INSIDE

Master Class
no.2 with Ashley Gorley
Who Let
the DAWs Out?
Building Your
Team for Success
Social for Show,
Email for Dough
digital

Oscar, GRAMMY, Tony

and Golden Globe

Pasek
Award-winning duo

&Paul Look out ‘cause

here they come

ascap.com
 no.2

Features 10
22
Cardi B, Mary J.
Blige, and Offset

Departments
Master Class
For every overnight success, there are 10 songwriters
4 Noteworthy
who have to suffer endless setbacks and rejection. As Music news, notes and quotes
country hitmaker Ashley Gorley tells it, making it to the
top takes uncommon commitment. 8 Whaddayathink?
In the last issue of AXD, we posed
Ashley Gorley
a question about opportunity in
today’s music business.
The answers we got came from
far and wide

10 Strike a Pose
We dubbed this issue’s photo essay,
“Snapped While Chatting”

12 Small World
How FINNEAS connects
with Ravi Shankar

26 What’s Up with That?

The AXD trivia quiz

28 Sound
Who Let the DAWs Out?

32 Development
Social for Show, Email for Dough

34 Sizzle Reel
A curated collection of video clips

14 Pasek & Paul

from ASCAP EXPO 2019

All about the songwriting team known

as Pasek & Paul and their award
winning work on Dear Evan Hansen, La

28
La Land, The Greatest Showman and
much more. Here’s a primer on the rise
of the hottest duo creating music for the
stage and screen.

18 Building Your Editor: Anna Black, Design & Production: Mike Vella

Team for Success Publisher: Irwin Kornfeld

ASCAP Experience Digital is produced for the American
Society of Composers, Authors & Publishers (ASCAP)
Our panel of experts weighs in on how by Westchester Media Inc.,
to assemble a group of music 582 N. Broadway, White Plains, NY 10603.
professionals to support your career. Copyright © 2020 Westchester Media Inc.
All rights reserved. For more information
about advertising in ASCAP Experience Digital,
please write us at info@intunepartners.com.

no.2
experience
digital 3
 NOTEWORTHY
It’s All About…You!
I
N THIS SECOND ISSUE of ASCAP Experience Digital
we’ve debuted two new features. In the first, we asked if
you think things are easier today for independent artists
than they were 10 years ago, and many (many!) of you
answered. A few select thoughts now appear in the first
installment of “Whaddayathink?” on page 8.
We were also inspired to create an ASCAP Experience
no.2
4 digital
Digital playlist and invited you to submit tracks. Many,
many (and more!) did so and we’ve curated and present-
ed them in our AXD Playlist on page 6.
These two new features are intended to give music
creators a couple of new ways to raise their voices and
connect with the community of songwriters, composers,
performers and producers. ●
ascap.com
 The 2020
ASCAP
Experience
Is Canceled
(for now)
AS WITH SO MANY OTHER
public gatherings, our annual
conference for music creators,
scheduled for April 1-3 in Los
Angeles, has been canceled.
ASCAP is considering next steps
and will comment on potential
new opportunities soon. Here’s the
official word:
Billie Eilish’s New Merch Is Just Like Her  “ASCAP was very much looking
Career: Fresh and Sustainable forward to bringing together music
creators from all over the world
IF NOT FAMOUS ENOUGH for her heartfelt songwriting and angelic to network, collaborate and learn
vocals, Eilish is often the topic of discussion in the fashion world, wear- at the ASCAP Experience. We
ing — almost exclusively — long, boxy T-shirts, hoodies, joggers and know how important our annual
sneakers. Eilish also makes use of her extensive following to advocate conference is to the music creator
against climate change, and her latest move merges both elements of community, and we value this
her brand. In partnership with 3D artist Ines Alpha, Eilish’s new cloth- opportunity to get together to
ing line is now available (at a reasonable price) in H&M stores world- discuss issues relevant to our work
wide, with everything made with sustainable materials. Fans can now and livelihoods.
mindfully and proudly strut the same gear that Billie does, in the same  Naturally, at this time, we are
colors: black, off-white and, of course, her signature green. ● forced to cancel the Experience
as we do our part to help prevent
the spread of the coronavirus and
protect the health and safety of our
VERSED: Listen to members, our community and the
Paul Williams, public at large.
 Our sponsors are an integral
Carly Pearce, part of this conference. And while
Anaïs Mitchell… we share your disappointment that
we won’t be able to get together at
HAVE YOU LISTENED to
the ASCAP Experience this year,
VERSED: The ASCAP Podcast
yet? It launched in December we are exploring alternative ways
with an episode hosted by to bring our sponsors and music
ASCAP’s Erik Philbrook creators together and hope to share
and featuring an exclusive those plans with you soon.
interview with president Paul  Thank you for your support for
Williams. Since then, VERSED the 2020 ASCAP Experience and
has interviewed country music Listen to VERSED the ASCAP family. We look forward
leading lady Carly Pearce, Tony- wherever you get to working with you to create more
winning Hadestown creator Anaïs your podcasts, one-of-a-kind community events
Mitchell, and Grammy-winning or visit as soon as practicable, and we will
singer-songwriter and multi- ascap.com/versed be in touch to answer any and all
instrumentalist Dom Flemons. ● questions you may have.” ●
no.2
ascap.com
digital 5
 NOTEWORTHY
THE AXD PLAYLIST
LAST ISSUE, WE INVITED READERS to submit
their own work for our AXD Playlist. To say At NAMM, Sennheiser
that we were overwhelmed with the response
would be an understatement! Here are 10 songs
Unveils All New Pro
selected by our editors from the hundreds of Sound Innovations
tracks you sent.
2020 IS A SPECIAL YEAR for
Want to get into our next AXD Playlist? Sennheiser; it marks the pro
Submit your song at ascap.com/axdplaylist audio equipment brand’s 75th
for a chance to be featured.
anniversary. To celebrate, the
Listen at ascap.com/Playlistaxd2
ASCAP Experience sponsor is
introducing all kinds of new
1. “Endless Summer” gear. At this year’s NAMM show
Songwriters: Amanda Ibanez, Jordyn Smith, Jorge Perez Jr., in January, they presented a new version of their HD 25 LIGHT
Alejandro Fernandez, Joseph Barrios ●
Performers: CASHAE feat. Kiddo AI headphones, “which bring the original sound of the HG 25 to
bedroom DJs,” according to PSNEurope. Not only this, Senn-
heiser is also set to launch a link densit y mode for its Digital
2. “Caught in the Moment” 6000 wireless receiver series and a state-of-the-art high-rejec-
Songwriters: Justin Garner, Dominic Bazile
tion stage microphone by the end of 2020. ●
●

Performer: Justin Garner

3. “Fist & Pencil” Keep an eye out for new Sennheiser products
Songwriter: Timothy Peterson ● Performer: Eugenius at sennheiser.com

4. “Green Light”
Songwriters: Marlhy Murphy, Adam Sample, nicopop.

