Friday, 31 August 2018
誰說經營唱片公司， 一定賠錢？
唱片工業現已進入寒冬，由於唱片的行銷投資風險龐大，最資深的滾石唱片面臨財務窘境，飛碟則已經轉手賣給世界五大品牌的華納；即使是五大在台灣的製作產品，也面臨數位下載軟體的威脅，新唱片營收節節下滑。然而這些問題對曼谷的歌萊美(GMM Grammy)來說，卻似乎都構不成挑戰。
對歌萊美來說，這個問題其實有三套解答：首先是以「版權」為軸心，讓新作品、新唱片的價值完整擴散；其次是將KTV的能量完全吸納，結合流行音樂消費機制中的「唱」和「聽」功能；第三則是音樂資產的重製與再利用。唱片好比東南亞水果之王椰子一般，看似價值平凡，但從汁肉到椰殼，無一不可利用。對歌萊美來說，實體CD唱片就如同椰汁，MTV伴唱帶猶如果肉，而整個版權與重製權，就像椰殼一般，三者通通可回收再利用。
內容再生產創造無限利潤
攤開歌萊美的新唱片製作流程，它所有的音樂「製品」——無論是詞、曲、錄音、音樂的各種重製權，乃至於手機上的「音樂鈴聲下載」權，全都由公司一手掌握。而旗下歌手從錄音發行的合約到藝人經紀，歌萊美也從不假他人之手。版權在握，使得音樂產品無論如何包裝、重製，都可納入作業控管程序中，舉凡辦演唱會、音樂劇、紀念精選集發行等，如何賣？怎麼包裝？彈性都很大，不像其他公司音樂版權，因詞、曲版權分屬不同公司，藝人經紀又是另一塊，版稅的計算複雜，相對使商品價值鏈無法開展，連帶地就無法降低成本。
十多年前，EMI唱片老闆就曾告訴歌萊美總裁黃民輝：「唱片業只要累積十年，不用裁員，不需減薪，就可繼續存活下去，因為音樂資產的價值，有無窮擴散的空間——光靠吃老本就夠了！」目前手中已握有九萬多首歌曲的版權，再加上四百多名歌手經紀合約，這些都是歌萊美立於不敗山頭的重要資產。
由於音樂產品可以不斷整合、重製與再利用，產銷成本一次比一次降低，老歌在舊瓶裝新酒的行銷處理後可不斷延伸產品的生命週期，只要讓年輕族群能繼續接受老歌，公司內累積的音樂資產價值就能不斷擴增。總裁黃民輝強調，歌萊美現有的獲利音樂產品中，老歌就佔了四成，另外才是排行榜的新歌和手機鈴聲下載。
黃民輝的策略之一，是絕不會提醒消費者「應該」身處在哪個世代，「既然音樂無國界，就更沒理由有年齡限制」，歌萊美最擅長的，就是不斷創造「低成本老歌」的新價值。舉例來說，二○○三年歌萊美舉辦了一場向二十年前創業之時的老歌手樂團「Micro」致敬的演唱會，廣邀當下最紅的年輕樂團「翻唱」或「重新詮釋」它曾經走紅的老歌，結果現場湧進兩萬名各年齡層的樂迷。這樣的企畫每年不斷上演，包括去年紀念公司成立二十年的「PACK 4演唱會」、七月底即將舉辦的「GMM黃金十年演唱會」等等，乍看只是平凡無奇的唱片行銷活動，實際上內藏的卻是對音樂資產與價值鏈完整利用的強力行銷。一場演唱會下來，除了票房亮麗，歌萊美還趁勢推出兩張演唱會VCD、兩張錄音CD以及多張伴唱帶等，零零總總的附加產品，至少有十項之多。
演唱會之外，歌萊美每年至少製作二、三齣大型音樂劇，搭配強力行銷，票房經常拉出長紅，例如：今年六月推出的(古鏡奇緣)，不但一票難求，周邊商品的獲利更是豐厚。
KTV和音樂下載有市場
事實上，歌萊美去年成長最快的業務，就是音樂錄影帶和伴唱帶的銷售。公司最新的計畫，就是將KTV「包送到家」，消費者每個月只需負擔兩百泰銖(約一百五十元新台幣)，就可以隨意點唱歌萊美歌手的歌曲。黃民輝分析，在台灣沒有一家唱片公司上市，但KTV公司卻有兩家已經掛牌，那是因為KTV是「唱」的行業，消費以次數計算，但唱片公司卻是「聽」的行業，做「炫耀式消費」生意，比做「耐久消費財」生意更有利可圖。
面對數位新科技的下載和分享，全球唱片公司都為之所苦，但歌萊美採取的態度不是走上法院，而是善加利用，「科技發展之後，我們的收入反而增加，這也是另一個完整擁有版權的好處，」黃民輝指出，只要防範工作做得完善，危機反而可能是轉機。以鈴聲下載為例，歌萊美軟體工程師設計的付費下載平台，比台灣手機業者的服務還方便，消費者不必查詢下載碼，只要聽到喜歡的音樂，簡單按個輸入鍵，讓手機「聽」音樂，就可自行辨識下載聽到的樂曲。 黃民輝的盤算是，只要一位消費者每個月貢獻一百元下載音樂、二百元KTV消費，唱片公司的獲利，何難之有。
音樂製作不用再透過唱片公司！這家線上卡拉OK公司媒合優秀詞曲創作者，讓3億粉絲為之瘋狂
作者: 陳蔚銘
2018-08-01
Smule是一款可以讓你線上唱卡拉OK的音樂APP、全球超過3億用戶。2008年創立以來，Smule連續七年保持70%左右的成長。用戶只要有智慧型手機，都能隨時隨地直播歡唱並保存影像，同時享受媲美專輯MV的效果和剪輯工具，更厲害的是，還能跟全世界的陌生人或大牌明星即時互動。
目前在Smule平台上，每天增加2千5百萬則影音短片、每月活躍用戶達5000萬人次，是目前全球最大的音樂協作及社交平台，估值超過6億美元。執行長Jeff Smith在經營策略上有哪些獨到之處？
創新點：「不完美」才能吸引更多用戶，用「數據」和「社群」顛覆音樂產業。
本文四大重點：1. 抓住用戶心理，讓「體驗」與「社交」成為無法替代的競爭優勢。2. 專注社群經營，讓用戶成為最佳產品代言人。3. 翻轉音樂產業鏈，直接和詞曲創作人授權避開版權爭議。4. 音樂產業的下一個戰場：年輕族群和新興國家。
Smule執行長Jeff Smith和音樂的淵源頗深。他4歲開始學彈鋼琴，大學就讀Stanford電腦科學系時也選修一些音樂相關的學分，畢業後進入IBM、HP等科技大廠工作。繞了一圈，辭職後開始創業之路，共同創辦的三間公司先後都順利公開上市或被收購，其中一間提供音樂分享服務的公司「Simplify Media」在2010年被Google買下。
(圖片來源：bizjournals)
賣掉公司後，Smith又回到Stanford電腦音樂研究中心（CCRMA）攻讀音樂博士，研究主題是音樂在跨文化族群間如何傳播，以及各大洲對音樂類型偏好的相關性分析。取得博士學位後，Smith繼續留下教書，一邊研究如何用科技幫助人們輕鬆享受音樂帶來的快樂。
在一次講座中，他與擅長把3C設備變成隨身樂器的王戈教授一拍即合，於是找了在業界認識的創投Bessemer Venture Partners支持，兩人一起創辦了Smule。
1. 抓住用戶心理，讓「體驗」與「社交」成為無法替代的競爭優勢
Smule之所以成功，主要是掌握人們想讓自己更「完美」的心理，但Smule用的卻是「不完美」的策略。
每個人都希望自己看起來更帥、更美，所以「Instagram」、「無他相機」等具備修圖功能的美照APP一推出就大受歡迎，因為一般人也能自行調整濾鏡、加上簡單特效做出漂亮照片與社群分享。
(圖片來源：Pixabay)
