What is Music Production?: a producers guide, the role, the people, the process Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This book contains some useful suggestions and reference materials for recorded music producers. Hepworth-Sawyer and Golding both teach courses in music production and freelance as music producers. In this book, they describe some of the roles that producers play and discuss some issues that producers routinely deal with. Topics taken up in the book include analytical listening, business practices, deals and contracts with record labels, stages in a recording project, roles in the recording studio, and mastering formats and codes. A list of recommended readings on music production is included in the appendix.
While the authors are clearly highly informed on their topic, I found the presentation of material in this book a bit frustrating. There is a lot of description of issues that successful, big-time producers must deal with, but very little practical information for interested people who are just starting out. Of the entire text, the short section on analytical listening was the most practical bit of information, but it was never made explicitly clear exactly how this skill would then be put to use for a music producer. In contrast, there is an extended section on general business practices, time management and accounting that isn't specifically relevant for music production. After reading this book, I felt more informed about the variety and level of complexity of skills required for established music producers, but I am still quite confused about what music production entails or how a person might get started in the field.
This book was written by British authors for British readers; while many specifically British references and vocabulary have been adjusted for North American readers, a few oddities remain, such as the term "collection agencies" referring to music licensing companies. In addition, copy editing is sloppy in a few places, such as on p. 110, where there is a bizarre out of context, impossible to understand paragraph "Time management sounds almost cult-like. To many people, they follow their system religiously. In fairness, this is how positive gains manifest themselves. Many producers might read this section and laugh out loud and consider it barmy!" Two pages later, the paragraph is repeated with slight editing and put a little more in the context it was intended, "This all might sound far-fetched. To many people, they follow their system [specific time management software packages just introduced in prior paragraphs] religiously. In fairness, this is how the results manifest themselves: by relying on their system. Given the many people who have adopted these systems, it clearly must work. Many producers might read this section and laugh out loud and consider it barmy." All in all, I found the book slightly informative, but not adequate as an introduction to the field.

Click Here to see more reviews about: What is Music Production: a producers guide, the role, the people, the process


To complete an album, a producer needs to know what goes into capturing great music and teasing out inspirational performances from artists. As a producer, you are guiding not only the music, but also the business and the technical aspects of an album.What Is Music Production?is a 'guide to this guidance'.Formed from a blend of solid information extracted from detailed interviews, the book focuses on the process of music production, providing insight into the producer's work and activity.Whether you are a student or just starting your professional career,What is Music Production?explains what you need to know - from working with artists, songs, pre-production, mixing, and mastering to the finance and budgeting, to glean a professional result. Combining the "how to be" with online assets and interviews, this book arms you with a vital insight into the business of being a music producer.

* Unravels some of the mystery behind producing records from the producer's perspective * Learn about the changing role of the producer in the music industry, looking towards the future * Based on the practice of key producers and music production professionals

Click here for more information about What is Music Production: a producers guide, the role, the people, the process

Read More...