Free Plug-Ins
● Performer: Marlhy

5. “Autumn Leaves” From iZotope

Songwriters: Jamal Cantero, Tony Ray Ballard, Kiaren C.R.
Woodards, Guillermo Zepeda ● Performer: Flower Child
ASCAP Experience Digital
partner iZotope, makers
of the Spire Studio and
6. “Fragile Minds” other tools for music
Songwriters: Dakota Jerns, Scott Swanger
Performers: Silent Theory (Dakota Jerns, Scott Swanger,
●
creation, has just re-
George Swanger, Mitch Swanger, Robert James)
leased an updated
version of their mas-
7. “Native” tering package, called
Songwriters: Kayciii and Davis Chris Performer: Kayciii
● Ozone Imager. Ozone
Imager extracts some of
the technology from iZotope’s award-winning Ozone 9. Available as a
8. “Pen to Paper” free download, Ozone Imager is a plug-in that can be used to widen or
Songwriters: Dean Kesler, Chris Franczek Performers: Dean
●

Kesler, Chris Franczek, Dain Di Mattia, Paul Kennedy, Jimmy narrow the stereo image of specific sounds in your project or your mix
Voegeli, Madison MaloneI
as a whole. The new version includes a new Stereoize II mode, allow-
ing for more flexibility in creating stereo imaging effects. This is an
9. “Run The Show” addition to the classic Stereoize I mode, which offers creative, colorful
Songwriter: Thomas Hood Performers: Smurker
●
stereo effects for your instruments. Stereoize II gives a more “trans-
parent, surgical widening without phase issues or artifacts, perfect for
10. “Social Butterfly” percussive sounds” according to iZotope. Multiple mastering options
Songwriters: Matthew Alan Vowles, Tatyana Kalko ● help avoid unbalanced or washy results, with metering options that
Performer: Mariela Espinosa
can show you if the mix is too wide, too narrow or out of phase. The
GUI has been updated to show smoother visualizations with three dif-
BONUS TRACK ferent vectorscope meters. Ozone Imager’s plug-in window can be
e resized, allowing for an expanded view of the interface. ●
11. “Hungry Eyes” a wrote
DeNicol
Eric Carm
th
en hit
Songwriter / Performer: John DeNicola Ey es” and
“H un
nt
gr
us
y
his version, Check it out at bit.ly/izotope-ozone
se
included
which he
his so lo debut
on
bu m re leased late
no.2 al
last year. ascap.com
6 digital
 WHADDAYATHINK?
INSIDE

no.1
Latin Goes Main
stream
Limitless Songwr
iting
Everyone’s a Criti
c
In the last issue of ASCAP Experience Digital, we asked...
ts
Neighboring Righ

The digital age has brought with it a sea change in how we make,
digital market and listen to music. Are music creators better off today
than they were 10 years ago?
and you answered...
TODAY MUSIC PRODUCTION is easy

Wyclef and cheap. We have a lot of compos-

ers, a lot of musicians, a lot of produc-

Jean
The worldwides back
superstar goetell the
10 YEARS AGO, everything was
in f lux - there were opportunities
ers… a lot of music! It sounds cool, but
there is a downside.
10 yea rs a go, i f a n a r t i st had a
to his roots to ry
inspirational sto s, to connect and consume content soc ia l med ia pa ge, people met h i m,
behind his succesto
from The Fugees
Don ’t Lie”
The
ASCAP EXPO
has evolved
online like never before, but metrics a sked h i m about h i s mu sic, a nd it
“Hips
and beyond. around followers, likes, plays, etc. wa s l i kely he wou ld get some new
were not a measurement of an l i steners. It seemed l i ke a revolut ion
artist’s fanbase or money-making for t he mu sic bu si nes s. A f ter t h i s
viability…those who could figure euphor ic t i me, soc ia l net work s got
out how to leverage social media more people, more news. Where
I THINK WE ARE BETTER off and online marketing did, but their t here i s ever y t h i n g , t here i s not h i n g .
than we were 10 years ago. We audience was nowhere near what it Now you c a n get a lot of l i kes but
have digital access to incredible is today. Those who wanted nothing few of t hem w i l l l i sten to you r son g s
musicians, networking oppor- to do with it didn’t have to partici- u n les s t hey a l ready k now you . Don’t
tunities and sources to educate pate in any meaningful way to seem wor r y, we c a n come up w it h some -
and learn more about the craft of accessible and viable to industry t h i n g new i n t he f ut u re!
songwriting and business. decision-makers. – Donatella C., Genova, Italy
Today, it i s not a s ea sy to t u r n
– Donna B., Warrenton, VA
you r nose up at on l i ne ma rket-
i n g a nd d i st r ibut ion, a nd t h i s
i s where some mu sic ia n s rea l ly
have a si g n i f ic a nt adva nt a ge. I f a
mu sic ia n i s tech n ic a l ly i ncl i ned
(or able to h i re someone who i s),
a nd i f t hey a re ready to spend
hou rs c reat i n g or i g i na l content
a nd developi n g a n on l i ne fol-
low i n g , t hat pa r t ic u la r t y pe of So “Whaddayathink?” Consider
a r t i st c a n t h r ive. For ot hers, it the following thought starter
NOT FOR ME! 10 years ago I was t a kes too much t i me a nd money and submit your response to
earning $100-200 in royalties a away f rom t he t h i n g s t hey love
year. I also used to sell CDs, both
ascap.com/axdwhat
t he most : w r it i n g , col laborat ion,
hard copy and full album down- g i g g i n g , st ud io record i n g , etc. Music styles have
loads. In the current streaming E ven i f a mu sic ia n i s able to reach
universe, even I’ve had a number of people t h rou g h a lter nate routes,
intertwined since long
streams on various online plat- t here i s a m i s sed oppor t u n it y i f before the dawn of recorded
forms (sometimes 15-25 per state- t here i s not d i g it a l d i st r ibut ion, music. In recent years we’ve
ment), I never earn ANYTHING. soc ia l med ia , a nd /or ema i l c a m-
I’ve actually been mailed checks by
seen the rise of fascinating
pa i g n s to suppor t a l l of it …
Spotify and Harry Fox for $0.02. It’s hybrids like emo-rap,
very frustrating!! – Ailie M., Los Angeles, CA electronic rock, country-
– Kari T., Riverside, RI inspired hip-hop (and
vice-versa) and Latin trap.
In your opinion, what’s
the next big genre
mashup on the horizon?
We’ll sign each response with a
first name, city and state. Write on!
no.2
experience
8 digital
 � iZOTOPE Elements Suite
Everything you need to Repoii
Mixf and Moster

Buy Now

Enabling Creativity with Intelligent Audio Technology � iZOTOPE

 STRIKE A POSE

SNAPPED WHILE CHATTING

On the red carpet and on the streets, catch these ASCAP celebs in action with
their loved ones, fans or partners in crime.

● ● ● ● Click page to view slideshow ● ● ● ●

no.2
APRIL 1-3 2020 DTLA ascap.com
10 digital
 � iZOTOPE Elements Suite
Everything you need to Repoii
Mixf and Moster

Buy Now

Ear candy sounds

sweeter with eye candy
MAKE A PHYSICAL CONNECTION
CDs | DVDs | USBs | VINYL | SHIRTS

t
WWW.DISCMAKERS.COM | 1-800-468-9353
Enabling Creativity with Intelligent Audio Technology � iZOTOPE
 SMALL WORLD Connecting music people

FINNEAS to Ravi Shankar

Were they friends, influences, mentors, co-writers, cousins or
neighbors? We bet you didn’t know there was only a short bread-
crumb trail between these two artists.

FINNEAS has zoomed to stardom as the producer and

co-writer of all of Billie Eilish’s music. During a recent conver-
sation with Entertainment Tonight, Billie’s interviewer men-
tioned a list of celebrities who’ve said they love her music,
calling them “Billie’s Hollywood Stan Club.” First on the list
was iconic leading lady Julia Roberts, who introduced the
brother-sister duo at the ASCAP Pop Awards in May 2019
and presented them with the Vangaurd Award.

