the TrueFans AMP—Magazine Issue 133

Helping Music Artists build real careers 
—without selling their soul. 

____________________ 

“Hidden record deal deductions don’t usually announce themselves as dangerous. They arrive dressed as perks, bonuses, conveniences—or worse... as undefined  language.” 
—Matt Jacoby 

In This Issue... 17 pages (about 25ish minutes to read) You'll Get... 

• Recommends—The 10 Best Music Documentaries Ever Made 

• Greatest Music Artist of All Time—Adele: a Once-in-a-Generation Voice

• in partnership with Matt Jacoby and UpToEleven 

• Your BIZ—Hidden Record Deal Deductions by John Fogg after Eleven Music Career Center's Matt Jacoby 

 P.S. From PS—When Music Becomes the Megaphone

Here’s the playlist

Before the legend… there was the work. Before the myths… there were the moments no one saw. These 10 documentaries reveal how great Music Artists are really made. Edutainment—at it's best. 

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• Recommends—the 10 Best Music Documentaries Ever Made
From rock to soul, gospel to grunge—these films don’t just entertain. They reveal how greatness is built. And broken. And rebuilt.

For Music Artists, documentaries are more than nostalgia. They are masterclasses in performance, persona, resilience, and the transformational alchemy between artist and audience.

We’re drawing this list from a terrific roundup by Ysolt Usigan at Biography.com. We’ve summarized her picks here for you—and strongly recommend reading the original feature for deeper context and streaming info:

Tap for the original: the 10 Best Music Documentaries Ever Made

Now… the films.

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1. Madonna: Truth or Dare (1991)
Directed by Alek Keshishian, this behind-the-scenes look at Madonna during her Blond Ambition Tour pulled back the velvet rope in a way that felt almost scandalous in 1991.

She talked openly about sex, religion, fame, and LGBTQ+ issues when many artist avoided such territory. What you see is control—over image, message, and narrative.

This is branding before branding was a buzzword.

2. The Beatles: Eight Days a Week—The Touring Years (2016)
Directed by Ron Howard, this film captures The Beatles from 1962–1966—the touring years that changed music forever.

You witness hysteria, exhaustion, brotherhood, and the limits of live sound technology. You see how cultural earthquakes are made.

Study how momentum compounds—
and how it can overwhelm.

3. Amy (2015)
Directed by Asif Kapadia, Amy chronicles the meteoric rise and tragic fall of Amy Winehouse.

It is intimate, painful, and brilliant. Fame, addiction, media pressure—all laid bare.

Talent is not enough. Protection matters more. 
Boundaries matter most.

4. Don’t Look Back (1967)
D.A. Pennebaker’s cinéma vérité portrait of Bob Dylan during his 1965 UK tour remains one of the most influential music docs ever made.

You see Dylan sparring with reporters, engaging fans, and navigating sudden myth-status.

Mystery can be power. Especially 
refusing to explain yourself.

5. Amazing Grace (2018)
Filmed in 1972 and finally released decades later, this captures Aretha Franklin recording her gospel masterpiece in a Los Angeles church.

No spectacle. No production tricks. Just voice, spirit, and call-and-response electricity.

When the art is really real enough, 
nothing else is required.

6. Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck (2015)
An unfiltered portrait of Kurt Cobain of Nirvana.

Home videos. Journals. Animation. Raw interior life.

Authenticity attracts. 
It also exposes.

7. Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace and Music (Director’s Cut)
Michael Wadleigh’s legendary film of the 1969 festival in Bethel, New York—featuring Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who and many more.

Music as movement. Music as moment. Music as mirror of a generation.

Cultural timing can elevate performance
 into history.

8. The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean’s American Pie
A deep dive into the creation and meaning of Don McLean’s American Pie.

One song—if layered deeply enough
—can outlive you.

9. Tina Turner: Simply the Best (1991)
The journey of Tina Turner from Nutbush, Tennessee to global superstardom.

Resilience. Reinvention. Refusal to be defined by pain.

Reinvention is not betrayal. 
Sometimes it’s survival.

10. Soul Power (2008)
Chronicling the 1974 Zaire 74 festival featuring James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz and more—alongside the Ali vs. Foreman “Rumble in the Jungle.”

Music, politics, diaspora, pride.

Art travels. Identity goes with it.

Observe:
• How they handle press.
• How they command a stage.
• How they collapse.
• How they rebuild.
• How they turn Fans into TrueFans.

The invisible work is where the real education lives.

