A 40 Year Music Industry Veteran, Ritch has worked in the Music Business since 1978. Starting at trade magazine Record World and then joining A&M Records in the Radio Promotion Department. From 1981-1987, he was director of West Coast A&R for Arista Records, where he signed “The Thompson Twins” to their US Deal as well as Mara Getz. He worked extensively with the publishing and songwriting communities for material for Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick, Melissa Manchester, Tanya Tucker, Jennifer Warnes and Jermaine Jackson. He also coordinated music for the “Ghostbusters” and “Perfect” soundtracks.

From 1987-1992, Ritch produced the award-winning educational video for artists and musicians, “How to Get a Record Deal”. He has organized and coordinated the events and activities of The Independent Music Conference in Los Angeles sponsored by BMI. The three-day symposium addressed problems facing recording artists, including publishing, management, touring, obtaining record deals, and exploring alternative ways to bring music to the public. He also has written articles for Music Connection, New England Performer and Musician.

In addition, Ritch teaches various classes on the Music Business at Musicians Institute as well as SAE (School for Audio Engineering) and has also taught at UCLA Extension.

For the last 25 years, Ritch has run The Music Business Registry, the leading provider of contact information for A&R, Music Publishers, Artist Managers, Music Attorneys, and Film & Television Music Supervisors.

1. How does music publishing works.
2. Some of the problems musicians face with a publishing contract.
3. How can a musician prepare himself to ensure to be heard by an A&R Department.
4. The mistakes musicians can make when dealing with A&R Managers.
5. Frequently misunderstood record deal processes that haven’t changed throughout the years.
6. What are some techniques a musician can implement when negotiating a record deal.

And much more…

The Music Business Registry includes “The A&R Registry”, “The Publisher Registry”, “The Music Business Attorney Registry”, “Artist Manager Registry” and “The Film and Television Music Guide”.

The entire collection of The Music Business Registry can be found at https://www.musicregistry.com/.

You can also subscribe to their newsletter “Score” to receive curated news items of interest to the music business community.

Stephen Wrench is a Songwriter, Composer, Lyricist, Producer, and Guitarist. He started performing 53 years ago when his big brother “bribed” him to sing in a band he started in high school as he was more interested in football. In 1969, he was returning from a tour of Boston College as a football recruit and spotted a sign on the side of the road that said, “Concert Here”. Little that he knew, he followed the signs to “Woodstock”! As fate would have it, he met many “would be” successful artists there.

Wrench has performed all over the world in front of tens of thousands to “honky tonks” in small towns. He has worked in many capacities including as an artist manager, producer, and VP of a major label located in Nashville. However, over the years his first love has always been as a creator of music, penning thousands of songs. For him, it’s all about evoking emotion through lyrics and music.

He has had the pleasure, and sometimes the pain, of working with many notable artists and groups. He has worked with some of the most creative artists on the planet in some capacity or another whether it was as a former member, performer, producer, or manager including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Toto, Loverboy, Missing Persons, Duran Duran, Eddie and the Cruisers, Dr. Hook, Atlanta Rhythm Section, Bad Company, Tommy Tutone, Survivor, Rossington Collins Band, Rick Springfield, Hank Williams Jr., Vince Gill, John Anderson, David Allen Coe, Molly Hatchet, Blackfoot, Ozzy Osbourne, Staind, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Ryan Starr, Travis Tritt, Bonnie Raitt, The Flamingos, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Sister Hazel, Blessid Union of Souls, Craig Campbell, Grand Funk Railroad, ABBA, Chad Brock, Michael Peterson, Daryl Worley, Lonestar, Marilyn Manson, Mona Lisa Twins, Foghat, Shenandoah, Alabama, Toby Keith and Collin Raye.

Currently Wrench is the President of Musik and Film a Radio Promotion, Music Distribution and Production Firm, and he is also a voting/nominating member of The Grammys.

1. How radio promotion works.
2. The elements for a successful radio promotion.
3. The components of a digital press kit for radio.
4. The benefits of internet radio vs. traditional radio.
5. How music distribution works.
6. The benefits of using a distribution service versus automated platforms such as CDBaby or TuneCore.
7. Key considerations musicians need to keep in mind in terms of royalties, licensing and copyrights when procuring music distribution services.

And much more…

Musik and Film also provides production services including recording, mixing, mastering, co-writing and thousands of songs available for licensing.

Located in Jacksonville Beach Florida, Musik and Film can be found at https://musikandfilm.com/.

You can also subscribe to their newsletters to stay up to date on Indie Artist news.

