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The Muse's News |
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Issue 5.3 - June 2002
ISSN 1480-6975
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I n T h i s I s s u e :
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@-- Editor's Musings
@-- Copyright & Publishing Q&A with Nancy A. Reece from Carpe Diem
Copyright Management
@-- Music Reviews - by Ben Ohmart & Eliot Popkin
@-- Songwriting Book Review - by James Linderman
@-- Musical Notes - Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
@-- Muse's Clues - Songwriting Web sites that inspire - brought
to you by singer/songwriter & teacher, Irene Jackson.
@-- Featured Article - MUSIC PUBLISHING 101 by Steven Hudis
@-- Songwriter In Spotlight - Randy Jackson
@-- On Site Featured Article - An article already online for your
viewing pleasure.
@-- Classifieds & Useful Services
@-- Contact information
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ISSN 1480-6975. Copyright 1998 - 2002, Jodi Krangle. For more
contact information, see end of issue.
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THINK YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO SIGN A MUSIC PUBLISHING DEAL?
Brought to you by Universal Music Group, Songwriting and Publishing
is an instructional video that teaches you everything you need to
know to write a successful song and sign a lucrative publishing
deal. Purchase the video and we GUARANTEE a Universal A&R executive
will review your lyrics and send you WRITTEN FEEDBACK. We'll even
give you the chance to win a $1,000 publishing deal with Universal
Music Publishing Group.
http://www.insidesessions.com/products/songwriting/?rid=1051
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E d i t o r ' s M u s i n g s :
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Hi everyone. I'm going to keep this Musing pretty short. There
are lots of new articles on the site contributed by the columnists.
Have a look at http://www.musesmuse.com/menu-columnists.html for
more info. There are more sections in the works so stay tuned.
My apologies for the delay in new Radio Muse shows. The show is
still going strong, but life has gotten in the way recently. I'll
make an announcement when the next show is available for folks to
listen to and until then, I thank you all for your patience.
The raffle winners for this month are Rodney Overton from Austin,
TX, who has won a copy of VSS's extremely useful Lyricist product,
(for a review of Lyricist, see www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html )
and Shawn C. Downs from East Dublin, GA, who has won a copy of
SONG WRITING - FROM IDEAS TO ROYALTIES by Joe Keene (also reviewed
later on in this newsletter).
Have a wonderful month, everyone!
All the best,
--Jodi
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DEADLINE LOOMS: USA SONGWRITING COMPETITION
HURRY! Don't miss your last chance to enter this year - enter the
2002 USA Songwriting Competition now! This is an international
songwriting competition with entrants coming from 70 different
countries. Win a grand prize of over US$50,000 in cash and
merchandise and exposure, making this the largest prize package in
any annual songwriting competition! Winning songs get radio
airplay. Judges include record labels such as Warner/Reprise
Records, SONY Music, Epic Records, etc.
All entries must be postmarked no later than June 4, 2002 -
exclusively only for Muse's Muse readers. Click here for the
application form: http://www.songwriting.net/mm.html
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C o p y r i g h t & P u b l i s h i n g Q & A :
With Licensing executive Nancy A. Reece
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TOPIC: COLLABORATION
Q: Hi. I have written some songs with a co-writer and we have
agreed to a 50/50 split on everything. I would like to assign a
percentage of any royalties from the publisher's share to a
sponsor. Can I do this from my half of the publisher's rights or
does it have to be a joint decision between myself and my
co-writer? Thanks for any help you can offer.
--------
A: You may assign any portion of your ownership. You may not
assign more than your 50%. You will want to give notice to your
collaborator of the publisher relationship so that they are current
with records as well.
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TOPIC: REGISTRATION
Q: Dear Nancy, I am a songwriter, my question deals with the 9/11
event. I heard the copyright office is 2-3 months behind schedule
because of this. I am in the process of submitting a song to a
major act, if copyrighting is pending, I know to indicate this on
material. But doesn't the publisher/label of the artist claim a
copyright on the song also? Or because I would have submitted this
independently, will all rights be mine to keep?
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A: The delay at the US Copyright Office is not a problem to you,
don't let it frustrate you. If you are asked for the copyright
registration number just tell the inquiring party that it is
PENDING. Do not confuse the copyright of the underlying work; the
song, with the copyright of the sound recording. The party owning
the recording does NOT automatically have ownership in the song.
