Product Description

The maxim in the music industry has always been "You can't make it on talent alone," and with This Business of Music Marketing & Promotion, you don't have to. In language that is simple and direct, author Tad Lathrop details promotional skills, publicity plans, royalty guidelines, and more, all supported by real-world examples. He shows how the Web and other technological developments have revolutionized not only how music is made, but how it is marketed and promoted. The old rules still apply--create a marketing plan, know your audience, be familiar with the laws of commerce--but there are a host of new ones as well, along with new strategies on how to give your recording the exposure it deserves. This streamlined, reorganized, and updated edition features an all-new chapter ("Twenty Profile-Building Ideas to Use Right Now"), which will help readers get a running start in the recording business. They'll also find completely updated material about Internet sales and promotion techniques, the latest information available on integrated marketing and e-marketing strategies, and brand-new listings of information resources.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #14050 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-01
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 308 pages

Roy Gattinella, Vice-President, Marketing and Sales, EMI-Capitol Entertainment
Thorough, well-written, logically presented, useful, insightful ... the definitive career guide and teaching aid for anyone interested in building an effective presence in the music industry.

About the Author
Tad Lathrop has written and edited music and marketing materials for a variety of media and a host of companies, including MTV's Sonicnet and Billboard Publications. He produced and co-wrote Jazz: The First Century and the book/CD compilation Cult Rockers and has developed dozens of other books on music and the performing arts. Lathrop has lectured on music and music business topics at CUNY and San Francisco State University's Music Recording Industry Program.

Customer Reviews

Marketing Book Review
This book is not for the amateur in the music business. It is written in a technical style and is informative. I recommend it for agents who handle bigger acts.

MUST READ!!!!
Great Book. Broken down in a way that allows the reader to disect the book and take notes like you were in school. Very thorough and indepth book. Organized wonderfully!!! A MUST READ FOR ANYONE WANTING A CAREER OF ANY KIND IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS!!!
RGEAT BOOK!!!!!!

I was less than satisfied
The book wasn't bad. It just didn't seem to have anything in it that was really a new idea to me, and it contained a number bits that made me suspect the amount of real world experience the author has. For example, the book begins describing the record company marketing process with a (fictional) story about a blues-rock band getting big in Tampa and getting signed to a national label, who then markets their record with a full blown campaign directed at 18-50+ males and females, choosing a 12-bar ballad about an African tribe forced into slavery as the single, and producing a master run of 1,000 copies of the album for national distribution. Now, I'm just a wannabe musician playing in a crappy rock band in Austin, but if that's the kind of marketing campaign that makes platinum records, I have a feeling I can revolutionize the industry.

There's some useful information to be had in the book, but nothing I hadn't already found out as an active musician who tries to keep his eyes open . I highly recommend Donald Passman's book over this one - a more detailed summary by a guy that seems to know first hand what he's talking about.