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Confessions of a Record Producer by Moses Avalon |
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Written by Mike Stahl
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Monday, 19 December 2005 |
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written by Moses Avalon
Confessions of a Record Producer, written by Moses Avalon (a pen name), covers the inside of the music business from many different perspectives. The first is the Artists point of view on a major or indie record label deal. The second focuses on the Producers point of view and the third on the Record label.
This book was a very interesting read as it is written in a straight forward manner that anyone can understand. There's very little legalese and lawyer speak. When there is, the passages and words are explained aptly. Confessions covers many areas but the main focus is on the recording contract.
The Players
This section discusses the main people involved in a contract negotiation, their motivations and how they do what they do. I find that this is a perfect introduction for the book as it sets the stage for all information you will need to progress intuitively through the entire book. Further on you get an solid understanding of distribution, publishing, publicity, unions and more.
The Record Deal
This section is a fascinating look at what the deal looks like from the Artist's, the Producer's and the Label's points of view. Moses puts you psychologically into the mind set of the different players. The deal is broken down with numbers so that an artist can really see how grim the situation can be, from the advance to the publishing and cross collateralization. Sound like a scary word? That's because it IS. How much money can artist expect to get? What do artists do to people that helped them get where they are? It's all there in the naked details.
Next he throws you into the mind of the producer and all the ways he/she can get screwed in producing a project. How does the producer get paid or not paid for work that he/she has done? Where does the producer's allegiances lie? Often times not with the artist. How does a producer scam money from the label and the artist? It is not an all for one world.
Then, you get to see all the gory details from the label's perspective. How much does it really cost to put out an album? Where does all the money go? How does the distribution pie get split up? Confessions answers these questions in very easy to follow format.
I found confessions to be a highly entertaining and informative read. The sidebars are fun and informative. Many books fail where Confessions has succeeded. Say you are reading about something on page 178 and you are lost, you just don't remember how a publishing pie gets split up. No problem. Notes on the side of the page point you directly to the page in the book where that topic is explained thus building your knowledge and repeating important concepts.
Confessions of a Record Producer is what the name implies. Moses Avalon doesn't stop at just revealing the shady things others have done. He takes the time to let the reader know what "HE" has done as well in a business that looks the other way in the name of money, politics or both.
Confessions is a detail packed and sometimes dark view of the music business. Sometimes the truth hurts. Knowing the rules of a game puts one in a better position to win on any front. The book reads very logically and isn't short on what any player "might" do in any given situation to get ahead or get their way. Confessions is a must read for those wishing to enter the music business. Get yourself ready for a heathy dose of reality.
Buy the book now!
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Last Updated ( Monday, 19 December 2005 )
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