Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Reprezent! Music on Reverbnation - Number 1 for Belgium !
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The future of Mixtapes Business ?!? ...
I just received this interesting article about evolution of the mixtapes business during the past years & also some reflection about his future... Personaly I do agree with the global article point of vue but I've to read it more focused to publish my own vision of this great article....
Rap fans are not demanding this free clutter music; it's being shoved on them.
Music Industry Special : Different types of record deals...
Different Types Of Record Deals
There are a multitude of different deals out there for any recording artist. It depends solely on what you agree to contractually. There is no such thing as a standard contract-- a contract is just an agreement between two people that says who will do what by when, what happens if they do not do it, and how everyone gets paid. You don’t get what you deserve in this business, you get what you negotiate.
It is important to have an entertainment attorney finalize your deal (or negotiate it if you are not skilled in this area--I have done numerous deals and still always have a lawyer by my side in every deal) because it isn’t always what’s written in a contract that can hurt you, but often what is missing. Every contract is different because every situation is different! Recording contracts are always, always, always set up to benefit the label and not the artist, so many changes are needed. In fact, I once heard that the average contract goes back and forth in negotiation seven times.
If the label has experience with you or your attorney, they know what basics will be accepted and what will be rejected quickly, so they often start with a better contract than someone who is brand new with no experience. This is a business first and foremost, and people who are out to make money from your talent, will try to do so at a split that is as beneficial to them as possible.
I shouldn’t have to mention that a real record label or distributor is one that has been putting out music successfully for awhile, has relationships in the marketplace, and is well known. A record label is not Little Bo Bo from down the block who thinks he’s a good judge of music and linked up with the local dope boy or basketball player to start a label. It is also not a website that appeared online last week to sell your downloads and ringtones regardless of how catchy the name is. The goal is not to be signed to just ANY record label, it’s to have a successful career doing what you love to do: making music. This shit is like winning the lottery to begin with, it’s important you learn as much as you can and stack the odds in your favor as much as possible.
Here is an idea of the different types of deals out there, and these deals are attainable based on the leverage of the artist, how badly the label wants to sign the artist, who is on their team that the label sees as added value, if other labels are bidding for the artist as well, and the track record of success of the artist or producers:
Distribution Deal (sometimes called a P&D deal): This is the hardest deal to get. It can be an 80-20 split, with the label making 20% and the artist making 80%. There is rarely money advanced (in a few cases I have seen pressing costs advanced). This deal is usually reserved for the most successful artists where the label perceives minimal risk and sees value in allowing the artist to do the bulk of the marketing, promotion, radio, and video work. Cash Money has this type of deal, as did No Limit back in the mid-90s at Priority. The only thing the label is responsible for is getting the CDs into stores and collecting the money. The artist does everything else. The length of the deal usually runs 3 years and rarely, if ever, goes to an artist without the proper funding and experienced team already in place. The artist always owns the masters.
Joint Venture Deal: This is also a deal that is not easily forthcoming without a track record of success. It is usually a 50-50 split, and the term can run from 3 to 7 years. Most labels split the work with the artist but offer the sole funding for the deal. There can be an advance, which is always recoupable before the splits, and it is up to negotiation whether the label owns the masters or splits them with the artist.
Artist Deal: By far, this is the most popular and common record deal. The label does everything, except record the album (although they pay for it), and they have complete control and ownership. The term is usually for 5 to 7 years, and the average percentage for the artist is 12%. Out of that percentage the artist pays back everything the label spends that is recoupable, rarely leaving the artist any money unless the sales are exceptional (Gold or better)
All labels are not created equal. Just getting signed to a label is not enough. In fact, if you are happy solely to get a deal with a label, any label, you are doing yourself a huge disservice--you are setting yourself up to fail, unless you are just a lucky muthaphukka (in which case, play the lottery and stay out of the music business).
Some labels are great at radio, some are great at working the streets, some excel at making connections into film and TV or have great relationships with BET and M-TV, and some have great connections with the top producers and mixed tape DJs. If you make outstanding radio songs and you do a deal with a label that has a weak radio department with no budget to pursue radio play, you are screwed and your career will falter. Each label is different, and it is important to know those differences as you are building a career in the music business. Just getting a deal, is not enough to guarantee success (not that anything in this fickle business can be guaranteed, but you want as much of a fighting chance as possible). And the labels change, as the people who work for them come and go.
