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Music business book sale! Aspiring pros, here's a treasure trove.


zircon
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Over the last 7 years or so, Jill and I have accumulated a number of books on the music industry. At this point, we've read all of them multiple times and so we'd like to pass them on to someone else for a real bargain price. Here's what we have. I'd like to sell all of this as a bundle but I'm willing to split it up somewhat to a minimum of two books per person!

If you have any questions about any of these books, please let me know and I'll happily answer them (for example, I can elaborate on chapter titles and so forth.)

In terms of price, we're asking $8 per book, or $6 per book for five or more. Buyer pays shipping but we'll use media mail which is ultra-cheap (only $4 for 5 pounds of stuff, or $6 for 10 pounds!)

1. The Future of the Music Business (2nd Edition) by Steve Gordon (Originally $25)

270pg paperback that offers a lawyer's perspective on the evolution of the music industry post-Napster. Some good stuff on licensing, important legal cases, ringtones/podcasts, music blogging, filesharing and so forth. Also has some revealing interviews with various music industry entrepreneurs like Derek Sivers and John Buckman (Magnatune.)

2. All You Need to Know About the Music Business (6th edition) by Donald S. Passman (Originally $20)

430pg hardcover that goes over all the practical stuff that anyone in the music biz needs to know. While there are some more philosophical and higher-level sections, most of the book is devoted to the nitty-gritty, particularly various kinds of contracts and deals you might encounter. If you want to learn about copublishing, controlled composition clauses, adaptation shares, the nuances of copyright duration and independent production agreements, I highly recommend this.

3. Cash Tracks - Compose, Producer, and Sell Your Original Soundtrack Music and Jingles by Jeffrey P. Fisher (Originally $20)

290pg paperback and perhaps my personal favorite on this list. I've read this one at least ten times. Rather than get into the super nitty-gritty, this one focuses on providing lots of creative ideas (along with some practical advice) for people that want to make money from their original music. It's a real goldmine of inspiration and pretty much every tip is very useful. I guarantee that there will be something in here that even a seasoned pro might not have heard before. Plus, there's some good stuff about what to expect when running your own business (organization, taxes, etc.)

4. Record Label Marketing by Tom Hutchinson, Amy Macy, Paul Allen (Originally $50)

400pg paperback and a real heavy hitter. This book focuses primarily on the inner-workings of traditional record labels, including the majors. Since a lot of the same marketing and promotional concepts apply to labels (and artists) of any label, it's quite useful in understanding how music reaches the general public. Things like timetables, tour scheduling, advertising campaigns and radio at a high level of detail that just isn't found in online resources. This was one of my textbooks as a Music Industry, so that should tell you something.

5. Guerilla P.R. Wired by Michael Levine (Originally $20)

270pg paperback with a somewhat misleading title. This is absolutely not public relations in the traditional sense. It is more about how to achieve visibility, write press releases and get media attention without spending money and using the Internet as well as traditional means. NOT music-focused but of course it's extremely relevant to musicians and people in our industry. The guy who wrote it owns a top-dollar P.R. firm and the prequel to this book (Guerilla P.R.) is one of the best-known books in the field. If you're wondering how to get yourself 'out there' this is a great resource.

6. NOLO Music Law: How to Run Your Band's Business (4th ed) by Attorney Rich Stim (Originally $25)

All the NOLO books are notable in that they give high-level legal knowledge at a layperson's level. These are the books you want in situations where people say "you need a lawyer" but you can't afford one. Very useful and practical! Topics include band partnerships / agreements, management contracts, taxes, indie record deals, manufacturing, recording/sampling, etc. You get COMPLETE contracts in this book (plus a CD with actual docs!) and breakdowns of what all the terms/clauses mean. Excellent as a reference.

7. Web Marketing for the Music Business by Tom Hutchison (Originally $25)

280pg paperback. This was another book used as a textbook for my degree. It's basically a practical approach to using the web for music promotion, eg. building a website, viral marketing, eCommerce options, HTML/scripts, webcasting and so on. The title actually undersells it a bit - I'd say it's more like "Building a Web Presence in the Music Business" as opposed to marketing, since a lot of it is hands-on and practical.

8. This Business of Music Marketing & Promotion by Tad Lathrop (Revised Ed) (2 copies) (Originally $20)

280pg hardcover. A comprehensive guide to DIY promotion, marketing and revenue generation for musicians. A mix of practical and high-level stuff; none of the other books really think in terms of target audiences, analyzing demographics, DIY distribution w/ local record stores, creating flyers/forms and mailing lists, press kits and so on. Definitely a nice resource if you're going to do it all alone and not hire or work with anyone else.

9. Making Money Making Music (No Matter Where You Live) (Revised & Updated) by James W. Dearing (Originally $15)

173pg large-format paperback. Conceptually similar to cash tracks, this one is oriented toward live performers as opposed to studio composers/producers (though it has some good info for them as well.) For example, things like working with your band, working venues, picking song lists, rehearsals, business managers and so on. If you want to make performing an integral part of your career, I really suggest this book over the others. It's a comprehensive, practical guide that takes you from "Do I want to try to make a living from this?" all the way up.

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Very interested in "Making Money Making Music (No Matter Where You Live)" and possibly more, have to think about it but wanted to reply before it gets claimed .)

EDIT: OK just realized you said 2 book/person minimum, so... I'm also interested in This Business of Music Marketing, but it looks like that one has been claimed, so in that case, I'm also interested in NOLO Music Law.

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Very interested in "Making Money Making Music (No Matter Where You Live)" and possibly more, have to think about it but wanted to reply before it gets claimed .)

EDIT: OK just realized you said 2 book/person minimum, so... I'm also interested in This Business of Music Marketing, but it looks like that one has been claimed, so in that case, I'm also interested in NOLO Music Law.

think there's 2 copies of this business of music marketing up for sale, so you should be good unless someone pm'd him!

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