Here's the typical situation. You find your music starting to make waves. Maybe just locally: but you are starting to get attention. Your manager makes some calls and important people start showing up at your gigs. The thrill of fame and fortune seem to be knocking at your door.

There is a change of energy in the air. Next thing you know: your band is on a airplane flying to New York. You get to play in front of some big label execs. How exciting!! Isn't this what every musician DREAMS of?? Or is it the beginning of a nightmare.

The Cold Side of the Dream

In the music business it takes a LOT of money to go big. Beyond the cost of manufacturing product and putting it on the shelves – there are promotional costs. You didn't think people get on the radio and MTV for free did you??

Launching an artist into the mainstream can easily run $2 million! If it was YOUR money: would you bet that much on a property that doesn't already have huge demand to back it up?

What if you also knew that 95% of new artists can't bring in enough revenues to recoup that initial investment.

How the Big Guys REALLY Make their Money

Here's an important truth. Music industry money isn't really made off of record sales: the REAL MONEY is in publisher's royalties.

KEY POINT: There is a difference between a song and a recording. The ownership of a song belongs to the writer. But someone else might record that song. Publishers invest in the ownership of SONGS.

How does it work? American Radio bills out millions of dollars in ad sales every week. A portion of this income must be divided up among the owners of the SONGS that are played on the radio. The recording artists get none of this income unless they also own the songs.

Organizations such as ASCAP and BMI handle the collection and disbursement of song income. So back to our original question. Why would a record company want to lock a musician into a contract – if going all the way was almost certain to lose money??

What if you already had put millions of dollars into your existing artists? You might want to pro actively keep new talent from diluting your investment.

Answer 1: By acquiring rights and options on new artists: the music industry is able to protect it's existing investment by keeping new properties from diluting the existing catalog of recorded material. In other words it often makes good business sense NOT to divide up the royalty pie.

Answer 2: By preventing other labels from getting their hands on hot new talent – big music business players are able to reduce competition for market-share on their own current artist investments.

Basically the dinners, the fancy suits, and the limo rides are often just a show to persuade you to let them acquire your rights – and put them on the shelf. Honestly: that's about the end of your recording career in most situations.

Deal With the Devil – How Options Lock You In

The scariest part of a big record deal is that the musician loses the right to use their own likeness. This means that you no longer own "you". Your image can't appear on albums, posters, and possibly the web, along with severe restrictions on your appearances in other forms of media: including live performances.

Recording contracts usually have a one-year term for the first album to be recorded and released.

BAD NEWS: Your album may be released – But what if nobody knows about it?? Releasing an album and actually promoting it are two separate animals. ( Read the article called The (NO) Airplay Opportunity to understand what we are talking about here.)

The contract will have a number of options that the record company can use to activate the second contract period, the third contract period etc. If your first experience was negative and you would rather not do another one, there is no way to get out of the contract. The label simply terminates the agreement, but the lock-out clause prevents re-recording of the material! Even if the record label has no interest in your music, they own all the recordings. There is no way to re-release an album on your own.

For a full break down of recording contracts and options visit – How Stuff Works.

Honest Questions to Ask Your Self

1. Does your music resonate with a such a WIDE market: right now - that you need the massive corporate music machine to handle your promotion and distribution?  If this is the case: read A Better Way to Go Big.

2. What is more important to you? Fame? or Making music ( and possibly a living doing so ) ?

3. If fame and exposure are your immediate priority: to what extent are you willing to risk your rights to perform and earn money from your own music?

4. Would you rather earn fifty cents per album (this is the typical big-music cut to the artist) – most contract recording artists never see this because it's totally consumed in advance, by managers and "expenses". ….Or would you rather bring in somewhere between $2 and $10 per album – this is what most independent musicians average in profit per sale.

5. Will you relentlessly pursue fame and fortune like so many other astoundingly talented people who moved to Hollywood and ended up being studio musicians with a day job. Or will you make it happen for your self. Will you create the personal freedom to make the music you were born for?

