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April 09, 2009
Information Gathering on a Budget
Gathering information can become expensive. Many periodicals relating to the music business sell from $4 to $5 a copy on a newsstand. A subscription to Billboard (which is something every musician should read) can run over $300 a year. A new book can run as much at $29.95 at a Barnes and Noble.
So how can a musician or studio owner do his or her info gathering on a budget?
1. Check for online editions of any periodicals you want to read.
2. Don’t forget your old friend, the public library. Many libraries now carry an amazingly extensive collection of periodicals and trade magazines that focus on music and the music business. They also hold book sales, and you may be able to find that $29.95 book for $5.
3. Used bookstores are also a good resource, although it may require some hunting on your part. I’ve picked up more than a few good books this way.
4. Go into partnership with some of your musician friends. Each one of you can subscribe to a different publication, and then you can pass your copies around, and create a group archive. This requires some cooperation and teamwork, but that’s a big part of what being a musician is all about.
Posted by leonolguin at April 9, 2009 10:13 AM