Real Rad Magazine : Winter 2016

WINTER 2016
KIND BEATS
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
MATTHEW SALLACK
JOIN US
WHAT A GIRL WANTS
MAKING BETTER
MUSIC: PART III
JESSIE FRYE
MAKE MONEY WITH
YOUR MUSIC

WELCOME TO OUR SECOND VOLUME OF THE WINTER COLLECTION.
IN OUR NEWEST COLLECTION, WE HAVE COMPILED A CHILL
TRACK LIST, INSPIRED APPAREL AND ALL THE
CONTENT-RICH ARTICLES YOUR EYES CAN HANDLE!
KICK BACK, RELAX AND ENJOY THE TUNES. HEY, WE EVEN
GOT ‘EM ON ALL YOUR FAVORITE OUTLETS.
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? DO US A FAVOR,
SHARE THIS ON YOUR FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA OUTLETS.
THAT’D BE RATHER RAD OF YOU.

A LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
We the people, are not created
equal. Our genes, level of wealth and privilege
are inherited. Although, wealth and privilege
can sometimes be elevated within a lifetime,
genes , DNA and what makes up a person’s
bloodline are definite. We inherit eye color,
hair color, height, physical features, even the
likelihood to develop specific diseases as well
as addictions carry on through our ancestry.
If your parents are tall then you’ll most likely
be tall. If your parents are brunette then you’ll
most likely be brunette. If you have read this
far then you are most likely saying to yourself,
“No shit.”
Any functioning human being
with a high school education can tell you
that biological traits are passed down from
one generation to the next. There are some
scenarios in which a certain characteristic skips
a generation but it still exist in the family tree.
As far as wealth and privilege, these are gifts
bestowed to the children of the wealthy and
the privileged. These advantages serve as a
higher platform to obtain success compared
to the platform a child of the less fortunate
springs from. If you are attractive and rich
there is a higher possibility to succeed than
a person that is less attractive and of lower
financial resources. There are unattractive rich
people, there are attractive poor people and
vice versa. There is a broad spectrum of human
attributes which is relative to each person
accordingly.
This doesn’t mean that people should
be treated unequally as human beings in a
social context or that people should be treated
unequally according to the law of the land due
to their level of wealth and/or attractiveness
but it does mean there are obvious advantages
as well as disadvantages that are inherited
in each family tree, comparatively. Nature is
what gives us what we initially inherit as human
beings from our bloodlines. Nurture, on the
other hand is always the parallel mentioned
to nature that helps identify what makes up a
complete human being. Nature may dictate
certain capacities but nurture heavily influences
the psyche as far as why we make the decisions
we do. Nature may give a human being a
relative range of abilities but nurture can
enhance or stifle those abilities. The way we
are nurtured is a form of inheritance. How we
were raised and what we experienced growing
up heavily affects the way we navigate through
life. Often times, what the kid sees is what the
kid does.
As a person grows to become an
adult, there are revelations along the way
of that journey that clear the path to forge
ahead and if you’re lucky those revelations will
lead to a moment of acceptance, accepting
that regardless of our inheritance or lack
thereof, it’s now time to make our own
decisions, accepting that everything you’ve
experienced in life has a secret meaning for
you and who you are suppose to be, and
accepting that these revelations, moments, as
well as decisions that are influenced by your
inheritance can very well lead you to “simple”
and/or “ordinary” destiny.
There are plenty of teachers,
plumbers, nurses, roofers, mechanics,
firemen and nannies that are perfectly happy
living their “ordinary” lives and working
their “ordinary professions.” These are the
professions that are often looked at as lead by
people with “ordinary destinies,” but these are
