Tag Archives: working musician

protect your songs with copyright
Music Business, Resources

Protect Your Songs with Copyright

protect your songs with copyrightThe songwriting process is rarely easy. Giving life to that creative spark is a process that can take countless hours, the behind-the-scenes toil never known to the audience that finally hears the song.

So, it’s important that all the sweat, anguish, and fine-tuning that turned your “kernel-of-an-idea” into a “track-on-an-album” counts for something. Even if your finished song doesn’t get shared with a wide audience, you should protect it nonetheless.

The act of copyrighting your work grants you, the owner, the exclusive right to have your work reproduced. Under the Copyright Act, protection starts the moment your songs are fixed in tangible form–recorded or even just scribbled down. The copyright then becomes property of the author and only the author, or those deriving their rights from the author, can claim the copyright.

With copyrighted works, you also have the privilege to: prepare derivative works based on your original tune; distribute copies of your work to the public, by sale, retail, lease, lending, or other transfer of ownership; and perform and display the copyrighted work publicly.

The more public your music the better, since as an artist, most of your money is made through the sale of your music, as distributed through a music publisher.

But lots more can be earned from paid TV and radio performances. But how do you ensure that you’ll receive the proper compensation if your songs are used in various media?

That’s where performing rights societies such as The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI); and the Society of Composers, Authors, and Music Publishers of Canada (SOCAN) come in.

These are the organizations responsible for tracking when and where an artist’s copyrighted songs are broadcast, whether the exact track is used for background music in an episode of CSI, or if the next American Idol hopeful sings a variation of it.

This applies to international broadcast as well, in every country, save Russia and China, where copyrights are not honored. Every time your creation hits the airwaves, you’ll be compensated with a royalty check, delivered to your door every few months.

Your claim to copyright in the melody and lyrics of your songs can be registered with the Copyright Office. They usually require the copyright owner to deposit “two complete copies of phonorecords of the best edition of all works subject to copyright that are publicly distributed in the US, whether or not the work contains a notice of copyright.”

The proper form to register songs is Form PA (not Form SR). As long as all your music and lyrics are “unpublished,” you may register an unlimited number of songs together as a collection. This will extend the benefits of registration to each copyrightable selection in the collection.

Though not required, it’s recommended that you place a copyright notice on all your work. The notice includes the copyright symbol, the year of first publication, and the name of the copyright owner. Keep in mind, if your songs are published and distributed without a copyright notice, you’ll have relinquished your right to secure copyright and your songs would fall into public domain.

For more information on protecting your original creations visit the US Copyright Office at www.copyright.gov
BMI at www.bmi.com
SOCAN at www.socan.ca
ASCAP at www.ascap.com.

Recent News

If I could play an instrument…

By Brien Matson, board member, Local 677 (Honolulu, HI)

Editor’s Note: This article won an International Labor Communications Association 2006 award in the category of Best Feature Story (Local Unions). It is reprinted from the March 2005 edition of Keola O Na Mele, the official journal of Local 677.

“If I could play an instrument … I’d love to play for a couple of hours for $50. Heck, I’d even do it for free, I’d just be so happy to be playing music. You’re so lucky!”

Sound familiar? It’s the voice of the uninitiated non-musician, the fan, the admirer, the “Regular Josephine,” the “Regular Joe.” They’re right. We are lucky that we play music, but it’s bad luck that most people look at our profession in that way.

We are professionals. We chose music as a career, we work hard at it, and we want to make a decent living at it.

Here’s another familiar sound: “It’s just not in the budget. Look, you love to play, why don’t you just do it for that amount? It’s better than nothing…” Or these: “Take it or leave it;” “It’s great exposure.”

Sound painfully familiar? It’s the voice of the purchaser. The club owner, the restaurateur, the agent, the promoter. The sad thing is that the purchaser is in the music business to make money, but somehow, they don’t want to pay the people who make the music that makes the money.