Jeri Goldstein, former agent and manager, now author and music business and performing arts consultant, provides valuable resources, instruction and consulting to those navigating their way to creating a successful performing arts touring career. Having worked with some of the top touring acoustic artists on the circuit for 20 years including Garrison Keillor, Robin & Linda Williams, Dan Crary and four-time IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year, California, she booked national and international tours for artists performing in music, theater and dance.

Mrs. Goldstein’s book “How To Be Your Own Booking Agent, THE Musician’s & Performing Artist’s Guide To Successful Touring” was self-published in 1998. The award-winning book, now in its 7th printing, is used as a textbook in Music Business courses at Universities across the U.S. and Canada, Berklee College of Music, NYU, Belmont University, The Musician’s Institute, and the Harris Institute in Montreal are among them. The book is used by musicians and performing artists world-wide and was Amazon’s # 1 Music Business book.

Goldstein presents live seminars internationally at industry conferences, for arts councils in the US & Canada and at universities and offers online courses for agents, managers, musicians and performing artists along with career development coaching world-wide through her “Strategic Touring Career Development Programs”. She has transformed her live presentation to her popular online course “Booking & Touring Success Strategies & Secrets” which she offers twice per year.

Jeri was president of The New Music Times, Inc. and is currently president and founder of Performingbiz, LLC. Goldstein’s background runs the gamut working inside the entertainment industry as concert promoter, tour coordinator, and commercial television production engineer for an NBC affiliate station, commercial country radio DJ, photographer and graphic artist. She has also served as President and member of the Board of Directors of the Folk Alliance.

In addition, her information-packed articles can be found on her website and have been included in leading music business and entertainment trade magazines and on industry websites such as Garageband, Gig, Getsigned.com, Taxi and Discmakers newsletters.

Jeri now makes her home in southern Florida.

1. Key components when creating the act’s pricing.
2. Materials and techniques musicians need before their first encounters with presenters and promoters.
3. Criteria a musician should consider before accepting an engagement opportunity.
4. Main steps and negotiation techniques a musician should master for successful negotiations.
5. How a musician should deal with questionable items in a contract.
6. How to plan in advance to build a home base support in order to grow a regional reputation.
7. Factors a musician needs to consider when selecting new regions to develop.

And much more…

Jeri Goldstein’s award-winning book “How To Be Your Own Booking Agent, The Performing Artist’s Guide to Successful Touring” have been used by touring artists around the world, and as textbooks at the top music business colleges internationally. Now How To Be Your Own Booking Agent is available in its completely Revised 4th Edition. It offers current immigration regulations for touring artists, new scripts for contacting potential presenters, strategies for contact relation management, crowdfunding and a completely revised chapter on The New Recording Industry.

The book can be found at http://performingbiz.com/guide-to-touring/.

Goldstein’s “Get Great Gigs Purpose Driven Career Coaching” is a career development program that provides momentum to maximize your effectiveness in all areas of your life. Learn how to clearly focus on how to reach your target audience by finding the right venues, creating the appropriate marketing tools and connecting with your audience-specific contacts and media outlets.

The program can be found at http://performingbiz.com/coaching-programs/.

Also, her free action-oriented weekly audio messages, “Biz Booster Hot Tips”, are designed to help musicians and performing artists make consistent progress toward reaching their career goals by offering step-by-step strategies and techniques.

These also can be found on her website at http://www.performingbiz.com/.

Foster Corder lays claim to many ‘firsts’ in his long and successful career as an award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and entertainment executive. A true veteran filmmaker with three decades of experience as a production executive, producer, director, cinematographer, and writer, with more than 104 independent feature and short film credits.

Armed with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from The Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Corder began his career as a commercial animal photographer opening “Fosters Pet and Animal Photography Studio”, becoming the first African-American to do so, earning high-profile assignments from KaL Kan and Carnation’s pet food lines, the latter putting Corder on a nationwide tour to photograph racehorses and award-winning canines.

Later, he co-founded BlackBird Films, the first African-American owned commercial production company in America where he produced television advertising for major brands including McDonald’s and the California Lotto. His staff included world-renowned director Gordon Parks as well as then newcomers Kevin Hooks, Forrest Whitaker and Bill Duke, and others.

Based on the success of BlackBird Films, Capitol Records made Corder a career offer he couldn’t refuse becoming the first African-American film executive in the record industry, hired as the Director of Music Video Production at Capitol Records, guiding creation and execution of hit clips for M.C. Hammer, Bebe and Cece Winans, Young MC and many others.

A true film pioneer, Corder was commissioned by Paramount Pictures to pen a screenplay entitled ‘The Cats,’ based on his life story. Having forged his birth certificate at just fifteen-years of age, ‘The Cats’ chronicled Foster’s 13 months of active duty in Vietnam. A true survival story.

Foster is also known for helping to open the door for many of today’s well known filmmakers.

1. The #1 secret to a successful music video.
2. The photographer’s copyrights rules regarding the use of the images.
3. The importance of an artist creating a music video for their music.
4. What the pre-production stage of a music video production looks like.
5. The technical components of a professional looking music video.
6. Key components of a professional looking still photography for music promotion.
7. How can a musician get their music videos on TV channels and cable programs.
8. The strategies an artist can implement to reach more audiences when going viral in YouTube and Vimeo.

And much more…

Foster is also one of the biggest advocates for the humane treatment of dogs. He has done a lot to assist in the prevention of “cyber bullying”, which has been very detrimental to the success of canine rescue efforts.

“Conversations With A Pit Bull Live” is a web show created and hosted by Foster Corder with over 100 hours of interviews published at http://youtu.be/UeLTgbOuavg.

Today, these shows have been seen in over 75 countries through his YouTube channel “Fosters Animal World TV” where you can subscribe at  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsclTZF8YZN23NmGdT_A2Zg.

For inquiries for music videos produced by Foster Corder please contact us at letsdothis@trendculprit.com.

Eric de Fontenay has spent his career steeped in what has been called the “digital revolution,” starting in the 90’s as an economic consultant working with some of the world’s largest telecommunication firms. In 1997, Eric founded MusicDish just as the “new” music industry began to emerge on the scene. Starting with the launch of Mi2N (Music Industry News Network), its industry portals became leading voices in the debates that characterized the transition to a networked, digital music sector.

He has spearheaded artist development for over a hundred musicians and bands, culminating in his role as manager for Canadian kaiso group KoboTown whom he signed to prestigious world music label Cumbacha. In 2010, Eric launched MusicDish*China to bridge greater China’s music sector with the world. He has coordinated Taiwan cultural missions in France, Canada and the United States, serving as an international consultant for Taiwan’s Government Information Office. He is the international manager for the mainland China’s biggest Rock band “Second Hand Rose”, as well as representing Chinese rock acts Iron Kite, Gemini and Namo.

Eric has also been developing and touring a growing roster of award-winning overseas music acts in China. He has organized talks and exhibitions for NYCxDesign and China Institute, been featured in a variety of media such as China Daily, CCTV America and China Today, contributed a chapter on China’s music industry in the 4th edition of The Future of the Music Business and was selected for Mandarin Leader’s 2016 Honoree List.

1. How international music promotion works.
2. What is an international music release.
3. How to know when your band is ready to tap into an international music market.
4. What techniques are used to evaluate the possible reception of a band in the Chinese market.
5. The main components of a music promotion plan for an international market.
6. The biggest challenges when promoting in a new international market.
7. What an international music promotion team looks like.
8. How to plan a successful international music tour.

And much more…

With China being one of the fastest growing streaming markets in the world, MusicDish*China has released over 70 albums/EPs over the last year to all the major Chinese music services, such as Xiami, Tencent’s QQMusic and Netease.

Getting music released in China is one thing, drawing new listeners and fans is quite another. With social media like Facebook, YouTube and SoundCloud blocked in China, MusicDish China works with a variety of partners (from music platforms to online radio) to promote their music releases to Chinese listeners, combined with marketing on our established Chinese social and mobile channels such as Weibo, Weixin and Youku.

From curated playlist to music video distribution, we are one of the leading promoters of overseas music in China.

More information can be found at https://www.musicdish.com/.

You can also subscribe to their mailing list.

For almost three decades, hundreds of clients have benefited from the magic touch of Gwendolyn “Makeda” Smith and her agency, Jazzmyne Public Relations. A-list celebrities, athletes, authors, filmmakers, music producers, rappers, special events and businesses alike have received not only expert publicity service, management and consulting but a caring ear and kind heart from the agency head, popularly known as just “Makeda.”  Now celebrating almost 30 years in business, Makeda is still proudly and diligently pushing forward.

Makeda’s personalized approach to the vast and hectic world of entertainment public relations has proven not only successful but also solid. A home-based operation, Jazzmyne has consistently boasted a client base that competes with the majors. Past celebrity accounts have included Kevin Eubanks, Jamie Foxx, Nick Van Excel, Mo’Nique, Dorien Wilson, and J. Anthony Brown to name a few.