I have played a role in helping to build MANY millionaires in this business (Cash Money, David Banner, Twista, etc). I feel my key to success has been in studying the labels, knowing the abilities of their employees and various departments (which are constantly changing), and really seeing who is able to do what, well. Then, when I am shopping a deal, I link up the artists with the labels that make a good fit. I make sure that the artist is covered by outside consultants in the areas where the label is weak. For example, if a major label is strong at radio but weaker on the streets, I make certain it is in the artist’s contract to hire their own street promotions team along with the budget to do so.
With some labels, it is impossible to do this, so I make certain that I never do deals with those labels—they are not the successful labels anyway, so nothing is lost. Some labels are in business to make a certain percentage back above the investment they outlay to keep their investors or stock holders happy, so they are not interested in driving their artists platinum. Perhaps their business model is to spend no more than $500,000 on the creation, marketing, and promotion of any rap record, and then their goal may be to make back $750,000. It would follow that they would never spend more than half a million dollars and as soon as they achieve their sales goal, they would stop working the project and move on to another project. This is great for artists who don’t have a chance of selling a lot of CDs, but frustrates most artists who feel they can sell more than 100,000 CDs (after all, for a label to make $750,000 all they have to sell is 100,000 CDs).
Some labels spend millions of dollars to promote their artists without knowing what is effective, so their motto is spend, spend, spend. For an artist who desires fame and doesn’t care about making money, this would not necessarily be problematic. I imagine this is why we see so many broke artists on VH-1 “Behind The Scenes” specials, because they weren’t aware of ways to turn that fame into income for themselves.
Then, there are labels that change their staffing, or change their ownership or change the original teams that had made the labels successful in the past. This is why labels such as No Limit, Ruthless, Loud, Death Row, etc could be on top one day, and struggling to compete the next day. One thing is for certain in this business: success is created by hit records and hard work. There is no other route to take. It is impossible to have one without the other to succeed.
The industry is driven by radio right now. This means that the days of Master P selling millions of CDs without any radio play are over. Today, a run-away radio hit is almost a necessity to succeed. But in addition to a hot single, it is important to have a realistic budget and a well-connected team to follow up with strong radio promotion. Radio is just one piece of the pie in creating a successful project. Even though radio is key these days, it is not enough, by itself, to succeed.
Here are some of the things I look at when analyzing a major label:
• Who is running the label? Have they had success before? With what kind of artists? With what kind of music? What and when was their last hit? Do they appear to know what they are doing? Have artists left that label to blow up elsewhere? Are the current artists happy? Do they have a stockpile of artists just sitting still waiting to come out?
• Who runs the radio department? What records do they currently have at radio? Who are the priorities at radio? Which stations do they seem to have great relationships with? Which indie promoters do they hire?
• What other artists are signed to the label? What is their release schedule? Who are the priorities and will my artist be a main priority?
• Is the label good at the type of music my artist makes? Do they offer good artist development? Do they get a lot of press for their artists? Is the marketing staff strong? Does the staff have a good reputation? Does the staff turn over quickly or is it a good working environment? Does the person running the label give their staff the autonomy to do what they are hired to do?
• Is the bulk of the label’s staff an A-List staff or is it comprised of folks who are new to the business or the folks who could not get jobs anyplace else (a sign that the label is overly cheap and has no clue how to succeed)?
• Does this label share our goals and ideas of success? If I am planning to take my artist Platinum and/or do a ton of endorsement deals, we better not sign with a label that only has a history of selling 300,000 CDs on every twentieth release, while barely breaking 75,000 in sales on most releases.
• Do they sign the majority of hot acts around the country or do all of their acts seem to come out of nowhere? If they are signing the hottest acts, do they become one hit wonders or do they have legitimate careers?
• Are their deals fair or are there a lot of disgruntled artists slamming them publicly?
