Top 5 Rookie Mistakes When Releasing New Music

Photo of Dylan Cornell by Bonnie M. Moret

Summer is a great time to release new music - just be sure to steer clear of common rookie mistakes. For readers who pursue music as a hobby, the following list is not for you - just keep doing what makes you happy. This is for the artists who want to make music their career and who want to understand how the professional music community thinks.

#1: EPs are where songs go to die. 

An EP (short for "extended play") is longer than a single but shorter than a full-length album (an LP, or "long play" record). Think four to five tracks. EPs are a relic of a bygone era when music was technologically limited to certain types of vinyl. They have virtually no role in the modern music industry and simply come across as half-baked records. I'm also showing my age a bit here, because I still believe in the power of full-length albums. When was the last time you heard someone raving about their favorite EP? I've heard great songs wither and die on EPs because they never got a proper release. 

If you have five decent songs, chances are only one of them is actually good, in which case you should release it as a single and finish the album. If you truly have five solid songs, then write five more and make it a full meal. I will listen to an LP I enjoy over and over, but no one wants to hear the same five songs repeat every 20 minutes. 

An additional problem arises when, if you try to re-release those five tracks on a subsequent album, your fans will not be excited about buying the same songs again. Just don't do it. Finish the album and follow the rest of the tips here.

#2: Releasing cover songs without a license.

So you want to record an entire album of cover songs? Great! You'll have to pay for it, though. If you think creating your own version of someone else's song absolves you of copyright infringement, think again. The good news is that many compositions can be mechanically licensed through the Harry Fox Agency website, which serves as a convenient clearinghouse for a lot of famous (and not-so-famous) songs. If the song you want is not listed with HFA, you can get a license issued directly from the song's publisher. Even better, consult with an attorney who specializes in music to help you navigate this complicated terrain. 

#3: No spine, no find.

Once you're ready to print physical copies of your album (NOT an EP, right?), don't waste your time and money on CD packaging that doesn't contain a spine. You know what I'm talking about: those flatter-than-a-pancake CD covers that double as coasters or get stuck forever between your car seats. Just don't do it. The best reason I've ever heard for this - besides looking cheap and not worth your fans' money - is because it will get lost on a radio station's shelf. If there's no spine, they'll never find it again. 

This is bigger than radio stations, though. As your career advances, there will come a time when you have to solicit the services of publicists, booking agents, bloggers, record stores, management companies, venues, etc. If you want any of them to take you seriously, then start by taking your packaging seriously. Invest in yourself and your product if you expect others to do the same.

#4: Poor album artwork.

Your album artwork is your listener's first introduction to you and your music, and it plays a enormous role in whether or not someone even bothers to listen. Cover art can be as much an expression of the artist as the music itself, but it also functions as a critical marketing tool. The purpose of marketing is to draw in customers, and if your album art fails to do that, you've at best missed an opportunity to make a sale and a new fan, and at worst you've actually turned away customers with bad album art. You don't have to wear a cowboy hat to sell a country album, but don't steer your listeners wrong about the contents of the record either. Be creative and get feedback from friends, fans or internet strangers on which images, concepts and even typeface convey you and your music the best. They may reveal to you things you never even considered.

And above all else, don't forget to put your name, album title and song titles on the packaging AND on the disc. You're not famous enough not to.

#5: It really is all about the marketing.

So you've spent years pouring your heart and soul into the production of an album (NOT an EP!), worked tirelessly on the album artwork, finally got it mixed and mastered, and then... you got trigger-happy and released everything online for free. No build-up, no announcement, no press release, no tour, no exclusive first-listen for your fans or bloggers. Nothing. You just assumed that once the internet heard your beautiful creations, money and attention would start pouring in like the gold rush. But it doesn't work that way. 

Making an album takes a long time, and planning for the release of that album should take a long time, too. Music at its core is all about the creator, but if you want to make music your career, you have to set your ego aside and consider your audience, at least for marketing purposes. Think about all the great album releases that have drawn you in. None of it is accidental. Good marketing is designed to be subtle. If you've never marketed a product or service before, written a press release, or organized a tour (the traditional ways in which artists promote and sell their works), then you may want to consider investing in the services of a publicist, marketing firm or booking agency (that is, if you can get one to accept you as a client). This is what separates the music hobbyists from the professionals.

If all of this makes your head spin, then take a deep breath and don't worry - the music business is a marathon, and the rewards go to those with the most endurance. Success, if it happens at all, necessarily means familiarizing yourself with the standards and practices of a nearly century-old institution while also navigating the rapidly evolving world of instant digital distribution. This is a team effort with a lifelong learning curve, so invest in yourself, prepare for the long haul, and outsource the tasks you're not an expert in. You can do this.  