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About the Author
Ysolt Usigan is a lifestyle writer and editor whose work has appeared in Shape, TODAY, CBS News, HuffPost, Health, and more. She specializes in cultural storytelling and curated recommendations.

About Biography.com
Biography.com has been synonymous with compelling life stories since the 1960s television series Biography. The site covers historical and contemporary figures across music, sports, politics, science, entertainment, and more.

For Music Artists in particular, their musicians category is rich with in-depth profiles and career explorations. Tap here: Biography Musicians

Well worth bookmarking.

There are great singers. There are great songwriters. Then there are the rare few whose voice and pen are so inseparable that you cannot imagine one without the other. So rare. So Adele.

• Greatest Music Artist of All Time—Adele: a Once-in-a-Generation Voice

“Adele sings like heartbreak is a sacred text—and every note is scripture.”
— Elton John

From the moment Hometown Glory introduced her as a North London teenager with something to say, it was clear she was not chasing trends. She was chasing truth. And truth, when sung like Adele sings, changes the game for everybody. 

The Records That Rewrote the Rules
Let’s talk numbers—because with Adele, numbers matter.

19 (2008) announced her arrival.
21 (2011) detonated.

With Rolling in the Deep, Someone Like You, and Set Fire to the Rain, 21 became one of the best-selling albums of the 21st century. It has sold more than 30 million copies worldwide and spent 24 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. At a time when streaming was rising and album sales were collapsing, Adele proved that if the songs are undeniable, people will still buy the whole story.

Then came 25 (2015). Hello shattered digital sales records, moving over a million downloads in its first week in the U.S. alone. The album sold 3.38 million copies in its first week in America—the largest single-week sales figure in Nielsen history at the time.

Her fourth studio album, 30 (2021), was more introspective—divorce, motherhood, vulnerability laid bare. Easy On Me felt less like a comeback single and more like a confessional.

The common thread?
Adele doesn’t release content. 
She releases events.

Production: Classic Without Being Retro
Adele’s production aesthetic is deceptively simple.

She leans into piano, strings, live drums, space. The arrangements—often shaped with producers like Paul Epworth, Rick Rubin, Max Martin, Greg Kurstin—never overpower the lyric. They elevate it.

The sonic blueprint pulls from soul legends like Aretha Franklin and Etta James, but it never feels like imitation. It feels like inheritance.

“She proved that real songwriting still wins.”
— Taylor Swift

In an era of maximalism and digital gloss, Adele’s records breathe. Silence is allowed. Crescendos are earned. The hook isn’t always a beat drop—it’s a line that pierces.

For Singer Songwriters reading this: production is not about layering more. It’s about revealing more.

The Voice as Instrument—and Weapon
Technically, Adele is a powerhouse contralto with astonishing control. But what separates her is not range—it’s restraint.

She can belt.
She can whisper.
She can break.

And when her voice cracks, it doesn’t feel like a flaw. It feels like permission.

“When Adele sings, the whole room listens. That’s power.”
— Alicia Keys

Concert footage from her tours—especially the 21 and 25 global tours—show arenas hanging on her breath. She speaks candidly between songs. She laughs. She swears. She cries. She makes 60,000 people feel like they’re in her living room.

That intimacy at scale? That’s rare air.

Awards, Recognition, and Cultural Impact
Adele has won 16 Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year twice (for 21 and 25). She famously swept the “Big Three” categories in a single night—Record, Song, and Album of the Year—twice. Only a handful of artists have done that.

She won an Academy Award for Skyfall, her James Bond theme—proving she could step into a franchise and still sound unmistakably herself.

And perhaps most tellingly, when she won Album of the Year in 2017, she used her acceptance speech to praise Beyoncé. She bent the spotlight toward another artist. That moment said as much about her character as her catalog.

The Songs That Became Standards
Rolling in the Deep.
Someone Like You.
Hello.
Skyfall.
When We Were Young.
Easy On Me.

These aren’t just hits. They’re modern standards. They’ve been covered on talent shows, in wedding bands, in open mics, in living rooms. They’ve entered the shared emotional vocabulary of a generation.

And that is the mark of the greatest Singer Songwriters.

The Human Behind the Voice
For all the sales records and standing ovations, what makes Adele endure is something simpler: she feels real.

She laughs at herself on stage. She swears freely. She cries without apology. When she won Album of the Year and publicly honored Beyoncé, it wasn’t performance—it was respect.

She stepped away from the spotlight to raise her son. She chose life over perpetual visibility. She has spoken openly about therapy, growth, heartbreak, and healing—not as branding, but as living.

