Once a community art space called the United States Art Authority, Spider House Ballroom has grown into one of the most unique, extensive, culture-rich music venues in the heart of Austin, Texas. Between its ever-growing property and regularly booked-up schedule, Spider House Ballroom has managed to keep the community at the heart of the business.
Eva Mueller, Events Programming and Production Director
“The history of the space, mixed with our strong focus on community, separates us from other venues who are new, aren’t rich with the culture, and haven’t evolved in the way that Spider House has,” said the Ballroom’s Events Programming and Production Director Eva Mueller.
“What once began as a coffee house is now a giant property in Hyde Park, with 5 stages, a full-service restaurant and bar, an events venue, tattoo shop, food trailers, and more,” she said.
Specializing in what Eva described as “good music,” the Ballroom hosts a wide variety of live music, as well as comedy, dance parties, film and cabarets, seven days a week.
“In the last two years, I have made it one of my primary focuses to improve the quality of production that would allow for excellent sound, as well as offer a friendly and inviting staff of people, to make all feel welcomed and loved,” Mueller said. “Can’t say you get that everywhere in town.”
When it comes to booking a show at Spider House Ballroom, it can sometimes be difficult to stand out amongst the high volume of inquiries.
So, how can you get on the bill?
“Make it easy for the booking agent,” said Mueller. “Include links to your music, Facebook and website. Tell them where you have played, who you have played with, and give them a general sense of what your promotional tactics are.”
“The quicker the booker can access all of that information, the quicker they can consider you for a bill,” she said.
On Friday, May 8th, Austin Music Foundation will be hosting a kick-off party at Spider House Ballroom for Pachanga, an annual Latino music festival, featuring Macaxeira Funk, La Vida Buena and Kiko Villamizar.
The Spider House Patio Bar, Café and Ballroom are located at 2906 and 2908 Fruth Street, near the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. For booking inquiries, email [email protected] or visit www.spiderhouseaustin.com.
One of the biggest myths about copyright is that you must “apply” with the U.S. Copyright Office in order to receive copyright protection. In actuality, a copyright exists as soon an idea is in a tangible form. The textbook definition of copyright refers to a legal concept, enacted by the government, which gives the creator of an original work a group of exclusive rights to the work, usually for a limited number of years.
In order for a work to be copyright protected it must 1) be an original work, 2) a work of authorship and 3) fixed in a tangible form. Matter that is protectable include works of literature, music, drama, architecture, pictorials, graphics, sound recordings and sculpture.
All of the works that have copyright are represented with one of two symbols. The first being the designated circled “C”which is the symbol used in copyright notices for all works mentioned in section 102 of the copyright act other than sound recordings. This symbol indicates that the publishers/composers of the music own the compositions. The second symbol that designates whether a matter is copyrighted or not is the circled “P.” This is the used in copyright notices to provide notice of copyright in sound recording (phonogram) and indicates that the labels/artists are the ones who own the sound recordings.
What rights are granted to artists and songwriters?
Artists and songwriters are granted six exclusive rights:
Reproduction – right to reproduce the copyrighted work (applies to sound recording and composition)
Derivative work – right to prepare derivative works based on copyrighted work (applies to sound recording and composition)
Distribution – right to distribute copies to all public (applies to sound recording and composition)
Public Performance – right to perform copyrighted works publicly (applies to composition ONLY)
Public Display – right to display copyrighted works publicly
Public Performance – right to perform work publicly by means of a digital audio transmission (sound recording ONLY)
Master rights: the right of the actual “master” sound recording, owned by the record label and/or artist. When copying a sound recording, a license from the rights holders is required.
Mechanical rights: the right of the author, composer and publisher of the musical composition, the song’s music and lyrics, referred to legally as the “underlying composition.”
Performance rights: the right to publicly perform a musical composition that includes live performances as well as the use of any form of music player, including but not limited to, an mp3 or CD player or any form of broadcast, such as AM/FM or satellite radio.
The Copyright Office and registering works
The U.S. Copyright Office maintains public records of all copyrighted material that has been filed. The Office’s registration system and the companion recordation system constitute the world’s largest database of copyrighted works and copyright ownership information. It also provides basic copyright information services such as copyright searches.
There are two main benefits of registering work through the U.S. Copyright Office. Registration establishes public record of the copyright claim enabling others to view the works as well as keeping infringement claims from being made until a work is completely registered.
How do you register your work?
The first step is going to the U.S. Copyright Office website www.copyright.gov/eco. This page provides many downloadable resources, guides and tutorials to help with the process of registering. If registering for compositions, use the Form PA located at the bottom of the page. If registering for sound recordings and/or compositions embodied in the same sound recording, use Form SR.
The cost to file your registration electronically (recommended) is generally $35-$55 with an estimated processing time of up to 8 months. Filing paper forms generally takes up to 13 months to process and is harder to track the status of the application.
What is publishing?
Publishing is the contractual relationship between a songwriter or music composer and a music publisher, whereby the writer assigns part or all of his/her music copyrights to the publisher in exchange for the publisher’s commercial exploitation of the music.
The roles of a publisher vary but can be simplified into 3 main categories:
Nurture songwriters. Publishers can introduce other songwriters for collaboration opportunities as well as helping maintain and foster the growth of the artist.
Exploit songs. Publishers have a say on album cuts and sync placements.
Admin of catalog and rights. Registering copyright, conducting agreements with co-writers and notifying sub-publishers are all ways a publisher protects the artist. They also issue licenses for mechanical, sync, print and other media uses as well as collecting and distributing royalties earned from licenses.