Before collaborating with

George Harrison on many
projects including the Concert
for Bangladesh in 1971, Indi-
an sitarist RAVI SHANKAR
performed classical Indian
music around the world,
landed a spot on the Billboard
pop LP chart in the US for his
The star of many acclaimed live album from the Monterey
films, JULIA ROBERTS had International Pop Festival,
her breakthrough with her role and won a GRAMMY for Best
in the 1990 blockbuster film, Chamber Music Performance.
Pretty Woman. Her perfor- Toward the end of his life in
mance in the movie won her a 1999, he was awarded India’s
Golden Globe and a nomina- highest civilian honor, the
tion for an Oscar. The title of Bharat Ratna, “in recognition
the movie was named for the of exceptional service/perfor-
song “Oh, Pretty Woman” by mance of the highest order.”
Roy Orbison.

Inducted into both the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and
the Nashville Songwriters Hall of
Fame in 1987,
ROY ORBISON’S sound was
said to have an operatic qual-
ity, earning him the nickname
“The Caruso of Rock,” among
others. He was a pop artist,
but beloved by fans of rock
and country as well as his fellow
artists – including his bandmates
in The Traveling Wilburys: Bob
Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty,
and George Harrison.

no.2

12 digital
 Ear candy sounds
sweeter with eye candy
MAKE A PHYSICAL CONNECTION
CDs | DVDs | USBs | VINYL | SHIRTS

t
WWW.DISCMAKERS.COM | 1-800-468-9353
 The ASCAP Experience Presents
PASEK & PAUL

The Greatest Showmen

Pasek
&Paul BY MICHAEL STEWART
Photo by Dirty Sugar Photography

no.2
ascap.com
14 digital
 Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
have become the hottest
songwriting duo on Broadway,
with music fit for the stage, the
silver screen and beyond.

I
N A FEW SHORT YEARS, the songwriting team of Benj
Pasek and Justin Paul has developed a canon of work as
recognizable as any in musical theatre and film today. Dear
Evan Hansen, La La Land, The Greatest Showman, A Christmas
Story, Smash, Trolls, James and the Giant Peach, Aladdin and
soon Snow White. They’re Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the
“it” writers for film, TV, and theater, piling up Oscars and
Golden Globes, Tonys and GRAMMYs, among other awards, one
by one, seemingly after every project.
Last year, in a story that appeared on ascap.com, Chris Will-
man wrote, “…you could argue that Dear Evan Hansen changed
the course of Broadway. Along with Hamilton, it re-inaugurated
an age in which entire families, young and old — but especially
young — fell in love with smash-hit cast albums and played them
to death years before they could save the money to hear those
songs rendered in the f lesh on Broadway.” Pasek & Paul’s awards
confirm and reconfirm their status as once-in-a-generation talents,
but “changed the course of Broadway?” That’s a whole different
level. We’re seeing icons in the making, and we’re sure of it.
Pasek & Paul began collaborating in 2003 during freshman year
at the University of Michigan. The theater majors were playing bit
parts in school musicals and writing together. Back then, as now,
Pasek usually wrote the lyrics and Paul composed the music, but
they’ve often shared credit for both roles.
While still in college, they stitched together a show of their own
called Edges about the transitions to adulthood and the meaning
of life. The production was a viral hit and within the next years the
show was staged over 200 times in countries around the world.
They graduated from Michigan in 2006, and became the young-
est winners of the American Theatre Wing’s 2007 Jonathan Larson
Award, honoring achievement by promising musical composers,
lyricists, and librettists. That year, they began writing for the
Disney Channel’s Johnny and the Sprites, contributing songs to
six episodes as well as the season’s premiere.
In 2010, Pasek & Pau l w rote t he score for t he ch i ld ren’s
stor y James and the Giant Peach, a musical adaptation of Roald
Dahl’s 1961 book. They also w rote songs for a musical based
on the indie film Dog fight, of which Ben Brantley’s Ne w York
Times review included the comment that they had a talent for
“finding melodic grace in romantic awkwardness,” and their
work reminded him of the ‘50s musical Saturday Night, “by an
untried talent named Stephen Sondheim.”

no.2
ascap.com
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 Pasek&Paul
Winning!
(Top left) Pasek & Paul holding their
Academy Award for Best Original
Song “City of Stars” from La La
Land; (top right) winning their sec-
ond Golden Globe for Best Original
Song (for “This Is Me” from The
Greatest Showman) in 2018; (below
middle) winning the TONY award for
Best Score for Dear Evan Hansen
In 2011, Pasek & Paul received
t he prest ig ious A SC A P Fou nda-
tion  R ichard Rodgers New Hori-
zons Award. The annual award was
established by the late Mary Rodg-
ers, daughter of Richard Rodgers,
and the Rodgers Family Foundation,
to encourage promising young ASCAP composers of musical theater.
The duo would soon fulfill that promise, and then some.
2012 was the year Pasek & Paul debuted on Broadway with the
score of A Christmas Story, The Musical, for which they received a Tony
Award nomination. In 2013, their songs for NBC’s Smash got great re-
views, and their work on the musical version of Dogfight earned them
the Lucille Lortel Award for Best New Musical, off-Broadway’s highest
honor. In November of 2014, ASCAP honored Billy Joel, Stevie Wonder,
Joan Baez, Garth Brooks and Stephen Sondheim at its Centennial
Awards gala, celebrating the organization’s 100th anniversary. Who
do you think were the only “new on the scene” composers invited to
share a stage with these legends? You guessed it, Pasek & Paul.
Then came the game changer: Dear Evan Hansen, for which Pasek
& Paul wrote music and lyrics to a book by Steven Levenson. Loosely
inspired by the suicide of one of Pasek’s high school classmates, the
musical famously starred Ben Platt and premiered in July of 2015.
Dear Evan Hansen was nominated for nine Tony awards and won six;
including Best Musical and Best Original Score; it also won a Drama
Desk Award and the 2018 GRAMMY for Best Musical Theater Album.
Dear Evan Hansen also won the Edgerton Foundation New Play Award
and the 2016 Obie Award for Musical Theatre.
no.2
16 digital
In 2016, Pasek & Paul wrote the song
“Get Back Up Again” for the film Trolls,
but that year’s story was all about the
movie La La Land, for which they wrote
the lyrics to Justin Hurwitz’s music. One
of the film’s many standout songs, “City
of Stars,” dominated awards season,
winning the 2017 Golden Globe and
Academy Award for Best Original Song.
Another year and another smash, as
Pasek & Paul’s songs were featured in
late 2017’s The Greatest Showman — the
movie about Barnum & Bailey Circus
founder, PT Barnum. Their song “This Is
Me” won a Golden Globe for Best Origi-
nal Song, and was nominated for a Best
Original Song Academy Award.
In 2019, they collaborated with Alan Menken on new songs for Dis-
ney’s live-action Aladdin movie. That year, Pasek & Paul also received
the ASCAP Vanguard Award— the first time the award was given to
members who primarily write for the screen or stage.
These days, t he duo is not on ly receiv i n g honors a nd awa rd s,
Pasek & Pau l a re now g iv ing back . A s but one exa mple, t hey took
pa r t i n The A SC A P Fou ndat ion’s Ch i ld ren Wi l l L isten prog ra m,
where t hey spoke w it h a cla s sroom of publ ic school k id s about
t he creat ion a nd lessons of Dear Evan Han sen. “ What you rea lize
when you beg in to g row up is that the things that are weird about
you are the things that nobody else has,” Pasek told the st udents.
“ That is what ma kes you specia l. A nd t hat ’s rea l ly empower i ng.”
Ne x t for P a s ek & P au l w i l l b e t he l i ve -ac t ion mov ie mu s ic a l
Sn o w W hit e at D i sney, a n u nt it le d mu sic a l d r a m a s er ie s at Fox
2 1 /S h ow t i m e , a n o r i g i n a l a n i m a t e d m u s i c a l a t D i s n e y/ B l u e
Sk y S t u d i o s , a n d t h e f i l m a d a p t i o n o f D e a r E va n H a n s e n fo r
Un i ve r s a l P i c t u re s , d i re c te d by Stephe n C h b o sk y. B u t i t ’s no t
h a rd to i m a g i n e t h at we ’r e b a r e l y t h r o u g h t h e f i r s t a c t o f t h e
a m a z i n g s t o r y o f P a s e k & P au l . T h e y ’r e w i t h o u t a d o u b t t wo
o f A m e r i c a’s g r e at e s t s h ow m e n t o d ay, c r e at i n g t h e mu s i c o f
o u r l i ve s , fo r f i l m , T V a n d t h e s t a g e . e
ascap.com
 IMA IKON
June 25th - 27th