extraordinary people doing extraordinary work
for their families and their community. These
are jobs that require a person of accountability,
responsibility, common sense, and skill. These
people aren’t entertainers, athletes, rappers,
actors, writers, photographers, models,
dancers, producers, filmmakers, and/or some
kind of artist. These are the people that
actually have jobs and are getting paid as well
as paying taxes for the infrastructure of society
and running it on a daily basis. These people
are the very lifeblood of society.
But, what about the dreamers?
What about people that want to make a living
from their “art?” There is only one way to do
that, you have to be a genius. You have to be
a genius at what you do. That is next level,
that is high compensation, that separates.
But, genius isn’t necessarily inherited nor is
it necessarily a product of nurture. Genius is
natural born talent that has been cultivated
and applied. We find evidence in genius
athletes that may have not inherited wealth
but rather are from the ghettos of USA and
are graced with a genius ability in sport which
makes them become highly sought after
professional athletes. Over six feet tall, long
arms, fast, strong, good vision which can be
attributed to biological inheritance but the
next level to elevating it to genius athlete level
is cultivating a higher plateau of athleticism
and mental strength that separates the athlete
from their peers by simply but ironically not
so simply, working hard. A person must have
the gift in the form of whatever genius they
wish to be, to be what they want to be, in
their respective arts but to achieve genius
status they must also work at it. An “ordinary”
person, under six feet, average arms, average
speed, average strength, good vision couldn’t
possibly think they could compete with a
genius level professional athlete with superior
attributes with the gift of operating on a higher
plane in regards to athleticism, especially if the
“gifted one” cultivated their natural talent and
the other party had not worked on developing
their skill. What makes people think those
same rules don’t apply in any other art form?
This doesn’t mean an “ordinary”
person is of less value, in fact they very well
maybe geniuses at a different particular
avenue of endeavors but we are confining this
application of genius to the fine arts for the
sake of argument as well the romanticization
of the fine arts in popular culture. There is a
great saturation in these fields because there
are a large number of people that want to be
geniuses at something that they’re not. Tupac
and Biggie were genius rappers, what is the
likelihood that you are? Al Pacino and Tom
Hanks are genius actors, what’s the likelihood
that you are? Steven Spielberg and Francis
Ford Coppola are genius directors, what’s
the likelihood that you are? Meryl Streep and
Diane Keaton are genius actresses, what’s the
likelihood you are? There is no likelihood, there
is only, you got it or you don’t. You’re a genius
at that particular thing or not. Wishing to be a
genius at something will not make you a genius
at it, even working hard at it won’t necessarily
get you there. Yes, hard work goes a long way
and it can possibly get a human being very
close to genius level. Brushing aside hard work
is a mistake that some “gifted” yet lazy people
do that eventually reach their demise by a
hard worker. Although, a “gifted” person with
natural talent that also works hard compared
to a person that has not been bestowed with
the gift of genius from the universe, even if
the “non-gifted party” works hard, is exposed
to stark difference that clearly separates
the respective parties, ultimately seeing the
“gifted” party prevailing in whatever discipline
that they are gifted in. There is no way of
knowing where the next “gifted” coder or
scientist will be born or even the next “gifted”
rock star or painter will born but we do know
that you can’t wish for the
gift. A fish can’t climb a tree.
Editor in Chief,
Francisco Leal