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This was the first of a three course workshop that will continue to build knowledge on the business of music throughout the next two workshops. Austin Music Foundation thanks Nigel Finley and John Guertin for hosting and putting together the content provided in these workshops. We hope to see you at the next meeting! If you have any questions feel free to email [email protected].
At the 33rd Annual Austin Music Awards, one venue took the top spot in a number of categories, including Best Live Music Venue, Best Club Sound and the overall award for Best Music Venue in Austin.
With an unmatched vibe and impeccable sound, Strange Brew – Lounge Side has risen above other Austin venues, offering musicians the perfect atmosphere to showcase their talent, no matter the genre.
“Although we host a lot of singer- songwriter and American acts, it is our goal to offer a wide variety of musical performances,” said Company President Scott Ward. “Our bookings consist of big bands, rock, pop, blues, jazz, country, folk and many more.”
When asked what genre, if any, can be heard at Strange Brew more so than others, Ward replied, “the good kind.”
Although it started out as just a coffee lounge, Ward had always planned to have music at Strange Brew.
“We had music on the weekend for the first six months of business,” he said. “One day, Guy Forsyth came through the line and I asked him how I could get him to play there. He looked around and said ‘How are you going to pay me? You can’t charge a cover.’”
“At that moment, I decided that I needed a separate room that I could use as a music venue,” Ward said. “The space next door became available and I started to build what is now the Lounge Side as you know it today.”
So, how would Scott Ward describe his venue in one word?
“Extraordinary,” he replied. “Strange Brew – Lounge Side offers a high-quality environment, great equipment, engineers and a friendly staff.”
Of all of the great upcoming music on the schedule this month, Ward recommended Wrenfro, a resident band that plays every Wednesday at 8 p.m.
More information about Strange Brew – Lounge side, as well as a schedule of upcoming events, can be found on their website at http://www.strangebrewloungeside.com.
Occupying the once-glittery space at 617 East 7th Street, Holy Mountain took the vintage, dance club vibe of the former Beauty Bar and transformed it into a comfortable, edgy live-music spot, sitting in the midst of the thriving Red River Cultural District.
So, what’s the story behind the name?
“Holy Mountain is a 1973 movie by Alejandro Jodorowsky. It’s also an album by the metal band Sleep,” said General Manager James Taylor. “Both are amazing.”
Since the opening of its doors in October of 2012, Holy Mountain has become a classic among Austin venues. “It has definitely grown, in terms of developing an identity and a reputation as a great room with good character,” Taylor said. “We’ve got some more remodeling plans, post-SXSW, that I think are going to position us to adapt and change with the growth of the Red River Cultural District.”
With a capacity of 230 people, Holy Mountain is a perfect size to host a variety of shows comfortably.
James Taylor Photo by Maurice Eagle
“We can host smaller, new local bands who are still trying to cut their teeth, do sold out Red Bull Sound Select, Transmission or C3 shows, or big underplays during SXSW and other festivals,” Taylor said. “When it’s packed, it’s rowdy and fun, and on a slower night, it doesn’t look painfully empty.”
When asked to describe Holy Mountain in one word, Taylor chose ‘respect.’
“I think bands respect the club and our staff respects the bands,” he said.
Open every night, Holy Mountain hosts a variety of acts, including live music every Tuesday through Sunday and stand-up comedy on Monday nights. Happy Hour is from 6-8 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday and all night on Sunday and Monday.
Coming up this month, on March 21st, Holy Mountain will be hosting a “Best of Austin” SXSW party. The free event will feature all local bands from 12-7 p.m.
Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts To Hold Legal Clinic November 20 To Benefit Arts Organizations And Artists of All Types
On Wednesday, November 20, 2013, from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm, Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts will host a free legal clinic for artists and arts-related organizations who meet income eligibility guidelines and have legal questions related to the creative sector.
Musicians, artists, and representatives of arts nonprofit organizations will be provided with a short consultation with a legal professional. This one-on-one legal clinic will give participants the opportunity to gain valuable advice on music and art related issues. All disciplines are welcome to participate; however, legal issues and questions must be related to work in the creative fields.
To register and request an appointment with an attorney, go to the website at www.talarts.org.
This clinic is being hosted by the Austin Music Foundation at its Creative Media Center, 1901 E. 51st St., Building 4, Austin, TX 78723, with support from the Austin Bar Foundation.
THANKS SO MUCH TO THE AMAZING PANELISTS FROM
“HOW TO GET BOOKED AT A MUSIC FESTIVAL”!
Brad First (SXSW)
Graham Williams (Transmission Ent.)
Jill McGuckin (McGuckin Entertainment PR)
Huston Powell (C3 Presents)
Kevin Wommack (Playing in Traffic Records)
Stay tuned for blogs and downloads from this panel!
Thanks again to all of those who joined us for our last panel on June 19th. We really enjoyed ourselves and we hope you did too! A special thanks to all of our panelists including:
Anthony Erickson of Eye in the Sky Collective
Heather Wagner Reed of Juice Consulting LLC
Hayley Picchini of Google+ Marketing
Veronica Castelo of Social Communications
Patirck Dentler of C3 Presents
Christopher Sivori of Commemorative Brands Inc. and Measure Labs LLC
We had quite the crowd for this panel! Lots of vital information was exchanged that will help any musician increase their reach and impact online. Click here for a full recap of all of the information that was covered!