LEARN FROM THE WORLD’S BEST

@ THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
& INDIE KONFERENCE
AWARDS • SHOWCASES • MENTORING • WORKSHOPS • COMMUNITY
Don’t miss out!
REGISTER NOW IndependentMusicAwards.com/IMA-IKON2020
BUILDIN Your Team for
SUCCES By

(l-r) AVL Digital Group CEO

Tracy Maddux, Danielle Price an
attorney at LaPolt Law, PC, Culture
Collective Founder and Managing
Partner Jonathan Azu and Music
Business Toolbox Creator Bryan
Calhoun speak onstage during the
Building Your Team for Success
panel at the 2019 ASCAP
“I Create Music” EXPO

no.2
experience
18 digital
NG Hear from this
expert panel of
music industry
professionals
on how to build
the best team
F
OR ANY MUSIC CREATOR,
surrounding yourself with a
team of knowledgeable collab-
orators who understand and
share your vision is an absolute
must. A panel at the 2019 ASCAP EXPO
broke down the duties and responsibil-
ities of your team, what to look for in

SS
possible for your the people you work with and how to
project, what maximize the potential of any creative
collaboration.
to look for in “‘Do it yourself’ does not mean ‘do it
the people you alone,’” says Bryan Calhoun, founder of
work with and Music Business Toolbox, a handbook and
how to maximize online resource center that guides artists
the potential through every stage of their career. He
was joined on stage by Tracy Maddux,
of any creative CEO of CD Baby, Danielle Price, an at-
collaborating torney at LaPolt Law, PC, and Jonathan
group. Azu, manager and founder of Culture
Collective.
The panelists explained that while
you will meet, befriend, collaborate with,
argue with, compete with and learn from
y Sam Ferrell many people throughout your journey,
there are 10 basic relationships any cre-
ator needs to cultivate in order to succeed
in today’s music industry.

1
BANDMATES In Price’s opin-
ion, your bandmates should be
fiscally and morally responsible
adults in addition to being kick-
ass musicians, because they’re
not just your bandmates; they’re
your business partners. “You’re going to
have a band member agreement which
says ‘we are all one,’” says Price. “From
the legal perspective…if they are in the
venue tearing up property, you’re on the
hook for it.” So while you would rather fo-
cus on the music instead of having boring
business discussions, you don’t want to
get stuck in a place where the integrity of
your personal brand is compromised by
an immature bandmate. “You are also go-
ing to be owning your trademarks togeth-
er,” she continues. “You own the rights of
publicity together and these are income
streams.” In other words, the money you
will make depends on the reliability of
your fellow musicians. “So you have to
make sure you are all on the same page.”
While legal considerations are es-
sential, Jonathan Azu adds that your
lifestyle should be aligned with that
of your bandmates, too. “Some people

no.2
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digital 19
 Building Your Team for Success
want to get married, some don’t. Some want to have a family.” You “Ultimately, I consider the manager
don’t want imbalanced scheduling priorities to be the cause of dis-
agreements, miscommunications or even band breakups. “Some
the point guard of the team, if you will.
want to tour all year, others may not. So from a spiritual standpoint We’re the ones setting up the play at
you have to be on the same page [as far as] where you’re trying to the top of the court.”
take your career.”
- Jonathan Azu

2
MANAGER Before he started his own
management company, Azu worked for
Red Light Management, where he gained
hands-on experience as a top-tier man-
ager. “Ultimately, I consider the manager
the point guard of the team, if you will.
We’re the ones setting up the play at the top of the
court.” A manager is not only the artist’s career advi-
sor, but also their right-hand on basically everything.
“We’re advising [artists] on contractual agreements,
touring, publishing, marketing, publicity.” But that’s
not all. According to Azu, a manager is so close to the
artist that they give advice on any obstacles in their
personal life as well. “I’ve dealt with clients in the past
on…mental health and family challenges, because all
of those things have an impact on your professional
career. We really try to be there at every level.”
You know you’re ready for a manager when a mentor who pops
in and out to give you tips a few times a month no longer cuts it.
A manager is somebody you need by your side day to day. But
even if you’re ready to have a manager, that doesn’t mean you’ll
land one by snapping your fingers.
According to Azu, “The mindset has
to be there. It ’s a marathon, not a
spr i nt. It ta kes yea rs for t he play
to develop i n a n a r t i st ’s c a reer…
[the ar tist] has to be w illing to be
taking your rights and getting a piece
of your money,” says Price. “If you have
a good manager that is experienced,
knows the business, knows how these
deals work…have your manager explain
to you what’s happening. But as soon as
you can, get the lawyer on board.”
According to Price, two things are cru-
cial when it comes to having a successful
relationship with your lawyer, when the
time – and money – are right. The first is
communication. “I can’t negotiate your
deals if I don’t know what terms you’re
interested in,” says Price. She can’t do her
job “if I’m not certain that you understand
what I’m going to be asking you to sign.” So you can’t just sit back and
hand all the power over to your attorney. In order to ensure your hap-
piness with any given deal, you have to be involved. “Some artists just
want to be in the studio, they just want to talk to their manager and
that’s it,” says Price. But that doesn’t f ly.
The second thing is honesty. Your lawyer is not
somebody you want to keep dirty little secrets from.
“When things happen in your life that may be, I don’t
know, criminal…or tax-related…” Price laughs, “I al-
ways need you to be honest with me so that I can get
you the right help.”

4
patient and to trust.” According to
Billboard, a ma na ger ’s i ncome is BOOKING AGENT A booking agent is your
tied to their ar tist ’s success. “ The ticket to landing gigs. They will negotiate
t ypical fixed commission rate is 15 deals with a venue or third-party promoter in
to 20 percent of gross income, but charge of hiring performers. But according
some ma nagers work w ith a vari- to Azu, most times you can’t get connected
able rate; for instance, 10 percent with an agent unless they hear about you
on income to $100,000, 15 percent fi rst. “An agent will get a heads up about an artist from a
on income to $500,000 and 20 per- promoter,” says Azu. When you make a splash at any ven-
cent above that. But when an artist ue, the promoter of that venue will tap the shoulder of an
hits superstar level and generates agent they frequently work with and tell them about you.
millions, commission rates tend to It’s another reason you need to make every appearance
move the other way.”
“When things happen count, no matter where or how small the venue.

