It's kind of funny the way things work out sometimes. A few days ago, I was out on my daily run, listening to a podcast by a guy out of Nashville who some of you may know, and he was interviewing an entertainment attorney, talking about a new book that attorney had written. I thought to myself, great, another music business professional hawking a book that he wrote that will either go over the heads of its readers (here's looking at you Passman) or oversimplify the current issues that musicians face to the point of missing the mark completely.
I couldn't have been more wrong.
Kamal Moo, the attorney in question has written a book that breaks down the music business in an easy-to-digest 100 page book filled wih QBQ content that anyone can understand and put to use. His book, The Straightforward Guide to the Music Biz is a must-read for anyone looking for a clear, simple, and concise overview of how the music industry is organized and the typical contracts musicians and songwriters will encounter. Where Donald Passman's All You Need To Know About The Music Business reads like a college textbook (and just about as dry if you are new to the biz), The Straightforward Guide to the Music Biz reads a bit like one of those "For Dummies" manuals, breaking the terminology and best practices down to their core elements without getting deep into the weeds of constantly changing percentages, rates and jargon. In The Straightforward Guide to the Music Biz, Moo breaks down the industry in a way that will both educate and support artists whose goals include success, and hopefully, stardom.
As Moo notes, "the purpose of this book is to be more of a reference handbook or practical manual, so you'll find that I don't spend too much time discussing abstract legal or business theories. Also, that's why the chapter titles are so straightforward – I'm just trying to give you the distilled information as efficiently as I can. Hence the title of this book."
Among the topics covered:
Copyrights
Mechanical Licenses
Musical Compositions vs Sound Recording
Music Publishers
Starting a Band; General Partnerships
Record Deals
Starting an Indie Label
Recording Artist Agreements
Producer Agreements
Artist Managers
Talent Agents
Music Attorneys
More.
As a former artist manager turned entertainment lawyer, Kamal Moo seeks to pass along his experience and knowledge and give readers the tools they need to make sound business decisions. Whether the youngest artists and songwriters (or their families and guardians), or seasoned veterans, readers of The Straightforward Guide to the Music Biz will find guidance they can use to make wise decisions.
Kamal Moo, Esq. is a graduate of the University of Southern California and Southwestern Law School. Throughout his career, he has represented musicians from various genres of music as both personal manager and attorney. He has negotiated small indie deals and multimillion-dollar agreements, and everything in between. His clients include recording artists, producers, record labels, music publishers, and other figures in the entertainment industry. A frequent lecturer on the music industry, he also teaches music publishing at Southwestern Law School. We will be posting an interview with Kamal Moo here in the next week or so to hopefully help give you a little more insight into the writing of and content within the book. In the meantime, if you are in the biz and looking to learn a bit more than you may already know, pick up a copy HERE.
Over $600,000 Total Allocated to Date for Disaster Relief Efforts
Brooklyn Folk Festival Appearance On Friday (November 8) Precedes 2025 European Tour + January Hometown Residency At Minnesota’s Turf Club
Program Dedicated to Supporting Local Communities Around the World in Partnership with Artists and Songwriters
Silent Auction Open Now With Signed Instruments and Sports Gear, Concert and Event Tickets and Much More
All proceeds will be donated to ACS, the nation’s largest nonprofit source of cancer research funding
Comprehensive offerings for youth ages 13-18 to learn the ropes of the music industry launch this November
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