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TOPIC: PUBLISHING AGREEMENTS
Q: Hello Ms. Reece, What an excellent service you provide through
muse muse that I discovered recently! Thank you so very much for
lending a hand to us who are working so hard to fulfill our dreams
and aspirations. I am an author and photographer, with my own
publishing house. Since I am a songwriter also, I am considering
using my pub house for my songwriting also. But can this be done
legally?
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A: Thank you for the compliment.
Anyone can be a publisher. Being an effective publisher is the
challenge. I would suggest considering a music publishing division
of your existing book publishing company. Please read the How TO
Start You Own Publishing Company article on the Muse's Muse site.
http://www.musesmuse.com/2.0-March99.html#nancy
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TOPIC: PUBLISHING DEALS
Q: I have a music library/publisher interested in one of my
instrumental compositions, If the deal goes through the publishing
will be 50/50 and the instrumental will potentially be placed on
film/tv. I also want to pitch this piece as a song (with lyrics),
can I do this? would the publishing still be 50/50 even though the
song has been added to? What would happen if I get a different
publisher interested in the full song... how would I accommodate a
royalty split for the publisher? I hope... know you can help me
with this one, it must happen frequently in the business. Thank-you
so much!
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A: The content of your agreement is extremely important. The song
is more than likely one copyright with or without lyric. A
publisher split would leave you with ownership of 50%. If you have
another publisher interested you may only assign that left over
50%. Administration rights are important to understand so that you
know which owner is responsible for those duties. Also, it is
important to understand the right to assign. Please have an
entertainment attorney help you with the paperwork.
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TO VIEW OTHER QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES, SEE NANCY'S "COPYRIGHT &
PUBLISHING Q&A" ONLINE AT http://www.musesmuse.com/pubq-a.html
Please note: She receives a *lot* of e-mail in a month. If you
sent in a question but have not heard a reply, it's very likely it
already *has* an answer online. It's always a good idea to
thoroughly look through the Q&A's online to see if your question
has already been asked before you send in a request. Thanks!
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*****
ABOUT NANCY A. REECE:
Carpe Diem Copyright Management's owner and president, Nancy A. Reece has
been involved in the music business since 1983. She was the president of an
independent advertising agency for eight years as well as a successful
personal artist manager for nine years. She represented the careers of
several recording artists and songwriters including those with EMI, Zomba
and Liberty Records as well as Benson, Starsong, WoodBridge, Temple Hall and
N'Soul Records. She also represented, for a number of years, a Grammy and
Dove nominated record producer. Reece has won awards of excellence in print
magazine advertising and has been named as one of 2,000 Notable American
Women (1995) as well as being listed in the International Who's Who of
Professional and Business Women (1993). She was also named Cashbox
Magazine's Promoter of the Year (1989). In addition to her work at Carpe
Diem Copyright Management, Reece works at a performing rights organization
in the United States and is an accomplished contemporary artist working in
abstract and multimedia on canvas and wood.
**If you would like to ask Nancy a question, you can send your
e-mail to Nancy at nreece@musesmuse.com . She can't guarantee
she'll get to all of the questions, but she'll certainly try.**
Back to Menu
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M u s i c R e v i e w s : by Ben Ohmart & Eliot Popkin
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Miggs - Anyway (by Eliot Popkin)
Miggs is a 4-piece outfit with a real engaging pop/rock sound. The
disc begins with the radio-friendly "I Won't Lie To You" in which
the very honest lyric says "I've done some awful things before and
I'm bound to do so many more." I always like it when people just
lay things on the line. Hearing just 20 seconds of this disc, you
know this is a great band to see live. Another real winner here is
"Grace" in which yet another real in-your-face lyric grabs the
listener with "So now that you've stepped down from grace, can you
look me in the eyes and see, it's just you and me and the one I
wanted you to be." Well, alrighty then.
My favorite here is "Taste", in which lead singer Don lets his
voice rise and fall into a beautiful falsetto "Let me go, let me
be..." Miggs has a great sound overall. Their musicianship is very
strong, the disc is mixed and mastered professionally and their
songs have pleasing melodies with very memorable stories. Even
their CD jacket is cool to look at. I can see them making it in the
big leagues. They have a great product and hopefully with a little
luck, they can get their shot at a home run. Way to go guys. To
give out my 3rd coveted Top 10 spot of the year: "Anyway" by Miggs
is one the top 10 CDs of 2002. Congratulations.