3 5
ATTORNEY While there is no
clear-cut point in your career
when you need to find and
en ga ge a n at tor ney, P r ice
makes it pret t y simple. “If
you are still trying to find the
right manager, [you need to] have a law-
yer. Someone needs to be advising you on
these documents that people are putting
in front of you with the sole purpose of
in your life that may
be, I don’t know, DIGITAL MEDIA MANAGER It’s no secret
criminal…or tax- that social media has become one of the
best ways to share music and connect
related… I always with fans. There’s always the option of
need you to be doing it yourself, and there are good
honest with me so reasons to par ticipate in your ow n
that I can get you the brand. But when you’re focused on making music,
an outside person can help. While Tracy Maddux
right help.” has explored all kinds of digital media campaigns
- Danielle Price for CD Baby’s clients, he talked about one of his

no.2
experience ascap.com
20 digital
 company’s artist resources called show.co. He
describes it as a “this-for-that” tool for artists
to get more followers, clicks, likes, subscribers.
“The first campaign that I ever saw after we
acquired the platform was for Britney Spears.
She was giving away a onesie in exchange for a
like on Facebook…and we’ve done campaigns
for Maroon 5 – their objective was to build up
their (base of ) YouTube subscribers.” Tools like
this are what could make all the difference in
your career trajectory, but you need someone
to facilitate the f low of fans from every social
platform to maximize your reach and the quality of “There are
it. You can hire a friend or neighbor, or even a small
company that specializes in managing social and
companies out
online presences. there doing
6
distribution for
PUBLISHER For Price, it’s important free, there are
to have a good publisher on your team
companies out
bec ause “ t hey ’re t he ones who a re
going to administer your rights…so there doing
that you are not tasked with tracking distribution at 50
down every time your song was played percent...I say,
somewhere.” Not only that, a publisher can get
you synch opportunities. “They can get your song
you get what
plugged into a commercial or a movie, and that ’s you pay for.”
additional money in your pocket.”
There are a couple of options when it comes to - Tracy Maddux
the type of relationship you have with your pub-
lisher. “Is it just going to be solely an administration
relationship where all they do is collect your money, pay you and
keep a small fee? Or is there a bigger relationship where they co-
own your publishing with you?” While the latter may mean giving
up a larger share of your royalties, it has the potential for more
placement opportunities.
7
RECORD LABEL Not everyone signs with a label, be-
cause these days it’s easier than ever to release your
own music. Plus, signing away your rights is not always
the way to go. “Oftentimes,
[record labels] want to con-
trol the master side of the
song, which basically is the asset side,”
says Azu. “And at the end of the day, what
creates wealth is assets.” “The good thing
is,” adds Price, “because the business has
changed so much in the last handful of
years, artists have more leverage…if you
can get a buzz going for yourself, when
you approach major labels, you can also
just approach them wanting to enter into
“‘Do it yourself’ does
not mean ‘do it alone.’”
- Bryan Calhoun
ascap.com
a distribution deal. You continue to own all of
your rights, all of your master recordings, and
they just distribute them around the world.”
8
DISTRIBUTOR If you do choose to
forego an overall or distribution
partnership with a record label,
you’ll still need a distributor for
your music, and DIY resources like
CD Baby are a more viable option
today than ever. These services “take your music
from point A, which is you, to point B, which is
Spotify, Apple Music, etc. Our job is to make sure that
[your music] is formatted appropriately,” says Maddux.
Formatting includes everything that uniquely identi-
fies your piece of music, including metadata and codes
that allow your music to be discoverable. That unique
information ensures that you get your royalty income
from any outlet that can make your music available.
9
PUBLICIST The panel talked about pub-
licity, or press relations, at the end of the
team-building session for a reason. “Pub-
licists come in all shapes and sizes,” says
Azu, “but they are best utilized when they
have something to work with.” Essentially,
a publicist isn’t a magician. They can get the word out
about you, but it’s your responsibility to provide the
content. “Just because you hire a great publicist doesn’t
mean they’re gonna get you all the amazing looks. It starts
with the music. The music has to be great. There has to be traction and
buzz,” says Azu.
10
ACCOUNTANT If you are just starting out, you
may not need to engage an accountant just yet.
“You can use QuickBooks; you can keep track
of your [own] expenses,” at least for a while,
says Calhoun. But when your income stream
becomes regular and you have people to pay,
royalties to collect and accounts to keep track
of, it’s time for a professional financial manager.
When it comes to choosing the right one, “make
sure they are specialized in the music business,”
Price recommends. “The music business is very
intricate. There are different income streams.”
Your accountant needs to understand “the way
[artist] royalties are paid versus publishing in-
come and where it comes from, performing rights
income…” things that many accountants aren’t
familiar with.
The Building Your Team for Success panel
inspired attendees to evaluate their teams, and
to think about how they might attract and utilize
certain members. Learning to play well with
others has always been an important business
skill, but choosing the right “others” is perhaps
the most important one. e
no.2
experience
digital 21
 A Better Than I Used To Be:
A Master Class With…

S
H
For every overnight
success there’s
someone who’s had
to pay their dues,
sacrifice and suffer
the slings and arrows
of setbacks and

L
rejections. And for
those brave souls,
as country hitmaker
Ashley Gorley knows
well, making it to the
top as a music creator
takes dedication and
commitment.

GORLEY
Y
By Amanda Warren

no.2
experience APRIL 1-3 2020 DTLA
22 digital
 SHLEY GORLEY HAS BEEN ASCAP’s COUNTRY MUSIC Song-
writer of the Year a remarkable seven times and has written 47
#1 hits. After growing up on a farm in Kentucky, he learned to

Y
take advantage of every opportunity he was given no mat-
ter how small. He has since worked with many of country
music’s most popular artists. Speaking on the 2019 ASCAP
EXPO stage with ASCAP Nashville’s Beth Brinker, he
began a conversation by talking about his farm boy background.
“I’m a weirdo,” he says. “I have a tractor; I literally grew up farming.
We live on a river.” As a boy, Gorley lived a traditional country lifestyle,
and though he was a musician, he never imagined that he might write
country music. Instead, he dreamed of writing songs in a very different
genre. “I grew up listening to new jack swing and hip-hop,” says Gorley.
“I wanted to work with Teddy Riley; I wanted to write with Babyface. I
wanted to write nothing but Boyz II Men ballads.”
Gorley knew that if he was ever going to be a professional songwrit-
er he wouldn’t get there by staying in Danville, Kentucky. That said, it
wasn’t an easy decision to leave his hometown. “Nobody ever leaves
Danville…” says Gorley. “So when I left, it was like I moved to Sweden.”
He had worked up the courage to leave his home to pursue a career in
music, but he actually didn’t go very far. “I went to Nashville because it

