Are you interested in a Career in the
MUSIC INDUSTRY?

If you're a singer, songwriter, musician, band, music producer, etc. and you think the way to success is to be "discovered", that's like buying a lottery ticket and just "hoping".  I personally would never trust my life to those kinds of odds and neither should anyone else. 

If you really want musical success bad enough, you have to be smart enough to learn how the music industry game works. 

So how does one go about achieving success in the music business?  First, you must learn everything you can about the music industry.  There are hundreds of great music business books out there, ranging from "How to Get a Record Deal", to "How to Be a Successful Songwriter".  There are music books about music contracts, record company structure, submitting your demo, how to get signed, music production, booking your band, making money making music, songwriting, selling your own CD, landing a music publishing deal, starting a record label and hundreds more. 

Each of these books will give you a blueprint for how to succeed within that specific area, and teach you a whole lot more about the music business in general.  Most of these music books are also fun to read.  This IS the music industry and it IS exciting and "spicy". 

Here's where to start:  We've put together a small list of books that are very useful to anyone sincerely trying to break into the music business.  Like anything else, don't expect any one book to teach you EVERYTHING you need to know!  But each book you read should teach you about that subject until you have a thorough understanding of how things operate within this music industry.  And knowledge is potential power.  (it's what you do with the knowledge that makes you powerful)

Check out our list and start educating yourself.  Or click on any book to be taken to the website where you can search for any music related titles you like.  Good luck and let us know how it turns out.
-Arty Skye
 

Click on any of the Books below for more information or to purchase.

Getting Signed - An Insider's Guide to the Record Industry
For unsigned musicians, it is vital to long-term success to sign a contract with a record label. However, preparing your music, targeting a label, and getting your demo into the hands of someone who will listen is challenging, if you don't know where to start.

Getting Signed!, by record industry veteran George Howard, guides you through the maze of today's music industry, and will help you move your demo to the top of the stack. Even if you are not yet ready for a record deal, it will help you assemble a team that will make sure your music gets heard by as many people as possible.

"The next time an aspiring recording artist comes to us for advice, we'll advise them to read this book first. George Howard really knows what he's talking about". - Chris Franz and Tina Weymouth, members of Talking Heads and Tom Tom Club. ©2003, 233 pages.

Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook

201 Self-Promotion Ideas for Songwriters, Musicians and Bands on a small Budget.

With this manual, you'll discover that music marketing doesn't have to be expensive to be effective. Whether you're promoting a fast-growing indie label or a one-man or one-woman act from your basement, the Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook gives you the tools you need to get the most out of your music career. ©2001, 160 pages.

How To Get a Job In The Music and Recording Industry

Get more than your foot in the door! This is the bible for anyone who has ever dreamed of landing a job in the music business, from recording the next Top 10 hit to running a record company.

Featuring advice and secrets to educate and empower the serious entertainment industry job seeker, this handy guide provides: details on booming job prospects in new media, a resource directory of key publications and top industry trade organizations, interviews with top pros revealing how they got their start, workshops to help you assess and develop a personalized career path, networking and resume tips, and much more. ©2001, 200 pages.

Famous rocks stars including Kevin Cronin, REO Speedwagon; Eric Schenkman, Spin Doctors; and Joe Satriani give the inside scoop about what really works in finding the better-paying gigs, how to get agents to search you out, and how to learn from the mistakes they made on their climbs to fame.

Kevin Eubanks, musical director of the Tonight Show Band, shares his thoughts on getting major work as a musician in today's competitive market. Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora talks about the most critical element to launching a music career.

Carnival Cruise Lines supervisor J.B. Buccafusco gives ideas on how to get yourself book on cruise ships in the Caribbean, Mexico, and Europe.  Las Vegas Casino entertainment directors give insights on getting booked into casinos around the country. Concert and festival promoters show you how to get booked with headline acts and how to break into major exposition venues, and tell you what to do to get high-paying gigs -- and what not to do.

Sponsored by: American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, Roland, Ovation, D'Addario, Yamaha, Sabian, Gig Magazine, Discmakers, Dunlop, Boston.

In the music business, the key to success lies in knowing how to protect yourself. Whether you are a performer, writer or executive, Passman's revered and exhaustive guide to the legal and financial aspects of the music world is an essential tool, offering authoritative, up-to-the-minute information.

You'll learn how to: select and hire a winning team of advisors • master the big picture and the finer points of record deals • navigate the ins and outs of songwriting, music publishing and copyrights • and maximize concert, touring and merchandising deals. This fifth edition also includes information on: music downloads and streaming • how royalties are computed in the digital age • why record companies are hemorrhaging money • new laws on copyright infringement, illegal downloads and challenges to intellectual property rights • industry strategies to combat piracy • and the new model for record deals.

Should be required reading for anyone planning or enduring a career in the biz.Rolling Stone. ©2004, 444 pages

Please note this book is geared towards the UK & Europe, with many references to industry practices that are different in the United States & Canada. ©2003, 166 pages.

Get It In Writing: A Musician's Guide to Music Law

Los Angeles attorney Brian McPherson represents more than 60 artists, including Beck, Cracker, Superchunk, Brian Wilson and others. His guide to music law is a new primer on all aspects of the contracts and deals that artists will encounter in today's music business.

From small, independent record deals and inter-band agreements to major label contracts, Get It In Writing will teach musicians what they need to know to protect themselves. Includes sample contracts with commentary, interviews with major industry movers, and information on how to make deals with mangers, agents merchandisers, producers and publishers, all spelled out in comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand terms. Essential for every independent musician! ©1999, 250 pages.

Click here to be taken to the Music Books site and browse their titles.

2005 Recording Industry Sourcebook

The 16th annual industry directory with all of the business information and contacts you need to successfully operate in the music industry. This standard bearer publication contains over 15,000 lists in over 60 categories ranging from record labels and music publishers to radio stations, recording studios, equipment manufacturers and suppliers, tour support companies, venues and far too much other info to list here! Every copy of the Recording Industry Sourcebook contains a Win/Mac CD-ROM of all of the data so you can take it with you on the road. In addition, every purchaser of the book/CD-ROM package gets one year of online access to the web version of the sourcebook. ©2005