The Three Reasons Most Musicians Don’t Make More Money With Their Music

Over the last few years of figuring out how to make money with my music through music licensing I’ve made some important realizations about why most musicians I know don’t seem to make that much money with their music. There are three primary reasons most musicians seem to struggle so much when it comes to making money with their music. Hence the whole “struggling artist” stereotype. The three reasons are:

1) They don’t have access to the right people or right information.
2) They do have access to the right people and the right information but they fail to implement what they learn.
3) They implement what they learn in the short term but they fail to follow through in the long term and simply quit before they get their desired results.

The music business is not exactly the easiest business to break into, although with a solid understanding of how the business really works it becomes a LOT easier. I’ve often said that getting into music licensing is a lot easier than getting a record deal, and this is definitely true. But there still is an incredible amount of competition when it comes to getting licensing deals. As record labels continue to flounder and fall by the wayside, more and more musicians and industry executives are turning to licensing and publishing as an alternative and/or supplemental revenue stream. They do this for the simple reason that it’s a GREAT source of revenue for music. There IS a lot of money to be made and those who understand how the business works are making a lot of money.

Songwriting is an art and a craft. It’s a craft that I have a tremendous amount of love and appreciation for. Licensing music is a business. It’s the business of taking your art and turning it into something that can potentially sustain you so that you can continue to make music and pursue your passion. If you’re only focusing on the Songwriting part of your career you’re going to be missing out on some huge opportunities!

On my path to where I am now I’ve discovered a lot of things about the music business that a lot of musicians simply never learn from playing in bars and clubs. It was during my time at Berklee College of Music that I first learned about music licensing from a couple of my teachers who were actively licensing their own songs. It took me a few years before I really appreciated the information I learned there. My goal is to impart what I’ve learned so that other musicians can take the information I’ve learned and apply it in their own lives.

To learn more about music licensing and how to license your music for use in TV and Films, check out my free newsletter.

Using Music to Enhance English as a Second or Foreign Language Learning

In a previous article post, I talked about using music, from Mozart to enhance learning. Now, in response to reader comments, I’d like to expound on what areas music helps, and how it could be used with elementary school age children who are English Language Learners. When it comes to using music in TESOL, English as a foreign or second language teaching and learning, there are several viable options that can be applied depending on the purpose of the lesson, the facilities you may have available, your learners’ ages and profiles. Let’s briefly look at the rationale behind using music as a motivational tool in addition to some useful possibilities.

Background Music

Have you noticed that music is often used to control or affect our moods while we are in a variety of public and commercial locations? Pay attention next time you’re at the mall, in a medical or dental practitioner’s office or clinic, in a restaurant or eatery, walking through strip malls or shopping districts, in an executive waiting area, in many commercial office settings, in elevators (the origin of elevator music) even “on hold” with a utility service, 800 number or the like. Likely you’ll find yourself almost inadvertently listening to music. This is definitely no accident. Why? Because a multitude of studies has shown that the public can generally be “controlled” or at least influenced to some extent by listening to certain types of music under certain types of circumstances. The company, Muzak, made millions based on this concept.

How Does Music Make You Feel?

Think for a few moments, about how different types music make you feel. When you hear classical, for example, how do you feel? Excited, anxious or relaxed and calmed? How about Rock music? Do you have the urge to relax then? Probably not. When you listen to smooth Jazz, do you “mellow out”? You do, huh? Guess why that’s what’s playing in medical and dental facility waiting areas. Instrumentals frequently have a soothing effect on most listeners too. If you’re in a “fast food” type of eatery that relies on volume sales for profits, you can almost bet that if they play music it will be quick-tempo (“Hurry-up”) beat to subtly aid you in finishing your food in short order. On the other side of the ledger, a strong, throbbing rhythmic beat that drives you to motion and action is the forte of nightclubs and discos worldwide. The louder the music beats (to help in overwhelming competing thoughts and feeling), the more bass and entrancing, the better.

In the Language Learning Classroom

What is it we’d like to convey using music in the English language learning classroom?
According to research, one critical purpose of music is to aid in lowering the Affective Filter of language learners. (Krashen-Terrell, 1983) By lowering the learners’ Affective Filter we can actually:

o Encourage input, that is, improve the ease with which new language elements and information are learned or acquired

o Improve motivation and positive self-image

Given two learners with the exact same input or lesson, for instance, the one with the lower affective filter will acquire or learn more according to the Affective Filter Hypothesis mentioned previously. This strongly implies that by exercising some control over the learners’ classroom environment, we can in effect, help them to learn more and learn better. This can be especially true with young learners. The how and why of this fact are truly fascinating.

In my next article post, we’ll continue with ways music can be employed in the English language learning classroom, useful activities in EFL or with English language learners. What kinds and genres of music might prove to be helpful and some free (I’ll bet your budget’s tight) sources for music to use in your class room with your language learners, regardless of the ages or profiles.

Fun Info about Girl Scout Cookies

The sales system regarding girl-scout-cookies just isn’t uniform through the Country. Every Girl Scout Authority decides its very own method of getting cookies to buyers. The standard distribution techniques are:

Pre-Order: Most Girl Scout councils provide collaborating girls with an order card to collect requests off their potential prospects, Girls turn in their own order cards, the authority requests the cookies, then this girls go back to the consumer to deliver them a few weeks after. This method breaks just about all rules of marketing–have the product accessible instantly when it’s an impulsive purchase. If sold in this way, the actual sale will be two times as large.
One on one Sale: A number of councils provide girls with the cookies to market straight to clients — that’s the way to do it!
Booth Sales: Almost all councils enable girls to market cookies in booths setup outside and inside a variety of retail establishments. Booth sales usually happen over the last month or so of the cookie season, and are usually combined with either a direct or pre-order selling.

Not every Girl Scouts be involved in dessert income. For reasons uknown, with regards to 1/3 regarding Girl scouts tend not to promote cookies.

From the total price, with regards to 30% goes to the preparing business, 70% keeps with the Girl scout Localised Authorities. Next ,the local authority or council stocks 10%-20% in the selling cost with the nearby Girl scout firm.

You can’t have a tax-deduction for buying Girl scout cookies when you purchase an object of value. Unless of course, anyone give the cookies to your nonprofit — your stomach does not quality.

There are 2 bakeries the required permits to generate the cookies: ABC Bakers Brownie Bakers.

You and the relatives may well not spend the money for identical cost for the cookies as Girl scout cookies sell for distinct rates in several regions of the continent. Every one of the 112 nearby Girl scout councils contains the to established its cost depending on their nearby industry. Sometimes, it can be bad to live in the rich neighborhoods

Please, regardless how much you hunger for these kind of cookies, avoid the use of your retirement resources to purchase.

Girl scout cookies are kosher.

The biggest along with greatest owner will be Slender Mint candies, which usually are the cause of 25% regarding income.

The women photos around the bins regarding cookies are real Girl scouts! No skilled types need implement!

Girl scout cookies tend not to contain preservatives the additional sensible basis for completing the whole box, the moment it’s popped.

The particular cookies are zero TRANS-FAT for each offering.

It is possible to version with regard to diabetic patients? No chance. How with regards to lo-carb? Yeh, appropriate.

Why is this the cookies are not sold year-round? Proceed figure. Make absolutely no feeling to me. they are usually sold, depending on the section of the US, October through 03, approximately 15 several weeks in the region.