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Anyway. This guy was way back in the ghetto section of the flea market – next to the junk sellers. And he confided in me that he was actually kind of lazy and had been coming to that exact same spot: on SUNDAYS ONLY for the past 15 years. (They are open on Saturdays too but this was too much sweat for this guy – said he didn't need the money.) **His regulars knew WHERE to find him.** He was making a comfortable part-time income of $600 every week, for just 3-4 hours of time.

Consistency Pays

Most people need to interact with a brand at least 5 times before they develop sufficient confidence and desire: to actually do business with you. You need consistent points-of-reference so that they can find you, and refer others.

This could simply be:

• Venue-presence regularity
• An easy-to-remember brand name
• Your web address. (A dot com name based on your unique brand name.)
• Direct access to purchase and review your product at the customer's convenience.

Strategic Relationships:

Regional Venue-Presence Regularity is as Effective as Airplay

It's important to develop a positive personal relationship with the management of each venue where you want to perform, and show up to perform at least once a month – if not more frequently.

We suggest making a map of all your venue options within a couple hours driving distance and planning an ongoing tour schedule for the entire region. For more on how this process can effectively take the place of Radio Airplay in your region please read Building Your Name.

Building Consistent Relationships with Your Audience

As the public gets to know that you will be there on a regular basis – this should start to actually drive traffic for the venue owner and friends will start telling each other to come hear you. Once the word-of-mouth machine is in motion, your business will grow and grow.

If a fan falls in love with your music, they will often go all-out to spread the word on their own. Remember to treat these people with kid gloves!!

Brand Development

Create a total-recall brand name.

It should be unique enough that you can secure the dot COM form of the website name. ( NOT .net, or .info or .biz) If people hear your name once, it should stick in their mind forever. This is crucial for the most effective word of mouth advertising. Only use normal spellings of words! Have your web URL on every CD you sell, and on a banner at your performances.

Click here to get your own . com name registered for $15 per year. You can point this name at any web page of your choice in three easy steps.

Making the Web Your Friend

By creating a web presence including CD sales & downloads, you make it easier for other people to find you once they happen to hear one of your songs through a friend. People who liked your performance can order more material and also purchase copies as gifts.

By creating a web-based mailing list, you can inform your audience when you will be performing in their area next. This adds to the crowd (and revenue) at the venues. It gives the audience time to PLAN on seeing you and invite others.

Cross Promotion

By networking with other musicians and featuring "quest appearance tracks" on each other's albums it helps everyone involved to improve their recognition.

Touring together also helps add to the performance value by featuring more than one entertainer per show. In this manner, the more established acts can be leveraged to help expose those that are up-and-coming. By booking together, you automatically open up more performance opportunities since all involved are able to tap into each others network of venue contacts.

Time is Money

You might only have that one opportunity on the phone or in person to make an important connection.

Always have a CD to give away, Color Business Cards, and be prepared to take an email address. You can then email an MP3 link.

They say: "The early bird gets the worm". You might want to show up to any meeting PREPARED lugging your own boom-box so you can simply press "play" to show case your demo. You may only get 3 minutes of attention and they may just throw your CD in the trash without ever listening to it. This is reality.

Selling Your Music on iTunes

Now you can sell your music on iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, Emusic and Napster! Get started HERE. **BONUS** Includes UPC retail bar codes for your albums. If you will read our analysis called Your Own CD Factory, you will start to understand just how lucrative this little venture can become.

Songwriters need to recognize that much modern music ( including the Beetles sound ) is the result of a committee-style creative process. The guys from the band would come up with the brilliant stuff and their producer George Martin would structure it into a coherent musical statement. Neither could exist without the other.

Often I hear people who obviously have a great concept that came right from their soul experience of life. In some cases I totally related to the theme of their song, cause I have been in those same shoes.

This is really where great music begins. However: their piece turned out to be unmusical in many ways.

These writers need to consider taking their concepts and hooking up with a composing partner who is very talented musically but lacks the verbal expressiveness.

This strategy is a key to Elton John's success, his lyrical themes were actually developed by his writing partner. Elton took that VERBAL soul-inspiration and then ran with it musically.

Finding Better Writing Partners

I've heard several submissions from folks who have very nice recordings and compositions backing them up. But I can tell that the "producer" – although very qualified musically has ZERO appreciation for what the singer/writer is all about!