This article is addressed to the “Regular Joes,” the “Regular Josephines,” and the purchasers. It’s also to us, the professionals. We need to think about this, and remind ourselves of how specialized what we do is, and set the bar a little higher in order to survive and–dare I say this?–prosper. Let’s go with the $50 gig. Most of us won’t take them, and people are surprised when we don’t. But let’s use that figure and do a little math to illustrate why we’re not happy to play a couple of hours for 50 bucks.

“Two hour gig, $50 each, cash. What’s wrong with that? That’s $25 an hour.” Hmmm-m-m-m. Let’s say the gig is from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., and let’s not take into consideration practicing or warming up.

Start with the drive to the gig. What? Everyone has to drive to work! True, so we won’t count the drive. Keep in mind that most people drive the distance, and then walk in to work five minutes early, grab a cup of coffee, and start working. We have to pack up the car with equipment (half an hour) and drive to the site. Unload the car, load the equipment onto the stage (half hour), go park the car (15 minutes), come back and set up (1 hour).

Let’s say that you timed it so you had 15 minutes before the gig starts. That’s two and a half hours. Add the gig, and you’ve got four and a half hours.

Now pack up. If you’re lucky, and nobody wants to talk to you after the gig, you can tear down in one hour, go get your car, load your equipment (another half hour), and drive home.

Nobody counts the drive home, but when you get home, you unpack your car, and load your stuff into the house, another half-hour, easy.

That’s six hours work, for $50 cash. More like $8.33 an hour, not $25 an hour.

Let’s look at making a living with that same amount. To make $1500 a month, you would have to do one $50 gig a day, every day of the month. If you did that every day, every month of the year, no vacation, no holidays, you would make about $18,000 per year, and that’s before taxes.

Paying federal and state income tax, general excise tax, and full social security tax (no employer contributions), knocks it down to about $11,880. By the way, you’re not eligible for unemployment or workers’ comp, but that’s okay, it’s not really work, right?

Let’s double that to $36,000 gross, which is $23,760 after taxes. For that, you would need to do two of those gigs a day. Two gigs taking up 6 hours each is 12 hours a day, every day of the year.

It’s a simplistic formula, but it makes a point. The point is, that’s why we’re not “happy to play for a couple of hours for $50,” even though we are lucky to be able to play music.

The next time someone says something like the opening line of this article to you, turn it around. Say: “If I could be a dentist, I’d love to do it for $8.33 an hour. I’d just be so happy to be able to practice dentistry. You’re so lucky!” I’m sure the reply would be: “What do you mean, lucky? I studied for years, and I still study. I worked long, hard hours to perfect my craft, and still do. My equipment cost me an arm and a leg, and it’s very specialized work. I’m a professional!”

Just smile and say, “Me, too.”

 

International Musician

La fiscalité canadienne et les dispenses pour les artistes étranger

Ignorer les exigences fiscales d’un pays étranger peut entraîner des complications imprévues, comme l’illustre bien la lettre qui suit :

Nous avons envoyé un ensemble américain au Canada en 2013. Nous avions obtenu au préalable l’approbation d’une dispense de retenue R105, mais nous n’avions pas réalisé qu’il nous fallait produire une déclaration de revenus canadienne. Nous avons donc été surpris lorsque, l’été dernier, une nouvelle demande de dispense nous a été refusée. Le présentateur a retenu 15 % de notre rémunération à la source et nous aimerions récupérer cette somme. Comment devons-nous procéder?

Les formulaires de dispense R105 sont utilisées au Canada pour demander la réduction ou même l’élimination de la retenue à la source de 15 % des sommes payées pour les services rendus au Canada par un non résident. Toutefois, même si vous obtenez l’approbation d’une demande R105, vous êtes tenu de produire une déclaration de revenus canadienne l’année suivante. À défaut, vos demandes subséquentes de dispense vous seront refusées, et ce, tant et aussi longtemps que vous n’aurez pas régularisé votre situation. Cette exigence est clairement indiquée dans la lettre d’approbation de l’Agence du revenu du Canada. En effet, obtenir une dispense R105 ne règle pas toutes les obligations de l’artiste étranger se produisant au Canada. Sa dette fiscale finale sera établie après évaluation de sa déclaration de revenus canadienne.

