What many would-be musicians and songwriters seem to overlook--either because they're too ill-informed to think about it or too daunted by the prospect of it--is that it is called the music business. It's not called the music hobby or the music pursuit or the music game. It is a business, and it is a ruthless one, designed to place the artist at the bottom of a cascading pool where he/she may catch a few drops of security and financial freedom.

This book is an attempt to try and level the playing field. Record labels, publishers, managers, lawyers, and accountants all want their pound of flesh from you, the artist, and in order to protect yourself, you need to know what the rules are.

Everything worth knowing is here:

• What is a performing rights society?
• What does a publisher do?
• How important is a manager?
• How to decipher a recording contract?
• What is an independent record deal?

At the end of the day, you have to want it more than the next guy and be willing to sacrifice everything to make a living as a musician. But it doesn't hurt to arm yourself with information and facts, and you'll find all of that here.