New Music Industry Positions

Finance Assistant needed for high profile music company. Requirements: Accounting or Finance degree; minimum 1 year experience in Finance; familiarity with Data Faction, financial statements, cash disbursements/ receipts, accounts payable a must. Must be a team player, extremely discreet, trustworthy; have excellent organizational skills and positive/ can-do attitude; must multi-task and/ or work autonomously in a fast paced environment. Common sense a must. Send resume and cover letter to whowantsajob@gmail.com 1/10

Cutting Edge Group, a full service film music company, is looking for interns within the music supervision department. Please email resume and cover letter to intern@cuttingedgegroup.com 1/10

Music Industry Positions!!!

Jam in the Van Productions is seeking a highly motivated and tech-savvy intern to assist partners and production team. Duties include website work, building a YouTube channel, helping with video shoots and assisting with data entry and correspondence. Headquarters are based out of Venice. Must be proficient with Macs, WordPress and video editing. This is a great opportunity for someone who is interested in the music business. It’s an unpaid internship but lunch will be paid for on work days. Please send resumes to Dave@jaminthevan.com 11/1

Network Music Reality Show seeks a PA to support the Music Department with preparing lyrics and sheet music, making reference CDs, reviewing cue sheets, researching writers/publishers, making runs and other assorted office duties. Candidate needs to be proficient with Macs, Word/Excel, iTunes, internet research and burning CDs. 5 days weeks (days vary / weekends included). Please send resume and cover letter to: musiclicensingjob@gmail.com 10/28

Unpaid Intern: Bulletproof Entertainment, run by one of the top music producers/supervisors in the motion picture and soundtrack industry, is in need of interns to assist with scanning, video editing, reachout, our CD library & iTunes database, record production, computer graphics, as well as some light office duties. Requirements: strong interest in music and film industries and strong proficiency with Mac/Apple software. Email resume and brief letter to apply@bulletproofentertainment.com 10/18

MUSIC INDUSTRY INTERNSHIPS

Jr Executive Assistant for Senior Exec for high-paced entertainment industry office. Excellent secretarial skills: professional phone manner, strong verbal and written communication skills, attention to detail, common sense. Must be teamplayer, requires minimal supervision, works well under pressure, great attitude, quick learner, thick-skinned, deals well with different personalities. Career assistant wanted - not a job to move up the ladder. 5 years minimum experience required. Email resume: whowantsajob@gmail.com 9/20

Assistant in Music Department position will work closely with the Executive Director, Music as well as with the rest of the Music Team. Responsibilities involve standardassistant duties (word processing, phone calls, scheduling, filing, etc) for director. Duties for the department including but not limited to, coordinating the team both internally and externally with other companies within Shine Group, handling cue sheet preparation, assisting in all facets of music supervision and licensing, and maintaining and cataloging the internal and external music libraries and generally keeping up with the music space in general both creatively and business-wise. Please send cover letter and resume to hr@reveillellc.com 9/16

MAJOR Music Industry Job Openings

A-list record label and management company in Beverly Hills seeks a bright, motivated intern to help with administrative tasks. Duties include phones, helping with promotional mailings, coordinating travel, organizing information, and other duties as assigned. This is an excellent opportunity to learn the skills you’ll need for starting out in the entertainment industry, and the internship provides a great introduction to how a busy label operates. Previous desk experience preferred but not required. Candidates must be able to receive school credit as the position is unpaid. Looking for someone to start immediately. E-mail cover letter and resume to thecollectiveintern@gmail.com. 7/29

Unpaid Intern: Bulletproof Entertainment, run by one of the top music producers/supervisors in the motion picture and soundtrack industry, is in need of interns to assist with scanning, video editing, reachout, our CD library & iTunes database, record production, computer graphics, as well as some light office duties. Requirements: strong interest in music and film industries and strong proficiency with Mac/Apple software. Email resume and brief letter to apply@bulletproofentertainment.com 7/29

Music Supervisors, Licensing & Going Pro

After a long hiatus, I am back and very proud to return to the informative world of the music blog scene. Recently, I've been more involved with the film/movie entertainment industry and explored passions I've long held for it since I was a kid. But, I haven't forgotten the music culture and how it was the roots of any success I've seen in the past several months in my new field. So, with new contacts and knowledge gained, I'd like to present you with a new music blog with a fresh point-of-view from a student of the film world.

