The Billboard Guide to Writing and Producing Songs that Sell unveils the secrets to climbing the charts and reaching success in today’s ultracompetitive music industry. Eric Beall supplies his firsthand knowledge of today’s record business, as well as interviews with successful writers, producers, and executives from the worlds of pop, hip-hop, country, adult contemporary, and R&B. The result: a proven approach to constructing songs that open doors, create careers, and communicate to listeners around the world. Key areas explored include: •How does a song become a hit? •What makes a song a single? •Is there a formula for creating a hit? Fun and practical exercises provide opportunities to hone skills and expose specific talents, helping songwriters combine their unique voices to the demands of the commercial marketplace. Filled with fresh ideas that will spark beginners and veterans alike, this book will lead the way toward the industry’s ultimate challenge: the creation of that chart-topping hit song.

A music-career book like no other, The Music Producer’s Survival Guide offers a wide-ranging, exploratory, yet refreshing down-to-earth take on living the life of the independent electronic music producer. If you are an intellectually curious musician/producer eager to make your mark in today’s technologically advanced music business, you’re in for a treat. This new edition includes industry and technological updates, additional interviews, and tips about personal finances, income, and budgets. In this friendly, philosophical take on the art and science of music production, veteran producer, engineer, and teacher Brian Jackson shares clear, practical advice about shaping your own career in today’s computer-centric "home-studio" music world. You’ll cover music technology, philosophy of music production, career planning, networking, craft and creativity, the DIY ethos, lifestyle considerations, and much more. Brian’s thoughtful approach will teach you to integrate your creative passion, your lifestyle, and your technical know-how. The Music Producer’s Survival Guide is the first music-production book to consider the influence of complexity studies and chaos theory on music-making and career development. It focuses on practicality while traversing a wide spectrum of topics, including essential creative process techniques, the TR-808, the proliferation of presets, the butterfly effect, granular synthesis, harmonic ratios, altered states, fractal patterns, the dynamics of genre evolution, and much more. Carving out your niche in music today is an invigorating challenge that will test all your skills and capacities. Learn to survive—and thrive—as a creative-technical professional in today’s music business, with the help of Brian Jackson and The Music Producer’s Survival Guide!

In The Songwriter's Survival Guide to Success, industry veteran Dude McLean not only unveils the secrets of getting your songs pitched, published, and recorded, he also outlines a mind-set and path to help you navigate the fast-paced, chew-'em-up world of the modern music business, so that you can exchange surviving for thriving. With McLean's methods you'll be armed with all the tools necessary to properly promote your songs-from balancing the art and craft of songwriting to making the right moves after your first Gold record.

Do you want to be more marketable to a music publisher? Are you ready to become hugely successful as a songwriter? In this inspiring and timely book, music industry veteran Judy Stakee shares her best trade secrets to achieve your dreams.The Songwriter's Survival Guide is your opportunity to benefit from Judy's 30 years of extraordinary success in the music industry. Learn how to: handle meetings confidently with music executives; achieve a creative and financially rewarding cowrite; and even discover how to be the CEO of your own company. No matter whether you're a beginner or a seasoned songwriter, this powerful book will help take your career to the next level.

A comprehensive guide to finding the best paying gigs for musicians and singers, from their local area to the international stage. A music business veteran gives the inside track to creating a profitable career in the performing arts, from local bars to cruise ships. Includes interviews with successful musicians and enter-tainment directors who share their secrets in landing the best paying gigs. Also includes directories of resources for further research.

A professional artist and motivational speaker offers artists who have chosen the professional path advice, encouragement, and some hard truths. (Careers/ Jobs)

Are you a songwriter who feels frustrated? Do you have unfinished masterpieces sitting in a drawer somewhere? Do you feel stuck, confused and paralyzed in the process? Do you have feelings of inadequacy, comparing yourself to other great songwriters out there? Then you’ve picked up The Crazybrave Songwriter just in time. In Lisa M. Arreguin’s breakthrough guide on the craft of songwriting, she will show you a way out of your creative malaise by helping to clarify, build, and deliver your musical message in every song you write. This book is for the Crazybrave songwriter who: * Is just beginning and wants to challenge themselves to achieve something beautiful, creative, and new in their lives * Is unsure about how to craft a great song and needs some real working tools to support their efforts * Wants to write songs for the world to hear, despite what others may think * Is searching for creative authenticity in the music they write, wanting to feel the love of music again * Might be frightened to move forward, but knows that they must honor the nagging pressure they feel in their gut that says, “Do it!” No matter where you are on the songwriter’s journey, this book will inspire you to trust in the unfolding of your own creative spiritual process. Crafting a song is not about the notes on a piece of sheet music, a flurry of melodic lines on your instrument, or the accolades you might receive from adoring fans—although these have their place. This book is about crazybrave courage and challenging yourself to move ahead on a sacred path of self-discovery, using the powerful creative medium of songwriting. Welcome to the journey.

Understanding the Music Business offers students a current overview of the music business. Going beyond what most music business texts offer, Weismann delivers a contemporary approach that addresses the unanswered questions for today's music students, such as, "Is it really possible to make a living as musician?" Understanding the Music Business covers the basics in the first part of the text. This first section deals with the fundamentals of the industry, including recording, music publishing, agents, managers, radio and television, unions, the internet and new technology, and regional and international music markets. However, it is the second half of the text that breaks new ground by covering the career paths of new artists in the industry, the development and need for entrepreneurial skills, and the ways that individuals forge careers in the industry.

Writing good songs is not easymany talented musicians dont know how to do it. No matter what the obstacle might be, constructing a solid song can be an arduous process that frequently causes many musicians to give up. If you are interested in writing songs, making money from them, and ultimately being happy with the music you produce, 10 Truths of Songwriting can help. Longtime musician Chris M. Will simplifies the songwriting process, offering ten truths backed by real-life experience and examples. With Wills methods, you can consistently create music and lyrics that people love and not only survive but also enjoy the creative process. In the age of the Internet and with the advent of digital home recording, its easier than ever to get your music recorded, released, and heard by record companies. You just have to be able to write the songs. Using real-life examples and based on decades of experience, this songwriting guide presents a methodology for creating songs that people will love.

Songwriter's Market is packed with insider information about the music industry that can spell the difference between success and failure. You'll find support and encouragement through listings for support organizations, online resources, as well as articles and interviews with industry insiders. With completely updated listings for music publishers, record companies, managers, booking agents, and record producers, as well as information about how the music industry works and how to protect yourself from the scam artists of the industry, this helpful guide is every musician's best friend.