1 year, 1 month, and 5 days ago

It has been 1 year, 1 month, and 5 days since my passion for music grew legs and started on a nonstop journey to make something of myself. Last night was one of my most humbling experiences to date. I started this blog talking about my meeting The Grammy nominated Alternative hip-hop quintet The Nappy Roots. Today I write about how meeting them changed my life and how it has put me in positions I never expected. Ever since the updated tour schedule was emailed to me I patiently awaited their arrival to Orlando. Not only were they coming back to Orlando, but they were performing at the same venue where everything started!! It was like DeJaVu, except this time was different. I was now doing freelance work with The Nappy Roots! The day started with a trip to Rollins College for a radio interview on WPRK 91.5 fm that I set up for the quintet on behalf of Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group (RPEG). As usual THEY ROCKED IT!

Next is the show. Last time I went I was just a fan admiring what hip-hip used to be, this time I was a proud manager watching her client touch people's lives with the words he spit into the microphone! Prior to the show, I enjoyed sitting backstage with my Nappy fam as they did what they do best!! As soon as I turned into the room Big V showed me so much love & immediately said "Take a shot w/me" Of course I said "LET'S GOOOOOO" SHOTS UP PATRON ON DECK!! Anybody who knows me knows I cannot turn down PATRON! lol Being back there was so surreal as Scales & I remembered on our 1st encounter & where POOSSIBLY THE DEAL OF MY LIFE WENT DOWN! Scales sat in the same place & everyone else kind of just found their places. Scales mentioned, "This is where it all started for us" (meaning the formation of RPEG. Trying not to show any emotion (ya'll know I'm quick to have a teary eyed EMO moment when I overcome with happiness lol), I nodded and said "Yup it is & I thank you all for everything.” Being back in the same place where RISING PHOENIX ENTERTAINMENT GROUP started was definitely A NATURAL HIGH!!! To be embraced by the whole Nappy fam not only as a fan but AS A BUSINESS WOMAN still leaves me a little speechless. Scales took a chance with an Entertainment Business masters student (2nd month in the program at that) and saw the potential I had before I truly understood what talent I possessed. For that I am eternally grateful Scales. THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING!!

The crowd as usual was so super involved and full of energy.......if you weren't "getting CRUNK" I don't know WHAT WAS WRONG WITH YOU! I additionally thank Skinny, Clutch, BStille, and BIG VITO for allowing me to become apart of the Nappy fam. Special S/O to GRINGOS LOCOS for looking out for us last night. S/O to Derwin aka D II I couldn't let them come to Orlando & not have THE BEST TACOS & BURRITOS EVER!!! Scales & Vito, as well as myself, SMASHED that food!!! PERFECT ENDING TO SUCH AN AMAZING NIGHT!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE NAPPY ROOTS on your 5th album!!! Make sure you go out and get NAPPYDOTORG in stores now! It's available on iTunes if you get it there you receive 2 bonus tracks! Also super excited Scales got the go ahead to start on other projects...... Keep your eye out for a solo album from him under Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group (management division)!! Patience is a virtue and the reward is definitely worth the wait!!


Thank you everyone who has supported RPEG whether it's been from the beginning or not....YOU ARE APPRECIATED! My Daytona fam... I'm doing this for our city; My Orlando fam....some have come & gone but the TRUE REMAIN, Special S/O to my “hosting” mentor Barnard Fleurima... I thank you for EVERYTHING, S/O to Jae Johnson for all of the support and KC Preston for taking a chance on me too.....It is an honor to be working with you all. My Full Sail fam....BAMN Ent (CJ, Derrick aka Blu, SonDog, & Lukes); KSav; Bill Hudson (Graphic Artist extraordinaire; Sentel (my RIGHT HAND MAN & BUSINESS PARTNER); To my girl Krystyn.... thank you for being the person to keep me motivated whenever I felt discouraged in our masters program; Staci....my LEO Partner in Crime & soon to be business). To The Secret HairLounge (Liz Mateo) You ROCK!!; To Reggie King (My co-host for Escape WednesdaysHappy Hour)...I am so ready for our future ventures. To my clients... Fish Scales (thank you so much for taking a chance & believing in me!!), Ya Za (We have weathered the storm, we are CLOSER TO OUR DREAMS), DJ Duffy (Let’s goooooo), P89 (You already know what it is fam), Nadiya Serrano “Ms Florida US United" (Thank you for becoming apart of this team...HUGSSS),and 89 Music Group (O-soo, Young 3rd, D&R, AwJr Music, Naijee, & Hot Rod McFly....LET’s GOOOO) To my Tallahassee fam....thank you new & old for holding me down for 10+ years...Chris Cannon I see you going far in this entertainment world because you refuse to let the negativity of the business affect you. Thank you to my future business collaborators....together, NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE!!! To my BEST FRIEND IN THE ENTIRE WORLD.....SHALONDA SANDERS-CLIFFORD (Thank you for keeping me grounded); To my parents ....I love you words cannot express how thankful I am to have such an amazing support system; and most importantly THANK YOU LORD FOR BLESSING ME WITH ALL THAT I HAVE ACCOMPLISHED.....I know this is all of your doing!!!

This is BARELY THE BEGINNING.....only left to do is “ELEVATE OUR CLIENTS TO THE TOP” I REFUSE TO SEE THE GLASS CEILING!!!

BLESSED IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!!!!

You've been Introduced to Venture Capitalists....NOW WHAT?

I have given you the knowledge to get introduced to venture capitalists, now what happens is probably what you are asking. Well here are some “Critical Factors for Obtaining Venture Funding” provided by Garage Technology Ventures. These critical factors will point you in the right direction for obtaining venture financing.