而Smule也用類似的手法把用戶變身成為聚光燈下的明星歌手，因此許多投資人看好Smule能成為音樂界的Instagram。不過主打影音內容的新創公司面臨的最大挑戰是：「如何讓客戶樂意上傳作品？」，Smith和他的團隊自然也無法避免這道難題。
Smule剛推出時，流量成長不如預期。團隊把報表打開一看，發現很多用戶唱到一半就中途放棄。經過仔細分析，他們找到了主要原因：當人們對一首歌掌握度不高時，下意識會把速度加快、不停搶拍，導致作品聽起來不盡理想，最終影響了用戶上傳作品的意願。
於是，他們決定修改程式，一旦偵測到用戶唱歌的速度變快，就悄悄在歌曲的段落與段落間加入些微延遲，讓節奏在不知不覺中穩定下來。雖然整體節奏與原曲相比也不算完美，卻讓用戶有更完整的體驗。
這個細微調整的確奏效，用戶半途而廢的比例顯著下降，開始踴躍分享自己完成的精彩影片，流量也有了起色。
(影片來源：Youtube)
此外，Smule的最大賣點在於社群互動，用戶可以彼此合唱、也能和Ed Sheeran、Jessie J等超級巨星同框飆歌，不僅帶來人際互動的愉悅感、還滿足了與名人交流的虛榮感；更重要的是，Smule採用直播形式進行互動，畫面未經多餘修飾，呈現的是歌手平易近人的一面，與他們並肩顯得相當自然，有效降低一般人害怕自己看起來不夠光鮮亮麗的心理障礙。而許多歌手在Smule發表新曲與粉絲互動後，對專輯的銷量也有很大幫助。
就如同Smith所說：「直播的普及讓我們知道：不完美其實也沒什麼大不了。」
2. 專注社群經營，讓用戶成為最佳產品代言人
音樂產業每年的產值約為千億美金，傳統唱片公司控制了其中10%。但由於數位音樂的流行，相關企業獲利的主要來源逐漸從以往唱片銷售轉移到演唱會、周邊商品或歌手的跨界合作等「粉絲經濟」。衡量業績的指標不再是唱片銷量，而是粉絲瘋狂的程度。
(圖片來源：Pixabay)
除此之外，科技公司也涉足其中。Apple Music除了有Drake、Taylor Swift等大咖歌手獨家授權、大量Mac裝置通路，專業錄音軟體「Logic Pro」更是眾多音樂人第一指名的選擇；來自瑞典的Spotify也提供付費聽到飽的音樂串流服務成為全球龍頭，讓音樂產業找到新的出路（會員限定：Spotify上市給王文華5點啟發）。
而臉書、IG等巨大的社群平台理所當然地取代傳統CD或數位下載的管道，成為歌手新作品發表的主力通路。Smule也不例外，為了確保口碑能透過社群平台有效擴散，Smith要求團隊做到兩點：(1) 把產品的特色濃縮到10秒能夠完整說明，容易一傳十、十傳百的口耳相傳。(2)用20秒短片展示產品的價值，引起觀眾興趣並主動分享。
有位德州學生在Smule分享了一段演奏暢銷電玩「薩爾達傳說」配樂的影片，恰好搭上任天堂電玩主機SWITCH上市的順風車，在青少年圈子裡瘋狂轉發，連帶吸引大量用戶註冊。
由於素人自發性分享沒有沾染商業氣息，加上青少年族群非常理解同一掛的朋友會喜歡什麼影片，內容打中了他們心中最軟的一塊：當對的內容送到對的受眾，後續激起的漣漪自然一發不可收拾。
(圖片來源：Pixabay)
Smule也曾推出一款虛擬打火機「Sonic Lighter」，用戶在螢幕裡點起火苗，可以吹滅它或傳遞給別人。雖然遊戲本身有點無聊，卻有更無聊的部落客指控他們企圖偷渡邪教崇拜而掀起一陣討論。沒想到，這個插曲卻讓Sonic Lighter在兩天後衝上App Store排行榜第一名！
由此可見，經營社群一定要小心，網紅推薦可以讓產品一夕爆紅、部落客負評卻也可能引來公關災難。無論消息好壞都是機會，端看後續該如何處理（看看三星怎麼做）。
3. 把音樂產業鏈去中心化，直接和詞曲創作人授權避開版權爭議
從商業角度來看，音樂新創公司很難獲得投資人青睞，除了產業結構龐大，還牽扯到複雜的法律智財等面向。少數站穩腳步的公司都是先有初步成果後才開始吸引資金，如創新拿鐵曾介紹Spotify「免費先行」的策略。
對手除了傳統唱片公司，新進的Apple Music、Spotify也各有4500萬、7000萬的付費用戶。但Smith認為，只有Smule才能引領業界下一波的變革。
(圖片擷取：Smule)
Apple、Spotify和其他的音樂平台主打的服務，說穿了只是傳播媒介從傳統錄音帶、CD、數位下載一路演進到即時串流，音樂的本質並沒有太大創新。
相對地，Smule不是把錄音室的成果包裝好送到消費者面前，而是讓每個人手上都有一間錄音室。翻轉傳統音樂從上而下的生產流程，少了上架通路、專輯包裝、簽約歌手等主要成本。
如此一來，Smule也不必和唱片公司談包裹式的錄音著作權，而是直接向詞、曲創作者取得詞曲版權，以播放次數為分潤基礎。相較傳統專輯，Smule平台上大量的活躍用戶對音樂出版公司（處理詞曲創作者的經紀事宜）產生莫大吸引力，全球已有300個合作對象，豐富了自家的音樂資料庫。不僅讓Smule避開令人頭痛的版權麻煩，還建立起互利共生的健康循環。
另一方面，音樂對消費者而言不再只是被動、單向的聆聽，也能主動參與創作成為內容生產者，造就許多素人歌手崛起，Smule把音樂「去中心化」點燃的這股創作能量也許將顛覆音樂產業。
4. 音樂產業的下一個戰場：年輕族群和新興國家
花了10年打下基礎，Smith自認他們建立起的障礙已經不是對手短時間能跨越的規模。Smule每月5000萬的活躍用戶當中，有200萬人願意付費獲得更多歌曲和精采特效。
比起以往，傳統唱片公司10年前對新創公司趕盡殺絕的態度也有所轉變，他們開始理解新創公司的商業模式並不完全與自己的核心業務衝突，互相合作反而可以一起把市場做大。
雖然在美國目前只有15%的人聽過Smule，但他們在印尼卻有80%的高人氣，中國、印度、巴西等人口眾多的地區也有不錯的知名度，競爭對手騰訊也因此在2017年策略性領投5千4百萬美金。
(圖片來源：Pixabay)
Smule的另一個優勢在於非常受青年男女的歡迎，年齡層介於13-24歲的用戶貢獻了平台上一半的內容，這群「數位原住民」勇於表現自我也熟悉社群，總是能玩出一套自己的規則，不久後將成為消費市場的主力，因此絕對是音樂串流和廣告公司最想搶下的一塊大餅。（同場加映：Snapchat幫你保守不想讓爸媽知道的秘密）
臉書讓朋友間彼此分享生活，而Smule連結全世界的陌生人彼此互動；你不會隨便把照片分享給陌生人，但唱首歌給全世界聽卻是件很酷的事。未來就看Jeff Smith能不能帶領Smule在音樂界繼續翻天覆地，實現人人都能「自得其樂」的美好願景。
如何创办唱片公司
1
决定投资项目。初期想要做得好，就要专注于一个音乐类型，建立良好的公司声誉。专注投资什么方向，很大程度上受你个人目标的影响。若目标是赚钱，就专注于目前的流行音乐方面；若是想充当21世纪“后先锋爵士核心乐”（post avant jazzcore）的引领者，则公司的定位和行动就很不一样了。
