I was finally able to connect with Jesse Dunn, front man for North Lake Tahoe based Dead Winter Carpenters!

DWC was named Volume 11’s 2012 band of the year due to their successful use of Kickstarter to fund their second album, as well as their general embodiment of what it takes for a young touring band with large aspirations to be successful in today’s music industry.

Jesse, how did the band come together and when did you originally play as Dead Winter Carpenters?

The band first came together at Bobolink Festival in Belden Town, CA. I was playing there with Montana Slim. Jenni was playing with a friend and sat in with Big Light.

Tahoe isn’t very far from the bay area, so as Montana Slim was slowing down playing shows, Jenni’s band Rusty Strings were also in the same phase. Our drummer Ryan was playing in Rusty Strings, so basically members of both bands merged.

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I recently had the opportunity to speak with Steven Winogradsky of Winogradsky/Sobel about common legal and business issues artists face, and what artists can do to successfully navigate these issues.

These issues are paramount to an artist success because according to Mr. Winogradsky, “Indie artists, and artists in general, need to understand that as much as they think it’s about making the music, in some ways it’s really about making money and understanding the business, because if they can’t make the money, they don’t get the chance to make the music.”

What are the top things independent artists should be doing from a business standpoint that they aren’t doing?

Most of the time, they are not getting agreements upfront as to what their business arrangements are.

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I was lucky enough to get a chance to talk with Eric Palmquist of Disney Music Publishing about (i) publishing income, (ii) when writers should be paid, and (iii) what writers can do to make sure they are receiving royalties when they should be.

Here is the interview:

What is a Royalty Statement and when should writers be receiving them?

A royalty statement outlines what money you are getting paid for the use of your song.  Some royalty statements are paid quarterly, some twice a year;  it depends on what you negotiated in the contract.

When should writers receive a royalty for the use of their song?

You have basically 4 types of royalties: mechanical, performance, sync, and print.  So if we go through them one at a time:

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Most of you probably have a basic understanding of what music publishing is, but have you ever thought about how changes in the music publishing business affects you, the independent artist?

Is it easier or harder to get a music publishing deal than it used to be? Do you even need a music publishing deal? What can you expect a music publishing deal to do for you in today’s music industry climate?

I got the opportunity to ask veteran of the music publishing industry Jonathan Rosner some questions on the topic.

What do you think are the biggest changes in music publishing over the last 10 years?

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(Pesci) Jeff Gray works in music licensing at Fox Sports & is an A&R / Talent Relations contact for Future Content LLC. Previously, Pesci has worked for MTV, Bug Music Publishing, Warner Music & Cleopatra Records.

Pesci also plays an active role in the music community as a performer (guitar), songwriter, arranger and collaborator.

He is a 9 year ambassador for the Hunnypot lifestyle brand contributing to their industry parties and bi-weekly radio show.

Pesci has worked with and participated with artists such as Jennifer Marks, Superdrag, Beth Thornley, Local H, TSOL, Janis Ian, Geza X, Paul Roessler, Lovers Electric, The Shocker, Libbie Schrader and many more.

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Crucial Music is a one-stop agency for licensing independent music to films, TV shows, and commercials.

One of the premier services of its kind, Crucial has secured many feature placements for independent artists in highly rated television shows, feature films, and advertising.

I recently got the opportunity to sit down with Tanvi Patel, one of the founders of Crucial Music, to ask her about what Crucial Music does for artists, and what artists should know before signing with a non-exclusive catalog.

What is your professional background and how did you get involved in Crucial Music?

I started in radio, in broadcasting. I have a degree in communications. Right out of college I went into the radio business and specifically public radio. I was a DJ and did some event planning as well for the radio station. I decided that I wanted to be in the record business because I was spinning records.

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For those of you who missed part 1, you can check it out here.

Thanks again to Danny Dee for sharing some really great advice on Social Media Marketing and how to make it as an independent artist. For more info on Danny Dee, you can visit his websites http://www.digipendent.com/ and http://dannydee.com/, or follow him on Twitter, http://twitter.com/DannyDee.

YOU STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF ARTISTS HAVING A WEBSITE. CAN YOU TELL US WHY IT’S SO IMPORTANT FOR AN ARTIST TO HAVE A WEBSITE?

So it goes back to the whole thing of knowing exactly who your consumer, who your fan is, and being able to own that fan.

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I met Daniel “Danny Dee” Aguayo when I took a class on the music industry at SF State. He was invited by my professor to give a guest lecture at one of our classes.

I was blown away by his presentation to the class called “The Age of Engage: An Urban Guide to the Social Music Evolution” which addressed the changing state of the music industry and how artists can succeed in today’s music industry.

I recently got a chance to interview him, and find out a little more about his career, his website, and his advice for making it as an independent musician.
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I learned a lot talking to him and I think you will too.

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Webcasting is now finally gaining ground as a legitimate global growth vehicle for any level band.

I was able to meet with two San Francisco bay area musicians – Brian Vandemark and Brandon Watson – both of whom have been gaining knowledge and experience using justin.tv.

They have handled the webcasting duties for their various music projects, and were gracious enough to explain what they have learned so far.

When was the first time you used Justin.tv or any online video streaming site to promote or show your music? What was that experience like?

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In order to be a successful in this day and age, musicians must not only be great artists but also smart business people.

Mason Reed exemplifies the hard work and entrepreneurial spirit of a new generation of independent artists who are able to create their own paths to success.

Reed combines new technologies with traditional ways to make fans and promote his music.

I asked him some questions about his music, his “never ending tour,” his opinions on the music industry, and the record label he’s working to start so that he could share some of the lessons he’s learned with our V11 readers.

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