There is nothing you love more than making music and performing. But you also realize that to make money doing what you love, there is a lot you need to learn.

To be successful you need more than talent. Making Music Your Business gives working musicians what they need to make more money with their music and take their passion to the next level.

Get inside information and learn how to:

-Sign a manager and booking agent.
-Sell more CDs and merchandise.
-Deduct the cost of equipment from money you make.
-Legally sample and cover other artists’ music.
-Use your press kit to book shows.
-Protect the music you write.
-Rid your band of deadbeat members.
-Decide which publishing company to join.
-Make more at shows.
-Succeed with a better website and by using online music sources.

The music business is as much about the business as the music.

Be a success at both.

Another important member of your team is the booking agent, also known as the talent agent. As previously discussed, the management team is responsible for advising the artist on his or her musical career, but not for actually securing employment for the artist. It is the booking agent who fills this role.

As a band just starting out, you have probably been doing all of your own booking, so you know what a time-consuming process it is to contact clubs and arrange for shows. The music business being what it is, you have undoubtedly experienced having shows canceled at the last minute, having the line-up changed at the last minute, and having other bands not show up. You may have worked hard to get booked into a club, only to end up playing with other bands whose musical style does not mesh with yours. This can be a problem if the styles are so far apart that each band’s fans hate the other band’s music.

Depending on your hometown and your genre of music, you may have had trouble even getting paid for the shows you play. Many clubs, especially in places with active local music scenes, are reluctant to pay new bands until the band has established a reputation for being able to bring out people to the club and hold on to the people already there.

WHAT A BOOKING AGENT DOES
Over time, a band can work hard and establish a good reputation in its hometown and overcome most or all of the normal problems on their own. However, it does take a long time and it requires a great deal of work on the band’s part. Hiring a booking agent can be a definite help in this area. A good booking agent will be able to get you booked into the venues that are best suited to your music, help you break into the best local venues, and help you get paid for your shows. Your booking agent will know the going rate for venues in your area and for bands that play your type of music. The booking agent should also be able to help you get good bills, so that you are playing with bands that fit well with you and that already have an established fan base. This can help you broaden your own fan base and improve your draw at the local clubs.

For a local band in the early part of its musical career, it can also be difficult to get shows in cities beyond your local area. The venues in the other areas do not know you or your music, and are hesitant to book unknown acts. If you are working with a booking agent, he or she will be able to help you get these shows, because they will have already established good working relationships with the talent agents for the venues in many cities.

FINDING A BOOKING AGENT
As with managers, there are local booking agencies and large national agencies, and the same situation exists with the national booking agencies as with management firms. You will find it very hard to get a big, national agency to book you when you are a new band just starting out. They are looking for more established bands who have already reached a significant earnings level. That means that you will be working with a smaller agent, at least initially. You should apply the same criteria to hiring your booking agent that you did for hiring a manager—find someone with a good reputation who has the ability to get your band the shows it deserves.

 

Introduction Chapter One: The Business of the Band • Forming Your New Business • Partnerships • Corporations • General Business Provisions Chapter Two: The Business of the Band’s Name • Checking on Name Availability Chapter Three: Managers and Management Companies • What a Manager Does • What a Manager Does Not Do • Paying Your Manager • The Management Contract • Firing Your Manager • Do’s and Don’ts Chapter Four: Business Managers • What the Business Manager Does • Selecting a Business Manager • Paying Your Business Manager • The Relationship Chapter Five: Doing Business with Booking Agents • What a Booking Agent Does • Finding a Booking Agent • Review and Understand Your Agreement • Tips for Working with Your Booking Agent Chapter Six: Doing Business with Attorneys • The Role of the Attorney • Finding an Attorney • Paying Your Lawyer • The Working Relationship Chapter Seven: Equipment Issues • Paying for Equipment • Liability Concerns • Vehicles • What You Need Chapter Eight: The Business of Performing • Setting Up a Show • Getting Paid • How Much will You Make? • Performing Music You did not Write • Going on Tour • Dealing with Larger Venues • Paying for Your Tour • Foreign Tours • Touring Liability Issues • Promoting for Your Shows Chapter Nine: The Basics of Copyright • Sampling • Album Art • Coauthors • Works for Hire • Duration of the Copyright • Registration • Transferring Ownership of Copyrights • Termination of the Transfer • International Copyright Issues • Infringement Chapter Ten: The Business of Publishing • Definitions • Deciding whether You Need Professional Publishing Help • What to Look for When Selecting a Publisher • Contract Issues • Harry Fox Agency • Digital Downloads • Foreign Publishing • Karaoke • On Broadway • Headed for Hollywood • Television Series and Movies • Commercials Chapter Eleven: The Business Aspects of Artwork • Copyright Issues • Design Issues Chapter Twelve: Doing Business with a Record Label • Artist and Repertoire • Recoupment • Cross Collateralization • Term of the Agreement • Recording Commitment • Royalties • Controlled Composition Clause • Release of the Record • Miscellaneous Contract Provisions • Merchandising Rights • Videos • Sideman Clauses • Development Deals • Producers • Loan Outs Chapter Thirteen: Doing Business with an Independent Label • Acting as Your Own Label Chapter Fourteen: The Record and CD Duplication Business • Making the Master • Duplication • Bar Codes Chapter Fifteen: Selling Your CDs and Merchandise • Dealing with Distributors • Promoting Your Material • Bootlegs • Selling Your Merchandise Chapter Sixteen: Doing Business on the Internet • The Band Website • Website Basics • Other Online Opportunities Chapter Seventeen: Taxes • Band Taxes • Deductions • Songwriting Income • Tax and Estate Planning Conclusion Glossary Appendix: Sample Forms Index About the Author

Traci Truly received her law degree and undergraduate business degree from Baylor University. She has practiced law in Dallas, Texas since 1985. She has a general practice, representing individuals in a variety of types of legal matters as well as small businesses, including Omni Entertainment, a Dallas entertainment company, and Mustang Booking Agency, also located in Dallas. Ms. Truly has written or coauthored several legal guides. Her book, Teen Rights (and Responsibilities), was named to the New York Public Library’s 2003 Books for Teen Age list. She has appeared on Fox Television (The Rob Nelson Show) and on the Fox New Channel (Dayside with Linda Vestor) and in national publications including Seventeen Magazine, the AARP bulletin, and First For Women Magazine.

 

Making Music Your Business by Traci Truly
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