Licensing

Definitions

Upfront payment Such and such studio or production company can pay you upfront a set amount of money for either the master licensing fee and/ or the synch licensing fee.  You could be paid upfront a set amount for only one of these, or both sets of rights for use in that particular show.  Whether or not these are exclusive is also different. 

Backend Licensing Fees - this is what is paid to you by your PRO.  That means ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC in the USA.  Other PROs operate in other parts of the world.  Each PRO has a different payment scheme, so you should check their website and enquire as to how they pay for synch licensing.

Your rights

Their are 2 rights you need:

The composition or song right. you write the song, you own it.

The Master Sound Recording, you record the song, you own this.

If you sign a contract with a record company, or a publishing company, either of these rights can change, and depending on the contract, you could sign away all of the rights to your music, both as a composer and as the owner of the sound recording.

Twitter Notes - Twitter Ads

Twitter might be an easier medium for B2B profiles, with a much lower investment cost that other social media platforms.  Don't forget, there are 100s of millions of people are active on twitter every day.  There is a good chance, that there are some potential customers for your brand, product, service in those numbers. 

Trends

This is what the coversation is about, right now on twitter. What is trending that is in your area? What hashtags are relevant, that you can passively boost your ads and/ or posts.  You can also run these ads based on trends or specific key words on twitter.  You want this passive boost from other profiles, to increase the unpaid reach of your ad or tweet.

Twitter Notes - Media

Video

Video is short form. These need to be less than 2 minutes.  You can post them directly to Twitter or you can link to an alternate video source.  How to choose is based on where do you want to drive the engagement with this video? Where do you want users to watch it? Twitter, Vimeo, You Tube?

Going away from twitter might prevent or deter some users from engagement.

Twitter Notes - Grow Campaigns

 --> Introduce yourself. Why your particular story?  What is the thing that sets you apart?

--> Self Engagement - Find who is "talking" about what you do? What you are doing. Jump into that conversation.

--> Silly Polls - Pick all the influences and bands you admire.  All the artists or players that have influenced your playing. Create and NCAA style weekly challenge of which band or player is better?  People love to read, participate, engage, and even argue about the choices and/ or outcomes.

Cultivate these new fans. Don't let the bots take over.  This is true of all social media.  Make sure your followers are how you might want to potentially introduce yourself to others.  New profiles will come to your profile from all sorts of locations, links, reasons, etc.  Everything in your profile is your introduction.

Are you considering ads? New tweets or old tweets?

Twitter Notes - Campaigns

1. Grow Followers - A Campaign for growing followers. Helps you find on what tweets work, and what time of the day week they work on.

2. Engagement - Get the followers to jump into the conversation. Get your followers to jump into the community. How do they get involved.  That community management is also important.  Make sure you grow the community you want, not the one that festers.

3. Conversion - Convert from engagement to purchase. convert to sales. Convert to lifelong fan or brand fan.  Can you tell me what the conversion rate for the campaign is?  Are you using ads? How much does it cost per click?

Hashtags

What hashtags are relevant? What is trending? Is there something that is trending, but will not swallow you up?  How much "passive boost" can you get from your ad?

Engagement

Twitter is good for managing communities built in other social networks.  Look at how some companies use twitter as their customer support interface.  Many can successfully manage their interactions all the way to resolution with their communities.

Initial Experiments :: R2 Unit

This track has been around in one form or another for many years for me.  It has never been properly called "finished" and released.  For me, this is me finally laying this track down for now.  I need to be done with it. 

This started with a sample of a mistake.  I was trying to play something else, made a mistake.  The other song remains in a folder on a hard drive, but I copied the mistake to another thing, and started messing with it.  After awhile the organ line ended up again as a sample on my Maschine, and then finally into Ableton.

Most of the current form of this song, was discovered on the Maschine.  The drums especially were done with this.  These are just stock libraries, but really paired down, then combined with other kits.  Multiple midi parts  were doubled, but as I said, it did end up in Ableton.

For awhile, things were going very well, adn then I started to hit a processor ceiling on the laptop I was using at this time. I bused a ton of midi tracks down to audio, to try and save space. 

Then a new PC, so some new things, try and revert to some older versions to "save" a few things, but at some point, you just have to stop.  I have put too much time into this song probably.  

I can still hear how early this song is in my production learning curve.  There are so many things I would like to redo with new things that I have learned, but time to move on.

Twitter Notes - Basics

Getting Started

Most tweets have a very short lifespan.  This is not a social media for lazy people.  This is one you have to be active on.  Twitter is still a place to engage a community.  Don't be different online to build your community than you would in real life. 

Profile

This is your real estate. This is your presence. This is HOW you are making your first impression.  

Pinned Tweet

A pinned tweet is a great way to introduce your brand to the world. This might be the first tweet that many people see when they visit your site.  In terms of a musician, this is a great way to keep your latest release, tour dates, or merchandise you have available.

Even with the new character limits, these "content rich tweets" need to be focused.  When you are announcing tour dates give the new shows happening, but remind everyone that it is in support of this new album. The new merchandise for the tour, starting on such date.  

The success of the last tour allowed us to record a new album of material. Thanks to fans like you we get to keep doing this!

Click the link for 80% off all the remaining tour merchandise while supplies last!

Now when you are just beginning, don't immediately try and sell something.  You have such a long period of introducing yourself to people and the world, that a sales pitch should not be your first goal.  What interesting thing, brand story, etc. do you have that would interest people. 

Hashtags

I like 1 to 3 at the most per tweet.

Make sure you research what the hashtag might mean before you use it.  Make sure it does not have a second meaning you are not familiar with.  Depending on the size of your market this could include other geographic locations, and cultures.  Words can mean funny things sometimes.

Make sure the hashtags you are using are unique enough that you don't get swallowed up in a large crowd, but is not unique enough that no one will ever see it.

Twitter Lists

These can be useful, to help grow followers.  List are aggregates of data that profiles can follow, and then the users can then follow you.  These new followers, will see that first pinned tweet.

Some Recording Notes

 

Use a single send and return for the drums and apply a short room reverb reverb on the return channel and it'll help make the drums melt into the same room.

 You could add other instruments for the desired effect as heard a fact as well. It would be interesting to play with multiple reverbs on instruments as they are sent to multiple return tracks.

Add a very slight delay to a track and it will act as a reverb.

This can add some space some space to your track.. Probably best used on a single notepad as opposed to full cords

Streaming Documentary

https://youtu.be/c4bSLvwhkI0

krugman

Very important to learn the lessons of the past.  Large focus on knowing your history.  There are many comparisons in his class.  

I liked his explanation of 2008.  His dive into shadow banking was helpful.  

more Rick Barker tips - Community

YouTube is still the number 1 music discovery source.  This is where to put covers and similar.  YouTube is now a search engine.  Make sure the description is filled out so you can drive them to where you need them.

It is not the number of followers.  It is the quality of those followers.  Is there interaction, or just creepy bots.  You need to view it as your real estate. You own this.  You can control how it looks and is presented.  This is your house.

Rude followers, block them. Creepy bots, block them. Just looking for a follow back, block them.  Now each location has its own purpose.

Facebook can not tell between creepy bots and user when you are targeting your ads.  Why waste your money on a follower that will never buy your product.

Come  Up with your social media meal plan Lan. What he means by this, is you need to give something to them for breakfast, something to them for lunch, and something to them for dinner.. What's your snack on during the day can be your normal interactions on social media. Start looking at your social media platforms platforms as your customer support or customer interaction Is black forms.

drum tips in ableton

Thank you to Beat Academy once again.

https://youtu.be/02B3oBje1hA

I use the velocity trick often to try and humanize drums a bit more, but I did not know about the second portion that allows you to dial up the sensitivity of the velocity slider. Awesome!

The drag and drop within the drum rack was very cool.  Then being able to right click and reverse the sample is pretty killer.  I will save myself on so many extra tracks I create for a quick reverse like this. Sweet. 

Send and returns in the drum rack. Excellent. Thank you.

Sound Forge - How to Record Audio

Thanks for this. It has been quite a few years since I looked at Sound Forge.  While I thought not much had changed, it seems some things have.  It did take me a minute to realize, you can not have any windows open when you want to change your preferences.

