This Business of Songwriting: Revised 2nd Edition

This book will benefit anyone trying to understand the breakdown of royalties, great examples of legal documents/agreements, some of the conventions that different parties in the music industry have (especially Film, TV, Radio, Advertising, Video Games etc).I agree strongly with the reviews that indicate this "book" (body of knowledge) is extremely useful, well thought out, and with a lot of depth and wisdom woven into it gained from direct experience.There is a wealth of information contained, which must have taken Jason a long time to compile. There are numerous links to a variety of very useful organizations, and these are provided in the relevant areas you may look to market to (One example is outlining the Video Game industry, how it works, who the players are, what kind of deals tend to be offered, links to "peak" associations/organizations etc).The book covers copyright, royalties, has a broad range of very useful example contracts, outlines the way royalties work, who the players are, and how much of the Music industry works. There are very useful descriptions such as details and links for example like PROs (ASCAP and BMI etc), and information on all the other areas where royalties are generated (explains the way these are handled, who is involved, organizations you can engage with to handle various aspects of the royalty administration).There is a lot of information how to pitch, what different markets are looking for, how to engage with the right organizations to position to get your "product"/"offering" in front of the right people. The importance of when and which organizations to join/partner with, and outlines different potential areas of negotiation. It also outlines practical ideas about the quality of the offered work, how to present and brand your offerings, ways to pitch, and what to expect in different markets.This book is also about awareness: Understanding the multifaceted nature of specific markets (let alone the whole Music Industry), and how to navigate this in practice. Essentially this gives a broad context, and then connects it to specifics. In a way, Jason Blume is not only giving you the “dots”, he’s showing you how they are connected, AND gives you great detail and actual contacts to the relevant players for “next steps”. It’s really an excellent basis for developing a business plan “blueprint” whether you’re a startup or an “up and coming” writer/composer/artist.I must say, even though my research/experience had covered a lot of this ground, the sheer depth and breadth of the book, and the way it is practical and easy to access, makes this book potentially a fantastic resource for anyone looking to get to the core of what a songwriter/composer needs to know (in terms of the "business" and "administration" aspects), and also touches on some very useful areas of marketing and networking in this context.I highly recommend this book if you're moving towards seriously writing/composing music and need to fully understand how royalties work, how to distribute your work, how to partner and what areas of negotiation you need to be across, and gives fantastic legal contract examples. While this IS dry, it IS central to being successful from a business standpoint (assuming you can find markets that will purchase your work via one means or another). It’s coverage is so broad that it will be highly useful to many songwriters/composers on multiple levels, and potentially even fill in some gaps for those who are already active. Well worth every cent.

Literary & Music Business Educational PERFECTION!!!Jason Blume is an AMAZING writer because he is an AMAZING public speaker and teacher. I have the GREAT FORTUNE of getting to take classes with him and also have him as a mentor at the TAXI Road Rally in Los Angeles every year. GET THIS BOOK, and frankly, you should get ALL OF HIS OTHER BOOKS AND DISKS AS WELL! He is THAT good, and he communicates and educates more efficiently than pretty much any other teacher I've ever had, and I've been in this business for DECADES ... Get the book! It's TOTALLY WORTH IT!Steve [email protected]

I dvise any one attempting to buy music to read this book. I have been in the business for a long time this book is good

For my daughter's research project for school into a possible field of study. She has found it enlightening and useful.

The detailed information presented in this book prepare the student for professional presentation according to current industry standards.

One of the best books for both publishers and artitst I've ever reed - the information is up to date and very musician friendly! Highly recommended!

fabulous, informative book

Great book!

For those of you who know who Jason Blume is - his name on a title cover should be enough reason to buy the book. For those you don't, well, Mr Blume is one of the top songwriting tutors in the world; knowledgeable, affable - and definitely someone who has been-there-and-done-that in the commercial songwriting world with a hatful of hits under his belt.'This Business of Songwriting' is the ultimate textbook on how the music industry works, written BY a songwriter FOR songwriters. This ISN'T a book about How To Write a Song (his book '6 Steps To Songwriting Success' does that). This is THE book about how the music industry works - publishing, royalties, contracts, marketing, copyright and how is all applies to YOU, THE SONGWRITER.This is a book about all the dull boring part of songwriting that no-one want to know about, but that everyone NEEDS to know about. It is about how you take your songs out of the bedroom and let them loose on the world and...maybe...earn you some money along the way.And you know? The way Jason writes about it - it isn't actually that dull and boring!

If you are a songwriter, you need to read this book. Easy to read and understand, and full of deep wisdom that will help you navigate the business of songwriting. If you write songs, read this.