What Does It Take to Make It in the Music Business

Posted on August 13th, 2012

There are millions of teenagers hoping to become big stars someday. Just looking at the number of people trying out for American Idol and similar shows all over the world shows that everyone thinks they have what it takes to become a famous performer. Well, that is not really the case. There are three things that are more important than everything else for someone looking to make a breakthrough in music business.

Talent

Some say that talent is all that matters. It is not so, but it’s still one of the key ingredients. Someone who can’t sing at all will never make it. If one is looking to pursue a career in singing, he or she must hit all the notes and also have a nice enough voice that others want to listen to.

Connections

There are some stars that have become famous without having any connections in the first place, but that is rare. If an aspiring singer knows someone who knows some managers, other artists or song writers, they have a much bigger chance in succeeding. By looking up the profiles of famous performing artists it is obvious that most of them have famous relatives, have gone to school with some or are living in a neighborhood full of people in the music business.

Personality

More than talent, fans want personality. They want their idol to be different from everyone else, to stand up. A shy person will never be a star. Part of star quality is the ability to handle any situations and to communicate with different people. They must also be strong enough to deal with the media and publicity that always comes with being famous. Very private people can’t be stars.

When one has all these three qualities – talent, connections and a killer personality – there is a pretty big chance he or she will become a famous singer someday.

Posted in Tips And Tricks For Success

The Olden Days: When music was transferred through CD’s – Keeping Up With Technology In The Digital Age

Posted on July 20th, 2012

In a recent Left Over Cheese interview we talked to Gary Capason (GoTech music) as he talked about the changes he has seen since the new ‘digital’ age of music and how these changes have affected his company over the past few years. Having been in the industry for almost 60 years and getting ready to retire in the next few years we were fortunate enough to speak to a man who has seen it all in terms of the music industry; right from the very beginning of vinyl records all the way through to the present day.

 

Speaking about the changes in recent times Gary explained “It’s amazing to see how the industry has changed in the last 5 years. I remember quite clearly when the CD first came about and how everyone could not believe how revolutionary they were. Now CD’s and optical discs seem so out of fashion. All throughout the music industry, digital process have replaced discs. Everything from downloading music to the way we receive files has now changed into a digital format. We can only guess at what will be next. It seems like everything is always getting smaller… We are now using memory sticks and who knows what will be next?”

 

Interestingly, we are already starting to see further advancement in the music industry where people are choosing to listen to music through 3rd party programmes rather than to actually download and own the songs themselves. Services such as Spotify and WE7 have seen a great uptake in their software where the music is legally played through their respective programmes. This is beneficial to help tackle the problem of music piracy as the artists are now being paid their royalties for their music and the consumer is not incurring such a big cost.

 

Further advancements now see mobile phones, or rather smart phones, playing a potentially pivotal role in the next turn for the music industry. With the increasing level of technology stored within mobile phones, services such as Spotify or WE7 can operate through a mobile website or a mobile application. This is why it is essential to keep up to date with the latest mobile phone technology whether you are an artists, producer or consumer of music. It is now more important than ever that you invest in the latest mobile technology in order to keep with the trends and reap the full benefits of the latest mobile phone technology.

 

However, keeping up to date with the latest technology can be expensive. As mobile phones become instilled with more technology the prices for the phones continues to rise. Also, as you continuously buy new mobile phones this can lead to a surplus of old mobile phone which either build up or cause pollution in landfill sites. One way to combat this is to sell your old mobile phone and sell mobile phone accessories to phone recycling companies. This will not only make yourself some extra cash but also assist in keeping the environment clean.

 

By keeping up to date with the latest phone technology you will be able to enjoy the maximum benefits in the music industry. As described by Capason the music industry has seen dramatic changes in recent times and with little sign of slowing up in the near future. It will be interesting to see what impact the developing mobile technology does have on the industry and one which for now we will just have to sit back and watch.

