ION INDIE MAGAZINE January 2017, Volume 32 | Page 50

b) The mogul buys the beat for $50,000, he takes all the credit for it, and he never wants to see their faces
again.
The basic idea is: take it in the shorts on the first one, and they’ll (probably) be more to come. Do you take the
money and run, knowing he’ll never take your call again? Or do you take the hit on the first one, knowing there’s
probably more and better paydays to come…from him or others?
The entire music industry is in a state of flux, and there are many different business models being tried right now.
You have to weigh the pros and cons of any particular situation. Sometimes it’s just a matter of deciding how
much you’re willing to be screwed this time to do better next time…hopefully.
WHO CAN I TRUST?:
So is there any way to know if a service is truly legit? The first rule is always…educate yourself! Find out as much
as you can about a company, especially the ones that require upfront money.
Much like Amazon and other online services have learned with user reviews, the best way to know whether a
company operates the way they say is to hear someone else’s experience with them.
With that in mind, the one website I can definitely recommend is called the Music Library Report
(musiclibraryreport.com). It’s is a community of composers that share information they’ve learned on a variety
of topics. Everything from performing rights societies, to recording hardware and software - and yes, music
publishers and pitch sites - is reviewed by the users themselves. This isn’t a site for bands looking to score a
record deal (and why would you want one anyway?). It’s for the serious songwriter or composer looking to get
their works into a variety of hands. If that’s your focus, put it in your budget to get a subscription.
That’s it! Be ready to cruise that cruel and shallow money trench Thompson described, armed with a lot of
information. If you think doing your homework isn’t worth the time, make sure to bring some lube with you. You’re
gonna need it.
Next, we’ll talk about actually getting your money. (It’s not as easy as you think.)

Paul Bordenkircher has spent the last three decades building a wide base of knowledge in the fields of studio
production, live sound, publishing, marketing and promotions. Mesa Sand Music offers independent artists the
kind of background and knowledge gained only from hands-on experience in the challenging entertainment
industry. He's also the developer for SongNook, an organizational tool for songwriters, at SongNook.com. His
Music Biz Blog is at: www.mesasand.com