Sync Licensing

Royalties

Possible Royalty streams of income that I feel I could gel with include:

SoundExchange: Have I already connected this stream of royalties to my career? No, I just found out about it.

Am I planning to pursue this stream of royalties? Yes, since finding out about it, it seems like a great side piece of income since it covers internet radio and that is a market that can both help with fan base but also doesn’t require current fans to end up on one of my songs.

What is holding me back from pursuing this stream? I need to officiate my catalog a bit more and get more informed but it is in my sights.

Download Sales: Have I already tapped into this? No, I don’t yet feel comfortable enough with my catalog to put any of it for sale.

I am however, planning to tap into this the moment that I feel my music is on a level worth getting paid for by people willing to pay and support the cause.

I am only being held back from this revenue stream by my own self doubt and lack of skin in the game but it will come soon enough.

Sync Licensing: I am actually very interested in tapping into sync licensing! In particular for independent film and creatives and videographers who like to use ambient and/or eclectic sounds.

I only have not tapped into this side of things yet because I am still wrapping my head around impostor’s syndrome and some fear of rejection but I feel my sound getting better and I’m sure I will get there soon.

Copyright Infringement and MMA

My post this week is dedicated the notorious case between The Verve and The Rolling Stones (though more specifically Allen Klein, Stones’ manager and publishing controller).

In 1997 The Verve asked permission from the Andrew Oldham Orchestra to use a 5 note sample from their inspired by composition of The Rolling Stones’ The Last Time which was originally done by a man named David Whitaker who, ironically, never gets named or compensated for any of this beyond perhaps his original contribution and payment. The Verve was given permission by Decca Records in 1997, who owned the publishing rights of Oldham’s music. In a twisted turn of events Allen Klein owner of The Rolling Stones most current publishing (at the time) Came in and essentially said they were never asked permission (even though their sample was exclusively from the orchestral composition/cover by Andrew Oldham and NOT The Rolling Stones).

Allen Klein had a reputation in the music industry for always making sure dues were paid and money owed was money paid. Allen Klein had agreed that The Verve could release their song with sample on their record, but once he saw the massive hit it was becoming he claimed they took advantage and used more in the sample than was originally agreed upon. The Verve chose to settle out of court, afraid that a full fight in court may be devastating financially.

Upon Allen Klein’s death The Rolling Stones decided to sign over full rights to The Verve so after 20+ years they have found peace and are rightfully (in my opinion) in charge of the rights to their iconic song Bittersweet Symphony written by Richard Ashcroft and produced by Martin Glover under EMI Recordings.

A Profile and Interview of Moises Olaez-Renteria

Moises Olaez-Renteria is local Bakersfield business owner in charge of Olaez Home Improvements. Olaez Home Improvements may only be 2 years old but Moises has been working in the industry and many adjacent ones for the last 20 years. He has decades worth of experience in Plumbing, Electrical, Carpentry, and Construction. This is a man who has had a plan for many years and waited to strike only when he felt most prepared and hungry for more. He believes hard work can take you anywhere and is a heavy proponent of the idea that if you aren’t working for yourself you’re working for somebody else.

Sponsorship Ideas

For my sponsorship ideas I thought it might be fun to aim for both something local and dear to me AND something much larger than the town I’m based in but with product I trust and believe in. Going Underground Records a local paragon of our music scene, in particular, for punk. A store that stocks an incredible selection of music for those with tastes all across the board from obscure to mainstream. A fantastic place to source sounds for sampling and chopping. Can definitely suit and be of interest for anybody interested in my sound or the great but sometimes under appreciated artists that inspire it. A great fit I think for a partnership of sorts.

Arturia on the other hand is a fantastic brand of instruments particular in Midi and Synthesized sound spaces as well as a fantastic source of Plug-Ins for DAW use in production. The instruments and Plug-Ins they produce are not only my favorite but also on the cutting edge of quality in production in affordable ranges with lots of modular ability. Perfect for any genre but a fantastic in particular for something in my range. A lot of the people interested in this scene either have experience working with lots of these technologies or have an interest in stepping in. I think a good way to pull people into the Arturia ecosystem would be to show them the kinds of production possible on their instruments or with their software which I would proudly showcase.