Il existe deux types de demandes de dispense R105 :

1) Les dispenses fondées sur une convention

Ce type de dispense de retenue est accordé s’il y a une convention fiscale entre le Canada et un autre pays. Actuellement, plus de 80 conventions fiscales sont en vigueur. Pour en consulter une liste, rendez-vous à l’adresse suivante : http://www.fin.gc.ca/treaties-conventions/in_force–fra.asp

En règle générale, là où il existe un traité, une dispense de retenue sera accordée si un artiste étranger gagne moins de 5 000 $ par année au Canada et respecte certaines restrictions relatives à la durée de son séjour. Pour les artistes américains, ce montant est de moins de 15 000 $.

2) Dérogation fondée sur les revenus et dépenses

Si vous n’êtes pas admissible à une dispense en vertu d’une convention fiscale, vous pouvez tout de même demander une dérogation fondée sur une estimation de vos revenus et dépenses. Vous soumettez alors une évaluation sommaire de votre revenu brut au Canada et en déduisez les dépenses admissibles. Votre revenu net est ensuite  évalué pour déterminer votre obligation fiscale. Selon le résultat, il se peut qu’on vous accorde une dispense ou que l’on réduise le montant de la retenue exigée. Les dépenses admissibles incluent les frais de services professionnels (gérants, agents, etc.); l’hébergement ou les frais de repas; les frais du voyage pour se rendre au Canada et des déplacements à l’intérieur du pays entre les lieux de vos engagements; le kilométrage pour les véhicules personnels ou de location utilisés au Canada; la location de matériel autre que les véhicules, et la rémunération d’autres personnes rendant des services au Canada, par exemple des employés ou des sous-traitants résidents ou non résidents.

[Note : La rémunération versée aux non résidents est assujettie à la retenue à la source de 15 %, à moins que vous n’ayez obtenu au préalable une dispense R105 ou R102 pour eux également.]

Que vous ayez obtenu une dispense ou non, vous devriez toujours produire une déclaration de revenus canadienne. De toute façon, c’est un préalable à l’obtention de dispenses ou de dérogations futures et, d’autre part, il se peut qu’on vous rembourse des sommes retenues. Les particuliers doivent soumettre une déclaration T1 au plus tard le 30 avril, et les sociétés, une T2 au plus tard le 30 juin de l’année civile suivant les engagements. De plus, si vous avez fait appel à des sous-traitants ou à des employés, vous devrez remettre des feuillets T4A-NR à chaque personne, verser les sommes que vous avez retenues au receveur général du Canada au plus tard le 15 du mois suivant celui du paiement au non résident, et produire une déclaration de renseignements T4A‑NR (les feuillets T4A-NR et le rapport sommaire) au plus tard le dernier jour de février de l’année suivant celle où les montants ont été payés. Notez que le défaut de produire les déclarations de revenus et les formulaires comme indiqué entraîne des pénalités non négligeables.

Les artistes non résidents doivent être conscients des exigences canadiennes en matière de dispense et de déclaration de revenus lorsqu’ils viennent se produire au pays.

Je vous invite à me faire part de vos questions et de vos préoccupations en m’écrivant à robert@bairdartists.com. Bien que je ne puisse pas répondre à toutes vos questions dans ma chronique, j’en traiterai le plus grand nombre possible et je promets de répondre à tous vos courriels.

Music Business, Resources, Traveling Musician

Canadian Waivers and Taxation for Foreign Artists

robert-bairdby Robert Baird, President Baird Artists Management (BAM!)

Ignoring the taxation requirements of a foreign country can lead to unforeseen complications, as this letter illustrates:

We sent an American ensemble to Canada in 2013. We had obtained an approved R-105 waiver in advance. Consequently, no taxes were withheld. We did not realize that we needed to file a Canadian tax return. When we applied for a waiver last summer, we were surprised to have it rejected. The presenter withheld 15% and we’d like to get it back. What do we do now? 