Photo by Ed Rode

no.2
experience
digital 23
 Master Class with Ashley Gorley
was the closest place to where I’m from.”
Once he’d established himself in Music City, Gorley quickly
learned that in order to make a name for himself, he would have
to put his ego aside. He believes “we’re music lovers first, and
then creators,” and in order to produce the best music they can,
songwriters should be humble enough to find more greatness in
the work of others. “There’s a lot of inspiration in how great other
people are,” he said.
Gorley made it his mission to figure out how the hits of the day
were being made, even if it took him out of his comfort zone. “Nev-
er think somebody rolled out of bed and
fell on the MPC and made it sound [this
or] that way,” he says. “[Great writers]
“[Great writers]
a re g r i nd i ng a ll t he t i me a nd t r y i ng
are grinding all
new things, rewriting, editing, f lipping
it to somebody else a nd seeing what
they think about it.” And while he loves
and has written music in all genres, it the time and
turned out that it is Gorley’s master y
of country song writing that has borne trying new things,
the most fruit.
“Country music is about identifying rewriting, editing,
with people. So the lyrics and melodies
need to be relatable and not too whacked
flipping it to
out. You want somebody to be able to join
the band with the second chorus.” Where-
somebody else
as “with R&B or hip-hop, sometimes it’s
writing fantasies. Writing a song for some-
and seeing
body who wishes they could be doing what what they think
about it.”
you’re talking about. Country is more of
‘Oh, I did that yesterday.’”
To illustrate, Gorley said that one of
no.2
24 digital
ASCAP Nashville’s Beth Brinker (L)
and songwriter Ashley Gorley speak
onstage at the Better Than I Used to
Be: Master Session with Ashley Gorley
panel during the the 2019 ASCAP
“I Create Music” EXPO
his recent songs was picked up by
Blake Shelton, who felt like the lyrics
spoke to his own experiences. The
song “I Lived It ” was the product of
a spont a neous conversat ion on a
tour bus. Gorley was playing “Who’s
more country?” with his co-writers.
Their stories became relatable lyrics
for anyone who grew up on a farm –
and ultimately produced a GRAMMY
nomination for Best Countr y Song.
“You never know what’s going to res-
onate,” says Gorley. “You may have
a strange emotion…any time you’re
feeling something and you’re like,
‘I’ve never heard a song about this,
but I don’t want people to think I’m
insane,’ or ‘I don’t k now if [other]
people experience this,’ a million
people might. I think those songs are really important.” He also
has a method for combating any insecurities or feelings of doubt
he may experience when writing a new song. “Label your voice
memos and go back and check them out,” he advises. “With me,
[I think] my writing sucks right after I do it, ever y time. But if I
give it t wo days and come back, I’m like ‘That ’s awesome, what
happened?’ So make sure you build in the time to get over hating
it immediately and then come back and reevaluate it.”
A lso i mpor t a nt to G orley, especia l ly i f he’s not su re i f some-
thing he’s w rit ten is good or not, is the opinion of his co-w riters.
“Co -w r it i n g i s a beaut i f u l t h i n g; you
c a n f i nd s ome of you r b e s t f r iend s
t hat way,” he s ays. I n t he end , you’re
ma k i n g mu sic to be hea rd by ot hers.
So you might as well be aware of what
ot hers t h i n k of it before you relea se
it . “ The va lue of someone el se’s t a ke
on whatever you’re s ay i n g i s pret t y
pr icele s s . Plu s it ’s ju s t more f u n to
w r ite w it h ot her p e ople . [For me],
to go to a c abi n a nd w r ite a n a lbu m
wou ld be hor r ible. I’d ju mp i n a la ke.
But , it depend s on you r persona l it y.
Do you have Heming way v ibes or par-
t y v ibes? ”
According to Gorley, “the v ibe” is
something that will make or break your
experience in a co-writing session. “I
met a couple of guys I ended up writing
No. 1s w ith at a men’s study g roup in
Nashv ille. If you’re cool, if you have
good energ y, it’s amazing how far that
ascap.com
 can take you.” So walk into the room with confidence. Don’t be
on your phone; be ready to share your ideas. “It ’s like a basket-
ball game. You got ta get excited. Just go craz y, push all your
energ y,” says Gorley. When it comes to collaborating, no matter
who’s in the room, “Be brave. Being active in the room and being
prepared are huge.” Gorley strongly believes it ’s always better
to offer something than not. If you are prett y sure an idea isn’t
great, maybe don’t offer it up. But if you’re not sure, just get it
out there and see if anyone picks it up. “I never take points away
in my head if somebody’s just trying to bring it. But if you’re not
saying any thing, then I have no idea what you’re doing.”
On the other hand, he says, “Not ever ybody has to co-w rite.”
If you’re more of a n introver t a nd being locked in a sma ll room
w it h severa l ot her people a sk i n g you to be v u l nerable sou nds
more l i ke you r worst n i g ht ma re t ha n excit i n g , you don’t have
to col laborate. “ Maybe you have a ‘ t h i n g ,’ maybe it ’s raw a nd
it doesn’t need to be pol i shed up. There have been plent y of
people t h rou g h t he yea rs who’ve w r it ten on t hei r ow n.” But
at lea st don’t k nock it before you t r y it . “I t h i n k it ’s i mpor t a nt
for ever ybody to exper ience it ,” he cont i nues. “ I exclu sively
co-w r ite now, because when I w r ite by myself, it ends up being
somet h i n g I br i n g i nto a co -w r ite.”
Some people enjoy scheduling co-writes with others because
Gorley brought the ASCAP
“Songwriters In The Round”
event to the Bluebird Cafe
in Nashville
ascap.com
it keeps them on track. Although it’s almost impossible to force
creativity, the expectations of others can be encouraging and keep
you accountable.
According to Gorley, another “key” is to focus on the things you’re
good at. “If there’s something you’re not great at…if I decide there’s
a lot of people who are better at drum sounds than me, forget it. Go
to the people who make really good drum sounds.”
Overall, invest time in figuring out which environments, strat-
egies and vibes allow you to produce your best work. Maybe it’s
sitting on your bed with a keyboard. Maybe you’re at your most
creative when you are hanging out with people. Maybe you can
only write after you’ve taken a three-day vacation. Don’t be afraid
to indulge yourself in the things that make you happy. “Balance it
out so that you take time for what you love, for yourself, for writing
by yourself a little bit, for mining ideas, for just having fun.”
And especially, according to Gorley, “Don’t do something just
to be able to say you did it. If you’re not passionate about country
music, don’t try to write a country hit.” It may seem obvious to some,
but Gorley believes most people need to hear it. “Do what you’re
familiar with. Don’t just have a list of boxes you want to check off.”
Similarly, don’t overload your plate with too many ambitions all
at once. Developing good technique takes time. “Shorten the list
for a while; then you can start adding to it.” e
no.2
digital 25
 WHAT’S UP
WITH THAT?
Spring Edition
Spring is just around the corner. To quote “You Must Believe in Spring,” by ASCAP’s Michel
Legrand and Marilyn & Alan Bergman, “You must believe in love and trust it’s on its way, just
as a sleeping rose awaits the kiss of May.” This issue’s AXD trivia quiz is about love songs.
Click or tap on question to reveal the answer.

1 Dick Haymes first made Rodgers and Hammerstein’s

“It Might As Well Be Spring” a hit in 1945. Which of these
6 Which ASCAP composer scored the romantic film
based on a true story, I Carry You with Me, Winner of
the Audience Award: NEXT and the NEXT Innovator
ASCAP vocalists both recorded it in 1961? Prize at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival?
A. Nat King Cole & Buddy Holly A. Bear McCreary
B. Nina Simone & Peggy Lee B. Nainita Desai
C. Frank Sinatra & Ella Fitzgerald C. John Paesano
D. Sister Rosetta Tharpe & Karrin Allyson D. Jay Wadley

2 “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” from the romantic film

Dirty Dancing was co-written by ASCAP songwriters
John DeNicola, Franke Previte and Donald Markowitz.
7 Legendary lyricist Bernie Taupin won an Oscar and Golden
Which of these awards did it not win?
A. Academy Award for Best Original Song
B. Emmy for Outstanding Music Composition for a
Limited Series, Movie or Special
C. Golden Globe for Best Original Song
D. Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance
by a Duo or Group with Vocals
Globe for co-writing “(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again,” the one
original song from Rocketman. Which of these Taupin lines
is from the song?
A. “So don’t misunderstand me / You put the light in
my life / Oh, you put the spark to the flame”
B. “Anyway, the thing is, what I really mean /
Yours are the sweetest eyes I’ve ever seen”
C. “Laughing like children, living like lovers /
Rolling like thunder under the covers”
D. “Praise the Saints that hung up on my wall /
For trust is left in lovers after all”

3 Which of these love songs did Annie Lennox record

in the 1980s with the Eurythmics?
A. “Put a Little Love in Your Heart”
B. “The Miracle of Love”
C. “A Thousand Beautiful Things”
D. “No More I Love You’s”
8 What do classic slow jams “We Belong Together” (Mariah
Carey), “Just Kickin’ It” (Xscape) and “U Got It Bad” (Usher)
have in common?
A. Questlove plays drums on all of them
B. All recorded in the key of D major
C. All co-produced and co-written by Jermaine Dupri

4 “Love Song” was originally written for which

musical composed by Steven Schwartz?
A. The Prince of Egypt
D. All #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100