Part 2: Additional Effective Online/Offline Marketing
Email
Email is still a great way to connect with your fans. When you’re in their inbox, you’ve made a lasting mark in your fans’ lives. If you aren’t spammy and you send beneficial updates regularly, your emails are a great way to keep fans in the loop about what you’re up to. Email provides the opportunity to create regionalized and segmented categories of fan lists, so you can get the right information to the people in the right place and time.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Search Engine Optimization is a really nice way to say that you want to be the first thing that pops up when a person searches for a certain term (ie: your band name). There are ways to make it easier for people to find you when they’re searching online. This includes making a good website with searchable and shareable media (pictures, video, social network links). If you include things that search engines care about on your website, like biographical information that can be traced to your band, pictures and updates, you’re more likely to be noticed as a credible source of information about yourself. You’re likely the most credible source on things related to you, so if search engines notice that, your site is more likely to be listed as the first link when people search for you online.
Another great way to get noticed on search engines is by getting noticed by your local media like blogs and press. If a blog writes an article about your band, share it with your friends and family on social networks, comment on the article if allowed, and feature the article on your personal website or blog. The more traffic generated through an article about your band or music, the more likely you’ll get notice on a search engine.
Non-Online Marketing
Your brand is defined by how effectively you market online and offline. How you use social media, online networks, and album and concert promotion all factor into how approachable and accessible your brand will be. Heather Wagner Reed of Juice consulting offered the following tips during the panel:
Brand consistency: make everything match! Be sure that your press kit and electronic press kit are both up to date with links to your music via iTunes, Soundcloud, Youtube, social networks, etc. Any press releases that you include are fair game for bloggers or writers to use to pull information about your music. Lately, many bloggers have been directly pulling press releases from band press kits for their posts & articles, so make sure that any information you choose to include in your press release is exactly what you want to say about your music. Consider the roll-out of your brand, particularly focusing on things like album design and how you will market your brand.
An inauthentic brand is highly noticeable. When you’re authentic and interactive with your audience across the board from song promotion to album design to tour announcements, you can be sure that your audience will be receptive.
Don’t ever forget the tried and true marketing tactics. Flyering and word of mouth will always be a great go-to. Try to play at local events or businesses for free if you’re in the budding stages of your career. If you can afford to provide your fans with free stuff, you should. Both Patrick Dentler and Heather Wagner Reed highly suggest strategizing your marketing by leveraging your money and time. If there’s extra money in your budget, it should probably go towards publicity for your music and brand. Be creative and be smart about how you use your money when it comes to PR, because there’s lots of inexpensive ways to promote your music. Plan out a reverse timeline for impact dates like single or album releases, show and tour announcements and fan events. When your impact date is set, plan backwards, at least 6 months away from the date to ensure there are no surprises or setbacks as you approach it.
Remember the eight key areas to focus on when marketing your music:
Radio
Video
Publicity/Public Relations
Retail
Merch
Touring
Strategic Marketing
Social Media
With all publicity, online or off, be realistic about who’s going to pay attention to you. Be a reliable entity online and be responsive to your fans and their desires while staying true to your music and your vision. Your fans are your best asset as a musician and you can do a lot with a small fanbase and even more as your brand grows.
Sponsorships
What does it take for a band to get a sponsorship? Relevancy is key! Make sure that any partnership between your band and a sponsor makes sense with the brand and the image you want to convey. If you’re a metal band, partnering with an insurance company may not be the best partnership for your brand. When approaching a sponsor or completing a sponsorship deal, it’s important to make sure your partnership is mutually beneficial and that those benefits will trickle down to your fans. Maybe try a local brewery, winery or sandwich shop and see if you can offer their product or service for free for your fans at one of your shows. Seek advice from other bands that have effectively partnered with a product or business and do what works best for your band.
Overall, remember that how effectively you utilize marketing such as social networking and offline promotional tactics will likely determine the broader success of your music and your brand. Keep your fans close because they will come in handy whenever you need someone to sing your praises and garner face-to-face or face-to-screen publicity. If you have any additional tips or suggestions, be sure to let us know in the comment section!
We had a great turn-out for our June panel. Our amazing panelists included:
Anthony Erickson of Eye in the Sky Collective
Heather Wagner Reed of Juice Consulting LLC
Hayley Picchini of Google+ Marketing
Veronica Castelo of Social Communications
Patirck Dentler of C3 Presents
Christopher Sivori of Commemorative Brands Inc. and Measure Labs LLC
There was an enormous amount of great information shared with our audience, so in order to make sure everything’s crystal-clear, this will be a two-part blog with lots of tips on how to improve your musical brand’s online presence through social networking and the internet.
PART 1: Social Networking and Your Music
Use social networks and the internet to the best of your advantage! Here’s a few tips suggested by our panelists on how to increase your presence online in order to successfully market your music in our increasingly screen-focused culture.
A few tips on effective social networking:
Keep your social networking accounts active! Dead accounts=bad. Your fans don’t want to see that you haven’t updated your twitter in months. By constantly and consistently feeding your social network, you can better identify your audience and make direct connections and interactions with your fans. Also, keeping multiple active accounts lets your fans know that you’re willing to be wherever they are. Let your fans hear about your updates from multiple sources.
A caveat to being everywhere all the time – Fans are smart. Many of them are constantly online, especially on multiple sites at once. They know when you’re using Hootsuite because you’re posting the same exact thing on two or more sites at the same time. This can be a turn off because you lose a level of personality with automated messages. Panelist Christopher Sivori of Measure Labs suggested bufferapp.com to personalize your automated messages on your social networks. Also, don’t overextend your presence on social networks. If you still haven’t mastered your Facebook page, you probably don’t need a Twitter just yet. If you’ve only posted one photo to your Instagram account in 6 months, maybe your online efforts would be better served elsewhere.
Many sites, especially Facebook and Google+, have analytics somewhere on the page management section of your page. This is a great and useful tool to track your fan reach and see which types of posts your audience is most interested in. Keep in mind the usefulness of shareable media when posting online. Videos, pictures and posts go viral when it’s something that people want to share with their online network. Many posts that feature an interesting or entertaining picture or video are more likely to be shared online.