This includes:

• Writing music that doesn't at all match up with the real emotion behind the piece.
• Styles of music that don't tonally complement the sound of the singer's voice.
• Great sounding recordings that totally feature the producer's strong points to the point that they overshadow the vocalist.

For example: a great rock-guitarist that ALWAYS has to be featured through-out every song. Even though his female vocalist partner has a soulful voice that is better suited to something much more mello.

Singer/songwriters end up spending thousands of dollars with these types of people before they realize what they've gotten into.

Learn how to cut your losses before you get in to deep.

Taking Control of the Creative Process

By learning some basic recording skills – such as how to operate a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) you can eliminate concerns about the high-cost of studio time – especially while you are in the songwriting stage.

Check out our recommendations to get a strategy on setting up your own basic recording studio for as little as $200.

Chances are, that you can figure this out on your own in a very short time. But if you prefer, you can hire someone for a couple of sessions to help you set it up and learn to use it.

Once you are empowered you are free to really get creative with your music. This gives you the advantage of being able to try out a whole variety of different writers and see if any of them has something that really speaks to your soul and fits with your unique sound! See if there is a creative chemistry that brings out your best!

If you follow our whole songwriting strategy – you will see that we recommend solidly laying out the song and Performance Testing it for sales-power – BEFORE you go and invest a ton of money on studio time, session-musicians, or shrink-wrapped CD product (See Your Own CD Factory.)

Paying Your Collaborators

Make that first session more of an audition. If you aren't impressed after 3-4 hours there should be no payment involved.

If you come up with something you like, offer a work for hire agreement. For "good-and-suitable payment" of say $25-$80 – they agree that the content belongs to exclusively to you, to use however you may want. The writer releases to you any future claim to income or copyright credit on the piece.

Get a separate signed receipt for the payment – and write a check – to keep an official record of the transaction.

If you feel real chemistry and want a long-term relationship – you can both put your names on the copyright registration and share income and songwriting credit.

See Know Your Royalies.

In summary, it's impossible to get any kind of serious radio airplay unless you are prepared to pay somewheres in the ball park of at least half-a-million bucks. In the industry these fees called PROMOTIONAL EXPENSES. 

If your major label recording contract doesn't include something to cover these costs, your releases are not likely intended to go anywhere except the shelf. 

Payola, Freedom and Monopoly

Yes there is a legal loophole that allows this practice – infamously known as "Payola" – to continue. Visit Wikipedia for an explanation.

Think about it this way. By monopolizing the airwaves and keeping out smaller competitors, the music industry increases the chance that big artist roll outs can break even. This status quo has been repeatedly challenged without any lasting success, so don't expect it to change in the immediate future.

HOWEVER It Could be Very Important for Your Music Career to see what you and your friends can do to help Save Internet Radio.

Recording Industry Demographics

Mainstream radio and music have a few well-defined target markets which spend enough money on music to pay for big business. However up to 80% of the public are unable to find mainstream musical products that FIT with their tastes. It may be partly because these people have outgrown the pop music that fuels adolescence.

Most of today's industries "grew up" during the baby boom years – a period of about 20 years when the typical American was a YOUTH. Successful business was typically trendy. Many business giants who succeeded in such a reality have not awakened to the fact that those baby boomers have long since grown up and their tastes have changed.

Alternative

Even among youthful music markets, there are many special niches collectively called "alternative" which don't fit into the mainstream commercial business model. Millions of youth fanatically support their favorite underground artists and often turn against them when they go mainstream.

Your Time to Shine

After decades of drowning in a sea of artificialism: Americans are thirsty for something REAL. By bringing your own unique musical statement to the world, you are serving a VAST untapped market of people just like your self, who want a FRESH and personal musical experience. A cornerstone of our philosophy is replacing a dependency on mass market radio airplay by bringing back the live-performance personal music experience.

Wouldn't you rather buy an album from a musician who just inspired you IN PERSON, and who also took the time to BS with you afterwards?? It's within Your reach right NOW! If you have read our other articles on marketing, you will see that it is fully feasible for any talented, motivated musician to Earn a (VERY) comfortable living this way.