CHILL NEW MUSIC FOR YOUR EARS.
STREAM AND DOWNLOAD THE NEW COLLECTION.
AVAILABLE ON ALL MAJOR OUTLETS
DOWNLOAD NOW

ON SALE NOW AT
W W W . R E A L R A D A P P A R E L . C O M

KIND was raised in the suburbs outside of Dallas, Texas. His musical background stems from his
father’s record collection including Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennet,
and many more. But growing up in the suburbs KIND also found himself drawn to hip-hop, graffiti,
and break dancing, so after years of trial and error, KIND feels as though he is producing a sound
that truly represents his upbringing and where he came from. Now residing in Denton, Texas KIND is
poised and ready to bring an old school hip-hop sound to Denton Underground, something he believes
audiences of all ages are starving to be fed.
•
LISTEN TO KIND BEATS AT soundcloud.com/kind-13

A WOMANS GUIDE ON HOW TO CATER YOUR BAR TO LADIES
BY CALLIE DEE
Bar owners, let’s face it, to have a successful
night at your venue you need females. Hot females.
Females get drinks bought from men hopeful to get
laid, females bring in more females which brings in
more men which brings you more money. Following
me? So how do you get these ladies not only to
show up, but to keep coming back?

Stock your bathrooms!
Nothing is worse than not having any toilet paper, hand soap or paper towels.
Gentlemen, I know you only need TP for one dirty deed and you don’t want to think about
us in THAT way (except you freaks), but TP is a necessity for us. A true lady never drip
dries. Ever. And if she’s made to, you will never see her at your establishment again! A
true lady always washes her hands. No soap will only make a female think of all the
other people with unwashed hands in your venue and she will never come back again. So
you have soap but no paper towels? Eh, that one is semi forgiveable but wiping our hands
on our nice outfits is not cool. If you chronically have no paper towels, we will be less
likely to come back. And it wouldn’t hurt to clean said bathrooms every once in a while if
not often. A clean well stocked bathroom ensures repeat business.
Ladies get in free - drink specials
I’m going to be totally honest for a second and guys forgive me in advance. On any
given weekend out I would walk into a bar with my ID and only $20 and make a game
of seeing how drunk I could get without spending much, if any, of that $20. Most nights,
I wouldn’t spend a dime, and some nights I’d buy my first couple of drinks until someone
started sending them my way. Let’s say there are drink specials, that $20 lasts a lot longer,
I get more tipsy before said gentleman arrives, and we all win. If there’s not drink specials
then when that $20 is gone I take my sad pathetic rear back home and never visit that bar
again. I know it’s a sad little game but I think it’s great that guys make more than women
on average, and because I’m okay with that, you should buy me a drink. And what do
females with a few drinks in them do? If there’s good music, they dance.
GOOD music
If a female goes out and finds herself dancing the night away, not only will she come back
but she’ll bring her friends too. And more girls = more guys = more money. Music sets
the vibes for a venue. Good music = good vibes. And what guy doesn’t like to witness a
bunch of girls dancing? Especially if they’re drunk.
-
No matter what a bar looks like, whether its ritzy or a dive hole in the wall, if you make
sure your bathrooms are always stocked, you give us ladies a discount on our entry and
drinks, and there is good music available on the jukebox/great band/great DJ,
you will have a bar full of females. And what did we learn earlier?
More females = more men = more money. Any questions?
Callie Dee is an Event Curator at Right Round Productions and a Booking Agent at Red Empire
follow her at @Callie_Dee (Twitter and IG) facebook.com/Callie.Dee