1. Compelling Idea

Every entrepreneur believes his or her idea is compelling. The reality is that very few business plans present ideas that are unique. It is very common for investors to see multiple versions of the same idea over the course of a few months, and then again after a few years. What makes an idea compelling to an investor is something that reflects a deep understanding of a big problem or opportunity, and offers an elegant solution. This is the starting point for getting venture investors interested, but it is not sufficient. The idea alone does not make you fundable. You have to possess the rest of the ingredients below.

2. Team

You may have a great idea, but if you don’t have a strong core team, investors aren’t going to be willing to bet on your company. This doesn’t mean you need to have a complete, world-class, all-gaps-filled team. But the founders have to have the credibility to launch the company and attract the world-class talent that is needed to fill the gaps. The lone entrepreneur, even with all the passion in the world, is never enough. If you haven’t been able to convince at least one other person to believe in the business as fervently as you, investors certainly won’t. Winning over investors (and customers and co-workers) depends on your people skills, not just your technical prowess.

3. Market Opportunity

If you are focused on a product/market opportunity that is not technology-based, you probably should not be pursuing venture capital—there are different private equity sources for non-technology businesses. Venture capital is focused on businesses that gain a competitive edge and generate rapid growth through technological and other advantages. If you are focused on technology, you should be targeting a sector that is not already crowded, where there is a significant problem that needs to be solved, or an opportunity that has not been exploited, and where your solution will create substantial value. Contrary to popular belief, it’s not about how big the market is; it’s about how much value you can create. Brilliant new companies create big markets, not the other way around.

4. Technology

What makes your technology so great? The correct answer is, there are plenty of customers with plenty of money that desperately need it or want it. Not, there are some geeks with no money who think it’s cool. Assuming you have a technology advantage right now, how are you going to sustain that advantage over the next several years? Patents alone won’t do it. You better have the talent or the partners to assure investors that you are going to stay ahead of the curve.

5. Competitive Advantage

Every interesting business has real competition. Competition is not just about direct competitors. It includes alternatives, “good enough” solutions, and the status quo. You need to convince investors that you have advantages that address all these forms of competition, and that you can sustain these advantages over several years. A few years ago entrepreneurs could get away with saying that “competition validates my solution,” but today that’s not good enough. Moreover, you have to show that you have a good way to reach your target customers and beat out your competitors. As a friend of mine has said, it’s not good enough to build a better mousetrap; you have to really want to kill mice.

6. Financial Projections

If the idea of developing credible financial projections makes you wince or wail, or if you think it’s a meaningless exercise, you are not an entrepreneur and you shouldn’t ask investors for money. Your projections demonstrate that you understand the economics of your business. They should tell your story in numbers—what drives your growth, what drives your profit, and how your company will evolve over the next several years.

7. Validation

Probably the most important factor influencing investors is validation. Is there good evidence that your solution will be purchased by your target customers? Do you have an advisory board of credible industry experts? Do you have a co-development partner within the industry? Do you have beta customers to whom investors can speak? Do you already have paying customers? What other brand name validators can you offer? The more credibility and customer traction you have, the more likely investors are going to be interested.



In order to ensure that you will obtain venture capitalists with this knowledge, you will need to ace each area.

Source: http://www.garage.com/resources/criticalfactors.shtml

“How to get Introduced to Venture Capitalists”

While creating my business plan, I knew that I would need to start shopping for venture capitalists to invest into Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group. Through that research, I found this article on ehow Money “How to get Introduced to Venture Capitalists”. It gives you 9 steps to follow and if these tips are followed correctly you will be on your way to a face-to-face meeting with a Venture Capitalist.

1 Draft an articulate one- to two-page executive summary and/or a 10-slide PowerPoint presentation to introduce your business concept.

2 Research which venture firms you want to work with ahead of time. Pick more than one and less than eight to start with.

3 Get in touch with any direct contacts you have at the firms. Drop a quick e-mail to your contact asking for a meeting. E-mail, rather than a letter or fax, is a good method of communication because it is fast and can be easily forwarded to others in the firm.

4 In the absence of a direct contact, adopt a "six degrees of separation" strategy. Ask your friends, lawyer, accountant, boss, neighbor and other entrepreneurs if they know anyone at the firms you're targeting. Ask them to send an introductory e-mail on your behalf.

5 Turn six degrees of separation into four degrees, then two degrees, and then eventually a direct meeting. Get introductions to people who can get you a stronger introduction to the venture firm.

6 Within 48 hours, follow up with your own e-mail introduction. Remember to mention your contact's name in your message. Attach your business's executive summary for review.

7 Be sure to send your executive summary at least two to three weeks in advance of when you would like to meet.

8 Arrive at the meeting on time. Even better, try to arrive 15 minutes early.

9 Once you are in the meeting, relax and have fun. Remember, you are trying to change the world in some form or fashion, and that's a big deal.
                                                                         

                                                                         

The eHow Contributor also offered a several Tips and Warnings that may be helpful.

Tips & Warnings
· Be persistent and determined, but realistic. Spend no more than three or four months trying to get in the door of any one venture firm.

· Be proactive and creative in expanding your network. Attend events, meetings, dinners and speaker series where entrepreneurs and venture investors congregate. Make yourself visible.

· Be specific and direct in your communications. Do not discuss high-level generalities about the industry or your specific marketplace. Most venture firms have heard the market size numbers several times already. Instead, tell them what you are going to do and why it is a big deal. See "How to Make Your Business Plan Stand Out."

· Avoid sending a random or "cold" introductory message to a venture firm with which you do not have a contact. The better firms receive a large volume of business plans. Personal introductions will increase your chances of securing a face-to-face meeting.

