Ian Bolender's Profile

Sampling has always been a controversial subject. Some people say that by taking a portion of someone else’s work you are stealing it. Others say that it is just another form of appropriation, which is evident in art throughout history. The fact of the matter is that there are only so many ways...

Once your band starts getting a good amount of shows you may start thinking about opening a bank account, buying a van or trailer, selling merch online, or protecting yourselves from legal issues. If not, you should really consider all of the above. Once you start earning money you have to file...

I think it’s important to realize that there are two things everyone from a bar owner to an international promoter care about: Ticket sales and concession sales. If you want to have the opportunity to headline shows on the weekends, open for national artists, or go on tour you need to keep those...

Every time your music is played on a radio station, in a bar, during a hockey game, or anywhere else publicly you are supposed to be compensated. This poses a major problem. How are you supposed to know who is playing your music & where you should send the invoices? On the other side of the...

In 1989 the United States took the position of the Berne Convention, stating that copyright is automatically the right of the creator of a work as soon as it is in a tangible form. For years I believed that all you need to do is pop your CD in an envelope, send it to yourself, and never open it....