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
Readings, Materials, and Resources
Course Policies and Expectations
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
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.
Fridays 1:30-3:20 PM
3rd Floor, Room: CCRMA Stage
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:
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 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:
Assignment:
Podcasts to subscribe to:
Musonomics, by Larry Miller
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 Password: wbr123 (26 mins) | Featuring: Xavier Ramos, Sr VP Marketing, Warner Bros. Records, and Echosmith |
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:
Additional topics:
Discussion:
Homework:
tp://aca.st/2c622a
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!
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):
Password: wbr123 | Featuring:
|
Video Case Study (watch prior to 5/10/19):
Gary Clark Jr Video Case Study (marketing, publicity, branding) | Featuring:
|
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:
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:
Section 1: Artist & Audience must be selected and submitted before class.
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
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:
OPTIONAL Video Case Study - Radio and Promotion (uncut)
https://vimeo.com/126534757 | Featuring: |
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
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…
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)
Topics: