The Changing World of Popular Music

ARTSINST 150 / MUSIC 150P  SPRING 2019

2 units

Lecturer:

Jay LeBoeuf, jay.leboeuf@stanford.edu

Lecturer, Stanford University

Executive Director, Real Industry

The Changing World of Popular Music

Course Description & Purpose

Time

Location

Readings, Materials, and Resources

Course Policies and Expectations

Assignments

Topics

Week 0         Before you Arrive         Music industry basics

Week 1        4/5/19                Industry Overview: The Music Business and State of the Industry

Week 2        4/12/19        A&R, Data, & Music Analytics

Week 3        4/19/19        LAW: MUSIC COPYRIGHT, LICENSES, and PRIVACY

Week 4        4/26/19        Marketing and Branding

Week 5         5/3/19                The Future of the Industry

Week 6         5/10/19        How to Work with Artists: The Intersection Between Creativity and Business

Week 7         5/17/19        The future of digital audio experiences

Week 8         5/24/19        Live: Ticketing, Touring, and Festivals

Week 9         5/31/19        Immersive Media Platforms; Twitch; Poster session

Course Description & Purpose

This course will cover changes in the business, economics, and practices of the popular music industry. It will provide a brief historical overview of the industry and its business models. The majority of the course will focus on the industry as it works today and on forces that are causing it to change rapidly. The course will feature guest artists and executives with current experience in the field, as well as project-based assignments designed to give students hands-on experience. Topics will include: economics and business models of commercial music business, technology and music production, strategy, marketing, music distribution, marketing, copyright and legal issues.

Time

        Fridays 1:30-3:20 PM

Location

CCRMA, The Knoll

3rd Floor, Room: CCRMA Stage

Readings, Materials, and Resources

Required book:

All You Need to Know About the Music Business: Ninth Edition, December 1, 2015

by Donald S. Passman

ISBN-10: 1501104896

Additional research tools:

Course Policies and Expectations

Weekly course attendance is mandatory. Attendance is taken each week via an online system, during the first 5 minutes of class. One excused absence is permitted. Each future unexcused absence will lower your grade.

Preparation and participation in our interview and case-study based class is mandatory. We make it huge part of your grade, because your future career depends on you preparing and engaging with professionals.

Grades are based on attendance and  in-class participation (50%) and submissions of projects and assignments (25%) and a final project (25%).  Teams will present results to our visiting guests for critique.

Assignments

Assignments are announced on Fridays and due before the start of class the following week, unless otherwise noted. Assignments received after the start of class are docked by 10 points per day late.


Topics

Week 0         Before you Arrive         Music industry basics

Topics:

Assignment:

Podcasts to subscribe to:

Musonomics, by Larry Miller


Week 1        4/5/19                Industry Overview: The Music Business and State of the Industry

Guest: Peter Gray, formerly General Manager / Executive Vice President Warner Bros. Records

Class Leader: n/a

Note taker:

Performance by: Hajar Alzerma

Outcomes:

Goals:

Students should under the following topics (in order of importance):

1. The Business of Music:

- Understanding the key revenue sources in the music business for artists/labels/management

- Understanding the recorded music digital supply chain from artist’s laptop to a consumers’ phone.

- Building a realistic understanding that the music business is a business.

2. CONTEXT (PAST): How did it get to be this way? How did the music industry even get to be a business? What were the previous disruptions?

3. PRESENT: How has the industry been continuously disrupted through innovation and entrepreneurship? Build an intuition of the state of the industry now. Understand the role that those disruptors serve, including their value add, structure, and business models.

