August 2015
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
Mariah Carey
Top Top 10 10 Artists Artists Find out which one of your favorite artists made it to #1.
Downtown Chicago does it again with another Summer Singing Fest in Millenium Park.
iPod
! p U t i e n u T Put your music where your device is.
Contents Cover Story
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7 PARTY IN THE PARK Summer Singing Fest was a big hit at the Millenium Park with famous musical guests. 8 EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH MARIAH CAREY Get the inside scoop with a one on one interview with Mariah Carey. 14 T OP TEN ARTISTS Ten musical artists and only one winner who made it to the top?
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Features
26 M USIC INDUSTRY EYES THE DIGITAL FUTURE What has been bothering people about music over the internet is about to become a reality.
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32 M USIC STRATEGIES - TEN KEYS TO SUCCESS Everything you need to know in order to be successful in the music industry. 38 N EW ARTIST IN TOWN This fiery beauty just rocked the whole stage in the club. Just who is this rockstar.
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Music Industry Eyes
DIGITAL FUTURE By Emma Vandore
A
fter years of fighting the Wild West of freely downloaded music, the mainstream music industry welcomed a former desperado to their annual schmoozefest on Monday, highlighting the difficulty of their search for a solution to plunging CD sales. And that solution might be: give music away legally and find another way — such as advertising — to make money. Participation was down at the annual MIDEM music business conference at the seaside resort of Cannes, reflecting the failure of digital music sales to make up for crumbling revenues and the billions of dollars being lost to music piracy — illegal downloads outnumber the number of tracks sold by a factor of 20 to 1 according to industry body IFPI. Yet the theatre was packed when Janus Friis — co-founder of Kazaa, the music-sharing service once reviled by record levels — addressed participants. Friis, who was presented
as an internet entrepreneur and a grandfather of digital music distribution, gave his backing to the latest venture making a lot of noise at MIDEM: Qtrax, which shows both the interest in making giveaways pay — and the difficult of putting the deals together. A revamped online ad-supported file-sharing service, Qtrax promises to offer unlimited, free music downloads. It was launched amid a blizzard of publicity in Cannes, including champagne, snazzy slogans and invite-only concerts from celebrities including James Blunt and LL Cool J. After lunch with Qtrax CEO Allan Klepfisz on Saturday, Friis said he would have liked to create “an advertising supported service” for Kazaa — if only the record labels had given their blessing. “We were trying to do the same things,” he told delegates. “But we couldn’t do it. The timing was just like, so off.”
Yet even as record labels start embracing new technologies — Sony BMG Music Entertainment became the last major music label to start selling music online without copy protection this month — Qtrax showed Cannes the birthing process can be extremely difficult. The website service had not even gone live when Warner Music Group issued a statement denying Qtrax’s claims it had given the service permission to give away its music. Two other major recording companies, Universal Music Group and EMI Group, later confirmed they did not have licensing deals in place with Qtrax, noting discussions were still ongoing. Sony BMG said on Monday that it has not entered into a license granting Qtrax the rights to launch the latest version of the service. The recording company had reached a deal with Qtrax last April licensing its content when Qtrax was eyeing a service that would allow users to listen to a track a handful of times before being given the option to purchase it. Klepfisz said on Monday in an emailed statement that users won’t be able to activate the music they download “until QTRAX
secures fully executed agreements with pertinent rights holders.” He said Qtrax went ahead and launched at MIDEM due to the “support” of rights holders which “will be publicly clarified within a very short time.” On Sunday, Klepfisz admitted discussions with the labels were not easy. “A colonoscopy is relatively painless in comparison,” he told participants. The New York-based service was among several peer-to-peer file-sharing applications that emerged following the shutdown of Napster, the pioneer service that enabled millions to illegally copy songs stored in other music fans’ computers. Qtrax shut down after a few “I would like anybody to succeed in this area but there are big challenges,” months following its 2002 launch to avoid potential legal trouble. The latest version still lets users tap into file-sharing networks to search for music, but downloads come with copy-protection technology known as digitalrights management, or DRM, to prevent users from burning copies to a CD and calculate how to divvy up advertising sales with
labels. Downloads can be stored indefinitely on PCs and — unlike several competing services — be transferred onto portable music players. The website started offering limited service on Monday morning, although users will have to wait until February 29 for portability. An “iPod solution” for Apple’s popular player won’t be available until April 15, Qtrax said. For an industry that has traditionally relied on paid-for services, advertising was greeted cautiously in Cannes as a replacement for consumers’ cash.