Contact: (415) 290-2463
miggs@selfishmusic.com
http://www.miggsband.com/
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OTHER NEW MUSIC REVIEWS SINCE LAST MONTH INCLUDE:
Jen Chapin & Stephan Crump - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000191.html
Return To Serenity - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000195.html
David Steele - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000197.html
Tribal Groove (Compilation) - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000193.html
Larry Kucharz - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000192.html
69 Duster - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000200.html
Arctic - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000201.html
Leah Zicari - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000202.html
Andie Pierkins - (by Eliot Popkin)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000204.html
The Residents - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000207.html
Tricia Greenwood - (by Ben Ohmart)
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000208.html
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******
Ben lives in Boalsburg, PA where greedy people want to put up
condos in place of a nature preserve. He spends his off hours
listening to radio comedy - especially British - loves reading and
watching horror, and hates trying to make ends meet. Send him money
and gifts. While waiting for bribes, he's currently writing the
official biographies of The Bickersons, Paul Frees and Daws Butler.
His latest bit of immortality? The text for bickersons.com.
Contact him at: ohmart@musesmuse.com.
Eliot is a Boston born singer/songwriter who saw his debut album
"Down Along This Road" have 3 songs find their way into movies,
radio airplay on more than 100 stations across the country as well
as countless wonderful reviews and feature stories. He currently is
writing songs for various major label and film projects, and is in
the studio working on his follow up album. He lives in Los Angeles,
enjoying a nice view of the Hollywood sign. To hear his music, drop
by his web site at http://www.mp3.com/eliotpopkin .
Contact him at: eliotpopkin@musesmail.com
If you're considering sending in your own CD for review, please
drop by http://www.musesmuse.com/musicreviews.html to find out
which reviewer reviews which genre. Thanks!
Back to Menu
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S o n g w r i t i n g B o o k R e v i e w : by James Linderman
Song Writing - From Ideas to Royalties - By Joe Keene
http://www.skywardpublishing.com/Books/songwritingmuse.htm
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This book begins with the quote "It all begins with a song" which
is the motto of the Nashville Songwriters association and the
perfect expression of how most songwriters feel about their
importance in the music business.
That's why it's great to see another book that puts songwriters
first, by providing an overview of the entire process of making
songs from ideas and then having some idea of how to turn those
songs into money. Money to help pay for the Porsche, the yacht, the
summer home in the Hampton's and of course all the other fun, life
has to offer.
Joe Keene has a Nashville past, co-writing a song on a Charlie
Pride record but has the added bonus of being the author of several
fiction books and stage plays.
The first chapter, as the title suggests, illustrates where a
songwriter might look for song ideas to get started... like a good
story line... like how they write songs in Nashville every day.
Chapter two takes a look at titles, expressing their importance and
offering up a few examples. This is another Nashville convention,
where it is sometimes said that once you have a great title, you
already have your song half written.
The third chapter explains how to use synopsis, a capsulation of
your song's "story" into a few lines of who, what, where, when, why
and how. This is a good idea that is shared by many songwriting
experts and is great advice for those purely "organic" songwriters
(those who just write from inspiration) and who might be looking
for a more reliable and methodical approach.
There are also short chapters on rhythm, melody, chords and
imagery, right through the process to copyright, and as the title
suggests, royalties.
This would be a good little book for someone just starting out in
Nashville-style songwriting and wanting a basic overview of how the
process works before moving on to the more in-depth Jason Blume or
Pat Pattison kinds of books.
******
James Linderman lives and works at theharmonyhouse, a music lesson,
songwriting and music pre-production facility in Newmarket,
Ontario, Canada. He has worked as a collaborating songwriter and
consultant for The Toronto Office of Catholic Youth and leads a
music workshop program for Life 100.3 Christian radio. James writes
songwriting articles for The Muse's News web magazine, Canadian
Musician Magazine and Professional Musician Magazine.
Contact James at: theharmonyhouse@rogers.com
Back to Menu
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S p o n s o r M e s s a g e :
(Please support the sponsors that support this newsletter! Thanks!)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UNLEASH THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THE INTERNET WITH SONGSCOPE.COM!
SongScope is a valuable tool enabling you to build an on-line song
catalog, accessible only by proven industry professionals. Receive
FREE email informing you every time record producers and industry
professionals make requests. Song listings are only $29.95 per
year. An ecommerce enabled marketing/promotion page and tour
calendar are also available for performing songwriters to get
further artist exposure.
See http://www.musesmuse.com/songscope.html for details or contact:
writerinfo@songscope.com ~ Tel: 770.754.4543
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M u s i c a l N o t e s : Songwriting Contests & Market Info.
