In the current business environment of the U.S. Latin music market there are so many opportunities that I marvel when I hear that business is not so good.  Never before since the impact of the digital era began to be experienced, about ten years ago, were there so many ways to exploit your music than now. 

Check this out -  to the traditional sources of income that a songwriter always had - mechanical, synch and public performance, you can now add the following:

• Videogames: SEGA, Wii, Xbox and many other companies are using more Latin songs every day, in their interest in the Latin market of the USA and Latin America.  Any of these games can sell millions of copies and generate big revenues for songwriters. 
• Ringtones/Ringtunes: At the new statutory rate of 24 cents, recently confirmed by the Royalty Tribunal, this type of song use is even more interesting than selling songs through iTunes or other internet retailers.  There is a huge amount of money in this type of use.  Mobile phone companies are very interested in using music to attract consumers for their new generation of cellular phones.
• Video Ringtones/Video Ringbacks/Video Streaming: Videos are increasingly becoming a hot product, either on your phone, or the internet, in social networks like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, etc.  The popularity of videos is growing and internet companies will pay big amounts to access the catalogs of major labels.
• Commercials: Advertising agencies were always there, but we are seeing a great increase in advertising campaigns directed to the Hispanic market, by companies like Western Union, State Farm, Verizon, Nissan, Corona, Chase Bank and Toyota, to name a few.  All of them use music by Latino artists and Latino songwriters, generating significant synchronization fees. 
• Digital Downloads: Although it seems Latino consumers do not use this system to purchase music, that is changing.  Record labels are increasingly offering their catalog and new releases through online retailers, and consumers are responding, especially the young and in the pop genre. The internet has reduced the world to the size of your computer screen.  You can now reach anybody, anywhere in the planet through the internet.  You can co-write songs with a songwriter in Argentina, Spain or Brazil.  You can show your songs, you can listen to other people's songs, you can collaborate, make versions and place songs, you can discover new artists for your songs, as well as new labels and publishers. 

So, with this many opportunities for your songs, you will realize that all it takes is to work hard, write good songs, and partner with a good independent music publisher! 

Hasta la proxima!

© Maximo Aguirre