They fail almost all the time, because musicians often throw caution to the wind and have a mind that it’s a simple endeavor. I am here to tell you that it’s not. If you’re not taking your music seriously, and you’re in a cover band or you’re just playing with friends, then fill your boots my friend — more power to you. But if you intend on actually making money from your career as a musician and you intend on doing it with others, there are some things you need to know before even starting. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but here are some of the more important things to keep in mind on why bands fail.

Get to the know the people you’re with

Like I’ve always said “Joining a band is like marrying four or five people all at once.”

Get to know these people really, really well. You’re possibly going to spend months in a crappy van with these cats, and it’s important to have the right kind of people next to you in that situation. It’s very important that you avoid joining up with musicians who aren’t tolerant at all, who get in terrible moods because of the poor conditions and fly off the handle, taking out their frustration on everybody else. Keeping a band mate like that is an exercise in futility for your career; you’ll spend five  months on the road and then without warning your bandmate has either left mid-tour or afterwards, and you’ll have to end the tour prematurely wasting everyone’s time.

Or you’ll have to spend even more time looking for the replacement and teaching him when you get home. I don’t care how talented he is, I don’t care what he can offer, if you find yourself with that person then avoid them at all costs. Humor and a relaxed behavior is important here, because you’re going to fail a lot and – while that’s OK – some people overreact and they make a mountain out of a molehill, and it can kill the morale of everyone.

Drugs

Now, If you’re doing drugs and you’re not ruining your life, I don’t care and neither should anybody else. It’s not our business, some people can handle their drugs really well, they aren’t addicts, and they aren’t a problem. (Editor’s Note: SuperNerdLand does not condone drug use, but not all laws in the world conform to a single standard of prohibition. Drug use — and abuse — exists in the world, deal with it.) Putting aside heroin as choice drug for obvious reasons, I know people like this and they are fantastic people, but if you start to see a budding problem where some people in the band are irrational and violent because of this then it’s time to find another band.

That is a ticking time bomb, and you need to distance yourself before you’re caught in it’s blast radius. You might find yourself picking up their habits, and as far as crossing borders go, you’re going to find yourself on the seven O’clock news whether you were doing drugs with them or not. Sometimes a major — or even minor label — might not pick you up if you’re a bit of a flight risk. I’m not knocking drugs, just find someone who can handle their stuff and keep it at home, or in the very least not travel across borders with it.

Priority

If somebody has kids and a wife, house payments, a job they can’t take leave of, their schooling, or a girlfriend, then you’re most likely just setting yourself up for disappointment. These people have responsibilities beyond the band that will most likely conflict with your ability to tour, even sometimes with regular six hour practice sessions and studio time. You can rarely find somebody who can juggle these things with relative ease and if you’re really looking to make something of yourself as a musician, your career has to be in your top two.

My hat goes off to all those mothers and fathers who still pursue the dream, but if all of your band mates have overbearing girlfriends who require all their attention, or a job that simply can’t be left for a tour, then that’s an obstacle you can avoid by just not joining up with them. Sometimes it’s a little easier to take the safe path and avoid the possibility of the problem all together, especially when probability isn’t in your favor.

Safety & Maintenance

Before you hit the road, get all of the equipment checked out by a professional and fix any problems that arise. Save up money, and keep spare parts and extra patch cords/XLR cables at all times. When you lug electronics from place to place with alternating weather conditions, there’s going to be some wear and tear, and you’re going to have crippling problems.