IT’S NOT HOW
GOOD YOU ARE,
IT’S HOW GOOD
YOU WANT TO BE.
-PAUL ARDEN

T he Beaut y T hat Never Sleeps
WORK ETHIC & BEING A WOMAN IN THE BUSINESS
What was it like being 19
years old and starting your own
band?
It was terrifying and
exciting. But in the very
beginning I made a promise to
myself to dive in and give 100%.
It was always my hope to turn
my dreams into a reality. I mean,
I had years of classical piano
training and vocal training but I
knew nothing about the actual
business side of the industry
when I was 19. I built everything
from the ground up. Nothing
was handed to me. I can’t tell
you how many times I have
played in front of no one, or
how much money I have wasted
or how many people have told
me “no”. Any musician reading
this knows what I am talking
about. It’s tough out there- but it
is worth it. You just have to take
charge and believe in yourself.
What are some specific
hardships that women go
through in the music industry?
Women are quickly
judged in this business. If
you’re a female musician with
a pretty face, people are quick
to attribute your success to
your good looks. Not only is
that frustrating- but it makes
you feel like people are being
lazy. Sure, a pretty face never
hurts. But people need to do
their homework and check
out an artist’s vibe before they
make assumptions. Everything
from songwriting, music
video concepts, photo shoot
concepts- unless otherwise
noted- they all come from me.
People think that because you
are a woman there must be a
man behind the curtain holding
your hand planning all your art
for you. Intelligence, sexuality
and power can all come from
the same person. One doesn’t
negate the other.
To what would you
attribute your strong work ethic
and entrepeneurial values to?
I live with this sense of
urgency. People tend to tell
me that I am a stressful person.
Which is true a lot of the time.
I have had to learn to chill out
a lot. But I refuse to just wait
for things to happen. I enjoy
being productive. I think my
mother and father influenced
me in these ways. My dad was
a motivational speaker for his
company and my mom is a very
fiercely driven woman. I can be a
little impatient, and my manager
(Brent Camp of Monocle, Inc)
coaches me to direct that
impatience to productivity by
making little things happen all
the time. Ask anyone that knows
me- I am super intense. I express
myself intensely, I love intensely,
I feel intensely, I work intensely.
I simply don’t know how else to
be!
You get a lot of praise for
your marketing skills, is that all
you? Where did you learn how to
market yourself?
It is all me! I think it is
really fun to market yourself
honestly by finding out how
your fans connect to you. I really
love that side of the business.
I have learned what works and
what doesn’t work by trial and
error. My social media is all
run by me. I decide what I post
and I respond to all my fans
comments. They mean the world
to me.
Tell us about your musical
training and background.
I started voice lessons
at 8 years old. Singing felt so
natural and so good to me. I
grew up listening to a lot of
Tori Amos. When I was 11 I felt
like taking piano lessons would
piece everything together. So
I took classical piano for about
8 years. I loved it- there was a
time when I considered going to
school for it. But honestly- I am
a bit of a rebel. It would have
never worked. I took lessons
from a brilliant Russian pianist
for several years. She changed
my life in many ways. I respect
the classical tradition and feel
very connected to it in many
ways. But at the end of the day,
I am a rock n’ roller. As far as
voice- I am most comfortable
singing pop/rock. That is what
I trained to do. But there are
other genres I would like to
experiment with one day.

Big Bad Wolf
THE PERSONA TO THE PUBLIC
You’re a self proclaimed
Boss Bitch, can you explain to
our readers what that means and
why you feel it’s a positive term
as a female role model?
Absolutely. Boss Bitch
means that you call your own
shots, you know who you are,
and you are positive about living
the life you want to lead. I feel
like word appropriation can be
very effective- and taking Bitch
into our own hands to where it
means something passionate
and empowering is very
progressive.
It’s really hard to keep a
band together these days, what’s
the relationship like with your
bandmates?
I have the most amazing
bandmates. They keep me
positive and make me laughthey
are like brothers to me.
Michael Garcia, Chad Ford and
Androo O’Hearn. I have been
very lucky to work with people
who believe in my vision
and truly enjoy playing with
me. I write all my own songs
but I bring it to the band for
a collaborative process with
arrangements. I know the
project is under my name, but I
make it clear to them that their
energy and talents are just as
important as what I bring to the
table.
Your fans and the press have
really embraced your persona of
the goth pop super hero, what’s
the concept behind that and
what started it?
Isn’t that fun? Man, I
never saw that coming. I had no
idea it would become a thing. I
grew up listening to goth music,
I have always been a goth kid.
And as I started to grow as an
artist I thought it would be fun
to incorporate a visual aspect
into my live show. I like creating
a larger than life feeling- and I
love comic books. So, one show
I painted a black stripe across
my face and people responded
well to it. Then I felt inspired by
the grandeur that superhero’s
possess and that’s where the
One In A Million video came
from. I thought “Hey, why the
hell not? I’ll dress up like my
version of a superhero and
hopefully it will make people
feel good!”
Your first headlining
festival show was Oaktopia after
years of touring with festivals.
That was a very pivitol moment
for you. How did it feel finally
getting to headline a festival in
your hometown?
It was beautiful! You work
so hard for every little thing.
I remember one of my crew
members came up to me and
said there was a line around
the block for people to get in.
It just means so much to me
that people come to shows and
interact with me on stage. It’s
something I do not take lightly.
When I perform it is not about
me- it is about connecting with
the audience and creating a
moment that we can all feel
empowered and excited about.
You are really close with
your personal hair and makeup
artist Amanda Dawn Servis. Tell
us about that relationship.
I love working with
Amanda because she is a
powerhouse. We are passionate
about the same things. She
just opened a new beauty bar
in downtown Denton called
Lucky Locks. She is more than
just makeup and hair to me- she
gives me guidance when I need
it and is always there during
my busy schedule to boost my
energy.

