Review By Crystal Lee– 4.8/5 Dragons
From Junes Vandala Magazine – READ MORE REVIEWS HERE
Rarely do I read books these days, more or less I have only time for articles at most though at first glance at “The Music Industry Self Help Guide” I wanted to review the book myself. I love my writers but as an agent I wanted to see what this book was all about since over the years I have read many of them, kept some and burned a few. Right away in the table of contents I could tell this book meant business and this is what this industry is; a business.
To be honest I never really read those pages in the front of the book but I did with this book; always a good sign. With a quote in bold in the introduction such as “Get This through your thick f*cking head; No one cares about you, and you are not as awesome as you think you are. So Get over yourself” I knew this book was going to be brutally honest and it is throughout the whole book that’s the only thing you get – the truth. I believe so many need this beat into them since the days of the internet and social media has many forgetting the foundation of music and the industry as a whole.
Other than the bluntness what I love most is the chapters flowed from point A to Z with topics that included album artwork, press kits, marketing and even photography. Nothing is missing! The first chapter starts off with the cold hard truth that there will be a ton of DIY. Most of all through the book reminds bands that this is a job and to treat it as such.
Every chapter had sections as you read to bring a cruel reality down upon your head. Not only with language but the cold hard facts and stats. As an music agent this is something that is hard for many bands to understand or believe, though Michaels method is a very simple yet very clear. Also this book is so well laid out and flows that even the none book readers can get through it. If nothing else you can beat a fellow band member or client with this book. Scratch that, this book will stay on my shelf.
The only complaint is I would of loved to see more of the photography information since with the magazine I see so many bad photos come through my inbox and as a photographer I see too many hiring the guys who let the camera take the picture for them; my 2 year old can do that. Though as an over view and to show a band the importance of your photos it did a really great job. And finally someone in the business is really talking about it.
One of my favorite chapters was the “Bringing the Goods” which is about the music and writing. The amount of facts in this chapter was excellent and thus it backed up everything Michael was saying. If he states something he had the facts to prove it. As for this chapter it is one of the most important for bands to read and again as I tell my clients know music theory and take classes! Without your songs you are nothing so another words stop reading and quit if you can’t get through that chapter.
Throughout the book Michael Repel puts things in bold be it a cruel honest facts that are in your face or something important to remember. Another words he made this book fool proof for bands to understand. It’s not to brutal and not fake but just real and straight to the point which I am even guilty of not getting to fast. So Did I find stuff I did not know? Yes here and there and as a veteran it was nice to see that. For bands this is a must read, it sums up everything in around 250 pages of reading!
Vandala Magazine 