Books for Record Labels
Here are a few music industry books that will help your record label.
Business Books
User Friendly: How the hidden rules of design are changing the way we live, work, and play
While not exactly a music book, this book teaches you how to design and create products using empathy and attention to the needs and desires of our audience.
Building a Story Brand: Clarifying Your Message So Customers Will Listen
A fantastic book by Donald Miller about how businesses need to make their customers the hero of “the story.” This book shows you how to build a company that brings value to people and how to focus on their needs over yours.
Books for Life
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
This book gave me a super simple way to adopt big habits by way of doing super small tasks. We can disguise things like productivity or working out into small little tasks that compound into big accomplishments.
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles
This was a life-changing book. I’m not the only one who says that. It’s immensely popular among creatives. It really helped me identify that inner “resistance” and how to overcome it.
Music Industry Books
How Music Got Free: The Story of Obsession and Invention
This is a non-fiction book that reads like a thriller novel. I loved this story of how the MP3 was invented and how digital piracy came to be. Can’t recommend this one enough!
Major Labels: A History of Popular Music in Seven Genres
A fantastic overview and history of popular genres like Rock, R&B, Pop, Country, Punk, Hip-Hop, and Dance! Be sure to check out my interview with the author, Kelefa Sanneh!
Work Hard Playlist Hard
A super helpful guide on navigating the world of playlists and playlist submissions. With visual guides to help you implement best practices on Spotify, AppleMusic, Amazon Music, etc.
Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock N’ Roll
One of my favorite rock biographies that focuses mainly on the creation of the famous record label, Sun Records. Some really invaluable insights into Sam’s work ethic. Not to mention, this book is fun to read!
BUY ON AMAZON
All You Need to Know About the Music Business
Actually a very easy read… and more of a reference or a bible… But this book is essential in any DIY artist or record label owner’s collection. Some very clear and straight-forward legal advice and definitions on all of the most common (and uncommon) topics in the music industry.
My Life in the Sunshine
Probably my favorite book in the past few years. An incredible nature vs. nurture story of a father and son woven in and out with music industry tales of starting a record store, and being signed to a major label, and becoming the head of 4AD.
Licensing & Publishing Books
Thinking in Sync: A Primer on the Mind of a Music Supervisor
A fantastic primer from the mind of a real music supervisor. Some incredible insights that will help you know how to effectively interact with music supervisors when pitching your music.
Tracks That Sync
This is a really short, but super helpful book, written by a music composer, and aimed at other music composers. This book will give you great insights into what makes a song special and easy to license. This books dives deeper into the didactic details of creativity and music production.
The Plain & Simple Guide to Music Publishing
This is a heavy read, but well worth it if you want to wade into the publishing waters. I really enjoyed this author and they have incredible insights and authority on the subject!
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones
Self-discipline is rare today, and that’s what makes it so valuable and the key to becoming successful in business. Becoming disciplined is rare because it is hard to do. “Growth and comfort do not coexist.” “What stands in the way, becomes the way.”
Record Store Day
The history and story behind the annual Record Store Day event. A great insight into the meaning and the global impact of this event!
Superfans
This book taught me to go deeper on how I view my fans and to convert your analytics into real people who love to support great music. Let’s try to boil the entire music industry down to one music fan (you) and another music fan (them) existing together in the same space.
Liberation Through Hearing
The story of XL Recordings. Every time I put down this book I would go up to the studio and get to work. Make a track, edit a video, record a podcast, find a new artist, design a logo. Creativity is where it all starts for us as artists and as label owners.
All You Need to Know About the Music Business.
Here’s my review of Donald S. Passman’s book All You Need to Know About the Music Business.
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My Favorite Books of the Year!
Here are some great music books that I read last year that I think will help you out on your record label journey!
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RECORD LABEL
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Simple strategies that will help you
earn a living telling people about great music!
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