I have found one of the most useful resources in learning about the music industry is reading relevant books. Here at UNC, there isn’t a specific Music Industry or Music Business major/minor, or even really any relating classes available. So what can you do? Do your own thing and find your own time to learn the basics.
One of my favorite books I’ve read so far is What They’ll Never Tell You About the Music Business by Peter Thrall.
Thrall worked many years in the legal realms of the industry and gives great insight on all aspects of being a musician and which stakeholders are involved (record labels, personal managers, business managers, and more). You read about royalties, copyrights, derivative works, publishing, recording agreements, trademarks, artist representation, and more. From the legal perspective, you really learn a lot about the nitty gritty details that usually are pushed under the rug – the information that’s very useful for musicians to know about so they don’t get schemed or taken advantage of. With this holistic view of the industry, I also learned a lot about the people who work behind the scenes with the musicians (lawyers, managers, etc.), which proves useful for those of you interested in music business professional jobs who want to gain insight on particular jobs in terms of their specific relationships with musicians.
Another great book to read is 100 Careers in the Music Business by Tanja Crouch.
This book is similar to the resource I’m trying to provide with this blog, focusing on personal anecdotes from current music professionals about their jobs. There is typically a description of the job, a quote from a related professional in that subdivision, and some tips on how to get your foot in the door for that particular career path. One thing I would change is that they would provide more in depth quotes and stories from the professionals – but really, this is a great resource nonetheless. The careers are detailed in the categories of music publishing, performing, record companies, distribution companies, recording, management, creative services/videos, marketing/publicity, agents, on tour, music for TV/movies, media, events/organization, education, and interactive media. Basically, I think no matter what you want to do in the music industry, it is extremely beneficial to have a wide range of knowledge on all subdivisions so you are more understanding of how you personally interact and fit in the industry.
So these are just two books I found extremely beneficial and will be a good foundation to start off on. I’ll be posting more books in the next couple of weeks, so let’s just call this our little Music Industry Book Club. Read up, learn, and be prepared – being active about using resources available to you will ensure you are knowledgable and ready to network in the music business world.
Music Druthers 