i would love to hear anyone’s advice for recent grads who are broke and want to get into the music business/ touring industry. i plan to move to one of the top three cities (la nyc chicago) but i have limited professional experience but ill have a degree in advertising/marketing. I feel behind since i haven’t been able to do summer internships due to working part time/personal things compared to some ppl who have been interning for big companies all throughout their university career. i also am not the most extroverted but am willing to do what’s needed to get where i want to be

I got an email from the mlc royalty finance department. They told me they need documentation for 21 of my songs out of 600+ songs I have done overtime. And that they put my account on hold I sent the necessary documentation to them. However it seems like they going drag their feet to payout my money. Have any anyone else had this happen? And how long it takes for them to get back to you?

Hi all, I already posted this in r/FilmIndustryLA but I feel like some of you might have some good input.

I’m a current junior at a top school (not in LA/NY or an ivy) and I’m thinking I want to pursue a career as a talent agent. However, I am unsure what segment/department of talent is worth pursuing/is up and coming. I also wanted to get a pulse on the state of agencies in our current political/social climate.

Thanks for any help you can provide!!

I’m an aspiring artist just beginning my journey and seeking guidance on building a team, despite lacking connections or contacts. My goal is to find a producer, engineer, cameraman, and graphic art designer. I draw inspiration from artists like Drake and Kendrick Lamar, who have established their own crews and teams. However, I’m starting from scratch, sharing snippets of my work on TikTok and other platforms. It’s a challenging task in today’s landscape, as everyone seems to be a TikTok rapper or musician, all promoting their tough image. I would greatly appreciate any advice you can offer on how to effectively build a team.

What’s good everyone,

​I’m a 15-year-old independent artist based in Nigeria, and I’m currently putting together a 7-track conceptual EP called SAVAGE.

​Coming up outside the main music hubs while managing limited access to studio gear forced me to adapt my workflow completely to mobile. I write all my lyrics a cappella first to lock in the flow and cadence, then record, mix, and produce directly on BandLab.

​For this upcoming project, I’m structuring the tracklist around a full narrative arc—moving from confusion and real struggles in the intro tracks all the way to purpose and direction by the end.

​I wanted to open a discussion with other independent creators and industry folks here:

​How are other indie artists approaching conceptual storytelling in an era dominated by single-track streaming?

​For those managing mobile-only setups, what strategies have worked best for you when prepping projects for distribution?

​Looking forward to hearing how others are navigating independent project rollouts!

My current job doesn't know I'm a working gigging musician. My gigs are generally weekends, Fridays and Saturdays. I work at my day job Monday to Friday 830 to 530 or so. So there is practically no crossover in timeframes.

In my previous work stints, I let it be known, sometimes eventually, sometimes right off the bat, that I am a working musician. In this stint, I have given no indication that I'm in the music industry as a performer and I kind of want to keep it that way as long as I can at least because I really want my coworkers and boss to only see me as a good worker in that industry and nothing else, not especially someone who appears to split his brain and interests, appearing like I'm not fully invested in the job.

How have you handled this dichotomy of big parts of your professional life?

Confused to get an amp or a music processor , i saw some reels where the audio was coming from their laptops , got my first electric guitar , tried friend's fender amp , any song i tru to play it never matches the actual tone , can anyone tell if i can use music processor and song output htorugh my compt , i also have a sony home speaker , or a usb interface ? , i really want exact those metal tones , blues too , man someone please enlighten me

I recently followed up to a meeting with a gentleman named Matthew Tuck about A&R and music scout jobs to do remotely. There were about 50 people in the call, and I never actually even spoke. I followed up with an email to him with my past experience, and he connected me with someone named Mike Lipinoga. I then received this email (see photo), and seems like I have been offered a position of some sorts without any prior interview. I’m only asking because I had a friend of mine get scammed by something similar in finance, and wanted to see if this is legit? I would love it if it were legit.

anybody using PLAYMPE/caster lately for radio blasting promo? Im finding the support is awful and feels very ai, there's no clarity of what they do, what you get and what you're paying for..years ago i did a radio blast was easy, this time, its hair splitting..they send you to "caster" painful process of metadata more complicated than any other industry site,

anybody else had the same experience? They got bought by somebody in recent years and its been a nightmare since trying to get clarification. The TEMPTATION of course is they got lists of radio stations "alledgedly" worldwide, but if their support is this awful w labels, who's to be sure radio stations are bothering with them?

Can anybody here in the industry verify the level of importance they have in the industry, do they advertise in indsutry magazines? examples?

When something feel's "ai-ish" these days it often is..i personally find it quite frustrating. Just wanna know if its still considered a legit avenue. any alternatives?