I am not any smarter than you. My connections are not great. I just study this industry under a microscope and place artists with the labels that appear to make sense for that type of artist. So far, it has worked! And, if I can do it, you can do it. So before you take a deal, just any deal, make sure you understand exactly what you are getting into. Do the research and make certain the company to which you are giving the next five to ten years of your life, is worthy. Most are not. The real work begins once you get a deal, so make sure you have as much stacked in your favor as you can!
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Official EVOLUTION MS 2012 Music Showcases on Soundcloud
I separated tracks in two playlist with concrete exemple of instrumental songs I do ...
All the tracks are exclusive & are all unreleased (& so avalaible if needed for projects) but I shared this music with you also 'cause I'm finding concrete business partners in the near future...
From artists, labels ... if you need music or want get new customised tracks to music publishing agency or artist management to help me generate more money from my music, if you like my production style & want work with me on a way or a other with me just keep in touch, you're all welcome 200%...
Cheers & respect from Brussels-Belgium ... & thanx in advance for your interest...
Arnaud Asselberghs /Evolution MS
+ 32 498 15 77 13
Twitter; @evolutionms
http;//soundcloud.com/evolutionms
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Evolution MS - Reprezent! Mixtapes : 2010 business review
EVOLUTION MS - REPREZENT! Mixtapes
contact : reprezentmixtapes@gmail.com
All the remixes - instrumentals - mixtapes - mixtapes covers ...
EVERYTHING I put my name is made 100% by myself... Arnaud Asselberghs for my real name.
Don't think I'm like some other DJ's who are investing in Graphic Designer - or in Beats & no more to pay to get some support to drop my 'quality' mixtapes with generaly few tracks from the same services who are promoted in honnest shit just like that... A simple thanx or a twitt about this good work done by the DJ ... But fortunally I got everyday more and more (good) friends, who help me spread the word about my mixtapes. Shouts to all my homies & supporters !
For real you can't imagine how much I appreciate every help - every support or simple positive feedback you deserved to my (hard) work ... Sorry also for those who think that I'm a spammer or a other kind of asshole who want to share bad music or other bad shits... If I contact you with one of my new tape, take it like a potenitial talented collaboration or also like someone who do his thing without any connexion with rap world except the few mails I echange with you when I promote my stuffs... I know some people are active in Europe in mixtapes game but I don't know who they are and if you know me and what I do today that 's probably more 'cause you like one of my song-remix or mixtape (or again mixtape cover) to remember me as not so bad sounding-looking so ...
All support - connexion - management - affiliation - production collab - tape hosting - remix making absolutely everything you want me to do it I'm ok to seriously try to do it the best as I can ... BE SURE OF THAT !
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EVOLUTION MS SHORT BIO:
My artist name is Evolution MS... I started releasing music since 2006. At this time I was oriented like artists like Basement Jaxx or Chemical Brothers... During my first years I released as solo artist 2 LP and 2 EP but it was confidential but people from all accross the world give me positive feedback about my musical style (the most famous ithe positive review from BBC Talent team for 4 tracks of 'Lost City E.P.' ...).
In November 2009 I started new musical activity as mixtape DJ by joining Coast2Coast DJ's...Untill this time I involved myself 100% into american hip-hop music by promoting, remixing, artists from underground to the top...
A good oportunity to get connected with urban music industry (from artists, to djs, community, labels, management....). But I'm still looking to get on next step but to do it I really need management or joining big DJ's structure. But I'm so motivated about that and involved myself 24/7 to produce & release the best music I can than I'm pretty sure I'll do it ! (I believe in my music 200%) so ... Keep in touch if you want collaborate with me in a way or a other, you're welcome !
CHEERS & RESPECT FROM BRUSSELS !