2
写商业计划。你需要做很多层面的商业计划。首先要建立品牌框架：如何猎取并培养新人？如何做市场宣传工作？如何应对唱片市场和歌唱比赛？如何做投资？以及如何盈利等等。
如果你财务独立，资金充裕，则至少在资金支持方面，你可能是不需要投资者的。但是你也可以吸引一些投资人，帮你建立起市场中的信誉。比如说，投资流行音乐唱片公司的钱是你自己出的，但同时也争取到了保罗·麦卡特尼的投资，那你的唱片一定能大卖。不过你得先给保罗或其他投资人展示你清晰可行的投资计划，才有可能做到这点。
如果需要财务支持，就写好一份计划，表示你对回报和风险清晰明了，而且你也有方法让你的事业不断前进，这样的计划可以有力地说服投资者克服对风险的考虑，并加入到你的事业中来。
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所有启动项目所需的资金，都要算清楚。你需要算出从订书钉到电费，到录音，到制作，等等所需的全部费用。做统计的时候一定要做得详细到位：如果有人本来就有意投资你的公司，还读了你的详细财务计划，一定会支持你的！下面是一些需要你考虑的事项：
管理费用：你要面对房租、工具、税金和执照等费用，这些费用占的比重很大。也不要忘了电话、网络、打印机、纸张、电脑、名片以及办公用品。也需要考虑做网站和管理网站的费用。有的费用项目是每周都有的，有的是每个月支付一次，有的是一两年要支付一次。任务一开始看起来很繁重，但如果你做个五年计划，你会发现最后这些费用，在做总的经济状况统计的时候，是显得微不足道的。
录音费用：唱片公司必然要负责录音制作工作。也就是说，你需要考虑整个录音产业链的费用，包括录音室、工程师和制片人（可能是你，但你也得拿薪水），混音师和录音师等等的费用。
市场费用：再好的唱片，在没有进入市场前，都是空谈。要进入市场，需要通过网络广告、杂志广告、新闻发布会和官方网站等等来进行宣传。也需要和艺术家、设计师商量一下商标的样式、包装标准，以及总的设计计划。
专业服务费用：制作动听的音乐同时，需要有人来写作清楚有力的员工合约，以及商业条约等。因此你得雇佣合格的、专门服务于音乐产业的法律代理人。也要雇佣会计，以保证你不会接到催缴税费的电话。
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4
预测现金流。要想给现金流做个一年、三年和五年的展望计划，是需要技巧、悟性和理性的推测的。第一年的计划要非常可靠：先要考虑事业启动费用，也要考虑在花名册上列下（并签好协约）一些乐队。通过这些信息来估算费用，同时推测回报如何。
比如你可以通过乐队的表现来衡量你的计划：乐队在酒吧演出的时候，是否人满为患？如果是，则他们的业绩很不错，在音乐上可以取得很好的成就。如果公司内也有新手乐队，且没有一定的乐迷基础，则需要更大力地宣传来推广他们。
给花名册填上更多乐队时，你的潜在收入会增加。给往后三年或五年做财务预测时，需要决定何时引进更多乐队，以及如何引进他们，并给他们做宣传。这会让预测变得复杂点：如果花名册上有个极好的乐队，甚至会增加你所有乐队的宣传效果。同样，如果你有个乐队特别烂，则可能会把公司搞砸，浪费金钱，甚至破产。
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搭建团队。除非你本人同时极其擅长销售、市场、音乐、商业操作、艺术、对话等技巧，并且兼职做律师，否则最好发展一支团队。下面介绍一些团队成员的关键技能，这些成员能辅佐你获得成功。
市场销售：公司需要热情奔放、能有力宣传唱片的专业人员。市场销售人员也要和艺术家、其他公司的创立者，以及有意投资艺术产业的人私交甚好才行。这样的人是成功的关键：他们负责引入艺人，推广作品。这种人表现得越好，公司就越成功。
制作：唱片制作者需要对唱片录音和制作过程了如指掌，并能帮你找到好的工程师、混音师和制作人，并负责录音工作。
合同工：要想至少在前期能降低费用，就雇佣一些按工作量付薪的员工。这样的员工包括图像设计、法律工作、会计工作、工程师和其他特定时期需要的员工等。
方法
2
执行计划
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规范事业框架。给唱片公司定好适当的企业法人形式，这样你的事业就有法律依据，也可以保护你自己。有很多选项可以选，这些名称在不同国家有不同叫法，但本质上都一样。
独资企业（Sole proprietorship）。作为独资企业创立人，你要对企业全权负责。独资企业开业和停业都很方便，维持也相对简单。你可以咨询特定顾问或朋友以了解需要完成的事项，完成相关工作以后，这个企业就全都是你的了，也就是说，所有的利润和债务都是你的。这种形式对投资者的吸引力很小，风险也较大，而且一旦破产了，你需要负担所有的公司债务。如果想要真的做生意，或者想随着公司壮大，雇佣员工，这不是最好的方式。
有限责任公司（LLC）。对于小型企业来讲，有限公司形式很不错。这种公司中可以不断雇佣员工，并且有对个人债务责任的保护，这样公司倒闭就不用完全负责债务了。同时这种公司对金融、法律和税务的掌控也相对容易。但如果你要寻求投资者，或者想要做国际化的事业，这个选项不太好。
企业（Corporation）。如果想要做大做强，或者要寻求投资者，或者你是喜欢规范公司模式的人，你就可以选择这种模式。和有限公司一样，公司倒闭的时候，个人也受到债务保护。你可以发行股份、筹集资金，而且这种公司形式的法律先例也很丰富。这种形式企业的条款很严格，会计和律师也要处理各式各样的税务、费用、报告和表格问题。如果你是个闲散风格的人，这种企业不适合你……除非，你想加快创业的步伐！
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引进艺人。做好计划，商务工作开始运行，执照也拿到了，还拿出了作品，受到了他人的认可，甚至（希望如此）拿到了投资资金，就可以逐渐发展壮大公司了！
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3
四处寻觅艺人，认真聆听他们的歌声。观察听众对歌手的反应，如果他们一听到歌声，就精神焕发，被深深迷住，那你就找对人了！
接近乐团，和他们聊聊。问问他们是谁，从何时开始建乐队，是否有发行音乐，未来计划如何等等。
问问他们是否已经和其他公司签约了，这是更重要的。问这个问题，作为观众来讲，无伤大雅，但如果要创立唱片公司，就必须要弄清楚他们是否已经签了约！
