SoundExchange is the non-profit performance rights organization that collects royalties from satellite radio, internet radio, cable TV music channels and similar platforms for streaming sound recordings.  SoundExchangeis  the sole entity in the United States to collect and distribute these digital performance royalties for artists, master rights owners, and independent artists who record and own their masters.

Where does the album artwork on my player come from?  It is a common question in this digital age.  Various players, like iTunes and Window Media Player, download the album artwork (along with the track names) from an online database like the Gracenote CDDB or the All Music Guide.  This information is not actually on a CD itself, but foun

Run by Nielsen, Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada.  They have been tracking sales since March of 1991. It is a common misconception that RIAA uses the Soundscan information to track sales and certify Gold and Platinum sales etc.  They do not.

Austin-based mastering studio, Terra Nova Digital Audio, Inc., will celebrate 20 years in the music industry this week.

Thousands of musicians, including Willie Nelson, Townes Van Zandt, Marcia Ball, Johnny Cash, Eric Johnson, John Lennon and other well-known artists, have made their way through the studio, which opened in October of 1990.

Today I'm mastering my 1,000th album. It's a project that was recorded at Cristobal studios, owned by my friend Chris Kipp. Having a lot of fun and excited about the future.

Nick Landis masters his 1,000th album today.

Blue Book is the name given to the Enhanced Music CD or CD-Plus (a dual session yellow/red books) format. Its name comes from the series of books, also called the 'Rainbow Books' that define all compact disc formats. The first session on the disc is a red book session and can be played on any CD player. The second session is a yellowbook session. This can be any data readable by a computer. There is almost no limit to what you can add to you audio CD release.

Yellow Book is the name given to the data compact disc (a common CD-ROM) format. Its name comes from the series of books, also called the 'Rainbow Books' that define all compact disc formats. It was developed by the creator of the compact disc, Sony/Phillips, and is now one of the most common CD formats.

The music industry is changing fast.  Quickly, the independent artist is gaining ground in the music industry.  This February, an independent artist won a Grammy for "Album of the Year."  Actually, it is the second year in a row that an independent artist has won this most prestigious award.  Thirty "Best Album" awards in various categories were awarded to independent artists.  Of the 109 awards given that day, forty-three went to independent artists.  Also, inde