Is Posting Cover Songs on YouTube Legal?

This seems to be a hot topic.  Cover songs are all over YouTube.  Performing covers of popular songs is a great way to get traffic to your YouTube channel, and can help promote you and/or your band.  Did you know that it is even possible to make money on YouTube as a YouTube partner performing cover songs?

Most anywhere you go in relation to this topic will tell you other wise, but if you read YouTube's Partnership Program Qualifications and FAQ page carefully, they make it clear that it is possible.

Let's read what Youtube has to say about cover songs:

What is a cover song?
A new performance or recording of a song that has been either previously recorded, is commercially released, or is a popular song from someone else.

What are synchronization rights?
A synchronization (also known as "synch") rights involves the use of a recording of musical work in audio-visual form. This can be in a motion picture, television program, commercial announcement, or music video. Often, the music is "synchronized" or recorded in timed relation with visual images. The user is responsible for obtaining the necessary synchronization rights from the music publisher to use this audio.

What are performance rights?
The definition of a public performance is a performance "in a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered." The user is responsible for obtaining the necessary performance rights from the copyright owner or his representative to perform in a public place. 

Simple enough to understand.  So, if you want to perform covers on YouTube legally, and potentially become a YouTube partner, let's go through the proper steps.

Step 1:  Record Your Song
This doesn't HAVE to be the first thing you do, but I'd recommend doing it, because licenses vary from publisher to publisher, and you may have to enter details about your video which can only be given if it has already been made.

Step 1a:  Record Your Song WELL
If you don't do a GREAT job, you're not going to get very many viewers, and if you don't get viewers, you won't be able to partner with YouTube and generate income from your videos.

Step 2:  Obtain a Synchronization License
A Sync license is necessary because it is the license for adding a song to video - cover or master track.  This is probably the most important license you will need.  To obtain a sync license, you'll need to go through the publisher.  Many popular songs are available through EMI.  If the song you're covering is not available there, find the publisher info about that song by searching BMI's, SESAC's, or ASCAP's database for any publisher info.  Once you find the publisher, contact them and request a synchronization license.  If written professionally, politely, and briefly, you should get a quick response.

Step 3:  Obtain a performance rights.
Since you're specifying your use for YouTube within your synchronization license, it may not be necessary to purchase a second license for performance rights, as the rights may already be included in your synchronization license.  Performance rights are granted by the copyright owner, or publisher.  When purchasing your sync license, be sure to discuss this and find out if you will need to pay a separate license.

If so, you can often do this through a PRO like BMI, SESAC, or ASCAP.  They may often offer a "blanket" license that you pay for use of every song in their repertoires.  This is especially good because for a VERY decent price, you can have the rights to perform nearly any song you want at any time.


Now that you've completed all the necessary legal steps to upload your cover song to Youtube, go for it.  If you are consistent in uploading content and receive a lot of views and subscribers, you'll have an opportunity to become a YouTube partner.


If it's illegal to do cover songs on Youtube without these licenses, how are so many people getting away with it?


YouTube has partnered with EMI and other major publishers to monetize all the musical content uploaded.  When a song is recognized, the publisher is notified and has the option to delete the video, or generate a profit from it by sharing ad revenue and promoting the original artist.

Does that make it legal to upload cover songs to youtube?


NO!  All it means is you got lucky the publisher decided to let you keep the video online.  Most will do so if you give the original artist credit.  One thing to note is if you don't obtain the proper licenses, you CANNOT become a YouTube partner, which means you won't be able to generate ANY revenue off your YouTube channel or its videos.

Cover songs: Is it legal?

Recording or performing cover songs can be a great way to get noticed.  When you first start out, it gives your audience something to relate to and sing along to.  Engaging with your audience in this kind of interaction is key to making it somewhere in the industry.  However, before you do it, you MUST RESPECT THE LAWS AND RIGHTS OF THE ORIGINAL ARTIST.

This isn't too hard to do, nor is it too expensive if your audience is small.  Follow these steps to stay out of trouble and honor the original artists and writers.  Remember, if you make it big some day, you will want people to respect your rights, too.  This is all a part of common courtesy and practice.