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会见传媒人士。市内已经有很多可以帮你做宣传工作的写手，但要挖到他们，先得认识他们。可以在本地报纸、本地音乐博客中找找这样的人，和他们联系一下，吃顿午饭，或请来参观录音室，和他们保持长期联络。
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会见工程师。去本地的录音室转转，有的录音室很奢侈、很高端，大多数还有一两个房间做录音用，内有各种设备。虽然设备很重要，但歌手的声音才是更重要的。
认识一些音乐工程师，问问他们如何录音、如何联系乐队、有什么烦心事等等。如果以后你有个牛X的说唱演员，唱的作品一定能大卖，但是你找的录音师或混音师极其讨厌说唱乐，你就会意识到，找对工程师的意义了。你可以让工程师播放最喜欢的自己制作的片段，仔细听听看是什么样的。
要想保险点，就问他们要CD或其他作品，这样你可以回家播放。（虽然这种情况很少见）在个价值百万的录音室内做出来的音乐效果，拿出来换到家用播放器放，可能就逊色了很多哦。
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造访音乐唱片店。无论是多大的唱片店都是卖唱片的，和店主熟识以后，说不定对方会很乐意卖你的唱片。可能你找的唱片店很小，但是事业刚起头的时候，无论多小的唱片店，都能助你一臂之力。
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认识一些经纪人。音乐经纪人是紧跟音乐动态、把握音乐潮流的人。和经纪人签约的乐队，都具有一定的合法性，因为这样的乐队已经专业到有资格雇佣经纪人了。
如果你的公司对经纪人和产品推动者足够好，下次你的乐队说“嘿，我们准备好录唱片了”，他们就会说“没问题，是时候了！”
方法
3
再接再厉
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建立品牌。当你已经能打理好公司商业运作的事务以后，就可以培养并维护唱片公司的品牌美感了。打造一个商标，多加利用它们，并让它们实物化、可视化。比如做出带有公司商标的官网，以及文具、T恤、杯子等等周边产品。也要和符合你企业图景的乐队、活动签约。
可以找找Sub Pop、Matador唱片成功运用DIY商标的例子，了解这些公司的品牌战术，这样的公司商业模式极其特立独行，但其战术和战略也存在丰富的多样性。
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给唱片做创意性宣传。过去十年间，互联网大大改变了音乐购买、收听和发布的方式，如果你还坚持用传统巡演、CD销售和收音机播放等老式宣传手段来推广，那就很累人了。YouTube视频和随意支付（pay-what-you-want）商业模式在维护品牌方面越来越有效了。
可以用一些宣传噱头，比如给T恤打印一个标签，上面有一段混音乐片段的下载代码（比如，二维码！）。Goner records公司是墨菲斯的一家车库乐/朋克乐的唱片公司，他们甚至免费向身上有“Goner”刺青的客户提供两米唱片带，这样的客人只要走进店里，展示一下刺青，就可以获得唱片带了。
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扩大客户群体。Sub Pop公司初期专注于做太平洋西北区的油渍摇滚乐（Pacific Northwest grunge bands），后来扩展制作面到主流音乐体系，比如Iron & Wine 和 Fleet Foxes这些乐队。扩展了音乐体系以后，他们获得了巨大的成功，客户群体暴增。即使假设你一开始专注于做青少年摇滚乐，你也可以逐渐寻求扩展音乐种类的途径，把其他类型的音像引入你的公司来。
90年代早期，主流唱片公司更中意未知或“地下”类型的表演形式。Sonic Youth（音速青春）是个纽约来的独立乐团，专做嘈杂的摇滚乐，后来为Geffen（吉芬唱片公司）巨额引入，成为独树一帜的乐队，不仅为公司带来了巨大的利润，也给乐迷带来了耳目一新的享受。如果你公司开始盈利，就可以考虑引入一些不为人所知但有巨大潜力的歌乐类型。
小提示
一定要有毅力。和创立其他公司一样，唱片公司创立初期也是很难熬的，而且你需要不断付出精力和时间。如果你专注、努力，发掘对了艺人，并有力地给公司做宣传，你就离成功不远了！
不要因为取得了点成就，就不思进取！继续努力，保护自己的权益，寻找更好更新的艺人。
不要拒绝任何艺人。即使目前还没有意图签约，还是要保持联络！
警告
钱是个大问题，确保你的资金来源很充足。
来源和引文
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep07/articles/recordlabel.htm
http://www.mahalo.com/how-to-start-a-record-label/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/lorikozlowski/2012/04/02/how-to-start-your-own-record-company/
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相关wikiHows
You Can Be Your Own Music Publisher
Frances Katz on Jun 5, 2018
Ask any aspiring songwriter what they want more than a number one worldwide hit and they’re likely to tell you they want a deal with a music publisher. In exchange for a percentage of your royalties, the music publisher will collect royalties and licensing fees, seek out synchronization deals for TV and film placement and sometimes provide cash advances to cover living or touring expenses.
