DOING WHAT YOU LOVE

There is nothing more exciting than doing what you love. Sometimes I see people working with long faces, and bad attitudes toward people and I ask myself “Why these people are working here if they don’t love what they are doing?” I know sometimes life turns the way we don’t want and people might think it is unfair. We see example of people who go to school, gets their bachelor degree in a major that probably will have nothing to do with the type of job they will be performing. Then you see people working in a place that you always dream to work and see them miserable, and you ask yourself “how could he be so miserable? I would do anything to be in his position.” I have dreams and goals of becoming a great leader in the music business as well as one the best executive producer music has known. There is nothing in this physical world that can stop me from obtaining what I want to accomplish. The reason for this is because I want to do what I love, which is music and everything that comes with it. For me there is nothing more exciting than being in a studio working directly with an artist. The emotion grows more when you listen to the song in the radio and watch the music video knowing that you form important part of the work.  Although, I still work in a regular job, my dreams do not vanish on the contrary it gives me more power to keep chasing my dreams and goals. I could never see myself working on the same place for 30 years receiving insults and bad times on account of other people. I know I have a talent to be my own boss and be a leader for others working on something I love. I think the most important thing to persevere in chasing a dream is having patience and goodwill. I was watching the speech of Mr. GaryVaynerchuk at TED.com, and he says that we have to do what we love withoutexcuses. Although his speech is a little bite out of range in the way professors and instructor have teach me to talk to an audience, but you can appreciate his passion on  what he does and love. I can really identify myself with what he was saying. How somebody can work in something he does not like or love? 

PROS AND CONS WHEN SIGNING WITH A MAJOR RECORD LABEL

Major record labels spend millions of dollars on an artist album, contrary of indie record label that doesn’t have the same economic advantage. There exist differences between working with a major record label and working with an indie record label. Normally, major record labels operate their own distribution and publishing companies. Also, they are global in scale. The dream of any new artist is to be sign by a major record label, but little they know about the pros and cons of signing with a major record label or working as an indie record label. Here are the pros and cons of signing with a major record label.

One of the pros of signing with a major record label is the excessive amount of budgeting. Major records labels have more budget or funds to dispose than indie record labels can. These additional assets mean that the major record labels are able to budget first-class production, and physical and digital distribution through the major online stores. They also have the money to invest in world tours, and high-quality music video shoots. Other pros of a major record label are the networking and connections they have. For many decades major record labels have been in the door to most media outlets having the connections to more exposing. The size and reputation that major records have gain is another pros they have over indie record labels. For an indie record labels it may be harder to influence recognize music magazine to do a publication of their latest artist’s album. These kinds of magazines are more incline to do a publication of a new artist of a major record label than an indie record label.

One of the cons or negative side of signing with a major record label is that new artists have to fight for attention. Major record labels sign many artists, but if their music doesn’t instantly sound, they will not get any attention from their record label. Another con is that some artist may get unfriendly deals fromthe label. Knowing that major record labels record are a business, they will do anything they can to gain all the money from their investment in artist music and branding. These mean fewer royalties, less control over the music, rights, and creation of the music.

Knowing that major record labels are global in scale, indie record labels on the contrary tends to work with other smaller companies. The worthy mechanism that indie record labels have is that they can scope in size. Major record labels are all alike in size, but indie record labels do not have enough money to make the kind of big business that the major records labels can. Artists can find many benefits when signing with an indie record label; they just need to understand the aids of each type of label and knowing what is more important to them.

You decide!

PLANNING AN ALBUM

As any other project plan, creating, producing, and releasing an album or LP needs a chronicle organization to be well done.  Pre-production, production, and post-production must be breakdown in order to be done right and on time. A good project manager must have an excellent staff member in order for them to commit and deliver the best of their abilities to produce a quality job. The best project managers are those who are committed to their staff, and have an outgoing personality that encourages their employees to do an excellent job.  The best way to manage an album project is using measurable facts that can be tested and verified by both the project manager and staff members. Decisions must be based on logical objective analysis on feelings and values.

The production of an album consists of three stages. These three stages are making the album (pre-production), preparing for the album release (production), and its release show and post-release (post-production). On the first stage of the album is important to have the elements completed. These elements are pre-recordings, planning steps, recording steps, mastering and post-production steps, legal steps, replication and digital distribution steps, artwork and design. Pre-recoding and planning steps consist of deciding what kind of album the project manager and staffs are making. This can be either one album or a series of album. Most series albums are known as mixtapes. Pre-recoding and planning steps also consist in choosing the songs of the album, the place of recording either a home studio or a professional studio, rehearsing the songs, and fine tuning the gears and instruments. Recording steps consist of making mixes, listen to them, getting feedbacks from other colleagues and peers, and making final mixes. Mastering and post-production steps consists of choosing a mastering house, possessing the rights formats, and deciding the order of the songs on the album. Legal steps consists of documenting who owns the songs and sound recordings, getting permission to record any cover songs, samples or loops, clearing the legal status of all the artwork and text, and getting permission for guest musicians. Replication and digital distribution steps consists of replicating and duplicating of CDs, to determine how many CDs will be made and their costs. Afterward, deciding which type of packaging and the type of booklet, getting the artwork design templates from the CD manufacture, and determine the formats required for album art and text, are part of the steps. Artwork and design consists of choosing a name for the album, getting an upc barcode, working on the artwork, and replication of the CD.

The second stage of an album is preparing for the album release. This consists of picking a release date for the album, preparing for online sales, preparing audio for promotional purpose, planning a CD release show, listening party, and tour dates if the artist or band have a booking agency, getting the album merchandise and promotional material, planning, preparing and starting the publicity campaign. Preparing for online sales consists of picking a CD or digital distributor and signing up. Preparing audio for promotional purpose consists of making MP3s from mastered wavs, tagging and naming MP3s correctly. Having t-shirts and merchandise related to the album, and promotional materials like posters, postcards, stickers, and flyers can help get the album merchandise and promote. Planning and preparing the publicity campaign consists of a PR campaign, setting up a Google alerts with the new album name and songs titles. Updating music resume documents, preparing PR documents such as press releases, and compiling the target PR lists is also part of the campaign. Starting with it consists of working with the staff members and fans, updating the artist or band website, updating the artist or band web presence, and writing a mailing list.

The third and last stage of the album is the album release and post-release. The album release and post-release consists of submitting the CD for online sales, adding the CD to Gracenote and Freedb, and updating the artist or band website and web presence. In order for a project of this magnitude to succeed will depend much upon the positive energy, attention and skills the project manager and his staff apply in its initial planning.