months, although ad-funded today is economically not really 100 percent viable,” it is likely to become “significant” as “an additional model to the industry.” “In the next twelve months, although ad-funded today is economically not really 100 percent viable,”
While the record labels’ battles against internet entrepreneurs like Friis may not have won them consumers, the experience may yet help stamp out piracy. Scarred by his legal fight with the music industry, which cost Kazaa $115 “I would like anybody to succeed million, Friis says he has gone in this area but there are big straight with his new venture, challenges,” said John Kennedy, Joost, which delivers video over CEO of the International Federation the internet onto PCs under deals of the Phonographic Industry, or with content providers including IFPI. “I don’t see how Qtrax has Viacom, CBS, CNN, the NHL, resolved the challenge of providing Sony and others. adequate revenues.” “When we started Joost we cerSteve Purdham CEO of We7, tainly didn’t want another, like, five the ad-funded music download years of World War Four litigation service backed by Peter Gabriel, with the entertainment industry so said advertising is catching on we were kind of had to — slowly. A year ago at Cannes choose to do it in a very “I was told there was no way legitimate way which ultiany ad-supported model would mately is going to be the work,” he said.“The conversations best business.” that are going on now are much more open. In the next twelve
Musician Strategies: 10 Keys to Success Here are 10 recommendations for strategies that can lead to success in music, and in life. Take them with a grain of salt. With this new year comes the promise of digital music, the power of the entrepreneur and the tools to connect with an audience and deliver the goods.
1. Living a life in music is a privilege. Earn it.
4. If you suck, you will never make it. Find a way to be great.
There is very little more satisfying then spending time
Lets face it, it is really hard to be amazing. Some
making music. If you make this your life’s work, then
people have the natural talent and you can see it in the
you can be truly joyful. However, the chances of being successful are extremely low and the only people who are going to get there are going to have to work hard and earn the right to be a musician. Respect the privilege of being free enough to have this choice (if you do) and honor the opportunity.
2. No one is in charge of your muse but you. Be happy and positive. People can be their own worst enemy. Countless times I have heard artists tell me the reasons why their career is not working out. Most of the time they are putting blocks in their way and pointing fingers at people and
first 5 seconds of meeting them. They are truly blessed. The rest of us have to find our niche, our passion, our calling and then reach for it. Ask people around you for feedback. Find what you are good at and focus on that. Get other people to help you. If you don’t stand out and rise above the pack, you will struggle forever. Be amazing.
There is very little more satisfying then spending time making music. If you make this your life’s work, then you can be truly joyful.
things that are holding them back. Stop whining and blaming other people and make the conscious decision that you are going to be successful and that things are
5. Learn how to breathe and keep your focus. Stay calm.
going to work out in your favor. You are creating your own reality every day, so make it a good one and
There is nothing more pleasant than working with
excel.
someone who knows who they are and what their
3. Practice, practice, practice – then go for it. Over prepare. You can never be ready enough for opportunity. Your live shows can always be better, your songs can be more amazing, and your playing can only improve. As the CEO of your own musician business, you can learn how to run the company more effectively, reach out to more fans and be an more effective social media
goal is. Remember the old adages of thinking before you speak, and taking a deep breath before you lay into someone. Most of us have a lot going on in our lives and we can all benefit from staying focused on our goals and remaining calm in most situations. Learn yoga, exercise, run, meditate, sit still, breathe, learn who you are.
6. Don’t take yourself too seriously, no one else does. Have fun.
marketer. Don’t hold yourself back by not being ready. Be a professional.
I am amazed at how many people spend so much time looking backwards and trying to understand what people think of them. This is worrying about the past and not embracing the future. Reviews are important, but don’t run to them or let them ruin your day. Not
everyone is going to like you, but more people will if you are having a good time.
7. No matter how difficult things get, move forward. Don’t give up.
10. Work and play with people you like every day. Collaborate Often. Music is a tribal experience. You cannot make great music alone. Surround yourself with talented people, write together, play together, try new things. Bounce
The only thing that will help your career take off is
inspiration off of each other and learn. Listen to each
forward momentum. That is how you are going to
other and let the music weave it’s way around you.
reach your goals. A lot of people are stuck in their own
Find a producer, songwriting partner, other musicians
mud. Take action, make a move and then see what
and dive in together. The whole is greater than the sum
happens. Don’t spend time procrastinating or worrying
of its parts.
about how hard it is, just do something positive to advance your cause. You will feel much better by acting instead of waiting or worrying.
8. Find a way to make money. Start small and grow. Avoid being in debt. This is probably the most important strategy of them all and why so many artists have gotten into trouble in the past by taking label advances. All that is, is a big loan. Get some kind of cash flow happening right away, no matter how small. Sell merch, play for the door, license your songs, play sessions, teach, write, start your musician business. The biggest mistake you can make is to borrow a lot of money and then spend it on things that don’t matter.
9. Be unique and true to your vision. Say something. The people that we remember are the ones that are unique, exciting, special, provocative, fascinating, original, inventive, interesting. Music is a basic form of communication. The really successful artists have something to say and work on delivering their message. Your chances of success go up exponentially if you have a unique position and message and create a following of fans who really listen to you because you have something important to say.
Wonderful things are waiting to happen to you.