tate music group...good to hear

We got this correspondence from an artist that recently came in to record with his band. I thought I would share it with you readers and let you see his thoughts and experience. It was an exciting note to get for us...enjoy:

Dr. Tate. On the week of May 4th my band was at your music studio to record our first CD. Upon arrival I met with Jameson Reynolds who introduced me to all of the staff and producers. Our producer was Jeff Lee who right away got us started tracking. We got drums and bass done on the first day because Jeff did a lot of pre-planning before we got there. On the second day we did guitars. Jeff was kind enough to do several tracks for us and had some ideas we had not thought of. By the third day we were doing vocals and loop tracks to enhance the CD. Our lead singer has used studios in OKC that have taken weeks to do just drums and at a cost ten times more than our TMG contract. Jeff went over and above for my band and in 4 days of tracking we have a CD that is air-play ready for any radio station. I also found out that your producers have played on CD's for some big names around the country but they are so humble you would never know. Next is our photo shoot and cover design. I cant wait to meet the rest of your staff. If I ever get the opportunity to come back to TMG to record I will jump on it...

Thanks again Dr. Tate for giving local musicians like myself a chance to shine an be recognized.

Sincerely
Larry

tate music group...a great article

There is a great article about one of our TMG artists that I wanted to share. Tate Music Group is proud of our artist, Nisha, and grateful for her kind words! You can look at the article about her in this months Music Connection Magazine - check out page 26.

Here is the write-up:

“Like any dedicated artist...R&B singer Nisha Hester focused her energy on recording a masterpiece rather than seeking the perfect label. In her corner, however, was former manager, Eric Stancil, who took the time to research her options and mail press kits to potential takers. A likely prospect was...TMG Records.
Although TMG needs to hear at least 3 songs in order to choose an artist, one song in particular got the attention of their signing rep. “Where Did The Love Songs Go” had such an impact that she even included a special introduction in the contract that mentioned the impression-making track as the reason TMG wished to sign her.
‘There are several things I love about TMG,’ explains the rising diva. ‘I like the support and freedom they give to their artists. They allow their artists to maintain all the ownership - as far as songwriting royalties go, we own everything.’ Plus, she adds, ‘They give the highest royalty payments of all the labels out there.’ Also, Hester felt the weren’t hiding an agenda. “We have the freedom to cancel anytime we’re not happy. We can work with other third-party companies,’ she marvels. ‘We have so much freedom!’
There had been another label under consideration, but they asked for a significant chunk of money up front. Weighing the two options, it was clear which company offered the better deal. In fact, TMG’s deal was so generous that she signed without any negotiations.
‘It was almost too good to be true,’ she says. ‘I really didn’t have to think too much about it.’ The agreement itself goes a year and includes an option to renew. Hester recommends other artists to find the label of their dreams; she insists on persistence and never compromising. ‘This is your life – don’t just sign up to the first thing that comes your way.’ She states. ‘And never give up.’
Nisha’s debut, The Metamorphosis, was released in September.

- Andy Kaufmann
Music Connection Magazine”

tate music group...signs American Idol song winner

This is very exciting news for us here at Tate Music Group! I could try and describe all of Regie Hamm's accolades and such...but I will just let the press release do that for me. Enjoy!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REGIE HAMM SIGNS BOOK AND RECORD DEAL

WITH TATE PUBLISHING AND TATE MUSIC GROUP

Plans for immediate single release to CCM radio and appearance at Kansas City’s

“Rock The Light” festival this weekend

NASHVILLE, September 2, 2009 – Hit singer/songwriter/producer Regie Hamm scored his biggest hit this year with the solo-written, 16-week No. 1 song “Time of My Life” for American Idol’s David Cook, and today he has signed a combined book and record deal with the Oklahoma-based Tate Publishing and Tate Music Group.

The announcement will be made formal with Hamm’s appearances this weekend at Kansas City’s “Rock The Light” festival. Tate Music Group plans an immediate single release to CCM radio, followed by a CD release and book detailing his inspirational story.

The book tells the story of Hamm’s adoption of an orphaned Chinese girl and the life-changing events surrounding it, including composing the hit song, “Time of My Life,” which was inspired by his emotional journey these past six years.

With 21 No. 1 songs to his credit as a songwriter, and a Top 20 Adult Contemporary hit as an artist, Hamm is well-poised for the single release to CCM radio. The single will be followed by the book, as well as a 20-song CD, tentatively called “Full Circle.” The project will include nine No. 1 songs written by Hamm, and eleven new originals. Hamm says the 20-song project is truly about his life and his journey.

