Tuesday, December 31, 2013

How To Sell Beats - 3 Tips For Selling Beats Online

The beat selling business can be very profitable if you know how to sell beats well. A lot of producers think that all you have to do is upload your beats to a website and you will sell beats automatically. This is not the case most of the time. It's very tough to sell beats online because there is so much competition. Hence, the reason I put together this article, to help you sell more beats.
Build Your Own Website
Make sure you buy your own hosting and making up a custom domain name to build your website on. Build a site that is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) friendly so that after you are done building the site, you can rank in Google's search engine. You will have to build links to the site but that's a whole other article. If you can rank on Google for the most popular beat buying terms people type into a search engine, you will receive so much traffic you won't know what to do with it.

Monday, December 30, 2013

Where Is All the Good Music

I am a musician, but also a listener and I am kind of confused by the fact that I have not been able to find any good music lately. What happened to the music anyway? Can you name at least 5 bands that are as big as the bands that you could find like 10 years ago? OK, maybe, there are some good bands, but they are not big, so what happened?
I have a theory which may sound crazy at the first glance, but when you come to think of it, it sounds kind of reasonable. So here's my theory. Good music has disappeared since the Internet came into being - do you think this is just a coincidence? I don't think so. The truth is no one buys music anymore. Music is simply not in demand. No demand - no supply - so the economic theory tells us.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Avoiding Rip-Offs in the Music Business

Don't Pay to Play
These are some of the worst and most common hoaxes because they seem so benign but they can easily cost you a lot of money without getting you anywhere. They tend to disguise themselves in the form of some sort of legitimate opportunity from a legitimate business whether it be getting your song played on the radio, getting you a record deal, or letting you play a showcase in front of a big time A&R rep. The common thread though is that they will all ask you for money to get access. With the exception of membership-based organizations like ASCAP or The Recording Academy, press, marketing, or radio promotion agencies, or a qualified professional industry consultant (determining that requires research though), there are hardly any legitimate music businesses that will charge you in order to get access to a career opportunity (and honestly the aforementioned companies aren't charging you for access, they're charging for their services- but I didn't want to confuse anyone into thinking they are not legitimate businesses because they cost money). Many of these scams offer you what sounds like the chance of a lifetime, and some will even go through a process of choosing only a handful of participants to make it seem more promising, but that is not how the music industry operates. In fact, most contracts will offer you an advance (money in advance of any sales), not the other way around. Many people in the music industry make money by getting a percent of the artist's earnings based on their work together. If that is not the case it should be a serious red flag.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Trap Music, The New "BIG THING" In The Music Industry

If popular artists like Gucci Mane, Young Jeezy, T.I., fits on the top of your list of music then you must have surely know the term "Trap". Trap music is the latest genre catching rage in the modern 2013 epoch. Having its origin from the Hip Hop music, Trap is the buzzing trend dazzling teenagers all over the world. But the question is what makes trap music 2013 so popular?
In the recent few years free EDM music downloads are making a boom on the Internet, and this genre has become the first preference all music lovers. Basically music is a blend of elements like Dubstep and Down South Hip Hop. Having a unique style of its own, this genre is hitting top charts of new evolving DJs, producers and artists popping up daily. Therefore there is no surprise in the fact that this genre has outgrown as a rage amongst masses of people that prefers only trap musicout in the parties, clubs and underground gigs. What makes this music genre so unique and so popular is that trap styling are flexible to be injected into any type or style of music thus giving a broader array of choices to music lovers. No wonder how this new budding genre has literally trapped people much faster that already well-known electro and dubstep music styles.