Speaking of crippling problems, if somebody steals all your equipment out of your van while you’re sleeping in your hotel room, you are going to be fucked beyond all measure. Don’t bother with locks on the van, don’t bother with alarm systems, fuck that noise and bring your equipment into the hotel rooms. If you’re all going out to party, leave somebody behind to watch it. I don’t care if it doesn’t fit, I don’t care if you’re tired, I don’t even care if your bandmate is pouty about not joining the party, make it fit, put some elbow grease into it and tell him to bite the bullet or you are going to lose all of your equipment. Be absolutely firm on this issue and do not waver.
It’s an industry

The music industry is an industry; it’s not a club or a hobby. First and foremost you are selling a product. Major labels don’t pick people up because they’re talented, they pick people up because they can make money for the label. Part of understanding how to make money with your music is looking at how modern artists write their material, how they structure their songs in a condensed and palatable format. That’s something you’re going to need to conform to whether you like it or not, because while you might love twenty minute contrived as all hell solos or ten minutes of noise without structure, the largest demographic today does not.

They like monotonous crap that’s about as predictable as any horror movie today, and I get it. I don’t like it — I really don’t — but that’s where the money is and this is your job. I’m not telling you to make Pop music if you’re a metalhead, I’m saying use their structures and keep it simple and repetitive, so it’s catchy enough to stay in the listener’s head.

You might say that this is selling out, but I beg to differ, I call this “Investing in your Pursuit.” Spend ten years, do three or four albums like or whatever’s on your contract, and you’ll have enough money to start your own label. Then you can produce and create whatever sound you want, and you can tour and shill it all to your hearts content directly to your audience.

Remember, it’s an industry, so if all of these things aren’t at least something you consider and you aren’t serious — then relax — but heed some of my advice. It will  save you a heap of trouble in the future.

These days, there’s a lot of talk about how difficult it is to make money as a music artist. While there’s no disputing that it can be a challenge (which is why you need other reasons to do music than just making money), the fact remains that if you are the kind of person who is dedicated and resourceful, it is possible to earn income from your talent. The important thing is not to listen to the naysayers who are telling you the odds—you have a lot better shot at making money from your music if you focus on what you CAN do, rather than what you CAN’T do.

DIVERSIFYING IS KEY

Given the current state of the music business, one of the most important things you can do to make money as a music artist is to diversify. In other words—don’t just do one thing. Your musical talents can be put to good use in a variety of ways, and the songs you write can result in some good residual income if you get them into the right places. If you hone in on doing only one thing musically, it’s a lot less likely to support you financially—that’s just the way things are in the business right now, especially for those who don’t have Platinum record sales yet.

On the other hand, if you work on multiple angles where your music is concerned, you may find several streams of income that will do a better job of supporting you—plus, if one stream runs dry, you won’t go completely broke because you’ll have other streams to draw from. Most independent musicians today get money for their music by doing a combination of things.

THINGS YOU CAN DO TO MAKE MONEY IN MUSIC

There are many ways in which your music can make you money, including some you might think of which are not on this list. But here are a few ideas to get you started—and remember, the key is not to do just one, but pick a few that you think you can do, and start there.

Play live gigs. If you like to perform live, work on scheduling gigs for yourself at local venues. House shows are also increasing in popularity, and you’d be surprised at how well you can do there. Weddings can also be a great source of income. If you have an album recorded (and you should), bring records to sell at every gig.

Be a musical “gun for hire.” If you’re a good instrumentalist or if you enjoy doing background vocals (BGVs), there’s no shame in hiring yourself out for music gigs, live shows, even studio session work. Say yes to anything you might qualify for. There are musicians who stay busy make a good living just because they are willing to take whatever gigs come their way.

Exploit your songs. This might seem like a bad way to put it, but all “exploit” means is that you can use your intellectual property to gain an income in any way you can. If you create original music, there are many ways to get it “out there,” not just recording and selling it on iTunes. For example, music supervisors are constantly looking for songs to license and sync to TV, film and commercials; the pay is instant, usually good, and sometimes residual.

You can also submit your songs to publishers to try and get recording artists to cut them. (A lot of successful artists today got their start by writing songs for others.) The point is, find as many ways as possible to use your original music to gain income. Artists who are particularly good at this can sometimes even live on the residual income and royalties after awhile.