For more tips on how to structure band agreements or distinguishing between songwriting and recording rights, check out Attorney Moore's other writings at www.bethbmoore.com.

Beth B. Moore is an entertainment lawyer at the The Beth B. Moore Law Firm in Atlanta, Georgia. She represents recording artists, songwriters, managers, independent record labels and other music professionals, helping them navigate the legal and business challenges of the music industry. You can contact Attorney Moore at beth@bethbmoore.com.

Book Review: "One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band"

"One Way Out," by Alan Paul (2014)

If you enjoy rock 'n roll history as much as I do, check out Alan Paul's biography One Way Out: The Inside History of the Allman Brothers Band (2014), an iconic southern rock band for 40+ years based out of Macon, Georgia. From the very beginning to present day, their story is told entirely by the remaining band members themselves, in their own words, organized chronologically through a series of interviews and lightly narrated by Paul. 

Besides authoring a litany of classic rock hits, the Allman Brothers Band is perhaps most famously known for suffering the loss of two of its founding members to motorcycle accidents within a year of each other very early on in their career. Gregg Allman, with his admitted alcoholism and curious public behavior (including a short-lived marriage to Cher), paired with a rotating cast of band members throughout the years, left the Allman Brothers Band with a reputation for being both dysfunctional and legendary. The author does an excellent job of revealing - perhaps for the very first time - all the intricate business, legal and interpersonal dealings that occurred behind the scenes with every band member, every album, every tour and every hiring, firing and (sometimes) re-hiring. 

"One Way Out" is even more enjoyable while listening to the Allman Brothers Band discography (available on Spotify) while simultaneously learning the stories behind many of the band's most popular songs. You may find yourself, as I did, listening to old, familiar tunes for the first time all over again. No matter what, you will walk away from the book feeling like you know each band member personally, with a new-found respect for the incredibly hard work it takes to keep a band together. 

Highly recommend; 10/10.

The Beth B. Moore Law Firm Celebrates 2-Year Anniversary, Relaunches Website

Relaunching The Beth B. Moore Law Firm website.
www.BethBMoore.com

I'm happy to announce that as of August 2014, The Beth B. Moore Law Firm has been in existence for two wonderful and transformative years. I decided to celebrate the occasion by redesigning and relaunching my firm's website, www.BethBMoore.com. This moment is made possible not just by one but in fact two important anniversaries in my life.  

In August 2012 I took two major steps forward. First, I married the love of my life and adopted his surname of Moore. Second, as soon as we returned from our honeymoon, I began registering my new law practice under my new name and began preparing for this new chapter in my life, both as a solo practitioner and as a spouse. 

My desire to open my own practice was fueled entirely by my desire to have an up-close and personal relationship with my clients. Having grown up in Atlanta, I've always been surrounded by visual artists, songwriters, musicians, bands, comedians, filmmakers and countless other creative types. Lacking artistic talent myself, however, I sought out the next hardest thing I could do to pursue a profession in the creative arts, which meant going to law school. By the summer of 2012 (not coincidentally aligned with my impending nuptials and name change), I felt the timing was finally right to hang my own shingle and pursue my original goal that motivated me to take the LSAT in the first place, which was to become a self-employed entertainment law practitioner.

When I started The Beth B. Moore Law Firm, I brought with me the experience of having worked in both entertainment law and in small business, but I knew I still had a lot to learn. Not to mention I still had to get used to answering to the name "Mrs. Moore." These past two years have been an ongoing experiment in learning all new methods of record keeping, accounting, marketing, web design, social media management, networking, client development, sales, invoicing and a whole host of other areas of business I've had to become proficient in, in addition to further developing my entertainment law expertise. All while simultaneously embarking on an identity-altering journey with my chosen life partner.

What I've discovered is that each and every day of self-employment offers an opportunity for brand new learning experiences, and as a lawyer, it's my job to capitalize on as many of those teachable moments as possible. The "battle" is never won, and the "war" is never over - the search for new clients and projects to work on is a lifelong pursuit. No matter how much knowledge I possess, there's always more to be discovered. Given this invariable truth, I'm forever grateful that I love my job and that I've discovered a purpose in life that fulfills my soul, each and every day. I'm even more fortunate that I get to say the same thing about my marriage.

Happy Anniversary, from the Moores! Here's to many more to come.