In the interest of conserving space, I will only be including
changes to this listing in this newsletter. All other contests
and market information that have already been listed here, are
displayed at http://www.musesmuse.com/contests.html &
http://www.musesmuse.com/markets.html . Please check there
regularly for updates!
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'RADIO MUSE' WEBCAST FOR INDEPENDENT SONGWRITERS - SEEKING MUSIC!
The Muse's Muse & Host, Jan Best of Independent Songwriter
Web-Magazine, are putting together a series of shows, one every
month, featuring the songs of independent songwriters just like
you! See http://www.musesmuse.com/radiomuse.html for details on how
you can send in your own music for consideration.
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EPIC RECORDS VP OF A&R LOOKING FOR SONGS FOR MANDY MOORE!
Tonos hosts many songwriting contests and Industry Opportunities
specifically for songwriters every month. March contests include:
* Epic Records VP of A&R Looking for Songs for Mandy Moore! - Mandy
is getting ready to record her fourth album and her A&R exec at
Epic Records has come to Tonos looking for great pop songs for
possible inclusion on her upcoming CD.
* Babyface Wants Songs for Toni Braxton! - Tonos co-founder Kenny
"Babyface" Edmonds is looking for songs for R&B superstar Toni
Braxton. Toni is ready to climb the pop and R&B charts again. Do
you have a hit song for her? Babyface will be listening to tonosPRO
material submitted to this INCREDIBLE Industry Opportunity.
* Jive Records Wants Tonos Rock Artists Or Bands!- Jive Records,
best known as the home for pop sensations Britney Spears and 'N
Sync, R&B crooner Joe, and rappers A Tribe Called Quest, is now
ready to conquer the rock market. This is the chance for tonosPRO
rock acts to get their music heard by Jive's VP of A&R, However,
he's not looking for just any performer, but performers that have a
fan base, have already sold some CDs, and are fully armed with
radio-ready songs.
http://www.qksrv.net/click-793658-4194776?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tono
s.com%2Fapp2%2Fopportunities%2Fjsp%2Findex.jsp
(It's a bit long, I know - but if it doesn't work as a clickable
link in your email, just copy and past the link into your browser.)
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NEW ONLINE LYRIC WRITING COURSE WITH PAT PATTISON
Pat Pattison, noted author of three Lyric writing books: Writing
Better Lyrics, (Writer's Digest Books), Songwriting: Essential
Guide to Lyric Form and Structure and Songwriting: Essential Guide
to Rhyming (Hal Leonard) is writing online lyric writing courses
for Berklee College of Music, where he teaches lyric writing for
the only songwriting major in the world. The Berklee program Pat
developed has produced many successful songwriters, including two
time Grammy nominee Gillian Welch. The first of his three online
courses will be launched in September 2002.
For information go to http://www.patpattison.com/.
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UK SONGWRITING CONTEST
This prestigious UK contest is staged by the BRIT Trust (of BRIT
Awards fame), Roland UK, The World Music Foundation, MusicAid.org
and other well known and respected industry names. It is a
non-profit event that is committed to promoting the art of
songwriting and it offers a genuine opportunity to be heard and
discovered by the biggest names in the UK music business. Prizes
include publishing deals, career development, Roland recording
equipment and subscriptions to Taxi.com. All entries must be
postmarked by October 31, 2002 or earlier. Full details and an
entry form can be found at http://www.songwritingcontest.co.uk/
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BADFINGER TRIBUTE ALBUM RELEASED
April 27, 2002 - Virtual Studio Systems, Inc., through its
subsidiary label Phantom Records, is proud to announce the release
of "Remembering Badfinger," a ten-song tribute to the famed (and
ill-fated) 70's rock band. Artists from around the world have
contributed their talents to this effort, the proceeds from which
will benefit VH1's Save The Music Foundation. The story of
Badfinger is a classic rock 'n' roll tragedy; but a generation
later, their music continues to entertain and inspire. Details on
the new release are available at the VSS website,
http://www.virtualstudiosystems.com/badfinger.htm
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ATTENTION TORONTO AREA SONGWRITERS:
You are invited to the Open Songwriter's Circle. This group will
meet at 7PM on the second Sunday of each month starting May 12 at
Addis Ababa, located at 1184 Queen Street West. This little
restaurant has a piano, a PA and a very welcoming and creative
vibe. Bring your instrument, your latest tune, lyric sheets if you
have them, and an open mind. Feel free to pass this on to anyone
you know who might be interested. Reply to greg.mount@utoronto.ca
with questions or to be added to the mailing list. Hope to see you
there.