As an artist, you're goals are simple: You want your voice to be heard and you'd like to make profit from it. Hell, every post in this blog has been aimed at that. From EPKs, to investment strategies, to Film/TV solicitations, that has been the focus of this blog. And all the while, we've maintained the spirit of the indie scene and the free expressionism that I've dreamed of for the music culture which has finally began to dominate and show the light of day, once more. The roots of what inspired the creation of Mellow Marketing. So, today I want to return to expand, or even make a sequel, to that Film/TV Solicit blog from a year ago to explain to you the importance of Music Supervisors:

In the past, we've covered how placing your song on a movie, video game or ad is my most preferred route for an artist. Not only is it gaining you attention and promotion to a potential audience of millions, you're gaining profit for this. Money is sent directly to your publisher. Not a label or investor, but directly to you. This is what the future of music is supposed to be!

So, many of you still follow the blog I last posted on the subject, as you should. Even before we continue, let's make one thing clear: I always recommend hiring a strong agent. I'm going to teach you the tricks of their trade and present to you what they've been doing for quite some time, but the experience, professionalism, accuracy and success rate is something truly worth paying for when you're in this line of work. This is no different from booking gigs, in that there are no room for mistakes or second chances when approaching these people. Presentation is key and talent is a close second, and sometimes it takes a certain type of individual to pull that off for you.

With that said, let's continue: For those who don't know, Music Supervisors exist within every entertainment media. Film, Television, video games, sports, etc. Their goal is to find music for their products that match the tone they're trying to strike for a particular audience. As said in a previous blog, many songs that can be referred to as "old classics" are often more expensive than their marketing budget allows. So, the search for an independent sound that's not only far cheaper, but can establish an individuality for itself and the product to create an original presence that the audience can relate it to.

Therefore, Music Supervisors actually love indie artists, as they provide amazing opportunities for new consumers at a very low cost. This creates a marriage between the artist and said company so strong, that many artists have found themselves funding entire albums or personal promotion tours through the funds they've gained from these successful solicits. Music Supervisors like Kier Liehman(HBO) and Alexandra Patsavas(CW) specifically look for only indie music to push the strengths of the youth and originality to their shows.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE DISTRIBUTION, A PROFESSIONAL EPK OR PUBLISHING, PLEASE READ THE BLOGS PRIOR TO THIS BEFORE CONTINUING!!!! Without distribution, you don't have a product to sell with your marketing. Without an EPK, you aren't prepared to approach a Music Supervisor at a professional level to discuss the progression of your career. Without publishing, you won't have an avenue to collect the money you've made from either of those successes. If you haven't researched those 3 extremely important things, turn back and crawl before you run.

Now, the first question is the simplest one: "Where do I find a music supervisor?"
There are three ways to find them that are actually pretty simple:
1) Watch TV. No, I'm not being facetious. Seriously, watch TV/movies or play video games and wait for the credits. DVR the end and slow down to find out who the music supervisor is. Once you have the name, do the research(I quite often use LinkedIn.com) and find their contact info.
2). Online Research. To put it simply, Google. Search for companies that do film production/distribution, ad agencies or video game developers. Once there, search on their site or contact them directly regarding who their music supervisors are. Contrary to most people's beliefs, they aren't going to hide the names of those individuals.
3). Follow Productions. This is where picking up that issue of variety or following movie sites on Twitter actually benefit your life. Finding out what movies are set for release within the next few months are currently in production or near post can be a major leg up. They WILL be looking for music to add to their soundtrack and you may have the exact sound that they're searching for.

Next Question: "How Do I Approach Them?"
This where that EPK comes in handy. Your experience, style, strengths and weaknesses are all within that package. And all of those things, even your weaknesses, can play to your advantage. You see, no Music Supervisor ever wants to hear someone say "I'm good at any genre." Nobody in the industry wants a jack-of-all-trades nearly as much as they need someone who just excels at being good at one particular thing more than anyone else.
Just like booking a gig, the best thing you can do is to be honest, be real and set the tone in your favor by giving examples of who your style is similar to and what genre you're a great fit for. When contacting a supervisor, you'll discover that each has their own way of doing business or necessary means for their attention to be gained. Some prefer a strong, visual .PDA format of your EPK to go with your digital audio samples in an e-mail. Some would even prefer if you sent them a physical version of both through "snail mail", in the form of a CD and printed folder of your EPK so they can keep the file on hand.

