Independent label with tremendous track record ASR Records is currently considering new artists in all styles of music for label representation.ASR Records is an Independent label specializing in music of all genres since the 1990s. It's credits are: a Congressional Award, two GRAMMY® Awards, Film and Television, individual Songwriting and Composition Awards.
Founded in 1995 by legendary Jazz artist, Alaadeen and arts advocate, Fanny Dunfee to provide a professional music label for deserving recording artist, today the label has expanded its focus to include music of all kinds in the ASR Records Group catalogue.
Equally significant is the fact that ASR Records was among the very first to pioneer and employ viable uses of 21st Century technologies in the tangible areas of product manufacturing, worldwide music distribution, global marketing and sales of recorded music.
Please do not contact ASR Records directly regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
Right after Google bought YouTube, Google lawyer Zahavah Levine spoke on a panel at the Beverly Hills Bar Association during which she described the “whack a mole” aspect of how infringing content is posted, reposted, and reposted again on YouTube–unless you want to make a deal with YouTube. (I happened to be speaking at the OECD’s digital future conference right before Google bought YouTube and got the distinct impression that the concept of UGC as a way to both steal copyrights and add another of the 1,000 cuts to the industry litigation budget sprang from the depths of the imagination of one Fred Von Lohman and one Terry Fisher–meaning this was all part of Google’s acquisition strategy–but that’s another story.)
So what exactly are you agreeing to as a songwriter when you agree to relax and enjoy it as it sounded like Ms. Levine suggested? What are you authorizing when you agree to “monetize” your “content” on YouTube? By the look of it, far more than you bargained for! (Or didn’t bargain for)
Take this example of a YouTube ad for “health-seller.com”. And by the way–I don’t mean pre-roll ads for other products on this particular video, I mean the video is itself an advertisement. Against which other ads are sold. What is it an ad for? “Buy Pills Online Without Prescription”. And what kind of pills? Cialis, Arcoxia, Levitra, Cardizem (heart relaxer), Casodex (prostate cancer treatment), Cloud9 Human Growth Hormone, Cytoxan (cancer treatment), and of course more different species of Viagra than Carter has…ah…pills.
Google, as MTP readers will recall, is no stranger to the world of no-prescription pharmacies–the company’s senior management team (apparently going up to Larry Page and Eric Schmidt) were nearly indicted in a multiyear sting operation for which it paid $500,000,000 of the stockholders’ money. So it’s not like they don’t know what they are doing when they allow these pill pusher ads onto YouTube. In fact, this type of YouTube video may themselves violate the Google Nonprosecution Agreement that allowed them to get out of jail free (to the executives involved). OPM, man.
And guess what is being advertised next to the drugs?
Yes, Google Chrome. You don’t suppose that YouTube serves Chrome ads based on the keyword “tablet” do you?
So this is how we know that the “no prescription” drug ad is “monetized”. How is this relevant to songwriters? I’d suggest that it’s yet another version of whack a mole, Google’s favorite game that Ms. Levine, Mr. Von Lohman and Professor Fisher foreshadowed way back when.
Listen to the music bed of the video:
Sound familiar? Yes, it’s the Theme from House–it’s actually a song by Massive Attack called “Teardrop,” but these days everyone knows it from its very close identification with the House television show.
When music is “licensed” on YouTube its usually in two licensing buckets–user generated content and music videos. (Unless of course it’s in the YouTube “partner” multichannel networks, in which case it’s not licensed at all the vast majority of the time. Don’t forget that YouTube describes these MCNs as “partners”. We’ll come back to that in another post.)
Music is not licensed for use as commercials, particularly not commercials for illegal pharmacies (that run for 4:22). Any guesses for how much a commercial use of “Teardrop” would set you back? If the writers even agreed to license it for a drug commercial?
But what has probably happened in the case of the drug advertisement on YouTube is that the song was authorized for “monetization” but YouTube failed to tell anyone that the song was being used in the bed of a commercial made for YouTube. A drug commercial. In other words, they can tell you that the song is being used, they just can’t tell you what for.
This is pretty clearly the exact conduct that is prohibited by Google’s nonprosecution agreement as YouTube becomes the leading music source of choice for kids. You know–the kids that Health and Human Services Secretary Joseph Califano was concerned about when he wrote to Eric Schmidt in 2008 to implore Schmidt to stop the drug ads. That Schmidt ignored.
So when you “monetize” a song on YouTube, just remember that you are giving up control of where your song appears because YouTube’s ContentID will not block these ads and no human will either. And as we know from the Google sting that resulted in the $500,000,000 fine to keep its executives out of jail, Google will actually look for ways to get around its own filters.