Exploit the Internet. Social media doesn’t always directly lead to income (although it can), but what it does is make your name and brand known, and if that results in more fans, it can result in more record sales. Many of today’s music stars got their start, not from getting discovered by a label, but by getting discovered on YouTube. In fact, going “viral” on YouTube can also mean more income because when videos reach a certain number of views, YouTube starts sharing advertising dollars with those users. So make the most of this. Learn how to use social networking to your advantage.

Teach. It’s not the most glamorous thing to do, but for almost as long as music has been around, musicians have been supplementing their income by teaching others to play. It’s a common practice for musicians to give lessons during the day, followed by gigging, writing and recording at night, and many can live on music full-time by doing this.

Bottom line—don’t use the “state of the music business” to determine whether you’re going to make a living with your music. Yes, there are obstacles today, but there were different obstacles before now, and different obstacles before that. There will always be reasons why people say you can’t do it, but the ones who succeed are the ones who look for (and exploit) the ways they CAN do it.

It’s not up to the “state of the music business” to decide for you whether you can make money as a music artist. It never has been. It’s always been up to you. And it still is.

Let’s run through the important, but complicated, process of music royalties.

Royalties are the money that is paid to recording artists, songwriters, and/or publishers for following the use of their artistic work. While the definition is simple, issuing royalties to artists can be a complicated and involved matter. In general, artists can receive royalties for their music through mechanical reproductions (CDs, vinyls, etc.), public performances (radio, broadcast, etc.), and synchronizations (films, commercials, etc.). Royalties are divided between different people involved in the creation of a song, including the songwriter, the publisher, and the recording artists.

Who Gets Music Royalties and Distributes Music Royalties

Each of the entities listed below have a direct role in either issuing and/or receiving royalties from the use of music.

1. The Songwriter

Responsible for writing both the lyrics and music for a song. This can be one person or many people. They receive royalties from several different entities, including the publisher, record label, sync licensing agency, PROs, and print companies, depending on how their song is used.

2. The Publisher

Responsible for exploiting an artist’s music for profit by issuing rights to record labels, tv/movie producers, and more. They generally acquire the copyright from the songwriter in exchange for royalty privileges. The publisher receives royalties from record labels, sync licensing agencies, PROs, and print companies.

3. The Record Label

Responsible for recording an artist’s work and producing both tangible and digital copies of the recording. They have the master rights to a recorded track, but not the publishing rights. If the label owns the recordings, they receive rights from the publisher to record them and sell them for profit. If they don’t own the recordings, i.e. for a compilation or something similar, the label receives rights from the mechanical licensing agency to record a song a sell it for a profit.

4. The Performing Artist

The person or people who actually perform the songwriter’s original work. Unless they also are the songwriter (which is common), they do not have publishing rights. They receive royalties for use of the master recording, in mechanical reproduction of the recording (CDs, vinyls, etc.), as well as from sync licensing agencies.

5. Performing Rights Organization (PRO)

PROs acquire public performance royalties on behalf of the songwriter and the music publisher. Public performances include any public space where a song is played — including radio, commercial spaces, etc. Once the copyrighted material is registered with the PRO, they will issue royalties to both the publisher and the songwriter.

6. Mechanical Rights Agency

This agency manages mechanical licensing rights for the music publisher and issues those rights to anyone who’d like to produce copies of the music. They issue royalties to the songwriter, publisher, and performer.

7. Sync Licensing Agency

Acquires rights from the music publisher and record label to issue licenses for syncing a song alongside any sort of visual media, including films, commercials, etc. They issue royalties for sync licenses to the music publisher, songwriter, and whoever owns the rights to the master recording.

The Big Picture

A songwriter issues the copyright for their song to a music publisher, who then either releases the recording independently, issues rights directly to a record label, or issues rights to a mechanical rights agency, who then issues those rights to a record label to record and produce the music with a performer. Depending on how the music is used — in public performances, CD sales, in films, sheet music, etc. — the people who were involved in the production are issued royalties. Royalty splits are negotiated between each entity, depending on their level in the process and how many people were involved. Simple, right?