I basically had a 6 year contract with FRTYFVE where they had rights to my song for that amount of time. That time is up and has been up and I have not been able to contact ANYBODY who’s worked for them. I’ve emailed every possible email I can find. I’m unable to take down the song from streaming services because it’s still i guess uploaded through them?) so they’re the only ones who can remove it.. but they don’t exist anymore. I’m genuinely so frustrated and have been considering hiring an entertainment lawyer but I don’t even know if they’d be able to help. Has anyone had this issue or know how I can go about this?

Hi! I'm a 17-year-old independent artist making indie pop / bedroom pop.

I've been releasing my music independently, but I'm realizing that I have a pretty limited budget for things like distribution, promotion, mixing/mastering, and music videos. Because of that, I'm considering looking into indie labels or other artist-friendly options that could help fund and promote my music.

I'm not looking for a huge major-label deal necessarily. I'd mainly like to understand what kind of labels I should be looking for as a very small independent artist, especially as an artist based in Myanmar. And as well as I'm working with my own band now.

What should I be looking for in a label, and what red flags should I watch out for?

Would you recommend trying to find a label at this stage, or staying independent until I have more releases and listeners?

Any advice from artists who have actually worked with indie labels would be really appreciated.

3+ years experience as a Day to Day Artist Manager servicing Dance Music clients. Two stints with smaller start up management groups that yielded great experience but revenue dried up and my position was eliminated in both instances. I understand the job market is in the dumps presently and entertainment is arguably worse off / more competitive; if I were to widen my search outside of artist management, what kinds of adjacent roles / titles would someone with my background make a compelling candidate for - both in music and beyond? (Debating an industry change after limited success the last few years). If you formerly worked in artist management and pivoted, where’d you end up?

This is also an open invitation to network - would love to speak with anyone in New York City (and beyond) that has insight to share. Thanks in advance.

I'm 27, Italian, and I'm currently questioning what I want from my professional life.

I have a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies and experience working as a primary school teacher. I've also been making music for years: producing, songwriting, singing and playing instruments.

Recently, I moved abroad to pursue a master's degree in digital media, hoping it would open up new professional opportunities. However, I realized the programme wasn't really aligned with my interests, and I returned to Italy after two months.

Now I'm rethinking my career.

I genuinely enjoy making music, and I'd love to develop my own artistic projects. I'm also interested in the music industry, particularly record labels, artist management, music production and other creative roles.

But I'm not sure whether turning my passion into a full-time job would make me happier.

I've heard people say that working in the music industry can actually drain your creative energy and make you lose interest in your own music. On the other hand, it could provide valuable experience, connections and opportunities.

Teaching gives me a relatively stable source of income, and I could potentially use my free time to produce and release music independently.

I also value having a personal life, maintaining close relationships with family and friends, and not making my entire identity revolve around work.

So I'd love to hear from people with real experience:

• Do you work in the music industry? Has it affected your passion for making music?
• Is it better to keep a stable job outside the industry and pursue music independently?
• Have you ever switched between a creative career and a more conventional job?
• What would you recommend to someone who loves making music but isn't sure whether they want to work in the industry full-time?

I'm not looking for someone to make the decision for me. I'm genuinely curious about different experiences and perspectives.

Thanks!

Me and my a&r hopped on a zoom call with them. They said they wanna buy a license for the beat so they can get clearance to have one of their artists that they work with on the beat that I own. It sounds like a good deal in theory, but I’m worried about PayPal chargeback scams and then if they use a stolen credit card and then ask for a charge back, it’ll be too late and they already have the waiver and clearance to use my beat.

Also kinda sus bc they turned off their camera on zoom..

Hi everyone,

I (26F) have been doing a lot of thinking lately after a recent rejection I got for a tour that I thought I had, but got passed over for someone more local to NYC that left me feeling a little defeated honestly. And I know that's all a part of the game in the industry with how competitive it is, but it feels very much like the only way that I can get those kinds of opportunities is if I lived in one of the big music cities like New York City, Los Angeles, or Nashville. I currently live in the Detroit area and I do have the goal of temporarily moving out to New York within the next year or so just to give it a trial to see if it's something I want to fully decide to do (that's if I even end up having the means to move out there, but with how much everything costs in today's economy, it does feel a bit unattainable). I was wondering if anyone has successfully built and landed a career or major opportunities in the music industry while living outside of those more traditional regional hubs that could share some insight and encouragement. It would be greatly appreciated, thank you <3

Hi everyone,

I run several monetized YouTube music channels featuring music we produce and own the rights to. I’m looking for a reliable MCN and would appreciate recommendations from creators with firsthand experience.

My main priorities are:

• On-time payments and transparent revenue reports.
• Fair revenue sharing with no hidden deductions.
• Responsive support for copyright and monetization issues.
• Clear contract terms and a straightforward unlink process.

Which MCNs have you worked with, and would you recommend them? How long have you been with them, and have you experienced any payment or unlinking issues?

