Digital Book Release!

Bob Baldwin's

"You Better Ask Somebody,

It's the Friggin' Music Business"

A Quick Music Business Handbook

and 20+ year expose' on the

musical life of Baldwin.

NY native Bob Baldwin, Jazz Artist, Radio Host and Music Presenter, is an unsung hero when it comes to the Contemporary/Smooth Jazz genre and is on the move.  With a vision to take his gift of music to bless those less fortunate, and raise funds for organizations in need of help, Bob Baldwin adds Arts Advocate and Educator to his resume. He's unapologetic when holding himself and his associates accountable for doing it the 'right way", especially when it comes to doing business. His debut book, "You Better Ask Somebody, It's the Friggin' Music Business."

Bob Baldwin's

"You Better Ask Somebody,

It's the Friggin' Music Business"

(BOOK FORWARD)

WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

After 25 short years of being in the game, only to watch the industry fall so quickly, gone are the label-funded recording studios with their 20-foot sound boards, coffee runners and all night physical tape edits.

Over the years, I studied the business and observed those very few Execs sitting at the top of the pyramid scheme, who built their mansions on your shoulders and the sweat of your backbone, blinged you down to your Mercedes feet while pushing their subliminal messages up on the big video screen and at the end of the day, all you were left was a quarterly bill written in red negatives. Believe it or not, back in the day, it was worse!  They used to buy your copyright for a dollar and fed their grandchildren off the heels of your ignorance.  At least you got the 12 – carat gold necklace. 

Maybe Ray Charles couldn’t see, but he had vision and smelled the proverbial rat behind the desk. He cried out, “I want my budget AND my copyright”. He proved to us that at the end of the day, it really was up to the ‘percentile’ to collectively uphold the industry’s original artistic culture and most of all, the moral fiber of the business. Call us, “the 99-Percenters”.  Sounds more like America.

We were ignored because they thought the game was going so good for them. They even decided to have a mp3 mass-industry giveaway for years……but then they fell asleep at the wheel.

They let the Freedom Riders take over (Napster/Kazaa); however, before they were eventually defeated, The Napsters of the world left the industry depleted….kids stopped reading credits, it was all about the dummy download. But now, everything old is new again Oldie this, Oldie that, forget the future, let’s just keep spinning these oldies!

Then Jobs finished the job, with the Big Apple notwithstanding, and the stock was fat while the rest went flat. There was no real counter-punch, every swing was futile, every punch was inefficient and utterly painless.

So how and when did this happen? HEY! Stay out of the rear-view mirror, or you may wreck yourself. Ladies and Gents, time to look ahead, and protect the very thing that is yours, that you worked so hard to make. Your brand, your art, you!

Take a break, come out the trenches for a minute.

Come…Let’s take this ride together, collectively devoid ourselves of possible further self-destruction, leap past the and mines….it’s time arm yourself with corporate intelligence, the knowledge that you are so deserving to have.

You can agree or disagree with what’s written herein, but one thing’s for sure, If you don’t know,

“You Better Ask SOMEBODY!”

Bob Baldwin

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1         -          WHAT TYPE OF ARTIST ARE YOU?

2         -          MANAGEMENT/ARTIST CONTRACT 101 

3       -           RECORDING CONTRACT 101

4       -           CONCERT PROMOTIONS 101

5       -           CREATIVE CONTROL 101

6       -           PUBLISHING 101

7       -           CD FOR FORMAT 101

8       -           ARTIST ROYALTY ACCOUNTING 101

9       -           RECORDING 101

10     -           MUSIC 101

11    -           SIDEMAN GIG 101

12    -           UPHOLDING THE CONTRACT 101

13    -           STAGE RIG CHECK 101

14    -           ARTIST GIG 101

15    -           AGENT/ARTIST CONTRACT 101

16    -           DIGITAL MUSIC 101

17    -           ROADKILL 101

18    -           CAN’T WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

19  -           UNAUTHORIZED BOOTLEG

20    -           THE TRUTH ABOUT CROTON

21    -           ALLEN KWELA, A SOUTH AFRICAN TRAGEDY

22  -            CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF

GLOSSARY

THE NEWURBANJAZZ LOUNGE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

(Download your copy on Dec. 13. Details to follow)