Surprising to many, Makeda is a veteran entertainment industry publicist who is also now an independent performance artist, practicing and teaching pole dance and exotic movement.  She began her pole practice almost six years ago at the age of 50 and has received international media coverage for her dance accomplishments and the launch of her dance brand “Flying Over 50.”

Makeda fluidly mixes her pole and dance movement practice with liquid sensuality, stamina and strength while maintaining her professional persona as one of the industry’s most respected public relations experts.

1. What is public relations for music.
2. What is difference between public relations and publicity.
3. What is “New Media Development”.
4. What does the concept of “Image Is Everything” means.
5. The criteria used to craft an appropriate music public relations campaign for a performing artist.
6. Some strategies used during the execution of a successful music public relations campaign.
7. Some mistakes musicians make in media that sabotages the odds of presenting their best image.
8. Why is it so crucial for an artist to hire a public relations professional for the success of their music careers.
9. How a musician knows when it is the right time to hire a public relations professional.
10. Some public relations skills a musician should master.

And much more…

The Jazzmyne Agency brings a uniquely personal, yet substantive approach to the vast world of Public Relations. Specializing in publicity, media relations, management consulting, video production and new media development, the firm has been recognized nationally for its successfully impactive media campaigns.

Visit Jazzmyne Public Relations on their website at https://jazzmynepr.com/.

You can also join their mailing list to be the first to get notified on new updates.

Over the past two decades, Jesse Cannon has worked in nearly every aspect of the music business. Most notably, recording bands like Animal Collective, The Misfits, The Menzingers, Man Overboard, Basement, Transit, Thank You Scientist, Somos, Leftover Crack, as well as mastering records for acts like Brand New, NOFX, Bad Books, Real Friends and over a thousand more.

He received his pedigree under producers like Ross Robinson and Steve Evetts with groups like The Cure, Limp Bizkit, Dillinger Escape Plan, Saves The Day, Senses Fail and A Static Lullaby, and spent years working under esteemed mastering engineer Alan Douches at West West Side Music.

He is also known for writing the top-rated music business book on Amazon, “Get More Fans: The DIY Guide To The New Music Business”, which details how bands effectively promote their music. The book is now in its fourth edition.

This year he published, “Processing Creativity: The Tools, Practices And Habits Used To Make Music You’re Happy With”, which has already received immense praise for its innovative take on how musicians can make more emotionally powerful music.

1. Some key elements a musician needs before he even thinks about getting his music heard.
2. The best order of action to start building a fanbase with zero fans.
3. The types of contacts a musician should have to help him promote his music.
4. How does the strategy of targeting other musicians for effective music promotion works.
5. How can a musician stay longer on news cycle for sustained promotion on every release.
6. The best techniques to grow the relationship with fans and mobilize them.
7. Some strategies a musician can implement for successful music video promotion.
8. The main components of an effective music advertising campaign.
9. The ingredients to make crowdfunding work to fund your music.

And much more…

“Processing Creativity: The Tools, Practices And Habits Used To Make Music You’re Happy With” is the culmination of four years of poring over scientific studies, books and thoughts from top creators as well as his own experience to write a book every musician should read about what goes into making great music versus what bands do when they make a bad album.

Shannon Curtis is an independent songwriter, singer, performer, recording artist, speaker, and author, based in Los Angeles, California. Her fourth full-length record, entitled Creationism, was released on June 17, 2016, and debuted on Nielsen’s Top New Artists Albums chart.

Creationism is the follow-up to 2015’s album Connections, for which Curtis received national attention when the video for its first single, “I Know I Know,” was featured by Upworthy and immediately went viral on Facebook. To date the video has been viewed more than 4 million times.

On the strength of that momentum, Curtis was asked to give her first TED talk in October 2015, in Arlington, VA, upon the conclusion of her 70-show summer house concert tour. Her talk, “Connections: You Seeing Me Seeing You,” was about the connections that we can make when we allow others to see us for who we really are, in all our human imperfection.

Curtis’s groundbreaking use of the house concert touring format has taken her on extensive nationwide house concert tours, and she has become a popular speaker on the topic at music industry conferences.

Curtis’s how-to book on house concert touring was published in February 2014, debuted at #1 on Amazon’s Music Business Best Sellers list, and has been featured in major national publications like The Huffington Post and American Songwriter Magazine.

1. The benefits of house concerts vs. traditional venue concerts.
2. How to determine a host is an ideal candidate for a house concert.
3. The specifics a musician should negotiate with the house host for a win-win profitable concert.
4. Some key action steps to successfully promoting a house concert.
5. Strategies a musician can implement to secure a following from the house concert attendees.
6. How to set up a whole house concert tour successfully.

