American Popular Music and Its Business in the Digital Age

Rick Sanjekis a former BMI Vice President of writer/publisher relations, national trustee and chapter president of theRecording Academy®, A&R director at Atlantic Records, artist manager, independent publisher,label operator, and currently licensing consultant.He learned the music business basics working directly with five Hall-of-Fame mentors: BMI's Frances Preston; Atlantic Records' Jerry Wexler; the incomparable Willie Nelson; legendary Sun Records producer, publisher, and songwriter Jack Clement; and producer, label owner, and steel guitar legend Pete Drake. Over his career he has worked as a producer, music supervisor, publisher, songwriter, and/or licensing consultant on hundreds of music, film, and television projects.

• PrefaceAcknowledgmentsIllustrationsContentsPrologue Part One: 1985 to 1995Chapter One: The Game of Musical ThronesChapter Two: Records, Retail, Radio, and the Charts that Bind ThemChapter Three: Publishing, Copyright, Legislation, and LitigationChapter Four: The Creators of Music: Getting PaidChapter Five: The Consumer: From Whom, How, and Where the Money Flows Part Two: 1996-2006 Chapter Six: From Big Six to Big FourChapter Seven: Digital Technology Rocks the Record/Radio/Retail RelationshipChapter Eight: Publishing, Copyright, Legislation, and LitigationChapter Nine: The Creators' Side of the Money EquationChapter Ten: Emergence of the Digital Consumer: 1996-2006 Part Three: 2007 to 2019Chapter Eleven: The Game of Musical Thrones: Riding the Digital WaveChapter Twelve: Records, Radio, Retail, Streaming, and the ChartsChapter Thirteen: Publishing and Copyright: The Digital EffectChapter Fourteen: The Creators: A Bigger Piece of a Bigger PieChapter Fifteen: The Consumer: Leading the Digital Transition Epilogue: 2020--Into the Future AcronymsBibliographyIndex

As well as an academic treatise, this book is a captivating journey through the tumultuous American music industry during a period marked by revolutionary change. More than just a collection of facts, the book offers a vivid re-telling of the transition into the digital age. As someone who has lived through these changes, Sanjek brings a unique perspective in this truly masterful exploration of the music business.