All You Need to Know About the Music Business: 10th Edition | Donald S. Passman

All You Need to Know About the Music Business by veteran music lawyer Don Passman—dubbed “the industry bible” by the Los Angeles Times—is now updated to address the biggest transformation of the music industry yet: streaming.

For more than twenty-five years, All You Need to Know About the Music Business has been universally regarded as the definitive guide to the music industry. Now in its tenth edition, Donald Passman leads novices and experts alike through what has been the most profound change in the music business since the days of wax cylinders and piano rolls. For the first time in history, music is no longer monetized by selling something—it’s monetized by how many times listeners stream a song. And that completely changes the ecosystem of the business, as Passman explains in detail.

Since the advent of file-sharing technology in the late 1990s to the creation of the iPod, the music industry has been teetering on the brink of a major transformation—and with the newest switch to streaming music, this change has finally come to pass. Passman’s comprehensive guide offers timely, authoritative information from how to select and hire a winning team of advisors and structure their commissions and fees; navigate the ins and outs of record deals, songwriting, publishing, and copyrights; maximize concert, touring, and merchandising deals; and how the game is played in a streaming world.

“If you want to be in music, you have to read this book,” says Adam Levine, lead singer and guitarist of Maroon 5. With its proven track record, this updated edition of All You Need to Know About the Music Business is more essential than ever for musicians, songwriters, lawyers, agents, promoters, publishers, executives, and managers—anyone trying to navigate the rapid transformation of the industry.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The industry bible."
—Los Angeles Times

“All You Need To Know About the Music Business has...become a fixture at college entertainment law departments as well as a must-read for any aspiring music industry execs.”
—Variety

"Don Passman has seen it all — and written the book on it."
—Billboard

"When your book is in its 10th edition and remains the authoritative tome on its subject, you’re probably doing something right."
—Daily Double

"Full of explanations, case studies, advice, and resources, there’s an awful lot of info packed into these pages that any budding (or even veteran) performer should, could, and needs to know..."
—Houston Press

About the Author

Donald S. Passman practices law in California and has specialized in the music business for more than thirty years, primarily representing talent. The author of All You Need to Know About the Music Business, he lives in Los Angeles.