· Fundraising is only one part of building a company, so don't let that take too much time away from running the business.
                                                                         

                                                                         

I hope that you found this information useful as it has been for me and has helped me to begin my journey to find a Venture Capitalist. I have also attached various sites that may be additionally useful.


Source: http://www.ehow.com


Additional links:


www.lendio.com/angel-alternatives


www.RaiseMeCapital.com


www.xpertfinancial.com


www.Growthink.com/VentureCapitalFormula

How Guy Kawasaki has influenced Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group.

I came across an article where Kawasaki spoke with Tim Berry on “How to write a Business Plan”, out of the questions asked “What are the most important qualities of a plan” stuck out to me the most. The three points Guy Kawasaki spoke on were extremely helpful for me when constructing my business plan. These are how I decided to use them for my company Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group.

1) Strategy is what needs to be focused on, and the question you need to ask yourself is “what can you do better than anyone else? What are your core competence”

When Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group was founded I knew that we were not going to be the only Entertainment group that handled management, promotions, marketing amongst other things else. So we had to sit back and analyze what exactly we could bring to the table that would entice customers to want to sign with our company. In doing so we decided to put a special clause in our contract that would cater specifically to our clients and their future in the business. With that clause and the percentage we receive from our clients in commission enables us to have an upper-hand in the business.

2) Break down the specifics: What is going to happen, when, how much is it going to cost, and who is responsible for it.

At RPEG we understood the business we had to create a timeline for ourselves of what we needed to make ourselves successful and broke down our costs and how much we wanted to have invested and how much each of us would bring to the table. In doing so we realized that we were able to keep our costs down as long as we kept most of the business “in house” versus outsourcing. Yes, that would create a lot more work for ourselves but the reward of not asking for someone to invest a large amount of money and giving up equity in our company was well worth it.


3) Cash flow: You want to have growth spurts in your company, which is another way of saying more sales and potentially more profits, however he also stressed that unplanned growth with out proper planning can be detrimental to your company.

We knew that if we moved too fast that in our growth and were unprepared it could end up being a bad thing however we have remained on a steady increase and have been blessed with being very prosperous over the past year. Thanks to our clients and those who have been patient with us from the beginning.

Are you looking to create a business plan?

These two “experts” in the field, Guy Kawasaki and Sean Christiansen, can help you understand a little more on how to do so.

Guy Kawasaki who is best know for leaving Apple Computer and co-founding Garage Technology Ventures as well as Alltop.com, an ”online magazine rack” of popular topics on the web. Garage provides matchmaking services for angle investors and entrepreneurs. Before leaving Apple he was the chief evangelist of Apple. Kawasaki has a B.A. from Stanford University, M.B.A from UCLA, and also holds an Honorary Doctorate from Babson College. He has authored such books as Enchantment, Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way.

I came across an article where Kawasaki spoke with Tim Berry on “How to write a Business Plan”, out of the questions asked “What are the most important qualities of a plan” stuck out to me the most. And Kawasaki said this in short.
     1) Strategy is what needs to be focused on, and the question you need to ask yourself is “what can you do better than anyone else? What are your core competence”
     2) Break down the specifics: What is going to happen, when, how much is it going to cost, and who is responsible for it.
     3) Cash flow: You want to have growth spurts in your company, which is another way of saying more sales and potentially more profits, however he also stressed that unplanned growth with out proper planning can be detrimental to your company.

Sean Christiansen is currently the Chief Technology Officer at the UCF Venture Lab where he provides coaching and mentoring to central Florida startup companies. With ten years of experience working in high technology industries as well as multiple degrees in engineering, Dr. Christiansen specializes in supporting early-stage high technology companies with particular emphasis supporting those seeking seed-stage financing. Dr. Christiansen graduated with honors from the University of Notre Dame and earned a Bachelor's of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1996. In 2001, Dr. Christiansen received a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

When it comes to early stage investing Christiansen is the man to go to. When asked about key components of a business plan he breaks it down into three: Barriers to entry, The market, and the Management team. Barriers to Entry, this explains a company’s product or service and also lets you r investors know how you plan to “prevent your competitors from taking away customers” Christensen explains that barriers to entry are equally as important as the core competencies of the company. This is a way to look at the “Strengths of the company and its expertise within its own market. The market is possibly the trickiest factor due to there not always being a market for your particular type of business. Markets are very hard for an investor to predict especially when it comes to the type of product being pitched. And lastly, remember to look at the management team. So many companies have failed even with the proper business plan because of the management team making mistakes. The past experience of the company’s members have to be reviewed to see if the had an previous failures, how aware they are of their mistakes, and to see if the company was given equity investments in the past and if sufficient exit opportunities for investors have been established.

Sources:

http://www.guykawasaki.com/about/

http://www.venturelab.ucf.edu/Team/team_SChristiansen.html

http://blog.guykawasaki.com/2007/07/how-to-write-a-.html#axzz1Rmb29caR

http://bpexpertviews.blogspot.com/2011/03/bp-development-expert-views.html

Soulja Boy's Successful Utilization of Social Media

Who would have thought that social media would have been as influential on the entertainment industry as it has been? Well Soulja Boy learned how to utilize social media to his benefit when marketing his album “The DeAndre Way” that was released in mid-late November as well as promoting his single “Speakers Going Hammer”. Lee Hawkins of the Wall Street Journal sat down with Soulja Boy and discussed how he became a multiplatinum rapper solely based off of his social media presence and has been labeled the Music Industry’s “King of Social Media”.