We explain how and why they exist, and whoever the heck Harry Fox is.

Mechanical royalties are paid to artists whenever they’re music is reproduced. This can apply to CDs, vinyls, cassettes, digital downloads, and streaming services. After signing with a mechanical rights agency (the Harry Fox Agency is who pays mechanical royalties in the U.S.), copyright holders will receive royalties upon the sale of their music. Generally the mechanical rights are obtained by a record label or streaming service, and the royalties are paid by the mechanical rights agency to the music publisher, who then splits the royalties with the songwriter based on their agreement.

What are Mechanical Royalties?

Just like many other aspects of the music industry, who pays mechanical royalties is fairly easy to grasp on the surface, but a bit more difficult to explain in-depth. In general, they apply to the money that is paid to copyright holders when their music is reproduced in a physical or digital format. This can apply to CDs, cassettes, vinyls, digital downloads, streaming services, etc. While modern methods may have moved beyond “mechanical” (the original term came from player-piano rolls) the name has stuck.

Who Pays Mechanical Royalties?

Mechanical royalties are paid by mechanical rights agencies. In the U.S., the Harry Fox Agency is the primary mechanical rights agency, but there are many more around the world. This is the first step in the process, in the same way that an artist signs with a performance rights organization to gather and distribute performance royalties.

Who Receives Mechanical Royalties?

Mechanical royalties are given to the copyright holders (most commonly the music publisher and the songwriter). An entity must get a mechanical license to reproduce a copyrighted song in any format — digital or physical. This is most commonly record labels and streaming services. Once they obtain a mechanical license and reproduce the material, the licensing agency collects royalties based on the units sold (or songs streamed if digitally).

Music publishers and songwriters do have the option to collect royalties directly from the record label in the U.S. without sacrificing a percentage to the mechanical rights agency. Oftentimes a record label will make an agreement with the copyright holders when they sign a contract on who collects mechanical royalties.

How to Collect Mechanical Royalties Outside the U.S.

If you’d like to collect mechanical royalties for copyrighted work being reproduced outside the U.S., you’ll most likely need to sign with a mechanical rights agency in the respective country. This can be an involved and time-consuming process, especially since many countries require the use of an agency to collect and distribute royalties.

How Much are Artists Paid for Mechanical Licenses?

Another difficult question to answer. On average, songs earn around 9.1 cents each time it is reproduced in physical format or downloaded digitally following a purchase. Compulsory mechanical licenses (for covers of songs) generally earn 8.5 cents per reproduction. As for digital streaming services, artists generally receive .0008 cents every time one of their songs is played.

We explain how artists get paid for their creative work.

Royalties, not to be confused with music licenses, are the payments that go out to artists when their work is used in some capacity. Royalties are paid for several different forms of licensing and usage, including mechanical, public performance, synchronization, and print music. Generally royalties are paid once the copyrighted work is broadcast or performed in any way. The four types of music royalties are:

1. Mechanical

Mechanical royalties are paid upon physical reproduction of an artist’s work. For example, when a record company produces records they need to pay royalties every time a single copy is reproduced. This is most often negotiated on the front end of contract between a music publisher and record label. These royalties apply to any physical format of music, including vinyl, cassette, and CD productions.

2. Public Performance

Public performance royalties are the most wide-reaching, common form of royalties that are issued to musicians. By definition, public performances pertain to any performance of copyrighted material. This can include, but is not limited to, airing music on radio, live performances, performances recorded for film or television, and playing copyrighted work over stereos in public spaces. Most often performance royalties are paid to performance rights organizations (PROs) such as BMI or ASCAP. The PROs collect the royalties and pay them out to the artists that have signed with them as representation, after taking a cut for operating costs.