And much more…

Shannon Curtis “How I made $25,000 on a 2-month House Concert Tour” Book it’s all about how to successfully (and profitably!) do house concert touring. Through this book, it is Mrs. Curtis hope to help empower other artists to achieve the same artistic and spiritual fulfillment that house concert touring has brought her.

The book can be found at https://shannoncurtis.net/houseconcerts/book/.

The best way for her to stay in touch, is by subscribing to her newsletter at https://shannoncurtis.net/. Her community is the foundation of everything she does and she’ll love you to be a part of it.

Janelle Rogers is the founder of Green Light Go Publicity. She began her 20 year music industry career working for SXSW Music and Media Conference, and then went on to work for BMG Distribution for 10 years in the alternative music department where she championed bands like Kings of Leon, Ray LaMontagne, The Strokes, Belle & Sebastian, and The White Stripes. In 2002, she launched Green Light Go Music PR as a haven of honesty, integrity and passion for underrepresented artists and labels. She has since been named Mentor of the Year by the University of Michigan, Dearborn, appeared as a panelist at NXNE and been an official SXSW mentor. Green Light Go was named one of the Top 10 Music PR firms two years in a row. She is also the creator of Ignition, a DIY publicity campaign program empowering musicians to promote their own album or EP release without the hindering cost of hiring a publicist.

Janelle is one of the most resilient professionals in the music business, it is her determination and passion that is infused into every single campaign she works. She does not believe in “can’t”. If you say you can’t do something, she will ask for five reasons why you can.

1. What is the difference between an EP Release campaign and an Album Release campaign.
2. What criteria is used to determine an appropriate music publicity campaign.
3. Some mistakes musicians make that sabotage their odds of getting their music heard.
4. Publicity skills a musician should become a master at.
5. How to know when is the right time to hire music publicity services.
6. Some hot tips for a successful album release.

And much more…

Green Light Go Publicity is located at Ferndale, Michigan, United States specializing in dream Pop, Indie Rock, Electro Pop and Folk/Americana, and variations within those genres.

You can access their blog which is full of music career tips and great information, and also subscribe to their newsletter to receive free weekly advice at https://glgmusicpr.com/.

Eric Knight is a singer, songwriter, musician, performer, producer, artist manager, entrepreneur, music industry consultant, media source, conference speaker, and music education advocate.

For most of his career, Eric has worked on both the performing and business sides of the music industry. Besides being an accomplished musician with a strong D.I.Y. work ethic, he started his own artist management company Persistent Management™ as not only a vanity company for his own career as a performer but as a vehicle for other artists to fully realize and achieve their artistic vision and integrity.

He is also the co-founder of MUBUTV™ | Music Business Television which is a new startup that is creating the next CNN for the Music Industry.

Eric’s current and most ambitious project, Symbiotic Nation™ is a new entertainment company startup with a mission to reinvent the entertainment industry completely. “Think Google of the new entertainment industry.”

He is a voting member to the National Academy of Recording Arts & Science (NARAS) and The Latin Recording Academy (LARAS) Grammy Awards, and has spoken at and conducted workshops for the Berklee School of Music in Boston and the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles.

1. What is the role of a music artist manager.
2. Criteria taken into consideration when deciding to represent a particular musician.
3. Examples of the most audacious things managers have done in order to secure an artist engagement.
4. How a music manager handles a difficult performing artist client.
5. Secrets to developing a good relationship with the artists a manager represents.

And much more…

Persistent Management™ is a full-service artist management company. Launched in the spring of 2008 their artist and creative roster includes singer songwriters Blake Nix & Eric Knight, feature film and television Director/Producer Keith L. Shaw and their latest addition hard rock act the Disciples of Babylon.

For more information visit https://www.persistentmanagement.com/.

You can also subscribe to their newsletter to receive news and announcements of interest to the music community.

As a co-founder of Music Gorilla, Alexia Erlichman has helped build one of the leading commercial marketplaces for independent musicians and their work. With Music Gorilla, Alexia has merged her passion for networking, commitment to the independent movement and a decade of career success in the entertainment industry to create a service that helps artists get their songs heard and licensed by Labels, Music Publishers and Players in the Television, Film, Advertising, and Web/Gaming industries.

A native New Yorker, Alexia graduated from NYU and spent years in production roles for Miramax Films, Tribeca Productions Robert DeNiro, Creative Film Management, Robert Rodriguez/Elizabeth Avellan, and the Executive Producer Lynda Obst. She and Music Gorilla co-founder Lawrence Erlichman recently moved back to their native East Coast where they live with their rambunctious rescue dog, Crusoe.