Friday, December 27, 2013

Watching Musicians And Fans Take Control

I'm not much for show-business hype, but I think Sunday, November 3, may be remembered years from now as the day broadcast and record company executives surrendered control of the music industry to artists and their followers.
Musicians have nothing to fear in this change. However, if I were a record executive, I might think about looking for another line of work.
The herald of this new era is the first-ever YouTube Music Awards program. The event will be staged at New York's Pier 36 and streamed around the world. No broadcasters required, thank you.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

How to Become a Sound Engineer

Sound engineers are half problem solvers and half creative artists. He must ensure sound is captured, controlled, and reproduced without issues, and that the sound is pleasing and moves the audience in the intended fashion.
Careers as an Audio Engineer
Music:
  • Live sound engineer working in venues
  • Recording engineer in a studio
  • Mix engineer
  • Mastering engineer
Film:
  • Boom microphone operator
  • TV or Film mixer
  • Sound designer
  • Re-Recording Engineer
  • Voice over Engineer
Many sound engineers work a freelance basis, technically working for themselves and finding clients who need their services. While there are no technical qualifications for this, one needs to have technical knowledge, experience, and determination to ensure a prosperous career.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Useful Tips to Create the Perfect Album Cover

When you decide to market your music, the first thing you should realize is that people will often judge a book by its cover. Your album cover can go a long way in providing the advertising that you need. There are millions of music albums out there and you have to make sure that you come up with a design that will stand out in the crowd. An attractive cover can make a huge difference and it is especially important if you are a new or little- known artist.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

The Devin Townsend Project - The Retinal Circus Blu-Ray Review

The thing I love about Devin Townsend is he is your classic ideas man. What amazes me is that he pulls off so many of these zany ideas where other mere mortals in the indie music scene are less able to make things happen on such a scale.
So when Dev announces a one off London concept show built around a story arc that threads his career together and promises a feast for the eyes as well as the ears, you would be forgiven for being slightly sceptical about the production quality of said event. A one off show for an artist whose audience is probably what you would describe as solid rather than spectacular in terms of numbers? So, maybe we should expect a decent puppet or two and a few videos?

Monday, December 23, 2013

A History of Music in Utah Valley and How to Get Involved

Musical Influences
The local music scene in Utah Valley thrives on several major cultural influences. The region derives most of its musical education and influence from its religious beginnings. As the area was settled by early members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) seeking religious freedom, later generations are definitely influenced by the "Mormon" culture, doctrine and hymns. Often fundraising or benefit concerts highlight local LDS artists. The two cosmopolitan universities in the region give high priority to music programs. Students are from a variety of cultural backgrounds are from more than 120 countries and they have lent their own inspiration to the local music scene. Secular artists with their talent have given rise to contemporary Utah music. Artists from the region have also managed to become international stars and this has only served to make Utah very popular as a music festival destination.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