1.  Pick a song.

Your song can be just about any song that's been recorded and distributed throughout the US.  So if you hear a tune on the radio and you think to yourself "I'd like to do my own version of this song," then do it!  Just be sure you keep the lyrics generally the same as the original.  Usually, you must notify the original artist/writer/publisher if you make any changes to the lyrics of the song, but we'll get to that later.

2.  Figure out how you'll be using that song

Are you going to record and sell that song on CD?  Are you going to upload your performance of that song to YouTube?  Are you only going to perform that song live?  Each of these have specific laws and regulations that you must follow under penalty of law, and you must follow these laws for each type of license; this includes if you use the song in multiple ways.  You may decide to upload your performance to YouTube and sell it on CD - you will have to get the appropriate license for each type of use.

3.  Purchase your license(s)

Purchasing the proper license can be confusing.  So first, let's go over the common types of licenses and what they're for.

Mechanical License
This type of license allows you to record a song to a CD and sell it - not necessarily sell it on iTunes or AmazonMP3.  Mechanical licenses are usually for the PHYSICAL distribution - but this varies from license to license and would be discussed with the agency distributing the licenses.  TYPICALLY, your mechanical license WILL cover both digital distribution AND physical distribution.  This is because the rate for digital and physical sale of a cover song is the same, so most publishers will combine the two.

Before you get your mechanical license, you should have recorded your song first.  This is because the publisher needs to know 1. Your album name, 2. The length of your version of the song, 3. How many copies you intend to sell (digitally and physically.)  You will then be assigned a fee to pay that covers all the copies you intend to sell.  Once you've sold the amount of copies you listed in your license, by law (and by being contractually obligated by your license) you MUST purchase a new license.

The cost for a mechanical license is 9.1 cents or 1.75 cents per minute of playing time or fraction thereof, whichever is greater (according to http://www.copyright.gov/carp/m200a.html)

Synchronization License
A synchronization is the use of a song in a form of visual media.  So, basically, if you use a song in ANY type of video for online use (Youtube or your own website), broadcast (TV), or any other video usage, you must pay for a synchronization license.  If you intend to perform a song and upload it to youtube, you must purchase a synch license.

Uploading a cover song to YouTube can be complicated - we'll tackle how getting songs onto Youtube in another post.  For now, just know by law you need a sync license to do so.

Other Uses


Most other uses are taken care of or negotiated with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC.  If you are performing a song LIVE at a venue, you can do so without paying a fee, however, the original artist is STILL entitled to royalties for your performance.  Thanks to PROs, artists don't have to worry too much about paying those royalties, as the weight is rested on the venue's shoulders.

This may not seem fair, but the fact is the owner of the venue is responsible for everything that takes place within that venue.  Many venues have a "no cover-song" policy to avoid paying royalty fees.  Most places don't worry about paying royalties for live performances.  Though it is technically illegal, it can be really easy to get away with.  I don't condone this, however.  I feel it is important to obey the copyright laws and pay the necessary royalties which may not cost hardly anything at all because of how it was used and the audience size.

Recording a song and putting it on MySpace, Last.fm, or another online music streaming service is a bit different.  Most online streaming websites like MySpace have a terms of service agreement that overrides the law - but doesn't break it.  Meaning you may be allowed to perform and record your song, but because you don't own the place you're posting your music, your right to post your song on that site may be taken away.

It seems kind of lame for a lot of artists, but most places like MySpace, Purevolume, Soundcloud, etc., don't want to pay the royalties necessary to let millions of people post cover songs.  It would be TOO expensive.  To get around this, it is best to contact the publisher and/or the PRO and get the proper license.  You may have to notify MySpace or whoever that you have the rights to the song so it won't get deleted and your account won't be removed.

Finally....

Step 4.  Be worry free.
Your performance is now LEGALLY available in the way that you want it to be.

THINGS TO NOTE:
You may be required to renew your license(s.)  For example, if you purchased a mechanical license and sold all the copies listed in your agreement, you must purchase another license for the amount you intend to sell again.