Great artists move culture. 
Great human beings move people.
Adele... Both.

That's what anchors her character without turning it into sainthood.

Her greatness isn’t just sonic. It’s moral gravity.

Adele on Songwriting and Music

“I don’t make music for eyes. I make music for ears.”

“My songs are very personal. They’re my diary. I can’t fake it.”

She writes from lived experience—breakups, longing, motherhood, regret, resilience. There’s no elaborate metaphor maze. The power lies in clarity.

For Singer Songwriters: Adele reminds us that plainspoken truth, delivered with conviction, can cut deeper than cleverness.

“Adele writes songs that feel like they’ve always existed.”
—Ed Sheeran

Personal High Points and Struggles
Adele has been open about stage fright, vocal cord surgery, the pressures of fame. She stepped away for years between albums—choosing life over relentless visibility.

Her marriage to Simon Konecki, her divorce, and her journey into motherhood deeply shaped 25 and 30. Instead of hiding heartbreak, she built an album around explaining divorce to her son.

That level of vulnerability—especially at superstar 
scale—is not just brave. It’s pioneering.

Politically, Adele has supported LGBTQ+ rights, spoken openly about feminism, and used her platform to advocate for body positivity and authenticity. She has refused to shrink herself—physically or artistically—to fit industry expectations.

Influence on Other Singer Songwriters
You can hear Adele’s imprint across contemporary pop and soul. The resurgence of piano-driven ballads. The embrace of raw vocal takes. The willingness to let a song breathe without chasing TikTok tempo.

Artists from Sam Smith to Lewis Capaldi to Olivia Rodrigo have acknowledged her emotional directness as formative.

“Adele brought the art of the ballad back to the center of pop music.”
— Bruno Mars

She proved that you can dominate charts without sacrificing songwriting integrity.

And perhaps more importantly for our AMP readers—she proved that the Singer Songwriter can still sit at the center of pop culture.

Collaborations and Selectivity
Unlike many peers, Adele is selective with collaborations. She doesn’t flood features. When she joins forces—whether with producers like Epworth or Max Martin—it’s in service of the song.

That restraint protects the brand.

Every Adele release feels curated, not commoditized.

The Enduring Legacy
Adele did something that shouldn’t have worked.

She slowed things down in a fast world.
She made heartbreak cinematic in a singles-driven market.
She made albums matter again.

“She makes it okay to be vulnerable in a world that tells you to be invincible.”
— Sam Smith

Her legacy is not just in record sales. It’s in reminding the industry that authenticity scales. That emotional truth travels. That vulnerability is not weakness—it’s leverage.

For Singer Songwriters building your careers in the Passion Economy, here’s the lesson:

Write what you mean.
Sing it like you mean it.
Release it when it’s ready—not when the algorithm demands it.

Adele’s voice is not just powerful. It’s patient.

And patience—paired with truth—is timeless.

In the pantheon of the Greatest Greatest Singer Songwriters of All Time, Adele stands not because she chased the moment, but because she defined it.

And decades from now, when someone sits at a piano and sings about love lost and hope found, there will be a little bit of Adele in the room.

That’s legacy.
That’s forever.

“She’s the most important voice of her generation—there’s no one who connects emotion to melody the way she does.”
— Beyoncé  

• in partnership with UpToEleven and Matt Jacoby

Most music artists think the danger in a record deal lives in the royalty rate.
It doesn’t. Here's what labels take before you ever see a dollar.

• Your BIZ — Hidden Record Deal Deductions by John Fogg after Eleven Music Career Center's Matt Jacoby

As said in the intro: Most music artists think the danger in a record deal lives in the royalty rate. It doesn’t.

The real damage often happens before royalties are ever calculated—inside a maze of deductions that quietly drain revenue long before a penny reaches you. Even “fair” deals can be designed so you never recoup. Ever.

That’s the heart of what Matt Jacoby lays bare in his Watch for Hidden Record Deal Deductions breakdown—and it’s required reading (or watching) for any artist still tempted by a traditional deal.

To watch the video, tap here: Watch for Hidden Record Deal Deductions

Let’s walk through what matters most.

Royalties Are Paid After Deductions—Not Before
Here’s the first truth most contracts bury in plain sight:

Record labels deduct expenses before 
paying you one cent in royalties.

That means even if your royalty rate looks respectable—10%, 15%, sometimes more—it’s applied only after the label recoups its costs. And those costs can be extensive… and elastic.

This is where artists get trapped.