So, how do you know which style they are? You don't. You have to pass the hurtle of starting a conversation through an e-mail and just asking them as your present yourself in that professional manner we spoke of earlier in the blog. In one swift move, you have to gain their respect and interest to progress further, only to be optioned for the job. But, take every opportunity you can get and be patient. While your song is on file with them, you may be surprised when you find a nice, healthy wad of cash quickly enter your ASCAP one day.

As of now, I will be adding more to this particular blog post daily as I interview several close music supervisors & marketers. I'm never one to show all my cards on the table(I gotta eat!), but here are two sites that I often use & can help in your search to find productions searching for new talent. Happy hunting!:
productionweekly.com
inhollywood.com

New Era Marketing Pt. 1

This is the first of a multi-part blog spanning a subject I've been asked about frequently in the past month.

It's been a while. But, that's simply due to 2010 having more twists than a montage of every last 5 minutes of an episode of Lost. The time I've been speaking of for the industry is here and all the independent artists are now fully in control. So, not only are the ones who couldn't adapt weeded out, but the ones who can now have succeeded their superiors. The labels are down lower than ever. But, we all now have responsibilities as the "new" types of labels have already emerged: Corporations.

The phrase "I hope I get signed" makes the backstabbers sneer and the honest folk in the industry shake their heads. To be "signed" by a label can pay for the release of your album & marketing, yes. But, you now have lost control of your publishing, creative independence/integrity and are also in-debt. Without publishing, you'll have to wait for your label to cut you a check of the money you've made and hope they are fair to you. And with you being in-debt to the services they've provided, there's good reason to question the outcome of that. And now that you're in their debt, say good bye to creative integrity. You'll have to perform what they want, when they want, how they want it, where they need it and only a certain way. Congratulations! You've been "signed"!

But, as I always try to explain, this in no way means there is no hope. Independent dollar is alive and it is flourishing. Now, for those who are still working on the investment blog I provided months ago, but can't find a place to bring that very professional business proposal you've built from the ground up: Ad Agencies are your next venture into the world of music.

You see, the beauty of this industry is that music is connected to EVERYTHING. Movies, Television, Video Games, Sports, Events, Nightlife, Traveling, Elevators, Shopping Malls, Coffee Shops. You name it. The exposure into any of these other genres can entirely build a career for a single band/artist. "Death Cab For Cutie" was very low-level indie until the cast of "The OC" demanded the producers to play their music on the show. The band "Cage The Elephant" has been struggling for exposure for years, but recently had their music picked up by a video game company, "Gearbox", to be a theme song to their multi-million dollar hit "Borderlands". Now, they are experiencing more overnight success than they could ever ask for. And there's the band "The Heavy", who have been primed for success ever since they built the original concept of having a lead with a spirit like James Brown and a band that could evoke both Rock and Soul. Now, their originality has been recognized thanks to their short Kia Sorento commercial.

The solution into pursuing this is more simple than most people may think: Ad Agencies. Now, I will be perfectly honest, this isn't the solution to everyone. Some music just isn't marketable from a commercial point of view. But, you'd also be shocked as to what music gets picked up. Hell, look at the entire soundtrack listing to Entourage since Episode 1. But, to pursue agencies at this stage would be wise for any artist. Not only would it help you gain exposure, but it would make you part of a multi-million dollar campaign/project. The money you use to that could be pocketed or (preferably) to enhance your career to the next steps.

Now, to pursue ad agencies, I actually suggest either saving money and pursuing hiring one designed towards music, such as the Gary Group. But, when funds are bad, you can take the venture of putting yourself out there to such agencies in an extremely professional manner, to companies like Saatchi & Saatchi, AMV BBDO or one of my favorites, WCRS. When doing this, be sure to show them everything you've learned from my "Building an EPK" blog below:
A) That you have an active and growing fan base.
B) You have commercial to appeal to a massive group of people.
C) What demographics do you get the greatest response from.
Agencies are often searching for new, indie talent that has the ability to speak to their culture while bringing attention to new products.

This was the first of a series I will be continuing. Next edition will help give instructions on how to approach the agencies mentioned and how to stay a step ahead of the competition in the process. Until then, do your research, prepare those EPKs and hopefully you'll be prepared before the next part of class.

How To Make Profit In The Off-Season (Season Closer)

Welcome all to the final blog of the first season of Mellow Marketing. It's been a really amazing year with wild experiences and I hope I've helped propel many of you to the next steps you need to take along the way. In previous blogs, I've given all of the genuine information you truly need to move into the next phase of your career successfully. Now, it's October, and it's time to stop looking into what you can do for this season and look into building a business plan for next year. And if someone is trying to get you to do distribution and solicitations for right NOW, then they honestly just want your money. (Why would you agree to CMJ[College Radio] during Christmas time, when kids are getting out of school? THINK!)