If you "sample" music in your recordings, you MAY need to obtain a license to do so.  Sampling music has been made legal under creative commons licensing - meaning...you're free to do it under certain conditions.  For detailed information on Creative Commons and Sampling, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/legalcode



Have you performed a cover song?  If you've done so legally, post a link in the comments below and share it!

My Story - From Amateure to Professional Musician

Before I get to detailed in much more, I feel it's important I share a little bit about myself.  Who am I?  What is my musical background?  I'll tell you.

My name is David Crandall.  I am 22 years old as of June 16, 2011.  My dad is a southern gospel singer for "The Crandall Brothers" and has his own solo project "Dave Crandall Ministries."  Yes, I am named after my father - he loves himself that much.  *JUST KIDDING DAD!*

His music isn't what tops charts today, but in the Christian Music Scene in the 70's and 80's, he had some music on the charts.  He performed on TV and all around the globe.  In the 90's, I got a taste of what he did.  I was in and out of studios, traveling the world, watching skillful musicians...my life was music from a very young age.

My travels were wide.  I saw the rich and poor in countries and continents like southern Africa, Hong Kong, Greece, and London to name a few.  I experienced the joys and pain of the various cultures as a kid.  It's interesting: as young as I was, I remember many things as if it happened recently.  It stuck with me.

In the states, I was somewhere different every weekend.  I may be in a church, an out door festival, a tv studio, or a recording studio.  When in the studio, I had opportunities to sit and watch amazing session musicians record.  Needless to say, they blue my mind.  At age 10, my dad, the brothers, and myself flew down to Oklahoma City to work on a new album.  Just before turning 10, I began teaching myself the drums.  I had a natural sense of rhythm.  My family was impressed enough by my abilities so early on to brag to the drummer, Steve Short (known for drumming for Reba Mcentire.)  He, like many other kind-hearted, professional musicians are very supportive of young, aspiring artists.  He invited me into the drum room and showed me how everything works.  It was a great experience for me.

Soon after, I picked up a guitar and taught myself to play.  Later came the bass, and I tinkered with the piano.  Music had overtaken my life.  I spent many many hours in my room practicing each instrument, getting better and better.  All the while, I volunteered in churches to help out with their music in any way possible.  Church isn't always the BEST resource for learning to play professionally, but I learned to listen and to make the best of what's available.

Playing at church and being involved in the church community began to really payoff and grow me when I joined a local church band filled with seasoned, skilled musicians.  The pastor was the bass player, and could he play!  He taught us young musicians the ins-and-outs of music performance, from timing, to dynamics, and even genre.  Every practice, he challenged us to imrpov/jam a different genre.  It was great fun, and was very beneficial.

I was involved with more than one church.  I was honing my skills as vocalist while leading worship for youth groups from many different churches.  It got to the point where I was at a different church 6 days a week - and to top it off, I wasn't getting paid.  All was not in vein, I grew as a person as a musician.  As I matured, I decided to part my was with much of my commitments with a lot of these churches.  I personally didn't like the politics of religion, and it wore me down.

A lot of good songs came from my experiences.  Enough to write and record an EP.  Now, when I recorded this, I had one mic, a borrowed mixer that ran into the 1/8" line-in on my computer.  I recorded all the audio in audacity and attempted to mix it in FL Studio.  It came out pretty good given my lack of experience as a producer and lack of quality gear.

I called the EP "Freedom - EP."  (You may now purchase it on iTunes, Amazon, and wherever online music is sold.)

I'm 19 now.  I have an EP, I'm on iTunes thanks to CDBaby, but...I live in a small town, I can't seem to get a job as hard as I would try, so I can't tour or leave town to perform, let alone afford a driver's license and get a car.  I was at a loss.  My inspiration was dying.  I began to doubt my abilities as a musician.  I wanted more than anything to have a career as a musician, but I had no idea how.

I was a part of a community for geeks called Lockergnome owned by former TechTV  host, Chris Pirillo.  I spoke with him one day when he was taking live calls on his website's live stream.  We began to talk about music, and I referred him to my myspace page to listen to my music at a later time.  He went while I was on the phone, and was impressed.  I should mention there were over 1,000 people watching, and within 24 hours, I got over 1,000 new fans.  My inbox was flooded.  (I owe a HUGE portion of my success to Chris.  THANK YOU!)