Soulja Boy first starts off how he started rapping in 2005, he became familiar with the Internet, and then began to utilize MySpace & Youtube to get booked for shows. The stardom wasn’t immediately, he had to make fans aware of his music and did so via setting up a Soundclick account. Soundclick is known as “The Billboard charts for Underground Music” says Soulja Boy. Once he began reached the Top 10 on Soundclick his plays increased due to his popularity. He then linked his Soundclick account to his MySpace and Youtube pages. He also used his twitter and Facebook pages to be able to reach his fans. When he reached his 1st million on Youtube, he then placed a booking email up, which enabled those wanting him to perform to book him for shows. Once Soulja Boy reached 100K plays via Soundclick he was able to monetize that distributing his music via the website for $.99 a song. Soundclick entail splits the profit with the fan. Let me help you understand how this was beneficial for him financially, Soulja Boy was receiving at least 19K song downloads a day! That is approx. $9,400 a day just off of his social media marketing strategies. Keep in mind that he has not yet signed a deal w/a major label. He hen began to use a tool called Saynow.com, a website where you can get phone #'s and are able to talk to your fans. He acquired 4.9 subscribers. With Saynow.com he was able to leave a message and distribute it directly to his fans. In addition to these smart tactics he created multiple websites, approx. 20, to continue to create a buzz. His best tool would have had to been his Youtube channel. Where he could address his fans whether it be just putting out a new song or speaking to the youth about him being a positive role model to his fans. He used this outlet to connect with all of his fans. I would definitely have to say that he has learned how to capitalize off of the social media world. Based off of his different tactics Soulja Boy generated 12 MILLION DOLLARS off of his first single alone. No wonder they have crowned him “The King of Social Media” because he learned how to use it to benefit musical career.

Disography including "The DeAndre Way" is available via iTunes

Lee Hawkins of the Wall Street Journal's Soulja Boy interview Speaking With Soulja Boy, Rap's Social Media King

SPEAKERS GOING HAMMER has almost 13 million views

Source : Speaking With Soulja Boy, Rap's Social Media King

Entertainment Company CFOs capitalize on Digital Growth

Earnest and Young is one of the world's leading professional services organizations, helps companies across the globe to identify and capitalize on business opportunities. In 2008 they interviewed several media & entertainment CEOs and few very few of them had anticipated where the focus of the digital revolution was transforming. In 2010 they completed a study that focused on senior media and entertainment executives by asking the Chief Financial Officers of 75 leading global media and entertainment organizations for their insight into their approach for the future and the ever changing digital world.

The study touched on several key points however I am just going to share a few with you. First, Digital is now- they have noticed that new technology continues to have an extremely powerful influence on how individuals experience entertainment and information. There is a noticeable shift to digital and is challenging old entertainment business models and causing CFOs to make changes in their investment decisions. Secondly, CFOs are trying to juggle balancing between digital growths and declining traditional media revenue. The CFOs are beginning to see a significant growth in digital revenues, however with price deflation and product un-bundling, combined with the global economic downturn, CFOs are starting to recognize a the placement of increasing pressure on traditional media revenues. All that means is that the industry revenues and “per unit spend” on different media content is no longer increasing at a rapid speed. Lastly, Interactive media companies are best positioned to thrive in the next two to three years. The CFOs have stated that they will not lose sight of doing thing traditionally, but digital earnings are definitely on a rise. The earnings are rising at lower price points and have yet to become bigger than the traditional media revenue streams.

With the shifts in consumer demands, media multi-tasking has been taken to new levels. The consumer behavior has caused the consumption rates of pure-play Internet, video games, how consumers obtain their music and how they share to soar to new levels. Although radio, broadcast networks television, and print media are showing a decline, they are also seeing there consumption rates rise. The consumption is rising due to consumers using television as a multi-tasking medium. Consumers are tweeting and blogging while watching their favorite shows.

CFOs of major entertainment companies are noticing how digital landscaping is evolving and therefore determine where they need to make their investments accordingly in order to protect their market position and ensure that they remain prevalent in the entertainment business world.


Source:

Poised for digital growth: Preserving profitability in today’s digital world

Creating a Successful Social Media Strategy

While doing some research on creating my own business strategy I came across some interesting information on creating a social media strategy that I felt would be useful for my readers. Everyone wants to be an entrepreneur these days but many are not researching the proper way to do so. Instead, they are just jumping in and wondering why it may not be working as planned. Others also try and utilize social media and to no avail fail due to the lack of proper research. I am going to share with you “Nine Steps To Your Best Social Media Strategy” with the hopes that it will help you optimize your marketability. Everyone claims to be an expert however Jim Sterne has written six books on Internet advertising, marketing, and customer service. He has collared the multifaceted world of social media in his recent book titled “Social Media Metrics”. In this book he breaks down how to create a successful social media strategy into the following nine steps.


1. Get focused and identify goals. Social media is the realm of public opinion and customer conversations. If you don’t have a clear idea of why you are there, anything you measure will be useless. He suggests you begin with the “big three” business objectives of higher revenue, reduced costs, and improved customer satisfaction.

2. Get attention and reach your audience. Measuring message delivery in social media is a lot like measuring it in classic advertising, so classic metrics apply. With social media, it is also important to identify how many people see your message as remarkable. That leads to the extra reach of word-of-mouth, commenting, and telling their friends.

3. Measure respect and find influencers. Your task now includes reaching the people who are key influencers, and understanding their impact. Therein lies the multiplier effect. Your message multiplier velocity and reach are the signals that your offerings have the right scope, spread quickly, and resonate with your target audience.

4. Track the emotional sentiment. Counting is fine, but analyzing the outpouring of millions of souls can reveal attitudinal shifts. Tracking public sentiment over time provides invaluable insight and gives you the chance to stay right on top of changes in the marketplace and your organization’s brand equity.

