3 Lessons U can learn from Prince's Music Vault

When the announcement was made about Apple Music, I was excited! Being in South Africa, Spotify isn't really an option and Dezzer is only slowly gaining a foothold. So the fact that I could  get 3 months free and then only pay R60 bucks for all I can eat music-wise was pretty cool. Soon I would be able to have all my favorite music in my pocket and on the go. That Bob Marley song I haven't heard in a long time. No problem, tap, tap, that Big Daddy Kane song... there it is. the entire Beatles catalog, Motown, Queen, 2 Pac, Biggie, you name it and there it all was. 

But then I tried to find Prince...

NOTHING! I looked again and there was one half of an album and a random single. 

Confused, I did some quick research (Ok, Google search) and there was my answer. Tidal.

Apparently Prince had done a deal giving them the exclusive rights to his work. Surprised but also not really, because that is a rather Prince like thing of him to do. So there I sat with no Prince music and having to remember where I stacked all my Cd's. I must admit this was the first time I was even slightly tempted to sign-up to another streaming service. And I nearly did but then I stopped myself. 

Because I realized one thing. It was inevitable that the music would find it's way out to the majority. Like a stream, to a river, to an ocean, you can't stop the natural flow of things forever. It will find its way out. 

Then the sad day came hearing about Prince's untimely death. And I knew it would only be a matter of time before they had to open Pandora's box. 

So I kept my eye on the news because I knew the day would come that his music would become available on other streaming services, it was inevitable. On the 2nd of November 2016, it was announced that Universal Music Publishing Group had secured the exclusive worldwide publishing rights for his catalog for an undisclosed amount. 

Watching the story unfold has been interesting and here are three key lessons you can learn from it.

Lesson #1

You need to have a vault of your own

As the story goes it was actually one of Prince's junior engineer's at the time, Susan Rogers, that realized that although Prince was making new music at a rapid rate, his music was scattered in different studios and cities across America. So what she did was convince him to have a central location and then she gathered all his material from all the different studios thus creating The Vault. Over the years Prince pimped it out and made sure it was heavily guarded, thus making it the stuff of legend. But the idea and philosophy was simple.

- Bring your entire catalog (every song and idea) together 

-  Protect it

- And keep creating and adding to it

Lesson #2

Find the right avenues to exploit your work

In today's digital age there is really no reason why an artist needs to sign away  their copyright ownership of a song. Even as an unknown artist, for a small fee you now have the ability to release your work on the same platform as Lady Gaga and Justin Timberlake. With TuneCore and CD Baby it has made being an independent artist easier than ever by giving you access to tools and platforms that simply did not exist for non majors 20 years ago.

You need to remember that one of the reasons you probably started making music in the first place is so that it would be heard by as many people as possible. Reach them, and hopefully share a message that would impact their lives. 

Lesson #3

Include your catalog into your Will

Whether you have a spouse and kids or not, you need to realize that you are building an asset. And that asset if done correctly will long out live you. So for the sake of your fans, your children and your children's children, it is in your best interest to ensure that your prized possession of songs is well managed and taken care of long after you are gone.

It was reported that before he died Prince had pulled all his music from Performing Rights Organizations like ASCAP. Which in itself is crazy, but once again true to character. And I'm sure he had a plan of how he would track and manage it going forward as he certainly had the cash and resources at his disposal. But now with no written instruction going forward it leaves most music publishers scratching their heads.

I have heard it said that a man who understands legacy plants a tree knowing full well  that he may never sit in its shade or eat of its fruit but that those that come after him will certainly see the rewards of his labour.

The Secret Weapon behind Drakes uncanny success

When the dust settles and the smoke clears. I have no doubt in my mind that Noah '40' Shebib will emerge as one of the most influential producers of our generation. 
(10 years from now, you can quote me on that.)

Every interview I have read or seen always leaves me more impressed!
His approach to production, his choice of operating outside the music hubs, his focus on the artist, all these and more are definitive moments that set him apart from the rest of the pack. 

Checkout this cool interview he did with Native Instruments Maschine. 

Video Pick of the week: Stromae - Papaoutai

My video pick for this week is a relatively old one (2013), but a classic in my opinion.

Anybody who knows me, knows I've always had a thing for the French language. I have recently extended that quirk into French Music were I came across Stromae. 

Man, I've been listening to his album on repeat. I think the music is absolutely brilliant.  

Music Video: A New State of Mind [Throw back Monday]

So a couple of people have been asking me about this video I did a while back. So I decided to put it out there again. For those who have been asking and waiting for new material from me-- I'm sorry for the delay but it will be worth the wait;) I promise.

Thanks for your support! OneLove - E-man

Why fairness isn't always fair

Fairness, with all due respect is a bunch of polony!

Just like when someone says with all due respect - know that the next line to come out of their mouth is probably going to be something disrespectful.

Similarly, When a person says that it's only fair...

Or I think that that is fair...

Know that it probably isn't fair.

Fairness is such a subjective thing. 

Your employer probably thinks he is paying you a "fair" wage. And let's face it, he probably isn't. 

You probably think you put in a decent day's labour. And I would bet that your employer would probably disagree with you.

The next time you make a deal with someone don't look for what is fair, seek to be generous.

Generosity. That is the difference between abundance and scarcity.

Sniper Vs Shot-Gun Approach

When it comes to being able to execute a plan, I find you only really have two options. 

The Shot-Gun or the Sniper approach. 

Shot-Guns - Don't require much planning. Spray and pray. Sometimes you hit your target, sometimes you don't. At least you hit something right?

But are random acts of improvement the best way to increase your success? My guess would be - No. 

And then you get snipers. 

Snipers - Approach things a little differently.

Like a chess game you have to see at least 3 to 4 moves ahead and anticipate what will happen next. Watching your environment, studying your target, adjusting for wind speed. All while the war wages around you.  

Sometimes however, you can use both methods to your advantage. But almost always, it's better to execute your strategy as a sniper.

How do you execute as a sniper? Practice, plan and shot. Then do it again, and again and again. Until you get better at it.  

Keep shooting until you hit the target - Every-time!