<< 1 >>
Rating: 
Summary: A solid checklist for starting an indie label
Review: Good stuff. If you've done the indie-label thing before, it may seem like common sense, but that's because you've done it before and have already made the common mistakes. There are many other books dealing with major-label workings and the more specific music trades -- song publishing, recording, mastering, promotion, etc. -- but this is a solid quick read that will force you to re-do your startup checklist. And it's a fine guide for those non-music-biz people joining you on the indie-label train (investors, your musicians, etc.). What I'd like to see is a revised edition dealing more with Net distribution (a chapter on CDBaby?) and more tales from actual indie labels.
Rating: 
Summary: Superficial
Review: Let me start out by pointing out the good things about the book. It is well written and covers every aspect critical to the successful launch of a record label. Unfortunately, the book is not very thorough. In fact, the book is barely more than just a superficial laundry list just listing all the things that you need to be aware of. But at all times, the author completely fails to provide a well-researched, indepth treatment of any subject that it covers. For example, it mentions that you need a music attorney to make sure nobody steals your copyright and negotiates your contracts. Well, that's common sense, I don't need to spend money on a book to tell me such basic things. I wanted to find out how to go about launching a label. Well, the authors recommends that I incorporate and think about the difference of LLC. and C-Corporation. She wastes 2 pages (= 1% of this very thin book) on basic knowledge that many other brilliantly written books about business law cover at much greater depth. Why did she even bother? She wastes another 20 pages on such generalities and topics that are mostly common sense. Will she get to the good stuff? How do I promote a record? How do I go about approaching a DJ, a radio station, a music reviewer? Her answer: hire a good promoter. Duh. Come on, this book is cheap, but I did pay money for information. Why not explain how radio promotion works? That's one of the critical subjects of them all...In short, the book is too superficial and basic to be of any value to anyone serious about starting a label. Avoid and check out the many other wonderful books here on Amazon.com instead.
<< 1 >>
| 