5. Measure customer response and action. If they read it and like it, do they click through to your web site, or engage with your organization in new and different ways? Action is when people are drawn into a profitable and sustainable relationship with your company. That’s where the money is.

6. Get the message from your customer. With the customer in control, you need to make sure you are getting the right message from the right people at the right time. That’s real-time market research, and you need to measure how well you are hearing it and acting on it in your business strategy planning.

7. Drive business outcomes and get results. Now it’s time to cycle back around to measuring what sort of business impact your efforts are having. Measure to see if you have an increase in revenue, a lowering of costs, and improvement in customer satisfaction. Then it’s time to re-examine your goals to look beyond the “big three.”

8. Get buy-in from your colleagues. Some executives are slow to understand and embrace new communications methods. Use your results to convince them that social media is a vital part of your marketing mix, and deserves the resources necessary for proper implementation and measurement.

9. Project the future. Start now to look at where social media will be in two to ten years, and prepare for it. Don’t let the changes takes your organization by surprise, or allow your organization to be the last to implement and measure you in the new world.

All are great steps to follow individually, however just like any step-by-step process in order to achieve maximum optimization you must utilize these steps together. Also keep in mind that social media is an ever-changing medium but you can never lose if you keep to the basics while continuously enhancing and learning new avenues to go down. I hope that these steps are useful in creating your social media strategy.


Source: “Nine Steps to Your Best Social Media Strategy”

New Age Distribution

Distribution has definitely changed over the past 5-10 years, primarily due to the Internet craze. Social media has grown legs and not only begun to walk but has learned to run. Through the vast outlets that the Internet has created for distribution, the ways of pitching your project to a label or distribution company have evolved. These outlets are not just limited to music, but include all aspects of distribution such as gaming, literary works, film, and of course my love, music. After careful research, I have narrowed my distribution search to a few companies that cater to the indie artist also known as the “do it your self (DIY)” artist. I have found Tunecore the most useful because of its extensive outlets where it distributes your music. It distributes to AmazonMP3, thumbplay, the Nokia Music Store, Zune, iTunes and even Rock Band just to name a few. There are 3 (three) very simple steps to sell your music through Tunecore: Upload your music, Upload your art, and Pick your stores! That’s it you are done! Simple right? It is also free to set up an account, however you do pay a fee for distribution depending on what you desire to distribute. It is $9.99/year per single or ringtone and $49.99/year per album. The beauty is that you the artist maintain ALL OF YOUR RIGHTS, receive 100% of your royalties; access to free trending sales reports, streaming media players and an exclusive iTunes artist ping page. You are probably asking why you should even chose Tunecore to distribute your music despite everything I have just stated above, well they are the LARGEST and MOST TRUSTED music distributor in the world. They are a preferred partner of all of the top digital stores in addition to their artists receive better deal terms than anyone else. The company has even partnered with Universal Music group to help get music licensed for TV shows, movies, and video games. I could continue to list the many benefits of Tunecore but that would take the fun out of you surfing the website, RIGHT? So go create your FREE account today and explore the site to decide if it is best fit for where you want to distribute your music. I have a strong feeling you will not be too disappointed.


Source: Tunecore

One-on-One with Attorney Shannon Ligon

To all that know me, know that my ultimate passion is to become an Entertainment Lawyer. I have had the pleasure of building a professional relationship with Attorney Shannon Ligon of Ligon LawGroup. No one can tell me that Twitter IS NOT AN AWESOME NETWORKING TOOL, because this is how I came to know Attorney Ligon. Since establishing a relationship via Twitter, I was instrumental in bringing Attorney Ligon to Full Sail University to speak with our Black Student Union. She was awesome and very insightful. Attorney Ligon received her Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Florida State University while spending time abroad studying International Business at the Universidad de Valencia in Valencia, Spain. She is not a stranger to the Entertainment field. She also has her certification in Television & Radio Broadcasting from CSB School of Broadcasting in 2004. Attorney Ligon has worked in the entertainment and sports industry for the past 8 years. She has been involved in management (artist & sports), A & R, as well as has numerous trusted networking contacts over the past 9+ years.

In speaking with Attorney Ligon, I became to look up to her more and more. She expressed to me the many liabilities that she had encountered while being in the entertainment business from acquiring endorsements from artists as well as athletes, copyright infringement, to ensuring that you, as the attorney, are upholding the law and your duties to your client.

While working with Richard DeLuca (Integrated Sports Management Company) her eyes were opened to endorsements deals. Having to negotiate for her clients was based off their needs as well as the needs of the companies being endorsed. She stated that Copyright infringement, can be a very “slippery slope”. Take for example, a beat was mixed and used, however the beat is not making any money, you may send a cease & desist letter rather than suing the individual. One of the ways you can ensure there is no “bad blood” or “black balling” is to consider using that individuals beats in the future. Just because someone may possibly infringe on your intellectual property doesn’t mean that you will never want to work with that person again, you just want to be either recognized for his or her work and/or compensated. Always be careful who you decide to sue, you never want to rub the “right person” the wrong way. She also stated that there are plenty times that major artists may find a beat, want to use it and can not find who originally created the beat. The producer is then not found until they possibly hear their beats on an album.

As an attorney you have a duty to uphold the law at all times, this can pose a serious liability if you are possibly working with high risk clients and/or some one who’s has limited knowledge of the business but is adamant that they are correct in different matters. It is not that you want to go against your client at all, but you are unable to go against the law you promised to uphold. When getting into any type of business make sure that you research all of the liabilities and ways to limit those. In closing, Attorney Shannon Ligon gave the Full Sail Black Student some great advice when she came to speak and I now leave it with you. “Always be excellent with whatever you do and never be afraid to lose, but never give up.”