Using the methods we recommend at Making Music Pay – you can create a highly marketable music product with a minimum of investment – AND – generate strong on-going demand.

Starting from the point of having demand built-up for your music – even if your market-base is only regional – you are in a powerful position. With this advantage, it becomes feasible to take your music all the way into the mainstream and keep much more of that creative control. For specific details on this process: please read A Better way to go BIG!

This gives you the advantage of being able to try out a whole variety of different arrangements and see if any of them resonates on a powerful level with the public. Find out if there is a creative chemistry that drives SALES!

THE TRUTH:

Well-written music always sells itself – even in the raw form – without a fancy production behind it.

A Dose of Reality:

I'm going to be starkly honest. If people aren't lining up to buy your material, you don't have it YET.

Either it does not have the right structure or it is already too watered down with the analytical side of the brain and you need to go back to the drawing board.

Properly structured music creates an instant craving factor that drives sales. We literally have a physical NEED to hear it again which causes us to purchase a copy.

If you haven't read our songwriting articles take the time to get fully oriented. These life-changing articles will empower you to take your natural inspiration as it flows and then structure it in the way that drives sales.

Have You Discovered Your Ideal Market?

There is also the possibility that you haven't yet found the right venue – or market – for YOUR style of music.

Go deep and ask your self WHO would resonate with your soul sounds, and WHERE you could go – to share them – with the RIGHT people.

Seeing Your Self Objectively

Get in the habit of taking video of your performances. Observe your work later on after the fact. Notice your body language, presentation, and audience responses. This information is crucial towards evolving your performances to the most optimal, and powerful level.

• Are you building mystique?
• Are you creating excitement?
• Are you building rapport with your audience?

Hearing Your Music through other Ears

Test out different song arrangements and phrases. Little kids are often great test subjects, for checking natural human responses. Let them choose the one that sounds the best to them!

The Numbers Tell the Truth

Ultimately your sales numbers will tell the story. Either your music has it or it doesn't.

It's extremely important to build your web sales store right from the beginning so you can see how much follow-up business you are generating. If your sales are strong at live performances but you have hardly any web sales activity, it may be that your sales are based on your live presence – but the music itself does not have the qualities required to drive sales: independently of your personal charisma.

Establishing Your Web Presence

These guys have some free Myspace Layouts for Musicians that look like actual normal web sites.

Click here to get your own . com name registered for $15 per year. You can point this name at any web page of your choice (including your Myspace page) in three easy steps.

**IMPORTANT** ONLY register a name that is sufficiently unique that you are able to secure the DOT COM form of the name. (Don't bother if only .net or .info etc.. are available).

Read about developing your own total recall brand name in Exposure that Pulls.

Now you can sell your music on iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, Emusic and Napster! Get started HERE. **BONUS** Includes UPC retail bar codes for your albums.

HINT: Music Really starts selling once you have a clickable iTunes icon right in your Myspace Profile and in any comments you leave on other people's profiles.

Persistence and Passion

If you've got what ALL great artists have in common – Sincerity and Simplicity – you CAN make it happen. You just have to continually be learning and adapting your approach to reality.

If you know in the core of your soul that you have a gift to give, and you practice persistence – the whole world can be yours.

See "Your Own CD Factory" to learn how you can easily and affordably do this.

By learning some basic recording skills – such as how to operate a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) you can eliminate concerns about the high-cost of studio time – especially while you are in the songwriting stage.

A Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) is a program that runs on a computer and provides all the functions of a recording studio.

Chances are, that you can figure this out on your own in a very short time. But if you prefer, you can hire someone for a couple of sessions to help you set it up and learn to use it. Once you are empowered you are free to really get creative with your music.

I’m hearing from extremely talented musicians who have sufficient smarts to actually get a composition all-the-way from idea to recording. However it’s these exact people who tend to be living much more in the analytical half of their brains.

Average vs. Great

A lot of this material ends up being flat and one-dimensional. It lacks vitality, imagination, and PATHOS. (Click to look that one up.) It lacks that fascinating PERVERSITY we all buy into. Life is IMPERFECT and great music often embodies that in obvious or subtle ways.

There is a stark honesty-of-experience that all of life’s great protagonists share.