Potential Colleges for Performance

I spent some time looking at colleges that might have a student base that would line up with the demographic that seems most into my kind of music, and found that most of them are in the Bay Area. It proved somewhat difficult to find “CAB” info on their sites but the ones I couldn’t find that for I found event booking info for and figure I could work my way through different people until I managed to reach the proper authority on these matters.

Touring BP

First things first.. where do we hit? LOCAL + CLOSE (with an outlier to spread the love and take a risk)

1. Bakersfield

2. Visalia

3. Anaheim

4. Pomona

5. Santa Cruz

Secondly, gotta pinpoint the sound and style I bring which to me is best enjoyed by people who just wanna dance a bit while able to have some conversation about the experience. (best enjoyed with a drink, caffeinated or alcoholic.) My energy live is somewhere between high energy crowd work and laid back dance music DJ.

My music would work best in smaller more intimate venues or the smallest stage at certain festivals. places like:

1. Record Stores

2. book shops with stages

3. cafe/diners

4. vineyards

5. bars/breweries

6. small clubs/venues

my sample email:

Nov 20 - Noize Maker

hey John, Noize Maker from bakersfield will be in the area on nov 20. last time we passed by we were able to do a gig at the dance hall and drew around 50 people. I know a few people locally and they’ve agreed to help get posters put up around the city. we will also be running ads all over local social medias and expect to bring in about 100 people think we can secure a hold?

Noize Maker (Bakersfield based) - www.emptylink.com

200,000 Apple Music streams (Santa Cruz 6th most popular city)

featured on multiple sound cloud playlists

Muted Violence EP releasing November 11

thank you, Moises

Noize Maker

Noize Maker Records

www.imakenoize.com

NM

Local Gatekeepers

For today’s blog post I have done some research in my local area (as well as gathered the information of some of the gatekeepers I already know) to form a spreadsheet that I may use to my advantage as a musician attempting to grow and branch out my brand.

This spreadsheet has put into perspective how many people around me are capable of assisting me in taking some “next steps” for my music and myself. Bakersfield honestly has quite a large scene with many gatekeepers and I’m positive I’ve barely touched the surface. I am glad I have been able to locate a decent amount of them to start reaching out to when I am ready to take some of these more daring steps.

DJ’s, Venue owners and managers, journalists galore in this lovely city of mine.

Live Gigs

I have created a Pinterest board of my artistic aesthetic inspirations based on the artists, vibe, and genres that I have built and will continue to build my music and sound around.

Who Might Listen to Me?

What fanbases might I tap into?

• Mark Kozelek

• ARCA

• Sun Kil Moon

• SOPHIE

• Blaqk Audio

• She Wants Revenge

• Have A Nice Life

• Planning For Burial

• Yung Lean

• Nourished By Time

Where might I find success?

My sound would probably do well and be very marketable in places with a strong ambient and emotional music scene like:

• The Midwest US ( a lot of emo music comes and thrives here)

• Berkeley

• Santa Cruz

• New York (another “artsy” area with lots of potential)

• Chicago

• Los Angeles (goes without saying)

• London

• San Francisco

• Toronto

• Pomona

• Ventura

• Stockholm

• Amsterdam

• Santa Ana

• Anaheim

• Bakersfield

The Release

In Your Face, Hidden in Plain Sight, Oxymoron, Emotive, Pensive, Contemplative, Aggressive, Angry, Bitter, Apocalyptic Ambient Pop, Wall of Sound, Scary, Unwelcoming Beauty, Ominous, Experimental, Melancholy, Cinematic, Glitchy, Strange.

What do I stand for?

I stand for equality, I stand for peace, I stand for love, I stand for artistic expression (with integrity)

What do I stand against?

I stand against hate, oppression, betrayal, and selfish acts on all grounds.

What do I believe in?

I believe life is full of beautiful moments that we ignore more and more in the digital age and that we need to make more of an effort to keep human expression alive. I believe there are disgusting, selfish, evil, and unkind people everywhere and they need to be put in their place. The world is falling apart and there are many people to blame that are doing a great job at keeping the general population distracted and angry in other directions.

