Hit Men is the shocking, highly controversial expose of the venality, greed, and corruption of many of the assorted kingpins and hustlers who rule over the music industry. "A sobering, blunt, and unusually well-observed depiction of the sometimes sordid inner workings of the music business."--Billboard. 4 pages of photographs.

The Bloomsbury Handbook of Music Production provides a detailed overview of current research on the production of mono and stereo recorded music. The handbook consists of 33 chapters, each written by leaders in the field of music production. Examining the technologies and places of music production as well the broad range of practices - organization, recording, desktop production, post-production and distribution - this edited collection looks at production as it has developed around the world. In addition, rather than isolating issues such as gender, race and sexuality in separate chapters, these points are threaded throughout the entire text.

Pursuing the dream of a musical vocation-particularly in rock music-is typically regarded as an adolescent pipedream. Music is marked as an appropriate leisure activity, but one that should be discarded upon entering adulthood. How then do many men and women aspire to forge careers in music upon entering adulthood? In Destined for Greatness, sociologist Michael Ramirez examines the lives of forty-eight independent rock musicians who seek out such non-normative choices in a college town renowned for its music scene. He explores the rich life course trajectories of women and men to explore the extent to which pathways are structured to allow some, but not all, individuals to fashion careers in music worlds. Ramirez suggests a more nuanced understanding of factors that enable the pursuit of musical livelihoods well into adulthood.

Create, Produce, Consume explores the cycle of musical experience for musicians, professionals, and budding entrepreneurs looking to break into the music industry. Building on the concepts of his previous book, Making Money, Making Music, David Bruenger provides readers with a basic framework for understanding the relationships between the artist and audience and the producer consumer by examining the methods underlying creation-production-reception and creation-consumption-compensation. Each chapter offers a different perspective on the processes and structures that lead listeners to discover, experience, and interact with music and musical artists. Through case studies ranging from Taylor Swift's refusal to allow her music to be streamed on Spotify to the rise of artists supported through sites like Patreon, Bruenger offers highly relevant real-world examples of industry practices that shape our encounters with music. Create, Produce, Consume is a critical tool for giving readers the agile knowledge necessary to adapt to a rapidly changing music industry. Graphs, tables, lists for additional reading, and questions for further discussion illustrate key concepts. Online resources for instructors and students will include sample syllabi, lists for expanded reading, and more.

Making Money, Making Music offers tools to encourage creative and adaptive entrepreneurship in the music business. Written for the classroom and the workplace, it introduces readers to core principles and processes and shows how to apply them adaptively to new contexts, facilitating a deeper understanding of how and why things work in the music business. By applying essential concepts to a variety of real-life situations, readers improve their capacity to critically analyze and solve problems and to predict where music and money will converge in a rapidly evolving culture and marketplace.

In Chasing Sound, Susan Schmidt Horning traces the cultural and technological evolution of recording studios in the United States from the first practical devices to the modern multi-track studios of the analog era. Charting the technical development of studio equipment, the professionalization of recording engineers, and the growing collaboration between artists and technicians, she shows how the earliest efforts to capture the sound of live performances eventually resulted in a trend toward studio creations that extended beyond live shows, ultimately reversing the historic relationship between live and recorded sound. Schmidt Horning draws from a wealth of original oral interviews with major labels and independent recording engineers, producers, arrangers, and musicians, as well as memoirs, technical journals, popular accounts, and sound recordings. Recording engineers and producers, she finds, influenced technological and musical change as they sought to improve the sound of records. By investigating the complex relationship between sound engineering and popular music, she reveals the increasing reliance on technological intervention in the creation as well as in the reception of music. The recording studio, she argues, is at the center of musical culture in the twentieth century.

Irish Independent Music Book of the Year Guardian Book of the Week After discovering a derelict record plant on the edge of a northern English city, and hearing that it was once visited by David Bowie, Karl Whitney embarks upon a journey to explore the industrial cities of British pop music. Manchester, Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull, Glasgow, Belfast, Birmingham, Coventry, Bristol: at various points in the past these cities have all had distinctive and highly identifiable sounds. But how did this happen? What circumstances enabled those sounds to emerge? How did each particular city - its history, its physical form, its accent - influence its music? How were these cities and their music different from each other? And what did they have in common? Hit Factories tells the story of British pop through the cities that shaped it, tracking down the places where music was performed, recorded and sold, and the people - the performers, entrepreneurs, songwriters, producers and fans - who made it all happen. From the venues and recording studios that occupied disused cinemas, churches and abandoned factories to the terraced houses and back rooms of pubs where bands first rehearsed, the terrain of British pop can be retraced with a map in hand and a head filled with music and its many myths.