But increasingly deals like this are harder and harder to come by, and songwriters have started thinking about starting their own music publishing company. The truth is you don’t need an MBA to take control of your music. In fact, it’s not unusual for songwriters to also be their own publishers. It’s fairly easy to set up a company and with a publishing administrator like Songtrust to help you, it’s an option you can definitely consider.
Benefits of Owning Your Own Publishing Company
When you sign an agreement with a music publisher, you often give away the rights to your copyright in exchange for the services they’ll provide - collecting royalties and help arranging synchronization deals. However, if you are your own music publisher, you have complete creative control of where and how your songs are used and you retain 100 percent of the interest in all your works. In keeping 100% of the publishing on your songs, you'll be able to collect all royalties owed to you from public performance, digital (internet radio and on-demand streaming), synchronization (TV, film, and video games), mechanical royalties (sales of physical recordings and downloads).
Simple Steps to forming a Music Publishing Company
Forming your own company takes a little bit of time and there is some paperwork and fees, but the rewards can be very satisfying. The steps outlined below should help you get started:
1. Create a Business Entity or File a Fictitious Name Statement: Visit the website for the Secretary of State in your home state to find the requirements for creating a name for your company. You have the choice of creating a corporation or a limited liability company (known as an LLC) which will be your publishing company or if you prefer to not to incorporate you can file what’s called a Fictitious Name Statement or a Doing Business As (DBA) Statement with the Secretary of State.
The DBA Statement makes it legal and informs the government and other interested parties that l that you are doing business as a music publisher using a name that’s not your own. Without a the name statement, you won’t be able to open a bank account or cash checks made out to your company. Make sure the name you choose is unique in order to make sure your royalties aren’t improperly assigned farther down the road.
2. Affiliate your company with a PRO: The next step should be familiar to most songwriters. You’ll need to affiliate your new company with a performing rights organization such as ASCAP or BMI. You may already be registered as a songwriter, but now you should register your company separately. It’s recommended that you register your company with the same PRO that you registered with as a songwriter. However, if you’re thinking big and planning to publish music from other writers, it’s a good idea to register with any PRO they are also affiliated with. The approval process takes several weeks and there is typically an application fee.
