The MLC presents Beats & Money: A Music Rights and Royalties Crash Course for Beatmakers
Attention Beatmakers: This one is for you!
The Mechanical Licensing Collective & RME present
Beats & Money: A Music Rights and Royalties Crash Course for Beatmakers
April 12 at 12PM PT / 2PM CT / 3PM ET
Today, there are more beatmakers creating and distributing beats into the global music ecosystem than ever before. While the cost of music production continues to fall, the assortment of creator tools have exploded thanks to innovation in the music technology space; making it easier to create, promote, and collaborate around new beats.
Gone are the days of waiting around to be discovered by a top record label A&R. So-called “bedroom producers” are already connecting with artists and musical groups over social media, beat marketplaces, creator networking platforms and chat rooms. All of this activity has resulted in more beatmakers entering the music business ecosystem and being entitled to certain rights, earning digital music royalties and launching careers. The 2020’s are certainly the decade for beatmakers.
Join Dae Bogan, Head of Third-Party Partnerships at The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC), and Chris McMurtry, VP of Product at Pex and Head of RME, for an insightful crash course on the rights and royalties of a beatmaker and learn how to start properly administering your music to collect your digital music royalties.
Registration: https://themlc.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_k1jxYD6TSTOiNXgDphj9Eg
Dae Bogan’s Music Industry Entrepreneurship Winter 2023 Class At UCLA Wraps With Student Startup Presentations
An artificial intelligence music production platform. A global music mentorship and collaboration social media platform. An app to track your favorite artist shows and connect to attend with other solo concert-goers. A digital music service for independent music where artists can engage with their listeners. And a marketplace where musical artists can find visual artists to design album artwork.
Those were the startup ideas that my students pitched during their final presentations tonight in my Music Industry Entrepreneurship class at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.
They put in 10 weeks of market research and strategic business planning to conceptualize 5 highly feasible startup ideas while learning from my lectures and guest speakers including Jeff Ponchick (formerly of Repost by SoundCloud), Vickie Nauman (CrossBorderWorks), Shara Senderoff (Futureverse / Raised In Space), Josh Simons (Vampr), Darryl Reid (E-Mixed), and Kristin Graziani (Stem).
An intense 10-weeks series of 4-hour masterclasses (one per week) has come to an end. I am proud to know that another batch of tomorrow’s music industry game-changers are armed with the skillsets and entrepreneurial mindset to contribute to the continued evolution of the music industry.
One such example is my former student (2019) David Hartley, Founder & CEO of SoundSmith. David utilized my office hours to explore an idea at the intersection of music and influencers and express his interest in diving into entrepreneurship. After excelling in my music industry entrepreneurship class and graduating in 2020, he began to work on his idea with his friend/co-founder. Eventually, they were accepted into both the Startmate business accelerator and the Melbourne Accelerator Program. Recently, David was named a The Music Network 30 Under 30.
Dae Bogan Joins Music Administration Advisory Board at Los Angeles Mission College
I am pleased to announce that I’ve joined the Music Administration Advisory Board at Los Angeles Mission College to help advise the school’s development of curriculum for offering music industry certification programs.
As an alumnus of the California community college system — Los Angeles Valley College ‘06 — it means a lot me to give back to the California community college system by helping to shape the academic journey of future alumni.
The MLC x Culture: Call For Speakers [Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, Latin, LGBTQ, Native American]
The MLC x Culture
🔊 CALL FOR SPEAKERS • CREATORS & PROFESSIONALS
For the past three years, among other responsibilities, I’ve had the honor of developing cultural initiatives at The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) that shines a spotlight on the works and careers of music creators and music industry professionals from historically underrepresented cultural groups. Through a variety of curated virtual and in-person programs, we’ve unpacked and engaged in discussions on issues impacting the careers and creative expressions of individuals from maginalized groups while conducting outreach and education to welcome songwriters, composers, and lyricists from these groups to join The MLC.
I am pleased to announce my 2023 call for Asian American and Pacific Islander, Black, Latin, LGBTQ, and Native American and Alaska Native music creators and music industry professionals to be considered for cultural programming throughout the year, including key culture/heritage months.
Key months for cultural programming includes:
- Black History Month (February)
- Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May)
- Black Music Month (June)
- LGBT Pride Month (June)
- Hispanic Heritage Month (September-October)
- American Island and Alaska Native Heritage Month (November)
If you are an emerging or established music creator (songwriter, composer, lyricist) or working music industry professional who identifies as a member of one of the aforementioned cultural groups and would like to be considered for participation in upcoming virtual programs, please contact me to discuss. (dae.bogan [at] themlc.com)
If you know of someone who you believe would be a good fit, I would appreciate an introduction.