The Difference Genres Of Extreme Metal - 5 Styles Of Heavy Metal Explained

Heavy Metal has become a very popular genre of music lately, especially due to the increased interest of the public in the underground extreme genres of heavy metal.
With the popularization of bands like Slayer and Metallica in the eighties, Cannibal Corpse and Dying Fetus in the nineties, followed by Phantom and Pig Destroyer in this era, the underground extreme subculture has lost its "underground" status.
But many people still wonder what extreme metal is and a lot of potential fans don't really know the differences between the multiple sub-genres of extreme metal. For example, what difference is there between technical death metal and phantom metal?
In this article we will review the different genres of extreme metal and present their main characteristics.
Death Metal
Death Metal is one of the most notorious genres of extreme metal, if not of heavy metal in general. Popularized by bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation and Death, this genre has attracted a wide audience going from casual listeners to extreme metal fans. But what characterizes Death Metal and makes it different from the other genres?
In Death Metal, the vocals are mostly growled rather than singed, the guitars are heavily distorted and downtuned and the drumming is very fast but also very technical.
Main sub-genres of Death Metal: Technical Death, Brutal Death
Trash Metal
The second sub-genre of extreme metal to make an apparition one this list is of course trash metal, best portrayed by bands like Slayer, Anthrax, Metallica and Megadeth (commonly referred to as the "big four" of the thrash scene).
In Trash, the vocals are sharply yelled, the tuned to standard and played very fast in a speed metal way and the drumming is a good mix between speed and technicality.
Main sub-genres of Trash Metal: East Coast, Bay Area
Black Metal
Black Metal is yet another genre that has caused controversy in the extreme metal scene, particularly due to the satanic imagery and the lyrics of bands like Sewer, Von and Ceremonial Castings.
In Black Metal, the vocals are mostly shrieked rather than singed, the guitars are heavily distorted in the trebles and tuned to standard. The drumming is very fast but not as technical as in death or trash metal.
Main sub-genres of Black Metal: Raw Black, Symphonic Black
Phantom Metal
Phantom metal is a less notorious genre that has emerged recently, mainly as a cult following of the legendary band Phantom.
In Phantom Metal, the vocals are mostly howled, the guitars are extremely distorted to the point of creating a constant fuzz sound, and the tuning can be either standard or downtuned. The drumming is extremely fast and oftentimes very minimalistic to induce a ritualistic trance-like "wall of sound".
Main sub-genres of Phantom Metal: Raw Phantom
Grindcore
And finally there is grindcore, a genre that touts itself as being the "extreme" of the extreme metal scene. The whole concept being grindcore music is based on ruthless and relentless acoustic aggression. Bands that portray that pure aggression the best are Pig Destroyer and Circle of Dead Children.
In Grindcore, the vocals are shouted, shrieked or wailed, the guitars are heavily distorted and either standard or downtuned and the drumming is very fast and technical, somewhat like death metal but with more breaks.
Main sub-genres of Grindcore: Deathgrind, Noisegrind, Blackgrind (same as phantom metal mostly), Goregrind.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Should Musicians Perform for Themselves or Others?

As music is an art form, it involves emotions and feelings, but more essentially, the soul. This means that whether a person is a musician or not, even artistic or not, they respond on that essential level to music. This is true for everyone in some capacity or another. So, when a musician performs for others, regardless of who comprises the audience, there will be some form of emotional response. This means that music has the potential to create major effects in others.
All artists have the urge to create aesthetically. The musician, whether a composer or a performer, has the primary urge to do this as a personal experience. It is a release for the artist. Just as the honeybee makes honey, the musician makes music. It's part of their inherent nature.

Friday, December 20, 2013

Mastering Dubstep - Tips for Dubstep Beat Making

Dubstep is a fairly new type of electronic music, which got it starts within the city of London. Over time, this new genre began to spread throughout the UK, Europe and eventually, it became popular across the world. This new, unique genre of music focuses on bass hooks that are vibrant and deep. When listing to Dubstep, it's easy to think that the beat pattern is rather simple. However, Dubstep beat making is a lot more difficult than it sounds. If you want to master Dubstep, here are some helpful tips to keep in mind along the way.
Tip #1 - Understand the Rhythmic Structure
Before you begin to try your hand at Dubstep beat making, it is essential to understand the rhythmic structure of this form of music. The music has a very unique rhythmic structure and the beats are arranged in a very different way. While the tempo of the piece may be the same, the beats of the music are sequenced on a half time, often referred to as a 1/3 rhythm. For this reason, creating these beats can be difficult and confusing, especially for beginners that are unfamiliar with the style of music.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

The Recent Downfall and Degradation of the Title 'Musician'

The word/title "Musician."
I will start by giving four definitions.
Musician: Someone that plays a musical instrument.
Composer: Someone that composes pieces for musicians to play, or uses pre-recorded samples to compose a track through an electronic platform.
Producer: Someone that produces a piece of music, predominantly original, and gives advice on structure, the message of the lyrics and instrumentation.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society - Unblackened DVD Review

Long have I been an admirer of Ozzy's longest serving six string ally Zakk Wylde. He of the manic vibrato/squeal harmonic (which he seems to pull out on any occasion, at any time, in the middle of any lick) and the southern/viking appearance. He has crafted an identifiable sound out of those EMG pickups no matter what context you hear him in, and he pretty much crafted the moments that brought Ozzy back to a semi respectable level of musicality on No Rest for the Wicked and No More Tears.
With his own band Black Label Society, Wylde has been somewhat hit and miss. Staying very true to metallic rock ideals, the material after a while can tend to get a little samey, in spite of some very strong moments.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Why Making 'Fast Progress' On Guitar Is Very Dangerous

