Online music streaming and can be a quick and efficient method for getting your music out there for listeners to enjoy. Many speculate that streaming is the future of music consumption. Statistics already show a rising number of streaming site subscribers while digital downloads, album and single alike, are declining fast. There are a growing number of great streaming sites out there to choose from on the web. Lets take a look at a few!
Grooveshark
Grooveshark is an overall great music streaming site. You can search for almost any song and create a playlist, just as on an iPod, with the same playback options. Its only fault is that sometimes the site will freeze and your playlist is lost.
Spotify
Spotify is one of the best known music streaming sites out there. It has a catalog of over 20 million songs available for listening. Besides creating a playlist or listening to one album, you can also use Spotify’s radio option. This feature will choose music related to the original artists you were listening to and create a unique playlist for you. You can subscribe to their premium plan to get an ad-free version as well as higher quality tracks.
This music streaming site takes the personal playlist to a whole new level. You can choose a song and then Pandora will create a custom radio station of similar music. It works really well the recommendations for music selections are usually good choices based on the song you picked. With their premium service you can get rid of the ads and download a desktop app.
Google Play
Google Play is another great option for music streaming. You can choose from over 20 million songs to listen to. This streaming service is great when it comes to mobile listening options so you are not restricted to listening to music from your desktop.
Mixcloud
Mixcloud has a bit of different collection of music than the other music streaming services mentioned. They have a large collection of DJ mixes, podcasts and longer audio format recordings. It is great for listening to background music for long periods of time.
Thanks for stepping into The Record Shop Nashville Recording Studio! Follow & Chat with us on Twitter @therecordshop for daily updates from Gio & His Henchmen! We hope to see y’all again!
Copyright Your Music as a New Recording Artist
As a new artist, when you record music you want to put it out to the world as quickly as possible. New artists will often make the mistake of putting their music out there online or in the hands of record labels without realizing their rights to protect the art that they have created and to make sure that it stays in their hands. So before you find yourself in a scenario where your work has been copied or stolen, it is wise to learn how to copyright your music right from the start.
Individual Copyrights for Your Songs
A lot of producers, artists and musicians will put together an album of about 12 songs and then copyright the entire album at once. This may not be the wisest way to go about copyrighting your music. It can be much safer to copyright each song on an album. This can avoid confusion in the case of someone taking your songs because you can be compensated for each individual track instead of just one copyright violation.
How to Copyright Your Music
The most important step to copyright your music as well as your intellectual copyrights will be to make sure that you registered your music with a copyright office. By registering your music you will gain a record of proof that you are the owner of the music as well as rights in the case of copyright infringement. In order to get the process rolling you must request an SR (Sound Recording) or PA (Performing Arts) application form from the Copyright Office in Washington D.C. You can also download the application from their website or contact them by phone at (202)707-9100.
What to Expect
Once you have begun copyrighting your new music you can expect peace of mind in knowing that you are protected in the case of copyright infringement. The registration fee is $45 for each application or $35 if you file online.
Product review: Gibson Les Paul ’58 Reissue
In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Gibson Les Paul ’58 Reissue, Gibson has created the most accurate vintage Les Paul reproduction yet. This guitar has an updated antique finish, the same classic hardware design as the original, a new truss rod as well as trapezoid fretboard inlays in a classic style. When you own this guitar you will feel like you own a piece of rock music history.
The Main Features
The mahogany neck of this guitar has that early 1950’s profile that is so recognizable for Les Paul guitars and gives this reissue the feeling of coming straight out of 1958. The updated vintage appointments on the guitar make it look more like the original. The sound is very reminiscent of the orginal since the CustomBucker pickups give that same vintage tone.
Updated Vintage Appointments
The new appointments adds to this Gibson Les Paul ’58 reissue give it more authenticity and vintage sound. Hide glue is used to attach the neck, which will make the sound better than if synthetic glue was used.
CustomBucker Pickups
It is not only the aesthetic features that were taken into account in the design of this guitar. The electronics were also fine tuned. The internal signal path of this guitar is meant to give an exact 1958 Les Paul tone. The guitar features CTS potentiometers and bumble bee capacitors which help give it that exact sound you are looking for. As for the humbuckers, the CustomerBucker used for this ’58 reissue is the most historically accurate copy created to date of the original humbuckers used.
Early 1950’s Mahogany Neck
The iconic mahogany neck you have come to recognize in 1950’s Les Paul guitars is certainly a key feature for this guitar. It has the original wide neck used before 1959. The wide neck lets you really lean into the guitar when playing and get the best tone by digging in. The Les Paul Plaintop ’58 Reissue is the best of the best when it comes to historically accurate recreations of classic Les Paul guitars.
Studying Music Professionally
Have you even thought about what it takes to obtain a PhD in any type of musical performance? As a musician you know that talent can come naturally. Those with musical talent seem to be born with it. Musical skill is something that artists can perfect though. Studying music professionally can be a very rewarding experience and can boost your career immensely for both musical performers as well as educators.
The Highest Level of Musical Study
For studying music professionally in the States, there are two main options for the top degrees. The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) and the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) are the two terminal degrees in music education. Some schools will offer both programs, and there are some similarities and similar requirements for both.
The Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA)
This degree can be completed in three to five years. It allows gifted music students to get ready for promising careers in music while studying the subtleties of music theory and history. DMA students will train with artists, complete research projects and perform at major recitals during the program. A requirement at some schools is to learn a foreign language. There are several specializations for this degree, including musical performance, composition or conducting music.
A PhD in Music
A PhD program in music will focus more on academic research rather than musical performance. This degree option can take between four to six years to complete. Specializations include musicology, music theory or music history. There is a specific requirement in terms of coursework and qualifying exams for this type of program. Also, students must write and defend a thesis on an individual research topic. This type of program will also require students to learn at least one foreign language. Making the choice between the two types of top music degrees will depend on how you envision your musical career to unfold.
The Top iOS Music Apps for Musicians
Music apps are useful for musicians who are traveling, touring and recording. They can be used on portable devices such as laptops, iPhones or iPads. They can also be integrated into studio equipment through your computer system. They can be helpful in editing, tuning and creating backbeats.
Cleartune
For tuning stringed instruments and wind instruments, Cleartune is a chromatic digital tuner that has a good range to get the job done. It is easy to find a desired pitch because of the way that the note wheel is designed. You can tune your instrument with a precision of up to 1/100th semitone. The cost for the app is $4 and it is also available for Android devices.
Beatmaker 2
This updated version of Beatmaker has an easy to use interface and a large selection of back beats to choose from. This is a music production app with many different features. You could create a tempo of your own by including custom drum beats or keyboard notes. Once the beat has been created you can edit the volume, pitch and groove to customize your sound for your song writing and recording needs. This app costs $20 and is only available for iOS.
Real Time Analyzers
This music app has the capability of listening to music and displaying its frequency ranges in audio samples. When you are in the process of fine tuning your tracks, this app will certainly help you out. It will also help with recording live performances. The cost of this music app is $11.
FourTrack
FourTrack is an app which you will find very useful during the editing stage of your music production. You can record and layer audio sounds to make songs and perfect them for 16-bit or 44.1kHz quality. This app has an export feature so you can record with software on your desktop computer. It costs $5 and you can also get it for Android.
The Best Sites Online for Music Streaming
Online music streaming and can be a quick and efficient method for getting your music out there for listeners to enjoy. Many speculate that streaming is the future of music consumption. Statistics already show a rising number of streaming site subscribers while digital downloads, album and single alike, are declining fast. There are a growing number of great streaming sites out there to choose from on the web. Lets take a look at a few!
Grooveshark
Grooveshark is an overall great music streaming site. You can search for almost any song and create a playlist, just as on an iPod, with the same playback options. Its only fault is that sometimes the site will freeze and your playlist is lost.
Spotify is one of the best known music streaming sites out there. It has a catalog of over 20 million songs available for listening. Besides creating a playlist or listening to one album, you can also use Spotify’s radio option. This feature will choose music related to the original artists you were listening to and create a unique playlist for you. You can subscribe to their premium plan to get an ad-free version as well as higher quality tracks.