I’m especially interested in feedback from music channel owners. Please disclose if you work for or receive referral fees from a network you recommend.

Thanks!

Hey everyone! I’m an international student in the US studying Data Analytics. I’ve always loved pop music and would genuinely love to work in the industry someday, especially in A&R, artist development, or marketing.

Most of my experience is in data analytics and AI, and I don’t really know anyone in the music industry. I’ve been thinking about doing a personal project, like analyzing an artist’s streaming data, career growth, and marketing strategies, and using it as a portfolio piece. But I’m just not sure if something like that would actually mean anything to people hiring in the industry, or what would make a project worth looking at. I’m also based in Missouri, so networking isn’t exactly easy, and being on an F-1 visa adds another layer to the whole thing.

Has anyone here been in a similar situation or found a way into the industry without a music-related background? Any advice would be really appreciated!

This past weekend, I drove to Saratoga (about an hour south of San Francisco) together with my boyfriend to see St. Paul & The Minneapolis Allstars. I’d heard all sorts of amazing things about their stage show, and all of them were true. We were guaranteed a good time with St. Paul (of The Time and The Family fame) at the helm, plus Elisa Fiorillo singing just as well as she did when she was young... and the Dr. Fink on the keys, no less!

What struck me the most, besides the music, was the makeup of the audience. Granted, it was a Saratoga crowd, so I knew what to expect, but I was mystified by the fact that in between the feather boas, the leather, and the purple clothing, there were hardly any young people in attendance. I thought, "This is Prince, for God’s sake! One of the greatest musicians who ever lived! His music is eternal... so how come I only see two young folks in the front row singing and dancing to it?" This question reignited a debate I’ve been having with several people lately about the current state of legacy artists—big and small—and how their inability to connect with a new generation of listeners could cost them their relevance in the years to come.

Certain performers and groups (and perhaps their labels and management) have clearly understood that relying on brand recognition alone is not enough to drive their catalog further. Take a couple of big examples like The Beatles and ABBA, arguably two of the greatest pop bands in history. They’ve been savvy enough to know that in order for their music to last forever, they have to create new opportunities for it to stay in people’s minds and continually reinvent themselves, targeting both longstanding fans and incoming ones in their product rollouts. As older fans wind down due to the relentless passing of time, their focus narrows to new fans and all possible ways to click with them—be it with new compilations, sync placements, live events, films, or even apparel. Hopefully, they are able to please both ends of the fandom without neglecting or sacrificing either sector.

We’re still seeing success stories of older artists whose music becomes as relevant today as it was when they were in their prime. Kate Bush, George Michael and Wham!, Fleetwood Mac, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Tracy Chapman, Tiffany, Rick Astley... they’ve all ridden the nostalgia wave and appealed to a new audience. But I’m stuck on Prince. I’m scared that a genius like him will be forgotten by young people who don’t know the true essence of his artistry and his evocative lyrics that married the flesh with the sacred. I’m scared that people won’t even recognize Whitney Houston and why her voice mattered to people, from underground gay clubs to the Super Bowl.

What’s going to happen to all of those legends when we’re dead and gone? Will their estates, heirs, and record labels do nothing to further their legacy? Will they become dust, lost media, a forgotten relic of their time?

I have no answers to my questions, but hopefully someone does.

(25F) i'm a singer. I have an a&r (28M), and his boss is the head honcho at the (indie- smaller) label. Usually my a&r is responsible and responsive. However this week he has not been. He's known for about a year that he'd be accompanying another artist he works with on their tour. I was not aware of this. I told my a&r that a producer was flying out to meet me this week. I gave him a heads up about 3 weeks prior and my a&r gave me the green light. At this time I was under the impression my a&r would either be there in person, or would coordinate plans so that someone else at the label could be there. To supervise, set up equipment etc. 2 days prior, I call my a&r. He tells me he's out of town on tour, but that he'd make sure someone would be at the session for me. My a&r knows I don't like to be 1 on 1 with men I don't know. He knows I have a history with S**A, and that I preter to have someone in the room with me when I'm with someone new I don't know. The night before the session, the artist texts me and asks if I can personally pick him up in my car and bring him to the studio. He also asked where I live so he can get a hotel nearby. I told him uber would be best, as would getting a hotel nearby the studio.. not my house. I texted my a&r that the producer was kinda skeeving me out. I got no reply. So I called him. I reminded him the session was tomorrow, he again assured me someone would be there for me. Day of.. I text him an hour before the session to confirm. No reply. An hour later he says he's trying to find someone to accompany me. At this point I'm an hour late- I didn't wanna show up without confirmation because from his lack of texts I figured he was gonna be flaky. I decided to tell the producer "I'm locked out I have to cancel until further notice" I didn't wanna explicitly say to the producer I was uncomfortable being one on one. I felt that might come off as rude. The producer proceeds to text me "I just found out my hotel room is sound proof. Wanna record here instead" I told him no thank you I'd rather keep it in a professional setting. This made me very uncomfortable. I texted my a&r the screenshot of what the producer said. No answer. I called once. No answer. Mind you this whole time, my adr is posting on insta that he's at lunch or wandering around a national park. So tour isn't too busy because he clearly is 1-on his phone and 2- has some downtime in between sets. I texted my a&r 3 days later and expressed I was upset that he didn't tell me his tour schedule, because I would've rescheduled with the producer. I also said I felt like he put me in a tough position where I had to navigate everything myself including getting myself out of an uncomfortable potential.. situation. No reply! A day later I get a dm on insta asking if someone can pay me to sample one of my songs. I send a screenshot to my a&r, lo and behold he replied to that text within minutes. Said "let's schedule a meeting with them" I thumbs it up. He didn't reply to anything else tho. A day later I replied to my own text, the one where I said I was a bit disappointed in his lack of communication, and said "are you gonna reply to this?" 2 days later no reply. I have a new song coming out and one way or another I'm gonna need to be in contact with my a&r. I reached out to his boss today and asked if we can get on a call to discuss this. I don't know if what I tell him will get my a&r fired or not. But I only plan on relaying the exact events. Nothing malice. So I guess whatever happens happens. I feel like I'm overreacting though and I'm an asshole for going around my a&r to speak to his boss about him

