Pandora recently made a first-of-its-kind direct licensing deal with indie global rights agency Merlin. This direct licensing deal will result in more than 20,000 labels' and distributors’ artists getting more pay and play time on the top streaming service. This will also allow Merlin and Pandora to negotiate fees directly , no longer having to paythe rates set by the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB). Merlin CEO Charles Caldas expects to see “royalty payments increase significantly.”
In a similar fashion to some of the interactive features being pursued by Beats Music, Merlin’s artists will also have the opportunity to communicate directly with fans directly through their own channels and will have access to Pandora’s metadata for the first time. This will allow them to make better informed decisions about where to tour, which songs to release, and even concert set lists.
Although the music genome algorithm will still suggest songs, Merlin affiliates’ songs will show up more frequently and sooner in their listeners’ radio station streams. This means that Merlin artists Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, and Lenny Kravitz will potentially be able to be included on playlists sooner because of Merlin’s new lobbying influence. This is a groundbreaking deal for such independent artists, who make up about 10% of the overall US digital music market.
Pandora will continue to pay artists through SoundExchange that adheres to the guidelines set forth by the recent Digital Deals Declaration. They will also continue to allow artists to track their Pandora royalty earnings.
It’s speculated that this deal will boost Pandora’s relationship with artists, even after pushing legislation a couple years ago that would have cut the royalties it owed artists. At least that’s what Pandora’s hoping. It certainly seems like it’s a win-win for everyone.
Make Pro Songs
There are 8 unique value-points inside the Sage Audio membership, so let’s go over each one so you can decide if it’s the right fit for you.
1. 50 Free Mastered Songs Per Year
- 50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
- You’ll get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
- Unlimited revisions with your dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer. As a standard of our service, we are not happy until you are happy with the sound of your masters.
- All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
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2. 1-on-1 Mentorship
- The Sage Audio 1:1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us to answer all your questions and receive unlimited advanced mixing feedback directly from us.
- Unlimited direct access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve your mixes and masters.
- Unlimited advanced mixing feedback with detailed suggestions for improvement.
- Fast communication to answer all your questions and get tailored guidance that’s specific to your needs.
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3. Unlimited Mixing Feedback
- Unlimited mixing feedback so you can improve your mixes quickly.
- This is highly valuable - giving you access to a thriving community of mixing engineers who can provide feedback about what you can improve before sending your mix to be professionally mastered.
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4. Sage Audio University™ (SAU) — (Mixing and Mastering Education Platform)
- SAU is a modern audio engineering education platform that includes in-depth mixing and mastering course curriculums that match the new music industry.
- SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from first-time mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout every course curriculum.
- SAU course curriculums include Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
- SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website, and social channels.
- New course lessons are added every week with the latest knowledge and techniques so you can continually build and refine your audio engineering skills as the industry evolves.
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5. Mixing and Mastering Competitions
- Compete in Mixing Competitions and Mastering Competitions to win prizes and connect with friends and colleagues.
- This is a great collaborative way to improve your skills alongside both aspiring engineers and seasoned industry professionals.
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6. Community
- The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
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7. 70+ GB of Curated Sage Audio Downloadable Content, Including:
- 36 multitrack sessions spanning multiple genres for mixing practice.
- 57 un-mastered mixes spanning multiple genres for mastering practice.
- 62 Recommended Free Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 39 Recommended Paid Plugins List (vetted, tested, and approved, so you don’t have to).
- 71 Sage Audio custom plugin presets to improve your mixes and masters.
- Sage Audio Membership Badge to showcase on your website, social channels, and portfolio.
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8. 700+ Video Catalog
- Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into playlists so you can take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your mixing and mastering skills at your own pace.
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