tate music group...gold record producer

I got this photo the other day from our Founder, Dr. Richard Tate. He had been asking out Executive Producer, Don Johnson, for a picture or two of his accomplishments, etc. Don sent him this photo of the gold record album he produced for Emmy Lou Harris. That is a huge accomplishment and we are ecstatic to have Don as a part of our production team...making more records that will turn to gold.

By the way...in case you don't quite grasp the greatness and importance of having a producer like Don Johnson...take a look at this and see what gold record producers do to help artists.

tate music group...exciting new happenings

One thing you have to get used to at Tate Music Group is change...fast change...the kind of change that improves our services to our artists and gives us another leg up on all the other companies out there who are trying to figure out what we have that they don't. There is a lot to that question...and I don't have the time to dive in there tonight.

Tate Publishing and Enterprises, which obviously includes Tate Music Group, will be launching a new division in the coming months - a music publishing company. This is so exciting! We will be offering to our artists the opportunity to not only record, perform, and promote their original music...we will soon be giving them a channel to showcase their writing and talents so that others can hear it and pay them to use it.

It will also be a place where outside artists can showcase their own music. Artists and musicians from all over will be able to see if there is that one song they have been looking for. TMG artists can take advantage of this, too. You never know when someone out there has written exactly what you wanted to...but couldn't find the right words. It is going to be an incredible service...and more importantly, an incredible tool for Tate Music Group artists and their songs.

There are a lot of ins and outs that will be finalized between now and then but I wanted to just give the web-world a heads up. Like I said before, change happens quickly at Tate. If you aren't holding on...you'll be left behind. And in the music industry, no artist can afford that.

tate music group...contract bullets

One of the things I am most proud of regarding Tate Music Group is our contract. It is, hands down, the best contract available to a music artist. One of the great things you will notice about our contract is that it is pro artist. Our artists retain their song rights, they have final approval of production, and they have freedom. They can decide if Tate Music Group is where they want to stay or if they want to move on. Of course, we never want any artist to go elsewhere which is why we work so hard to constantly earn their business. I don't know if you will find that anywhere else.

Most people who read this post will probably not believe our contracts are as good as I am saying they are. With that in mind, I thought about how I could explain and show off our contract offer without just cutting and pasting. I decided to just hit the main points of what we do...what sets us apart from everybody else...what makes our contracts and our model better than all the rest.

So here is the 'bullet point' version of a Tate Music Group contract. Enjoy.

Tate Music Group will:

• Set up and promote gigs and events for you, the Artist, as well as help manage
and promote events set up by you.
• Contact all the media outlets (Radio, TV, and Print) within a 100-mile radius
of each event scheduled.
• Create a customized Electronic Press Kit for promotional use.
• Provide nationwide distribution for your album.
• Present your music to industry trade shows, awards shows, and include it in
our yearly catalog.
• Create and provide marketing reports showing our progress and giving vital
follow-up information.
• Produce, mix, and master your music at the highest quality.
• Create and design original CD artwork to your specifications.
• Provide you with the highest quality product and unbeatable prices.
• Create, manufacture, and promote your album while you retain all the rights
to your music.
• Provide you with over $2000 in merchandise to sell at your discretion.
• Return your Artist Participation Investment once 2,500 albums are sold.
• Work hard and work smart to help you find success and achieve
your dreams.

tate music group...in bathrobes?

I am talking to a growing number of artists who are finding Tate Music Group online. That's great! We are glad you did. Sometimes they find us by searching for certain words (music label, record deal, etc). Others stumble across us while researching non-stick cookware!? I don't even pretend to know why that might happen. Either way, we are happy that you found Tate Music Group, or that Tate Music Group found you, or however that makes sense.

This got me thinking, though, that those of you finding us online might never see this commercial that runs in television spots. There are a couple reasons I love this commercial:

1. It is a commercial about Tate Music Group and what we do. (I am biased and I won't apologize for that)

2. It's short and to the point. I don't like long commercials...especially the ones with guys selling 'cloth paper towels' or books that show you how to get government money for starting a toothbrush repair shop.

3. It has my friend Dave in it. What's better is that it has Dave in a bathrobe. What's best is that it means that hundreds and thousands of people are watching Dave jump around in his bathrobe...while learning about Tate Music Group.

This, in my opinion, is good advertising. Enjoy.

in our defense

I have been monitoring other blogs and threads dealing with Tate Music Group. Sometimes I get mad but mostly I just have to laugh. Not because of the subject matter, because of the lack of knowledge and understanding of a select few posters.

In my last post, I talked about the lack of factual truth regarding what is written on certain blogs. I was somewhat frustrated at the number of people I felt were paying attention and actually taking these words as truth. Today, however, after I posted answers to all questions asked (including those of an antagonistic nature), I have a restored faith in bloggers everywhere.