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GREAT ARTICLES TO CHECK OUT COURTESY OF GALARIS INDEPENDENT MUSIC:
Breaking Into The Film/Tv Music Markets
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=97
The Road to Artistic Greatness
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=79
Thoughts For the Aspiring Musician
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=93
How to get the Music Career Results You Want
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=78
Writing A Music Business Plan That Works
http://www.galaris.com/articles?id=76
Sign up for the Galaris Independent Musicians Newsletter. Simply
send a blank email to mailto:addmuse@galaris.com and twice monthly
you will receive FREE, direct to your email box, articles
containing: Promotion tips, Career advice, Recording tips,
Practicing tips, Legal advice, Musician's health, Radio promotion,
Songwriters tips and much more.
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THE SIBL PROJECT ANNOUNCES SECOND INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING CONTEST
for "SONGS INSPIRED BY LITERATURE" - CHAPTER TWO benefit CD to
promote literacy worldwide! Entries accepted from June 1st and
ending September 6th. Win $2500 and be on a CD Tom Waits and other
great writers inspired by reading!
Details and registration at http://www.siblproject.org/ (415)553.3330.
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STORMY MONDAY BLUES WEEKEND WORKSHOP
Boulder, Colorado - June 27th-29.
This weekend is totally devoted to living, loving and learning the
Blues. The workshop designed for intermediate players gives
musicians the experience of playing Classic Blues tunes in a
supportive jam session environment while playing with local Blues
band Delinquent Borrower and the Librarians. The weekend is the
perfect stepping stone for players who want to make the transition
from practicing in the woodshed to playing out at a live jam
session and develop confidence at the same time. The workshop is
limited to 10 people and the cost is $200. For more information
call Mark Heinemann at 303-664-5154 or http://www.encouraginghands.com/Back to Menu
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M u s e ' s C l u e s : by Irene Jackson
©1998-2002 Moonstone Productions All Rights Reserved. Used By
Permission
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When I started writing the Muse's Clues a couple of years ago, one
of my first columns referred to an article called "Clichés: The
Sleeping Puppy". Many times since then I have referred people to
that article not only because it is well-written, but because it
gets to the root of what many songwriters unconsciously struggle
with, lyric after lyric. And a true songwriting guru knows how to
explain in very clear terms how you can improve your craft.
Songwriting "experts" abound, but there are some names that pop up
again and again when it comes to songwriting advice, simply because
of their ability to cut to the chase. One of those names is Pat
Pattison. Pat developed a curriculum for the ONLY Songwriting
Major in the US, and has written several books and loads of feature
articles on the topic of lyric writing. Lucky you, he has made
four more of them available on his website! These are from a
number of chapters in his book "Writing Better Lyrics".
The articles are titled "Making Metaphors", "Looking For the
Perfect Match", "Spotlighting with Common Meter" and "Managing
Couplets" and each of them is a very thorough investigation of the
topic as you would expect from Pat :-) You'll find them here:
http://members.aol.com/ptpattison/lyricpages/tips.html
"Making Metaphors" was of particular interest to me. I find
metaphors one of the most difficult but necessary aspects of
songwriting. Over and over again we hear "paint pictures with your
words" or "show me, don't tell me". The effect of a good, fresh
metaphor can solve all of these little problems. Pat also includes
some group exercises that you can do...gather together four or more
other songwriters and try them out!
"Managing Couplets" is an excellent discussion of how to make your
rhyme schemes more effective, taking you through an example of a
less-than-interesting verse and working it until it practically
jumps off the page with new-found energy! "Looking For the Perfect
Match" is another excellent read, and gets into the nitty gritty of
the natural stresses in lyrics and matching them perfectly with
melodies. "Spotlighting with Common Meter" takes the same verse as
is used in Managing Couplets, and shows how changing the emphasis
and meter can make an audience sit up in rapt attention.
Essentially in these four articles Pat gives the tools to change
those dull, uninteresting lyrics into something people want to hear
more of. And that's what we're all looking for, right?
******
Irene Jackson is a performing songwriter from Victoria, BC in
Canada. Aside from writing, recording and performing, she also
maintains a website for songwriters that includes tips, articles
and more links of interest. Her eagerly anticipated CD "Catnip" is
finally here, and her earlier recordings have had attention
everywhere from Japan to South America.
