Customer Reviews

The Music Business: Career Opportunities and Self-Defense

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The first book I ever bought on Amazon, I decided to order this after seeing it in my high school library in 97 or 98. It struck me as something that could be very useful in the future, as amateur a musician as I was. It then sat on my shelf, even though it got abused traveling everywhere I lived since then, until just last week. The pages were yellowed - and it was already an outdated edition - by the time I opened it up. I thought I was bad at staying committed to any book, but I'm already more engrossed in it than I've been to anything in years.

This book explains the music industry from top to bottom, so as a new band member I understand where every person in the business is coming from. The system seems huge, intimidating, and unrelenting, but at least I can get an idea of how the pieces work. I can't imagine how anyone could have a career in music (performing, especially) and not read a book like this one. Anybody who sets out without the prior background work is doomed to failure. (Even luck doesn't last.) It's obvious that every chapter itself is a simplified summary, and probably a book could be written on each, but the moderately bite-sized pieces are what I can handle. As it is, I'm only on page 88 right now, but I can't wait to pick it up and read the next chapter.

And when I'm all done, I can head over to the library and read everything revised in the new edition. Then I'll have my jump-start!

Dick Weissman started as a member of the Journeymen during the early 60's folk revival ( the other members were John Philips of the Mama's and the Papas and Scott McKenizie of 'Are you going to San Francisco' fame). After a few successful years with the Journeymen he then went on to work for major record companies as a producer, talent scout etc. He also taught as a professor in college music departments. In addition he has written numerous instructional music books for folk and blues music for a variety of instruments. In short, the man knows what he's talking about from actual experience over several decades.
This book is useful for a variety of reasons - the casual prose is easy and entertaining to read, the book provides a historical survey of the recording business from its inception, and describes how the music biz works from the past days of vinyl to the internet present.
Find out from this book what producers, engineers, agents, managers, A & R, demos, masters, lead sheets etc. actually are and do.
The references to the days of vinyl may seem outdated to the under 21 crowd, but he also describes changes in the biz since those days so I don't see what the problem is. He doesn't make any claims to easy money in music, he tells it like it was and is. Technology may be changing the way music is merchandised but don't count out the big music corporations yet, they still have something to say about what music gets heard on the airwaves.
This book isn't just for musicians either, its for anyone from laypeople to would be professionals in the music business. It should appeal equally to those who are curious about how music did and does get made, those with a curiosity about the history of the profesional recording biz, and musicians who want to become professionals. Read it and learn.

The book (3rd Edition) has an orderly presentation that builds confidence but there are scattered elements that are factually wrong and thus tear it down.