Thank you for taking the time for my interview Shannon.

http://ligonlawgroup.com/

The Importance of Carefully Reviewing Contracts to Limit Legal Liabilities

When entering the entertainment industry you must be sure that you have the proper legal representation. Why is this important? Not only is it important for you as an artist have any run ins with the law, but it is important to ensure that all contracts that are in place have been properly reviewed. Such as contracts pertaining to touring, use of image, and/or publishing & distribution. I recently came across several articles that outlined the importance and discussed breaching of contracts in each of these ways.

Well Ne-Yo, Ginuwine, and Tyson Beckford definitely understand the importance of carefully reviewing and having a contract. Many of you might be familiar with the case Ne-Yo filed against the R. Kelly promoter (Rowe Entertainment) claiming breach of contract. If not, Ne-Yo filed a lawsuit due to his premature dismissal from R. Kelly’s “Double Up tour”. In this lawsuit he requested that he be paid even though he was released prior to the end of the tour. Rowe Ent. Then stated that the reasoning behind was not receiving a fully executed contract from Ne-Yo. In layman’s terms: there were some signatures missing and Rowe Ent. stated, "From a business perspective, it would have been extremely difficult for me to continue under this cloud of uncertainty." The tour was eventually canceled due to legalities that R. Kelly himself had.

In Ginuwine’s mid 2007 contract conflict, he filed a lawsuit against King Music Group for breach of contract, negligent representation, and fraud. In this case Ginuwine alleged that he was falsely convinced to sign a recording artist contract with King Music Group. King Music Group didn’t seem to exist however. The terms & conditions of said contract were that Ginuwine had to produce one album for the company for $1.75 million with an advance of $500,000. There was a signing between the two parties however there seems to be no listing for King Music Group nor has the artist received any financial backing. With Ginuwine being bound to the previously mentioned contract he was unable to make any records for any other companies for fear to be sued himself for a breach of contract with King Music Group.

Tyson Beckford is an internationally know model who has known for being a Sean Jean model, in his law suit he filed also for breach of contract as well as trademark infringement. Beckford claims that there was a contract between himself and Sean Jean to lend his face and image for an advertising campaign in the amount of $1.2 million. The reason the contract was deemed breached was due to all of the payments not being made. He was to receive for $300,000 payments however, only received the 1st payment, part of the 2nd, and neither of the 3rd or 4th payments. With these actions happening, the contract between Beckford and Sean Jean was said to now be null and void. Though this was so, his images were still used for the campaign.

As an artist manager, I urge our clients to ensure that they carefully review all of their contracts (especially those between them and myself). Even the most seasoned artist can fall victim to a fraudulent contract or businessperson. Not only do we have a lawyer on staff at Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group but also, we advise our clients to ensure that everything has been covered in the contracts and looked over carefully by their personal representation. After reading these articles, I personally feel that all contracts are extremely important and should never be taken lightly. You always want to make sure that all “I”s are dotted and all “t”s are crossed (i.e. Ne-Yo contract). As well as make sure you carefully research the company you are considering signing a contract with. (i.e. Ginuwine)


Sources: Music Recording Contract Fraud; Tyson Beckford Sues Diddy for Breach of Contract; Ne-Yo Sues R. Kelly Tour Promoter for Breach of Contract

10 Reasons to Buy From Independent Artists

Since becoming an Artist manager, I am realizing the benefits of remaining independent from labels.  However, when the artist chooses to be independent rather than signed with a huge label they have a few disadvantages. This article I found taught me 10 reasons on why you should buy from independent artists.  I hope that you enjoy!



1. Independent musicians can share their passion and unique talent. You can express their personal stories to follow their own instincts, and not follow orders from major label executives, whatever they need. From the perspective of the customer, by exploring free radio stations and other sources of independent music, too, are now making their own decisions on what’s hot and what’s not.

2. Many of the popular music formats dealers only offer music from major labels, and only rarely do they give everything for free, no matter how many albums you download or buy CDs. An independent artist is free to be unique and generous in its sales methods. For consumers, this may mean more quantity discounts, coupon offers and appreciation for their repeat purchases.

3. The independent musicians can communicate directly with customers, selling online does not feel like an isolating experience for the artist. Many times to get the thrill of an e-mail directly from the musicians an independent label music buyers in a devout fans spin.

4. Niche marketing is the big buzz these days, and nowhere is it more successful than in independent music. As an independent musician, you are free to create your own unique niche in the process, achieve more ideal fans. As someone who buys music from an independent label, you may find it easier, the music, and defined also expresses you to discover.

5. By buying from independent labels, musicians and customers can share the love. Look at it this way, here’s a scenario. A music lover makes a purchase. The independent musician has complete control over what reported in the thank-you message. The customer can write again. The musician, the customer can be found in his blog, mention the customer basks in the glory of the personal and shares it with all his friends on his Facebook page. Backlinks abound. Try to you on the purchase of a major label.

6. Everyone feels more authentic. A MySpace page is more authentic than a billboard. A blog is more authentic than a press release. As an independent music company with the real communication can replace you and your fans can comment on your website and get a straight answer out of you with their names.

7. In an era when many music retailers close their doors, customers can their favorite independent musicians, the music by making it available directly from the artist. Musician with a clearly defined niche and loyal, enthusiastic fans can stay through the ups and downs of the retail music industry untouched.

8. An independent musician can develop its own website presence on the basis of its own unique character and style. Fans can hang that set in a place where they can listen to music clips, to socialize, to see video performances, music buy and build on each other excitement. Everything is in one place, and they can discover a new artist or a song, your comments, bookmark the site, to make a purchase and new friends, all at the same time.