“You can’t see the circle while you’re making it,” Hamm said. “Only special moments can allow you to see all of it: China… babies… songs… music… dreams… success… happiness. They all mean different things to me because of what I have been through. Any plan I could’ve developed would never have been as beautiful and unexpected. This one was divine.”

Tate Publishing, based in Oklahoma City, was founded in 2001 and has become one of the fastest growing publishing companies in the nation. They recently expanded to include record label Tate Music Group, and are distributed nationwide through Universal and Ingram.

President and CEO Ryan Tate said, “Tate Music Group is excited to partner with such a talented artist in Regie Hamm. We’re looking forward to making this venture a success for all.”

tate music group...some more good stuff

Okay, so I really wanted to share this post from one of our artists, Jeff Chandler. Just to let you know, Jeff is one of the most talented people I have met...I mean that. As a songwriter, he writes with a talent and emotion that, in my humble opinion, is lacking in today's market. As a singer, great range and good, strong pipes. And, as a person, really good. It was great to meet and get to know Jeff and his family during our Artist of the Year Contest. The phrase 'Salt of the Earth' comes to mind.

So, I suppose these reasons stated above are why I truly enjoyed and appreciated Jeff's words (which I will post below). He gives an honest take on his experience and what all of our artists can expect when they work with Tate Music Group.

Don't worry...I'll get back to writing and rambling about nothing soon enough. In the meantime, enjoy.

_____________________________________________

SO YOU'RE CONSIDERING TMG AS YOUR LABEL...
Okay...


So I'm getting a TON of questions from great indie artists everywhere about the integrity of Tate Music Group. This blog should give you a good idea what to expect if and when you sign with TMG.


First of all let me go on record saying that TMG is an amazing group of thinkers and business folks...heck their just awesome people! They are an integral part (if not the tip of the spear) in the future of the music industry and indie artists in particular at this stage in the game. My experience with them as their "artist of the year" for 2009 has been nothing but positive..


"Of course"...you're thinking to yourself "Mr. artist of the year"..."things are GREAT for you"..."but what about everyone who's NOT artist of the year???"


WELL...I'm glad you asked! Here's the long and short of what to expect when you sign with TMG:



DON'T expect an advance..meaning mad cash on the front end of your deal. These look attractive up front, but remember....this is a LOAN...it comes out of your hide later!!


DON'T expect a huge national push for your record. Tate are professionals in PARTNERING WITH INDIES to help them grow and make a living at your music.


1. They help you make an "easy on the wallet" record to kick-start your merch sales and make you credible in the industry. TRUST me...you'll be hard pressed to find someone that can make the quality of a record for the LITTLE amount of money you have to invest.


2. They give you a web-presence. They'll help you get your music distributed in the most accessible market known to human-kind: CYBERSPACE!! Yesssss...


3. They will help you develop best-practices in business to help YOU grow YOUR career. They will not do it FOR you...I think this is where people have gotten disgruntled with them in the past...you WILL NOT BE AN OVERNIGHT SUCCESS.


I have been doing this for 18 years.....and only now am I beginning to see MODERATE succes.. Patience is a virtue...



Bottom line: They are a great PARTNER for indies...they can help you in many ways to become successful and YES...even a full-time artist!


In my humble experience you can trust TMG...They've always done for me what they said they would do and I know many artists with them that are hard workers that aren't looking for a handout who are very pleased with TMG...I am one them.


I highly recommend TMG to anyone who is serious about their music career.

Grace and peace to you all!!

tate music group...setting our own price

I received this information from some of our Executive Staff. I have to say, when I read it, I was blown away. Not by the facts and numbers that are presented...I knew what to expect there. I was blown away by the candid-ness of this author...willing to share her 'fortunes' (or misfortunes) with anyone who is willing to read them.

Now, you may say, "What does a book deal have to do with my music career/contract?" A lot. Yes they are different in subject/product but not in nature. The basic principle has always been the same for the publisher/label - get as much as you can out of the 'artist'...and then get some more.

Please hear me...I am not trying to say that individuals or companies are crooks, cheats, etc...I am, however, saying that the system that has been in place for a long, long time is not friendly or warm to the artists (or authors) who create the brilliance they sell.

At Tate Music Group, our vision and purpose is to change this model and mindset. We want to be more concerned with working together with our artists, side by side, instead of walking on their backs to get to the end goal. Success usually comes with a price...but Tate Music Group (and Tate Publishing) are not willing to pay the same types of ethical costs that have plagued this industry for so long.

Instead, we are setting our own price...and the outcome is gain.