LONGLISTED FOR THE PENDERYN MUSIC PRIZE 2017 The coke-fuelled mania behind pop's greatest successes Tom Watkins is the famously entertaining pop Svengali with killer commercial instincts and prodigious talent for design. He propelled the Pet Shop Boys, Bros and East 17, among others, to global stardom, all whilst maintaining a savage hedonistic lifestyle and a stellar art collection. His fingerprints are all over British pop, and he's decided the time has come for a tell-all autobiography about the business behind the stars that shaped your life in the 80s and 90s. Follow Tom's journey from his humble boyhood in post-war South-East London, to his teenage misdeeds and the birth of Rock and Roll; his days as a design student under the tutelage of Terence Conran and Rodney Fitch, to the excesses of the 80s and 90s where he became one of the original boy band innovators - the driving force behind the pop icons plastered on the walls of teenage girls' bedrooms. Funny, unstoppable and outspoken, a razor-sharp and greatly respected businessman, marketing visionary, designer and art collector, Tom takes us through his extraordinary and colourful life into the inner-circle of 80s pop-culture. From hobnobbing with Bruce Sprinsteen to bust-ups with Bros, Tom has seen it all. Expect a gripping, gossipy, meticulously researched memoir of the drug-addled 80s and 90s, layered on top of an insightful and intelligent portrait of a recent but very different age, from the singular perspective of a man who played a huge role in defining the era and paved the way for industry moguls like Simon Cowell and Louis Walsh.

Spirituals performed by jubilee troupes became a sensation in post-Civil War America. First brought to the stage by choral ensembles like the Fisk Jubilee Singers, spirituals anchored a wide range of late nineteenth-century entertainments, including minstrelsy, variety, and plays by both black and white companies. In the first book-length treatment of postbellum spirituals in theatrical entertainments, Sandra Jean Graham mines a trove of resources to chart the spiritual's journey from the private lives of slaves to the concert stage. Graham navigates the conflicting agendas of those who, in adapting spirituals for their own ends, sold conceptions of racial identity to their patrons. In so doing they lay the foundation for a black entertainment industry whose artistic, financial, and cultural practices extended into the twentieth century. A companion website contains jubilee troupe personnel, recordings, and profiles of 85 jubilee groups. Please go to: http://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/graham/spirituals/

"Career Opportunities in the Music Industry, Sixth Edition" provides current information on more than 90 specific jobs, including job duties, salary ranges, skill and education requirements, helpful organizations, tips for entry, and much more. This new edition includes updated salary ranges and employment opportunities, as well as comprehensive, updated appendixes of organizations, periodicals, associations, schools, and resources.

Rich Redmond, drummer for superstar Jason Aldean, provides a shot of inspiration for those interested in jump-starting a music career. Any successful musician will tell you the most common question asked of them is, “What does it take to make it?” Rich Redmond is no different. He moved to Nashville more than twenty-five years ago with his drums, a cat, and a vision, and he’s made his dreams come true. Over one too many lattes, he decided to put all of his advice in one place. Making It in Country Music is filled with practical advice, stories of how Redmond did it himself, and insights from a chorus of other musicians. This is the ultimate behind-the-scenes and fun-to-read book looking at the country music industry and music careers. Redmond takes you on a tour of Nashville and many other country music meccas: from the massive stadiums to the honky-tonks and the wide variety of jobs that make the industry go. You’ll learn the various skill sets needed to become successful in the industry as well as predictions for the future of country music among many other things. There is no better guide to the country music business than Redmond with his unique blend of encouragement, detailed advice, humor, and experience.

Music producer Sam Phillips and his landmark studio, Sun Records, hold a unique place in the history of rock 'n' roll - by many accounts, before Phillips recorded 'Rocket 88' by Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats in 1951, rock 'n' roll as we know it didn't even exist. Phillips is simultaneously hailed as the man who discovered Elvis Presley and derided as the man who sold the same artist to RCA for a paltry $35,000. The list of musical legends that passed through the doors of Sun Records is simply astounding, including BB King, Ike Turner, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and more. SUN KING strips away the glossy veneer of legend around the Phillips story - which, like his signature sound, was much the result of his own careful crafting - to reveal a man who, from a very young age, heard a musical sound that no one else heard. Complete with a full Sun Records discography, 'Sun King' is an indispensable document in the history of rock music.

What's the secret to writing a hit song? It's as simple as 1-2-3-4-5-6! Innovative, practical, and inspiring, "Six Steps to Songwriting Success" presents a surefire step-by-step approach to mastering the elements consistently found in hit songs. Author Jason Blume, a songwriter with the rare distinction of having had songs on the Country, Pop, and R&B charts simultaneously, has packed this book with such key aids as the three-step lyric writing technique used by the pros; lyric, melody, and demo checklists; and tools for self-evaluation-plus many other exercises that work. Blume's warm, humorous style features motivational anecdotes and entertaining stories of how hit songs came to be written and recorded. Get "Six Steps to Songwriting Success," and get on the charts!