You wouldn’t believe the impact you make in your fan’s lives by taking the extra time out to reply to their comments and questions online. If you interact with your fans in a truly meaningful way by having fun, being interactive and engaging them across the spectrum of social networks, your brand has a real chance at garnering a credible audience with loyalties to you and your music. A dependable fanbase can go quite a distance when you need publicity online or in real life.
When you figure out your most loyal fans, you can often enlist them to help you spread your brand on a larger scale. Consider providing limited access to your social networking accounts or other perks for a few dependable and creative fans so that they can help with the hard job of publicity.
What are the top social networks you should be using to promote your band and your music?
Facebook – Literally everyone is on Facebook, from your grandmother to your co-workers to your co-workers’ pets. While there’s a significant debate about the lasting power of Facebook, it’s clear that this site matters when it comes to disseminating information to your audience. The recent addition of hashtags on the site will certainly help your brand if you want to track who’s talking about you.
Twitter – Twitter is a great way to get short bursts of info out to your audience quickly. It’s also very fun to instantly interact with your fans and garner attention through retweets and by encouraging your fans to do the heavy lifting of publicity for you by offering incentives for following your account or replying to your tweets.
Youtube – Many people are often surprised when they find out that Youtube is one of the most popular search engines around. Aside from the obvious benefits of being able to post and catalog any music videos that you may want to showcase, Youtube is also a great way to post videos related to your music and brand, like vlogs, concert announcements and backstage prep.
Google+- Our panelist, Hayley Picchini of Google+ shared a number of insights into how this platform is growing in popularity overall and strengthening fan communities by offering “Circles” to organize groups with similar interests (like your music). Similar to Facebook, Google+ offers a bit more organization and the chance to directly enhance the likelihood of your music being found during a search on the network’s home site.
Soundcloud – Soundcloud is one of the best ways to provide access for your fans to stream your music. If you’re an up and coming artist, Soundcloud is great because it’s free for you to post your songs, free for your fans to listen, and it allows fans to post comments at each part of the song, giving you vital feedback about what your fans like about your music, what they may think needs tweaking, and what they’re interested in hearing next.
Reverb Nation – Facebook has made it easy for artists to link their page to their Reverb Nation account. By linking the two, artists can easily share their new music on their page and direct fans to the rest of their catalog through the application.
Myspace – Don’t be too quick to discredit this fallen giant. Myspace is coming back and in a pretty big way, with a revamped focus on music. This past SXSW saw the reemergence of the site as a competitor, with the highly credible Justin Timberlake backing the new site. In order to get a chance at getting into his secret show during SX, eager fans had to create a new account on the site. Stealthy tactics like that prove that Myspace is serious about getting back into the game.
What other social networks should you consider?
Instagram – Instagram is great for a behind-the-scenes look at your band’s life. It’s also easy to see who’s at your shows by checking hashtags related to your band or shows you play. The new video feature also allows 15 seconds of live footage, with a number of optional filters. Instagram is solidifying itself as a social network staple
Blogging – If you can keep up with it on a regular basis, blogging is a great way to provide insights into your band’s progress at various places in your career. From album updates to tour announcements, blogging helps keep your fans in the loop in a more intimate way than Facebook and provides you the opportunity to say a bit more than either a Facebook or a Twitter post.
Linkedin – LinkedIn is good for musicians, but better for music industry professionals who need to know who’s in their local or national network. It’s also a great way to see who’s good at what in the industry, including management, marketing, video production and audio engineering among other skills and talents.
Message Boards – Checking in regularly on message boards related to your music or brand is an easy way to connect with your audience and keep tabs on what your fans really think about your music. They also help you keep tabs on which super fans may be available if you plan on rolling out an extensive marketing campaign requiring a knowledgeable street team. Good message boards to keep track of include ones that you may have on your website, Tumblr, Pintrest and Reddit accounts managed by members of your staff or fans, and lyric interpreter sites like Rap Genius or Song Meanings.
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming soon! Comment if you have any additional tips or suggestions on how to market your music online!
Our next panel will be held on June 19th! We’ll be discussing how to market your music through social networks and your website. Be sure to click the picture to RSVP for this free event!
A native Texan, Cheryl Murdock has been singing since she was a preschooler, memorizing radio tunes and making up songs, which were proved to be excellent early training for the accomplished vocalist and songwriter. Born and raised in San Marcos, Texas, she started singing in her first band, Permanent Smile, when she was 17. She soon joined the group Second Glance, which played original songs in San Marcos and Austin, including clubs on the famed Sixth Street. Second Glance released two albums and attracted major label attention. After settling in Austin, Cheryl next performed briefly with a local cover band before forming the band Shine. Shine developed a strong following and Cheryl continued to hone the songs that eventually found a permanent home in her first solo CD.
In 2004, Cheryl released her debut solo CD, Starting Fires, which turned the spotlight on her powerful, lush voice and evocative lyrics. Starting Fires showcases her range with edgy pop, rock, and Texas-flavored melodic singles. In addition to the title track on the Starting Fires CD, her signature songs include Big Shoes, I’ve Waited So Long, Breathe Again, and On the Inside. Cheryl’s command of different styles garnered her and fellow Austin songwriter Slade Crabtree five nominations covering four musical genres in the Austin Songwriters Group Songwriting Contest, and Honorary Mentions in the CMT/NSAI contest. Expressed through her stirring vocals, their songs won awards in two categories, including first place in pop for the Austin contest.