Here is the article:

A few years ago I made a promise to my writer friends that if I ever had a novel hit the top twenty of the New York Times mass market bestseller list that I would share all the information I was given about the book so writers could really see what it takes to get there. Today I’m going to keep that promise and give you the stats on my sixth Darkyn novel, Twilight Fall.

Here is the first royalty statement for Twilight Fall, on which I’ve only blanked out Penguin Group’s address. Everything else is exactly as I’ve listed it. To give you a condensed version of what all those figures mean, for the sale period of July through November 30, 2008. my publisher reports sales of 64,925 books, for which my royalties were $40,484.00. I didn’t get credit for all those sales, as 21,140 book credits were held back as a reserve against possible future returns, for which they subtracted $13,512.69 (these are not lost sales; I’m simply not given credit for them until the publisher decides to release them, which takes anywhere from one to three years.)

My net earnings on this statement was $27,721.31, which was deducted from my advance. My actual earnings from this statement was $0.

My advance for Twilight Fall was $50,000.00, a third of which I did not get paid until the book physically hit the shelf — this is now a common practice by publishers, to withhold a portion of the advance until date of publication. Of that $50K, my agent received $7,500.00 as her 15% (which she earns, believe me) the government received roughly $15,000.00, and $1594.27 went to cover my expenses (office supplies, blog giveaways, shipping, promotion, etc.) After expenses and everyone else was paid, I netted about $26K of my $50K advance for this book, which is believe it or not very good — most authors are lucky if they can make 10% profit on any book. This should also shut up everyone who says all bestselling authors make millions — most of us don’t.

Just as a side note - if this author would have worked with our parent company, Tate Publishing...the net earnings would have been almost 4 times as much. Just FYI.

tate music group...2009: a look ahead

Well, another year has been booked and the new year begins. I only have about 16% battery life left on my laptop so I will be brief. And yes, tonight, I am just lazy enough to not go get my plug-in to recharge. My apologies to those of you looking for a good, long read. I just want to take a moment to look ahead at what this new year already has in store for Tate Music Group and our artists.

In March, Tate Music Group will hold the inaugural Artist of the Year Contest. I have to say, there was a bit of a frenzy to get everything in by the 31st. It was a lot of fun, though. It is going to be very difficult for the judges to pick one winner from the amazing pool of artists we have. I know I couldn't do it.

Tate Music Group will also, in 2009, sell a lot of CDs. This isn't necessarily a 'look how great we are' statement but a 'look how great our artists are' statement. We put the channels and work in place to allow for sales but it is the tremendously talented musicians and artists we are blessed to work with who really make it happen. That is what makes this such a great partnership.

Last but not least, Tate Music Group will have hundreds and hundreds of events for our artists all over the country. I am really excited about this. Concerts and signings, as well as interviews, are so vital for success. It takes a lot of work and getting out there to really build up a fan-base and a following. I have read that it takes 100 true fans to be a success. Why? Because those 100 people will be your most reliable attendees, your biggest bullhorns, and your personal and unlimited invitation force. They will be the ones showing up to your shows and signings with 10 of their friends. Multiply that by hundreds and hundreds of shows and you get...well...its too late for complicated math problems but you get the idea. A lot!

As I look ahead to 2009, it looks really bright for Tate Music Group and the artists we are privileged to work with...and for those we have yet to meet. So I say to you all, Happy New Year...because I know it truly will be!

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.

to assume...

We spent the better part of the morning meeting with and talking to Mark Levine, an author and researcher of book publishers like Tate Publishing, parent company of Tate Music Group. It was pretty interesting, really. Even though he specializes in books, I felt like I walked away with a good bit of insight and information that I can use on the music end. He spoke to us as one on the outside looking in. What can we do better? Where do we seem strongest? What do outsiders say or think about us? Good stuff.

I think, though, that the most important thing I took from the discussion was one specific statement Mark made. I have been thinking about it all day. He said, "You don't have the luxury of assuming people think you are honest." I have to admit, that stung a little bit...and I'm still not exactly sure why.

Maybe its because I do assume people think that. About me. About Tate Music Group. About our offer. But they don't...and they have plenty of reasons not to.

Tate Music Group is just one honest company, among many, fighting an uphill battle. We are fighting this battle because of other companies and individuals who have taken advantage of people, causing all the cynicism and negativity we see today. This is true in all areas of business and service, but it seems to be especially true in the music world. There are a lot of promises made to people that can't be controlled. Like I mentioned in an earlier post, there is a growing lack of responsibility regarding written and spoken word.

So what do we do? How can Tate Music Group win this battle? We keep fighting. We keep doing what we say we'll do. We continue to refrain from saying things that aren't true or promise things that are outside of our control. We do all this and, little by little, we will see the overall assumption begin to change.