Hey there, Happy Tuesday!
"There's the music, the music business, and the music industry. Love the first, understand the second, and hate the third."
These words could not be truer, especially in the current landscape where artists have more access than ever before to creative control and financial freedom. But this control isn't handed to you; you have to seize it. And the first step in doing so? Understanding the music business down to its core.
When we consider the music industry, it's easy to be captivated by the allure of creativity —the beats, the lyrics, the shows, and the fans. But underpinning all of that is a labyrinth of contracts, royalties, splits, copyrights, clauses, and performance rights organizations (PROs). The music you hear is just the tip of the iceberg. The rest is an intricate framework of legal and financial mechanisms that dictate who gets paid, how much, and when.
Have you ever wondered why some artists with chart-topping singles still struggle financially? It's usually because they don't understand the business side of things. They don't know how to evaluate a contract, what a fair royalty split looks like, or how to register their works with PROs to collect all the money they are owed around the world.
It's vital to treat your music career as you would any other business. Would you start a restaurant without understanding hospitality, supply chain, hiring, and accounting? Probably not. So why jump head-first into a music career without understanding its business aspects?
For those eager to dive into the nitty-gritty, I highly recommend reading "All You Need To Know About The Music Business" by Donald S. Passman. It's a comprehensive guide that answers the hard questions and fills in the gaps that your artistic intuition might have missed.
Remember, knowledge is power, but only if you use it. The better you understand the music business, the more capable you'll be of navigating its challenges, seizing opportunities, and most importantly, effectively monetizing your art.
So take the time to educate yourself. Your art deserves that much.
What’s New?
A few updates happened on Discord over the weekend. First, we introduced #levels, to reward the most active and engaging member with experience points (XP). The more XP you accumulate, the more you move up the levels and the leaderboard. Why?
This will play an important role as we continue to gamify Discord and introduce more rewards and benefits.
Over the weekend, we introduced new channels like #feedback, #music-production, #self-promo, and #web3. These new channels are only available to level 3 members or members with the following roles: Founding Member, Holder, or $SAYIT.
There is definitely more in progress, so stay tuned and join Discord if you haven't already.
Creative Corner
A common challenge that many producers face is managing heavy and cluttered sessions. You've got your samples, VSTs, and presets from the production stage, and then you layer on plugins for mixing and mastering. Before you know it, your DAW is crawling, your CPU is gasping for air, and your workflow suffers.
Here's a game-changing tip: separate your production from your mixing. Once you've finished with the production and you're happy with how things sound, export all your stems in audio format. Start a fresh new project specifically for mixing.
Why do this?
Increased CPU Power: By eliminating the resource-hogging plugins from the production stage, you free up more CPU power for mixing.
Better Visibility: With a separate project, you can focus solely on mixing without being distracted by other elements. It's easier to spot what needs adjusting.
Easier Edits: When changes need to be made, you'll know exactly where to go. Is it a production change or a mix change? Your well-organized files will make this clear.
Avoid Over-Production: One of the pitfalls of having everything in a single project is the temptation to keep adding and tweaking. By separating the two stages, you create a natural stopping point, helping to prevent over-production.
Charlie's Weekly Discoveries
Bitcoin and the Rise of the Cypherpunks
F2P, a new business model for music
Sony Unveils Plans To Develop Blockchain
Decentralizing Today's Top L2s
Song Of The Week
When I’m With You by Devault
Thank you all so much for reading this issue of The Crown Chronicles! If you enjoyed it, please hit that subscribe button and don't hesitate to share it with your friends. Your support means the world to me!
Just a quick reminder that my playlist 'The Crown Jewels' has been updated with some fresh tunes! Make sure to give it a listen and follow, as I update it every week. If you have music you'd like to share or think should be added, just hit me up on Twitter and slide into my DMs with your tracks!
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