Heather's Music Careers Blog

Yet another big news week, eh? Here's some of the music related news and such you may have missed while glued to (insert news channel of choice):

1. The 2008 Video Music Awards will premiere Sunday at 9pm (and will then air virtually around the clock roughly until December). Will you be watching? I'm not sure I can bring myself to sit through all of that Russell Brand. Not a fan. And oh yes, Kanye will be back again - so much for the boycott.
2. This ABC news article was brought to my attention this week by someone on Twitter this week. It's a really cool look at the intersection of hip hop and politics in Senegal (where hip hop is credited for pushing political reform). Lots of food for thought here. For more musings about the relationship between music and politics, check out the Sarah Records interview.
3. Word came this week that the new Metallica album has been leaked online. And what do these anti-file sharing warriors, this most litigious of metal bands think about said leak? They love it!. It's just part of the music business these days, they say. Well, sheesh, you could have saved a lot of people (like your fans) a lot of trouble by coming around to this viewpoint a little earlier.
4. The ladies of Heart were less than amused to hear their song Barracuda being used at the Republican National Convention (Sarah Palin = "Sarah Barracuda", hence the use of the song). They've issued a cease and desist order to the McCain campaign telling them not to use the song again. For me this brings up two questions I've never quite been able to figure out - one, why do politicians use songs like this without permission all the time? It's pretty embarrassing to have the artist tell the press that they're not ok with it. The other question is how can some music supervisors be so seemingly lyrically oblivious? Barracuda contains lines like, You'd have me down, down, down on my knees, now wouldn't you, barracuda?. I wonder about this every time I see a certain cruise line trying to sell family cruises using a song about heroin as well. Is it just me?

Consider yourself caught up! Let me know about any news of your own for possible inclusion in another weekly round-up.

Working in the music industry is not usually your typical 9 to 5 kind of gig, and it doesn't pay like one either. Sure, some people get a steady paycheck, but it is far more common for people in the music business to be getting their cash through percentage shares and one off projects. Additionally, different jobs are typically paid in different ways. This list breaks down the common ways to make money in several different music industry jobs, so you can get a feel for what life in these careers is like.

Related Articles

• How to Get Paid in Your Music Career
• Choose a Music Career Part One
• Choose a Music Career Part Two

Just a quick note to say: hey, did you know you can sign up for a site newsletter? Well, you can! Simply head on over to the newsletter sign-up page and enter your email address. You'll get a free newsletter every Wednesday that gives you a heads up on new info added to the site and other stuff you may have missed. Sign up just takes a couple of clicks - easy and painless, I promise. Sign up here!

Music and politics are never far apart, but often their relationship is one of convenience. You don't need to look much further than the current election for examples of this - really, John McCain, Sarah Palin and DADDY YANKEE are on the same team? With this image in mind, it's easy to forget that every once in awhile politics is more than fashion for someone in the music industry. Case in point? Sarah Records. In addition to building up one of the most beloved indie pop labels ever, Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes of Sarah never once compromised their convictions for record sales. Challenging ideas about women in the music industry and economic realities in Britain and beyond was as much a part of Sarah Records as the music. But yes, the music was very good, too. In this interview, Clare and Matt talk about life running Sarah, the difficulties they encountered along the way, and their thoughts about the 21st century music industry.

Related Articles

• Interview: Clare Wadd and Matt Haynes of Sarah Records
• Long Lost Labels: Part One
• Long Lost Labels: Part Two

New feature: the weekly quick tip! Every week, I'll post a quick and easy tip to help you chase those music biz dreams - something actionable and easy to start doing right away. Sometimes they'll be for musicians, sometimes labels, sometimes promoters, sometimes...well, you get the drift. And sometimes, they'll be for everyone, like this first tip! Speaking of which, how's your music press contact database looking? If it needs an update, or if you don't have one at all, this tip will help you pull it all together.

Related Articles

• Quick Tip of the Week: Build a Press Database
• How to Create a Promo Package
• Album Press Release Template
• Tour Press Release Template

Feels a bit like SXSW just ended, but it's already time to start getting ready for 2009. Showcase applications are due November 7, and while I know 95% of you will be frantically submitting yours that day (hey, this IS the music business, after all), now is the time to start thinking about how to put together a winning app.

SXSW applications must be made via Sonicbids. A fee of $25 covers your application and a trial Sonicbids membership. If you're picked for a showcase, you'll be able to choose between getting paid in cash or getting passes to attend all of the SXSW events. For more info about applying, check the Sonicbids SXSW page.

Related Articles

• SXSW
• How to Prepare for a Music Industry Conference
• How to Apply for a Music Convention Showcase
• Should You Go to a Music Industry Convention?

In the coming weeks on the site, we're going to take a closer look at some music bloggers and how you can use blogging to further and/or establish a career as music journalist - but what about music blogging for those who have no journalistic aspirations at all? For musicians, a music blog can be a handy little tool in your promotional arsenal. Blogs (can be) free, they allow you to connect directly with your fans, and you can leverage them to drum up more press interest in your music. Find out more about how musicians can use blogs for promotion. (Many thanks to Amir Said of Blame The Critic for getting in touch and suggesting this topic to me.)

Related Articles

• Music Blogging for Musicians
• Career Profile: Music Journalist

Just a reminder that today, September 1, is the last day to cast a vote for the SMES Awards, which will be handed out at SMES Music Summit at the end of the month. Choose or lose, people. You can find a list of nominees on the SMES website. We've place our vote for Waleed Coyote, of course. Let me know who your favorites are.

Related Articles

• SMES Music Summit
• Interview: Waleed Coyote Part One
• Interview: Waleed Coyote Part Two
• How to Apply for a Music Industry Convention Showcase

So, big news week, eh? Here's all of the music news and other good stuff you may have missed:

1. MSNBC had this look at how the internet is changing music videos - you know, since MTV never shows them anymore. The net makes it much easier for musicians to get their videos to viewers without a huge budget. Think you might want to shoot a music video? This step by step guide will show you how.
2. Label opportunity: Bobby Hanson of Citation Records got in touch with me this week to let me know his label is actively seeking demos - and they promise to listen to every demo they get! Find out all the relevant contact info on their website. Before you put that demo together, be sure to check out the demo dos and demo don'ts.
3. This week, a gig promotion scam on MySpace came to light - just another reminder how careful you need to be out there. Find out how to spot a bad deal and how to use MySpace for music promotion.
4. CMJ confirmed new artists this week for October's CMJ Music Marathon. I can't wait. You can see the whole list of of musicians here.

As always, get in touch with any news of your own you want to share.

As we discussed earlier this week, musicians get the most out of music industry conventions and trade shows when they get the chance to play a showcase gig. Naturally, competition for these highly coveted spots is stiff, so how can you put together a winning application? Check out this advice about putting your best foot forward when you apply for a showcase spot.

Related Articles

• How to Apply for a Music Convention Showcase
• Should You Go to a Music Industry Convention?