3. Register your company's songs with the Copyright Office in your publishing company's name: Next, you’ll need to contact the US Copyright Office to register for a Sound Recording (SR copyright). This can also be done online and takes a few months for processing. If you already have copyrighted songs in your own name, you’ll need to transfer those rights to your publishing company.
4. Hire a publishing administrator like Songtrust
Owning your own publishing company doesn’t mean you have to handle each and every detail all by yourself. A publishing administrator like Songtrust charge a one-time fee and are equipped to handle most of the administrative paperwork on a global scale.
If you’re a songwriter looking to keep total rights of your songs and be able to make all your own creative control until the right publishing deal comes along, starting your own publishing entity might be the next step for you. It’s good to keep in mind the general costs of music publishing and what you can save over time. However, just because you go for a DIY approach, doesn’t mean you have to go it alone - sign up for Songtrust to be your publishing administrator and we’ll make sure that both as a songwriter and a publisher, you’re collecting all your global publishing royalties.
Songtrust Newsletter
5 Simple Steps to Start a Music Publishing Company!
by MPN - Leave a Comment
start music publishing companyAs a producer or a songwriter, if you want to get into music business, you need to start a music publishing company. It is the essential first step in getting yourself a solid standing in the music business.
So in this post, I lay out the 5 steps that you need to follow to get going.
Interested? Keep reading…
This information is for songwriters, producers, composers, and those interested in starting a publishing business or an independent music label with publisher’s rights.
First, what is a music publishing company?Question sign
To the uninitiated, a music publishing company, or simply, a publisher, is an entity or individual that handles the administrative rights of your music.
What are administrative rights?
When you make a deal with a publisher, you give them the rights to find various uses for your songs. These uses could involve radio play, TV commercials, concert performances, nightclub plays, and so on. In other words, anywhere there is money to be made from music, your music can be involved in it, therefore offering you the opportunity for further financial success.
The process of turning your music into a business requires administrative tasks. But many artists will hand off the responsibilities, or rights, to a third-party instead.
And there is nothing wrong with that.
This third-party person is the publisher. They will handle the administrative rights for you, and for that, you enter into an agreement with them, which requires an incentive for them to work with you.
Publisher’s Agreement
What a music publishing company requires is that you assign the copyright in your songs to them. This gives them the right to act on your behalf for all business undertakings involving the use of your music.publisher's contract
For that, it’s standard that a 50/50 percent split in royalties will be paid out to both of you for the partnership. So, for ever $1 your song earns in royalties, you’ll receive .50¢, and your publisher keeps .50¢.
Some music publishing companies, however, may have a more generous split in favour of the artist. An example of that is the TuneCore Publishing Administration.
Self Publishing
Publishers are normally expert at finding business opportunities for music to capitalize on, so for some people, this is the preferred route.
However, more than likely you’re reading this post because you yourself want to start your own music publishing company and keep all your royalties. Or, you want to be a music publisher yourself because you have the business savvy, and want to assist other talented artists who aren’t getting anywhere.
Good for you, you’ve come to the right post.
Since we’ve established what a music publisher does, or how a music publishing company works, we can get into how to actually set one up…
Smiling face with headphonesBy the way, if you’re reading this post because you’re learning the business of music, or even interested in learning more about music production or music business, take a look at my guide for where to find online music production courses. Some of the resources I mention offer music business courses, a couple which I’ve personally taken, which will assist you in starting and running your own music business.
start music publishing company checklistStep 1 – Affiliate your music publishing company with a PRO
This is the absolute number one very first thing that you must do before you do anything else, ever.
I know that statement was clamorous as hell, but there’s a reason for that…
And I will get into that soon, as well as show you how to go about affiliating your music publishing company with a PRO…
Yes, I know, you don’t even have a company as yet, so why am I saying this is the first step?
Well, keep reading…
Firstly… What’s a PRO?
To the uninitiated, a performance rights organization (PRO) is a society that collects royalties on your behalf from people or entities that use your music publicly.
An entity or business could be playing music at a nightclub, event, concert, restaurant, you name it. If your music is part of the music they use for their event or business, and they are making money from it use, you should be earning.
That is where the PRO society steps in.
The societies are not-for-profit bodies that act on your behalf by making deals with various other for-profit entities (TV stations, radio stations, nightclubs, party promoters, concert organizers, theme parks, etc.) that want to use your music publicly.
There are four major PROs: ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, and GMR. More on them later, as well as which of these to choose.
Why it’s important to affiliate with a PRO first
The societies mentioned handle the accounts of many labels and publishing companies. Because of that, they will reject your submission if you happen to have a company name that is the same as, or even similar to, a name that is already affiliated with them.
This makes it easier for them to pay out monies to the right people, and not send paychecks to individuals or entities that have similar names to yours.
You definitely don’t want that to happen. But that’s not all…
It would be frustrating if, after creating a company with its name printed on music, copyrighted, registered, and released under a label and publisher’s name, you find out you cannot collect royalties because your name is the same as someone else’s…
That would be entirely disheartening, and completely suck.
So the best thing for you to do is to come up with some unique names first, and then send them in with your application form.
How to choose a name
Come up with a list of at least 15 unique names that you like. It could be anything from a random assortment of your favorite words in the dictionary, to street names, fruits, animals, or funky name spellings. Get creative. But stay clear of names like “Hit Music” anything generic like “Acme Music,” names like that are obviously taken and will surely be rejected.
Now, narrow down that list to 3 of your top favorite names.
Next, do a Google search with your name “+ publishing” to see if someone else is using it. You can also use “music,” “music group,” “records,” and “record label,” and so on.
If your favorite choices seem to be taken, cycle through your name favorites list until you come to 3 unique names.
Also, you’ll find that this exercise will cause you to naturally come up with more names on your own. Just have fun with it.
Once you’ve found your top 3 unique company names, you can submit them, in order of preference, with your PRO application to a society of your choice. At least one of the names submitted will surely be accepted.