9. Musicians get a bigger cut from sales of their music. This may seem obvious, but if the customers could see that some of their favorite musicians get from major labels, they would more efforts to support independent musicians to make and buy from independent labels.

10.Indie musicians can join together to support each other and further their causes, in organizations such as Association of Independent Music, or Rock the Net, just two examples. Major record companies often restrict what their artists cannot. Consumers cannot only the music they love, they affiliate themselves with the causes they believe in.


Here are a couple independent artists that I am currently working with that I would love for you all to support. Thank you in advance for listening and supporting.







Rising Phoenix Entertainment Group PRESENTS YaZa~~STEREO
YaZa's album is available on iTunes <~~Just click HERE!!!



This is Rob Jay....

This song is very personal to me just because I grew up around so many people who were inflicted with Generational Curses and I have witnessed this affliction so closely….even being a victim of it myself. The verses are loosely based on true stories from people in my life and the last verse actually is a true story about the most important woman in the world to me……MY MOM. A woman who broke a Generational Curse and changed the future of here loved ones who would come after her. Hope you Enjoy.
-Rob Jay-

01 Generational Curse by robjay1982




Sources: 10 Reasons to Buy From Independent Artists-Articlesbase, Yaza's Youtube channel, and Rob Jay's website

The Three Essentials of Management

When recently visiting Artist House Music “Helping Musicians and Music Entrepreneurs Create Sustainable Careers” I came across an article by George Howard titled “The Three Essentials of Management”. I found this to be a very interesting read and wanted to share a few points of the article that I feel would have the most impact or influence.

George Howard recognizes that passion, connections, and capital are the three essentials needed to be a successful manager. The advice given in this series of articles is meant to be directed towards an artist in search of management. However it is said that it could be beneficial to anyone also seeking an interest in artist management.

The article asks, “Why Passion is Important”. When one seeks a manager, one important thing that should be prevalent is how passionate one is about their client’s music. If an artist isn’t as passionate or more passionate then the “relationship” may be short-lived. “Passion combined with energy (often youthful) is a very potent mix that often knocks down many barriers and allows and artist to experience real career growth” It was said that managers who are more passionate find alternative methods of enhancing a clients career or more “innovative strategies that further idea of career development”. When a person who has a true passion for your (the client’s) work you are better off and their ways of finding funding via certain connections can also are beneficial.

That leads us into our second essential, connections. It is thought that the strength of the connection is often as powerful as the strength of the music. As a manager your main duty is to ensure that your client has as much exposure as possible. Therefore most managers utilize various web resources and or social media to make that happen. While some connections “just happen” most connection are those that are developed over a period of time and must be properly cultivated. When choosing a manager, you (the client) must research the manager’s connections so that you may know if they are essential to your particular style of music. A manager and a client normally form a type of symbiotic relationship where each others connections have some sort of benefit to each other. Through the proper connections you may be able to find proper funding for current or future projects.

Managers typically get paid from their client based on a certain percentage of what is made from different shows and any money that is paid from a label (if the client is signed to one) Not all artists have paying gigs when up and coming, so a way to secure payment for their manager is to offer some of the publishing rights to them. This ensures the manager a paid percentage of any money made. This is generally used strictly for insurance. “Money is a significant factor in creating effective artist/manager relationships” A manager typically is the source of funds for their client prior to them getting signed by a major label. Being a manager to up and coming artists is very similar to start up businesses.

When searching for a manager it is important that you look for someone who has a passion for your music as well as for the business, a person who is well connected and or properly financed, but most of all understands what your ultimate goals are as an artist.

Source: Artist House Music

http://www.artistshousemusic.org/articles/the+three+essentials+of+management
http://www.artistshousemusic.org/articles/the+three+essentials+of+management+the+importance+of+connections
http://www.artistshousemusic.org/articles/the+three+essentials+of+management+the+importance+of+money+how+management+gets+paid

Negotiations through the eyes of an Artist Manager

What most people don’t understand is that artist management is a skill that some lack. I say down with Sonya Mixon, former artist manager for 69 Boyz, 95 South and 24K. While talking with her we touched on the topic of negotiations. Sonya Mixon began in artist management by accident in 1993 with 69 Boyz, 95 South and 24 K. She has worked with “Thrill The Playa” as well as “CC Lemon Head”. She has encountered various negotiations for them such a Artist Deals, Production, Tours, Management and even Endorsements. When it comes to negotiations Pastor Sonya Mixon expressed the use of making sure of “having a plan before approaching your negotiations”, “researching your opponent”, remaining stern and to the point as well as having leverage over who you are negotiating with.

Ways that she went about this was through having an iron clad contract as well as “rider” for your artist. Also by knowing what your client is worth, what they are looking for and what they are capable of you are able to approach any negotiation confident that the person is going to agree with you.

She has negotiated several things from venue contracts, endorsements, and even production deals. Pastor Mixon has had to negotiate at one point a production that began at 5 million dollars and eventually ended at 3 million dollars. In this deal the label wanted to only offer 2 million dollars, her client requested 5 million. When the negotiations finally ended they approached a deal of 3 million dollars which ensured that each producer (3 of them) were allotted 1 million dollars each to produce an album. In order to be certain that your negotiations are successful in the artist management field you have to know your clients market, know what other artists offer, the industry, know what the client is looking from the negotiations as well as what the person you are negotiating with is ultimately looking for.