Resources:

Assignment (complete prior to 4/12/19)

Watch this Video Case Study (complete prior to 4/12/19):

Watch Echosmith case study Screen Shot 2015-04-10 at 9.54.38 AM.png

Password: wbr123

(26 mins)

Featuring:  

Xavier Ramos, Sr VP Marketing, Warner Bros. Records,
Peter Gray, Exec VP Radio Promotion, Warner Bros. Records, Michael Nance, Sr VP International, Warner Bros. Records

and Echosmith

Week 2        4/12/19        A&R, Data, & Music Analytics

Guest: Ian Hunter, VP of A&R, Atlantic Records

Class Leaders:

Note taker:

Topics: DATA, MUSIC, AND ANALYTICS

Music is about gut, feel, instinct, and… analysis of data? With access to massive amounts of data and analytics that were previously only available to major artist managers and labels, it’s imperative that today’s future industry members understand:  

  1. Artist Data. How do I access data about my audience, reach, and engagement? Who am I talking to? Where are my fans coming from across all social, website, and digital platforms? How did I acquire them? How did I lose them? How do I sell them merch or tickets?  How do I make insights from this?
  2. Consumption data. What’s available to me, where is it, and what  do I actually do with it? Do I know the basics of statistics? Do I know how to read basic streaming, consumption, social media stats?
  3. Data-driven A&R.  Understand the role that data now plays in artist and songwriter discovery process.

Additional topics:

Discussion:

Homework:

tp://aca.st/2c622a

Week 3        4/19/19        LAW: MUSIC COPYRIGHT, LICENSES, and PRIVACY

 

Guest: Laurie Soriano, Partner, King, Holmes, Paterno & Soriano, LLP

All students should develop a fundamental understanding of the basic intellectual property law that protects music works and sound recordings. It’s tough to make money in or even innovate and disrupt the existing system when you don’t understand the fundamentals of it!

  1. Rights 101. What are the underlying differences between sound recording and  publishing rights? What are you entitled to do with your copyrights? What are sync rights? When do you need to obtain a license from others?
  2. Licensing 101. When and how do I get paid based on my copyrights? What’s a PRO?

Licensing, Contracts, and Copyright 101 (sound recording, publishing, and a modern artist contract)

Reading (complete prior to 4/19/19)

Video Case Study (complete prior to 5/10/19):

        







Watch Jason Derulo Case Study

Password: wbr123

Featuring:  

  • Peter Gray, Exec VP Radio Promotion, Warner Bros. Records
  • Ayal Kleinman, VP Marketing, Warner Bros Records
  • J Scavo, SVP Interactive Marketing
  • Michael Nance, Sr VP International, Warner Bros. Records
  • Phylicia Fant, VP Publicity and Lifestyle Marketing, Warner Bros Records
  • Denise Watts, VP Visual Media, Production & Development


Video Case Study
 (watch prior to 5/10/19):

Gary Clark Jr Video Case Study (marketing, publicity, branding)

Password: wbr

Featuring:

  • Peter Standish, Sv VP of Marketing, Warner Bros Records, Reprise Records
  • Frank Maddocks, VP of Creative Services, Warner Bros Records
  • Phylicia Fant, VP Publicity and Lifestyle Marketing, Warner Bros Records
  • Rich Gershon, Sr Director Publicity, Warner Bros Records
  • Michael Nance, Sr VP International, Warner Bros.

Week 4        4/26/19        Marketing and Branding

Guest: Phylicia Fant, Head Of Urban Music, Columbia Records

Class Leader:

Note taker:

Perhaps the greatest struggle of the modern musician is breaking through the noise to expose their music to their future fans. It’s the responsibility of all musicians to establish their own fanbases, their own communities, and develop a foundation for future development.  

Our future industry leaders should understand:

  1. What is Publicity? What is Lifestyle Marketing?
  2. Marketing strategy and fanbase fundamentals.
  3. Marketing: paid versus organic techniques.
  4. Marketing: social media strategy for the music industry.
  5. Skills: Writing a marketing plan

Marketing (PR/press, Lifestyle Marketing, social, digital, fan engagement)

Additional topics:

Optional Video Case Study (complete prior to 4/26/19:


View The Digital Side Case Study:

Digital Strategy, ECommerce, Merch, D2C

Password sent via course announcement

Featuring: J Scavo

Readings (complete prior to 4/3/19):

Readings (complete prior to class):

Final Project:

Final Project Description

Section 1: Artist & Audience must be selected and submitted before class.

