Trade Journals/Media
(MMF-US members get free subscription, Click Here for more info)
Music Ally is a global music industry news and information resource with a particular focus on innovation. Its Sandbox reports (subscribers only) drill down into music marketing trends.
MMF-US is a member of the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF). IMMF facilitates free subscription access to Music Ally for all MMF-US members.
“Since 2004, Hypebot has chronicled the new music industry and the trends and technologies that are changing how music is discovered, consumed, marketed and monetized. Edited daily by founder Bruce Houghton with help from Owen Davis, Hypebot and sister blog MusicThinkTank are published by live music discovery and marketing platform Bandsintown.”
“We here at IOTM like to think of ourselves as the digital world's Mom and Pop shop for show and tour booking, and we do our absolute darndest to provide the best resources around for musicians/bands of all styles and accomplishments to get out there and play more shows. Whether we're talking about attracting new fans, increasing music and merchandise sales, or even catching the eye of record labels, band managers, and other industry execs, the significance of live performance can never be overstated. It is THE tried and true method of sustenance and longevity, and the only definitive way to take your music, literally, "direct to fan". “
Recognized and respected throughout the world of show business, Variety is the premier source of entertainment news. Since 1905, the most influential leaders in the industry have turned to Variety for timely, credible and straightforward news and analysis — information vital to their professions.
“Music Business Worldwide (MBW) is the leading information service for the global music industry. Established in 2015, MBW provides news, insight and jobs to the worldwide business. Over 200,000 unique users visit the MBW site each month – and shared over 6.5 million page views between them in 2018.”
“We’re a highly influential source of news and industry analysis for millions of readers worldwide. Our audience is comprised of highly-targeted decision-makers from every segment of the business, including recordings, publishing, streaming, live concerts, talent development, venture capital, and broader tech. For many, the day starts with the Daily Snapshot, a morning email sent to tens of thousands of industry executives. We’re also widely read throughout the day on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, RSS, and digitalmusicnews.com. The Digital Music News publisher and founder is Paul Resnikoff. Resnikoff, Ashley King, Dylan Smith, Marsha Silva, and various guest writers drive the editorial direction. Sergey Sidukov oversees backend systems and engineering initiatives. Noah Itman shapes partnerships with companies and also handles marketing, sales and advertising along with Nicole Haiimpoor. We also offer offline services, including consultations, SEO advice, and brand ambassadorship. Contact Noah for details! Digital Music News is based in Santa Monica, CA.”
“Billboard is the world's most influential music media brand reaching key executives and tastemakers in and around the music business through Billboard Magazine, Billboard.biz, Billboard Conferences, Billboard Bulletin, and other targeted newsletters, and millions of music fans through Billboard.com and Billboard Events. The Billboard brand is built on its exclusive charts and unrivaled reporting on the latest news, issues and trends across all genres of music. Billboard receives hundreds of millions of brand impressions daily through many strategic relationships with major companies across various industries. These relationships leverage Billboard's brand recognition, proprietary chart data and information resources to develop products, live events and print, television, radio, digital and mobile platforms. In addition to North America, Billboard operates businesses in Brazil, Greece, Japan, Korea and Russia.”
Books
All You Need To Know About the Music Industry
For more than twenty-five years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its tenth edition, Donald Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something—it’s monetized by how many times listeners stream a song. And that completely changes the ecosystem of the business, as Passman explains in detail.
Making Music Make Money will educate songwriters, as well as aspiring music business entrepreneurs in the basics of becoming an effective independent music publisher. Topics include a discussion of the various roles a publisher plays in the music business: collection, administration, protection, exploitation and evaluation. A major emphasis is placed on the exploitation process, and the importance of creating a sound business model for a new publishing venture. Eric Beall is a Creative Director for Zomba Music Publishing, as well as a former songwriter and record producer. In his role at Zomba, Eric has signed and developed top writers including Steve Diamond, KNS Productions, and Riprock & Alex G. and has coordinated and directed Zomba writers in the development of material for Jive Records pop superstars like Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, Britney Spears and Aaron Carter. He graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music.