B. Godspell
C. Pippin
9 Which of these country love songs was not co-written by
GRAMMY-winning ASCAP songwriter Josh Osborne?
A. “God Gave Me You” (Blake Shelton)
D. Wicked
B. “Born to Love You” (Lanco)
C. “Nobody but You” (Blake Shelton)

5 Which of these songs about love and relationships was Ariana

Grande’s first #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart?
A. “thank u, next”
D. “Wild Child” (Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter)

B. “no tears left to cry”

C. “break up with your girlfriend, i’m bored”
10 Which of these real life ASCAP husband-and-wife duos
have won a GRAMMY for music they co-wrote?
A. Win Butler and Régine Chassagne (Arcade Fire)
D. “7 rings”
B. Marilyn and Alan Bergman
C. Beyoncé and Jay-Z
D. All of the above

no.2
ascap.com
26 digital
 musicregistry.com

The music industry’s

“go-to” reference
for over 27 years. A A A

A&R
B B B
C

Film &
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D D  D

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PUBLISHERS
F F 
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G G G

Music
H H  H

I I I
VOLUME XXVII / ISSUE III

Monthly
J
REGISTRY / VOLUME XXVII / ISSUE IV J J
K K K

L L L
M M VOLUME XXVII ISSUE IV M
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Paul Hansinger O
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is a challenge, Q
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try something
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Tyler Bacon U Putting a value on music U Daniel m. Jackson
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 SOUND
Who Let the DAWs Out?
A
DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW)
is a critical component for any music cre-
ator’s home studio. If you’re just getting
into music production or looking to ex-
pand your toolset, this overview of DAWs
might be just the thing to help you choose
the one that’s right for you.
Choosing a DAW can be a crucial decision, because once
you make the investment of time needed to learn how a
particular product works, and become a skilled user, it’s
hard to change to another. Starting at the beginning: a DAW
is a piece of software that’s used for recording, editing, mix-
ing and producing audio files. The one you choose will be
the heart of your studio and the center of your recording
operation. Expert or not, determining which is the most
suitable is no easy task. The problem, which is actually a
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28 digital
Avid’s Pro Tools
By Kevin J.P. Hulihan
good one, is that there are so many DAWs, and they range
from the audio-centric to the more MIDI-aware, all serving
similar purposes with slight variations. Here’s a rundown
of today’s top DAWs, what sets them apart and which one
might be best for you.
● ● ● ● ● CAKEWALK ● ● ● ● ●
Cakewalk Sonar i s a classic DAW that was rele ased
in 1987, now known as Cakewalk by BandL ab. It’s an
extremely powerful tool, and while it might not be
a s ro b u s t a s m o re exp e n s ive DAWs , i t m ay we l l b e
the best one out there for the cost - it’s now free to
download! This re-launched DAW now has all of the
premium features of Sonar Platinum, including the
Skylight user interface, flexible ProChannel modules,
and a strong end-to - end 64-bit mix engine.
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 ● ● ● ● ● PRO TOOLS ● ● ● ● ●
Avid Pro Tools has been around since 1989, giving it over 30
years of improvements and upgrades. It’s probably most ap-
propriate for those who regularly work with recorded audio;
ever-evolving, it’s now available in three versions: Pro Tools
First is the free version, with the option of adding additional
features such as Track Freeze, as well as the ability to add
cloud storage and save unlimited projects, for a few extra
bucks a month. Next up, Pro Tools Standard comes with 60
plugins, 5 GBs of sounds, and a 128-input max. At the top
of the heap is Pro Tools Ultimate, previously known as Pro
Tools HD, which allows for 192 inputs, 1,024 MIDI tracks, 512
instrument tracks, 5 GBs of sounds and much more.
● ● ● ● ● CUBASE ● ● ● ● ●
Steinberg Cubase was introduced in 1990 and has a strong built-
in audio engine, VCA faders, and some impressive new features
for MIDI and audio editing. A few changes have been made to
the software interface as well. As is the case with Cakewalk,
Cubase might not be the single most powerful DAW, but its
latest version (10.5) has some excellent tools for the price.
● ● ● ● ● LOGIC PRO ● ● ● ● ●
C - L a b, w h i c h b e c a m e E m a g i c , o r i g i n a l l y r e l e a s e d a
DAW i n t h e e a r l y 1 9 9 0 s c a l l e d N o t a t o r L o g i c . A p p l e
s u b s e qu e n t ly a c qu i re d E m a g i c a n d t h e n c h a n ge d t h e
n a m e t o L o g i c P r o . E v e r s i n c e , i t ’s b e e n o n e o f t h e
m o s t re ve re d DAWs a m o n g s o n g w r i t e r s a n d b u d d i n g
producers, e spec ially those who might not be as expe -
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r ienced in a studio setting . More than Pro Tools, L o gic
Pro has an extremely clean interface and i s much more
M I D I - f r i e n d ly. I t s l a t e s t ve r s i o n i s c a l l e d L o g i c P ro X
a n d i t h a s a g re a t n e w f e a t u re c a l l e d T r a c k A l t e r n a -
tives, which allows a user to experiment with alternate
i d e a s wh i l e p re s e r v i n g e a rl i e r ve r s i o n s .
● ● ● ● ● ABLETON LIVE ● ● ● ● ●
Ableton Live was first introduced in 2001 and brings a
prett y different workflow to audio produc tion. It s in-
terface uses a grid pattern rather than a linear one, and
while it may not be the be st choice for audio editing ,
it’s the go-to DAW for live music production. In its most
recent version 10, you can use the Chain Select Ruler to
change MIDI instruments by launching clips. This helps
maintain Ableton’s status as the DAW of choice for EDM
producers and those who are looking to use elec tronic
sounds in their live performances.
● ● ● ● ● FL STUDIO ● ● ● ● ●
Imagine-Line FL Studio, previously known as Fruity Loops,
was originally released about two decades ago. For quite a
while, it was marketed to, and used by, those working specif-
ically with loops, and it didn’t have audio recording capabil-
ities. Now, those making electronic music use it extensively
and it’s also popular with beat makers and creators of hip-
hop. The easy-to-use interface and touch screen are very
appealing features, but it’s still somewhat lacking as far as
audio recording and editing. The latest version, FL Studio
Ableton Live
experience
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 SOUND
20, features a tool called “Edison” that helps find the perfect
loop points in a sample and it’s now available for both PC
and Mac users.
● ● ● ● ● REASON ● ● ● ● ●
L au n c h e d i n 2 0 0 0, Re a s o n ( fo r m e rly P ro p e l l e rh e ad )
could be a good way to go for those who want a com-
pletely self- contained DAW that c an be used on the go
without any outboard gear. Now on Version 11, it’s avail-
able as a plugin or in standalone form. While it’s perfect
for complete in-the -box produc ing , it may not be the
best for audio recording and editing. With a new feature
of the latest edition, many of Reason’s instruments c an
also be used as effec ts processors.
● ● ● ● ● GARAGEBAND ● ● ● ● ●
GarageBand, released in 2004 by Apple, is another
s o l i d b u d g e t o p t i o n w i t h p l e n t y o f p o w e r. I t u s e d
t o b e f r e e o n l y w i t h a n A p p l e p u r c h a s e , b u t n o w i t ’s
available to anyone at no charge. It has a built in
s a m p l e r, p l e n t y o f p l u g i n s a n d s h i p s w i t h l o a d s o f
A p p l e L o o p s . Yo u c a n s t a r t a p r o j e c t o n G a r a g e B a n d
f o r i O S , u s e t h e a p p ’s S m a r t To u c h i n s t r u m e n t s t o
Garageband
c apture ideas on the go and then import them into
G a r a g e B a n d f o r O S X . U n f o r t u n a t e l y, t h i s o p t i o n i s
a “ o n e w a y s t r e e t ,” a s s o n g s w o n ’ t g o f r o m M a c t o
iOS – at least not yet.
● ● ● ● ● REAPER ● ● ● ● ●
Cockos’s Reaper may not be the best-known DAW, but its
version 6 offers an excellent introduction to music pro-
duction. While it may not be the best choice for the more
MIDI-focused, it has great audio recording and editing
experience
30 no.1
Reaper
tools. Keep in mind that you’ll need to invest in some
decent plugins though.
● ● ● ● ● STUDIO ONE ● ● ● ● ●
PreSonus is best known as a maker of audio interfaces and
recording gear, but the company builds the software for
that equipment too. Their Studio One DAW was launched
in 2009, and you can get it for free or at a super low cost
by buying PreSonus hardware. One of the best things about
Studio One is that it’s a great way for musicians to quickly
capture their musical ideas. It’s not quite the ultra-pow-
erful music production tool that Pro Tools is, but these
days, many swear by it. Though it may be a bit problematic
when it comes to latency and not the best with MIDI, it
does have a flexible notepad along with a more-than-re-
spectable selection of plugins.
● ● ● ● ● BITWIG STUDIO ● ● ● ● ●
Bitwig Studio is the new kid on the block, having launched in
2014, but it’s already making headlines for being an excellent
music production tool. It was actually created by some of the
developers behind Ableton. Bitwig’s original goal was, and
still is, to help simplify things for music makers. It combines
the audio capabilities of Pro Tools with the MIDI and rout-
ing features of Ableton, though it doesn’t have many native
plugins and a few bugs still need to be ironed out. However,
it has a customizable workflow with a timeline view that’s
very similar to Ableton, along with the totally new Bigwig
Studio 3 modulation system for connecting parameters.
L ook to your goals, experience and method to help
guide you in the right direction, because as you carefully
consider them, your best option(s) for adopting a DAW
will start to become much clearer. e
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 musicregistry.com

