University of Texas
Spring 2013
How Music Works:
Inside The Music Industry
Mondays 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. University of Texas Los Angeles Center
3800 Barham Blvd., Suite 103 Los Angeles, CA 90068 323-512-9200 Instructor Jeffrey Weber weberworks@earthlink.net Course Description
This course will offer an in-depth analysis of the music industry with an emphasis on where the creation of music is headed as well as where the industry is headed. The course will be divided between the “music” business with its myriad of creative applications and the “record” business with its evolving issues of consumer empowerment. Special emphasis will be placed on music in film and television and career opportunities within the industry.
The “music” industry track will feature an expansive analysis of the record production process including today's current trends--from hip-hop to alternative rock--this portion of the course emphasizes the close relationship between artist and producer, as well as developing communication channels between producer and engineer, musicians, the record company, affiliated unions, songwriters, and publishers. Discussion also covers evaluation of records from a listening perspective, song creation and structural evaluation, A&R, production styles and techniques, instrumentation, production budgets, developing trends in artist and producer recording contracts, the value of publishing, album concepts appropriate to the image of the artist, as well as a short history of how record production has evolved.
The “record” industry track will focus on all non-creative aspects of the industry with special emphasis on distribution from online to brick and mortar perspectives. With the consumer becoming in charge of the industry’s direction, this tremendous industry flux will be discussed through analysis of peer to peer recommendation engines, digital distribution utilizing the “single” business model, the development of products of convenience, subscription service models, the direction and relevance of terrestrial vs. satellite radio, contemporary marketing and promotional strategies, the relevance of music videos and the lifespan of compact discs. Discussion will also cover the history of the record industry, future trends and ultimate survival of the record business.
Our syllabus may be altered due to the uncertain availability of our guest speakers or specific field trip opportunities that may arise.
The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at 471-6259, 471-6441 TTY.
Course Materials
The following books are recommended for this class. We will be referring to portions of these books throughout the semester, and they are valuable tools to assist you in the creative and business decision-making process that you will encounter in the business of music. Most are paperback editions and are available at most bookstores or from Amazon.
1. Michael Anderson’s Little Black Book of Songwriting, Michael Anderson 2. The Craft and Business of Songwriting, Third Edition, John Braheny 3. Confessions of A Record Producer, Third Edition, Moses Avalon 4. Million Dollar Mistakes, Moses Avalon
5. Music, Money and Success, Sixth Edition, Jeffrey Brabec & Todd Brabec
6. All You Need To Know About The Music Business, Sixth Edition, Donald Passman
7. You’ve Got A Deal! The Biggest Lies of the Music Business, Jeffrey Weber There will be reading and listening assignments given out at the conclusion of every class, and all reading assignments will be drawn from the above list of books.
Course Requirements
1. Because we work through musical examples in class to develop evaluative listening skills, attendance is essential.
2. There will be one class project and a midterm exam, each worth 25% of the course grade. The format of the exam will be discussed in detail in class. 3. There will be a final exam worth 50% of the course grade. The final exam will
be an oral exam, and you will find it displayed in detail at the conclusion of this syllabus.
4. All exams must be completed for course credit to be awarded. There can be no make-up exams without impressive documentation of medical or other extraordinary hardship.
5. An optional extra-credit assignment will be distributed in class. It will be worth up to 5% of the course grade.
6. By UT Austin policy, you must notify me of your pending absence at least fourteen days prior to the date of observance of a religious holy day. If you must miss a class, an examination, a work assignment, or a project in order to observe a religious holy day, you will be given an opportunity to complete the missed work within a reasonable time after the absence.
Schedule
Class 1 Welcome to the Music Industry – A Completely Unbiased View! Do you fit in? Absolutely!
What opportunities await you?
Merging music and visual images (film, television, video games, etc.) A Day Without Music – Can we handle it?
Show Me The Money! Who makes what and how much. The Ten Biggest Lies of the Music Industry.
Class 2 (Music Industry Track) The Art of Listening and the Historical Development of Record Production
Constant listening and evaluation of unfamiliar music allows for the creation of a unique skill set involving the balance of musical integrity with commercial applications. In addition, we evaluate modern record production elements through analysis of preferred genre production techniques.
Class 3 (Music Industry Track) The Producer’s Role – Languages and Relationships
The role of a producer in the record making process is often difficult to define as a great deal of his responsibilities lay outside the recording studio and deal with humanity and trust .
