Music Distribution: Selling Music in the New Entertainment Marketplace - Paperback

by C. Michael Brae (Author)

This Book is a comprehensive study of the music industry distribution system. The intent is to convey total understanding of the process of music distribution as well as the significance of that process and all it's variables. Marketing through cutting-edge web-technology and how to incorporate into digital and retail distribution networks supporting soundscan capabilities, is discussed. Distribution is but one aspect of the business end of this industry, arguably the most vital. The importance of distribution is stressed along with the importance of other contiguous aspects such as global sales, marketing and promotions including radio-internet radio, retail, trades, music aggregators, street-promotions, and college-networks. This edition includes current industry statistics, trends and new innovative ways in selling your music through both digital and physical. Focus on additional revenue streams as licensing, publishing, digital download cards with Soundscan support is also examined.

Author Biography

As a native New Yorker, Mr. Brae began his career on NYC's Wall Street after graduating with a double Bachelors degree in Marketing in advertising from the University of San Francisco. He currently also holds a Master's Degree and currently is working towards a PhD Candidate in marketing & business sciences. Mr. Brae began Hitman Records in 1991 and solidified a joint venture with SOLAR (Sounds of Los Angeles Records - "A Division of RCA Records"). Later in 1997, Hitman Records obtained "exclusive distribution" through corporate Tower Records distribution arm Bayside Distribution. The record label then began a period of artist acquisition and development, which focused on Hip-Hop, Rap, R&B and Gospel genres. During this period, Mr. Brae represented well-known and established artists, such as Samuelle (double-platinum and Grammy award winning singer from the R&B group Club Nouveau) Mac Dash Mone (former member of the double-platinum group Digital Underground) and Johnny Paycheck who produced 6 gold albums, 1 platinum album, 1 double platinum and 33 hits. Hitman Records is based in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Nashville in which its physical titles are distributed through MVD Entertainment who has affiliates with Best Buy, Baker & Taylor, Ingram, FYE, Anderson Merchandisers, Hastings, Amazon, and Target, to name a few. Mr. Brae was also able to set up Hitmans International distribution through Planetworks, who has affiliate partners with Universal Music Canada, The Orchard, Ingram Entertainment and Alliance Entertainment Corporation, to name a few. Mr. Brae has taught over 8 years of business courses in the Music Industry as an adjunct professor at several prestigious universities and colleges as UCLA (Entertainment Studies), San Francisco State University (MRI), University of the Pacific (Music Business), Dominican University of California and has conducted music business seminars at SAE (Nashville) to name a few. He has authored several books which are used as music business course books throughout colleges and universities. Hitman has just recently produced "Totally Packaged" a new music reality TV show which aired 13-weeks on CHN Network and will also be available on Barnes & Noble and Amazon. Mr. Brae has been featured in Billboard Magazine, Music Connection Magazine, College Music Journal, SF Weekly, Black Enterprise Magazine, Atlas Plugged, UCLA Bruins Newspaper, Nashville Pride to name a few.