Listen First: Turning Social Media Conversations Into Business Advantage Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Quick Review:
Being a good listener, argues Stephen Rappaport, is an increasingly important skill in the age of effective Internet marketing. This playbook by the Advertising Research Foundation is a detailed (perhaps over detailed) effort to help businesses both small and large learn how to leverage social media as a platform for marketing research. Although quite difficult to read, its value lies in its difference: unlike most social media marketing books, this one is all about listening and research.
I teach Social Media Marketing both online and in San Francisco (you can click on my profile or Google Jason McDonald to find me), and this book is a one-of-a-kind new perspective on social media marketing and reputation management, that I will recommend to my students and colleagues who want to look before they leap into social media marketing!
Detailed Review:
Listen First! Social Media Marketing Research
Marketing ultimately is about selling; marketing is to selling, as strategy is to tactics. So as marketers, we are the eyes and ears of our companies - constantly scanning the environment for opportunities and threats. As Rappaport argues in this book, the new social media landscape provides unprecedented opportunities for us to 'listen in' to our customers - and thereby gain insights into both opportunities and threats.
Whereas previously marketing research was largely about surveys, focus groups, observational methods, and sales data, now we can hear customers as they complain, customers as they praise, customers as they suggest ideas to us (and to each other). Social media venues such as Twitter, Facebook, Yelp and the like are a veritable gold mine of untapped marketing intelligence.
For that brilliant insight alone - I recommend that you buy this book. Heretofore, most social media marketing books have largely been about talking and getting customers to talk about you; this book switches our focus to the logic of listening.
Defining Marketing Objectives
As marketing needs clear objectives, so too does marketing research and so too does listening in to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. Rather than provide clear outlines and guides, however, this is where the book falters a bit. It has many, many case studies but all written in small fonts without clear breaks between concepts and best practices. There is a ton of information in the case studies, but it is really up to you (the reader) to tease it out. It's unfortunate that the book's editor didn't know where the BOLD key was in Microsoft word! That would have made the book a lot easier to read, and to get the correct take-aways.
I especially liked the distinctions made. For example, Rappaport distinguishes between Brand Backyards like one's own Twitter account, blog, or forum and consumer backyards such as the Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter accounts of others. Too often, corporations have tried to control the social media marketing dialogue rather than embrace the necessary chaos of this new marketing world order.
The case study on Justin Esch and Dave Lefkow who provide bacon-flavored products is especially informative. Rather than getting stuck down with academic research agendas and objectives, the two basically trolled user forums and blogs to realize the obvious: everything tastes better with bacon! From this social media marketing insight a bacon powerhouse was born.
At the level of theory, Rapaport reminds us, an overly academic researcher might have objected to the lack of statistical rigor in the I-love-bacon listening strategy. But, he reminds, us the results (sales!) speak for themselves.
So first define your objectives, and then listen. Or better yet: define your marketing objectives as you listen, and don't get too hung up on social science rigor!
Reputation Management and Social Media Marketing Listening
Among the new social media marketing buzz words is reputation management. Rapaport only touches on this subject, but reminds us that listening is a critical element of an effective reputation management strategy. You have to know your reputation, after all, before you can manage it!
He concludes the book with a list of online resources, that I will peruse and investigate during my summer break. I track hundreds of free social media tools, and I am eager to investigate his picks. My hat goes off to him for having a list of resources as many otherwise great books, leave us hanging. In this age of the Internet, no book is complete without a list of links and Rapaport obliges. Thanks!


Click Here to see more reviews about: Listen First: Turning Social Media Conversations Into Business Advantage

"This superb book synthesizes the industry's best thinking on the massive upside of listening. Listen First! is an invaluable resource for marketing executives and will help organizations create real competitive advantage."—Dave Hudson, CEO, NM Incite, a joint venture of McKinsey and Nielsen
"Listening is a business imperative . . . especially in a world of empowered consumers. Brands are getting built and nurtured in a very different way. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to succeed in this new world order."—Stan Sthanunathan, Vice President, Marketing Strategy & Insights, Coca-Cola
"One by one, the best marketing companies are putting 'listening to consumers' on their strategic agenda. Following each announcement, we hear . . . silence, as staff groups try to grapple with the new directive. Listen First! is a timely, unhyped, and pragmatic field guide for those exploring the world of listening."—Ted McConnell, EVP Digital, Advertising Research Foundation; former head of Digital Marketing Innovation, Procter & Gamble
"How many of you have an effective listening strategy? To help guide you in the listening maze, identify new business opportunities, and select the right partners for the development and implementation of an effective listening strategy, this book is a must and an enjoyable read!"—Prof. Yoram (Jerry) Wind, The Lauder Professor, The Wharton School
"We started J&D's with a single idea – to make everything taste like bacon. All we needed now were customers. So we decided to go where the conversations were, and we've been listening ever since. We use social media to connect with our customers, promote our advancements in bacon-o-vation, and ask for their feedback on new product development. If you're an entrepreneur or run a small business, this book will give you lots of examples and terrific and practical ideas for creatively listening to your customers and growing it."—Justin Esch, cofounder, J&D's Foods

Click here for more information about Listen First: Turning Social Media Conversations Into Business Advantage

Read More...

Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This is not a how-to book. It's more of a "why should I", or "which tool do I buy" book? There are many books that address why companies need to be using Social Media, how to sell it to the C-suite, how to set up a Facebook page, or how to engage with fans and followers. Social Media Analytics is the only book that takes a deep dive into several of the major vendors of monitoring and measuring tools. Whether your are selling a brand or monitoring a political campaign, you'll need to know what to measure, how to measure, and how the data can provide actionable results. You're not buying analytics just to look at pretty charts and graphs, are you?
The importance of the analyst is emphasized in this book, and for good reason. Without a solid understanding of what you're looking for before setting up an analytics platform, you could end up with reams of data that are meaningless, and provide no value to your business, or client. Too many agencies are using an ax when what they really need is a scalpel.
Many of the tools discussed in the book aren't designed for very small businesses, but the concepts can be scaled down and used with free or inexpensive tools. For the larger business or agency, Social Media Analytics provides the framework to make the best tool/platform choices. Decision makers will learn the vital importance of understanding what they want from data, before they commit to a platform/vendor. The wrong choice can waste time and money!
Marshall Sponder is the only Social Media Analyst with access to dozens, if not hundreds of analytic platforms. He is able to discuss each tool from the perspective of an experienced user, rather than relying on sales pitches to determine a platform's capabilities and limitations.
Social Media Analytics is full of relevant case studies, and in-depth interviews with executives and developers of analytic platforms. Digital versions of the book include many links to companies and articles cited in the book.
There's a lot of value here for PR, marketing, and MarComm agencies, but perhaps even more for their clients and other decision makers who want to know the quality of the data they are paying for, and how useful the resulting reports will be.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics


Align Strategy With Metrics Using Social Monitoring Best Practices

"Two or three years from now, every public relations firm that wants to be taken seriously in the C-suite and/or a lead marketing role will have someone like Marshall in its senior leadership ranks, a chief analytics officer responsible for ensuring that account leaders think more deeply about analytics and that thfirm works with the best available outside suppliers to integrate analytics appropriately."—Paul Holmes, The Holmes Report

"Marshall has provided much-needed discipline to our newest marketing frontier—a territory full of outlaws, medicine men, dot com tumbleweeds, and snake oil."—Ryan Rasmussen, VP Research, Zócalo Group

"Marshall Sponder stands apart from the crowd with this work. His case study approach, borne of real-world experience, provides the expert and the amateur alike with bibliography, tools, links, and examples to shortcut the path to bedrock successes. This is a reference work for anyone who wants to explore the potential of social networks."—W. Reid Cornwell, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, The Center for Internet Research

"Marshall is a solutions design genius of unparalleled knowledge and acumen, and when he applies himself to the business of social media, the result is a timely and important commentary on the state of research capabilities for social media."—Barry Fleming, Director, Analytics & Insights, WCG, and Principal, DharmaBuilt.com

About the Book

Practically overnight, social media has become a critical tool for every marketing objective—from outreach and customer relations to branding and crisis management. For the most part, however, the data collected through social media is just that: data. It usually seems to hold little or no meaning on which to base business decisions. But the meaning is there . . . if you're applying the right systems and know how to use them.

With Social Media Analytics, you'll learn how to get supremely valuable information from this revolutionary new marketing tool. One of the most respected leaders in his field and a pioneer in Web analytics, Marshall Sponder shows how to:
Choose the best social media platforms for your needs
Set up the right processes to achieve your goals
Extract the hidden meaning from all the data you collect
Quantify your results and determine ROI

Filled with in-depth case studies from a range of industries, along with detailed reviews of several social-monitoring platforms, Social Media Analytics takes you beyond "up-to-date" and leads you well into the future—and far ahead of your competition. You will learn how to use the most sophisticated methods yet known to find customers, create relevant content (and track it), mash up data from disparate sources, and much more. Sponder concludes with an insightful look at where the field will likely be going during the next few years.

Whether your social media marketing efforts are directed at B2B, B2C, C2C, nonprofit, corporate, or public sector aims, take them to the next step with the techniques, strategies, and methods in Social Media Analytics—the most in-depth, forward-looking book on the subject.

Click here for more information about Social Media Analytics: Effective Tools for Building, Interpreting, and Using Metrics

Read More...