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for over 27 years. A A A

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I I I
VOLUME XXVII / ISSUE III

Monthly
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REGISTRY / VOLUME XXVII / ISSUE IV J J
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L L L
M M VOLUME XXVII ISSUE IV M
N N N
Paul Hansinger O
O O
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is a challenge, Q
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nity and an
T T T
U U U
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To learn more visit musicregistry.com or call 213-537-7011

 DEVELOPMENT
Social for Show,
Email for Dough
By Tony Van Veen, CEO of Disc Makers
I
N GOLF THERE’S A SAYING: drive for show, putt
for dough. For those of you who aren’t golfers
(and trust me, I’m not), it means that hitting a
long, straight drive makes you look good to
your golfing buddies, but if you want to keep
your score low, you need to be great at the less
impressive stuff – like putting.
I’ve adapted that saying for the music indus-
try: social for show, email for dough.
Over the years I’ve seen way too many musicians
focus all their marketing efforts on social media, and
do nothing with email. “Email is passé,” one artist
told me recently. “Today’s young fans don’t do
email,” another mentioned. And so they stick to
social media for all their messaging. Which is
kinda like playing a whole golf game with just
your driver…
Just like a golf game requires both drives and
putts, optimizing your music marketing mix re-
quires both social media and email. Social media
is amazing for so many things: It’s easy for fans to
follow you; it’s great for interaction and engagement;
it lets you communicate in a whole palette of ways.
But social media is not good at everything. For starters, most
social media users don’t go to Twitter or Instagram to purchase
goods. They’re there for entertainment, not to pull out their wal-
lets. Also, over time, social media companies have restricted the
exposure of your organic posts to as little as 20% of your followers,
meaning that your posts don’t even show up in 80% of their feeds…
unless you pay to boost your posts (hey, Facebook has costs and is
in business to make a profit).
Although not free, email has no such problems. Every artist I’ve
ever spoken with testifies to the power of email to drive transac-
tions – and you need transactions to pay the bills. In today’s music
market it is extremely difficult for the average emerging artist to
make a living from streaming royalties. Though the music indus-
try as a whole is earning more each year from streaming, it is still
extremely difficult for the average emerging artist to make a living
just from streaming royalties. This is why today’s artist needs to be
on streaming sites AND have physical merch (t-shirts, CDs, vinyl,
USBs, stickers, etc.) available. You find your audience on streaming
services and social media, and then you generate your income from
selling them physical product.
no.2
experience
32 digital
As great as social media is for interacting with fans,
email is great for communicating to them. For start-
ers, when you email your fan list, you can be sure that
(almost) all of them will receive your message, unlike
posting on Facebook. And creating well-crafted emails,
written like a personal letter, with updates, opinions,
behind-the-scenes pictures and links can do wonders
to create a bond with fans – while ensuring they don’t
forget about you.
If you have merch to sell, or if you’re going on tour
and want to sell tickets, email is amazing. Just include
your offer, a small image and a BUY link, and fans will
click and buy... in quantities much higher than on so-
cial media (did I mention that Facebook suppresses
posts with external links to, say, a ticketing site?).
Email also makes it easy to test different offers, prices
and bundles to see what works best.
For most emerging artists, email can be free.
Mailchimp, the industry leader, doesn’t charge for
email if you have a list of fewer than 2,000 email ad-
dresses. All you need to do is build that list…
How do you do that? Message your social followers for
starters. Offer them something in return for their email address
– such as an unreleased download. One trick you can use (which I
recently used at a conference I was speaking at and which netted
me the email addresses of half the people in the room) is to ask
your audience in the middle of your set to take out their phone and
email you at yourname@email.com and you’ll send them a link to
an exclusive download. All of a sudden you have all their email ad-
dresses! And they have yours, which is super cool for a fan of your
music! ( Just be sure to tell them you’re adding them to your mailing
list so you don’t run afoul of any anti-spam laws. And always include
an opt-out link in your emails.)
Once you get the hang of emailing your list, you’ll realize that
social and email pack an incredibly powerful marketing commu-
nications punch. Both should be part of a well-balanced music
marketing diet. e
TONY VAN VEEN is CEO of Disc Makers, the
country’s largest manufacturer of physical media
(CDs, vinyl, USBs, T-shirts, hoodies, hats, and
more) for independent artists. In his spare time
Tony enjoys writing mass emails to his clients.
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䈀䔀䠀䤀一䐀 䜀刀䔀䄀吀 䴀唀匀䤀䌀
 Click here for 2019 ASCAP EXPO Video Access

SIZZLE REEL

Video clips from ASCAP EXPO 2019

BUILDING YOUR TEAM TIPS FROM
FOR SUCCESS ASHLEY GORLEY

Landing a Manager Don’t Try to Write Up

Jonathan Azu talks about why you need a manager, It’s highly unlikely you’re going to wind up in a room with
when to get one, and how they can help you drive your personal music heroes, so be realistic about who your
your career forward. songwriting partners will (and should!) be. Don’t overthink
it: find a few people you vibe with and write a song.

Dealing with Your Lawyer Do What You’re Great At…

Attorneys like Danielle Price can only do their best work if In the music industry, “balance” is extremely rare. But in
you are willing to communicate and be honest about what his best efforts to seek it out, Gorley has learned what to
you want and need as an artist. say no to, what to go all-in on, and when to call it a day.

Mastering Digital Media …But Well-Rounded People

Social media promotions and targeted advertisements on Are Always in Higher Demand
platforms like Spotify are invaluable these days. You need Excel at the job you’re responsible for whether it be writing
someone on your team who can take advantage of those lyrics, producing, orchestrating, but it never hurts to have
resources. some extra resources in your back pocket.

no.2
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