The protagonist is always that main character in a story who takes the risks and goes through the changes. Within the context of that individual’s life everybody else is just a supporting character. Others play the role of either villain or helper. They either PUSH or pull the main character to go through some kind of transformation towards greater personal authenticity.

Think of the butterfly emerging from the cocoon or the fall of Rome… It could be the LOSS of a loved one… or the loss of innocence… it could also be the REDISCOVERY of innocence… it can also be the agony of getting there or being stuck… it can be that final redemption and liberation… or the opening of a fresh new page…

Great music and art are often all about TRANSFORMATION.

On the other hand it might just be your own skewed yet provocative stream of consciousness. I think of Picasso and Pink Floyd.

The main thing is that it should come straight from what’s real to you. Almost unfiltered so we can taste our own reality from different place and experience a part of our selves we might not have otherwise known.

It doesn’t matter what your style or sound is… It all comes down to the structure of the song…. When musical phrases are structured and ordered in the correct manner this has a special effect on the human brain… It’s easy to apply once you understand how it works…

NOTE: The most important parts of this web site are the songwriting articles. Because if your music doesn’t have that power-factor: all the other promotional efforts and expenditures are just an experience in loss.

Hidden in each one of your pieces of music are nuggets of inspiration that could very well set the world on fire. The process of effective songwriting is one that helps you EXTRACT those powerful inspired items from the surrounding filler material supplied by your analytical mind. Once you can let go of those extra musical “crutches” – the real song will start to come forth.

Just keep reading and digesting one article at a time. Each piece of information builds upon the next one. Pretty soon you will start having “AH HA” moments of realization as you begin seeing the big picture on the music industry – AND – exactly how you can start helping your self right now!

Get out a new notebook if possible – or just open up a fresh document on your word processor. Paste in anything you can use – or anything that stands out and maybe puzzles you. Go back and read it again so you can apply it. This is all stuff you can USE to start building your success.

Once you make a commitment to a certain path in life – doors naturally start to open – that you may have never even noticed before – but were always there!

What is the difference between an audio interface that cost less than $1000 and the ones that are used in million dollar pro studios?

Well: for years – pretty much the top of the food chain has been Protools HD:  Today with a price starting at $10,000 for the basic hardware & software.   It has a powerful clean sound that stands out even on the consumer gear we use for playback.   And bear in mind that nearly any piece of equipment will sound nice when amped  up on your studio monitors.

What about the MOTU interface line or interfaces like Presonus & M-audio which typically sell in the neighborhood of $1000 or less?   What sets these units apart from more expensive brands?  It's something called "Jitter".  

Basically the incoming sounds must be converted into numbers.   They are measured ("sampled") at a regular rate ("frequency") according to a clock which operates in billionths of a second ("nanoseconds").   If the clock is not accurate: then the sampled measurements do not match up with the actual real-world sound-wave.  This is ok for more general aspects of the music but causes issues that CAN be detected by the human ear.   The lower the clock resolution: the less "pleasant" the music sounds to the human ear.

Most of these manufacturers claim to make units that sample at at full 192khz frequency – leading to superb sound (or so they claim).   However the inexpensive clocking chips used in these mass-market devices are unable to render an accurate sonic picture.

The majority of the affordable solutions license out a third party Jitter control system called "Jet PLL". 

An excellent value: based on the commodity "Jet PLL" clocking is the .  This device combines modern digital plugin technology with vintage modeling based on the work of Rupert Neve and others.  Neve is the father of the recording console.  

Premium brands such as the  or the   typically sell at considerably higher price per channel while offering their own proprietary advanced clocking solutions.   Anyone can easily hear the improvements of sound quality over the bargain solutions and serious studios are willing to pay the extra cost.

Premium Protools HD applications often allow the primary unit to be controlled by (slaved to) a separate atomic clock or mini-oven-stabilized master clock which itself can run up to $6000.

What is a Small Project Studio's Best Bet?

Getting that sound into the computer in its most natural and beautiful form is the key to making world class recordings.  What's the point of having a fine microphone and preamp if the sound gets robbed of its natural beauty & character by a bargain analog-to-digital converter?