3. Synchronization (Sync)

Sync royalties are paid for copyrighted music that is paired with visual media of any kind, including films, commercials, and online/streaming video and advertisements. These royalties are often negotiated on the front end of the licensing process, and are paid based on how many times the song will be used, and for which audience.

4. Print Music

Print royalties are the simplest and least common form of payment that is paid to an artist. This type of royalty applies to copyrighted music that is transcribed to a print piece, like sheet music, and then distributed. Royalties are paid to the copyright holder based on the number of copies made of the printed piece.

Music licenses are the primary way artists can receive royalties for their music, by giving legal permission to someone who’d like to use their work. In general, there are six types of licenses that someone can use for various purposes. They are: synchronization license, mechanical license, master license, public performance license, print rights license, and theatrical license.

The uses of original works can range from sheet music reproduction to theater productions all the way to jukeboxes and major motion pictures. Because copyrighted material needs written permission from the author to be used, people seeking to use the work must get a music license. In general, if you’re using a song (that’s not yours) for something that other people will hear, you need a music license to use it. This license will include the usage and term rights, which determines how the song will be used. You can learn more about music usage rights here and about music copyrights here.

Here are the six major forms of music licenses, along with how they’re used in a practical sense.

• Synchronization License (Sync License)

Musicbed’s platform is built completely on representing musicians and composers for sync licensing. This method of licensing refers to music that is going to be paired with some form of visual media. It has a broad range of uses, including TV commercials, studio films, streaming advertisements, personal films, internal communications, and more.

• Mechanical License

A mechanical license is needed for any physical reproduction of an artist’s work. Primarily this refers to the manufacturing of CDs or distribution of music in any tangible form. Artists, aka copyright holders, will have agreements with record labels, distributors, and publishers on the mechanical terms of their music, and are generally paid per-copy.

• Master License

Master licenses are a bit more complex than most others, in that they’re similar to sync licenses but not quite as broad-ranging. A master right is held by the person who owns the recording of a song. The master license gives the user permission to use a pre-recorded version of a song in a visual or audio project, but does not allow a user to re-record a song for a project (i.e. to cover or edit a song). Generally a master license is issued in conjunction with a sync license.

• Public Performance License

This license is perhaps the most common form of music license issued today. While ‘performance’ may be a limiting term, it applies generally to any broadcast of an artist’s work. This includes businesses who play music in their store, jukeboxes, or any other form of public performance — all the way up to concerts. Performing rights organizations (PROs) such as BMI, SESAC, and ASCAP generally manage public performance licenses and issue music royalties to artists on a per-use basis.

• Print Rights License

This license refers to the physical copy of the sheet music that an artist has created. It’s needed when someone prints a sheet music compilation, or any time the sheet music of copyrighted work is reproduced.

• Theatrical License

Also a very specific form of written permission, theatrical licenses are very common in the theater industry. The license is required any time a copyrighted work is performed on-stage in front of an audience.

1. Write the Lyrics for Your Song

Many musicians write their own melodies as well as the lyrics. If you already have lyrics, consider them when writing your melody. Some questions to ask yourself before composing the music are: What words do I want to focus on? Are there note lengths or timing that will accommodate certain words better than others will?

Consider the following line: I DROVE my CAR down the HIGHWAY. The emphasized words DROVE, CAR and HIGHWAY give the listener an idea of what is going on, even if these are the only words they hear. On the other hand, if you sing the same line but emphasize different words: I drove MY car DOWN THE highway. The listener might have no idea what you're singing about.

You can emphasize words with a louder note, changing the note itself, a longer note or including a rest before or after the note. Experiment with your song and see what sounds the best.

2. Listen to and Learn from Other Composers

There is something to be learned from every single musician or band out there. Listen to how your favorite musicians construct their songs examine the style, the tone, how different instruments work together and so on and so forth. You can implement many of the same ideas into your own music or even take some of their riffs and tweak them to fit your style. This is a great way to come up with new melodies.