Ice Queen with a Heart of Gold
BEHIND THE SCENES
Where did you get your
confident but humble nature?
Ego is gross! Those who
think their shit don’t stink- well,
their shit stinks the worst. I am
very grateful for every ounce of
support I have and I make an
effort to express that to my fans.
Yes, I have worked hard for my
achievements but not for one
second do I feel like I necessarily
deserve them. Energy is
everything and we all need
confidence. But keep it
healthy- keep it in check!
What kind of imprint
do you hope to
leave on your fans? On the
industry?
I hope my fans
feel connected to me. I
hope when they come to
a show they know they
are walking into a world
where they are accepted.
I just want people to have
a damn good time at my
show- to feel excited about
live music. And if people
like what I do because
they love the songs, or
they think I am hot or cool
or whatever- it doesn’t
matter to me. The fact that
they relate to me in some way
is just awesome. The other day
someone came up to me and
shook my hand- they thanked
me for the positive vibes that I
bring with my music. My heart
just exploded- that says it all
right there.
“One In A Million” is a
song that is inspiring to many
people, what is the meaning of
that song to you?
It’s my favorite song I
have ever written. I wrote it
when I was feeling weak and
I needed something to pull
me out. The song is about that
feeling you get when life is
going perfect and you are living
in that moment. I wanted to
write something that captured
the feeling of believing in
positivity. As dorky as it soundswe
are all one in a million, life as
we know it is a one in a million
chance. I get messages from
fans telling me how much the
song has helped them fight
depression and believe in
themselves. I always get teary
eyed when that hits my inboxhaha!
I have to know, is the song
“Your Girlfriend” based on a true
story? How did you come up with
that?
Yes, it is based on a true
story! We have all had that
experience where you really like
someone and you know they
like you too and you just say to
yourself “break up with them
and get with me!” I just wanted
to write a fun, light-hearted song
about it.
You’re such a dynamic,
passionate and energetic live
performer, how do you do it?
I love to sweat! I just can’t
sit still and sing. I have to run
around and get the crowd
involved. The live show has
grown into that for me. I stay
in shape- I work out a lot
and have personal trainers.
I am always doing certain
vocal warmups and exercises
that keep me in check.
Sometimes I sing while I
workout. And while I
know that makes me
sound like a crazy person, it
actually helps my stamina
so much on stage.
Do you have any words
that you live by and why?
I have “strength is your
decision” tattooed on my arm.
Those are lyrics that I wrote
during a very hard time in my
life. I decided to get it as a
tattoo because it is a constant
reminder that you always have
choice. You can decide to be
strong. You can take control of
your situation. It also means
that you find strength in the
decisions you make.

Purchase Music From
jessiefrye.bandcamp.com or iTunes
Instagram: @jessiefryemusic
Twitter: @jessiefrye
jessiefrye.bandcamp.com
ALL HAIR AND MAKEUP BY
AMANDA DAWN SERVIS AT
book an appointment at
BOOK.LUCKYLOCKS.NET
To order hair from Lucky Locks Hair Extensions
www.luckylocks.net
Instagram Twitter tumblr:
@myluckylocks
Amandas Instagram:
@missamandadawwwn
Facebook pages
www.facebook.com/LuckyLocksExtensions
www.facebook.com/luckylocksbeautybar