Definition of Record Production
The languages of production Producer hyphenates
Dealing with the Artist Leadership
Trust
The Artist/Producer relationship
Psychology and the creative process Development of the artist’s vision
The battle for artistic integrity Art vs. Commerce
Fear of Failure/Performance Anxiety
Training and preparation for studio recording Training and preparation for live performances Vocal maintenance
Managers, Agents, Promoters
Class 4 and 5 (Music Industry Track) The Science and Cost of Production
The sequence of a music-based production is analyzed. We will review how a record is constructed; from inception to conception and what are the costs involved. Pre-production Arrangements Engineering Basic Tracking Overdubbing Mixing Studio Musicians Unions Analog vs. Digital
Multi-track vs. Two Track Assembling vs. Recording Commercial vs. Home Studios
The Internet and its developing relationship with the creative process How Much? How to budget a record production
Class 6 Field trip to major recording studio (Tentative Date)
Class 7 (Music Industry Track) The art of motivation in delivering emotion Panel discussion: How to talk to a singer, how to talk to a musician Class 8 (Music Industry Track) The Craft and Business of Songwriting
The art of Listening
Developing the artistic vision Lyric content
Rhythmic content
Song structure
Finding the right song for the artist A&R
Tools
Class 9 (Music Industry Track) Agreements
Licensing: Master Use, Synch Agreements for film and television Artist Contracts – Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow
The New Split
Cross Collateralization Royalties
Ancillary Income Streams Reversions
Producer Agreements Copyright Agreements
Class 10 (Record Industry Track) Music Publishing: Show me the money! Why is this the treasure chest of the music industry?
Class 11 Field Trip to Record Label or Small Recording Studio (Tentative Date) Class 12 and 13 (Record Industry Track) Artist/Label Driven Sales, Marketing, Promotional and Distribution Strategies or “How Much Does A Hit Cost?”
Touring
Merchandising Endorsements
Film & TV Appearances
Film, TV, Commercial Music Opportunities Internet based campaigns
The ‘Official Website’ Developing a fan base
Social Media: My Space, You Tube, Facebook, Linkedin One to One Marketing
Brick and Mortar appearances Pandora, Internet Radio Terrestrial Radio Satellite Radio
Radio Promotion (Payola) Press and Publicity
Music Videos
Street Team Marketing
Internet Street Team Marketing Guerilla Marketing Approaches
Class 14 (Record Industry Track) The Future: Prognostications & Predictions How and Where Are We Finding Music Today? What will tomorrow bring? The life and death of Compact Discs
The life and death of products of convenience The life and death of ‘major’ labels
The life and death of an ‘album’
The life and death of multi-platinum selling product The life and death of brick and mortar establishments
The life of electronic distribution – the digital distribution dilemma The life of the next ‘Major’ label
The life of Internet based live recording Vinyl never dies
The Virtual Library The ‘On Demand’ revolution Cell Phone evolution
Should music be free? Sale or Rent?
Class 15 Field Trip to Mastering Facility (Tentative Date)
We will have two class field trips to recording studios (one major studio, one home studio) and one class field trip to a mastering studio. In addition, we will feature guest lecturers in the creative and business segments of the business. Our panel discussions will feature notable musicians and singers in the industry.
The Music Industry Final Exam
The final exam for this class is designed to allow you to create a musical vision and develop that vision. All record production is based on a creative vision and your capability in expressing that vision to the various individuals that will assist you in the implementation and fulfillment of that vision. Theoretically, you will not be required to hand anything in to us as this will, in essence, be an oral exam. However, I suggest you document your decisions very well and refer to your research, as it will be your job to describe with passion, why you are the person that should make this record. You need to do the following:
• Find an artist – Describe to me an artist or group, in any musical genre that interests you, that you believe will be the next big thing, whatever that is. Be prepared with pictures, resumes, demo, anything that provides some sort of validity to your selection of this artist. Maybe they represent a new direction in music; maybe a great look; maybe great songs. It is up to you. Describe your relationship with the artist. How did you meet? How did the producer/artist relationship develop?
• Find a song – You are now going to record a song with the above-mentioned artist. What song will that be? It can be a cover or an original song. Show me the lyrics. Where and how did you acquire the song? If you have a songwriter’s demo, play that for me. Discuss the meaning of the song, how you would record it, what changes to the song you would make. In other words, validate your selection in some way, any way.
• Indicate your approach to the material and the artist. What market are you going for? Are you requesting any changes in the material? What will be your approach to the recording of the music? Will it be recorded live? Will it be recorded in a studio? How long will it take? Do you have any marketing ideas that may help the label, based on your understanding of the group or the making of the record? Any secret weapons?
• Will it be digital? Analog? How are you breaking down the recording? How many days to track; to overdub; to mix? Use the budget form as a guide, but make it your own.
• Is there a hole in the marketplace that can be filled by your artist? Describe that opportunity. Discuss in detail, a marketing and promotional plan that you have developed specifically for this artist.
• Be committed, be passionate, be aggressive and above all, be on time… • Have fun, for if this is too tough, you might want to consider another path.