3. Use Music Composition Software

Music composition software can be a musician's best friend. These programs aid in the writing process by organizing your work and allow you to see what you're playing. Quality software packages provide features including a metronome to keep beat, playback, so you can listen to what you've composed, input, so you can hook your instrument or microphone directly to your computer and notate a song you play or sing and tons of editing tools so you can easily compose a riff.

4. Look for Musical Inspiration

Before writing a piece of music, it's critical to feed your mind inspiration. Inspiration comes from all around us: our emotions, relationships, nature, people and experiences some songs are even about surreal situations. A big part of finding inspiration is putting yourself in situations that rouse inspiration and then recognize it when it comes.

We all have different people come into our lives; relationships have always been hot topic for songwriters. To generate other ideas get out of the house, go somewhere, and do something. This could even be something as simple as walking in the park or down the street. You'll be amazed where inspiration can be found.

5. Have Fun

You first started writing music because you love music. If you're not enjoying composing music, then do something else for a while. People tend to do what they love best.

6. There is No Wrong Answer in Music Composition

Writing music is one of those things you can do and never make a mistake. Some melodies are catchier than others are, and everyone will write some bad stanzas. It's all right; that's why we have revisions. Remember this while writing music: it will make you feel better and help you avoid writer's block.  

7. Define Your Music Composition Goal

Are you writing music for yourself or for other people? This alone will totally change the tone and style of your music. If you are writing for yourself, you have more freedom to write what and how you want.

In contrast, if you are writing for other people, it is a good idea to identify your target audience and write music they will enjoy.

8. Seek Advice and Opinions  

People are always willing to give advice and opinions; take their comments into consideration when writing music. Give your music to family members and friends to get their opinion of your songs. Though people close to you may be biased, their comments are still valuable.   

9. Do Something Different

It's easy to get stuck in a rut and all of your songs begin to sound the same. Even if you've found a great combination of notes or a catchy beat, changing it can be good and help you grow as a composer.

An easy way to try something new is pick up an instrument you haven't played before. Sometimes you find yourself playing the same old keys or strumming the same chords on your guitar. A different instrument can lead you to melodies you may not have thought of otherwise.   

10. Practice, Practice and More Practice

There is no substitute for hard work and practice it is the only formula that will guarantee you will become a better songwriter.

Maybe your next song will appear at the top of the charts

EMERGING act Dazzle B is currently promoting his latest single titled “Proper”. The song is celebrating the beauty and healthiness of females worldwide, who appreciates that fact and wants to flaunt it.

Released in April, the single was produced by his Dazs Records and distributed by Reggae Release. The song has been
getting steady rotation on stations mainly in the United States and United Kingdom and recently gaining traction in dance hall circles in Jamaica.

“I am working extra hard with the promotions for this song and I’m getting a lot of positive response and support,” said Dazzle B.

Dazzle B is slated to perform on several upcoming shows for the summer and his latest single “Proper” is sure to be a winner among the ladies.

Reggae/Rocksteady artist, Jordan Mais is set to make a music video for his song “Never Seen” in September.

The song is on the Black Marble Records imprint and is produced by Fabian Salmon.

“It’s a song for lovers, embracing a moment shared, passed and longing for more,” Jordan said.

He added: “My fans can expect a lot more new material for 2018 because I have being busy at work in the studio and on various shows promoting my work and the continued preservation of Rocksteady music.”

The artiste said he has made links overseas and a growing fanbase but will remain humble, anticipating the international ‘buss’ will come in due time.

Jordan Mais is the lead singer for Jordan Mais & the Rebelistic band, which is a reggae/lovers rock/rock steady comprising of eight members.

Jordan and his band is set to give an electrifying performance at the upcoming staging of South Coast Rum Festival, on Saturday 4th, August 2018. South Coast Rum Festival is dub as the “ultimate rum, food & music festival and will be held in Portmore, St Catherine, Jamaica.