If you’re a songwriter, composer, or producer…musician
You will need to register with only one of the PROs, as they do not allow you to register with more than one at a time.
You will need to register yourself as both a “songwriter” (even if you’re a producer or a composer/instrumentalist) as well as a “publisher.” This gives you complete 100% rights to collect all of your royalties as both the creator and publisher of your work.
If you’re a label owner or publisher…
On the other hand, if you start a record label or a music publishing combusinessmanpany with the intention or releasing and publishing other people’s work, you will only need to register your company name as a publisher. You will only be collecting royalties as a publisher of the music you release.
You’ll also need to have several companies, one for each PRO you join. More on this later…
Which society to join?
Once you’ve got your name, and know what you’re signing up as, you’ll just need to go to the society’s websites and get there application form:
ASCAP
BMI
SESAC
GMR
The first two ASCAP and BMI are the most preferred. Why? Well, SESAC and GMR are by invitation only. There, I narrowed down your choices for you.
If you’re a songwriter, producer, or composer, and you plan on releasing only your own music, you will need to sign up for either ASCAP or BMI.
If you are a publisher or label owner, and hence will be releasing other people’s music, you will need to sign up for both ASCAP and BMI. You’ll most likely be representing artists affiliated with either, so it’s best you sign up for both.
What you’ll need…
Keep in mind that in addition to the regular information you need to provide (like your name, address, age, etc.) PROs are going to need information about all the music in your catalog.
You will need a list of your music, or the music you plan to release/have released, plus information on them:
writers
publishers
recording/production date
release dates
etc…
You can get the application and information from the links I provided above. The entire process takes about 5 weeks, so don’t rush through the entire thing. Bookmark this post and come back to it when you’ve gotten the first step out of the way.
Step 2 – Register your music publishing companyRegister your company
Now that we’ve gotten the first essential step out of the way, it is time to create an actual business.
You can go about this two ways.
You can either register the name you submitted and was approved for by the PRO as either an LLC (limited liability company) or corporation. Or, if you’re in the US, you can create what is known as a “fictitious business-name statement.”
Other countries will have similar options, so those are your two choices.
My personal recommendation, which is what I did, is you create a business name. Corporations and LLC require a structure that would be far too complicated for your needs at the moment. All you need is a business name, separate from your personal name, under which you will be conducting business.
If your music publishing company ever happens to expand to the point of requiring paid staff, with all the fun tax stuff that that requires, then you’re free to change to a corporation or LLC in the future.
For now, just register your business name (in the US, fictitious business-name statement).
This step will take about 2 weeks max if you provided the correct information. So again, don’t rush it, just relax and take your time…
Bookmark this page and come back to it when you need the next step.
Step 3 – Registering copyrightregister copyright protection
After you’ve registered your business name, you will have, in essence, a music publishing company. But there are still a couple more steps that you need to take in order for it to be in full effect.
You want to protect the interest of the music you work with, and run an ethical publishing company that represents either your music or the music of your artists.
The next essential step, then, is to register copyright to the music.
You will be registering the copyright of the music in the name of the publishing company under which you will be doing business (that is why you needed to register you company name first).
If you plan on, or went ahead and registered for a corporation or LLC first, you will need to get some tax advice first before doing any copyrighting stuff. There can be serious consequences for holding copyrights in these entities, and you want to make sure you’re OK (see why I insisted on filing for a fictitious business name?)
If it happens that the copyright to the music you want to publish has already been copyrighted (in your name or the name of someone else, for instance), you’ll need to file an assignment at the copyright office to effectively transfer the copyright over to your publishing company’s business name.
For US persons, you can register your copyrights here: www.copyright.gov
International persons simply locate their local copyright office.
Step 4 – Register songs with a PRO societyperformance rights organisations
There may be reasons why you haven’t registered your music to a PRO when you first affiliated with them. Maybe you didn’t have any music as yet, or you were required to have music released first. Either way, at this point you can now register all of your music. Simply fill out the forms required for submitting your songs.
Keep in mind, you will have to register your songs as either a songwriter or a music publisher, not both. So…
if you’re a publisher or label owner, publishing other people’s music for them, you register the songs as a publisher (that way you take publisher’s credit, and assign songwriter credit to the artist your represent)
if you are a songwriter, producer, composer, register your music as a songwriter. Since you’ve started a music publishing company, you will be conducting the publishing aspect of your music under your business name already.
Step 5 – Tying up some loose ends…
Congratulation! You’re in business! You may now operate your music publishing company as a writer, publisher, or label owner.
However, there are a few other aspects to publishing that you may want to take note of. These are not considered “priority,” but they are good bases to cover regardless, and can be done after you’ve set up the essential framework above.
SoundExchangeSound-Exchange-Logo
Don’t leave these people out.
SoundExchange is PRO as well. But while the PROs I mentioned above are responsible for collecting monies for the public for-profit use of your music, SoundExchange is responsible for collecting royalties for the digital transfer of your music.
This includes satellite radio, internet radio, cable music channels, and other streaming services that fall under this category.
Why is this important?
Well, streaming and digital-transfer of music is becoming more and more lucrative. In fact, that is where the real money is for a lot of artists and music labels these days. Many artists have become successful through digital streaming alone, so you want to ensure you have that covered.
Encode your music with Nielsen BDS Radionielsen bds radio logo
If your songs are played on terrestrial radio (your regular FM radio), it’s a good idea to get your songs encoded so that it can be tracked and monitored.
How to do this?
Send an email directly to the Client Services Department at Nielsen through their email address, clientservices@bdsonline.com, with “Virtual Encode” as your subject.
In that email provide the following:
Your Full Name
Music Publishing Company or Label Name
Contact Number
Primary Email Address
Any Additional Contact Information
You will receive login information which will provide you with the details needed to log into the Nielsen site.
Once you’re on the site, you can upload your songs and use the virtual encoder to generate codes for each song you’ve released.