R-105 Waivers are used in Canada to reduce or eliminate the 15% required withholding on services provided in Canada by a nonresident. Even with an approved R105 waiver in Canada, you are still required to file a Canadian income tax return the following year; otherwise, subsequent waiver applications will be denied until your tax filings are up-to-date. This is made clear in the approval letter from Revenue Canada. R105 waivers do not represent the final Canadian tax obligation of a foreign artist: the ultimate tax liability can only be determined after an assessment of a Canadian tax return.

There are two types of R105 waiver applications:

1) Treaty-based waivers—Treaty-based waivers are granted if there is a treaty between Canada and another country. Currently, there are more than 80 tax treaties in force. (Visit http://www.fin.gc.ca/treaties-conventions/in_force-eng.asp for a list.) Generally, where there is a treaty, if an artist earns less than $5,000 a year in Canada, with certain restrictions on time spent in Canada, a waiver will be granted. For American artists the amount is less than $15,000 per year.

2) Income/expense waiver—If you do not qualify for a treaty-based waiver, you can still apply for an income/expense waiver. You submit a summary of your gross Canadian income and claim applicable expenses against that amount. The net income is then assessed for tax liability. A waiver may be granted or the required withholding may be less than the required 15%. Applicable expenses include: professional service fees (managers, agents, etc.); accommodations and/or meals; travel to Canada and between places in Canada; mileage for personally owned or rented vehicles used in Canada; equipment rental other than vehicles; and remuneration paid to other persons providing services in Canada (for example, resident or nonresident employees, or subcontractors).

[Note: Fees paid to nonresidents require the 15% withholding unless you acquire an approved R105 or R102 waiver for them as well].

Whether you received an approved waiver or had monies withheld, you should always file a Canadian tax return. It’s a requirement for future waiver approvals and you may receive a refund of monies withheld. Individuals should file a T1 return by April 30 and corporations a T2 return by June 30 of the following calendar year. In addition, if you used subcontractors or employees, you will need to issue T4A-NR slips to each individual, remit withheld monies to the receiver general of Canada by the 15th of the month, following the month in which the payment was made to the nonresident and file a T4A-NR information return (T4A-NR slips and summary form) by the last day of February in the year following the year in which the amounts were paid. Note that there are significant penalties for failing to file tax returns and required forms as indicated.

Nonresident artists need to be aware of waivers and tax filing requirements when coming to Canada to perform.

—I welcome your questions and concerns.
Please write to me at: robert@bairdartists.com. While I cannot answer every question I receive in this column, I will feature as many as I can and I promise to answer every e-mail I receive.

To read this article in French visit: www.internationalmusician.org/la-fiscalite-canadienne-et-les-dispenses.

Recent News

Hanging Out with Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers

There’s a little theater/showroom off the beaten path in Weirsdale, Florida, called the Orange Blossom Opry. It’s a small venue that hires a lot of union musicians, including many classic country artists who have had strings of hits throughout the years. Just recently Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, members of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) were on the bill. Theater manager Suzanne Morgan arranged for me to get together with Larry before the Saturday matinee show.

Larry and his brothers, Steve and Rudy, have had a string of hits over the years, including “All the Gold in California,” “Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer to You),” “Broken Lady,” and many others. More than 50 years ago, the Gatlins started singing in their small hometown of Abilene, Texas, and they went on to have successful country music careers. Over the course of four-decades, the Gatlin Brothers have gone from dirty, dusty Texas stages to White House performances, from Broadway to the Grammy Awards and to the top of the country charts. When I asked Larry some questions about his career, I got some interesting answers.

I asked about some of their worst gigs. He says that playing the Jamboree in the Hills in Staunton, Virginia, when the temperature reached 148 degrees, was no picnic. A gig at the Atlanta Federal Penitentiary (as a performer, not an inmate) scared the hell out of him. As a young lad, he played a tent revival in Fort Worth, and was told he could have whatever was collected in an offering. The “love offering” amounted to $3.

The Gatlins were raised on gospel music, and began entertaining audiences in churches. They had guest appearances on radio and TV shows, when they were two, four, and six years old. Larry says their history as “gospel music junkies” came from those early roots.