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
MATTHEW GORDAN
SALLACK
AKA
OTTER ILLUSTRATION
“The name Otter Illustration comes from when I was
still in grad school and needed a way to brand my work, my
business. I basically knew I wanted an animal as a mascot
or moniker. So I picked the otter. I relate to otters. They are
my power animal: intelligent, mischievous, good with their
hands, and they form strong social bonds. I never knew how
popular they were before I named my business after them! My
inspiration comes from so many places. Mostly movies, video
games and animals. And food. I get inspired by things that have
sensory stimulation. Bright colors and cheeseburgers, mostly.
The style of my art is called “whimsical surrealism.” I
would say it’s a combination of children’s book art, surrealist
art, and pop art. It’s usually pretty literal and meant to reference
something specific. I like to make people laugh and think about
things in different ways. I have a lot of goals and ambitions for
what I want to do with all my talents. Lately, I have really enjoyed
more about the business side of things, as well as eventplanning
and promoting. In the short term: continue to build the
Otter Illustration brand and reach out to more markets outside
of Denton. In the long term: I want to publish more books, even
have my own publishing company. I want to have art galleries.
Maybe my own brick-and-mortar shop. I also want to be able
to contribute more to the arts community on a local level and
beyond. But first, I’m just trying to hustle so I can pay rent, buy
groceries, and live a little.”
Matthew was born in Tupelo, MS and grew up in
Denton,TX and studied Communication Design at Texas State
University–San Marcos. He graduated with a BFA and moved
to Austin, TX in 2007 then on to California in 2009 where he
studied Fine Art-Illustration at the Academy of Art University
in San Francisco. He then graduated with an MFA and moved
back to Denton in 2012. Currently he is part of the co-op at the
DIME Store and serves on the Board of Directors at the Denton
Community Work. He has shown work at local spots like The
Bearded Monk and Freaks and Geeks. His upcoming project
the WILDlife coloring book, will have a release party in February
at the DIME store. He also organizes the “Arts & Craft Beer
Backyard Market at Eastside” with local vendors (which starts
back up in March), and The “1rst Annual Stout & Shout” event
on January 23 at the Bearded Monk.
To see & purchase work visit THEOTTERSHOP.COM • Follow
him at FACEBOOK.COM/OTTERILLUSTRATION
8

MAKING BETTER MUSIC
MIXING AND MASTERING TIPS • PART III
by Harvey S. Grant
I t’s 2016 and project studios have become as common as the
Foreman Grill. Honestly, a laptop, headphones, audio interface,
microphone, and a midi keyboard is all you need to get started
to make and record your own tunes at a whim in these modern
times. Although, it is true that creating music is as easy as
playing a video game, making “good” music that people actually
want to listen to can be as daunting as programming a video
game. Regardless of the challenges, making music should be a fun
endeavor especially when your music starts to sound good. That
is why I have scoured the internet as well as drawn from personal
experience with audio engineering to bring you tips to help you
create better music.