'The most authoritative, intelligent, diligently researched and unpretentious analysis of the British pop scene yet written' Sunday TelegraphBlack Vinyl White Powder charts the amazing fifty year history of the British music business in unparalleled scale and detail. As a key player across the decades, Napier-Bell - who discovered Marc Bolan and managed amongst others The Yardbirds and Wham! - uses his wealth of contacts and extraordinary personal experiences to tell the story of an industry that is like no other. Where bad behaviour is not only tolerated but encouraged, where drugs are sometimes as important as talent, where artists are pushed to their physical and mental limits in the name of profit and ego. The Greatest Ever Book Written about English Pop-Breathtakingly Brilliant' Julie Burchill'The cold print equivalent of a sparkling evening with a world-class raconteur.' Charles Shaar Murray, Independent'Bitchy, glib, fun and shrewd' Daily Telegraph

What links Taylor Swift to a factory worker? Kanye West to a German engineer? Beyonce to a boardroom mogul? They've all changed the face of the music business, in the most unexpected ways. How Music Got Free is the incredible true story of how online piracy and the MP3 revolutionised the way our world works, one track at a time. 'This brilliant book tells you exactly how the perfect storm that forever changed the way we consume music took shape. Like many great works of investigative journalism it makes it clear that this is one of those stories you think you know. Until you realise you don't' John Niven, The Spectator 'Reads like an underworld crime story... concise and very funny... The most remarkable thing about Witt's book is that virtually none of the names is familiar... Witt finds unlikely heroes in unlikely places' New Statesman

Who produces sound and music? And in what spaces, localities and contexts? As the production of sound and music in the 21st Century converges with multimedia, these questions are critically addressed in this new edited collection by Samantha Bennett and Eliot Bates. Critical Approaches to the Production of Music and Sound features 16 brand new articles by leading thinkers from the fields of music, audio engineering, anthropology and media. Innovative and timely, this collection represents scholars from around the world, revisiting established themes such as record production and the construction of genre with new perspectives, as well as exploring issues in cultural and virtual production.

"[Chertkow and Feehan] are the ideal mentors for aspiring indie musicians who want to navigate an ever-changing music industry." --Billboard Magazine You can make a living with music today. The secret is to tap multiple income streams. Making Money With Music gives you over 100 revenue streams and the knowledge on how to tap them. Whether you're a solo artist, band, DJ, EDM producer, or other musician, this book gives you strategies to generate revenue, grow your fan base, and thrive in today's technology-driven music environment. Plus, it lists hundreds of services, tools, and critical resources you need to run your business and maximize income. Making Money With Music will show you: How to tap over 100 income streams 7 business strategies you can implement immediately How to start your music business for $0. How to register your music to collect all of the royalties you are owed worldwide. 13 ways to compete with free and build experiences to drive fan loyalty and engagement into everything you do to increase your revenue. 45 categories of places to get your music heard and videos seen so you can get discovered, grow your fanbase, generate royalties, and boost licensing opportunities. 10 methods for raising money so you can fund your music production and projects. ...and more. Written by the authors of the critically-acclaimed modern classic The Indie Band Survival Guide (1st & 2nd Editions), Making Money With Music is the third installment in The Indie Band Survival Guide series, and will help you build a sustainable music business no matter what kind of music you make, where you live, and whether you're a novice or professional musician. Improve your income by implementing these ideas for your music business today.

Today's music business is more challenging than ever, but music's availability and the consumption of this powerful force offer unprecedented opportunities for those with the desire to succeed. Music Business Essentials: A Guide for Aspiring Professionals takes musicians and beginning business students on a journey full of vital nuts and bolts knowledge as well as practical wisdom from a veteran industry professional. Although the dynamic music industry is always changing, Mark Cabaniss's concise and encouraging, yet realistic approach reveals unchanging principles to guide readers towards successful and fulfilling careers in music. From band dynamics and touring to songwriting and publishing and from branding and promotion to record labels and revenue streams, Cabaniss covers the entire music machine from the talent to the tax returns. Music Business Essentials is an easy-to-read introduction that will prove an invaluable handbook for reference time and again. It is ideal for college students, high school students, and anyone interested in a career in music.

Popular Music in the Post-Digital Age explores the relationship between macro environmental factors, such as politics, economics, culture and technology, captured by terms such as 'post-digital' and 'post-internet'. It also discusses the creation, monetisation and consumption of music and what changes in the music industry can tell us about wider shifts in economy and culture. This collection of 13 case studies covers issues such as curation algorithms, blockchain, careers of mainstream and independent musicians, festivals and clubs-to inform greater understanding and better navigation of the popular music landscape within a global context.