I later joined a social network called ReverbNation - a place where labels, venue, musicians, and music fans can network with each other and share music and book gigs.  They had a lot to offer, and for some reason...be it my constant status updates or a miracle...they noticed me.  They offered me the chance to have a song sponsored by Microsoft for Playlist 7.  I sent them a song, and they gave me $500 for it.  WOAH!  Who knew licensing out a song could pay so well?!  On top of that, it got me on the front of the Windows Media Guide.

This happened again, but it didn't pay as much.  My songs got a lot of downloads, and I got some cash.  ReverbNation came to me once again with a new opportunity.  Based on my success with the sponsored songs programs I was featured on, they wanted to invite me to a new program they called "Premium Song Licensing."  ReverbNation teamed up with APM Music, an amazing music licensing company/library, to get independent artists in APM's music library so that their music may be licensed for film, television, and video games.  I was iffy about it at first, but I read through the entire service/program agreement.  I had to sign over my rights to license my music, but that was it.  There was no fee, I still owned my music, and I would get paid whenever a song is licensed.  So I signed the agreement.

Once I did that, I had to get a few things taken care of.  I had to join a PRO.  I chose BMI, and I joined as a writer and as a publisher.

After that, I had to audition my music to APM...they accepted EVERY track I sent.  Now, every few months, I get a report and a payment telling me how often my music has been on TV, in films, and in various productions.  This was the beginning of my career.

Today, my music has played on NBC Universal, the Travel Channel, Scifi, MSNBC, and other networks on primetime shows, not to mention on various ads, online promos, and some internal uses.  In a few days, you'll hear my song "Freedom" from my old EP on "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations."  I have to say, I'm lucky.

I have a new album coming - my first full length album.  You can buy it at www.davidcrandall.com

Here I am, sitting in a desk chair, recording music one day, and hearing it on tv another.

Now...as long as this post is, it's only the short version.  There have been a lot of experiences I've gone through to get to where I am.  The point of this is to let you know, it doesn't matter where you live, who you are, or what you do - you can be successful in music.  It just takes devotion, hard work, patience, and perseverance.

This blog is to show you just that; YOU can reach success, YOU can make it in the music industry, and I will show YOU everything I know about the industry to make that happen.

Getting Your Band Signed to a Record Label

This is a popular subject.  So many bands and artists out there are looking to get "signed."  There is a big misconception that being "signed" is what makes a musician famous, that "once I sign that record deal, I'm going to be famous and make a ton of money!"  Sorry, wrong.  Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not always that way, and it's not as easy as it seems.  In fact, for many people, it's not necessary.

Thanks to social networks like Facebook and Myspace, and online music retailers and broadcasters like iTunes, Rhapsody, and Pandora, the music industry has changed - and for the better.  For just a few bucks, your music can now be heard around the globe, and with the click of the button, you can update all your fans with news about your music.  This has created the demand for a connection between artist and audience.

Because of this, being famous so much always about being "discovered" by some label exec and having him/her turn you into a star.  Yes, this still happens, but most successful bands/artists will tell you their success came from sleepless nights, hard work, and sacrifice.

Before we go on, let's understand what getting signed actually means.  It means you're signing over certain rights to your music to that label.  For certain deals, you may only sign distribution and publishing rights, others, you may sign performing rights, others, you may sign over your entire brand.  If you sign the wrong contract, you can get gypped and make hardly anything at all.

Also, just because your signed doesn't mean your going to "make it."  Many bands get signed, and the next thing they know, the label drops the contract.  Yes, they can do that.  They may think your new songs won't sell, or that you were just a bad business mistake.  At any rate, getting signed is not the key to success.

Record labels today aren't so much looking for great talent.  God knows, there are hundreds of thousands of AMAZING artists out there that NO ONE knows about.  However, there are a select few who have made the big time.  Why?  Because people go to their shows and buy their music.  This, if not anything else from this post, is the most important thing you need to understand.  If you want to be signed, you must already be performing to large crowds and selling lots of records.