So, as many of you know, the music industry has a habit of slowing down and taking chill time in America once November is halfway in. All of the labels and reps wait until January to begin work again and everyone takes this time off to either enjoy or collect themselves to make the next year even bigger.

Which one do you think I'm doing?

In this blog, I want to show you all how to put this free time in your music careers to good use. I'm a heavy competitor, but I'm also known for being 3-4 steps ahead. This is an asset we all need and here are some tips for many of you out there who plan to make their first MAJOR push in 2010 or to improve the one you started in the current season:

1. Research(!!!): I Can't Stress This Enough! Research of all types is what every artist needs to do with their work. From researching marketing to see what regions in the world their style would fit best(I have a previous blog about this) to looking into classic, obscure music to gain inspiration to improve their craft. It's so crucial to increase your knowledge as this is the greatest weapon you'll hold in this industry, because you'll discover it'll be the one that'll most often be used against you(usually after it's too late).

Look into my past blogs and see how these ideals for strategies can change the way you perform your entire season. Start looking into what movies you want to drop a solicitation into (Iron Man 2, anyone?). What places are booming with Independent love(*cough*Canada*cough*London*cough)? What conferences would be the best to attend next year(Check out my list in the blog previous to this one) and what are the best ways to market yourself there? If you plan to do live tours, how do you plan to make residuals back and do you have an active Sound Scan working for LIVE performances(which is not easy to get)? Plan it out now and start making friends with people over the holidays. They'll become colleagues next year. Take the time to think outside the box and you will be rewarded handsomely. That's what I do best and why I love this industry.

But, I would like to take a moment to say it's imperative to take the opportunity to look into taking your work international. On an executive end, we see where music is going here in America and that slope doesn't go up. But, the beauty of opportunity and flourishment has continued to become an international phenom even more than it was before. If you're looking for me in the off-season, this is a major hint as to where I'll be. For example, take a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsSJAUpMBDE&feature=player_embedded

2. Careers: Before anything, let me state what I have to say about every blog I've posted and the reason for this site that you're reading on right now: The Labels Do Not Matter Anymore. Soon enough, they will not exist, at all. The real labels now are corporations and the A & R departments have been replaced with sponsors. THAT is how the music industry works now and we all need to adapt. My entire company has been designed around this theory and achieved success from taking the time to educate and cooperate with how this industry has remolded.

SO, with a new industry comes new business strategy to get what you all still consider "signed". Really, it's just a matter of you finding a sponsor or investor towards your craft and then you handle the rest. The resources are available to EVERYONE. So, you should focus on promoting yourself and networking to FIND these investors. Sometimes, that includes careers in the right places.

What I suggest is to start working in areas related to music or in places you can prove that you are a viable asset. That includes jobs/internships with marketing agencies, talent groups, movie studios or some of the current majors, such as UMG, BMI and The Orchard. The best way to get what you want is to have leverage over something else valuable. What better time to achieve that than the off-season? You may even become an agent like me, which is how I started.

Why don't I mind the competition, you ask? You'll see in 2010..

3. Social Media Marketing: I know mostly indie artists read this, so this is aimed directly at you. Many of you focus solely on these things: Your music, education, trying to book a gig, Twitter/Facebook and making enough to eat next week. I'm here to help put the last two together into something profitable.

You see, Social Media Marketing is a form of marketing that most industries haven't quite grown a strong grasp on, but they ALL want it. What they want is for someone to take social media websites (i.e. Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIN, etc.) and to advertise their company through creative means on each. They also want banners on more popular sites while you keep track of CPAs(Click Per Advertisements) and they also pay for that.

This job doesn't require much time, tons of effort and the pay is very, VERY nice. I've even found my services outsourced to several major companies throughout the year and it's always a fun, rewarding experience. Most companies are looking for educated, young individuals who can handle the rapid pace technology takes pop culture. Coincidentally, that makes up most of the music industry.

So, take the time to research this field and you could quite possibly FUND YOURSELF for this new season. Google, ask pros about it, ask me about, etc. Whatever you have to do, look into gaining new career opportunities and options.



Once again, I want to thank you all for an amazing season and I hope to get to know even more of you in 2010. The first year has been a hell of a ride for this company and it's only looking up. It would be my honor and a pleasure to take you on that road with us.