Jump Into Fame, Step 4

Ultimate Guide to Breaking into the Music Industry

By: Sobaca Limited

Narrated by: Elisa Canas

Length: 29 mins

Publisher's summary

Step 4 focuses on two aspects of working within the music industry: legality and that all-important issue of making money.

Should you choose to write all or even part of your own songs, we’ll take you through the principles of song writing, breaking it down into its various components of lyrics, melody, rhythm, and harmony. We’ll give you some ideas of what to write about and look at how professional musicians come up with their ideas.

Once you’ve produced some written material, of course, you’ll need to apply copyright to avoid any plagiarism. You’ll need to understand the two types of copyright that are applicable, when and how they are used, as well as what you need to do if you want to cover or even sample someone else’s work.

Many artists choose to hand over part or sometimes even all of their copyrights to their publisher and record company. Whilst this is in fact common practice, there are equally as many artists who have been burned after agreeing to transfer ownership of their copyright. We’ll tell you what to look out for, how to best protect yourself, and what’s currently happening in the industry to help look after the interests of musicians.

You don’t choose to break into the music industry if you don’t love making music. However, it’s easy to become swept along by your passion for composing and performing, forgetting that you need to make money to survive in the process. Becoming a successful musician unfortunately isn’t just about striving to be the best you can, musically. You also need to become an effective businessperson, running your career as you would a commercial enterprise. This guide will tell you how.

©2009 Sobaca Limited (P)2009 Sobaca Limited