Cheryl now performs under her own name with talented band back-up. Winning more recognition than ever for her songs and musical ability, Cheryl is poised for continuing growth and an even higher level of solo achievement. The launch of the new Late Bloomer CD in June 2013 marks Murdock’s second CD, with emotional and fiery tunes, and great melodies that will be popular for a variety of music enthusiasts. Her original songs continue to reflect an emotional honesty appealing to all listeners. Late Bloomer, Sweet Addiction, and Dog House Flowers are all special tunes that she drew from personal experiences. The CD was produced and recorded in collaboration with Texas Hall of Famer and Austin music icon Kevin McKinney.
A big “muchas gracias” to everyone who came out to our Latin Music in Austin Panel last Wednesday! Our panelists included:
Rich Garza, co-founder/co-producer of Pachanga Latino Music Festival
Bobby Garza, Como Las Movies/ City of Austin
Stephanie Bergara, Austin Convention& Visitors Bureau
Ian Morales, Austin Vida and Red River Noise
Haydn Vitera, Vitera
There was a great turn-out and lots of enthusiasm. If you weren’t able to attend, here’s a quick recap of a few topics we covered.
Latin Music Community Cohesion
There’s definitely a strong Latin community in Austin, partially due to the number of musicians who identify as Latino or who play Latino music. In order to strengthen the community further, our panelists suggested networking with other Latino artists and businesses in the area who support local music. Here’s a few more tips they passed along:
If you’re a Latino artist, embrace the scene and audience that embraces you! Reach out to venues who have made a serious effort to host Latin music nights and/or have an interest in hosting Latino artists.
It’s important to self-market your music and brand to whomever you want to reach. Gather contacts with local Latino-geared media outlets, like Univision 62, KTXZ-FM 95.1, KLQB-FM 104.3, Austin Vida to name a few.
Be organized, be a go-getter, and be persistent! Building a community is hard work. Fostering relationships and networks is not an overnight process. If someone doesn’t get back to you right away, or at all, don’t give up. Keep an open mind and an open heart because that’s how awesome community collaborations happen.
Latino-Friendly Venues in Austin
When you think of Austin, you think of live music. Being the live-music capital of the world comes with its benefits and its challenges. The artist and venue market here is saturated. However, sometimes when you’ve got a specific genre or identity, it can be difficult to nail down a venue that is open to your brand of music. Our panelists and audience have provided a number of venues that have a good reputation for supporting and booking Latino artists and genres. Here’s a few that we took note of:
Flamingo Cantina
Sahara Lounge
Frank
Holy Mountain
Mohawk
Hotel Vegas
Swan Dive
OK Corral
Gypsy Lounge
The White Horse
Gloria’s
El Taquito (Pflugerville)
La Placita (Pflugerville)
A few things to keep in mind before and after you play a venue:
When searching for any venue, check out their past calendar to see what types of bands they’ve booked in the past. This will be a good indication of what that venue is typically looking for in an artist. Also, the venue’s website should have information on who is their booking agent.
If possible, consider playing shows with other artists that you know will bring a great crowd.
Once you’ve booked the show, be sure to do everything you can on your part to promote your show, especially on the internet and through social-media channels. This tells the venue’s management that you’re dedicated to having a successful show.
It’s always a good idea to take the time out to familiarize yourself with the management, their policies and rules and abide by them. Playing nicely with venue owners and management means more resources for you and a wider network for you to pull on in the future.
After your show, talk to the management and staff about how things went to gauge the audience reception and to see if you’ve got a good draw. If your show went well and you can pull a crowd, you’re more likely to get booked at that venue again.
Local Resources
Finally, be sure to use all of your resources! While that includes any other artists, venue managers, industry leaders and people in the loop that you may know, it’s important to utilize the many established resources specifically geared towards helping Austin musicians well-connected, well-informed and well overall. Below are links to 5 organizations in Austin that have dedicated themselves to musicians in Austin.
J Ray is a one-man-band sporting a Lasonic Ghettoblaster boombox, guitar, and a microphone. Oh, and there’s also Boxman 3000, his cardboard robot companion from outer space who travels and dances alongside J Ray.
J Ray is releasing his debut album, “Some People”, on May 21, 2013. After many hours sitting behind the console, writing, recording and mixing his own songs, it has finally come to a head. At first it was just for fun to entertain himself after creating Beautiful High for the independent feature film, Chameleon Code. Then an interstellar cardboard robot, Boxman 3000, showed up, dancing to his music and forced him to write more songs. Held at blaster-point, J Ray continued to write more songs which eventually became a full album entitled, “Some People”.
Through this process J Ray and Boxman 3000 would often roam the streets of downtown Austin, TX, testing the songs on the public. Some people looked at them in fear and some people embraced the extraterrestrial cardboard robot and demanded photos with Boxman 3000. People often wonder why there is a cardboard robot following J Ray, so, in response, J Ray wrote a comic book, illustrated by James Linares, to give a little insight into why Boxman 3000 is here. The comic book entitled, “J Ray and Boxman 3000: Some People”, will be included in the CD package.
Thanks to everyone who came out to our panel last Wednesday!
And we are so grateful to our moderator Joseph Stallone and all of our wonderful panelists: Edward Fair, Roanna Gillespie, Nigel Finley, and Dominique Preyer. We hope that you were able to get some valuable information from our experts. If you didn’t make it out, or you just want to see someone else’s notes, here are some of mine:
Basics
Being a music publisher simply means owning the copyright in a musical work. If you wrote a song and have not assigned your rights, then you are a music publisher.
Getting the splits of money in writing at the beginning, although it may not be something you want to do, is very important. In the absence of a written agreement, copyright law dictates even splits.
Make sure to keep relevant information such as splits, the writer, artist, and track name in metadata of a digital tracks.
Public Performance
A “public performance” includes play on the radio, and plays on TV, in addition to live performances.