1. What is a music showcase.
2. Showcase techniques for securing a Record, Publishing, TV or a Film deal.
3. How does a publishing deal works.
4. Some of the major sources of income of a publishing deal.
5. The difference between a publishing deal and a songwriting deal.
6. Who owns the copyrights.
7. How does a TV or a Film deal works.
8. How does licensing existing songs for motion picture works.
9. What is the role of a music supervisor.

And much more…

Music Gorilla is a leading commercial marketplace for independent musicians worldwide. Music Gorilla takes no part of the deal from either party. It is as simple as signing up, uploading your music and creating a profile page to submit your music to Film, TV, Songwriting and Major Label Showcase opportunities. You can get heard by a wide range of industry pros from music supervisors to internet radio hosts to major label A&R representatives.

Find more information at https://www.musicgorilla.com/.

Basic Membership is free and you can also subscribe to their newsletter to receive new music opportunities.

Known worldwide as The Godfather of West Coast hip hop. The owner of Kru Cur Records and leader of the World Class Wreckin Cru. The man behind almost everything Compton. He can be seen portrayed in the movies “Straight Outta Compton” and “Surviving Compton” the Michel’le story as well as in numerous hip hop documentaries such as “Welcome to Death Row'” Hip hop evolution” and in the upcoming 4 part HBO special the Defiant Ones. He is the author of the book and audio-doc N.W.A. N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo our guest Lonzo Williams.

Lonzo Williams is a powerful force in the music industry with a career spanning over 30 years. Known to the hip hop community as “Grand Master Lonzo” and leader of the legendary R&B/Rap group World Class Wreckin Cru, Lonzo is also credited with launching the careers of Dr. Dre, Ice Cube D.J. Yella and Eazy E. formerly known as N.W.A.

In the early 80s, Lonzo diversified his love for music by creating “Disco Construction”, a mobile DJ company. He then cemented himself as an industry heavyweight by showcasing talent at his own nightclub venues: Eve After Dark, Skateland U.S.A., The Penthouse, Dooto’s, The Current Affair, and Club Hall of Fame. His latest venture “The Loft” is booked weekly for artist showcases, old­school dance parties and special events.

In the 90s, Lonzo continued to use his celebrity to shape the careers of acts like: DJ Battle Kat, DJ Rectangle, the L.A. Dream Team, West Coast Record Distributors, Rodney­O & Joe Cooley, as well as Compton’s Most Wanted. In the early 2000s, Lonzo began to bridge the gap between hip hop and the inner city, by hosting community events for aspiring artists and speaking at educational institutions around the country. Since then, Lonzo has received a multitude of honors and accolades for his contributions to hip hop culture. His personal collection of music memorabilia has been exhibited at the Schomburg Center for Research and Black Culture in New York City. Lonzo has also been featured in top media outlets such as MTV, VH1, VladTV, The Los Angeles Times, The Source, and Vibe.

1. What a record deal is.
2. How does a record label advancement works.
3. The biggest fallouts of recoupment.
4. The best way to understand royalty computations.
5. What a 360 deal is.
6. What a mixer deal is.
7. How a distribution deal works.
8. How does label tour support works.
9. How can an entertainment attorney impact the results of deal negotiation.
10. The importance of an artist to have at least one record deal throughout his music career.

And much more…

Lonzo continues to diversify his career as an Author, Speaker and Hip Hop Historian through his new company “The Lonzo Infotainment Center (The L.I.C.)”. Through the company, he hopes to uplift youth who are interested in pursuing a career in entertainment by providing mentorship and resources.

Today, Lonzo remains a fixture in the hip hop community and has expanded his resume to include author and radio show host. On the heels of the August 2015 release, “Straight Outta Compton” (which vaguely chronicled his role in the formative years of the world’s most dangerous rap group, N.W.A.) Lonzo released his memoir, “N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo: The Roots of West Coast Hip Hop” in October 2015. What followed is a raw and uncut internet radio show entitled “The N.ot W.ithout A.lonzo S.how” which broadcasts every Wednesday on the Morris Media Network.

You can find more about his book and audio-doc available at his website https://www.lonzowilliams.com/

You can also subscribe the L.I.C. newsletter.

Katie Anne Mitchell has worked for the Standing ‘O’ Project for the last four years as the Chief Community Builder, which entails a mix of everything from social media to artist and fan relations to interviews for the Standing ‘O’ podcast.

Katie is also a fledgling singer and songwriter herself and credits her artistic pursuits to her experience working with the Standing ‘O’ which not only welcomed her into a talented, open-hearted creative community, but also gave her the resources and creative tools to help her transition from her former incarnation as an Anthropology graduate student to fulfilling her passion as regularly gigging performing artist.

