How the music business works in 2026
How we went from physical records and CDs to streaming beats and digital bits, and how the music creators got short changed.
Marlin’s Substack
I was deeply embedded in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama music scene. I worked as engineer/producer with many artists. I will pass along some stories from time to time.
Live Last read · last published · next check
Latest posts
Sour Notes in Music City
Why I left the Music Business in the same place where it started.
Elektra Records - Los Angeles in the 70s
Elektra Records in the 70s
Adventures of a Novice Recording Engineer at Muscle Shoals Sound Studio
I've written about my early music adventures as musician and performer in other articles on Substack, but this is the story of how I got into session work — mixing and producing at the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio.
Sacred Harp and Shape Note Singing
I'm not a historian nor a music scholar, but I was there at the beginning—a firsthand witness to what I'm about to tell you.
Time For Artists to Adapt to the New Technology?
I closed my web service, 3hats.com, last September to pursue computer-assisted design projects.
Secret Document Recovered from UFO?
You can bet that this revelation will not be released through normal channels.
Book Design, Self-publishing, and AI
This post will hopefully be of interest to self-publishing authors, book designers and AI artists, but read it if you are curious about these topics.
Adventures On I-40 and Beyond
You can experience strange things when driving cross-country alone — even if you're not stoned.
Swaziland Safari
Being the producer of Percy Sledge brings a fringe benefit.