THE “MYSTERIOUS” LOW-END
ENVIRONMENT
This quarterly we explore the “mysterious”
low-end of the mix. Low -end instruments and sounds
include the ever important kick drum, the bass, and
also lower registering instruments such as the tuba. A
common problem for project audio engineers is accurately
monitoring the low-end of a mix. This is due to improper
studio environments that can include a small bedroom,
garage, or backyard shed. Often times the problem with
these environments is how the low-end reflects off of
objects and the walls in the environment. These reflections
can create inaccurate imaging in your ear, leading to a mix
that may sound good in your environment from your
speakers but it will most likely fall apart in another
environment due to the inaccuracies. There are devices
that can be bought that will adjust the way frequencies
are presented through your monitors that can help with
the issue and your environment can also be treated with
diffusers or bass traps to combat the reflections but these
methods can be a bit pricey for the project studio
engineer.
“IT’S LIKE TWO BROTHERS
INHERITING THE SAME LAND IN A
KINGDOM. THEY ARE JUST GOING
TO FIGHT EACH OTHER.”
REFERENCING
A reasonable way to combat the lack of funds
for imaging adjustment devices and room treatment is
referencing. Listen to a commercial recording that sounds
similar to what you are trying to achieve. Better yet, bring
that track in the mix, mute it while your music is playing
and then solo the reference track to listen and compare. Is
your kick as punchy as the reference track? Does your bass
sound as tight as the reference track? How are the levels
and loudness in comparison? Referencing is a common
practice among the most elite audio engineers in the
world and it is a great way to make up for less than stellar
studio environments.
Another obstacle a project audio engineer could
face while mixing is listening to tracks with near-field
monitors that do not completing replicate the sound
image of the music that is being played. Some speakers
may not capture frequencies below 60Hz. Inexperienced
project audio engineers can become frustrated by the lack
of low-end and may compensate by adding too much lowend
which can actually weaken the power of the low-end.
Other times the same engineer may not put enough lowend
in there which will make the mix top heavy. Utilizing
a reference track can help a project sound engineer
discover some of the nuances that their monitors possess
and can really help with how to tackle issues that plague a
project studio mix.
THE BATTLEGROUND
Low-end is tricky and can very well be the
Achilles heel to any modern music sound recording
especially when the low-end houses the kick drum and
the bass. Do not make the mistake of trying to make the
two low-end instruments occupy the same frequency
range. It’s like two brothers inheriting the same land in a
kingdom. They are just going to fight each other.
The sound engineer must make a decision on
what instrument dominates the lower end of the spectrum
in comparison to the other one. This all depends on the
track that is being mixed. Sometimes the kick drum may
reach down to 50Hz while the bass hangs around the
90Hz range. In a different musical composition the bass
may dip to around 40Hz while the kick drum hovers at
60Hz.
Again, it all depends on the track at hand.
Either way, it is important to decide what instrument
commands a particular frequency range. This allows
the instruments to have the room in the stereo image to
communicate their respective sound better. Finally, after
adjusting, treating, monitoring, referencing, mixing and
equalizing, listen to your mix in a different environment,
along with your reference track. When it comes to music
70% of people still listen to over 60% of their tunes in a
vehicle. Listen to your mix and compare your mix to your
reference track in a car. Factory car speakers won’t give
you all the information that the low-end pumps out but it
will at least give you an idea of how your low-end will hold
up in the most popular environment for music. If you are
still curious of how your low-end may articulate in a club
environment or you just want to hear what that sub bass
accurately sounds like, take your mix to a professional
studio environment.
•
There is a ton of knowledge to gain from a professional
studio session even if it is only for an hour or so.
Read more “Making Better Music” articles in past issues or Real Rad Magazine.

The Music Industry Professional
F I V E WAY S T O E A R N M O N E Y W I T H Y O U R M U S I C
B Y J A M A L L A N T H O N Y
LEt’s imagine for a moment or two that I just produced, wrote, recorded, mixed, and mastered
a song, and I believe it is going to be a hit record. That’s great news, and an even better
feeling, but if the world doesn’t have the opportunity to hear it, it will do nothing more than
potentially collect space on a hard drive forever. This is a question that many independent
artists, groups, and bands are facing today “How do I get my music heard?”, and more
importantly, “How do I get paid to make music?”. In this article, I will answer this question
by identifying 5 separate revenue streams that I would use, and suggest that you start
considering to earn money with your music today.