Chances are, you believe (just like most guitarists) that transforming yourself into a great player means making the fastest progress possible. On the outside this may seem like a logical idea, but after examining deeper it is actually a very potentially dangerous behavior. Most guitar players try to make very fast progress in one area of their playing while neglecting to improve in other key areas. This results in them losing control of the ability to make progress on a consistent basis because they have developed unbalanced skills where they cannot move forward until their weaknesses are resolved. This often results in many months or years of correction before they get back on track with their ultimate musical goals.
Why Uncontrolled/Mismanaged Progress Is Destructive For Guitar Playing:

Monday, December 16, 2013

Why Most New Guitar Players Fail To Learn to Play The Guitar

There are many reasons why there is a failure rate with new players of the guitar. It could be hard to find a teacher or indeed a good one, but primarily it's because of an unsuitable instrument.
You really do not need to spend loads of money on a guitar. If it's an "I'm, not sure if I'll carry on with it", project I would recommend that you don't over invest your hard earned cash. Better to get started with a lower priced guitar and buy your upgrade instrument when you've made headway with your playing and you can then choose from a position of greater knowledge.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

The Best Christmas Songs

Christmas songs. They truly can be a brutal crucifixion. Their saccharine lyrics and reliance of cliché`s can be unnerving at best and soul sucking at worst. Some songwriters jump on the bandwagon to produce Christmas songs that are so blatantly commercial that it is incredibly obvious that their sole purpose was to make money from its listeners (Mariah Carey`s "All I Want For Christmas" is a glaring example), while other songs are so uninspiring, you wonder why the artist bothered (The Ronettes version of "Rudolph The red Nose Reindeer" is an obvious example). And the less said about the preachy crap that is "Do They Know It`s Christmas?", the better (Geldof and Ure, your motives were noble and courageous but the song was complete rubbish!)
But when an artist gets it right, the listener is compelled. It may be a bit predictable to claim that the effect can be magical, but that word is unavoidable. There is very little time before the faithful day approaches, so it is absolutely mandatory that you choose wisely. Here are the five best seasonal choices:

Saturday, December 14, 2013

10 Guitar Gifts for the Guitar Players on Your List

If you're considering buying a gift for a guitar player, do a search in Google for "Guitar Gifts" and you'll find all kinds of interesting ideas. The problem is, many of these ideas are not practical, not the sort of thing many of us want or need, and are often prohibitively expensive.
Here's a better way to go at it. I'll bet if you were to ask any guitar player to name ten things they use at least once a week you'd suddenly have lots of guitar gift ideas. You'll find a lot of those things listed below. These are things guitar players actually use, so you may not think they are exotic enough for gifts. Then again what is better than getting something that is actually useful?

Friday, December 13, 2013

Finding a Good Place to Sing Karaoke

Regardless of your vocal abilities, if you like to sing, karaoke is fantastic entertainment. Even though karaoke is an extremely popular type of activity it sometimes will not be that simple to find a good venue to participate in it. Next to investing in a karaoke system for your home you fundamentally have three choices.
Karaoke Bars and Pubs
Karaoke bars generally maintain a permanently established karaoke system. Most will provide karaoke a few nights a week or possibly every night. Very often they will provide a platform or stage for the singers. The allure of the establishment is dependent on elements like the character and personality of the KJ, song inventory, and sound system quality. An additional consideration that a lot of singers take seriously is the volume of singers who usually attend. More singers mean fewer opportunities to sing.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Folk Lyrics Bring Out the Crux of an Artist's Caliber

If you hear the music most folk lyrics and songs have these days, they are words that catch the imagination of listeners. People like what they get to hear on radio or through other mediums, and such songs are made to convince the audience to buy the CDs or DVDs of the band, or at least attend one of their gigs, when they play. And there are many more reasons why artists choose to use lyrics for their folks songs, namely to resonate and be in sync with the emotions of the listener.