"Richard Nixon: A Fantasy" by David Frye

This was a totally new thing for me.  I figured it was a comedy album, but since my knowledge of the time period is limited I was not sure I would enjoy it.  I was very wrong.  His voice impersonations were excellent.  I am not sure if they are accurate, but his ability to create different ones for his characters was great.  

"Addressing the Nation" was a first side highlight for me.  It rings true of politicians still to this day.  "Dick Nixon's Solid Gold" is especially skewering.  

Producing Unique Pop with Lido

Some cool very quick breakdowns.

Masterclass :: Dominique Ansel

Was looking forward to this class for some time, so was excited when I could clear away things and spend some time with it. I have been a baker and chef in the past but nowhere this level. I wanted to improve my techniques, gather new recipes, and fix and inaccuracies i had in my own cooking.

Going in, I had actually never heard of the cronut. I had no idea who Dominique was or why he was famous.  This was going to be fun.

His mission is very simple. Be creative, love your work, and love food.  Since being a dad, sharing these flavors has always been a thing for me. Baking is precise and ordered.  It is simple and easy to do, if you do the steps, follow directions, and remain calm.

He is a very calm teacher and slow.  He goes into why he does certain things and the stories about how he learned.  Reading past these stories is helpful as you never know when a moment can teach you the lesson you were not expecting.

Lesson 2 he shares the secrets of his success. Don't listen to others, and follow your own sensitivities.  The world is big enough that everyone can have the success they are searching for.  This lesson is also in Steve Martin's masterclass.

The pastry cream is very close to how I was taught.  There are definitely some finer technique that was missing from my method.  This will be recipe fun to practice and master, especially since he uses it in many of the other recipes in the class.

The chocolate mouse was very much how I was taught, except I always whipped the cream too much. I always went to the point it would hold on the whisk. Can't wait to fix this one, and see look on small faces as they eat it.

"Bongos From the South" by Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra

"Bongos From the South"
by Edmundo Ros & His Orchestra

Right off the start it's bongos. 

Throughout the first side, very heavy percussion, and many breaks highlighting them as well. Some well known tunes on hear like "Deep in the heart of Texas", "Moon over Miami", and "When the saints go marching in". A Strauss waltz gets the percussion treatment later on side 2.

"La Comparsa" has a cool little groove to it. The woodwinds have a catchy little ostinato, that sets up the rest of the song as you clave away.  Banjos get broken out for "My old Kentucky home", but the xylophone almost makes it sounds like a  cartoon.

"Brazil" has some moments that make me think "Caravan" from Duke Ellington, but it is a catchy up tempo number regardless. This was a fun tune to end the side.  All in all, side 1 was well worth the $1 alone so far. Some very catchy tunes on here, and some parts I am sure have been sampled through the years. Moving on to side 2.

From the insert

Edmunds Ros learned music in military school much like myself. He was born in Trinidad, but completed his studies in Venezuela, including a period as the timpanist in the Venezuelan Symphony Orchestra.  The height of his fame seems to have occurred during his many years in London. He led his own bands for many years into the 1970s. This album is from 1961.

The second side starts with the well known classic, "When The Saints Go Marching In".  

links: discogs - spotify

Ableton :: Evolving Pads in Wavetable

Thanks for this video!

I very much like how you went into more detail about why you made such choices.  The explanation between high and low settings for various settings was great.  Moving the slider so you could hear it, and giving some words to it.

Ableton Tips

Bound 2 Divide

Review:: masterclass:: St. Vincent

More semi-complete things.

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Really not much too this one.  Super short compared to others.  This however could be a good class for someone just starting out and they need a quick tour of the bigger picture of the entire music process.  

Taking a riff to a full song. She talks about getting to love changing your idea. Don't let it keep you stuck in a form or concept. Take this song, and record it. This could be at home or at a studio.  Then what?

There is a bit DIY element here to these videos. However it comes across a bit like this course is thrown together quickly.  Maybe that is why it is shorter.

"Daddy's Home" St. Vincent :: Review

Sitting on too many drafts. Forcing myself to publish some things even if not fully complete. 

--------------------------------------------------------------

Finally sat down and listened to St. Vincent's newest album "Daddy's Home". Right from the beginning, I like the piano, but the moans with the title, and the erotic moans. Is this some weird thing or are you trying to show your intellect with an homage to Zoot Allures?

