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201 Self-Promotion Tips For Songwriters, Musicians And Bands On A Budget

Christel asked:


The world of high technology and endless innovations made its way to music consumers from all over the world. This definitely opened new ways in enjoying music, whether it is through legal ways or the other way around. With the bad smell of piracy spreading the stink globally, its time for music companies to fight against it, in order to save the music business today.

Music giants are once again at odds with the consumer electronic manufacturers. This time, it is very much related to piracy—the controversy over specific information technology products that enables consumers to copy digital music and transfer them into different formats, or exchange them over the Internet. This has been going on ever since people knew about it, and this alone greatly affects the music business today.

Over the last few years, the music industry has fed the media statistics about piracy, or the act of copying digital music content to a blank CD, or uploading or downloading it from the Internet. According to articles, an estimated 3.6 billion songs are illegally downloaded each month in the US. In 1999, the music industry estimated that one in four CDs of new music was actually an unauthorized copy. By end of 2001, it was estimated that as many CDs were burned and copied as were bought. Since 1999, CD burner ownership has nearly tripled. This trend is attributable to the slow economy, among many other factors. However, the music business today seems to believe that the culprit in this trend is the rise of digital music—free online sharing, and the growing number of CD burners.

For self-defense, big music record companies are developing technology for anti-piracy, to protect their copyrighted music against the information technology’s movement towards user-friendly digital software and hardware. Few of the biggest music labels are experimenting on anti-piracy technologies designed to fight the online file sharing. Both Sony and BMG have already implemented copy-protection systems, which prevents their CDs from being played on any device that is not a simple CD player. Another music label is also licensing another anti-piracy technology, where it prevents consumers from reformatting songs into MP3 format files and burning copies, or making them available for file sharing systems. This anti-piracy technology called Cactus will prevent music from playing on the Playstation 2, a number of car stereos and DVD players, even on PCs, and also disables stand alone CD burners.

There will come a point where progress may feel more like loss than gain, especially when a technology that an industry has developed becomes outdated. While this may seem frustrating, the proper solution is not to hinder progress; instead, adapt accordingly. Both the congress and the music industry giants should make necessary changes in the legislation to make it more effective for the next generation



201 Self-Promotion Tips For Songwriters, Musicians And Bands On A Budget

Alex Smith asked:


If you are serious about a contemporary music career, selecting the best type of music school education is very important. An ideal school is one that offers comprehensive, hands-on education in contemporary music performance (typically, guitar, bass, drums, keyboards and voice), recording, songwriting, original music production, music business and related fields such as music video production and instrument-making.

Professionally-oriented schools offer programs designed to increase your technical skills, musicianship and performing experience to a level that will allow you to play any style of music. To evaluate the best schools of this type, you need to analyze the music course content along with the professional background of the instructors who teach them. Another valuable indicator is found in the record of students who have gone through the school – their success stories will tell you whether the school is providing relevant education.

Vocational music schools offer specialized training in instruments like guitar, keyboards, drums, bass, voice, and so on. Private instructors provide individualized training that suits your style and level while classes in technique, theory, and performance give you a broader foundation in musicianship.

Private schools and universities offer music programs ranging from Non-certificate training to Certificates, Associate Degrees, Bachelor Degrees, etc. Depending on your level of skill and the length of the program, you can either enhance and broaden your musical abilities for your own enjoyment or become an expert musician ready for concerts or the recording studio.

Hollywood, California is the location for several music institutes nurturing up-and-coming talent of different age groups. As the contemporary music capital of the world, Los Angeles also offers a vast number of private music teachers who can provide independent music lessons on typical contemporary instruments such as bass, guitar, keyboards, drum set and voice.

For the serious student, larger institute of music in Hollywood provide comprehensive training in contemporary music performance and technology, with courses designed by world-renowned music teachers and professionals.



201 Self-Promotion Tips For Songwriters, Musicians And Bands On A Budget