Songwriting Tips: http://www.irenejackson.com/tips.html
Homepage: http://www.irenejackson.com/
Songs on MP3:
http://www.mp3.com/artists/20/irene_jackson.html
Back to Menu
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F e a t u r e d A r t i c l e :
MUSIC PUBLISHING 101 - By Steven Hudis
Lyn Ashley Music ASCAP, Aliso Conejo Publishing BMI
© 2002 Steven Hudis. All Rights Reserved. Used By Permission
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I have been asked many times to clarify certain subjects of
publishing and will take the time to give you some insight as to
how a PUBLISHER works and WHAT WE LOOK FOR.
There is more to publishing than record sales. That's pretty
straight-forward stuff. Publishing is usually set up and split up
in so many different ways that it confuses people. The part that
freaks everyone out the most is when publishers talk about 200% of
100% of a song. That's really an old-fashioned and traditional way
to explain copyrights, songwriter royalties and publishing, and it
hardly ever makes sense to anybody.
In reality, all artists have to understand is that there are three
basic rights that publishers deal with. When a song is written, the
writer owns the entire copyright; all the publishing rights and the
writer's share of those rights. Publishing usually refers to only
50% of the writer's royalty, which is known as the publisher's
share.
If a songwriter signs a co-publishing deal, those rights will be
shared equally with the publisher. If a songwriter wants to hold
onto the rights, they might want to simply sign an administration
deal where the publisher merely takes care of business, including
all of the paperwork, but usually does not share in all of the
rights. Whether you think of it as 200% or 100%, the bottom line is
the same, no matter what kind of a publishing deal you do. If you
work with a publisher, you're going to share in the proceeds from
the song you wrote.
When a songwriter writes an original song, several rights are
included as part of the copyright. They are: (1) the right to
reproduce the song; (2) the right to distribute copies of it; (3)
the right to perform the song in public; (4) the right to make a
derivative work based on the song; and (5) if it's a multi-media
creation, the right to display it publicly. Publishers will help a
songwriter exploit all of those rights in as many areas and mediums
as possible so that income can be made from the work.
Any reputable publisher should be able to handle all areas of
publishing. However, there are different types of publishers based
on their size and dominance in the market. First, there are the
major players, who are usually affiliated with record labels, like
Warner/Chappell, Universal Music, BMG and EMI. Then there are major
affiliates, which are independent companies that work with a major
player in certain areas or territories, like Famous Music and
Quincy Jones Publishing.
There are also independents, which are companies not affiliated
with a major, though they may do some work with them. Lastly, of
course, there are songwriters themselves who hold onto their
publishing and act as their own publishers. But, generally, that
only works if they're so well established that people come to them
for songs.
A good publisher knows how much to pitch a song, how much to charge
for various licenses and where to look for money, especially in the
foreign market. They will know how to exploit each source of income
so that the songwriter can make as much as possible from a single
song. Also, a publisher with good connections can help a songwriter
hook-up with the right people and prevent them him/her getting lost
in the shuffle.
Lets discuss royalties: First, there are mechanical royalties which
is the money paid, usually by a record company, for the right to
use a song on a record. A mechanical royalty is subject to a
maximum statutory rate set by law (around 8 cents per song). It's
customary, though, to discount the rate to around 75% of the
maximum allowed, or about 6 cents per song.
Second, there are the public performance royalties that are
collected and administered by the Performing Rights Organizations,
such as ASCAP and BMI. They grant licenses for radio, television,
tours and a few secondary areas. Many publishers also focus on
synchronization licenses, which are used whenever music is combined
with a visual element-like in movies, television, videos and
computer games.
Lastly, there is print income that comes from sheet music and
folios.
These are the major areas that most publishers deal with, and the
ones that most songwriters generate income from. Nowadays, there
are also two other areas that can be fairly lucrative: they are
samples (when another artist uses a portion of a song) and karaoke
use.
Often times, you'll find that a smaller publisher will be more
aggressive when it comes to pitching sings and getting them used.
They have to work harder in order to compete with the majors who
work with thousands of songs. Songwriters are also more likely to
get more attention at a mid-size or small publisher, but a large
company has its benefits too. They'll usually offer a larger
advance and have a wider network of contacts. Large companies can
also use their weight to negotiate major deals. Artists should just
be aware that publishers who handle major stars will usually work
them harder because they produce the most income. Sometimes it's
simply a personal choice and really boils down to whether or not a
certain publisher can help an artist build their career.