It so happens that the latest devices offered by EMU: feature the exact same digital converters that come with the $10,000 Protools HD system.   ; is $169.   

In the US you must use it with a desk-top PC or Mac with an open PCI express slot.   (Will not work with Imac.)  The nice thing is that by using the PCI bus you can make up for having an otherwise slow computer with an audio-incompatible Firewire chipset.   You can bypass the latency issues which occur in these situations and with most USB based recording-interfaces.
 

What is latency?  Once a signal has been processed by your computer it might come back to your ear a fraction of a second later: so you are unable to monitor your performance using your reverb plugin for example.  Either you have to go through an outboard reverb or hear an uninspiring headphone mix.

Although certain USB-based products such as our recommended Line 6 interfaces for guitarists have superb latency management features: the ideal situation for long-term growth is to be able to purchase a dedicated recording computer which supports high-quality Firewire-enabled recording interfaces or simply sticking with a PCI-based solution. 

See our write up in: "Mac or PC for Recording".

Another highly acclaimed option is called the AudioFire12 by Echo Audio.   Although you haven't heard much about this brand from your favorite audio magazine: this company has long been known to high-end studios.  Now they offering their technology in an affordable Firewire package.  (Street Price: $599).   Again you are getting something that way outclasses the normal bargain-priced interfaces.  According to expert ears: this unit sounds even better than the converters used in the EMU & Protools HD systems.  

Before you purchase this unit; however be sure you have a computer that features the Texas Instruments Firewire chipset.  Most PCs designed for audio recording will include this type of Firewire controller.  However in the Macintosh line you have to purchase the top-of-the-line Mac Pro.  Check out our write-up called "Mac or PC for Recording?"

Once you have figured out how to get the audio digitized in the purest manner, you can easily add on channel strips and Tube preamp options to optimize & shape your sound before taking it into the digital domain.

Excellent entry-level choices are available from ART.   Products such as the   & the  are proven bets as well as being affordable compared to many other exotic brands.  

If you want serious world class sound and have the money to spend: stick with the  & the .  These are the ears that invented the original recording console.  He is responsible for the "Beetles Sound" and practically anyone else who really mattered ever since that time.   Other fancy brands on the market today what will take (a lot more of) your money.   Rupert is still pushing the envelope today: and is light-years ahead of the pack.  

Avalon Signal Processors are also relied on daily by top producers to achieve an unparalleled "silk" sound.

Making a Living with Audio & Video

If you want to run a studio that gets its bread and butter from both Pro Audio & Video post-production work: it might make the MOST sense to go with MOTU products all the way.   They offer powerful & affordable ways to get both the audio & hi-def video into your computer for editing.   They also offer a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) that is renowned for its ease of use in both Audio Production & Sound for Film & Video.  However if you plan to go this route: you will need to invest in a top-of-the-line Apple Macintosh – such as the

 typically starting at around $2500.

For Motu Audio See:

For Motu Video See:

 offers world class (also straight-forward) audio recording & midi sequencing tools while being especially adapted to creating sound for film & video.   This is the number one industry choice for Film/TV scoring and sound.

Windows PC Advantages

• You could get a fully-loaded recording PC for the comparable cost of an entry-level Mac.
• Specialty PC's makers can use the proper chipsets which support the best audio recording interfaces.
• Having a PC that is designed for recording can get you a pristine sound without pops, clicks and other interference.

See our Recommended Rain Desktop Pro Audio PC & Laptop Recording Computers from $1199.

A Quad Core PC based Recording Computer runs about $1499

(The Quad Core Mac Pro starts at $2499) See:

Which Recording Programs are Supported by your Computer?

The Apple Logic PRO program for Macintosh starts at close to $500.   Although loaded with serious value and professional features: It has been said to be very intimidating for a beginner.  

Mac's come with an excellent free recording application called "Garage Band".   It's possible to get started with almost no learning curve: however it does have limits and can become very expensive with all of the upgrades many users will want to add.

If you decide to go the Macintosh route check out the  to get world class sound right away with the minimum fuss!