Performance royalties are divided into the publisher’s share and the writer’s share, and a typical split is 50/5o.
If you are earning performance royalties, you must register with a Performing Rights Organization (ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC) in order to collect those royalties.
Movies and TV
The director, rather than the music supervisor, is the one who typically has the final say on the music in a film.
A sync license is only for the right to synchronize music to video. The right to use the audio by itself, for example in a soundtrack, is a different right, a different revenue stream, and should be in a different license!
If you want to have your songs on TV or in a movie, it’s a good idea to have an instrumental version as well, because sometimes that is what they will want.
I’m sure some of you have some notes that I missed. Share some of them in the comments!
Join us on April 24th at 7:00 PM to hear from the publishing experts on our panel.
Publishing ensures you receive payment and protects your music when compositions are used commercially. Learn about publishing contracts, copyrights, licenses, royalties and distribution in the DIY environment of Austin. Any artist interested in getting their music on film and television should check out this expert panel for first hand experience!
Our artist of the month for April is Immortal Guardian! Check out their bio below:
Best known for their face melting, mind-blowing, power/progressive/melodic shred… a genre coined as ‘Super Metal’ amongst fans, Immortal Guardian’s extreme live performances have left countless fans in awe with their astounding musicianship, technicality, and energy. The band has received praise from guitar nerds around world due to guitarist/keyboardist Gabriel Guardian’s ability to shred on both instruments SIMULTANEOUSLY. With the recent addition of Brazilian vocal siren Carlos Zema, the band has evolved into a full frontal metal assault of anthemic melodies, technical rhythms, and powerful highflying vocals.
Immortal Guardian made some waves this SXSW as their “Shredding In The Streets” performances, a series of gorilla style non-permitted street shows, made SPIN Magazine’s “50 Best Things We Saw At SXSW2013” and caught the eye of Green Day front man Billy Joe Armstrong while performing on 6th and Red River. The band will be performing at several music festivals, guitar clinics, and one-off shows in Brazil this July in promotion of their new EP as well as laying the groundwork for some big plans related to the 2014 World Cup.
Immortal Guardian’s debut EP “Super Metal” was released back in 2012 with a previous singer and recently re-released with Carlos Zema on vocals as “Super Metal: Edition Z”. The record is currently streaming on ImmortalGuardian.net and set to be released as a free digital download in promotion of the new EP set for a summer release in 2013.
We at AMF want to congratulate all the bands and artists who were recognized at the Austin Music Awards!
We are so proud of the many recognized bands and artists who we’ve worked with here at AMF. Congratulations on a great year of music! Of course, we would also like to thank Margaret Moser so much for all of her work directing the Austin Music Awards.
Check out the 2012-2013 Austin Music Awards here: 2012-2013 Austin Music Awards
Join us Wednesday, April 3rd at 7pm for an expert panel “Shining A Light On The Dark Art Of Mastering”. RSVP by clicking on the image below.
Mastering can help your music sound better, but it can also be a bit confusing. That’s why we are bringing in some mastering experts to discuss why mastering is necessary and to explain some of the techniques they use. They will not only clear up the technical reasons behind mastering, but they will also discuss their own styles mastering. Every budget is welcome, as they will discuss everything from high end professional mastering all the way to DIY. They will even play examples of mastered and unmastered songs. If you’ve been wanting to learn about mastering, now is the time!
The legendary Kathy Murray needs no introduction to Austin’s musical faithful. Murray developed her vision of the blues in the formative days of the Austin blues scene, jamming with luminaries like Stevie Ray Vaughan, W.C. Clark, and members of the Fabulous Thunderbirds. A blues singer and songwriter par excellence, she first burst on the Austin music scene with her early band Kathy and the Kilowatts, wowing audiences with a tremendous live show, and sharing the stage with everyone from Albert Collins to Koko Taylor.
Murray has won the Australian Blues Association’s ‘Chain Award” for Australian Song of the Year with the Kate Meehan Band’s recording of Murray’s original song, “Call Me Mrs. Blues”. Listen/look for soulful Austin singer Toni Price’s recent cover of Murray’s “Bird in the Hand,” a spicy blues with a hypnotic riff.
Murray is currently performing live with two projects, her full electric blues band, Kathy Murray’s Blues Groove, and with her exciting new acoustic act, features Murray on guitar and ukulele, along with her longtime musical compadre Bill Arthur Jones on guitar, ukulele and accordion. Murray and Jones synergistically combine their talents into a one-of-a-kind Texas roots music experience. Her new CD, “Relatively Blue” is getting local airplay and starting to garner some tasty reviews.
You know Austin is a great place to make music, but do you know how the government is working to keep it that way? Do you know the resources they provide to help you thrive as a musician?
Let’s look at the city and state level to see how they can help you, and indeed how they are already working for your benefit.
1. Austin Music Division
Austin Music Division Website
The city of Austin has an entire division devoted to helping musicians in Austin!
They work to build international partnerships to grow strengthen Austin’s ties with the global music scene. They believe that Austin has something to share with the world and also many things to learn!
They have a music ambassadors program through which they send established Austin musicians abroad to engage with other music scenes across the world. They also support another Austin project called “House of Songs,” which connects foreign musicians with Austin musicians so that they can learn from and inspire each other as they collaborate musically.
The Austin Music Division also supports organization like us (thank you!), Austin Music People, Austin Songwriters Group, and Capitol View Arts. If you’ve benefitted from any of those organizations, then you’ve been helped by the Austin Music Division.
Lastly, have you ever been to ACL or Fun Fun Fun Fest? The Austin Music Division serves as a liaison between the event organizers and the city to make sure that everything goes smoothly. Without them, Austin festivals wouldn’t be as awesome as they are.