(THIS INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR PRIVATE USE ONLY AND IN NO WAY
REPRESENTS ANY OTHER PERSONS VIEWS OTHER THEN THE AUTHORS. STEVEN
HUDIS, OWNER OF LYN ASHLEY MUSIC AND ALISO CONEJO PUBLISHING CAN BE
CONTACTED DIRECTLY AT: LYNASHLEYMUSIC1@AOL.COM , OR YOU CAN VISIT
HIS WEBSITE AT: http://www.lynashley.com/)
******
Steven has been writing songs and music for 35 years, and in 1995
decided to take his hobby PROFESSIONAL. With persistence he
started up Lyn Ashley Music (ASCAP) and Aliso Canejo Publishing
(BMI).
In a short period he has placed music in Film and TV and has Holds
with major artists such as 'THE DIXIE CHICKS, COLLIN RAYE, BRYAN
WHITE, KIM REMUS' and many others.
Steven has toured professionally, and entertained in as many as 57
countries and over 300 cities. He has been married for 20 years
and has 2 wonderful children, resides in Southern California and
travels quite extensively to pitch his own material and the
material he represents.
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S o n g w r i t e r I n S p o t l i g h t :
Behind the Door with Randy Jackson
by Terri Ann Palumbo
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000199.html
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He may have first earned industry recognition as lead songwriter,
vocalist and guitarist with the rock band Zebra, but Randy Jackson
has found the key to music industry success on many levels. Solo
acoustic performances, Zebra concerts and symphony gigs (that's
right, symphony gigs) keep his date book filled most nights - and
he's just completing work on a new Zebra CD that's been three years
in the making. Versatile, innovative and creative, Jackson has a
lot to share in this look behind the door of one songwriter's
journey.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Randy Jackson's first foray into recording success began with the
self-titled Zebra debut album, released on Atlantic Records in
1983. Critically acclaimed for its lush rock sounds, due in large
part to Jackson's searing lead vocals and soaring guitar leads, the
album sold 75,000 copies the first week. "Who's Behind The Door",
written by Jackson, received serious notice in the press, and
helped to form legions of Zebra fans almost instantly.
Today, Jackson's about to complete a much-awaited, long-hoped-for
new CD with Zebra, which promises to be a coming-of-age,
coming-to-awareness opus written by a man who's seemingly never out
of ideas and always in demand. The material is largely
philosophical in nature, and reveals a songwriter who's come full
circle.
"When I was a kid, I had a lot of questions about life in general;
that's how I wrote 'Who's Behind The Door' for the first Zebra
album. It dealt with the same kind of subject. This whole new CD
is an extension of that - not so much musically, but
philosophically."
After 20 years in the business, he's writing new songs with a new
focus - and doing it on his terms. Jackson hasn't gone after a
major record label for the new project, partly because he didn't
want to be held to restrictive deadlines and partly because, well,
it's not the same business it used to be - not when you're
40-something.
"Age. Period. That's it. I've actually had some people tell me
after they've found out I'm not a kid that they don't want to even
hear one song. If you're over 25, you're already in the danger
zone today. Record companies are talking about releasing 150,000
copies to start, and they're just not going to risk it with someone
my age."
Bitter? Not in the least. "Hey, at least it's not about the music!
It's not as if they're hearing it and telling me it sucks!"
He's been fine-tuning the project for nearly three years - and
after that much time and effort, he's extremely confident about the
finished work.
"If it doesn't do well in the marketplace, it doesn't matter. As
long as I can listen and not say 'I should have done this' or 'I
should have done that', it'll be okay. I did what I needed to do,
and I did it without being rushed. That's why I didn't go to a
label first. People have wanted another Zebra album for years, and
many people said 'I can get it out for you this summer' and that
kind of thing. I had to sit down and think for a second, and say
to myself, 'Wait. If I say yes, the label will want it sent on
time. And if they front me the money, they'll want their deadlines
met'. That's all understandable, but I just didn't want to do that
- I wanted it to be done when it's done - and now it's within a
week or two of being finished."
The material is introspective and philosophical - the mark of
maturity mixed with compositional creativity shines through songs
with provocative titles such as "Why" and "Who Am I". Getting to
the point where he was ready to delve into issues close to his
heart was all part of the journey for the versatile songwriter and
performer.
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For the rest of this interview/article, please click through to:
musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000199.html#newsletter
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" O N S I T E " F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E :
THE RECORDING PROCESS (Part II)
by Leon and Sheryl Olguin
http://musesmuse.com/columnistsgreylogs/archives/00000189.html
They continue with their series on the recording process (make sure
you check out their Part I!). They answer the questions: with so
much high-quality, affordable recording equipment currently
available, where can the performing songwriter who wants to record
at home start? Should he or she try to build their own studio?
