Introduction and the importance of having a lawyer
Lesson time: (1min 15sec)
Course preview
This lesson is part of the course Music Business 101 for Artists
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Lesson transcript:
Introduction
My name is Pete Bott. I'm a solicitor at Swan Turn Solicitors, which is a music and media firm. That's what I specialize in.
Background
- I've been a musician for about 20 years.
- I studied music at Leeds University.
- I have been in quite a few different signed bands. One of them was signed to a label called 679, which was part of Warner at the time.
Experience in the Music Industry
During my time in the music industry, I've taken on various roles, including:
- Performing Artist
- Writer
- Producer
- Remixer
- Manager (involved in managing the band)
- Public Relations (handling press and promotion)
After a period of time, I decided to perhaps do the sensible thing and get a day job. So, I retrained as a solicitor, and that's what I've been doing for the last six years.
The Importance of Professional Support
You get into music to do the kind of creative, fun stuff, and then someone will say,
"You need a lawyer and you need an accountant."
If you're quite young, you might think,
"I don't know, it's not really what I expected."
However, it is crucial to remember that this is the music business, and having professional advisers as part of your business team is essential. It's important to realize that you do need these people to support you.
About the instructor
Imogen Heap is a Grammy-winning English singer, songwriter, producer and technologist whose influence runs through two decades of pop, electronic and film music — and through much of the technology modern artists now take for granted. Born in London in 1977 and classically trained on piano, cello and clarinet, she released her debut album 'iMegaphone' in 1998 before forming the duo Frou Frou with producer Guy Sigsworth, whose song 'Let Go' reached a global audience through the film Garden State. Her self-written, self-produced album 'Speak for Yourself' (2005) delivered 'Hide and Seek', the a cappella landmark that later powered Jason Derulo's chart-topping 'Whatcha Say' and Ariana Grande's 'Goodnight n Go', and continues to find new generations of listeners. 'Ellipse' (2009) won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical — recorded and engineered in her own home studio — and she went on to co-write and produce 'Clean' on Taylor Swift's Album of the Year-winning '1989'. She also composed the score for the stage play 'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child'. A relentless innovator, Heap developed the MI.MU gestural gloves — recognised with three honorary doctorates — and founded Mycelia and The Creative Passport, initiatives building a fairer data ecosystem for artists. In 2024 she returned with 'What Have You Done to Me?', created with her AI vocal alter ego Mogen, while a viral resurgence of 'Headlock' brought her music to millions of new fans. read more