2. Texas Music Office
Texas Music Office Website
On the state level, the Texas Music Office gives people the information they need about Texas musicians and music businesses. They are an economic development office within the office of the Governor, and they are also the sister agency to the Texas Film Commission.
They have the most comprehensive database of businesses and musicians that call Texas home. If you need that kind of information, they should be the first place you look.
They work to facilitate connections to help the Texas music scene flourish more and more. Keep that in mind when you are looking for a certain kind of music business or musician, because they want to help you find what you need.
Furthermore, when the Texas music industry develops in a significant way, they publicize that to keep everyone up to date. Lastly, they work as a liaison between music businesses and other government entities.
Thank You!
Let’s be thankful that our governments do so much to support musicians and music businesses in Austin, both directly and indirectly. We love what we do, and we’re very grateful for all that you do!
Come out to our panel next Wednesday, February 27! We’re going to discuss the many ways that video can help musicians.
Whether you are planning your music video, planning to record a live recording, or planning to use video to communicate with your fans, you will learn what you need to do to get started. Whatever the size of your budget, we will have helpful information about how you can use video to complement your music.
A big thank you to our host Brad Stein and our wonderful panelists: Craig Barker, Mike Tolleson, and Andrea Villarreal. If you didn’t make it out to the event (or if you didn’t take any notes), here are some takeaways from the event. If you have notes other than what I collected here, please share them in the comments!
Copyrights
There are two copyrights for music: one for the musical work (the notes and lyrics), and one for the sound recording (the sound).
USA federal government gives copyright owners several exclusive rights, and these rights form the basis for the music industry because others will trade money to buy or license the rights.
A copyright comes into existence the moment that a musical work is fixed in tangible form, such as writing down notes and lyrics or recording it.
Registration with the USA copyright office provides two important benefits: statutory damages if someone infringes, and the infringer pays your attorney’s fees if you win.
If you write a song or record with someone else, unless you sign a written agreement specifying otherwise, you are equal owners of the copyrights!
Contracts
To be sure that everyone in a deal gets what they expect, and to save headaches later, use a written contract from the beginning.
Contracts should be clear and include terms, parties, duration, and territory.
Bands should have an agreement to define who owns copyrights, who owns the band name, and how to handle member changes and other changes.
Trademarks
Concerned with clear identification of the source of works, so that the public will not become confused.
Used to protect brands.
Federal trademark recommended.
Lasts a lifetime, and could be the most valuable thing you have.
Those are some of the notes I took. If you have any takeaways that I didn’t mention, please share them in the comments!
Would you like to be featured on our website? If we’ve helped you in some way, then let us know how. You may end up seeing your name and quote on our website!
You can let us know by sending us an email at [email protected] with “AMF Helped Me” in the subject line.
Austin-based, Alabama-raised singer/songwriter Nakia has a heart that beats to the rhythms of Muscle Shoals soul, pumping blood infused with Stax funk to cells lined with Chicago blues grooves. His vocal talent is the kind that instantly turns listeners into fans — among them CeeLo Green, his coach and mentor from Season One of NBCV’s ‘The Voice,’ who invited Nakia to sing on his Muppets Christmas special.
On his new EP, Drown in the Crimson Tide, releasing March 5 on the Something-Music label, Nakia unleashes that voice on six songs he wrote in collaboration with top-tier artists including Barry Goldberg, Bleu, Chris Seefried and Brian West. Three were co-produced by legendary keyboardist Goldberg, whose vast resume includes playing Dylan’s ’65 Newport gig and producing Percy Sledge; and guitarist Johnny Lee Schell, who’s worked with Bonnie Raitt, John Fogerty and Eric Burdon.
You can catch Nakia live at his new residency every Thursday in February at The Sahara Lounge. Nakia is an official artist at SXSW 2013 where he will be performing several showcases during the festival.
HAAM is there for Austin musicians who need access to affordable health care. If you are self-employed and have no access to health insurance or basic health care, then HAAM exists to help you out with medical, dental, hearing, vision, and mental health/addiction recovery services (with partner SIMS Foundation).
2. SIMS Foundation (SIMS)
www.simsfoundation.org
The SIMS Foundation’s mission is to provide access to and financial support for mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin-area musicians and their families. SIMS’s therapists offer individual and family, group, and couples counseling and have a variety of specialties to meet our clients’ needs. In addition, SIMS provides a full range of addiction recovery services: medical detoxification, inpatient treatment, intensive outpatient treatment, and sober living.
AMP works to preserve and protect the live music economy in Austin. They provide powerful advocacy tools, participate in policy development, and represent live music interests in both public and private forums. They also work to promote a more dynamic and connected live music scene.
Lastly, it’s yours truly, AMF. The heart of AMF is working directly with Austin musicians, offering free consulting about how to succeed in the modern music business. In addition, we host monthly events on key music industry topics. Lastly, AMF also works to connect both established and rising leaders in the music business to tackle large scale industry issues. We work to keep Austin one of the most vibrant music scenes in the world.
Well, those are four of the organizations that you need to know about as an Austin musician. Remember, we are here for you as you do what you do best: make music.
JANUARY 2013 AMF ARTIST OF THE MONTH ~ LETICIA RODRIGUEZ
Her life is an artistic stage, dedicating herself to performances steeped in family and tradition. In October 2012, Leticia Rodriguez debuts her first musical album, La Americana, a compilation of award winning tribute music filled with meaning and heart.