A very informative article and well worth reading if you're
anywhere near putting together your own CD.
=================================================================
C l a s s i f i e d s & U s e f u l S e r v i c e s :
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WINDRIFT MUSIC SONGWRITING COMPETITION 2002
Windrift Music and Sonic Foundry(Sound Forge/ACID),
are sponsoring the 2002 Songwriting Competition.
Fabulous Prizes * $1000 in cash * Sound Forge 5.0. * ACID PRO 3.0 *
Vegas Video 3.0 * Five loop libraries * Make Your own demo CD * 50
CDs courtesy of Windrift Music * Web Hosting of Your Song on
Windrift Music Site * Artist Home Page with download of music *
1000 promotional Flyers of CD * Free promotion of artist CD to
major labels. The deadline is June 30th, 2002. $10 entry fee.
Contest details are located on the Windrift Music web site:
http://windriftmusic.com/contest_2002.html
-----------------------------------------------------------------
LYRICIST! VERSION 2.1 HAS ARRIVED - INCLUDES CHORD CHARTING/WIZARD.
Virtual Studio Systems, Inc. is proud to announce Lyricist V2.1 -
The Songwriter's Best Friend: the first-of-its-kind word processor
designed for musicians, songwriters, and poets. The software
includes a rhyming dictionary, spell checker, thesaurus, album
categorization, chord charting, chord generator, song arrangement
and much much more - all in a user-friendly package. Check out the
review at http://www.musesmuse.com/vss-review.html . Muse's Muse
visitors can take home the product for $5.00 off the regular
selling price just for purchasing through the form provided off of
the review!
For more information, visit the review url above or call us at
888.732.1176 inside the U.S.A. or 603.726-4499 outside the U.S.A.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
CUSTOM DEMO ARRANGEMENTS FOR SONGWRITERS
Excellent quality at a reasonable price with quick turnaround
using the latest in synths and samplers with Pro Tools 5.1. Credits
include national commercials, album productions and demos. Visit
http://www.barclasionmusic.com/ for more information or contact Rick at
813-689-6066 or barclayr@flash.net.
References and demos available upon request
-----------------------------------------------------------------
GET YOUR COPY OF THE INDIE CONTACT BIBLE & START MAKING WAVES!
This is an absolutely priceless resource for indie musicians. If
you want your music reviewed, on the radio, *heard*, THIS is the
resource you need to have. It's not going to tell you "how" but it
will *certainly* tell you "who". I highly recommend you pick it up
in order to compliment your other music marketing techniques. Have
a look at this url and read through a few sample pages to see what
I mean: http://www.bigmeteor.com/muse
(Full review at http://www.musesmuse.com/3.4-July00.html#book)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
INTERESTED IN YOUR VERY OWN MUSE'S MUSE SHIRT, MUG OR MOUSEPAD?
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SELL YOUR OWN MERCHANDISE?
Drop by http://www.musesmuse.com/musemerchandise.html today!
And while you're at it, think about starting your *own* store. It
would be pretty cool to sell your own band's logo or design on
promo items, wouldn't it? And starting up a store requires no
investment of money on your part at all. Details on how to do that
are only a click away...
http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/storeref.aspx?refby=musesmuse
=================================================================
ADVERTISING RATES: For Classifieds: US$50 Max. 8 lines, where
a line = 65 characters including spaces and punctuation. All
contracts must be prepaid. Write to: editor@musesmuse.com
For Newsletter Sponsorship rates and other advertising
opportunities, please see http://www.musesmuse.com/media.html .
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C o n t a c t I n f o & C r e d i t s :
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Jodi Krangle ............................................. EDITOR
Kathryn Obenshain ...........................GRACIOUS PROOFREADER
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The Muse's News is a free monthly newsletter for and about
songwriters. Subscribers are welcome to recirculate or reprint
The Muse's News for nonprofit use as long as the appropriate
credit is given and the ENTIRE text of the newsletter is
included (including credits and information at the end of each
issue). Others should contact me at editor@musesmuse.com.
All articles copyrighted by their authors.
Back issues and other information will be available at:
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The Muse's News is part of The Muse's Muse, a web resource for
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For further information, send your e-mail to:
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on market information or sponsor
The Muse's News.
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SNAILMAIL: Please contact me first at editor@musesmuse.com
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Back issues of the newsletter can be read at the National
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