THE BUSINESS OF MUSIC DECONSTRUCTED
The Cold Hard Facts and Secret Hacks of the Industry
(with a few stories along the way!)
A six-part masterclass brought to you by
Hit Songs Deconstructed and The S.O.N.G. Space.
This six-part masterclass is designed to hone in on the most important things you need to know to be successful in today’s music industry.
That’s why they combine their unique creativity with tried and true techniques for arranging their songs, composing earworm melodies, and writing lyrics that connect with widespread audiences.
If you want to compete at the highest levels, you need start using them too.
Sometimes you just can’t get a song out of your head…
want to know why?
So you have a hit on your hands – now what?
After working in the music industry for over 20 years, industry veteran, Chad Richardson, came to the realization that unless you know how the music industry really works (not how it theoretically should work), it’s very hard to set your career up for success.
And that’s the reason the careers of so many talented creatives never take off.
For this very reason, we hope you'll join us for this inaugural masterclass, where Chad will give you an insider's view of the music industry and the tools you need to succeed!
As a publisher, Chad signed and guided the careers of Timbaland and Steven Tyler and, during his tenure as the head of operations for SOCAN (Canada’s PRO) in Los Angeles, he led the charge for high-profile Canadian songwriters including The Weeknd, Drake, Stephan Moccio, Brian Howes, and Jenna Andrews, to name a few.
During this masterclass, Chad will share his knowledge and experience of how the music industry actually works in the real world. You will walk away with a firm understanding of the inner workings of publishing deals, using the S.T.A.D. Formula, sync deals, pitching dos and don'ts, song splits, the 5 Ps to releasing a single, and much, much more.
This knowledge will help you make informed and strategic decisions, grow your brand and your network, spot a bad deal when you see one, and ultimately set your career up for long-term success.
Hit Songs Deconstructed has teamed up with industry veteran, Chad Richardson, who will leverage his experience wearing the hat of both the creative and the executive to teach you the most important things you need to know to be successful in today’s music industry.
Guest Speakers Include:
Schedule:
- November 23: Introduction and Music Publishing: The STAD formula, Special Guest Speaker Andrew Gould ("The Middle", "Rise Up")
- November 25: The Ins and Outs of Song Sync (TV/film & video game placements)
- November 30: The 5 Ps of Releasing a Single, Special Guest Maggie Szabo (Independent Artist)
- December 2: The Importance and Strategy of Collaboration, Special Guest Stephan Moccio ("Wrecking Ball", Earned It" )
- December 7: Surviving the Industry: A Deep Dive into Self Care and the Creative, Special Guest Andrea Carew (Mindfulness & Resilience Coach)
- December 9: The Industry in the Pandemic, Special Guest Brian Howes (Songwriter/Producer Taylor Swift, Hinder, Daughtry, Olivia Penalva)
This masterclass is perfect for songwriters, producers, artists and young industry professional looking for a greater understand of how the music business really works.
Your registration includes six live online classes and proprietary workshop materials. A video will also be made available to participants following each class.
To learn more about this masterclass, watch this recording of Monday's Q&A Session with Chad Richardson.
November 23: Music Publishing
Publishing is one of the most dependable, yet misunderstood, sources of income in the music industry. This segment will cover:
- PUB vs. PRO: What’s the Difference and What Do They Do?
- The Publishing Pie: The 200% Song
- The S.T.A.D. Formula: Tried and True Method for Finding and Signing Publishing Deals that Are Right for You
- Splitting Your Catalog: Short Game/Long Game
Special guest Andrew Gould will join the conversation to give you an insider’s view of what music publishers are really looking for, followed by a Q&A session.
About Andrew Gould: With extensive careers at EMI and BMG publishing and, most recently, as Global Head of Creative for Downtown Music Publishing, Andrew Gould has been directly responsible for such hits as “The Middle” by Zedd and “Rise Up” by Audra Day.
November 25: The Ins and Outs of Song Sync (TV/film & video game placements)
There has been a major shift in the music industry from “introduce me to an A&R” to “introduce me to a music supervisor!” During this session we will explore this growing revenue stream, including:
- Working with and how to approach music supervisors: the dos and don’ts
- Non-exclusive sync deals
- Case study on sync pitching: Christmas in July
November 30: The 5 Ps of Releasing a Single
It’s not enough to “upload a song to SoundCloud” and hope it goes viral. Releasing a single in today’s market takes planning and foresight to have real success. This segment will cover:
- To single or not to single: how the market and the business has changed its outlook on the full-length album
- The 5 Ps to Releasing a Single
- The 1 B: Brand
Special guest Maggie Szabo will discuss how she has gone about building her career from a “new girl” in LA to one of the most well-known independent artists in the industry, followed by a Q&A session.
