GETM
- Jan 27
- 7 min read

The Music Industry = The Human Condition

♫♫♫READ ALONG BELOW♫♫♫

GETM Presents: 'The Music Industry = The Human Condition: Know Your Place'

Below is a text version of the video as well as citations and some definitions for terms GETM found commonly misunderstood or not understood.

~KNOW YOUR PLACE~

INTRODUCTION:

I am Jacob Skelly, also known by my artist name ‘Skweeze Get’m’ of GETM Records and Get’m Productions.

The music industry nowadays has a lot of misconceptions and jaded views of its actual operation. I have nationally toured. In my pursuit of purpose in music, I have been afforded the blessing, to be able to say I have worked with major labels, minor labels, major artists, local artists, songwriters, producers, mixing engineers, mastering engineers, promoters, musicians, composers, tour routing specialists, managers, A & R’s, data analysts, marketing specialists, live sound technicians, A1 Techs, A2 Techs, board op’s, security specialists, distributors, music managers, bloggers, etc etc etc… As you can see, the scope of responsibility and knowledge of ability plays a crucial and fundamental role in success.

THE PROCESS:

There are obviously endless avenues to decide on when & how to move when embarking on an endeavor with so many variables. So I will, for this portion of our little video; Describe the simplest process one could go through to obtain success in MUSIC.

Lets say: A songwriter/musician has drafted a composition, they now want to embark on the “work” (“work” meaning the “musical/lyric writing/composition”) being used to seek out a fiscal or moral/ethical return. So, the songwriter goes to a producer. The producer is to collaborate sounds and breathe life into the “work”. The producer then will, (sticking to simplicity here) deliver the work RAW files to a mixing engineer. The responsibility of this portion of the process is to get all elements in the overall composition to be at a distinguishable and pleasing level.

A great mixing engineer will then provide a stereo/mono formatted track, well, two of each, one that is leveled at -1dBufs and another that is -18dBufs. The first being a good listenable project for those invested in the venture, the latter being used in the next step of the process. Once the team is pleased with the overall vibe of the recording; A mastering engineer is the next stop for this little baby. The mastering engineer uses the -18dBufs track (work to be constructed into final file/media) and the -1dBufs track (leveled and mixed, overall aim and vibe is apparent). He/She will take the overall vibe of the “reference track” (-1dBufs) to know what must be amplified. The overall scope being that the final project should be 2x-4x the vibe/feeling of the initial reference.

Once it is to the mastering engineer’s standards and approval, the team will be provided final files.

We will end our example here. Know that this is the most general methodology of creating music successfully.

THE CHOICES:

Marketing, distribution, promotion, & licensing are the main focus of this section.

The team now must decide their resources and what they are willing to commit their time, money, and focus to. What Distributor will you use? Do you have a major distribution contract? Is the song licensed and copyrighted correctly? Is there a publishing agreement in effect? Is there a filed and easily citable split sheet?

This section is titled “The Choices” and ironically, I proudly can say… Do you fall under the scope of a responsibility that I have discussed yet? If not, are you an artist? Funny enough, we all are artists. Human beings are art. The art of mother earth and a spark of consciousness. However, I have, in my almost 3 decades of existence, seen the quality of life dramatically and exponentially degrade. As sound is of FOUNDATIONAL importance, true professionals, real songwriters, real producers, real engineers, real musicians; MUST GANG UP. Because as I said, ANYONE is a REAL ARTIST, just by being. MUSIC ARTISTS have become flooded with depreciation of their role in today’s quality of life. AND IT IS ALL CURRENCY’S FAULT, well, I say that with malice to my goal, because it’s actually due to the lack of REAL CURRENCY. To my universe, I pledge my life’s purpose to be providing real currency, not peso’s, dollars, yen, frank’s, BUT sound and wisdom. I know sound and wisdom doesn’t please ‘big brother’ but that isn’t us. We aren’t ‘big brother’. We are professionals allowing the pursuit of MONEY to infect REAL CURRENCY and in turn; influencing, progressing, and aiding THE END. If you are a music professional pushing to get jobs done just to meet quotas, deadlines, and contractual obligations, or to ensure exposure. REMEMBER that the Archaic Egyptians do not know we cherish their wall art. Van Gogh doesn’t know his paintings are in museums. Bach doesn’t know his compositions are held with evolutionary importance.... (wild tangent about the evolution of cognition that was cut, for sake of subject focal priority) I love the music industry, however, my morals, ethics, and personal beliefs have stunted every chance to have success, due to flooding and the over-saturation in the cup ALL music professionals drink from. Mainly because it is being siphoned by CAPITALIST PIGS.

If you make MUSIC. Let’s create the next big thing. The real takeover. The accolades of music can be seen as a good attempt. There is no shame in a failure, if you are a pro, you know failure is what has defined you. I would much rather see the overall amount of music and funding in music come to a complete end, than continue to allow facades and disingenuous people to further an industry with a smile on their face; Ignoring the DAILY murder’s, rape’s, robberies, back stabs, and deceit, portraying as though MUSIC doesn’t play a FOUNDATIONAL ROLE in the human condition. The same guy profiting from sound nowadays, when looking into the overall most funded professional music sectors, is the same guy who would say “Our new artists’ song entitled “Shoot first, f*** their thot after” had nothing to do with that shooting and rape. It is debauchery to try to attribute a person's decision to the music we all hear.”

So, truly, your choices are… collaborate with me on ideas on how we could fix the problem, or skip to the end and that is your choice. (collaborate meaning the way Dr. Dre and Eminem collaborated, or how those two both collaborated with Johan Bach)

THE TRUTH:

Music makes the world. If you are in a spot to be blessed to have a place or the knowledge to be in a place where you provide sound and feel purposeful doing so, REACH OUT TO ME jacob@GETMrecords.com (Make subject line: “***MUSIC IMPORTANCE***”). If you are seeing or reading this and you think anything I just said is BS, crazy, or wrong. SIT DOWN, LITTLE BOY.