Where to release music…
If you were wondering, you can release music either through Tunecore, CDBaby or Label-Worx. The first two are preferable for songwriters and producers, because it’s simpler.
Label-Worx is a full service label platform that provides complete services for people who are interested in creating and running a music label. If this is the direction you prefer to take, then this is a good option for you.
Conclusion – Your New Music Publishing Company!smiling
And that’s it!
You’ve learned how to start a music publishing company. If you followed all these steps, you are now in business. Good job!
To break it down, here is what we covered, in 5 simple steps:
✓ – Choose a unique name for your music publishing company, and affiliate it with a PRO
✓ – Register your music publishing company as a business name, corporation, or LLC
✓ – Register the copyright of your songs
✓ – Register all your songs with a PRO
✓ – To cover your bases, join SoundExchange and Encode your songs with Nielsen
How to Start Your Own Music Publishing Company
The A to Z’s of becoming a music publisher, and increasing your earnings potential
Posted in MusicWorld on February 19, 2015 by Jason Blume
Some songwriters establish a music publishing company with the intention of publishing only their own material. Songwriters who retain their publishing rights earn both the writer’s share and the publisher’s share of any income their songs generate. In addition to earning twice the money, the other major benefit to self-publishing is that you control all creative and business decisions regarding your songs. For those who are able to secure placements of their material and generate income without relying on a publisher, self-publishing may be ideal.
Other individuals start music publishing companies in order to represent songs and compositions written by writers other than themselves. Regardless of whether your goal is to publish your own songs—or those written by others—the process of opening a music publishing company is easy. It starts with the completion of some simple paperwork.
To qualify for affiliation as a publisher with BMI you must be the publisher or co-publisher of one or more commercially released musical compositions (for example, a song available for sale on CD, DVD, or as a digital download); or music that is being broadcast, or is likely to be broadcast, on radio, television, film, or other electronic mediums such as, cable, Internet, or pay-per-view; or work that is being performed in venues that are licensable by PROs (such as nightclubs, concerts, or symphonic recitals).
Applications can be completed online. There is a $150 fee for solely owned publishing companies to affiliate; $250 for partnerships, corporations, and limited-liability companies. There is no fee to affiliate with BMI as a writer.
As part of the application process you will be required to submit five potential names for your publishing company in order of preference. You will likely need to be creative in selecting your company name because any name that is identical—or deemed too similar—to an existing music publishing company will be rejected in order to avoid confusion and the potential of payments being issued to the wrong company.
After your publishing company’s name has been cleared and your application for affiliation has been accepted, your next step is to complete the paperwork required by the state in which you reside to legally establish yourself as a business. You can learn what your state requires and download the necessary forms by visiting the website of the Secretary of State’s office or the County Clerk.
It is likely that you will need to file either a “fictitious name statement” or a “d-b-a” (“doing-business-as”) form. Depending upon the requirements in your location, you may also need to publish (in a local newspaper) a statement of your intent to do business.
In most locales, proof of completion of these forms is required in order to open a bank account in the name of your business. This is necessary in order to cash checks drafted to your company (such as performance and mechanical royalty checks).
Songwriters can only affiliate with one society at a time. If you are a BMI-affiliated songwriter who is publishing only your own songs, your publishing company only needs to be affiliated with BMI; you do not need to join any other PRO. However, if you publish songs by writers who are members of other performing rights societies, you must establish a publishing company that is affiliated with each society that represents one of your writers, and each of these companies needs to have a different name.
As a publisher you will be required to register your songs with BMI. To register a song simply login to BMI Online Services and navigate to “Works Registration”. Alternatively you may register using a “Work Registration” form—available for download at www.bmi.com/forms. Using either method, you provide information including the songs’ writer(s) and publisher(s); the percentage of ownership assigned to each; and contact information.
To gain maximum protection, you will likely want to register the songs you publish with the U.S. Copyright Office. If you have already registered the songs in your own name, you will need to file the appropriate forms to transfer the copyright(s) to your publishing company.
If you have followed the steps outlined above, you have now established a music publishing company. As a music publisher, you will be required to issue licenses (such as mechanical/recording licenses, print licenses, and synchronization licenses) for the songs you represent. But the more challenging task will be generating income by placing the songs you publish with successful recording artists, or on television and in films.
If you represent songs that are competitive in the current marketplace, and you are diligent about taking care of business, you should be well on your way to being a successful publisher!
Jason Blume is the author of This Business of Songwriting and 6 Steps to Songwriting Success (Billboard Books). His songs are on three Grammy-nominated albums and have sold more than 50,000,000 copies. One of only a few writers to ever have singles on the pop, country, and R&B charts, all at the same time—his songs have been recorded by artists including Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys, the Gipsy Kings, Jesse McCartney, and country stars including Collin Raye (6 cuts), the Oak Ridge Boys, Steve Azar, and John Berry (“Change My Mind,” a top 5 single that earned a BMI “Million-Aire” Award for garnering more than one million airplays). In the past eighteen months he’s had three top-10 singles and a “Gold” record in Europe by Dutch star, BYentl, including a #1 on the Dutch R&B iTunes chart.
Jason’s songs have been included in films and TV shows including “Scrubs,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Assassination Games,” Disney’s “Kim Possible” “Dangerous Minds,” “Kickin’ it Old Skool,” “The Guiding Light,” “The Miss America Pageant,” and many more. Jason is in his nineteenth year of teaching the BMI Nashville Songwriters workshops. A regular contributor to BMI’s Music World magazine, he presented a master class at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (founded by Sir Paul McCartney) and teaches songwriting throughout the U.S., Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Ireland, the U.K., Canada, Bermuda, and Jamaica.
After twelve years as a staff-writer for Zomba Music, Blume now runs Moondream Music Group. For additional information about Jason’s latest books, instructional audio CDs, and workshops visit www.jasonblume.com.
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