A backstage chat with the Gatlin Brothers: (L to R) Rudy, Bob Popyk, Larry, and Steve, members of Local 257 (Nashville, TN).

A backstage chat with the Gatlin Brothers: (L to R) Rudy, Bob Popyk, Larry, and Steve, members of Local 257 (Nashville, TN).

“My folks took us to those old-fashioned Southern style quartet concerts, and it was love at first sound! My first hero was James Blackwood of the Blackwood Brothers Quartet. I just knew somehow, from that moment, that I wanted to be a singer for the rest of my life,” he says. The early ’70s found Steve and Rudy in college, while Larry moved to Nashville to write songs that were recorded by artists like Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson of Local 257, Barbra Streisand, Tom Jones, and Elvis Presley.

Larry and his brothers have played for five of the last seven presidents. Larry has stayed overnight at the White House in the Lincoln Bedroom. He recalls that he and his wife retired early there one night. They were in bed, with their clothes off, when George Bush came knocking at the door, wanting to show them some artifacts in the historic room. (Larry said that it wasn’t an opportune time, but he let the President in anyway.)

Gatlin is proud to be an AFM member. He says “at this stage of his life” he gets a check every month. Being a union member, he “knows he doesn’t have to play with crappy musicians.”

In Nashville, he became friends with former Local 257 President Harold Bradley. As Larry puts it, Bradley is “a true Southern gentleman, a consummate musician, and a great guitar player, who can read charts like crazy.” He credits Bradley for helping him turn his life around when things weren’t going quite so well. To this day, Larry says he has the utmost appreciation and deepest respect for Harold.

At this stage in their careers, the Gatlin’s have the best of both worlds, families and fans, and plenty of work both as individuals and together. You can tell they love to sing together. I think there’s no harmony quite as pure as family harmony.

I enjoyed meeting Larry, and his brothers. I stayed for the Gatlin Brothers show. Their music certainly screams of love and a lot of living. It’s Americana at its best and their fans love it. They represent the true spirit of the AFM.

Music Business, Resources

Your Best Gig Could Be Your Next Gig

Over the past few columns I’ve talked about crazy, memorable, and terrible gigs. That’s life as a working musician. I appreciate all the letters, calls, and e-mails about out-of-the-ordinary playing jobs. They are too numerous to mention here, but I am retaining many of them for future columns.

Besides just mentioning a highlight or funny story of some careers, three AFM members sent me books they’ve written. They range from “riding the crest of a slump” to looking back on a wonderful career as a union musician.

Hank Doiron of Local 198-457 (Providence, RI) wrote a recap of his more than 70 years as a bass player/vocalist. In his book, Gonna Take a Sentimental Journey, he mentions the hundreds of local AFM buddies he worked with through the years. Doiron is a former secretary of his local, and has had an outstanding career. One of the more unique gigs he played was when he was asked to put together a Dixie trio of bass, banjo, and trumpet. He arrived to find they were playing for a wake and the deceased’s last request was to have live Dixie music play during his calling hours.

I received The Life and Times of a Honky Tonk Drummer (available on Amazon) from Troy “Skeet” Seaton of Local 71 (Memphis, TN). It’s his stories from 45 years as a drummer in a number of different bands throughout Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

One of his fun stories was about playing at a bar with a guy who didn’t drink. It was the guy’s first job with the band in a number of years, and Seaton had a tough time even getting him to play the gig. The band was on a break, and someone bought a whole tray of tequila shooters and sent them over to the band. Skeet told one of the guys at a table next to the band that they’d had enough, and that he could drink them all. He promptly grabbed them like they were diamonds and downed them all at once. The guy in the band who didn’t drink came over to see what was going on, and the tequila grabber promptly threw up all over the nondrinking musician’s new cowboy boots. Skeet said all he could say was “welcome to the band.”

Then there was Local 1000 (nongeographic) member Jamie Anderson’s Drive All Night. The liner notes say it’s “in the tradition of the second oldest profession.” She’s been a traveling singer, comic, songwriter, musician, and a few more things beyond that. These are her recollections of grungy lodging, shady producers, half-deaf sound engineers, and miles of highway weariness. She has a very unique niche, and you’ll have to get her book on Amazon to really get a good take on her adventures as a girl with a guitar. She’s opened for major and minor acts, closed a church coffeehouse by uttering names of female parts, and danced with a tornado.