Pandora
This music streaming site takes the personal playlist to a whole new level. You can choose a song and then Pandora will create a custom radio station of similar music. It works really well the recommendations for music selections are usually good choices based on the song you picked. With their premium service you can get rid of the ads and download a desktop app.
Google Play is another great option for music streaming. You can choose from over 20 million songs to listen to. This streaming service is great when it comes to mobile listening options so you are not restricted to listening to music from your desktop.
Mixcloud
Mixcloud has a bit of different collection of music than the other music streaming services mentioned. They have a large collection of DJ mixes, podcasts and longer audio format recordings. It is great for listening to background music for long periods of time.
Thanks for stepping into The Record Shop Nashville Recording Studio! Follow & Chat with us on Twitter @therecordshop for daily updates from Gio & His Henchmen! We hope to see y’all again!
Nashville Summer Music Festivals of 2014
Summer is the best time to take in outdoor music performances and Nashville hosts some of the best summer music festivals around. Be sure to check out your favorite bands throughout the summer!
June
In mid-June there is the American Artisan Festival which is held at the Centennial Park. This festival mainly focuses on various handmade crafts, but also features local music performances. The TNN Country Awards are also in mid-June. This is a country music lover’s haven and the awards show features country stars from across the States. The Celtic Music and Summer Solstice Celebration is also happening in June. Here you will find the best of all things Scottish and Irish including Celtic dancing, music and of course, the bagpipes. The International Country Music Fan Fair happens in June too. This festival hosts over 24,000 country music fans and over 100 different country artists. It takes place at the Opryland and the fairgrounds.
July
The main event that takes place in July is the July 4th Independence Day celebration. These take place at Riverfront Park and there will be lots of food as well as an awesome fireworks show. This event is fun for the whole family.
August
In August be sure to check out the Music City Pig Fest. It takes place in mid-August at the National Guard Armory. It includes a huge array of barbeque vendors as well as entertaining activities for kids such as pony rides.
September
The Tennessee State Fair takes place in mid-September and it is one of the largest events in Nashville. There will be amusement rides, livestock shows, games, a petting zoo as well as acrobatics and karaoke. The Nashville Shakespeare Festival will be in early September. At this festival you can enjoy live theatre outside at Centennial Park. At the end of September is the African Street Festival which features a celebration of African culture through music, food and poetry.
Android Apps for Musicians
Having reliable apps available to you on your portable devices can help to make the music recording process more mobile and flexible. Music apps out there can assist you with tuning, editing and songwriting. Here are a few of the best apps for Android.
ChordBot Pro
ChordBot is an app that will help with the songwriting process on the guitar immensely. The chord sequencer is very user friendly. You can complete entire songs within the app and then export the songs as MIDI or WV file formats. This app costs $5.
PocketBand Pro
PocketBand is a great app that is useful for both DJs and recording artists. It contains polyphonic synthesizers for 125 instruments, 35 drum beats as well as a synthetic modulator. You can also add recordings done on a microphone and edit them until they are a completed track using the app. An advantage of PocketBand is that there is a large online community who uses this app and participate in publishing songs, voting on others’ tracks and collaboration online. It can be bought for $10.
(Pictured Below: Screen Shot from SoundStack Android App)
Sound Looper
Sound Looper,and many other loop apps, can be used as part of the songwriting and music editing with great success. Sound Looper can be used to edit a variety of music from hip hop to dub-step or rock. Sound Looper has the capability of taking a recording that you have input, adjusting its volume and pitch and then producing an infinite loop that you are able to use for recordings. The user interface is very easy to use, which helps make Sound Looper one of the best apps of its type for Android users. It is a great value as well, at a price of $1.
Archetype Guitar Tuner
The Archetype Guitar Tuner app is very handy when you are traveling for gigs and are away from your studio. It does well in recognizing pitch and costs $5.
Thanks for spending some with us today in The Record Shop Nashville Recording Studio. We hope we’ve been informative. Please take a look around our website, and be sure to follow & chat with us on Twitter @therecordshop for daily updates from Gio & His Henchmen!!