Cyber PR - Marketing & PR Books
Since 2007, Ariel has been music marketing writing books to guide musicians through the confounding worlds of social media, marketing and crowdfunding. Her books have landed on Musicians Top 10 lists on Hypebot and CROWDSTART was voted one of the “9 Must Read Crowdfunding Books for Entrepreneurs and Investors” by Crowd 101 and it went to #1 in the music, entrepreneurship, and investing categories.
The music business is one of the most complex, infamous, and influential systems on Earth! If you create, develop, or interact with musical content in any way, you are one of its participants. How The Music Business Works has been written to explain how all of the moving parts of this industry work together—from record label deals to public performance licenses, copyright registration to the Music Modernization Act, the Harry Fox Agency to SoundExchange. Our goal is to compile and share the most exhaustive guide on the subject of music business that exists. The Amazon Kindle version of this book serves as an extension of all guides located on the Learn tab of Exploration's website. Proceeds from sales of How The Music Business Works go to charity.
The Plain & Simple Guide to Music Publishing
Since the publication of the first edition in 2005, The Plain and Simple Guide to Music Publishing has emerged as the premier guide to the subject. With sufficient depth to be used as a text at major college music industry programs including UCLA, NYU and Northeastern, the book also remains simple and clear enough for the lay songwriter to gain a crucial understanding of musical copyrights and licensing basics.
Podcasts
A highly-curated weekly snapshot of the digital music business info you need to know - now as a weekly podcast! Hosted by YMC creator and curator Jay Gilbert, along with Mike Etchart, former host of the syndicated Sound & Vision Radio program . Every Monday Jay and Mike break down the important music news to keep you up to date and informed on the latest trends in the digital music world!
Music Business Worldwide prides itself on our in-depth and revelatory interviews with business leaders – and our podcast is no different.
If you want to find out what the brightest and best brains in the music industry are thinking, these downloadable audio discussions are a perfect complement to your commute.
How To Build a Sustainable Music Career
How to Build a Sustainable Music Career and Collect All Revenue Streams is the podcast version of Emily White's #1 Amazon best-selling book. White brings each chapter of the book to life with handpicked world-class guests including Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, Imogen Heap, Kam Franklin of The Suffers, Warped Tour Founder Kevin Lyman, legendary attorney Donald S. Passman, Patrick Sansone of Wilco, and more.
The Cyber PR Music Podcast is a Combination of 2 Things:
1. Presenting Ariel’s articles, parts of her books and observations in short form (approx 15 minutes each episode).
2. Interviews with people furthering the conversation about marketing and PR in the music business.
Rock & Roll High School
Rock and Roll High School is an interview series that spotlights some of the most important figures in the history of contemporary music. Interviews by Pete Ganbarg, President of A&R at Atlantic Records.
Every week, we sit down with an acclaimed and venerable songwriter to intimately discuss what happens behind closed doors in the music industry. There are millions of writers, thousands of artists and only the top 40 songs per genre at a time. This podcast is about the people who make them.
Speed of Sound
Speed of Sound is the podcast that breaks down the stories behind the pop songs - and sounds - that topped the charts and shaped the soundtrack of generations. Hosted by Steve Greenberg, a multi-Grammy Award winning record producer and music obsessive, Speed of Sound is your all-access pass to music's biggest moments from sock hops to hip hop to k-pop; you won't want to miss a beat.
In the Art of Longevity, we look at careers from the artists own perspective. We hop into a music time machine and head backwards or forwards in time, through the ups & downs, ins and outs and roundabouts (you get the idea) of the music industry. Ultimately we’ll reflect on learnings, wisdom, battle scars and wounds and ask “what really defines success”. It’s a question many fans and fellow musicians and all aspiring musicians want to know answers to.