Funding a project isn't easy....check out these 10 tips to acquire sponsorships

Entering the music business as an up-and-coming artist and sometimes even as established artist can be very financially consuming. When you are attempting to fund an album, as well as properly market and promote it, it can really eat a hole in your pocket, even when you have the capital to do those tasks. One sure way to attempt to remedy that is to seek sponsorships. “Sponsorships can provide a win-win situation for all involved - a way for businesses to reach consumers more effectively utilizing integrated marketing; and an avenue for musicians to acquire funding for their tours and/or projects. ” --Jeremy Rwakaara

When approaching companies or individuals for sponsorships you have to be very careful due to them, for good reason, being selective with the spending of their funds. When looking through some of the resources I use to enhance my management skills I came across an article titled, “10 ways to make your project more attractive to sponsors” and found it extremely useful.

In the article they provide 10 ways to make your project more attractive to sponsors and to put yourself in a different category from others artists that may also be seeking sponsorships.

1. Be able to clearly identify your audience, their loyalty level and buying habits - apart from buying your music/merchandise and attending your shows (e.g., the highest percentage of your audience members are 34-55 year old females that buy health products; 16-25 year olds that participate in sports events; 40-60 year olds that like to travel etc.).

2. Identify the benefits, properties and/or rights you own as well as how to package and market them to the potential sponsor (e.g. copyrights, patents, trademarks, service marks, merchandise, logos, mailing list, talent, event, image etc.). Know which benefits will be most useful to the sponsor and keep your fees reasonable.

3. Be clear about the type of image you project. Sponsors will associate with projects that fit with the image they are trying to establish and cater to the demographic they are trying to reach.

4. Know something about the company(s) you wish to partner with. Know what their sales/marketing goals and challenges are as well as what they have sponsored previously.

5. Create/Produce a project that is appealing to the media. Companies prefer projects that can attract TV coverage, especially if their logos and/or products can show up in the broadcast.

6. Be open to bundling your project with other companies/individuals that have more clout than you if you don't have enough marketing power or media attraction on your own. Keep in mind, however, that you must also limit the number of companies that you attach to the event/project. Conflicts (and conflicts of interest) will occur when sponsors compete or don't match well with other co-sponsors.

7. Enable and help your sponsor to measure the benefits that you are offering. Your project won't attract sponsors unless the sponsors can generate measurable business returns from their sponsorship investments. For example, if 50 people that attend your concerts also purchase products from one of the sponsoring companies using coupons handed out at the concert, that result can be measured and credited to the sponsorship campaign.

8. A project/event that has the potential to be long term or spread to different markets will be more attractive to sponsors than a one-time event-taking place in a single location. In other words, a tour covering several cities, regions, or countries is more attractive to a sponsor than a show occurring once in only one city.

9. Prove that you will deliver the benefits and follow-through promised to the sponsor. Whoever is administering/organizing/managing your project should have their "house in order". In the same way that sponsors sometimes fail to pay the fee promised to a project - project owners often fall short on their end of the bargain.

10. Be willing and able to tie your product(s) into the sponsor's existing promotional campaign. If you feel queasy about creatively integrating a sponsor's logo(s) and product(s) into your show/tour, then you will have a hard time attracting sponsors.


Again these are just options that you can utilize when attempting to acquire individuals to sponsor your project. The process can be a tedious and asking for assistance is sometimes needed when trying to become the best artist. Developing sponsorships with individuals can form a partnership that last throughout an entire career. At some point we all need a little help. Never be afraid to reach out to properly skilled professionals. Forming a strong team is essential to success no matter whet your profession is.


Source: Artist management Resource

SUCCESSFUL PROMOTION IS THE KEY TO YOUR SUCCESS

When becoming established as either a new artist or when putting out a new album, promotion is the key to success. If your promotion team does not inform your fans correctly then the potential album can potentially flop. Being that I am an up & coming artist manager I look for different resources to help me effectively promote my artists name and music. I have been receiving “The Indie Contact Newsletter- A monthly resource newsletter for recording artists!” for some time now and they always have different tidbits of information that I have found extremely useful. The December newsletter was about 43 places to promote your music. The most inexpensive way to promote now with new age technology is through our online channels. The December newsletter breaks down their promotion contacts into 5 sections. 1. Publications that will REVIEW your music;

2. Radio Stations/Shows that will PLAY your songs; 3. Labels, Vendors and Promotional Services that will help you to SELL your CD; 4. Sites where you can UPLOAD your band's MP3s or videos; and 5. A wide range of Helpful Resources for recording artists.

            I will share a different outlet from each of the five sections. Depending on the type of music you are promoting is going to depend on which outlet is best for you. In section 1 we have “The Deli” (www.thedelimagazine.com)- is a website that is updated daily and covers various local music scenes. So far they are in NYC, LA, Nashville, Chicago, SF, Portland, Austin, Philly and New England. They also have a quarterly publication that focuses exclusively on the New York independent music scene. Section 2: there is “Who’s Next” (www.whosnextllc.com), an Internet radio that various industry executives listen to when searching for talent as well as fans.  Via “Music Registry” (www.registermymusic.com) radio promoters have helped hundreds of major artists in addition to indie artists with national radio airplay and charting. The currently have different artists that are on the Billboard Top 20, BDS, Mediabase, Media Guide and Radiowave. In section 3 we are exploring services to sell your CD, I chose to highlight “Dream Town Media”(www.dreamtownmedia.com) due to their cohesive digital marketing and social media campaigns. Section 4 offered a wide array of sites to upload music however I chose “SoundCloud” (www.soundcloud.com). They offer a platform that puts your sound on websites and even apps. Lastly, we have section 5: Social networks are beginning to shape how music is created, with “Indaba Music” (www.indabamusic.com) a networking platform was created for musicians around the world to network and make music together through online collaborations. The site has now grown to over 5000,000 musicians ranging from those who create music as a hobby to Grammy Award winners.

            I hope that you find this information useful in your endeavors to promote your music as I did for my clients.

 Source:

Indie Contact Newsletter