So You Need An Agent?

                 

Now days there are so many people trying to make it to the music industry, but don’t know how to get there or who to reach out to for help. To have that extra push you need getting an agent would help out a lot. Having a successful agent could open so many doors for an artist or band. They would be helping the talent book different venues and make that there are people there from labels that could possible help with getting the talent signed. To go about finding the perfect agent shouldn’t be that hard. There are so many sources you can use. The most common source would first be word of mouth. Using word of mouth should be pretty accurate because you can tell form the success of the other artist or band that informed you of the agent. You also wouldn’t ask someone who you don’t trust their opinion. The next source you can use would be using industry related directories. Those can be found by using the Internet and finding industry related magazines. The last and final way to find an agent to help boost your career would be jus doing advanced research on the Internet. Next thing you should know when seeking an agent is knowing what kind of terms you want your contract to be on. Before signing anything discuss the length of the contract starting off two years should be good because that way you can judge how much success or non success the agent has gave you. The job details and functions need to be outlined; the artist should have a good understanding of what is to be expected from the agent. If expectations aren’t met then this would result in breach of contract on the agent’s behalf and that would lead to termination of the contract. Lastly make sure that the agent really cares about you and your movement and make sure that want what’s in your best interest.  

Entertainment Legal Liabilities

When owning a recording studio there are many different legal liability issues that could occur. The first legal issue that could occur would be intellectual property. Trademarks and copyrights could be infringed unknowingly weather it be a simple symbol or color pattern to abut 20 seconds of someone else’s already copyrighted music. Trademarks are usually words, symbols slogans basically things that are used to identify the source of origin with products or services. Copyright protection usually covers literary and artistic expression. Which usually goes under books, music, paintings plays, movies and many more. In order to avoid anything from happening such as any legal trouble one should always take preventative actions. Some things that can be done is making sure that the music you are recording is not someone else’s and if it is you are not taking a substantial amount of their work. If you want to take a substantial amount of the previously recorded song you should ask for permission to use it from the rightful owner. More than likely they would be willing to agree but would want either a down payment or a certain percentage of the earnings from the song. Copyright infringement could be a very long and messy process to deal with when on either sides of the table. When dealing with trademarks the only time it would be ok to use is if you have permission from a competitor to use either that competitor’s logo or colors or something to indicate that it is them in a competitive commercial. Just as Charmin tissue does with Scott tissue. Attached you will find the following links helpful and useful when trying to understand exactly what is an intellectual property. You would also learn more in depth how to actually go about protecting your copyright with your copyright code.  

http://itunes.apple.com/itunes-u/intellectual-property-law/id388454392

Industry Liabilities

There are so many legal controversies going on nowadays, we do after all live in a sue friendly world. This month we will be going over the legal side of things in the entertainment industry. To start off the first controversy is about the whole Chris Brown and Drake scuffle that left about eight people injured and a few people hospitalized. Among the many people injured was Chris brown himself and Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs. Tony Parker is now filing a $20 million lawsuit against the New York Club W.I.P. for a scratched cornea he suffered doing the fight between the two celebrities. I think this could have been avoided and there was really no need to start throwing bottles in the first place. I also feel that $20 million is a bit excessive. 

The second legal controversy is about the Grammy award winning singer Lauryn Hill. The former Fugees singer will be facing three years in prison due to tax charges. From 2005-2007 she had reportedly earned $1.8 million and failed to file tax returns. Most celebrities get so caught up in the hype of making all that money they forget to pay their dues when its time and then they end up in situations like this. If she would have paid the money like she was supposed to then I feel she would be free and would still had some money left over from her successful days. 

The last and final controversy I want to discuss is one that happened back in 2009. Joe Satriani Sues Coldplay for plagiarism for the song “Viva La Vida”. The lawsuit was for coldplay allegedly taking substantial original portions of his 2004 song “If I could fly” in their 2008 hit “Viv La Vida”. Although it is clear and you can hear samples of his songs and riffs in theirs the case got dismissed upon stipulation. I think all this could have been avoided even if Coldplay didn’t know they took some of his original work when it came to their attention the could have offered him some money from the earnings of the song. 

Why is Apple So Successful???