The book is a delightful mix of horror road stories on the touring circuit for her unique audience. It’s very funny in parts, and will make you feel your worst gigs were nothing compared to what she went through—no matter where you played. Her life has always been gigging, writing, networking, recording, and laughing. It’s a not-so-glamorous look at her daily grind.

Once, after slogging through a too-long sound check at a gig in Baltimore, a sound guy groused, “You’ve just never worked with such great equipment before.” She was tempted to answer, “It sounds like you’ve never seen sound equipment before.” Nothing she could do would convince him that her guitar does not usually scream like a jet at O’Hare, and her voice shouldn’t sound like something from an ancient boom box. She says you learn to live with it.

Once she had to sit on the edge of a stage in a huge theater, singing without amplification because no one knew how to adjust the computerized sound system. There was a date in Ohio where the sound equipment was locked in a cabinet for which no one had the key. She still did the gig, but only the folks in the first few rows could really hear her. She still got paid.

You learn to deal with these times, because you know the next gig will be better. Anderson writes in her book: “As long as somebody wants to hear me, I’m there. I’m especially interested in any gig in Hawaii, but Burnt Corn, Alabama, will work too.” She goes on to say, “There is nothing more satisfying than hearing applause when you’ve done a good job.” (It’s really nice when you get well over scale too.) Anderson also says she could never be an accountant because “no one claps when you balance the books.” Amen to that.

Tough gigs are a fact of life. It’s part of what we do. You learn from it. That next gig could be the best one you’ve ever had!

Recent News

Tips on Making an Orchestral Audition Recording

Grant applications are often straightforward to follow but time-consuming. Don’t wait until the last minute to send in an application, as you may find yourself rushing around to make photocopies or prepare a demo CD and thus are more likely to make mistakes or miss a part of the application.

Tips on Making an Orchestral Audition Recording

  • Always read guidelines and instructions carefully and follow them to the letter. Always submit a grant on time and in the requested format.
  • Don’t try to make the grantor’s program fit what you want to do–your program must be in line with the funding agency’s priorities.
  • Keep your goals realistic! Grantors want to know if projects will be successful, will meet their goals, and that those goals are measurable.
  • Be creative and compelling. Grants may be won or lost on the quality of ideas proposed. Grant writers talk about the “hook,” the sentence that tailors the project description to the interest of a funder.
  • Have clearly definable goals and objectives. You may also be asked to define an audience for your project or how it fits a grant’s wider (i.e. educational or historical) goals.
  • Propose a reasonable, detailed budget and timetable. Do your homework on costs prior to submitting your application.
  • Clarity is very important. Have someone you trust, preferably with good writing skills, read and critique your application.
  • Proofread! Spelling and grammar errors do not convey a positive or professional image. It’s a good idea to draft statements and longer items of the application before preparing a final version.
  • Choose partners wisely. If working collaboratively, make sure your partner is trustworthy, shares your vision, and shares the leg work.
  • If unsuccessful, follow-up with the funding agency nevertheless. Sometimes, not always, it will be able to give a critique of your application or reasons why certain projects were successful.
Recent News

5 Essentials of Music Career Success

by Peter Spellman, Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music

Music is too big a world for a one-size-fits-all model of music career success. Musicians’ career paths are as unique as their fingerprints.

Nevertheless, there are a few guidelines that I believe apply to anyone trying to make a living and a career out of their love of music.

Here are 5 essentials of music career success:

1) Hone your talent and realize there is a place for you. Not everyone is a Quincy Jones, The Beatles, or a Bruce Springsteen, but if an artist like Tom Waits is a vocalist, then there is definitely room for you too. Do the work necessary to excel in your niche, whether it’s writing a chart, engineering a session, providing backup vocals, or teaching kids the basics of music.