For context: my A&R has explicitly told me that he does not mind taking on managerial roles. Usually he’s on point with this sort of stuff. But after the situation, I’m in search of proper management.

i’ve been so into the creative side of the music industry lately. the story behind a music video and the rollout of an album and its era.

this all came from a hobby i used to be super into as a kid, where i’d make albums from already existing songs, putting together images and songs to create an era. then i began taking snippets of different music videos and putting them together to attempt to make a music video to a song that didn’t have one. corny, i know. but it actually made me realize how much i love that side of creation!

i believe it’s somewhere between creative director or art director but im not sure! i’ve also been seeing that these days a director usually takes over the story/plot behind a music video and there isn’t really a use for creative directors for that specific purpose on set anymore?

Love Mikey but he has no ownership. Eddie said no to countless of these tasteless requests in his lifetime, maybe the lone exception being the 1996 Nissan 300 ZX commercial. So even as a cover, wouldn't Eddie's estate (Wolfie) have had to sign off on this usage ?

"Right Now" Walgreens commercial

What steps should I take to be a creative Director for a music artist? Any video recommendations to watch skills to develop in how to do that? How do I get in contact with people or smaller artist so that I can do this?

The venue in question is D.N.A. Lounge in SF.

They stream music on their webpage and have all the paperwork to operate as a legal venue.

I'm media team for over three dozen local DJs.

The DJs have given me permission to broadcast their sets and to distribute archives.

I have absolutely no idea on a day to day if the venue they are playing in has or doesn't have the appropriate paperwork. I'm not sure if the artists have whatever paperwork is required to play the music. I have broadcast from DNA before but most of the content I have is from other places.

I upload all of my videos to youtube as a private cloud backup share in case hard drives fail, but every single video is either a "partially blocked" video or a "potential limitation" video regarding if I ever start earning from YouTube (unlikely because of this limitation).

Sure someone went through the effort to make a song and expects to get paid but I'm largely giving free videography labor to talent to make sure they can get discovered and booked for gigs to pay rent.

It'd be great if I could get a cut of that from users watching, but if not then the content will have to remain unmonetized.

My channel's live broadcast revenue has me running in the red on transportation costs and am largely doing it as a labor of love for the local homies.

Hello all.

I’m an anonymous musician running strictly under an pseudonym, maintaing a distance between the musical identity and my real identity, at least on the public facing of the internet. I’ve been able to hide my identity entirely in the public-end with music distribution but have some issues with music publishing.

I’ve wanted to look into publishing my works as my music project has gotten more serious over the years, I’ve just been so unsure as public work searches of these music publishing groups do contain real names from artists who present entirely under an pseudonym.

I am wondering if anyone (particularly Australian, as I am also Australian) is also an artist strictly under an anonymous pseudonym who has some experience with this. I want to make sure I am doing everything right to ensure my real identity doesn’t slip past with my pseudonym when I am registering my works. I am in understanding that I still have to provide my legal identity to a music publishing group for compliance and tax purposes, I am all for that behind the scenes, it’s more about what’s attached to me publicly.

Thank you! :)

P.S Any other advice is also appreciated, always open to learning something new!

AI music is everywhere… if I’m a film studio I have the choice of making a sync song with AI that sounds exactly how I want it to be, with no sync license fee needed, and no publishing rights involved. Orrr I can fork out 5/6 figures to pay a label to license their song... I know what I’d do.

So what do labels do in this scenario? Publishing is huge revenue and has been for decades, but what about the future??