It is incredibly apparent that most people researching Tate Music Group are seeing through all the nonsense and negativity. A few weeks ago, almost every thread regarding Tate Music Group was being overrun and 'bullied' by 2 (maybe 3) ridiculous posters. Now, there are many new posters, some with Tate Music Group and some having no connection, coming to our defense. Again, why? Well, I think it has a lot to do with the professionalism we have been (and will continue) showing on all these sites. I think that says a lot about our company. Can we still be kind and courteous to people who are, for lack of a better term, slandering the company that we work for and believe in? We have shown that answer to be yes.

As a company, we are told to take the high road, to be above reproach, by our faith and by our boss. That is definitely not easy. When people attack you personally or something that you care about and work hard for, it is hard to just brush it off and respond with love and kindness. I think, though, that it will be a little easier now that others are speaking up on our behalf.

Thank you to all who have written objective thoughts and support, regardless of your relationship or status with Tate Music Group. Your written 'voices of reason' are heard and appreciated.

better late than never

There have been quite a few artists who have said to me, "I wish I/we had known about Tate Music Group before we did [insert high dollar production item here] on our own." That statement makes me both happy and sad. Happy for us here at Tate Music Group because it reiterates our belief that what we offer is the best deal going. Sad because I think about the money, the thousand and thousands of dollars, that is spent on producing a CD but having no support after its been created.

I think that is what truly sets us apart here at Tate Music Group. We offer what no one else does or can. What we offer goes beyond just the production and manufacturing of a CD. We offer a partnership with each of our artists to help them, in any way we can, to get to the next level. Sounds different, huh? Well, it is.

Production and manufacturing are very important parts in the music process. We agree with that, which is why we offer those services to all of our artists. The problem is, if you stop there, what do you do now? What do you do with the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of CDs sitting in a closet in your drummer's two-bedroom apartment? How do you get people to seriously consider you for shows, interviews, or openings for larger bands? What about radio? What is the plan for talking to radio stations? Do you send in a CD with a note about you, maybe an EPK? Thousands are doing the same thing. What is truly going to set you apart? And what about distribution? Besides iTunes and CD Baby, where else are you going to get your music represented? How can you get it out of your local music store and into a nationwide distribution channel?

The great thing is that all of these questions can be answered in one of two ways: 1. You can pay for each of these services to happen. There are booking agents, publicists, radio promoters, and distribution managers who will gladly get this going for a not-so-small fee - or - 2. You can sign on with Tate Music Group and you get all of these and more. (Wow, that sounds like a commercial...but it's true.)

That is what makes us different than all the others. We do all we can, all that I have talked about and more, to help our artists to make it, to find success. We care about each of our artists and we want them all to know that TMG is working hard and smart, on their behalf.

So when people tell me they wish they would have known about Tate Music Group first, my response is "Better late than never." We truly care about our artists and we want to serve them any way we can.

By the way, if you wanted to find out more or just have some questions, I'd love to talk to you. Just give me a call at 405-376-4900.

songs you keep in the playlist

I was thinking about some of the great lines from songs I love:

"step out the front door like a ghost into the fog, where no one notices the contrast of white on white"

"that's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight, losing my religion"

"hello darkness, my old friend, i've come to talk with you again..."

"I want to run, i want to hide, i want to tear down the walls that hold me inside"

I was thinking about these songs, these lines, and I couldn't help but wonder about what makes these lines, these songs, truly great. These are songs, from artists, that have stood the test of time and influenced countless other artists who have followed.

I know a huge part of their greatness is the musical styling of each song. Instrumentation is so key in making a song the kind that stands the test of time. Great writing is key as well. Knowing how to rhyme and when. Coordinating thoughts and words in allegories, metaphors, or straight-forward lines. I'm sure it also helps to have a singer the caliber of Bono or Paul Simon.

I am certain that all of these and more are very important in creating great music. I think, though, that what truly makes a song a timeless classic, what truly makes a song great is the connection it creates with the listener. Music that connects will stay with us forever. The music that I love, that I connect with, is the music that has the most meaning for me. I have connections to it through everything from specific stretches of road to certain smells, even weather patterns.

I guess that is why I am so excited about the future of music and the small role I play in it. I know that there are great songs being written, produced, and performed everyday. Some of these songs, and the artists who create them, will be coming from Tate Music Group. That is a cool thing to think about. It is pretty cool to think that some of the music that will be tomorrows classics are being created as I type. They will be recorded and played and they will influence countless others, just like the ones before.

Music is a beautiful and powerful thing. I am glad I get to have a part in it.