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One of the things I love about Garageband is how easily I can take a song from conception to final mix without ever leaving the main screen or dealing with routing issues. Every now and then I run into a tip on how to do a particular process on Garageband that reminds me just how cool this little (free) program is. This week I learned about another little trick that has helped me save loads of time when archiving my projects. It’s called “track locking”. Read Full Story

The following story is pure fiction. But I thought it would be fun to play devil’s advocate and show what could happen when you’re not careful with the types of deals you sign or don’t follow up appropriately. Again, this is fictional story that doesn’t represent me or anyone that I know, work with, or have worked with in the past. Trevor is a very talented 27 year old songwriter and musician who plays several different instruments. He’s also a prolific songwriter and great music... Read Full Story

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted on this blog, but I’ve been researching as much as possible about my last post regarding Exclusive and Non-exclusive library deals. As I mentioned before there has been a healthy debate online about what some folks feel works best and what writers should be aware of. I’m going to dedicate this post on what I have found works best for “ME” and where I think the library production industry might be heading. Read Full Story

There’s been a healthy debate on the internet lately regarding the practice of “re-titling” and the music libraries that do it. While some songwriters are concern about it, a large number of them seem to be ok with it. I personally have not found the practice to be a problem…yet! Read Full Story

You might remember the story of how back in the early 80’s the band Van Halen insisted that at every show they performed at there be a bowl of M&M chocolates with all the brown ones removed. Like most people I thought this was just part of the over-indulgence of the 80’s and rock stars just keeping up with their diva status. However it wasn’t until a few months ago after reading David Lee Roth’s autobiography and other articles, that I actually found out the real reason why they requested... Read Full Story

Ever gone to a concert and you’re singing along with the Artist then realize that he/she just flopped a couple of words of the song? It’s not a big deal for fans who usually just smile and keep enjoying the show, but for the performer it’s one of those winching, embarrassing moments where you want to sink into a hole. Read Full Story

I first started djing back when I was about 14 or 15 years old (many, many moons ago). I stopped after I began playing with bands and never quite had the time to get back into it. However a few months ago I started djing small parties, and eventually I got the bug again. A lot has changed since I had my old one & two. Everything from the role a DJ plays to the equipment he/she uses. Today a DJ needs to be more than just a jukebox. Anyone with a good mp3’s collection can simply connect their... Read Full Story

Last year I had the privilege of participating in a couple of Freestyle Music award shows. I was thrilled to have been honored along with my old band-mates, and had a great time seeing old friends from the music industry again. The one question that kept popping up throughout those events were “Are you guys coming up with anything new”? I also heard conversation between producers and promoters about how to get Freestyle music on the radio again. Erotic Exotic at the 2008 Freestyle Music... Read Full Story

Ever since Artists and labels (mostly independent) first started getting their music online, there has been a never-ending search to find the best new business model to sell your music. It’s now become obvious that there is no “one” best way to do that. In fact with so much music so easily available to everyone, you have to use every possible “productive” means available. Otherwise, you’ll become another needle in a very large haystack. However every now and then someone comes up with a new... Read Full Story

Whenever I get a request from new Artists to work on an album, I like to ask them “Why do you want to make this record?”  Last week a young lady I work told me she was working on an album. So I asked her that very question. Her first response was that she has always loved to sing. Now that’s ok, but what I really wanted to know was “what did she plan to gain by making an album”? She thought about it a few seconds then said “that she hoped to be as big as Beyonce or Fergie. She went on to tell... Read Full Story