1. How crowdfunding works.
2. What is the concept of “Fair Trade Music Streaming”.
3. Things an artist can finance through a crowdfunding campaign.
4. The first steps an artist can take to start their crowdfunding campaign.
5. Why singers, songwriters and independent musicians are often underpaid.
6. Financing strategies artists can implement to support their music careers.
7. Strategies a musician can use to promote their financing campaigns.
8. The importance of building a community for financial success.
9. Mistakes musicians make that sabotages increase in financial opportunities.

And much more…

Becoming a Standing O Project Artist Member is free and requires zero financial investment. You invest in the project by contributing music, videos, photos, and by inviting friends, fans and fellow artists into the community. You earn 50% of the monthly membership revenue your fans generate.

You can find more information at https://www.standingoproject.com/.

Amanda Alexandrakis holds a Degree in Marketing and a Master’s Degree in International Business from Florida International University. She has run a Record Label (Dalin Records), multiple promotion companies in various genres and has worked in almost every facet of the music industry. For 12 years, she was the Vice-President of South Beach Marketing & Promotion (SBMP), a Radio Promotion company that specialized in A/C Radio Campaigns in the USA. From 2004-2008, SBMP was the European Music Office’s (EMO) US Radio Consultant.

Amanda was also the Worldwide Radio Consulting/Marketing Director for the David Lynch Foundation Music and (through a reorganization of the company) held the title as Radio Promotions Manager for TMusic (a charity Label that raises money for the David Lynch Foundation). Mrs. Alexandrakis is also the President & Owner of Music Promotion, Inc. She is also a member of the Recording Academy (Grammys) & The American Marketing Association.

1. What is music promotion.
2. The difference between music marketing and music promotion.
3. How radio promotion works.
4. How music video promotion works.
5. Streams of income involving radio airplay and video programming.
6. What qualifies an artist for music promotion services.
7. When is the right time for an artist to begin promoting internationally.
8. What elements are involved in international music promotion.
9. How to measure the success of a music promotion campaign.
10. What is music branding and why is it important.

And much more…

Music Promotion analyzes the entire project and “connect the dots” between radio and other aspects of an artist’s career to obtain optimal results. They provide Radio Campaigns in the United States, United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia. They can be hired to handle solely radio or they can have a more comprehensive role in the project by handling marketing strategy, branding, prepping before a major release and overseeing the project.

You can find more information at https://musicpromotion.com/.

You can also subscribe to their mailing list.

Keith Pro is the Founder and CEO of Indie Band Guru Magazine. Keith has been involved in the music industry for quite a while now. Over the last 20 years he has gone from musician to artist manager to music publicist. Along the way, Keith earned a degree in Music Business from the prestigious Berklee College of Music.

Jumping in and out of bands starting at age 16, Keith never really found his true calling in front of the microphone.  At that point, he started managing a friend’s band, handling all the behind the scenes work in making the band a success.  Never being satisfied, Keith Pro started a fanzine to find more great music and reviewed 100’s of band’s demos, offering them straightforward tips on how to get to the next level in their careers.  A few bands really struck and he was signed on to be a promoter for them eventually turning it into a full-time booking agency working exclusively for some bands and becoming the sole booking agent for a few venues in New York City.

To expand his knowledge Keith then attended the Berklee College of Music and earned a degree in Music Business.  This led to a position at a Music Marketing firm in Manhattan to continue learning about the business side of music. Trying to take it to the next level an indie Record Label/Management Company was formed to help bands achieve success in the drastically changing music industry. There were some ups and downs and more lessons were learned. Today the dream continues at Indie Band Guru, staying busy in music and helping guide musicians to the promised land of a successful career in music.

For the past 8 years, Keith he has been running Indie Band Guru, an online music magazine and artist development company focused on helping independent bands build their careers and get the exposure they deserve.

A true music lover who has held many positions throughout the music industry. Music business is as much a passion as the music itself.

1. How the virtual magazine industry works.
2. The application process for a music review in a magazine.
3. The priority criterion for magazine publications.
4. Materials a musician must submit for the publication of a review.
5. How can a music artist secure a talk interview.
6. Recommendations for successful music interviews.
7. How often it is recommended to submit music reviews.
8. How to develop relationships with journalists and magazine staff.
9. The musical genres that predominate in magazines.
10. Promotional channels that magazines use.