ARN-O / EVOLUTION MS
(reperezentmixtapes@gmail.com)
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Reprezent! MIXTAPES 2009-2010 trends
1 Promotion / Distribution:
1.1 Mixtapes Website:
DATPIFF
COAST 2 COAST MIXTAPES
MIXTAPE PAGE
MAN MIXTAPES
Mixtapes Factory
Mixconnect
MIXTAPES RADIO /MIXTAPE WORLD
Mixtape Pass
- Get it right music
(websites in bold are used every time I drop tapes)
Official websites:
Evolution MS Blogspot
Twitter
Facebook (A group Reprezent! Mixtapes is coming)
MySpace
Soundcloud
You Tube
Reverbnation
Picasa (Portfolio as graphic designer)
Music Community :
DFW Clique
Darkage Ent
Twista
Hip Hop Resurection
Rap Central
Ultimate Rap League
Wedub Radio (Dancehall radio)
OLG Urban promotion
Beastmodenetwork
Bootlegers Made Me Famous
New West
Traps N Trunk
Supa DJ's
40 Cal
Dream Big – Hustlehard
Nappy Boy
G-Unit Familly
Entalight Management
DJ Clue
Digitalplugg
Mota Hip Hop / Sucker Proof Dj's
Coast2Coast Community
Guddaville
SlipNSlide World
This Is 50
This is Game
Da Boot Camp (Louisinia Cash)
Justos Mixtapes Award
J.Wise
Hoodstars Radio
ICT Hip Hop
Buck London
Core DJ's
Street Connects DJ's
Wu Tang Management
St Louis Hip Hop
ATL Hustlers
Hip Hop Beef
West Coast Rydaz
Believe The Hype
Blip FM'
Last FM (as user & artist)
Greenhitz DJ's
M.O.G. Community
SOD Money Gang
USDA – Young Jeezy
Future Producers Forums
Ground Up Radio
Swag Swurvz Radio
Texas Take Over
BrickMedia
Mouce Trap
J.D. Global 14
Memphiz Rap
Other fact about my mixtapes after the Datpiff day (or if success maybe 3 days), find in google with EVOLUTION MS in ad of the name tape and additional these results with a second search with the tape name only... You'll get 2x more results with everytime re-upped new links on all the sharingservice you know (Hotfile – Fileserve – Depositfile – HulkShare – Filesonic - ...)
Saturday, September 18, 2010
TOP 5 DJ's Coalitions
Here's a article from a Coast2Coast mixtapes special Blogpage about music industry...
This is about DJ's coalition, who are the best in the game ... So check that if you're interested about this COOL business :-)
Cheers !
EVOMS
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DJ Coalitions have always been a staple of the music industry, mostly for behind the scenes. A record literally can NOT be broken to major airplay without the assistance of the DJs and by association, the DJ coalitions. In today’s industry, the DJ is ever more important as a fragmented industry has to be unified by the DJs and major tastemakers to bring records to the masses like they once were. The DJ represents all that is left of the traditional music industry, as power has shifted to the consumers from major labels, radio and distributors.
1. Core DJs – The Core DJs are probably the most widely known DJ coalition in the world headed by national mixshow director Tony Neal. The Core DJ Retreat also represents an annual industry event that is a must attend.
2. Coast 2 Coast DJs – Represent over 750 DJs that do mixtapes as well as the Coast 2 Coast All Star Radio DJs
3. Hittmenn DJs – Highly influential group of DJs, mostly located in the south region now just expanded to Hittmenn West
4. Bumsquad DJs – Large group of Radio DJs headed by Latin Prince
5. Shadyville DJs – Shadyville DJs have a short but highly effective list of top DJ talent, the group is headed by DJ Whoo Kid of 50 Cent fame.
Also See:
* Fleet DJs - The FLEET DJS are an amazing mix of on air radio talent and mixtape gritty djs ready to break the next best artist in their city or in their hood. DJ Klassik and DJ Profulent started building their organization in early 2006 without any thought of it being a DJ crew.
* RocHarder DJs – ROCHARDER DJ’S HEADED BY DJ T-ROC! http://www.rocharderdjs.com BROKE ALL THE SNAP RECORD’S.
* Hood Hard DJs - Headed by DJ Aaries with the slogan “TEAMWORK Makes The DREAM WORK..!!”
* Southern Style DJs
* Slip N Slide DJs
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Read more at: Top 5 Urban DJ Coalitions | New Industry Tips http://coast2coastmixtapes.com/newindustrytips/index.php/2010/07/top-5-urban-dj-coalitions/#ixzz0zrqNZKt4
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