"So how can I be famous?"
Well, if that's your main concern, be willing to work your butt off.  Here are a list of things you MUST do to be famous:

1.  Be amazing at what you do.  Don't jump the gun and start your serious band before you are near expert-level at your instrument.  Frankly, if you suck, no one will listen to you, buy your records, or pay to see you perform.  Therefor, no label will ever sign you.  If you're not an "Expert" but you still sound really good to everyone who has heard you, you'll need to at least be a good performer with great audience interaction, stage presence, and a unique quality that will make you stand out.

2.  Write good music.  Once you're good enough and confident in your skills, start your band - or go solo.  The first thing you as a solo artist or band will need to do is write your music.  Be sure you write music that's comfortable for you to perform.  Write a lot of songs - at least 6 to get you started.  Rehearse those songs until their ready to be skillfully performed on stage.  Join a Performing Rights Organization and register your songs.  If you get radio play in the future, you have a chance at getting some royalties.

3.  Raise some money.  After you've written your songs, and have begun practicing them, start saving up.  In my opinion, it is important to save some money to record a good album/EP/demo before you start booking gigs.  The fact is, when you first start performing, you won't get paid.  Plus, chances are you're going to open for someone else, and your audience won't be there to see you.  If you don't have something for the audience to take home with them, chances are, they'll forget your existence within 24 hours.  So save up some money for the next step.

4.  Make that record.  It doesn't matter if it's a small EP or full on record.  What does matter is that the quality is decent.  You probably won't get the BEST if you're just starting out, but save up as much as you can and get the best bang for your buck.  You want your listeners to ENJOY your music, right?  Sign up to CDBaby or Tunecore and get your music on iTunes, AmazonMP3, etc.  People who go to your shows may prefer a digital version of your album.  It's cheap and easy to do, so why not do it?  DONT CHEAP OUT OF PHYSICAL CD's.  Your fans DO need something to take home with them after your gig!!!

5.  Now that you have a product in hand, it's time to book some shows.  Contact your local venues, or venues in towns near by, and offer yourself as an opening act.  Find local bands from your hometown and surrounding cities and offer the same.  Let them know you're a good fit for their upcoming gig as an opener, and hope they'll let you.  Get ahold of the county fair and see if you can perform on a small stage.  Join a talent show.  Perform at an old-folks home.  The venue doesn't matter right now, what matters is wherever you play, you want there to be an audience - no matter how big or small.

6.  Promote.  Get a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, ReverbNation, Last.fm, Purevolume, etc.  Get yourself out there.  Invite all your friends and family to follow you.  Let them know about your new gigs by posting them on all your sites.  While this may seem weird to some people, call everyone up and personally invite them to your gig and to bring a friend.  Make flyers and post them around town with the basic details of the show.  How much to get in?  Is there an age limit?  What other bands are playing?  Be sure to include all your social network links.  Create a second set of flyers to bring to the show with all your social network links and some contact info to hand out with your new album.

7.  Once you've booked your first gig, perform the crap out of it.  Show off your skills.  You've got an audience full of people who want to like you, don't let them down.  If all goes well, you'll likely be able to set up a small merch booth to sell your new album.  Your new fans will buy it if you make it cheap enough, and they'll share it with their friends, and since you have made that flyer - a good percentage of those fans will follow you online.

8.  Repeat step 5-7.  Book a lot of shows, sell lots of CD's, and expand.  Record another album, start performing in other towns.  Get the press involved for publicity.  Send your music to magazines for review.  Promote, promote, promote. Go on tour, work your butt off.  You're going to start seeing things unfold.

9.  This step coincides step 6: Join ReverbNation.  ReverbNation is a great place for musicians to connect with fans.  You get a free mailing list and you have the ability to submit to perform at amazing gigs, festivals, etc.  You occasionally get opportunities to make money with your music.  They have a gigfinder to locate venues, presskit makers to send the venues, etc.  ReverbNation is just a great place for network artist to join.