And much more…

IndieBandGuru.com offer their “Guaranteed Music Review” service where they will write up a 300+ word review of your latest single or album and post it on the IndieBandGuru.com music magazine. It will also include an embedded stream of your music and a feature image to help our ‘new music-hungry’ readers discover you!

Go to https://indiebandguru.com/ get to work on a great review to expose your music to the masses.

David Wimble is a songwriter from Ottawa, Ontario and is the editor of The Indie Bible, The Indie Venue Bible and the brand new International Booking Agents Directory.

The International Booking Agents Directory was created to help artists land gigs locally, regionally or around the globe.

Covering every genre and style of music, it is a directory of 2,300 Booking Agents that will help artists land gigs in the United States, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, Japan, China, The Middle East, Asia, Latin America, The Caribbean, South America, and Africa.

This directory can help you find gigs in Music Venues, Clubs, Festivals, Colleges, Concert Halls, Restaurants, Weddings, Casinos, Private Parties, Corporate Events, and more!

The International Booking Agents directory also features an entire section of agencies that specialize in booking artists on cruise ships.

1. How can a musician prepare to approach a venue or promoter to secure an act.
2. How does a musician knows he at the right phase to hire a booking agent.
3. What criteria to into consideration when choosing a booking agent.
4. Resources a musician should focus on to continue promoting his music career.
5. Key considerations for approaching magazines and editors for music reviews.
6. The best way to approach a radio station to secure airplay.
7. Things a musician can do to grow industry relationships.

And much more…

The Booking Agents Directory can be found at https://indiebible.com/.

You can also subscribe to their monthly newsletter where every month for the last 15 years, the Indie Contact Newsletter has provided artists and songwriters with valuable articles on how to succeed in the music business. Each newsletter also features a large list of music services that are looking for submissions (radio shows, labels, magazines etc.).

Mario Marauak, a singer, songwriter and guitar player, was born in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. The son of an African father and a Brazilian mother.

Marauak’s music reflects his years performing on stages and streets of Brazil and USA and his exposure to a wide range of music, from folk to popular and from the profane to the sacred. Embedded in Marauak’s soul is the pulse of Afro-brazilian rhythms and the power of chants.

Listening to his music you feel the influences of classic Brazilian Bossa Nova, Samba, and Contemporary (MPB) along with a combination of Reggae, Dancehall and Hip Hop. His greatest strength is a rare musical fusion of Brazilian Classics with America’s African-Influenced beats (Jazz, Soul, Funk). Marauak’s repertoire is made of originals, in English and Portuguese, and reinterpretations of other artists. The result is a unique experience for his audience.

Marauak currently lives in San Diego, California, where he performs as a solo artist, as a duo in Bossa Lounge Project, and as the lead singer of the band Raggabond.

1. What is the best process for songwriting.
2. How to determine what kind of music will appeal the audiences.
3. What to look for when choosing the band’s team members.
4. Important business tools for a small business music entrepreneur.
5. What is the best process to price the band’s act.
6. How to prepare for selling the show to presenters and promoters.
7. How to determine the kind of show for any particular performance.
8. How to determine a particular gig is a viable opportunity.
9. The best advice for up and coming artists.

And much more…

Marauak’s new album is a live studio recording and in final process of mixing and mastering. The album will come with 7 songs composed in English by the artist, with a sound that dialogues with Reggae, Afrobeat, Funk, Metal, Hip Hop and Brazilian Popular Music.

Marauak’s Album “Semente da Paz” recorded in Brazil can be found in iTunes at https://music.apple.com/us/artist/marauak/1173601551.

Learn more about Mario Marauak at https://marauak.com/.

Justin Everest is the CEO & Founder of 24Our Music Magazine headquartered in Quebec, Canada. For Justin, entertainment is his principle interest. Whether it’s in the creative process, the final touches of editing or even behind the scene of planning and structuring, he thrives on the medium of the camera and what can be done in the world of entertainment.

1. How the world of virtual magazines work.
2. The difference between a music review, press release and a write-up.
3. The application process for a music review in a magazine.
4. The best times of the year for an artist to seek a music review.
5. How to handle a non-constructive published review.
6. How to determine the best magazines for publication.
7. How can musicians secure a talk interview.
8. The different types of entities submitting music reviews to magazines.

And much more…

24Our Music is dedicated to showcasing independent musicians from all over the world in every kind of music genre. They provide a service for all artists by promoting their music across a variety of platforms such as YouTube, SoundCloud, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and their website https://www.24ourmusic.net/ where they provide reviews, write-ups and interviews, along with a monthly online magazine. Submitting your content to 24Our Music all but guarantees additional traction for your latest musical endeavors.