What is the reason Apple, Inc is doing so well with its latest products? The answer is having good product management. Steve Jobs was a very smart man and did a good job of running Apple Inc. He and his team had a great skill of strategic visioning and planning. From the Product Manager’s Field Guide there are five product management assets that if followed would lead to a successful product. The first asset is to “Drive business results.” In order for this asset to work one must not only oversee the product and make sure there is a successful launch but and offer great customer satisfaction. The second asset is “deliver results through people.” Product managers need to learn how to get positive results through other people. Word of mouth can make or break your product. The third is “ensure market-driven direction.” As a product manager you have to know what the customers want and understand their existing and future needs. Next is “guide product fit and function.” This is where product managers listen to customers concerns and opinions and use this to create a great product. Finally there is “manage multiple priorities.” This asset just bacsically states that as a product manager you must have the ability to multi task. Out of these product management assets three of them is what made Apple, Inc so successful with the releases of the Ipod, Iphone and its four generations, and the Ipad. Ensure Market driven direction, guide fit and function and drive business results. Apple does a great job of releasing things when the technology and timing is right. If the products were released before its time then it would fail. Steve Jobs was great at know what people wanted and when they were ready to accept it. In an interview he stated "It's really hard to design products by the focus groups. A lot of times, people don't know that they want until you show it to them." Business Week May 25 1998

The Road to Success:Artist Management

More than likely the road to success for most artists today involves an artist manager. Most artists don’t know where to start on the road to become a star. Here are a few examples of poor artist management and good artist management. To start off with the bad Creedendnce Clearwater Revival had a lack of good management. The manager of the bad was the lead singer John Fogerty. To have a band member, as a manager is a bad thing then it becomes overwhelming and the artist is wearing to many hats. It would have been good for the band if he had taking some courses in business. He led the band to their demise because of his poor decisions. He wanted things to go his way and his way only. They didn’t have a good deal with the record label they were under called Fantasy Records. Causing them to lose all they’re well earned money in some offshore tax shelter, and get lower royalty rates. Next is a good example of how a no name artist can become a star with proper management. A well-known Rap artist by the name of Wale is the perfect example. After he had a few successful mixtapes and singles under his belt that was getting radio play he got signed to a well know Dj by the name of Mark Ronson to Allido Records. In 2009 Wale signed to Roc Nation Management with Madonna, Rihanna, The Ting Tings, Ester Dean and many more. He would later sign a deal to join Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group in 2011. With a great management team to back him up he released a very successful album late 2011 called “Ambition”. Now Wale is featured on a lot of artist songs and has more a demand for his songs and shows. Having a good manager who knows the right people and what is best for the artist is the key to being the next big superstar. For all you upcoming artist and managers I recommend reading a great and informative book called "This Business of Artist Management" By: Xavier M. Frasconga, Jr. and H. Lee Hetherington.
            

Secrets to having a Successful Fashion Boutique

There are many secrets to having a successful fashion boutique. The first thing is that the prices have to be reasonable. The prices should always be reasonable but set at the right price so you not only break even but you make a profit from it. If you have items set at an attractive price then you would reach your target market and more.    People love to wear with the celebrities are wearing. Nine times out of ten the public can’t afford it or it is not accessible. By realizing that people care about accessibility and price you can then separate people from the problem. You also have to put into consideration the location of the business. If you put the business in the right spot then you will gain your target audience. Hopefully you won’t have any other competitors in the area. In order for any business to be successful you have to invest in marketing. Then you have to purchase the right inventory for the boutique. Finally hire the right staff. Make sure you are hiring people that know a lot about fashion. It would be a plus for them to already be in the industry. Now that you know the basics to starting a successful fashion boutique now you need to know how to properly negotiate with customers. When it comes to fashion and local boutiques even though you have a set price people are going to try to negotiate the price with you. Out of the five core concerns from Roger Fisher’s book Beyond Reason you can consider using status. When applying status to a negation with a customer you have to realize that hey feel they are of certain status and you should respect them and treat them as such. Another thing you should do is invent options for mutual gain. If you become successful at this then you and you customers will be happy. 

How long will Dance music last?

As you all know every artist is now trying to come out with dance music to appeal to the mainstream crowd. Most people think it is as phase and it will soon die down. Many artists have their main genre the came out with then they do a few pop/dance songs. For example Rihanna has a song named we Found Love it is a very up-tempo song with a lot of synthesizers in it as well. Rihanna main genre is R&B but all artists are doing what it takes to sell records and going mainstream. Another example is Chris Brown Turn Up the Music and Nicki Minaj “Starships”. Most people are saying that Nicki Minaj is a sell out and she should just stick with rapping. A couple of years ago reggae was the mainstream music that everybody was listening to and wanted to have in their mp3 players and radios. Only after about a year it died down and most artist were consider one hit wonders. What most artists are doing today is ver smart and its a skill you need to have in order to make money in the music industry as well as make a living and last in it. Today's artist have to make opportunity costs, which is the cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Basically, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action. The use their skills an make all type of genre music their original genre and do a little pop/dance just to get the crowd to buy their music.  Country is stated to be the most profitable genre in the music industry right now then Rock n Roll and after it would make sense to say Dance/pop. Dance and Pop is a genre that all crowds like no matter what the race is and it is something everyone can dance to. Pop is also well known and in demand around the world.