Academy Annual

Build a brand that reflects your voice and sets you apart. Twelve modules, from an honest audit of what you have now to the complete brand system you hand to your team.

1. Lesson 1: Audit Your Current Artist Brand
2. Lesson 2: Know Who Your Brand Is For
3. Lesson 3: Define What Your Artist Brand Stands For
4. Lesson 4: Position Yourself in the Market
5. Lesson 5: Build Your Artist Identity System
6. Lesson 6: Create Your Brand Story and Creative World
7. Lesson 7: Develop Your Messaging and Artist Voice
8. Lesson 8: Design Your Visual Identity
9. Lesson 9: Define Your Photography, Video, and Personal Style
10. Lesson 10: Keep Your Brand Consistent Everywhere
11. Lesson 11: Build Your Artist Brand Kit
12. Lesson 12: Final Project: Build Your Artist Brand System

Market your music with confidence. Twelve modules from marketing foundations through the rollout, social, direct to fan, distribution, playlists, radio, advertising, partnerships and a complete release campaign.

1. Lesson 1: Building Your Music Marketing Foundation
2. Lesson 2: Developing Your Artist Brand and Release Foundation
3. Lesson 3: Creating Your Marketing Strategy and Campaign Assets
4. Lesson 4: Developing Your Social Media Strategy
5. Lesson 5: Growing and Engaging Your Social Audience
6. Lesson 6: Building Your Direct-to-Fan Channels
7. Lesson 7: Distributing and Promoting Music on Digital Platforms
8. Lesson 8: Playlist Strategy and Radio Promotion
9. Lesson 9: Advertising, Press, and Publicity
10. Lesson 10: Brand Partnerships and Sponsorships
11. Lesson 11: Live Shows, Merchandise, and Industry Networking
12. Lesson 12: Final Project: Build Your Release Campaign and Timeline

Get set up and get paid. Two copyrights, the five functions of a publisher, your PRO, the MLC, SoundExchange, the seven streams, and the metadata that decides whether any of it reaches you.

1. Lesson 1: Two Copyrights, One Song
2. Lesson 2: Registering Your Copyright
3. Lesson 3: What a Music Publisher Actually Does
4. Lesson 4: How to Get It Done: Self Administration to Major
5. Lesson 5: Your PRO and Public Performance Royalties
6. Lesson 6: The MLC and Your Mechanical Royalties
7. Lesson 7: SoundExchange and the Recording Side
8. Lesson 8: The Seven Streams of Songwriting Income
9. Lesson 9: The Money Is In the Metadata
10. Lesson 10: Identifiers and Split Sheets
11. Lesson 11: Collecting Abroad: Sub-Publishing and Foreign Societies
12. Lesson 12: Final Project: Build Your Registration and Collection Plan

Book, route and export your shows. Twelve modules from grassroots touring through routing, advancing, settlement, festivals, agents and a full international expansion plan.

1. Lesson 1: Preparing for a Touring and International Career
2. Lesson 2: Researching Markets and Preparing for Opportunity
3. Lesson 3: Getting Your Show and Export Strategy Ready
4. Lesson 4: Booking Shows and Positioning Your Strengths
5. Lesson 5: Growing Audiences and Managing International Requirements
6. Lesson 6: Building Your Live Business Through Media and Promotion
7. Lesson 7: Taking Your Show on the Road
8. Lesson 8: Festivals, Showcases, and Touring Revenue
9. Lesson 9: Marketing Tours and Expanding Revenue Opportunities
10. Lesson 10: Managing a Sustainable Touring Campaign
11. Lesson 11: Booking Agents and Expansion into New Markets
12. Lesson 12: Final Project: Create Your Tour and International Expansion Plan

License your music and earn more. What a sync licence is, who is buying, how to get catalog ready, how placements are priced, and the licensing plan that ties it together.

1. Lesson 1: Understanding Music Licensing
2. Lesson 2: Mechanical Rights and Royalties
3. Lesson 3: Performance Rights and Royalties
4. Lesson 4: Sync and Micro-Sync Licensing
5. Lesson 5: Expanding Your Licensing Revenue
6. Lesson 6: Finding and Creating Licensing Opportunities
7. Lesson 7: Licensing Through Distribution and Digital Platforms
8. Lesson 8: Derivative Works and Adaptations
9. Lesson 9: Understanding International Music Rights
10. Lesson 10: Licensing Music in Global Markets
11. Lesson 11: Navigating Licensing Challenges
12. Lesson 12: Final Project: Build Your Music Licensing Plan

Keep more of what you earn. What counts as income, when the tax is due, what can be deducted, what gets denied, and the records that decide it.

1. Lesson 1: Understanding How the IRS Sees Your Music Career
2. Lesson 2: Choosing Your Business Structure
3. Lesson 3: Mapping Every Stream of Income
4. Lesson 4: Self-Employment Tax and Quarterly Payments
5. Lesson 5: Advances, Recoupment and the Year You Owe the Tax
6. Lesson 6: The Records That Decide Everything
7. Lesson 7: Touring, Travel and Your Tax Home
8. Lesson 8: Meals, Gifts and Promotion
9. Lesson 9: The Deductions That Get Denied
10. Lesson 10: The Home Studio, Equipment and What Must Be Capitalized
11. Lesson 11: Merchandise, Inventory and Cash
12. Lesson 12: Final Project: Build Your Tax Year System