Leticia Rodriguez is a charismatic Latina performing award winning Latin covers well known in many countries. Rodriguez’ songs span the decades, starting with music from the 1930s through the 1950s and continuing through today’s music. Many of the tunes on La Americana were sung by Rodriguez’ aunt, internationally renowned Eva Garza, who was one of the first Hispanic recording artists from Decca Records (Columbia). Songs sung by Eva Garza and redone by Rodriguez on La Americana are: Tenías Que Ser Tú, Incertidumbre, Un Rato Nomás, A Los Cuatros Vientos, Celosa and Volver.
Inspired by her musically inclined family, and in particular her by her Tía Eva, as a child, Rodriguez often spent days on end listening to her aunt’s LPs. “Eva was vital to my musical education.” Rodriguez said. “Her voice was unmistakable and rich.” FOR MORE INFO ON LETICIA RODRIGUEZ, GO TO http://leticiarodriguezperforms.com/
RECORD PANEL CROWD AT SOUNDCHECK FOR AMF’S “RADIO AUSTIN” PANEL!
Thanks to everyone who made it out to the “Radio Austin” panel on Wednesday, November 28th at Soundcheck Studios. It was AMF’s biggest turnout at Soundcheck so far with a lot of great information and advice from Austin’s top radio DJs! We hope that everyone who attended the panel picked up a few good tips and we look forward to seeing you at the next AMF event soon!
A special thanks goes out to the “Radio Austin” panelists (L-R) Toby Ryan/101X, Patrick Davis/Austin After Dark, Eric Raines/KOKE FM, Matt Reilly/KUT, Loris Lowe/KLBJ and of course the infamously honest Andy Langer/KGSR & 101X for masterfully moderating the panel the way only he can. Great job guys!
Check Out The New Video “Austin Live” from The Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau!
“Austin Live: Tick Tock” is the latest video from the Live Music Capital of the World®. Filmed live from the streets of Austin, TX, this one-of-a-kind collaborative video project features some of Austin’s best musical talent — lending their own personal style and creativity to American Blues Legend Jimmie Vaughan’s song “Tick Tock.” Read more about the artists & venues at http://www.austinmusic.org
“HIP HOP RHYMES & BUSINESS MINDS” PANEL A HUGE SUCCESS!
Thanks to everyone who made it out to AMF’s “Hip Hop Rhymes & Business Minds” on Oct. 24th at Soundcheck Studios! The panel was also a huge success for The Austin Urban Alliance and a very special thanks goes out to moderator/panel producer Tee Double for knocking it out of the park! The vibe was unifyingly positive and due to a great turnout and high demand, AMF plans to host a follow up panel in 2013. Continue to support Hip Hop in Austin and stay tuned to austinmusicfoundation.org!
(L-R): DJ Crash, Smackola, Matt Sonzala, Josh Woodhouse, Steve Savage, MC Overlord & Tee Double
AUSTIN MUSIC FOUNDATION AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN LAUNCH THE LEADERSHIP MUSIC AUSTIN PROGRAM & THE AUSTIN MUSIC ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
May 8, 2012 (Austin, TX)-Austin Music Foundation (AMF), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to strengthen and connect the creative economy through its educational programs and career development resources, announced today that in partnership with the City of Austin they will launch the Leadership Music Austin program and the Austin Music Entrepreneur Accelerator programs.
NOMINATIONS NOW OPEN FOR 2013 & 2014 STATE MUSICIAN, STATE POET LAUREATE, AND STATE ARTIST (2-D & 3-D)
The Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) is pleased to announce the call for nominations for the 2013 and 2014 positions of Texas State Musician, State Poet Laureate, and State Visual Artists 2-D & 3-D. We invite you to nominate some great Texas artists for this process.
There is no money associated with the title, but it does secure your place in Texas history and provides a great marketing tool. Self-nominations are encouraged and there is no fee to apply. The deadline for nominations is October 15, 2012. This opportunity only comes up every other year.
Complete details and the nomination form are available online at: www.arts.texas.gov/nominate
Please join us for our Music Banking 101 Seminar. Topics will include: How to Treat Your Music Career as a Business; Credit, Taxes and Cash Flow; Accounting Tips and much more! Guest speakers from Wells Fargo, HAAM, and Community Tax Centers.
[email protected] to reserve your spot! Limited space available so don’t delay! Complimentary snacks and beverages will be served.
America’s Got Talent will be in Austin in search of the BEST OF THE BEST in MUSIC. We are looking for unique and entertaining people and/or acts for Season 7 of America’s Top Rated Talent Show.
Describe your Talent and Submit your Name, Photo, Link and Contact Info to: [email protected]
We are pleased to announce the DeliRadio.com Webinar! You don’t want to miss this informative event introducing the latest music APP for touring artists! Wednesday, December 7, 2011 at the AMF Creative Media Center (1901 E. 51st Street (Stage 4), Austin, TX 78723). Limited Seating! Please RSVP to [email protected] to reserve your spot. Deli food (of course!) & beverages will be served!
Once a community art space called the United States Art Authority, Spider House Ballroom has grown into one of the most unique, extensive, culture-rich music venues in the heart of Austin, Texas. Between its ever-growing property and regularly booked-up schedule, Spider House Ballroom has managed to keep the community at the heart of the business.
All of the works that have copyright are represented with one of two symbols. The first being the designated circled “C”which is the symbol used in copyright notices for all works mentioned in section 102 of the copyright act other than sound recordings. This symbol indicates that the publishers/composers of the music own the compositions. The second symbol that designates whether a matter is copyrighted or 
not is the circled “P.” This is the used in copyright notices to provide notice of copyright in sound recording (phonogram) and indicates that the labels/artists are the ones who own the sound recordings.
Occupying the once-glittery space at 617 East 7th Street, Holy Mountain took the vintage, dance club vibe of the former Beauty Bar and transformed it into a comfortable, edgy live-music spot, sitting in the midst of the thriving Red River Cultural District.