Expanding Your Fan Base Through Exposure at Charity Events and Concerts
A charity event or concert can be a great way to land that first live gig as a new artist or band. Charities are usually happy to have artists give their time for live performances at their events as it enhances the overall value and excitement of an event. As a musician there are many benefits in performing at charity events. These can include expanding your fan base, providing you exposure to new industry professionals, getting performance experience, and having a fun and rewarding way to give back to the community.
Supporting Great Causes as a Musician
Hosting a charity concert or donating album sales to charity by using a program like Reverbnation’s Music for Good will often get you the attention and support of local press and media. Charities such as United Way, Habitat for Humanity and the American Cancer Society will often host events which draw large crowds. A simple Google search can lead you to a whole directory of charities in your local area. From there you are only a phone call or email away from getting booked at a charity event. If you don’t get the gig don’t fret. The organization now knows who you are and that you want to help them, which may lead to you being one of the first artists they call when they put on their next event!
Music for Good
Reverbnation is a great site to be a part of as a new artist because it allows your music to be easily accessible by fans and it allows you to be part of the massive online Reverbnation music community. Music for Good is a charity donation program offered by Reverbnation. It allows artists to give a portion of money made from each song to a charity of the artist’s choice. Artists have the opportunity to select the portion of money that is donated from each song purchased, as well as the specific songs they want to be part of the program.
FanDistro Project
FanDistro is way to help charities and reward your fans at the same time. By creating a project page and sending it to your fans they can then share your music or purchase your songs. If they do then they are rewarded with free merchandise and 20% of the sales go a charity in the fan’s name.
How to Set Up and Grow Business of Teaching Music Lessons
Teaching music lessons is one way to translate your musical talent into abundant income. It also provides great incentive for honing your craft and reaching your goals in terms of perfecting your skills. Teaching music lessons can be rewarding, fun and a worthwhile experience. Not only are you helping someone learn a new skill, but you get to spend time playing an instrument you love and will enjoy more time for playing music.
The First Steps to Take
Your local music store can be a great resource for you as a new music teacher. You can expand your roster of students by meeting new students and getting your name out there. Deciding on a teaching schedule is one of the first steps to take. You have to decide if you are willing to teach fulltime and be available to schedule lessons and accommodate students anytime or if you will have a limited timeframe for lessons.
Building or Improving a Home Studio
Having the best gear in your studio can go a long way in attracting students to start music lessons and then getting them to become long term students of yours. It will also give you the opportunity to showcase your talents in the best way and give them a sense of the professionalism you have in your teaching practice. You will need a computer with high speed internet access as well as a high quality sound system. You will also require instrument specific equipment depending on the instruments you decide to teach.
Money and Payment for Music Lessons
It is a good idea to set up a payment method where you are paid in advance for your lessons and students can purchase lessons in packages of 5, 10 or 15 lessons at a time. You can also set up a tiered system where students are given discounts when they purchase larger packages of lessons at a time.
API 512c Pre Amp
Did we say universally acclaimed? You’re darn tootin’ we did. In a subjective world of personal tastes and preferences it is hard to come by pieces of gear that practically every person likes, but the API 512c is definitely one of those that breaks the mold. Engineers have been using these puppies since their creation in the 1970’s by Saul Walker. The 512c was so perfect that, to this day, it’s design has remained the true to Walker’s classic lunchbox design.
512c’s have been used on countless recordings by artists such as Prince, The White Stripes, Fleetwood Mac, Jack Johnson, Van Halen, and The Rolling Stones. This mic/line/instrument pre amp sounds great on literally everything. Drums, vocals, guitars…EVERYTHING.
Now comes the real fun; the API 512c’s wonderful features!
Us Record Shop Nashville natives absolutely love how much punch and clarity you can achieve with the 512c, which is why we installed six of them into our system. The transparency of the 512c is something that needs to be talked about more. These pre-amps bring out every harmonic overtone without adding any coloration to what’s being sent through it. We highly recommend the 512c to anyone and everyone!
Thanks for tuning in for today’s Behind The Gear. Feel free to check out The Record Shop Nashville’s full gear list here, and come say Hi to us on Twitter @therecordshop!