An affordable way to go Mac is to start with a  for $599.  You won't be able to add any PCI cards to it and some Firewire interfaces may not work correctly with it.   However you WILL get a straight-forward route to recording world-class music if you combine it with the .   Other than getting a quality condenser microphone such as the & headphones or monitors: there is nothing more to purchase!

(You may want to invest in a quality keyboard controller to play the virtual instruments that come with the recording program. A good choice is the .  You will also need to purchase a separate computer screen to go with the Mac Mini.)

Our Recommended Cakewalk Sonar works on the PC.  

You can get started in Cakewalk Sonar for about $100.   This gets you a robust recording platform suitable for most recording projects: and also perfect for learning on.   As you get hungry for more features: you can upgrade to more deluxe versions.   It was developed in cooperation with Microsoft & Intel to work perfectly on the PC platform.   Even some veteran users of top-dog Protools HD have said they prefer Cakewalk Sonar. 

Built-in features make it very friendly for loop style music composition.   Build your own loops using rhythm step editing and playing each part with one finger if you like!   A refreshing advantage for those who love programs like Fruity Loops or have had to buy extra loops for Sony Acid.   Cut a simple guitar or bass riff and build a loop out of it.  Add a lush keyboard fill or a hot little vocal loop that YOU record on your own.
 

Another Great Option which works on both Mac and PC is called Ableton Live: a unique recording platform that allows you to get creative on the fly.  It also has an affordable, high-quality entry-level option for beginners.

System Issues to Consider

Watch out for Incompatible Audio Chip-sets

Many manufacturers (including Apple) have switched to cheaper Firewire controller chips, rather than the original ones developed by Texas Instruments.   As a result: many important audio interfaces quit working properly with these computers.  It can be very discouraging to get an expensive computer or audio interface: only to discover that they don't work together.

The Rain recording computers we recommend come with the right kind of Firewire connectors built in to the desk top models.  However with Laptops you must add an optional PCI express card with an integrated Texas Instruments Firewire Chipset.

Latency

Why should you care about Firewire?  Due to a problem called "latency".   Once a signal has been processed by your computer it might come back to your ear a fraction of a second later: so you are unable to monitor your performance using your reverb plugin for example.   Either you have to go through an outboard reverb or hear an uninspiring headphone mix. 

All though certain USB-based products such as our recommended Line 6 interfaces for guitarists have superb latency management features: the ideal situation for long-term growth is to be able to purchase the better quality Firewire-enabled recording interfaces.  

To understand which Firewire interfaces offer the most professional results at the lowest cost: check out our article called "Making Sense of Digital Technology".

Bad System Updates

Macs & Vista PCs have been plagued with issues where system performance becomes very slow after downloading official updates.   The only way to get the speed back to normal is to pull out the factory restore disks and set the system back to new.   You can always consider turning off the official updates in order to avoid performance degradation.

Contrary to popular notion: Mac's do get viruses and suffer from update issues just like Windows computers. 

Viruses  

Any device with a web browser (including your smart phone) uses something called Microsoft Active X – which basically sets you up to get Trojan viruses.   These nasty little vermin are designed to spy on whatever you type: in order to get personal data such as credit card info or social security numbers. 

This process is called key-stroke logging.

How do they get Away with this???

Illegal operations tap into system features designed to support legitimate advertisers.  

Most websites install cookies on your computer to track what you type and click on.   This helps marketers determine what you are into so they can place targeted ads on the pages you visit.   

The controls are usually loaded into your computer via the banner ads that come up on the page.   Since they come from a third party: the website has no way of knowing whether the banners on their site are legitimate or not!

Prevention Options

Nothing is 100% fool-proof.  However one excellent program that protects PCs, Macs, and even smart phones is called Avast.  

Avast typically warns you when you enter an infected website and scans everything as it happens.   With most security programs you only get scanned occasionally.

For recording purposes you want a fast computer.  Other programs typically slow you way down.   Avast is transparent: meaning that it never interferes with what you want to do.

HINTS:

TO IMPROVE YOUR PERFORMANCE NOW SIMPLY CLEAR YOUR BROWSING HISTORY & COOKIES! – They slow down your computer and allow advertisers to spy on you! 

HERE'S HOW:  – Just click the "tools" menu and select "internet options" or "clear private data". -