How hard is it to automatically flag anything with the line “buy pills online without prescription” on a site largely devoted to kids? Is that so very hard to figure out?
As Ms. Levine indicated back in 2006, there’s nothing you can do to actually stop Google from promoting dope on YouTube. Not even fine them $500,000,000. Maybe some day there will be a government that won’t let them buy their way out of jail, because that’s probably what it’s going to take to get their attention.
But until then–what YouTube will likely say is that by deciding to monetize your music, you have authorized using it in the bed of an ad pushing drugs to kids and desperate people, even addicts. And they’ll be all happy and smug about that.
It’s time to start demanding far greater accountability from Google. If they’re going to be using your music whether you like it or not, you should at least have the same control over the “new boss” that you would have over the “old boss.” And it would be a cold day in hell that the old boss ever approved a sync for an ad for an illegal pharmacy.
Urban focused blog The Advent Outpost is seeking the hottest new urban songs to consider featuring on their very popular blog.Advent Outpost delivers daily updates surrounding the urban community, including music, technology, fashion, movies and gaming news.
Since May 2010 the site has been rapidly growing, seeing their daily readership increase tenfold. Having web savvy users along with with dynamic content, causes readers to visit the site multiple times per week to check for updates. Advent Outpost has received recognition from other blogs including 2dopeboyz and Rap Radar.
This is a great opportunity to expose your music on The Advent Outpost's very large readership.
Please do not contact The Advent Outpost directly regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
Holiday music publisher Justin Wilde is looking for "original" Halloween songs in all styles. Mid & Up-Tempo preferred. Vocals only. Straight or clever, funny novelty songs in all styles welcome.The tunes need not mention Halloween specifically, but the lyrics should include spooky imagery a la "Witchy Woman" or "The Monster Mash". Please include a copy of the lyrics within the submission.
Justin Wilde seeks great, well crafted Christmas songs to publish and pitch to recording artists, film & TV projects, premium compilations and other ancillary music markets. He co-wrote and publishes the Christmas standard, "IT MUST HAVE BEEN THE MISTLETOE" which has sold over 7 million units to date. He has placed songs with dozens of artists including Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Toby Keith, David Archuleta, Barbara Mandrell, The Boston Pops, plus numerous film and TV placements, amounting to over 400 licenses in the last eight years. Justin placed 19 holiday songs on network TV in 2011. No one knows the holiday music market better than "Mr. Christmas".
Please do not contact him directly regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
video by dwyer70905
For Musicians - Get your video posted on Roku while retaining all rights and financial freedom. Visit us on Roku at "artistdevelopment" - dwyer
Right Now: YouTube Music, Sketchy Playcounts, Silent Gigs, Bertelsmann+BMG, Daisy, 2013 Lollapalooza, Harlem Shake, Inc.
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
by Paul ResnikoffForget about Spotify killers and Deezer mass murderers for a second. Is YouTube's expansion into subscription and curated on-demand music about to steal the oxygen supply from entire streaming space? YouTube is already the most-streamed platform in music by multiple orders of magnitude, extreme warts and usability issues notwithstanding. But that's part of the charm: if Spotify didn't expressly license it, it's not on the app, whereas YouTube has every weed imaginable. Then again, this is Google, where 'embrace failure' seems like a mission statement when it comes to music...
Meanwhile, more extreme sketchiness surrounds playcounts at YouTube, where billions of views routinely disappear. The latest 'correction' involves a massive chop of 2.5 billion views on the mainline Universal Music Group channel, though YouTube has explained away those reductions as part of a broader shift towards VEVO (which leaves redundant, dead views behind on mainline YouTube, or something like that). Other versions traverse all sorts of click-fraud and shadiness, with majors suspected of routinely inflating playcounts with YouTube and VEVO's knowledge. Of course, newfound YouTube chart partner Billboard says it's all on the up-and-up, though few others can confidently vouch for YouTube's playcount accuracy.
Anyway, you've heard of the Silent Disco, right? That's a nascent performance format that wirelessly transmits music to a crowd, all of whom must be properly dialed in with headphones. So, it's silent to anyone outside of that group, including nosy neighbors, which brings us to the even nascent-er Silent Gig. This idea, cooked up by a pair of entrepreneurs we'll talk about later, involves a mostly gearless show (at least for the heavy stuff), and even paid app purchases for attending fans.
In the publishing world, Bertelsmann is now officially the sole owner of BMG, thanks to regulatory nods in Europe. Previously, BMG was 51 percent-owned by private equity firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co.