The Deductions That Sound Normal (and Usually Are)
Some deductions are standard and expected. No red flags here—as long as they’re clearly defined and capped.

Typical examples include:

• Recording costs (studio time, producers, engineers)
• Music video production
• Physical manufacturing (vinyl, CDs, packaging)
• Distribution and delivery expenses

These are real costs. They’re not the problem.

The problem begins when the contract goes vague.

Where “Standard” Quietly Turns Predatory
Hidden record deal deductions don’t usually announce themselves as dangerous. They arrive dressed as perks, bonuses, conveniences—or worse... as undefined language.

Jacoby’s warning is blunt:

Nothing is free in a label deal. Nothing!

Catering. Travel upgrades. Promo “support.” Extra marketing pushes. Special favors that feel like belief in you.

All of it eventually shows up on the recoupment tab.

And when deduction language is fuzzy, labels gain unlimited power to charge those costs back to you.

The Language That Should Stop You Cold
If you see any of the following, slow way down—or walk away.

• Vaguely defined expense categories
• “Overhead” or “administrative” deductions
• Marketing or promotion costs with no cap
• “Reasonable expenses” with no definition of reasonable
• “Other costs” or “unknown expenses”

These phrases sound harmless. They are not.

They are blank checks.

Not made out to you.

The Recoupment Trap—By the Numbers
Here’s the math that quietly ends most artists’ royalty dreams:

• Album costs $200,000 to record and promote
• You earn a 10% royalty rate
• That album must generate $2,000,000+ before you see a dollar
• Most albums never recoup

The label still profits—through ownership, control, and accounting.
You stay in debt.

This is not a failure. It’s the system 
working exactly as designed.

When Walking Away is the Smartest Move
Jacoby’s guidance here is simple—and hard earned

Walk away if the contract includes:
• Undefined or expandable deduction categories
• No limits on marketing or promotional spend
• Language that gives the label unilateral discretion
• Anything you “don’t quite understand” but are told is standard

You are never required to sign.
And once you do, there’s no rewind button.

Your Protection Plan (If You’re Still Considering a Deal)
If a label offer is on the table:

• Hire an experienced entertainment attorney
• Demand clear, written definitions of all deductions
• Negotiate caps—especially on marketing spend
• Assume you may never recoup
• Compare the deal honestly to staying independent

For many artists, independence isn’t just creatively 
healthier—it’s financially smarter.

Final Thought
Hidden record deal deductions aren’t an accident. They’re a feature.
Understanding them doesn’t make you cynical. It makes you prepared.
And preparation, in this business, is freedom.

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Please read the • in partnership with... piece above to learn more about Matt and his Eleven Music Career Center

“We are living through dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair—the cavalry is coming!” 
—Bruce Springsteen

• P.S. From PS—When Music Becomes the Megaphone
Something extraordinary is happening. Right now. And Music Artists are leading the way. 

This week, U2 dropped American Obituary—a raw, punk-charged tribute to Renée Good, the Minneapolis mother killed by federal agents. Weeks earlier, Bruce Springsteen wrote, recorded, and released Streets of Minneapolis. The day it was released it hit #1 on iTunes. Five million views in two days. And the Boss the E Street Band just announced the ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ U.S. Tour. First stop; Minneapolis. Before that, the cavalry: Billie Eilish, Tom Morello, Olivia Rodrigo, “ICE Out” Bad Bunny at the Grammys, Dave Matthews, Billy Bragg all stepped up to the mics. 

When “It's Time... for a Change. Big Time. 
Past Time,” Music Artists lead. 

And the world either follows or gets out of the way.

Nostalgia for the 60s? Hardly. The Times they are a changing. Yes. With a turbo charger that's had 50 years of music biz evolution strapped on it.

The speed and reach with which music can travel now from a moment of awareness to outrage to a moment of unity-in-action is unlike anything Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, or Dylan could have imagined. And the impact? We shall see... 

My guess is... We shall overcome

Music has always been the voice for those who lack one... a megaphone for “We the People” who want it loud and louder. Not every artist needs to write a protest song—but every artist does have the choice of whether to stand up and be counted. History will remember those who did.

I believe the stage—wherever it is—is the mountain top as Dr. King described. It's sacred ground (take off your sandals). 

Use it. Wisely. 
Use it. Boldly. 
Use it.

Today, more of the world is listening than ever before.

Thanks for reading. Give us your feedback.

And PLEASE, if you've got any Music Artist friends, pass the TrueFans AMP™ on, because... It’s Time... for a Change. Big Time. Past Time...