Dae Bogan To Host The MLC’s Black History-in-the-Making Instagram Live Series
I am thrilled to curate and host for the second year The Mechanical Licensing Collective’s “Black History-in-the-Making” Instagram Live Series.
On February 28, 2023, The MLC will host a short but meaningful series of Instagram Live sessions with inspirational Black founders and changemakers in music.
The MLC’s “Black History-in-the-Making” Instagram Live Series recognizes three Black founders of forward-thinking organizations that aim to effect change in the music industry through service and/or innovation. Hosted by Dae Bogan (@daeboganmusic), The MLC’s Head of Third-Party Partnerships, each Instagram Live episode will serve as a virtual fireside chat conversation between Bogan and the featured guest to discuss and unpack the core issues centering each founder’s work and their challenges and achievements thus far.
Viewers can watch and engage in the chat room on The MLC’s Instagram account @mlc_us.
2:00pm CST: Daouda Leonard (@daoudaleonard), Founder of CreateSafe (@createos.app)
In their effort to build a new operating system for the music business, Daouda and CreateSafe’s record deal and publishing deal simulators brought eye-opening transparency to music agreements.
2:30pm CST: Thalia “Muziqueen” Ewing, Founder of Nashville Is Not Just Country Music (@ninjcm)
Thalia and her organization have conducted groundbreaking research into the disconnect between who lives in Music City and who drives the music industry.
3:00pm CST: Randy Savvy, Founder of Compton Cowboys (@comptoncowboys)
Produced by Dr. Dre, Savvy is an artist and a leading light in the Compton Cowboys, a unique program that combines equestrian excellence and community uplift.
The MLC is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of songwriters and representatives of music publishers. For more background on The MLC and its Board and Committee members, go to http://www.TheMLC.com.
Proud Teacher Moment – Student Outcomes
Proud Teacher Moment
This is why I love what I do in the world of academia:
[Re: Screenshot 1]
Below is an email from a former student who took my Music Industry Entrepreneurship and Innovation class at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music in 2019. She was an international student from China who, before taking my class, was unsure how her interests in math and music could turn into a career in the music industry.
When she enrolled in my winter 2019 class, she was pursuing a Bachelors degree in Applied Mathematics and had never worked in the music industry, nor was she a musician. We spent many office hours sessions talking about possible post-grad paths based on her academic background and interests.
Through my curriculum she learned about the intersection of music, data, and technology and wanted to explore the field further. As I had done with many other students, I helped her get her first internship in the music industry. She landed a data analytics internship at an in-vehicle music streaming startup-—a startup that I had been mentoring through the Capitol Music Group / Capitol360 gBeta MusicTech accelerator program.
The internship with the startup would set the tone for her academic and career journey post-grad.
A few months after taking my class, I wrote one of her letters of recommendation to support her candidacy to attend the UCLA Anderson School of Management. She was accepted and later graduated with a Master of Science degree in Business Analytics.
Today, she is a Data Scientist at TikTok and graciously claims that “All of this couldn’t have happened without your help.”
Clearly, she’s being way too kind.
[Re: Screenshot 2]
The second message is from another former international student of mine from Australia. He also excelled in my UCLA class. I helped him get his first music industry internship at Repost by SoundCloud, a former music rights client of mine.
Like the student mentioned above, I spent many office hours with him discussing his career goals, which were to build and launch his own startup. I even advised him on the idea itself. After graduating, he went on to build upon his idea with his co-founders and eventually launched the startup in real-life.
Today, he has been named a Music Network’s 30 under 30 finalist and his startup has gone on to raise money and be accepted into two different startup business accelerators.
He graciously praised that, “Your class really enabled me to start to think with ambition and to imagine how technology could positively make an impact on the music industry and I wanted to say thank you for the opportunity to be in your class. It was a pivotal part of my life that led me to where I am today and helped me shape my ‘why’ as a human. This whole journey started there.”
Clearly, he’s being way too kind.
——–
I have no words to express how proud I am to see my students go off into the world and do great things with the encouragement and motivation that they received—that I bestowed—while spending 11 awesome weeks with Professor Dae. =)
Cheers to my former students and to the next cohort (2023) of Music Industry Entrepreneurship students!