And how's Daisy doing? The ambitious streaming app now has $60 million-plus to play with, but celebrity executive Trent Reznor may be a bit distracted during the critical launch phase. Which brings us to Lollapalooza, where Nine Inch Nails will be featured as part of a broader NIN comeback tour that spills into 2014. The Cure will also be comeback'ing at Lolla, with a broader slate that includes Mumford & Sons, the Killers, and Phoenix, among others. The action happens August 2-4th at Chicago's Grant Park, more here.
And your digital buzzkill of the day? This extensive Mashable piece posits that the Harlem Shake (or the latest incarnation thereof) was hardly the organic meme explosion. Instead, the seemingly-spontaneous outbreak was orchestrated by corporations...
More ahead!
In this video clip, Joe Solo, the producer who developed Macy Gray and many others, offers his music networking advice for independent musicians. Who should you network with? How should you act? What conferences are worth attending? What websites should you visit? What associations should you join?
Just Pay Me? PRS Is Now Processing 124 Billion Music Uses a Year... During the Midem panel, How the Music Industry Manages Innovation (which I moderated), Incubus' manager, Steve Rennie, laid into the head of UK songwriters' collection society PRS, Robert Ashcroft. Rennie questioned why it takes several months for songwriters to get paid for online music usage.
Very trendy fashion clothing store out of Los Angeles is seeking current sounding songs in all genres to use as background music at their West Hollywood and Santa Monica locations. The music will be played on rotation at the company's stores throughout the season.The brand sells high end designer clothing and fashion accessories such as shoes, sunglasses, perfumes and jewelry. They also have an in store restaurant/cafe that is a hot spot for celebrities. They cater mainly to the young and hip so the music submitted should reflect this image. This is a great opportunity for exposure to thousands of shoppers this store has on a weekly basis.
Songs should be uplifting and fun, preferably upbeat to create a great atmosphere in the store. All music should have a very current commercial or indie sound. They are seeking songs that will make the customers feel good while shopping. Please think Jessie J, The Lumineers, Black Eyed Peas, Kendrick Lamar, Foster the People, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Mumford and Sons, J Cole, etc. Both vocal and instrumental tracks are ok.
This opportunity is open to all artists worldwide.
Marketing Music Flattr has traditionally been an online tip jar with a twist: You pay into an account first, and then decide who gets the money later. Evolver.fm explores new changes to the service. On Monday, Flattr announced a big change to this approach that intertwines it across internet where it belongs.
Future of the Industry According to this infographic by mobile app creators Mobile Roadie, the future of how artists earn money from mobile is changing. It's hard to believe, but ringtones and ringback tones (whatever they are?) represent the biggest chunk of global mobile music revenues at the moment.
W ith over 175 million u sers around the world, Twitter is truly one of the most powerful social networking tools in history. If you're like most musicians, harnessing that power can be a real challenge. There are basically two ways to take ad vantage of your time and effort on twitter as a musician.
video by Shindig212
Thank you for watching the Shindig Events video tutorial. This video will show you the key features of the Shindig platform and a rundown on how to host a Shindig Event. If you have any questions, comments or would like to schedule an event please contact us events@shindig.com today.
The Industry Isn't Good at Paying Artists. So I Invented 'Copper...'
Friday, February 22, 2013
by paulThe following is a presentation given at SF Musictech Summit by Scott Fryxell, founder of a brand-new concept called Copper. The technology is designed to tip any artist, from almost anywhere online.
Basically I had to stay at a bunch of friends' houses while I built the web app I'm going to show you. And all these friends are artists: curators, graphic designers, some former bandmates, and each one of them sort of put me up while I went through this process.
And I think there's this willingness within the arts community to support one another, even if what we're building may not always end up having a clear path. If you play music or have built anything from the ground up, you know you can't do anything without your community.
So I was thinking about support on the internet a few years ago, and the internet does a pretty good job of getting the word out about the music you have and getting your name out in the world. It solved that problem pretty good.
Copper allows you to support any and everything online with a single click. And by 'support' I mean 'pay'.
So here's how Copper works with fans. Sign up with Facebook, and you install a button in your browser.
So then you go about your normal interweebs business, but whenever you have that warm-and-fuzzy feeling, you can take it to the next level and tip any page on the web. We do the hard work of finding and paying the authors.
So all your tips end up on your profile page...
And this sort of serves as a roving list of all the stuff that you find online that you like. What's unique about Copper is that 100 percent of the tip goes to the content creator. We see ourselves as representing the fan, so we charge them a 10 percent fee. It's a genuine and no-bullshit way for content creators to connect with their fans and get support.