"Pay your way in pain"

The bass is dope, but my old butt thinks of Sweet Dreams by Annie Lennox in the first song. Reference? Tied in Title wise? Over abstract? Orchestration is deep. Dope. I can still rock this. Reverb/ Echo? Both? Lots of Compression of many sorts. Wow. Lots of it. Thick. (How can I type this drunk and still not look at the keyboard?) Tough Vocals.  Shame.  

"Down and out downtown"

Wow. Love the lush vocals. So thick. Again very lush orchestration. The bass is thick, smooth, and warble.  The twangy guitar.  Down and out. Choke at the end. Then Question?

"Daddy's Home"

The Keys part carries the tune at the beginning.  Yeah, you added some echo. reverb. compression to a lot of tracks. Ow. Ow. The dynamics are forced. 

Oh please.  Really?  Daddy's Home? Davero?

"Live in the Dream"

Wish you were here much? "Don't do anything that Randall "Pink" Floy d wouldn't do".  At this point is this originality, or banal copycat-like.  Almost too many references.  Like, look how much music I have listened too. 'Fix it in the mix'?

Ableton Wavetable Videos

How To Make Slap House Bass In Ableton Live Wavetable

Thanks to :: Rudram

Used this to create a bass used in part of an upcoming song called "Deep Groove" by 31ric. I liked how the bass cut through on it's tone in his track, but was going to target mine to be a little brighter sounding. This video led me to put some variation in the original sound. It was a good video to get started with twidling the knobs a bit. He does not go into why he is setting things the way that he is though. 

I got a lot more out of this video, by ignoring the values he was setting, and worked towards something that worked better within my song. 

The very quick bit at the end with the saturator was a nice little tip for me as well. I threw that on both basslines and it perked them right up. I have found a new effect to play with for a minute.

5 Wavetable Sound Design Tips You Should Know!

Thanks to :: Dowden Production Academy

The random tip in here was great! Thanks very much for that. Added to the instrument, and the other bass sound, and it added just that little bit of variety.

Masterclass :: Mira Nair

Get out and see the world.  Yes practice your craft.  Hone your craft.  Know the history of your craft.   Now spend time doing other things.  Taste the food you make.  Read the book you just bought.  Sit under the tree in the park.  

Don't wait for someone else to write your story, you need to write your story.  You can also find a story in anything, but think of the different dimensions of that story.  

Never apologize for your work.

Masterclass:: Hans Zimmer

This is for the more advanced music student maybe.  There is not much discussion about notes, chords, or theory. This course is going to go more into the theory of why you might write something for a particular thing.  What is the story you are trying to tell?  There are some poignent stories to set the mood or timbre of the conversation.  While this is great and very inspiring in it's own way, the course is a little light in video material.  There are not many videos compare to others on music.

Burn Out & Overworked

How A Freelance Music Career Can Support Your Mental Wellness

Wow. This hit close to home. Especially looking at my short stint as a working musician in early 2000s.  The relentless need to work harder to prove something to all of the "naysayers" in my family.  There is so much of this article in me.

It also sound like some "burn outs" I have seen/ witnessed/ heard about in the Computer Incident Response field.  Especially those that work in a Security Operations Center or SOC.  As this role changes with work from home, some of these habits could be beneficial to those folks as well.

"Belafonte" Harry Belafonte

 The sheet was a little damaged, but the record looked OK to play. 

Matilda was a pick up compared to the other tunes. The whistling was out of sight.  This is much closer to my own association with Mr. Belafonte's music. 

The last song on this side is quite sad.

Side 2 

"Noah" starts with a preacher call and response rally. Using th e bible story of noah to bring context to the next piece.  It raised an eyebrow in my household to hear that coming from my vinyl all of a sudden. 

"Scarlett Ribbons" goes back to the crooner model. 

"Unchained Melody" is a tender and very sparse arrangement, but tons of vibrato on his voice. Too much for my taste. "Jump Down..." is a fun little tune. silly. the tempo speed up is nice. This is also the first song that had a skip on the record. Not bad.

"Sylvie" is more crooner. Another tune that shows how low to high, or high to low he can go in his range. Very smooth. The solo guitar with the building vocal harmony is nice. 

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