More often, we, as a society, love to hear the success stories of certain people and what they did to achieve that success. Surely, these success stories are awesome and inspire a lot of people. Despite their inspirational effect, we believe they only tell us a single-sided perspective.
As an artist, you are likely very excited and hopeful about your newfound passion and direction regarding the plan to reach your outlined goals. However, the fact is that not everyone is going to support your journey. Additionally, some may even doubt or discourage your journey.
Hailing from Guam, Jia has had a deep affair for Techno & House. As the Founder of 6AM, Jia has been championing the worldwide electronic music community for 13 years, all the while honing his craft as a track-selector with wide range, able to take dance floors from ambient, deep and textured hypnotic states all the way to peak-time frenzy. His collaboration with Synthetik Minds promotion, also known as WORK, has been a house and techno powerhouse in the Los Angeles area. Read more
Well-known record labels and artists are choosing to remove their music from Spotify. Munich label Ilian Tape removed its entire back catalogue from the streaming giant. Even Ye is ditching the platform for his forthcoming release Donda 2. Controversy has plagued Spotify because of its low royalty rates and recent political decisions, such as Spotify CEO Daniel Ek choosing to invest in AI defense capabilities for British, German, and French militaries. Despite compelling moral and ethical reasons to leave, some artists simply can’t. There are legal and practical considerations that prevent many artists from cancelling Spotify.
When Neil Young said that he wanted to take his music off of Spotify because of Joe Rogan, he actually didn’t have the legal right to remove his music. Young gave that right to his label, Warner Music Group, when he signed his record deal. Because Warner owned Young’s copyrights to his work, Young had to ask for Warner’s permission before he removed his music from Spotify. Many well-known and emerging artists are in the same predicament.
Although copyright law varies from country to country, an artist’s copyright can always be given away in a contract. The issue is that some artists do not understand what rights they give up when they sign a record deal. Or, they feel pressured to sign an unfavorable contract because it will “look good.”
Artists often give up the entire copyright to their work. This means that the artist’s label has the exclusive rights to their music. In other words, the label has the legal power to do what they want with the artist’s music, regardless of the artist’s permission or consent.
Artists who do not own their copyrights and want to take their music off of Spotify must ask their labels first. For artists signed to multiple labels, as is usually the case, the process can be difficult, time-consuming and disheartening. In the event that the label says “no,” legally speaking, there’s not much that the artist can do.
Besides legal barriers, there are also practical considerations for artists who want to remove their music. Most well-known labels and artists can pull the trigger because, well, they can. The decision to cancel Spotify isn’t so clear for other artists who do not have the financial resources or the clout to fall back on.
Very few artists actually make a living off of Spotify’s dismal streaming royalties. Most artists use Spotify because it’s a marketing tool. Ever wonder how Spotify curates its playlists? Artists submit a pitch for their songs to be selected.
The electronic music market is saturated and marketing has become more important to an artist’s success than ever before. Many artists are dependent on Spotify specifically for marketing. Even if Spotify isn’t their main marketing tool, artists still feel compelled to be on Spotify so that their music will be heard around the globe. These pressures are enough for artists to choose rather than cancel Spotify.
And, let’s be real. Most of us aren’t in the same position as Kanye West.
Music production appears glamorous. Your favorite artists’ social posts probably look like they’re having the time of their lives, but the photos will never show the sacrifices or struggles these artists likely went through to get where they are today. If you are an aspiring house and techno artist, then it’s important to be aware of barriers to entry. Why? When you understand these barriers, you will understand the sacrifices that coincide with music production and how these barriers can be broken.
Are you an artist in the electronic music space? Then 2022 has something in store for you. Beatport has announced a great opportunity for emerging artists. This past year and change has thrown more curveballs than a Boston Red Sox pitcher, but November 2021 will put you on the map for what’s to come the following year. Electronic music DJs and producers will have the chance to be a part of Beatport Next class of 2022. It welcomes up-and-coming artists to get a full year of dedicated support from the platform.
Hot off the release of his latest release ‘Say So EP,’ the Berlin-based house producer and DJ Kevin Knapp shows no signs of slowing down. With the recent launch of his own imprint entitled Plump Records after a slew of successful releases on some of house music’s top labels, Knapp is becoming known as a force-to-be-reckoned with, behind both the DJ and production booths.
A musician, a DJ, a teacher, an inventor, and a visionary, Mike Henderson aka ENDO has been touching various aspects of the music industry for more than 20 years. From managing tours for Sasha, Nicole Moudaber, Pete Tong, and Dubfire to being one of the most sought out music techies training industry heavyweights including Carl Cox and Grandmaster Flash on Traktor, ENDOâs curiosity has been the driving force to his musical abilities. Read more
Do you still remember that very first moment when you absolutely fell in love with the music, vibe, and this new scene you have just discovered? To the point where you actually said to yourself (or something of the likes)
“YES!! I finally found my passion (or calling) and THIS is what I want to pursue in life! This is where I am the happiest and I am so excited to have discovered this music and I want to get involved in any way I possibly can!”
Ok maybe not all of you were as enthusiastic like I was but you get the point.
Every electronic music artist has an entry point and it’s either starting off as a DJ or beginning their journey as a producer. Some may find the DJing part to be more fun and interesting while others may find music production as more fun and creative. Not everyone who gets into this craft wants to be a DJ/Producer depending on personal preference and choice of lifestyle one is pursuing. The journey of each may start the same but each of them leads different paths and take different approaches to get to a professional level. Let’s take a look at the two types of electronic music artists more extensively to give you a clear breakdown on the journey ahead for each. Read more