10.  Get a real website done.  The cost of a real, custom site can be expensive, but there are alternatives.  HostBaby is one.  ReverbNation has a sitebuilder as well.  (Here comes some self promotion...)  I actually build websites, it's what I do on the side.  If you need a website for a REALLY good price, contact me at david@davidcrandall.com


Once you've done at least 1-8, you have a shot at getting signed.  Of course, at this point, it may not be necessary with all the success you may have.  Consider starting your own label for yourself.

If all of this seems like too much, consider hiring a manager, publicist, promoter, and/or marketing specialist to help you out.  It may be in your best interest to keep YOUR focus on your music, and keep all the "business stuff" to the "business guys."

A couple extra tips:
Be professional to your fellow musicians and venues.  It's just good ethics to do so, but having a bad rep can kill and chance of having a career in music fame.  Don't treat music like a competition with other bands/artists.  It's not.  Music is a fun, emotional, and meaningful experience.

In conclusion:
Getting famous is HARD WORK.  You reap what you sew.  If you work hard, perform well, and be professional and respectful, you may very well make it in the biz.  Being "signed" shouldn't be your biggest concern.  Focus on getting out there for people to hear.  You can do it on your own.  Just work hard and have faith in yourself.  Don't let ANYONE tell you you can't do it, because with hard work and determination, you can.

What Is a PRO? Why should I Join One?

First, let's define "PRO."  PRO stands for "Performing Rights Organization."  PRO's are responsible for collecting performance royalties on behalf of composers and publishers.  Why should you join?

You may have a band, you may be well known in your area, and your music may be on the radio.  Did you know that when your music is played on the radio, you can earn money?  It's true!  If you don't have a PRO, you may be missing out on your royalties.

Let's not forget, you may decide to begin licensing your music out to be used in TV and Movie productions.  Without a PRO, you're going to have a tough time collecting your royalties.

Joining a PRO as a writer is often free, joining as a publisher is often not.  However, joining as both is essential.  Joining as a writer means you will collect a "writer's share" which is intended to pay the writer of the song(s) being broadcasted.  Joining as a Publisher will allow you to collect royalties on behalf of the musicians, writers, etc., that need to be paid for their work on the song(s) broadcasted.

The 3 major PRO's in the US are BMI, SESAC, and ASCAP.

How do PRO's work?
In the most common of scenarios, when your song is licensed to use on radio, TV, etc., cue sheets are sent by the production company, network, or cable company are sent to the PRO.  A cue sheet lists all the data on how your song is used.

Each PRO works differently in how they pay their artists.  According to BMI, one of the popular PRO choices, they generate a royalty amount by calculating your song's performance worth x viewer count.  Your song's worth is decided based on when it was aired, how long it was aired, whether it was the focus or was used as background music, whether your voice was heard, what time of day it was aired, etc.  Your song may be wroth 7 cents, it may be worth 1/2 a cent, it may be worth less.  This is mainly for TV.  For various other types of uses and how they're calculated, visit:  http://www.bmi.com/creators/royalty_print/basic

If you manage to get your music on TV, congratulations!  Now the waiting game begins.  This can be the most painstaking part of the music business - waiting for your royalties.  It can take as long as a year or longer to receive a royalty check.  It is important to stay in check with your PRO and licensees to make sure that cue sheets were sent and properly filed.

Joining a PRO is vital to your music career because your songs, no matter what anyone else thinks, are worth something.  A PRO's purpose is to prove that by demanding royalties for when your work is performed or broadcasted for others to hear.  It's free to join as a writer/composer, so there's no reason not to.  It is only going to benefit you in the long run.

Introduction

Hello!


My name is David Crandall.  I am a musician, recording artist, composer, and audio engineer.


Over the next several days, maybe even weeks, I'm going to teach YOU how to make money with music - no strings attached.  I'm not asking for money, donations, or for you to buy something from me.  The fact is, is over the last year, I have been diving deeper and deeper into this wild, crazy thing we call "The Music Business."  It can be crazy, shady, exciting, fun, disappointing, annoying, frustrating, enticing, and overall crazy.


