. They often depict artists as being quite affluent with images of fast cars, even faster women and men, lots of bling, etc. to help portray an image that appeals to the masses in hopes that it will stimulate CD sales.

A lot of musicians I've dealt with are shocked to learn what it costs a major artist to produce a full-length album and that many artists who seem to be doing very well financially are actually living below the poverty line. On average it costs about $250,000 to make a record and that money comes out of the artist’s pocket (it’s recouped through the artist’s share of royalties received from CD sales/downloads, publishing, merch, etc.). If an artist has a gold or even a platinum selling album, (gold is 50,000 units in Canada and 500,000 in the U.S. and platinum is 100,000 units in Canada and 1,000,000 in the U.S.) they can still be un-recouped with their label.

In short, if you don’t go out of your way to educate yourself about this complex business, you’ll continue to know very little. What you don’t know can hurt you. Make sure you know what you are getting into and where you are going with it. I think it’s very important to aspire to great things, but don’t disillusion yourself and set yourself up for disappointment.

WHAT HOLLYWOOD HAS TAUGHT US ABOUT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY

Here’s a little excerpt right out of Moses Avalon’s “Million Dollar Mistakes” that I thought was great. It’s just a direct comparison of what we’ve seen in the movies and on television and what the actual reality is. Please visit Moses at his web site as well and check out his blog entitled, "Moses Supposes." Enjoy!

http://www.mosesavalon.com/

http://www.mosesavalon.com/mosesblog/

HOLLYWOOD'S MUSIC BUSINESS vs THE REAL MUSIC BUSINESS

HOLLYWOOD:
Artists record their albums and sing in the same room and at the same time as the band.

REAL:
Not since 1965. Vocals are almost always recorded in separate sessions. You're lucky if the singer shows up at all for tracking the instruments.

HOLLYWOOD:
No bar, backstage area, or social situation is too informal for the signing of a binding, long-term recording contract. Lawyers need not be present for these meetings. It's all about trust.

REAL:
Contracts take months to negotiate. No respectable label would ever let an artist sign a contract without legal representation. It could void the entire deal.

HOLLYWOOD:
Record executives all have the same interior decorator who lines the back walls of their office with platinum records, shag carpet and a fully-stocked bar.

REAL:
At big labels, the office of a major label A&R executive is about 10' x 14' and has little more than a desk (covered with CDs) and a stereo. He gets a window if he's had a good year.

HOLLYWOOD:
Hit songs are usually recorded in a single take, after which the producer yells, "Cut, that's the one, baby!"

REAL:
If only it were true. It usually takes many hours and many overdubs. For most of the process the producer is not present. It's done by the engineer as per the producer's instructions. The artist is rarely there for most of the process.

HOLLYWOOD:
Albums are recorded and then released a few days later.

REAL:
They sit on the shelf for months before the marketing department decides whether or not to release them at all.

HOLLYWOOD:
Artists go from a one-bedroom flat to a mansion shortly after their first album hits the charts.

REAL:
It takes about two years before royalties are paid from a first hit. During this time, artists do not usually quit their day jobs. Some manage to negotiate a "special advance" that pays rent on their current flat.

HOLLYWOOD:
Every female pop star is an unstable bitch who verbally abuses her staff and clings to her amphetamine-pushing manager like a long lost father.

REAL:
Most successful female artists participate significantly in their business matters. They don't have time for drugs, especially if they are mothers, as many of the ones over twenty-seven are.

HOLLYWOOD:
Tour buses are pimped-out rides with bathrooms that never fail. When picking out a tour bus, extra sleeping space is allotted for groupies, who are inevitably picked up along the way.

REAL:
Most are so cramped that there is barely room for the act itself. In fact, unless it's a very successful act, the "bus" is usually a van.

HOLLYWOOD:
Every pop star comes from a working-class home where mom is a simple-minded suburban housewife and dad just sits in a chair and listens to an old television. Both can't wait for the day when their kid will give up this "music thing" and go back to dental school.

REAL:
It's amazing how many successful pop stars come from money. After their run, many do retire to a family-owned business--software development, media, entertainment, oil, feminine hygiene products--or live off their trust fund.