Posted in Music

Making Money In The Music Industry

Posted on July 18th, 2012

The music industry is a harsh environment without any doubts. There are numerous rules that have to be respected and if you are not lucky enough to find a great producer, then having talent is not going to help you. There are numerous people with amazing voices who haven’t become famous and who probably never will because they were not lucky enough to meet the right person. Nowadays, the music industry is extremely complicated and it seems that it is going to get even more complicated. What is strange is that despite the fact that there are so many things that stand in the way of those who are trying to become famous, a lot of money can be made thanks to this huge industry. What is even stranger is the fact that most of the money will be made thanks to t-shirts, posters, all sorts of photographs catching the starts in strange, funny or even embarrassing positions, interviews and advertisement in all its shapes and forms. CDs are not that important anymore, as the internet is packed with websites that allow people to download any song they want for free.

If you are planning to make some money with the help of the music industry, you have to get ready for a lot of work. It is true that making a lot of money is possible, but this involves going to sleep late and waking up early in the morning. You can become the manager of a singer, which means that you are the one who plans tours, schedules interviews, as well as the one who thinks about the look and the singer’s image. Even though this is a lot of work, you can easily get rich, especially if you are good at what you are doing. Some people actually like their job, as they like being in clubs until early in the morning and going on tours, as this is a way of having fun and making a lot of money at the same time.

You should definitely think about the ways in which you can make money with the help of the music industry. There are all sorts of things that you can do, so be creative and if you have an idea, don’t avoid putting it into practice. The music industry is extremely flexible and elastic and it offers you the chance to do almost anything you want!

Posted in When White Rabbits Go Dancing

About Internships In The Music Industry

Posted on July 18th, 2012

Have you heard about internships in the music industry? There are plenty of them available for those who are interested in pursuing a career in this industry and they all are extremely useful. Why are these internships so useful? Well, it is quite easy to understand: they show the intern what type of careers can be pursued in this industry, how the various jobs are done and what these jobs can do for the person who has them, financially speaking.

If you love music very much and even have a good voice, then you should start searching for a great manager. It is the manager the one who can help you become a famous singer and follow your dream, so search for a very good manager. By attending an internship, you will find out what exactly you have to do in order to find the right manager, the person who can help you become famous, so consider joining such an internship. If becoming a singer is not what you want, then you might want to join an internship that teaches you how to become a manager and what this job implies.

Being a manager in the music industry is, without any doubts, one of the most difficult jobs. There are so many things that a manager has to do, that only a very organized person can become a successful one. If you know that you are an organized person and have the necessary skills in order to become a music industry manager then start your long journey by joining an internship. You can be sure that you won’t be regretting your choice, especially when you start making a lot of money. There are numerous stories of how normal people became very rich because they represented worldwide famous singers; you can become one of these success stories and I am sure that this sounds perfect for you.

If the manager career or the singer career does not attract your attention, then you can become a technical producer or a marketing specialist. These jobs are also very well paid in the music industry, as they are the ones that keep the industry working. There are so many things that can be done in this industry, that you will be amazed. You will surely find out more about all of them by joining a specialized internship, so go for it! You will surely love it!

Posted in SXSW 2007 Reviews

Rounder Records Set To Close

Posted on July 10th, 2012

The very much loved music retailer Rounder Records from Brighton is to close after an incredible 46 years in business. The company was founded in 1966 and has remained an independent retailer throughout its whole existence. Only recently slogans such as ‘Still independent, still number 1′ were being used to market the company.

The shop is the latest in a string of independent music businesses of this nature to close due to record sales being on the decrease and as time goes by the sales keep going down.

The owner of the business ‘Phil Barton’ was said to have been bitterly disappointed with the closure and was quoted as saying:

“We are closing because we can’t make it add up any more … We are a business that has been decimated by downloads (both legal and illegal), VAT avoidance by the big online retailers, a double dip recession, and the decline of the high street. Our lease has ended and we have nowhere to go.”

Since the announcement many people have taken to the social media websites in a last minute bid to save the company. The Stone Roses biographer John Robb was reported as saying:

“Brighton’s Rounder Records to close – another sad day for independent music”

Earlier this year the official charts company created a new chart especially for independent record sales only in an attempt to advertise the importance of record stores and in particular independent record stores such as Rounder Records. it was later revealed that the vast majority of vinyl record sales are made in stores like this.

A couple of now famous pop stars have worked in the Brighton store before hitting the big time. Norman Cook (or as we know him ‘Fat Boy Slim’) and also Damian Harris both worked in the store throughout the nineties.

The store will finally close its doors on 29th July 2012.

Posted in Music, Music Industry News