Will Beattie - The Rock and Roll Times: Music Industry Bible

THE ROCK AND ROLL TIMES -MUSIC INDUSTRY BIBLE

By Will Beattie

SmashWords Edition

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Table ofContents

Copyright 2011 WillBeattie

This eBook is licensed for your personalenjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away toother people. If you would like to share this book with anotherperson, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Ifyoure reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was notpurchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy.Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. Thescanning, uploading and distribution of this publication via theInternet or via any other means without the permission of thepublisher is illegal, and punishable by law. Please purchase onlyauthorised electronic editions, and do not participate in orencourage illegal electronic distribution of copyrighted materials.Your support of the authors rights is appreciated.

If you are a copyright holder and you feelyour work has been represented unfairly, please contact thepublisher. The right of Will Beattie to be identified as the authorof this work has been asserted by him in accordance with theCopyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

NOTE: The material contained in this book isset out in good faith for general guidance and no liability can beaccepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of relying onparticular circumstances made in this book. Laws and regulationsare complex and liable to change, and readers should check thecurrent positions with the relevant authorities before makingpersonal arrangements.

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During the writing ofthis book there were people I needed to help me along. ElliotChalmers from www.musiclawadvice.co.uk has written all the legalterms and definitions you will find in this book. He also wrote thechapter on music law. I enlisted Paul and Stuart over atwww.madgwickproductions.com who helped with the cover concept ideaand design. Paul Madgwick at www.nimblepr.co.uk. Donal Whelan fromwww.masterworld.com who in my mind wrote the definitive account ofwhat the mastering process is all about.

Also, thanks goes to allthe interviewees: Iron Maiden manager, Rod Smallwood; GeffenRecords CEO Colin Barlow; Steve Tilley at Kilimanjaro; Jon Dunn atLiveNation; Joel Death and Steve Proud at Atlantic Records; NeilRidley at Warners; Amy Daniels at Lavolta; Mark Palmer atRoadRunner; Peter Chiesa at Stephen Budd management; Myles Kellerat MCPS-PRS; Michael Laskow at www.taxi.com ; Dick Beathumat 360 Mastering Studios; Mark Gnui at CAA; Nicholas Barnet at Deador Alive; Natasha Bent at The Agency; Luke Selby at Vital; SofiaHagberg at The End of The Road Festival; Paul King at Live andDangerous and Richard Robson at Freak Music Productions.

Chris Simmons at Ricall;James Wilkinson, Manager, Some Velvet Morning; Joshua Dick at TheAgency Group, New York; Kevan Gallagher - Producer; Simon Gogerly -Producer; Angus Wallace - Far Heath Recording Studios; Mike Plumleyat Blurb media; Hattie Collins Editor: RWD; Tom Artrocker; JamesSherry at Division Promotions; Jacquie Perryman - Entertainment& Media Consultancy; Paul Hitchman at www.playlouder.com ; PaulBirch - CEO Revolver Records; Claire ONeill AIF: Association ofIndependent Festivals; Vicky Gregory at Bloodstock Festival; DarrenSnape at Virtual Touring and Matthew Stuart ar Gung-Ho!Records.

Special thanks to Dad, Alex, Andy and Iain;Pete Wackett; Alx and Rob Leeks; Jeff Clarke; Rafer Wildash; Bub;Phil Page; Paul Dorritt; Aiden Gilligan; Patricia Gucci; FrancesLamb; Luis Smith; Danny Woods; Andy Payne; Basil Creese; and TheTrailer Park Boys for keeping me sane whilst I was stuck inJersey.

For Katy and VoodooX

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For you, MammaWe allmiss you.

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Why I wrote thisbook

The music industry has changed. And you, themusician, the band, the solo artist, are part of that change.Without any of you, there is no music industry. You are the singlemost important aspect of why we all do what we do; without thebands, the songwriters, the ones who can change our lives, therewould be a big empty void in all of us. The world has lost valuablesongs along the way because some bands didnt make it. The recorddeal they chased never appeared and so they gave up and faded away;and in some strange way, the world lost out.

Being in a band is a life-long process. Itsalso one of the hardest things in the world to be successful at.And thats the problem. We define far too many things with the wordsuccessful; and its not about that. You are the music makers: ifyou make and create music, then you are already successful; youvedone your job. Whether you get the chance to play on the worldstage is not in your hands and nor should it be used to measure thevalue of what you have written and produced.

The Internet has freed bands with the adventof digital technology. It has given you the best time in all ofhuman history to create a CD/hard drive/life full of music. Onceyou have done that, the rest is in the hands of fate. I would hopethat the information contained in this book gives you some ideas tothink about creating a platform without chasing something that maynever come - yes, that ever-elusive recording contract.

The digital revolution has truly broughtchange to every musician and whilst there will always be a need forrecord labels, you are no longer limited in the chances that arenow open to you. Record labels and the music industry bring you theexpertise in the many areas you will be involved in, whether itsrecording, touring, press and promotion, distribution or management- these are the areas that are vital to a bands existence, and allof it costs money. As we all need money to survive, bands need thefinance to exist and operate. A band needs a structure around themto exist and develop.

But, you also need ideas. And this book, Ihope, will leave you feeling like you can go forth and create thelife through music you dream about. Many of you will chase therecord deal anyway, and good luck to you, but through implementingthe chapters written here, this Rock and Roll Road we are all onmay just give you a smoother ride.

Ive seen far too many bands struggle andstarve. Ive seen them literally waste away because the last 30they had was spent on rehearsals rather than food. That kind of

passion still blows me away. Ive seen bandssacrifice personal happiness in the pursuit of musical excellence,leaving me in awe, because its that kind of commitment you willneed and if you stand any kind of chance of making it in anover-crowded world.

Each chapter in this book was written toprovide you with the ideas, insights and understandings for you toimplement during your musical career. Its written with a fullperspective to get you thinking for yourself. And should you chasethat recording contract and fail, well then you can always comeback and learn how to set up a record label, cant you? A band willalways need the right people to guide, help and support them duringtheir career.

There has never been a better time for a bandand music to exist. You have the power to take control. You havethe platform to showcase who you are. You have the technology thatnever existed ten years ago on such a mass scale, or for so cheap.I suspect John Lennon is looking down from Heaven cursing how luckyyou are. With an insatiable media searching for new content 24/7,along with the kids scouring the Internet looking for new music,you have everything you could ever need to create a career in Rockand Roll, so get out there and make it happen

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Its a long way to thetop

I think everyone at one stage in their liveswanted to be a Rockstar. Who hasnt stood looking into the mirrorwith a tennis racket rocking out to some tune on the radio, or asit is now-a-days, their iPod? I still play air-guitar every chanceI get. I love it. I still want to be a Rockstar; but thats onlyever going to happen in my dreams. You, however, may still get yourchance. The digital age has unleashed the possibilities for bandsand musicians to write and record songs for little financialinvestment.