Full Sail University SESAC/SWiTCH

9 1 Deuce Entertainment and Mistaga Productions both who are students Full Sail University, had the opportunity to attend an amazing event offered by our school. This event gave both us an opportunity to go and listen to professional from the Performance Rights Organization SESAC. 

SESAC’s Cappriccieo Scates created S.W.I.T.C.H. (SESAC Writers Interacting To Create Hits) is an innovative musical concept that teams established Atlanta and Florida songwriters with Full Sail students to create boundary-defying music. The event’s panel included Erika Ender, a 20-year veteran songwriter, performer, and Idol Puerto Rico judge; four-time GRAMMY-nominated producer/composer Kendrick Dean (Chris Brown, Destiny’s Child); and Atom Troy, Course Director of Songwriting and Development in the Music Production Bachelor of Science degree program.

We had the opportunity to listen to their stories on how to write and get our music heard from the professional side. Even thou Mistaga Productions did not get a chance to have his music heard it was still a learning experience for him and me.  What I took away from this experience was education is the key. Don't give up but continue to pursue your dream no matter what it may be.  

Sing, write, compose and produce from your heart!

The Music Industry Then and Now

A decade ago CD's were the dominant way of listening to music and the legal digital marketplace was just starting out. Today, there are over 400 authorized digital music services that offer over 12 million songs. According to CNN Money and Time Moneyland  digital sales make up almost 50.3% of total revenues for the music business in the United States. 
Now it’s no longer about CD's, it’s about being able to access music anytime, anywhere. Of course the business models are going to continue to evolve, but one thing will remain constant: it’s all about the music. More than anything else, music transports, transforms, and reconnects us. But behind the emotions and beyond the artist on the cover is an army of people who make the music play, from planning, developing and investing in your next favorite song.

The CEO of Headliner.fm, Mike Moore states that digital sales might not be the future.  Moore says that "Spotify's model will be used for music consumption in the future"; he goes on to say "that more consumers will pay for music streaming services rather tan paying for songs".
         

Music theft is real, ongoing, and ever changing. Both the volume of music piracy and the drop in revenues are staggering. Although digital sales are rising, they simply can’t make up the difference. Consider this in the decade Since Apple Launched iTunes; music sales in the U.S. dropped 47%.   According to the Institute for Policy Innovation the U.S. lost $27 billion in earnings and U.S. Federal, State, and Local governments lost $422 million in tax revues every year. Even thou ITunes has a host of competition from Rdio, Spotify and Pandora, this resulting fact is that music piracy in the U.S. economy lost $12.5 billion and 71,060 jobs.