I • Merchandising/Branding
If nobody can see you, then you are a ghost, you don’t exist if you are not visible.
This requires branding, which is simply making yourself visible both online and inperson,
and making a great impression in the process. Merchandising goes hand inhand
with this business practice, and can range from album cover art to bumper
stickers, and anything inbetween. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for,
and so you should keep in mind that anything with your name on it is often a firstimpression
of you upon anyone who listens to you.
There are many different companies that provide merchandising services
for musicians. One cheap form of merchandise with a high return rate, that many
independent and major artists employ, are T Shirts. Selling your merchandise when
you perform live is an easy way to earn extra revenue when fans come to watch you
perform live, or when you catch a new fans attention at the show. True fans like
to feel connected to the product, so you should think in the mindframe of a fan, so
that they will support you to the fullest.
“True fans like to feel
connected to the product”
II • Public Performance Royalties
As the name implies, you (as an artist) receive royalties [almost] anytime that your
music is played. This rule applies when you perform on a stage live, and also applies
anytime your music is played in a public establishment; such as a restaurant, club/
bar, stadium, elevator, and etc. You also receive royalties when your music is
played on territorial radio (am/fm), satellite radio (Sirius/XM), and internet radio
(Apple Music, Google Play, Tidal, Spotify, Pandora, etc). In the USA, there are 3 major
publishing rights organizations (or PROs); ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC.
The process for joining any of the 3 PROs are similar, with fees associate to
join as a songwriter for SESAC and ASCAP. To join with BMI as a songwriter is free. You
can join by visiting any of their respective websites. After joining, you can register
your songs into your catalog. Then anytime your music is played, you will get paid.
Also make sure to register your live performance setlists, to garner royalties
on your live performances (tour, festival, local showcase, open mic). Typically
speaking, every quarter (3 months) you will receive a check or direct deposit of
your royalties. It’s “free money”, so you might as well cash in on it like the major
publishers, labels, and artists do.

III • Physical/Digital Album Sales
Believe it or not, if you were to manufacture 200 CDs today, and then sell each of
those CDs for $10 each, all within 4 weeks, you would make MORE than minimum wage
for that month ($2,000 USD; less the manufacturing fee). Physical manufacturing
is easy to find by using any search engine, and relatively affordable. When you
purchase in large quantities, the price often drops greatly for the service. One
well known company who provides great services for independent artists in
physical manufacturing is Disc Makers.
Another common method of distributing music today is digitally. Today, more
than ever, people are consuming media daily on their smartphones and laptops/
tablets. The major digital music markets have all of the major artists music
available, 24/7, as well as independent artists. If you do not have a distribution deal
with a company already, then there are several different services you can utilize
to distribute your music to those markets, often for about $40 per album/$20 per
single. One of the more popular services like this is TuneCore. Another great choice
is B andCamp, which sets you up with your own website (basically), and even garners
royalties on streams, and reports your sales to Sound Scan.
“at 1 million views on one video,
you generate about $7,600”
IV • Youtube Monetization
There is a YouTube “gamer” that I follow, named Chris Smoove. He is about the same
age as me, and all he does is play video games, all day and all night. Chris started
some years ago, posting videos of him playing games online, and started gaining a
following and impressive views. Today, one of his latest videos, posted only 3 days
ago, has more than 1 million views. The crazy part is, most of his 2,000+ individual
videos have about the same amount of average views.
He has turned something that he was both great at AND passionate about
into something he could make serious money from, and that is YouTube Monetization.
When you display ads on your videos, you make money when those advertisements
are seen, and often lead to lucrative paychecks, when your views are as high
as Smoove’s are. Google owns YouTube, and so when you e nable adsense on your
account, you will then receive a 45/55 split in ad revenue with them (you will get
55%). Currently, you will receive about $7.60 per 1,000 views on each video that
displays ads, on your channel. So, at 1 million views on one video, you generate
about $7,600. If you make interesting videos that people like to watch, or just want
to put your music where the people are at online, this is an easy and great way to
earn extra income with your music/videos.

V • Synch Licensing
Having your music licensed for use with a moving image is also a great way to make
money with your music. Both big and small film/television companies are looking
to license music from independent artists, as the costs associated aren’t typically
as high as when licensing from a major publisher. There are many new artists and
bands who have “literally” blown up overnight, courtesy of a well placed song
in a movie, television show, or commercial. This same rule applies to video games
as well, with companies such as EA Sports and 2K Sports often using “real music”
in their video games, including the Madden franchise and the NBA2K franchise,
respectfully.
One company that is known to help with licensing your music to different
projects is Taxi. If you sign a publishing deal, then your publisher will often
actively seek licensing opportunities on your behalf, utilizing their connections
within the entertainment industry and beyond.
READ MORE FROM JAMALL ANTHONY AT Medium.com/@JamallAnthony

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