Songwriter's Market is the go-to source for songwriters and performing artists who seek career advice and up-to-date information for placing their songs with music publishers, discovering record companies or producers, securing representation with a manager, and much more. With insights from a variety of industry experts and both career and up-and-coming songwriters, this edition features the firsthand and insider knowledge songwriters need to launch their career. You gain access to: Interviews with veterans like Phil Cody, Chip Taylor, and Marc Jordan and rising stars like Simon Wilcox, Francesco Yates, and the Grammy-nominated Erik Blu2th Griggs. Articles on breaking into Nashville, using Twitter to market yourself as a songwriter, and crowdfunding. Hundreds of songwriting-placement opportunities. Listings for songwriting organizations, conferences, workshops, retreats, colonies, contests, venues, and grant sources. + Includes exclusive access to the video "Pat Pattison Masterclass: Rhythm and Form" "Songwriter's Market is the indispensable tool you need to build your songwriting career. From the secrets of hit songwriting craft to an unequaled collection of pitching resources for your final recordings, this book delivers it all." --Robin Frederick, writer and producer of more than 500 songs for television, records, and audio products, and author of top-selling songwriting books

"The Death and Life of the Music Industry in the Digital Age" challenges the conventional wisdom that the internet is 'killing' the music industry. While technological innovations (primarily in the form of peer-to-peer file-sharing) have evolved to threaten the economic health of major transnational music companies, Rogers illustrates how those same companies have themselves formulated highly innovative response strategies to negate the harmful effects of the internet. In short, it documents how the radical transformative potential of the internet is being suppressed by legal and organisational innovations. Grounded in a social shaping perspective, "The""Death and Life of the Music Industry in the Digital Age" contends that the internet has not altered pre-existing power relations in the music industry where a small handful of very large corporations have long since established an oligopolistic dominance. Furthermore, the book contends that widespread acceptance of the idea that online piracy is rampant, and music largely 'free' actually helps these major music companies in their quest to bolster their power. In doing this, the study serves to deflate much of the transformative hype and digital 'deliria' that has accompanied the internet's evolution as a medium for mass communication.

The widespread perception of singers and musicians as free individuals doing enjoyable and fulfilling work obscures the realities of their occupation. In Unfree Masters Matt Stahl examines recording artists' labor in the music industry as a form of creative work. He begins by considering the television show American Idol and the 2004 rockumentary Dig!, tracing the ways that popular music making is narrativized in contemporary America and showing how such narratives highlight musicians' negotiations of the limits of freedom and autonomy in creative cultural-industrial work. Turning to struggles between recording artists and record companies over laws that govern their working and contractual relationships, he reveals further tensions and contradictions in this form of work. Stahl argues that media narratives of music making, as well as contract and copyright disputes between musicians and music industry executives, contribute to American socioeconomic discourse and expose a foundational tension between democratic principles of individual autonomy and responsibility and the power of employers to control labor and appropriate its products. Stahl asserts that the labor issues that he discloses in music can stimulate insights about the political-economic and imaginative challenges currently facing working people of all kinds.

Historic RCA Studio B, Home of 1,000 Hits, is a landmark with a legacy built by some of the most important producers and artists in country and pop music. During a golden window, from 1957 to 1977, approximately 18,000 sessions were recorded within its walls, including more than 200 songs by Elvis Presley. The many hits spread Nashville s reputation as Music City worldwide. Generously illustrated with rare photos from the museum s archives, this book traces the story of RCA Studio B from its birth through the city s striking musical evolution, to its existence today as both working studio and tourist attraction and celebrates a magical, bygone era.

Selling Digital Music, Formatting Culture documents the transition of recorded music on CDs to music as digital files on computers. More than two decades after the first digital music files began circulating in online archives and playing through new software media players, we have yet to fully internalize the cultural and aesthetic consequences of these shifts. Tracing the emergence of what Jeremy Wade Morris calls the "digital music commodity," Selling Digital Music, Formatting Culture considers how a conflicted assemblage of technologies, users, and industries helped reformat popular music's meanings and uses. Through case studies of five key technologies - Winamp, metadata, Napster, iTunes, and cloud computing - this book explores how music listeners gradually came to understand computers and digital files as suitable replacements for their stereos and CD. Morris connects industrial production, popular culture, technology, and commerce in a narrative involving the aesthetics of music and computers, and the labor of producers and everyday users, as well as the value that listeners make and take from digital objects and cultural goods. Above all, Selling Digital Music, Formatting Culture is a sounding out of music's encounters with the interfaces, metadata, and algorithms of digital culture and of why the shifting form of the music commodity matters for the music and other media we love.