        

Week 5         5/3/19                The Future of the Industry

Guest: Cameron Strang, formerly CEO of Warner Bros. Records, Warner/Chappell Music

This industry has been continuously disrupted through innovation and entrepreneurship.

What do we think the current industry disruptions are? Where is the industry going?

What are the forces and trends that are inevitable?

What if you have a major innovation that you think solves industry problems or provides significant benefits? How do you move forward?

Let’s understand the role that those disruptors serve, including their value add to various parties and business models.

Reading for Week 6:

The Business of Music, Knowing The Ledge

The Business of Creativity, Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

Week 6         5/10/19        How to Work with Artists: The Intersection Between Creativity and Business

Guest: Daouda Leonard, CEO, CREATESAFE, Inc.; CEO,  Mastor Craft

Manager, publisher, producer, A&R and creative director for DJ Snake, Skrillex, BloodPop®

Class Leader:

Note taker:

EMPATHY FOR THE ARTIST

The music industry monetizes the artistic contributions of real, hard working people. To participate in this ecosystem, you must understand who these creators and performers actually are. It’s essential to build a realistic and well-grounded portrait of a modern artist.  

Students should develop an understanding of:

  1. An artists' true needs, understanding their “day in the life”, feelings, schedules, touring, external expectations, and support needed to survive.
  2. The DIY tools, data, and resources that artists now have to promote, build their fanbase, sell merchandise, pitch songs, sell tickets, and build their brands.
  3. The fundamental pillars of artist discovery and development process.

OPTIONAL Video Case Study  - Radio and Promotion (uncut)  


Watch Peter Gray, Case Study

https://vimeo.com/126534757
password: wbr

Featuring:
Peter Gray, formerly Executive Vice President, Head of Promotion, Warner Bros Records

Week 7         5/17/19        The future of digital audio experiences

LOCATION: CLASS HELD IN ROBLE ARTS GYM THIS WEEK!

[CLASS IS NOT CCRMA]

Guest: Chris Phillips,  Chief Product Officer & Head of Technology, Pandora Media

Class Leaders:

Note taker:

Topics:

Discussion:

Readings (complete prior to class): Chapter 23, Personal Appearances, Touring

Week 8         5/24/19        Live: Ticketing, Touring, and Festivals

Guests:Biasha Mitchell, Business Strategy & Solutions, Eventbrite; Greg Patterson, Entrepreneur in Residence at Eventbrite

Class Leader:

Note taker:

 

Topics: THE LIVE ECOSYSTEM

While most of our mentors expertise and discussion focused strongly on recording music, we acknowledge the tremendous significance of live. Live music plays a significant role in the discovery, opportunity, and revenue sources available to the music industry. Fans have an insatiable desire for new experiences, and a basic understanding of the live music and touring ecosystem is key for future industry leaders.

Future leaders of the recorded music industry should understand…

  1. Live music ecosystem, key players, and the individual roles available.
  2. Economics of concerts, tours, and festivals for artists and artist managers.
  3. Benefits of touring and crossover effects towards recorded music revenues.

Week 9         5/31/19        Immersive Media Platforms; Twitch; Poster session

Special Guests: Cindy Charles, Principal, Music Partnerships and Operations, Twitch

Half-Class + Half-Poster Session!


Artist appearances on immersive streaming platforms: considerations, opportunities, and case studies

- Overview of Twitch as a platform

- Opportunity for music and artists on Twitch

- Demographics; genres that perform well;  best practices

- Example collaborations with streamers

- Similarities in how to build and engage fanbase on Twitch vs other platforms

 


Additional Materials

Digital Marketing (fan engagement, platforms, resources, Digital Strategy, ECommerce, Merch, D2C)

https://medium.com/s/story/music-created-by-artificial-intelligence-is-better-than-you-think-ce73631e2ec5

Topics: