DO NOT PITCH YOUR MUSIC WITHOUT THIS!

 As a music business veteran, I implore you to have this document ready when pitching your music!  Lets face it, the competition is so tough that you have to be creative in getting seen and heard.  The littlest thing can make or break a sync or record deal. Why not give yourself an edge by simply preparing your paperwork in advance?  I personally get hundreds of tracks submitted weekly and nothing moves a track to the top of  my pile then a track with this document in its correct format.  What is it you ask?  It's a properly formatted Lyric Sheet.  Pay attention to the words "properly formatted".  This means indents in the right places so we know where we are at in a song, publishing information, Title Track, Author(s) and contact information.  When it comes to sync licensing this is a must for me 99% of the time.  I can tell a lot about a song looking at the Lyric sheet before I even hear the track!  Is it too busy? word-stuffing issues?  A repeating hook? etc.  In the world of film, music is usually the last to be addressed in post production and the deadline is yesterday!  So this helps the buyer, in a search for mood,  story line,  clearance,  and song structure. These are all vitals of a song that help me in my decision making process.  Again, keep "properly formatted" as a focus for creating the document.  Great lyrics are worthless to me if I cant see your publishing name(s), or contact information.  I've dismissed lots of great music simply because others had the info I needed all in front of me.  I could go into specifics, like noting Public Domain or Explicit lyric notice, but first things first.  You can thank me with a subscription to my blog!  

Proper Layout 

Was Your Music Rejected because you were told its not "Broadcast Quality"?

What is Broadcast Quality and How do I make make sure my music is up to Industry Standard? 

There are a few varying definitions for the term "Broadcast Quality"  such as:

1. A song can only be marketed at the commercial level only if it is professionally produced.

2. Broadcast quality essentially refers to a recording--a CD or DVD--that is ready for radio airplay.

3. The material has to sound good on the radio and stand up well alongside commercial records, which in turn means recording a good performance and choosing a suitable range of sounds, then mixing it all carefully so as to avoid unwanted noise or distortion.

I think all three definitions are aiming for the same result.  I believe  the meaning gets muddied because of two variables.  First, there are different types of usages (film, radio, CD, Trailer, Video Game) and secondly are the different genres (live, pop, Americana, Rock, etc.)  There Are also various file types, (mp3, wav, aiff) 

Too find if your track is up to par with other proven broadcast quality tracks run a sound test. Also ask others to play along with ya on the feedback for better insight.

Listen to  a dozen tracks in your genre.  For example you have an Americana track, listen to several others tracks charting in that genre.  Listen to them in at least five different types of speakers (Computer, Car Radio, Studio Speakers, Alexa, Home Stereo)  You get my point.  Compare it to your music.  It should be equal to or better than what you hear.

Pro's: Untrained Ear can hear where lows bottom out, clipping issues, noise problems exist, etc.

Con's:  Untrained Ear can not hear  multiple issues and be unaware of problems.   

My son the certified Audio Engineer defines his job as "I fix problems you didn't know you had in places you don't understand".  This brings me to my next suggestion which is more technical. In order to ensure your music is broadcast quality and can compete with today's market it needs to be mixed and mastered well. Im sure most of you do not have this technical skill set, and that's probably why your reading this blog.   Have  your music professionally mixed and mastered.  These are two different jobs with two different technical skills and each must be respected and addressed.  So whats the difference?  Here is the best definitions I found.  

Mixing Engineer: 

Takes various audio sources through its multiple input channels, adjust levels and other attributes of the sound, then usually combine them to a lesser number of outputs. 

Mastering Engineer

Uses technical expertise and superb ears to make the final adjustments to a piece of recorded music before it's released, heightening its impact and ensuring that it will translate well to the variety of playback systems in use today.

Today you can add the mixing and mastering tasks with a simple additional purchase during the duplication process. Discmakers and others duplicating services offer it with the click of a button. Ya gotta remember though that they are mixing and mastering your files.  If your files have recording and engineering issues then it limits the quality of the mix and mastering.  This situation probably represents 90 percent of the music I turn away for quality.  To break it down to ya,  it's  usually things like microphone placements, interface issues,  room noise, too much or not enough filters, compression and other tracking issues. It's worth it to get your music pre-screened by an audio pro.  The most heart-breaking mistake I find is vocal pitch issues. Ugg. This is 2020 and there are gauges for these issues if your ears are not trained enough to hear it.  On a side note there are apps to help you with pitch as well as cadence issues.  Use a click track!  it saves you time and money.   If you are having issues with broadcast quality then send me an email MusicBizGal-Email and I will try to address it on my Podcast. 

Check out my future blogs where I address these issues.

Poor Song Structure - (Intro too long, needs a bridge, cant decipher verse from chorus)
Not Enough Dynamics (no forward motion, instrumentation does not support vocals)
Not Registered with a Performing Rights Organization (nobody can get paid)
Annunciation (Misunderstood words disconnect audience)
Does not have master recordings on hand (delays a sync deal)
No knowledge of basic sync licensing (fear of being ripped off prevents the buy)
Over-produced (too much going, on the song is lost)
Pitchy-Vocals (too many apps and tools to be submitting a bad vocal, so we move on)
Cadence off  (instruments and vocals obviously out of sync)
Lyrics not Cohesive (audience cant relate and loose interest)
Word-stuffing (too many words in a measure, listener cant catch up)
Sounds too Mechanical, Predictable (loops,  repeating drums, same licks in verse and chorus)
Submission Etiquite (short, too the point, poor networking skills) 

Does your Band Manager Jump over Walls to support you?

So I manage a few artists and each day is different.   I do a lot of what the formal description says: 

Band Managers assist bands in making sound business and creative decisions. They help bands to secure record deals, ensure that band members attend band practice sessions, and negotiate contracts on behalf of bands.

But the truth of it is ya gotta love the music and have confidence that your a good match.  Sometimes I'm asked to manage a band because of my experience and knowledge which is flattering especially when I love the music,  but that is never enough for me.  I need someone with music business experience so I don't have to educate and hold hands every step of the way.  It should be a partnership with defined roles while remaining flexible.  In a given week I do the traditional tasks of reading contracts, scheduling, press & media but with that comes part therapist, friend and group mediator.  When someone seeks me out for management the first question I ask is how much income did you generate in the last 12- months with your music. You see managers get paid a percentage of your music income so  15 percent of Zero  = Zero, so they can't afford me.  I say to them "consider consulting with me to guide you on your music path with out managing you because for me your  not there yet and with a consult I dedicate time to tell you why."  I have had a band that I groomed for six months and touring with a big act only to have them party to hard, get in a fight, and get thrown in Jail.  Yuck.  I learned my lesson well.  I have however been redeemed by signing Water Tower Band.  Why you ask? Well the Water Tower band (in various stages) has been around for 15 years and came with a built in fan-base  and experience. I could work with unsigned or new acts, but I also run a music library and work on concerts so time is valuable.  Water Tower band is solely owned by front-man Kenny Feinstein, which means I only have to work with one person and not three or four personalities.  Kenny, has been in a recovery  program for a few years.  He also  has a strict sobriety policy. In fact his band mates are almost always in a some form or another of recovery.  So my  whole fear of "bands in jail" trauma is no longer a deterrent for me to take them on as a manager. There have been some difficulties where I have to go head-to-head with band-mates but then again they are a work for hire so they get paid even when Kenny and I don't.  All in all we share the same vision for the band and that what drives me to always go the extra mile.  It was just two weeks ago that the band had to replace some concert footage  with a 48 hour deadline.  To get it done I got up at 6am, drove to the LA Riverbed jump over a 6ft concrete wall and assisted in shooting new improved content (2nd camera angle).  Was it worth it?  Absolutely! It's important that they know I'm "All In". link:  Water Tower band (in the LA Riverbed)

Could this be the reason your music isn't selling?

Are You Pitching Your Music with No results?

I've been buying, selling, signing music in multiple genres for more than 20 years.  Want to hear what we say behind closed doors and the many reasons we reject music?  Sometimes it's its a simple fix and sometimes its a complicated task but the more you hear from decision makers the better equipped you'll be to get selected.  I can't cover it all in a short blog but I can certainly break it down for you in several short reads. Here is a list of common reasons in no specific order:

Not Broadcast Quality-(Mix & Mastering Issues)
Poor Song Structure - (Intro too long, needs a bridge, cant decipher verse from chorus)
Not Enough Dynamics (no forward motion, instrumentation does not support vocals)
Not Registered with a Performing Rights Organization (nobody can get paid)
Annunciation (Misunderstood words disconnect audience)
Does not have master recordings on hand (delays a sync deal)
No knowledge of basic sync licensing (fear of being ripped off prevents the buy)
Over-produced (too much going, on the song is lost)
Pitchy-Vocals (too many apps and tools to be submitting a bad vocal, so we move on)
Cadence off  (instruments and vocals obviously out of sync)
Lyrics not Cohesive (audience cant relate and lose interest)
Word-stuffing (too many words in a measure, listener cant catch up)
Sounds too Mechanical, Predictable (loops,  repeating drums, same licks in verse and chorus)
Submission Etiquite (short, too the point, poor networking skills) 

I will go into detail on future blogs so you can select which issues you might be having and learn some corrective actions.  I also have a podcast coming in November 2020 "MusicBizGal", where you can actually submit music to me and I can do a brief live on air critique. I have been known to not only love some of the music you send me, put also license it, get a record deal, or manage an act or two. I work  in multiple genres from Americana, Punk Rock, EDM to Kids Music, Classical and World. For more information visit MusicBizGal for submissions Submit link to one song #MusicBizGal #PrepareYourMusic #ArtistManagement #MusicProduction #MusicLicensing