THIS blog post is merely an introduction as to what is to come.  At LEAST once a week for the next several weeks, I'm going to lay down some "Music Business" tips, insights, and facts EVERY musician needs to know about making it in the biz.  I'm going to cover a lot, so it's imperative you keep coming back at least once a week if you want to stay updated.
So, having said ALL that, let's get started!


Ways to make money with music: 
This is going to be a summary of ways to make money with music.  Over the next several weeks, I'll dive into details for each subject.


METHOD 1:  Be a touring artist/band
This is the most popular choice.  Everyone wants fame, recognition, etc.  The fact is, not everyone is cut out for this.  You need great skill, perseverance, and the willingness to sleep in your van/car for several days in a row.  Touring is not as glamorous as it may seem.  People picture touring as fun traveling and performing.  But, we fail to look at the cost of lodging and travel expenses - especially when you go on your first tour.  You may not get paid for your gigs for the first few tours, so be prepared to cough up some hard earned money.


That's not to say touring is awful.  It's the gateway to recognition.  There is an endless audience out there that wants to give you a chance and wants you to rock their world.  If you're successful, you could get some great exposure, free word-of-mouth exposure, more fans, and a career.
Becoming the next big thing isn't ALL that comes with touring artists.  There are jobs that may not make you famous, but can keep you busy.  Consider starting a wedding band, tribute band, or lounge band for cruises, banquets, parties and other events.


METHOD 2:  Be a music teacher
Private music lessons is often the first thing a musician thinks of when he/she realizes: "I need a job."  Musicians are very artistic, creative people.  Not all of them have the personality to work in retail or behind the counter at the BK Lounge.  (NOTE: this is often code for "I'm too lazy to get a job.")  If you're in a small town, like me, it's not really a great choice for a career.  However, if you want a career teaching music, consider going to school for it.  Get your teaching credentials, then study advance music theory and the instrument of your choice.  You may be the next local High School's/College's band teacher - and believe me, those guys get paid LOTS.  More than the average bear, anyway.
Teaching music isn't the most popular choice, but is worth considering as a career, or as a 2nd source of income.


METHOD 3: Become A Youtube Partner!
This is almost as easy as becoming a famous touring artist - it's not.  Sadly, most youtubers will never discover you unless they search for your content.  This means you'll have to do covers of today's popular music.  But...you're not really supposed to do that without the proper license.  It is still possible, though!  There are small loopholes to make it happen.  As long as you've got amazing skill on your instrument/voice, there is hope for you.  Keep in mind, this is a very LONG process, and you may find yourself giving up hope just before you skyrocket into success.


METHOD 4: Music Licensing - Get your music on TV, Movies, and Video Games
I've actually done this one.  My music has been on NBC, Syfy, Travel Channel, Discovery, and more..and I'm only 22 years old.  Go figure, right?  Well let me tell you, this industry is very awkward and can be very difficult to make a career.  BUT, it's worth trying.  If you're trying to make it as a touring musician/artist, having your song in a TV show that broadcasts to over 7 million viewers world wide can be decent exposure - and even if you don't, you'll still get paid for it.


METHOD 5:  Start a record label
Maybe you love music and you're very business-oriented.  Starting a label is a great way to make money.  Start one for yourself and/or for other musicians/artists.  It's another rough business, but a very popular choice.  We'll go into what a label does, how to develop one, and what to do once you sign your first artist.


METHOD 6: Music Production
Whether you start your own studio, or play in someone else's, becoming a music producer or session musician is a great way to earn a living.  Studios, bands, singers, etc., are all over the world looking for talent you may be able to offer.  Just like any other music-related career, it takes time to be successful and start generating a steady income.  Don't lose hope, it's possible.  Patience is the number 1 virtue of the music industry.


SOME OTHER THINGS WE WILL BE LEARNING:
We'll also be learning the importance of joining a performing rights organization, copyrighting your material, producing quality products (i.e: CD's), distribution, getting "signed", promotion, sales, and more.


Now, I'm probably not going to post these things in order.  I just want to give YOU, the reader, an idea of what to expect.  Tune in at least once a week, learn something, then go make something of yourself and your art.