About Maggie Szabo: Canadian-born, LA-based independent artist Maggie Szabo has quickly become one of the most sought-after songwriters and voices in the global music scene. Well known for her DJ features Maggie has also found success in the world of sync with songs placed on Disney, Netflix, and E networks.
December 2: The Importance and Strategy of Collaboration
Less than 1 % of 1% of all #1s were written by 1 person. In this session we focus on how it’s not just creatively important, but strategically important, to bring others into your creative mix. Topics will include:
- The “Wild Wild West” of the songwriting world
- Song splits and how the “rules” can vary from genre to genre
Special guest Stephan Moccio will then join the conversation to share the stories behind two iconic hits, “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus and “Earned It” by the Weeknd, and how collaboration uniquely played a part in the making of these songs, followed by a Q&A session.
About Stephan Moccio: Stephan is a Grammy and Academy Award-nominated composer, Decca recording artist and producer, and co-wrote hits such as “Earned It” (The Weeknd), “I Know You” (Skylar Grey), “A New Day Has Come” (Celine Dion), and “Wrecking Ball” (Miley Cyrus) and has collaborated with a diverse roster of artists including Avril Lavigne, Seal, Dua Lipa, Ellie Goulding, James Blunt, Jason Derulo, Jamie Cullum, Jon Bellion and Gary LeVox (Rascal Flatts), to name a few.
December 7: Surviving the Industry: A Deep Dive into Self Care and the Creative
To say the music industry is mentally, physically and creatively hard would be an understatement. As co-creator of the BURNOUT song camp with Tayla Parx, Chad will discuss an array of topics aimed at building up your internal strength to “survive” the industry. Topics will include:
- Micro-goaling to the finish line
- Deals vs. champions
- The KEY to not giving up
- The music industry in acronyms (little tip to keep in your back pocket for the hard times)
Special guest Andrea Carew will then take you through a myriad of ideas and solutions tailored to the creative to keep mentally strong. She will take the class through the exact same mindfulness excise that changed Chad’s entire outlook on life and the music business.
About Andrea Carew: Andrea is a mindfulness and resilience coach who is certified both as an integrative health coach (Duke Integrative Medicine) and as a mental fitness / resilience coach (AIR Institutes – 2016). Skilled and experienced in curriculum development and delivery, she designed and delivered training modules for Government of Canada public servants on relationship building and reconciliation with Indigenous groups and has served as a clinical instructor at Dalhousie teaching mindfulness and coaching technique in healthcare. Andrea is also a Coach Training Assistant (Duke Integrative Medicine) supporting new students going through Duke’s rigorous, highly successful health coach training program.
December 9: The Industry in the Pandemic
In an industry that is literally ALWAYS in a state of change, the Covid pandemic is really just another pivot that has had pro and cons.
This segment will be a group discussion focusing on new ways to work and find success during the unique times we are living in.
Special Guest Brian Howes will share how his very first zoom session became a Hot 100 radio hit in under 2 months.
About Brian Howes: Splitting his time between Vancouver and Los Angeles, Brian Howes is a Grammy-winning songwriter/producer who has created hits for Hinder, (Lips of An Angel) Chris Cornell, Girls Like Boys, Taylor Swift, Daughtry and Keith Urban, to name a few.
Registration Price: $549 | VIP Seats $1299 (includes a one-hour private consultation with Chad Richardson with one follow-up 30-minute session)
Classes are between 2 - 3 hours long and take place online on Saturdays at 11AM EST on March 14, March 28, April 11, April 25, May 9, and May 23.
In between classes you will be asked to apply the techniques you learned to optimize the impact of one of your original songs.
Videos of each class will be made available to participants following each masterclass segment.
"I loved the visualizations you guys have created - I’m sure those will come readily to mind when I’m in my next songwriting session." - DD
"My biggest takeaway was probably the strategic melodic structure (in particular the various in-section orderings). They really helped and I'm excited to implement them in my songs!" - JB
"Prosody and coherence of an artist image and a song. And a new insight on concept of nanohooks." - DM
"My biggest take away is the alternating melodic pattern and the subtlety of how to use it in different ways." - PG
"I liked the charts. They made it obvious how everything is interconnected like a matrix." - CO
"My biggest takeaway was the conscious and strategic approach to crafting melodies. EOLAs, limited concentration of tones in melodic sub-parts, repeat motifs - to name a few examples." - OL
"The Melodic Table and our first class session was a game changer. Melodic part structure supports not only the theme but the song itself. Herein lies the mojo of the song." - DJ
By applying the techniques you learn during this masterclass to your music, you will take your writing and producing skills to the next level, regardless of the genre you’re working in.