So there's two ends of this. After a fan's tipped, we go out and we contact the content creator, and we begin the process of paying them. So once they're signed up, they have this profile page, where they can see what pages have been tipped, what we've paid them and what we owe them. Standard stuff, you can also add a badge to if you want to put a Copper logo next to your content so people can pay you.
So this is what I do for a living, I find and pay authors. And I'm trying to make it easy for artists and their fans to connect, and keep creators creating their work. And what we want to do here is create a virtuous cycle.
Site at copper.is. Contact info here.
Comments Closed Comments (35)
Somebody Please Save Live Nation Entertainment... Tuesday, February 26, 2013 by paul Last year, Live Nation Entertainment lost $163.2 million, according to just-released financial details. Costly missteps involving Irving Azoff and Artist Nation were to blame, all part of a broader story that now looks scary and horrifying.
This post was written by guest contributor Nic Robertson of Jaden Social.] As both a musician and the managing director of a digital marketing agency, I spend a considerable amount of time working (playing) on Facebook, Twitter, and the many other Social Media platforms that exist on today's online landscape.
Highly credited music library Atrium Music, whose credits include Extreme Home Makeover, The Bachelor and the Major Motion Picture New Year's Eve, is currently considering new music in all styles to include in their very successful library.Male or Female vocals will be accepted as well as just instrumental and cue version of songs.
Atrium Music Group understands that music has the power to create and enhance visuals, allowing the viewer to escape further into the world that you create.
They also believe that music is the lifeblood of any film, television show or commercial, so their goal is to offer high quality music to production companies throughout the world.
Please do not contact Atrium Music directly regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
Music reviews website Music Emissions is currently considering music for their monthly podcast known as "Unsigned and Wound Up".They are looking for artists that use the DIY methods and that are currently unsigned. The chosen artists will be broadcasted as part of a 45-50 minute set on the last Tuesday of every month. The top vote-getter on the podcast itself will also have their most recent release reviewed by their editorial staff.
Indie music review community Music Emissions was established in 1999 and has been a publishing podcast since 2008. Riding on the success of contests such as Indie Of The Year, Music Emissions developed a new podcast series for independent artists only titled as the "Unsigned And Wound Up" podcast series.
Please do not contact Music Emissions directly regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
First, we need to know how you RSVP'ed to this event.
1- Did you use your Twitter account?
2- Did you use your email account?
Enter your email below and we'll send you a link so you can update your RSVP.
3- Did you purchase a ticket?
You must contact the organiser for cancellation and/or refund (if available.)
Will interview you on our internet radio program for 30 mins. You'll have the opportunity to promote your music, movie, book, psa or anything that you wish to discuss. It will be a live show so callers within the audience will be able to ask you questions and make comments on air or from the chatroom. You can discuss anything on the show except things that promote hate or intolerance towards people.
Canadian Music Publishing company Soundpro is currently seeking songs in all languages to fill for a couple of scenes in an upcoming movie.They have a scene with some gangster violence and a few calmer scenes where peaceful negotiations are attempted. Songs are needed to use for these scenes.
Music must be submitted by 12:00am - Moday the 18th.
Soundpro is a music publishing company offering original music for licensing in movies, TV, advertising and more.
As a publisher, Soundpro will pitch your music to industry professionals for use in their projects. They have the resources needed to get your work in front of the people who need it. The success of this company, along with the growing client roster and most importantly, unparalleled client satisfaction, has made Soundpro a most desirable place for music publishing representation.
Soundpro will not respond to direct messages regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
World music talent agency Eye For Talent is currently considering new World music artists for representation.Eye for Talent was founded in 1998 and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. They actively book their artists throughout the world with emphasis in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Brazil, and Europe.
They represent many of today's most celebrated World entertainers. Eye for Talent also leverages their strength in other key entertainment platforms to create valuable, career-enhancing opportunities for the artists they represent.
If you're a World music artist who is passionate about what you do, and have great songs, then Eye for Talent could be just the opportunity you're looking for.
Please do not contact Eye for Talent directly regarding this opportunity; submissions will be considered only through Music Clout.
Artist Tools: Daytrotter – Build your Live and Online Presence from the RoadPosted by renman on Sunday, February 10, 2013 · Leave a Comment
In our most recent Artist Tools segment, RenmanMB features a fantastic website and recording service called Daytrotter. We got turned onto this service from one of our Community members and thought it is absolutely essential for any band going out on tour. Daytrotter allows artists out on tour to come into their studios and record high quality and intimate live performances, which are posted shortly after! It’s a great way to promote your band to new local markets and to continue exposure while on the road, so make sure to check out Daytrotter!
For more Artist Tools segments, watch here!