Your goal, to use marketing lingo, is to “position” yourself in your market as the go-to person for that particular skill or talent. Don’t worry too much about industry rejection. Every record label in Britain initially passed on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The key is believing in yourself and persevering beyond others’ opinions (even those of “the industry”).

2) Connect with as many people as you can because relationships drive music careers more that anything else, even talent. Music is a “who you know/who knows you” kind of business. The quality and quantity of your relationships will be the primary engines of your progress. Try developing creative projects with fellowmusicians. Perhaps you can combine your live show with two other acts and present the package to a local promoter. There is strength in numbers. Finding the right combinations takes experimentation.

If you’re interested in working in the business side of music, then interning at a music company is the best way to both learn how the biz works and connect with those who can help move your career along.

3) Accept the new powers in your corner and take responsibility for creating your own success. The last 20 years has given you the means to both produce and distribute your own music on a global scale. New models of business are emerging in the world of music. A “record deal” is not necessarily the goal any longer. The Internet has clearly become your “open mike” to the world, and desktop technologies provide you with ways to have the look, reach, and efficiency of larger companies. Dare to be different.

Remember, new power also means new responsibilities. Global reach means a potentially far-flung audience. You need to be ready for the incoming messages and questions from this new market. Have you created the best business structures to hold and express your work? Are you setting up effective systems to communicate with your audience? It’s up to you to create your own success and not merely rely on a record company or agent to do the work of making you visible in the marketplace.

4) Understand that every business is becoming a “music business” and so musical opportunities are multiplying. It took a coffee company and a computer manufacturer to teach the music industry how to sell music in the digital age! Nonmusic businesses everywhere are seeking creative ways to add music-related services to their mix. This means that you needn’t be dependent on the traditional “music industrial complex” for music career success.

Think of companies you already resonate with and try brainstorming ways you can link up. Start on a local scale. It might be a gift shop, bookstore, or arts organization. It may even evolve into a full-fledged sponsorship for a tour or recording project. Finds ways to add value to what these businesses are doing with what you have to offer. Forging creative alliances is key to building a multi-dimensional music career.

5) Prepare to be versatile and to wear several hats initially, until your “brand” is established. Most musicians I know have had to cobble together several revenue streams in the early stages of their careers in order to make enough money to support themselves. Many have also had to take on nonmusic “lifeline careers” just to make ends meet, pay down debt, or supplement what they earn from music. I tell musicians to not so much look for “a job,” but to seek out the work that needs to be done. It might be arranging a song, playing a wedding gig, helping organize a concert series, doing a jingle session, offering private music instruction, or writing a review of your favorite band’s new CD.

Eventually, all the different experiences merge together into the roaring river that will be your music career. At that point you’ll be visible, in demand, and able to name your price. And that’s career success.

Peter Spellman is Director of Career Development at Berklee College of Music, Boston. This article is adapted from his new book, Indie Marketing Power: The Guide for Maximizing Your Music Marketing (2008, Music Business Solutions).

Officer Columns, Secretary-Treasurer

Could the Working America Concept Work for Musicians?

One of the fastest growing organizations in the country is Working America (www.workingamerica.org). It mobilizes working people 365 days a year, contacting them at home to talk about jobs, health care, politics, and items that working families confront daily. The AFL-CIO initiated Working America to target nonunion working people. These are people who do not have the benefit of collective agreements.

Continue reading →

Recent News

Healthy Families Act Would Let Workers Earn Sick Time

In February, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CN) introduced the Healthy Families Act to give workers the opportunity to earn up to seven paid sick days. More than 43 million American workers currently earn no sick time and have to make a choice between losing wages and staying home if they or a family member are ill.

According to the AFL-CIO website, more than four in 10 private-sector workers and 81% of low-wage workers do not have paid sick days. A 2014 study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows that Latinos and those who make less than $20,000 a year are the workers least likely to have paid sick days. Even worse is the fact that many of the workers without sick days are food preparation or service workers, despite health department recommendations that these workers not go to work sick.

There is growing momentum across the country to pass paid family leave and paid sick days legislation. Twenty jurisdictions nationwide now have paid sick day laws in place. Philadelphia is the most recent city to pass legislation.

.