Bio

I’m a Mexican immigrant artist and student of music, life, and patience. I make music that lets you close your eyes and enter a new life, a life of wonder, terror, anxiety, peace. All of which are feelings that are an ordinary part of human life that cannot be escaped, try as we may.

I have an extensive background in creative spaces from interviewing local artists of all scenes to creating designs to be used by zines, clothing brands, and sticker sheets. I love working with artists of all categories human collaboration is more important than ever in a time where everything is homogenized and run by algorithms. I have spearheaded multiple (mildly) successful international collaborative efforts, working with incredible artists and journalists around the world (Japan, Canada, Germany, Spain, California).

Imagine if Aphex Twin and ARCA had writer’s block and found inspiration in Brian Eno and Beach House.

Recording Blog Post

Our fans are:

Into experimental art

Into pretty sounds

18-35 years old

open to many genres

fans of ARCA, FKA Twigs, Apex Twin, Caroline Polachek, Portishead, Four Tet.

Ten Songs That Inspire My Sound:

Daddy - Nourished By Time : A fantastic song by a fantastic and independent artist with a fantastic time traveling groove and inventive soundscape. Bedroom artistry at it’s peak

Nova - Burial & Four Tet : Truly a song for those of us that like to dance in our seats. the hopeful dreamer tired after a long day with some energy left to move. Hypnotic sound all around.

Lights On - FKA Twigs : A creative meditation in longing and trust in relationships. story telling through sounds.

She's Lost Control - Joy Division : Classic Joy Division. Gothic energy through the roof from the Droning vocals to the atmospheric and grim lyricism.

Bloodhail - Have a Nice Life : Anthemic gloom and despair with beautiful wall of sound accompaniment. Tonal goal.

Slo Bird Whistle - Aphex Twin : I love this song for its unconventional use of a bird call to kind of make up the melody of much of the song. very interested in playing with the sounds in our every day life.

REAL LOVE - MIKE : the use of this style of interlude I think is genius and feeds the messages of a body of work without necessarily being a track like the others. poem with a beat and a beautiful loop. easy going transitionary track feels very effective.

Incendio - ARCA : ARCA is great at splicing and manipulating sounds in a way that we can only aspire to say inspire what we wish to produce

Face Shopping - SOPHIE : SOPHIE was a true auteur of melodic and disruptive sound. In your face and loud with beauty woven in. sound wave manipulation to sculpt every sound to be exactly what she wanted it to be. I wish to present similar mastery one day.

Sunset - Caroline Polachek : This one’s all about the lyrics. The song is magnificent beyond belief but not the kind of song I think I could ever make. Lyrically however I hope to paint a picture half as beautiful and full of hope without losing the emotion.

B36 Why Music?

   Why music? Well if you ask the ‘Mission’ page on my site you’ll find a much different and more personal answer, but I want to choose music because I have a deep love for music and the ways it has changed the way I navigate my life. Beyond my love for music however lies the rational knowledge that I currently work in a theater that wants me to take on the soundboard. This industry is inviting me in and telling me it will trust me with the sound that keeps its doors open if I will put the work in to learning its many rules and technologies. I look around to my bosses and see the way they navigate and manipulate the sounds that artists produce for an audience and I believe that I can get to that level too. I look to them and see the way the industry has rewarded them for their many efforts and I want my own share of that.

Making it to me just means you’re able to live without undue struggle. I’ve been an addict on the verge of losing everything, and I’ve been an idiot bringing $6,000 a month with no savings to speak of and as far as I’m concerned making it means finding stability and peace within oneself. For me that implies finding something you like that keeps you taken care of and your bills paid. I’m not looking for a fortune and I am not chasing superstardom I just want to take part in something that brings people joy and lets people dance.

In 1 year I see myself working live sound at both theaters that employ me and honing whatever skills I may pick up. In 5 years I can envision some semblance of stability reentering my life as I take on more responsibility and begin to master the technology I work with. In 10 years I can envision a home paid for by live music even if I never play or produce my own original sounds. In 26 years I can see myself happy with a life I’ve built for myself in a cutthroat industry that eats people alive because therapy has helped me see that at the end of the day it is the choices that we make that seal our fate. I hope that I can make it on my terms in this industry that chews people up and spits them out.