Carol Wright Homepage  ^  Contents

Information about the
"indie" and New Age music biz,
trade associations and trade journals,
music biz books, recording sources...

I'm often asked advice by fledgling recording artists about the music business, but my hands-on experience has been limited to trade association work and what I've learned as a music reviewer. So, here's my advice: Read up on the industry -- your industry -- with Diane Rapaport's book and you'll be way ahead of me! And check out the cool online course from University of Denver. There's a trade association suitable for your situation. Lots of helpful weblinks and resources listed below. Check them out. Have a website to suggest? Glad to include it. Email me: cwright@rockisland.com

  How to Make and Sell Your Own Recording:
     The Complete Guide to Independent Recording
     by Diane Sward Rapaport, Foreword by Loreena McKennitt

From The Publisher
This book has been a friend and guide to more than 100,000 musicians, producers, engineers and owners of small recording labels. It has been called the "bible and basic text" that has helped revolutionize the recording industry by providing information about setting up new recording labels independent of major label  networks.
    The revised fourth edition updates information in previous editions and adds new information regarding digital recording, the use of computers as composing and recording tools, new manufacturing formats, sampling and business plans.
    Ms. Rapaport lectures at numerous colleges, audio schools and artists' advocacy conferences, and is currently teaching music business classes on the internet through the University of Colorado, Denver. She is available for seminars and speaking engagements. For booking  information (and other music business books), please contact Jerome Headlands Press, Inc., 520-634-8894.

Acoustic Musician's Guide to
Live Sound Reinforcement and Recording

• General list of music business books at bn.com
• Music Books Plus, check out the new "2000 Recording Industry Sourcebook"
• Musician's Guide to Touring and Promotion, with searchable database
• The Musician's Atlas 2000, 10,000 music business contacts
• House Concerts. How to travel the country doing small gigs, how to successfully hold house concerts.
• IndieContactBible book with over 3,400 contacts, and website to help with promotion of Indie music.
• IndieMusic.com's list of essential music industry books

• NAPRA and NAPRA ReVIEW. New Age retail and music trade magazine (Napra ReVIEW) with New Age music and audio reviews, co-op trade show booths, trade show courses activities, co-op mailings, and advertising.
• International New Age Trade Show, yearly trade show in Denver, yearly music and book awards, 800-710-8859.
• New Marketing Opportunities, THE resource book for the New Age trade lists wholesalers, stores, trade shows, marketing firms, etc. Many years in the making. A MUST!! Free listing; form available on line. The have co-op mailings, many co-op exhibit opportunities, etc.
• New Age Retailer, large trade magazine sent to New Age stores, wholesalers, etc. Co-op mailings, advertising. Website offers Retailer and Wholesaler Support Circles.
• New Age Voice, trade magazine sent to stores, reviewers, radio DJs, and now the public. Feature articles and interviews (many by moi), music reviews of New Age music, co-op sample CDs, sales trends, DJ playlists, yearly music awards program.

• Association for Independent Music (AFIM), trade magazine, convention (with valuable record industry crash course), distributor activity, yearly Indie Awards. JOIN AFIM TO LEARN THE INDIE ROPES!!
• Society of Independent Musical Artists, join other musicians dealing with publishing rights, royalties, and other issues.
• Indie Music Forum. One day seminars and networking. Learn about the music biz!
• What's a "major label"? What's an "indie label"? Tim A. Sweeney, artist development consultant, writes it like it is. See what else he has to offer on his site. Also, read his "Reality Check" at the Getsigned.com website.
• What are the radio formats such as AAA, AC, Urban? BandTools tells you. Also, see their searchable list of radio stations. At BandTools, you can also search for a musician for your band, a band for yourself, look for gigs, etc.
• The Problem with Music by Steve Albini details the problems and budget realities of being signed by a major label. MUST READ if you are even thinking of it.
• Getsigned.com. Tons of cool information about working with booking agents, A&R, using MP3, getting a record deal, contracts and music law, and other information for the indie musician and small label.
• MusesMuse.com,a well-designed site to help songwriters. Lots of resources, links. Get a free email address, @musesmail.com.
• Indie-Music.com website, with good trade resource list -- everything from logo t-shirts to booking agents, to distributors, to copyright, to trade associations, to mailing evps
• IndieJournal, online indie music newsletter
• Just Plain Folks, a group of 6,000 musicians, labels, producers, PR folks, etc. here to support one another. Visit the site to subscribe to their periodic email newsletter.
• Estrogen Music, celebrating women indie music performers, trade news.
• Women In Music...with mentor program, newsletter, women supporting women. Why not join?
• Hitquarters.com, online database of music professional "business cards." Check it out and submit your own information.
• Zebra Music: Online resources for the independent musicians and labels with interviews, musicians tip sheets, music business FAQ, how to get a record deal, and more.
• Creative Musicians Coalition, co-op marketing, industry support and resource lists
• Database about music industry: Touring, CD manufacturing, record label list, books
• Hals Guide, resources for singer/songwriters (music law, music publishing, guide to showcases, inspirational essays, and more.)
• AmazingCDs.com, online store featuring only indie labels. It's free to have your CD placed in their store (they help with copy, scan cover, etc.), and they offer a snappy email newsletter to support the store. They also design CD covers and websites.
• Musician Software...help track your gigs, invoices, database of contacts, etc.
• Alan Rowath's cool resource list and musician tips, legal contracts, lighting and touring tips, tips for presenters, etc. Very valuable!
• MusicNewsWire, overview guide with links to news about on- and off-line music issues.
• MusicStation.com, global music information network, a central site for music news and links.
• Controversial "work for hire" bill...you can lose all rights to your recording. Read letter from intellectual property lawyers at the Grammy site.
• Ivan Hoffman's publishing and recording law site. Many helpful articles on fair use, recording contracts, work for hire, owned/controlled licenses, etc.

• Univ. of Colorado: On-line Music Industry Studies Certificate Program.  Is this cool, or WHAT? No need to attend seminars in person to learn the ropes of the music industry. Check it out. Diane Rapaport (see above) is one of the "instructors."
• Association for Independent Music THE trade association for Independent Music. Record industry Crash Course and other seminars and workshops held at the annual convention.
• Indiegirrl, a website and email newsletter founded by Holly Figueroa covering issues pertaining to girlls in the indie music biz. Because the gals are REALLY devoted to their careers, this list is the most active of all the music industry list. You'll probably hear it here, first. Guys allowed.
• Bob Barker's Guerilla Music Marketing Power Course and 28-Day Email Workshop. Subscribe to Barker's Buzz-Factor music marketing email newsletter. Books and audio tapes on music marketing for indie musicians and labels.
• MusicPromotion.net, online tutorials and information to learn how to promote your music
• IndieBiz.com. Help make your band or CD more successful with David Hooper of

Kathode Ray Music. Check out his free 10-day email music biz course to see if it's worth hiring him for your promotion needs.
• Very valuable "B# Newsletter" (that would be B-sharp), free via email. with well-written articles about the indie music industry. To subscribe, send blank email to BSharpNews-subscribe@onelist.com. That will get you subscribed. Next send another email to this email address, but put in the subject line cwright@rockisland.com and the current month.(That credits me with a referral.) Message area will be blank. So if you send in March, the subject line would look like this MAR cwright@rockisland.com
• The Experience Music Project (Jimi Hendricks exhibits and museum to rock and pop culture NOW OPEN in Seattle). This innovative website will take hours to surf...loaded with interactive features. Exhibits change often so be sure to check back.
• IndieWeb, website devoted to indie music labels and other links. IndieWeb resource list (cd manufacturers, songwriters copyright resources, etc.
• Dotmusic.com...music news with an English slant.

• Oasis Duplicating: Overview of music duplication and design. My friends like their helpful attitude.
• "Sound Advice" columns about the recording process by Mike Sokol
• Should you "give away" your MP3 files? Great article from Dec. 2, 1999, Salon.com
• MusicLoops, MIDI files, sound effects, sound software, audio tutorials, lots of links.
• Homerecording.com, a very friendly site for those new to recording. Starts from "what's a tape recorder?" and goes from there.
• How to mic for recording in stereo, handy article at http://www.tape.com, online source for recording tape.
• ProSound News website for those in the sound recording industry, with lots of emphasis on web sound developments. Daily news...fascinating!
• AES, Audio Engineering Society, THE association for professionals.
• EQ Magazine Online: Tips, techniques, columns by the industry's top recording professionals.
• MediaLineNews, Replication News, online and print trade magazine for the CD and DVD replicating industry. Lots of links, columns, news about MP3s, trends in industry, etc.
• Musician'sfriend.com, "world's largest" online music store, with lots of articles about sound recording
• Stereo Review's Sound and Vision Magazine, online...lots of cool up-to-the minute articles about stereo gear, the latest MP3 rumors, etc.
• Keyboard Magazine online. Interviews with keyboard and piano players, archive of feature articles about using keyboards to make music.
•  Rain Tree Screen Print, for full-color t-shirts for your band.
• About.com's links to sites offering musical webart and graphics

• Official UPC website, sources for bar codes, etc.
• New to selling and e-comerce? Someone recommended www.sellitontheweb.com for an overview of the issues, instructions, free reports, free web tools for e-commerce, links to those who will process credit card orders, etc. Looks like a handy site.

• Billboard magazine online. Full of timely industry news, loaded with features and links.
• Huge list of music journals and magazines
• Mediafinder website to search publications by category
• US Creative website, resources by state for media, designers, photographers, etc.
• Outer Sound University's Press and Media page. Lots of helpful articles about press kits, how to give a good interview, etc.
• The Celebrity Cafe, Dominick A. Miserandino's ever-evolving and growing website featuring fascinating interviews with musicians, supermodels, atheletes, authors, Broadway stars,and other celebrities. Contests and special features. What my site might be in ten years!
• BandTool's searchable list of radio stations.

• Hollywoodreporter composer registry. If you compose filmscores, register here to connect with producers. (Paid listing service).
• TAXI, the Independent A&R Resource. What is the music industry looking for? These folks have the answer and might be able to connect you to the right label or producer. The site is full of tips, lists, links, and resources.

SongScope, a site for you to list your song catalog so producers, music execs, etc. can see them. There's a charge. Don't know if it's worth it, but check it out.