Dae Bogan To Speak At Florida Songwriters Association Roundtable
I’m looking forward to discussing music rights and royalties for independent artists at the Florida Songwriters Association and Orlando Songwriters Association Roundtable on Friday, January 20th.
Learn more and register at flsw.org/roundtable
Happy New Year Songwriters! You’ve Got New Royalties
Happy New Year Songwriters & Music Publishers!
Take note of the new mechanical royalty rates that are now in effect for the use of your songs in the United States:
As of January 1, 2023, royalty rates are as follows:
• Physical / Permeant Download: 12¢ per minute or 2.31¢ per minute or fraction thereof, whichever amount is greater
• Interactive Streaming / Limited Downloads / Locker Services / Other Digital Deliveries: 15.1% of Service Revenue or Total Content Cost Prong Calculation, whichever amount is greater by offering.
As a reminder, if you own the publishing in your songs, you may be eligible to join The Mechanical Licensing Collective to get paid directly 100% of your digital audio mechanical royalties. This is a separate royalty stream, which your PRO (ASCAP / BMI / SESAC) does not collect or pay out. You earn two songwriter royalties when your songs are streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and other digital music services. You earn a performance royalty (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) and a mechanical royalty (The MLC).
Learn more about The MLC at http://www.themlc.com and join for free today!
About The MLC in 60 Seconds:
On Teaching Next-Gen Startup Founders
On Teaching Next-Gen Startup Founders
When I conceptualized and developed a course on building and launching tech startups in the music industry at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music, my goal was simple yet ambitious: I wanted to prepare the next generation of young entrepreneurs to enter the competitive startup landscape with a breadth of music industry knowledge, a fundamental understanding of strategic business research and planning skills, an entrepreneurial mindset, and founder insights gained from guest speakers, internships, and networking opportunities.
After spending several years advising, mentoring, and consulting founders of music tech and digital media startups, I felt that universities and colleges had a unique opportunity to prepare individuals early on with a robust class in music industry entrepreneurship and innovation. UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music agreed and hired me to develop and teach such a course course in 2016; a course that Billboard recognized among its list of “The 15 Best Music Business Schools In 2017.”
It is with this backdrop that I am made ever more proud by many of my former students who do exactly what I had hoped my class would inspire them to do: pursue a path towards music industry entrepreneurship.
That said, I’d like to shine a spotlight on one of my former students and his innovative startup.
David Hartley is a former student and the founder of SoundSmith, a marketplace for artists, labels and distributors to automate their influencer marketing on TikTok. They’ve recently been accepted to the Startmate business accelerator program.
David took my class in Winter 2018 and was a shining example of a model student. Not only was he engaged during lectures and guest speakers, he excelled in completing course assignments. He and his collaborators leveraged my officer hours to seek advice on their startup ideas and took full advantage of the ancillary opportunities that I offered students to land an internship at Repost by SoundCloud.
Students like David is what makes teaching music industry entrepreneurship enjoyable and stories like his is what makes it rewarding.
See David’s message to me below via LinkedIn (shared with his permission).
The End of Your Current Job May Be The Beginning of Your Future Career
10 years ago I was on a trajectory to enter the C-suite of a company that was operating in an industry that I’ve long since lost interest in.
In 2012, I was abruptly laid off of my job after the company I worked for acquired another company and let go of employees in duplicate/similar roles.
In that moment I was devastated. I loved the work that I did and enjoyed my co-workers.
I used the opportunity of becoming unemployed to attend graduate school at CSUN Music Industry Administration to earn a Masters Degree in Music Industry Administration. Simultaneously, I bet on myself by investing $1,000 into developing my first tech startup. Yes, I racked up over $50k in student loan debt, but partially due to my education, I was able to get my company acquired and paid off all of my debt, including the student loans.
Since then, I’ve earned industry-wide recognition for my work and research, I became an educator at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music teaching a class on a topic that I’m deeply passionate about (music industry entrepreneurship), I’ve built and sold 3 tech startups in the music industry, and I’ve championed initiatives for and advocated on behalf of music creators’ rights.
There were definitely some setbacks, but I bounced back and charged forward into my purpose.
When I was derailed from my journey in 2012, just a few weeks shy of being unable to pay my rent or my car lease, I leaned into my passion and bet that my ambition was greater than failure.
Whatever you’re going through in your professional life right now, know that it is not your end. It may very well be the exit or pivot you need to a better future.
Here’s an interview that I did in September 2012 about my transition from being laid off to becoming a music tech founder.
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