Jay-Z is keeping busy. Check out his new website: Jay-Z Hits Collection Vol. 1 He’s also slated to release his book DECODED later this month… 

In order to be about it, you need to be able to TALK about it. The worse thing you can do is have a really strong contact and have them ask you a question that you don’t know the lingo to. TAKE YOUR MUSIC SERIOUSLY and people will take you seriously, I promise! Knowledge is power! :-) Here are a few random words to get you started:

Marketing- In the world of music business, marketing DOES NOT equal sales (although they do work closely together). Music Marketing is often the foundation of an artist’s project. Marketing plans lay the blueprint for how an artist will be projected into the public, what outlets will be reached, and projected goals from marketing efforts. Promotions plans are often included in marketing plans.

Viral Marketing- Viral marketing is the new-age form of marketing that is taking the world by storm. Often coined “Tell a Friend to Tell a Friend,” viral marketing is a method of marketing that utilizes social networks such as facebook, myspace, twitter and others to produce a self-replicated marketing pattern amongst an infinite target of consumers. 

Press Kit- A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use. They are often distributed to announce a release or upcoming event.

One Sheet- In music publicity and distribution, a one-sheet is exactly what the name implies: One sheet of paper, on which information is provided about the music artist and/or a specific release, which is being distributed. One-sheets often accompany a record or CD when it is being shipped to radio stations and music publications (i.e. magazines, Web-based forums, etc.). A one-sheet is sometimes also referred to as a press sheet or a promo sheet. It usually includes a logo, brief bio, photos of the artist, cover artwork for the release, names of similar artists, names of singles, contact info, and selling points.

EPK- An Electronic Press Kit (or “EPK”) is a press kit equivalent in electronic form. In They are used to promote artists and businesses via mass media. They usually include a bio, music samples, photos, any press, promotional videos, interviews and tour dates.

What you should know about Synchronization (“Sync”) Licensing:

Historically one of the top ways to monetize music was through physical sale (e.g. tapes, records and CD’s). However, in recent years, music piracy and illegal downloading has forced any person involved in the process of creating and distributing music to focus on other ways to market, exploit and sell it. There are four types of rights and royalties associated with a musical work: 1) Mechanical (record sales, physical distribution), 2) Performance (license required for the public performance of music, live or broadcast), 3) Print (sale of sheet music), and 4) Sync (license required in order to synchronize a composition in timed-relation with a visual image).

Sync licensing provides both independent and major label artists an opportunity to profit from the use of their music in commercial productions, such as TV shows, films, commercials, and video games. Sync licensing fees, depending on the type of use, can range anywhere from a few hundred to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Music publishers and record labels typically have Licensing and Pitch departments dedicated to the monetization of any music they own or administer. Independent artists who do not have a major label or publishing deal can tap into the world of sync licensing via a Music Agent.

Music Agents act as middlemen between copyright owners (independent artist, labels, publishers etc.) and clients (music supervisors, ad clients, production companies etc.). Music agents provide independent artists with a platform and an opportunity to gain entry into the world of music licensing. Some music agents represent music that has been pre-cleared, while others represent music that requires permission. Pre-Cleared music is most appealing to clients as it is hassle free.

a.    Pre-Cleared – 100% sample-free music that has been pre-approved for music licensing by all copyright owners.

b.    Permission required – music that requires approval from the copyright owners (publisher/writer and label/performer) before it can licensed by a representative.

ishlab™ iD is a premier Music Agent located in Brooklyn, NY. All their deals are non-exclusive, they offer a 50/50 split across the board for all licensing fees, and artists retain full-ownership. To have your music considered for inclusion in the ishlab™ iD Music Licensing catalog, go to http://www.ishlab.com/submitmusic and for more information about their licensing department go to http://www.ishlab.com/licensing.

That’s right! We said it! KRAM Marketing will be launching in Summer 2010, and we are so excited about bringing our vision to life! KRAM Marketing is a music marketing firm that provides supplemental marketing solutions to artists and businesses on a per-project basis.

What do all of those big words mean? We’re glad you asked.

KRAM in its simplest form is designed to make you (insert profession here) look good. We bridge the gap of indie and commercial, start up and conglomerate. Its all in presentation and education! Stay tuned..more to come!

kram launch 2010