To protect your original work you must always, always copyright your material. There is no other way that you can combat plagiarism. You can obtain a copyright from the U.S. Copyright Office which will protect you and give you your rights to fight for, in case your work is stolen.
Although copyright laws tend to be confusing, the process of registration is actually very simple. The first thing you should know about copyrights is that from the moment you get something down in any physical form (this includes recording, scribbling song lyrics on a piece of paper, etc) you OWN the copyright to that material. BUT thereafter, you have to prove that the material was conceived on that day and at that time. This is where it gets slightly tricky.
Some people stuff the material (cassette, CD, piece of paper, etc) into an envelope, seal it and post it to themselves. When they receive it, they do not open it. This is because the package will arrive with a postmark which contains the date. This is one way of proving the date of conception and is known generally as the Poor Man’s Copyright.
To get an official copyright you will need:
a. A recording or a copy of the sheet music
b. The appropriate form
c. An envelope to mail the package in
d. A check for $45
Fill out the form, attach the check and the material to be copyrighted and mail it to:
The Library of Congress
Copyright Office
101 Independence Avenue, S.E.
Washington, DC 20559-6000
This is all you have to do to ensure that your rights are protected. So go ahead and try it out!
The country music industry is very big and breaking into it is similar to breaking into any other music genre with one exception. Country music places a very big value on songwriting. In hindsight, this may seem obvious; country music is all about the words so songwriting would be the obvious thing to get into. This is a fact and if you are interested in this career path you can do no worse than starting out in the country music capital of Nashville.
When you arrive there, do not have any pretenses about making it big on the first day. It is not going to happen like that. So get a job. Try to find a job in one of the big publishing companies but do not reveal your aspirations to be a songwriter. Get hired, establish yourself as a good employee and build up your relationships with all the right people there. Then you can mention your abilities to them and get their help.
Get into the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). This organization will help you develop your craft and improve your talent. Then get involved in the local talent scene. There are a few venues that have open nights where you can display your talents. The talent scouts regularly visit these gigs and you just might impress someone enough to kick start your career.
Become a member of ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC. These organizations are responsible for collecting your royalties. But keep in mind that you can be a member of only one of these organizations, so choose wisely. Be patient, keep plugging away at it and eventually your efforts will be rewarded.
The internet has taken much of the heartache of rejection away from budding artists. In the past a new artist had to go through many years of rejection from numerous studios before they hit it big. But now with YouTube and similar sites, it is easy for artists to get exposure and become popular.
Since getting popular is easier now, how does an artist monetize that? Well in the event that you are still not big enough to be picked up by a recording label, you can go ahead and sell your material to the fan base that you have built up.
There are many services online that will do all the dirty work of distribution for you. All you have to do is search for them. These services require only a nominal payment, usually under $100 to set up and distribute your album across a wide variety of online vendors (like iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody etc). Since they have deals with the vendors, they require no further
payment.
The vendors themselves will not charge you anything; rather they will take a cut off the sale price (usually around 30 %). The balance amount comes straight to you.
This is currently the best method available to new artists who want monetize their efforts. You could always sell the material off your own website, but the hassle and cost involved with getting that underway is phenomenal when compared to these easy distribution services. But as always, do not pick the first service you see, research them well and pick the one that gives you the most benefits.
Writing a song is sometimes a pastime for many people and while most of the lyrics written are not of any great quality, there are some gems in there. For what it is worth everyone who writes songs for fun or is trying to get into the songwriting business should take a long hard look at what they are writing. It may just turn out to be a goldmine in the right hands.
No matter how personal the song is to you, the first step in making money from your songs is to realize that the song is a commodity. More importantly you should know that what you have written is intellectual property that belongs to you. There are two ways to make money from the lyrics of your song if it is picked up by an artist or a studio.
Mechanical Royalties - This is a payment method bound solely to the number of units (CDs/ Tapes) manufactured. The payment percentage is also regulated; in the U.S. it is set by a five member panel that is appointed by the President. Currently that figure amounts to $0.08 per song. So if 10,000 units are manufactured, the songwriter will receive $800 as payment. This amount is sometimes split with a publisher if such a person is involved in the deal.
Performance Royalties - This is where a songwriter gets paid for every time the song is played on TV or Radio. Payments are made through Performing Rights Organizations such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC and it is essential that the songwriter be a member of one of those groups to receive the royalties. However some research must be done in ascertaining which PRO is best suited for the songwriter.
While there are other methods which are contract and deal based, these two are the most popular and long lasting methods of payment for songwriters.
Your demo tape is the key to opening doors in the music industry. You can only be discovered by showcasing your talent to music industry professionals and talent scouts.
When recording your demo tape, a lot of effort must be taken so that the end product is of high quality. For example, if you are showcasing your vocal talents, it is of absolutely no value if your demo tape sounds like you are singing though the telephone. If this is the case, you have wasted your time, money and chances. So invest some time in a professional demo studio, get the services of a sound engineer there and spend some time getting a good demo recorded. Understandably, these studio sessions are not cheap, so you should try to optimize the time spent there. Instead of trying to figure things out there, you should pick a few of your best songs, refine and practice them extensively and then head out to the studio. This way you will not end up wasting valuable studio time.
Once you have an acceptable demo, get around to sending these tapes to prospective labels. Keep in mind that this is a saturated market. Like getting into the college of your choice, getting the label that you like might not happen. In fact, it may not happen at all. Do not get discouraged, just keep sending out your demos to whatever record labels you discover. Indie labels are a great way for new artists to make their debut, so you should consider that option as well. In the end, your success is a direct result of your effort so give it your best and strongest shot and things will work out for you.
Songwriting is partly a skill and partly a gift. Some people are born with the talent required and some figure a way to write great songs. Even if your first attempts seem to be useless, do not get discouraged. As with any other skill, it has to be worked on and eventually, you will start producing great material. If you are interested in carving out a career as a songwriter, there are many paths you can follow.
Composer - This requires some extensive knowledge in music and instruments. It mainly involves creating instrumental music. Lucrative careers can be found in composing music for TV show themes and movie soundtracks.
Jingle writer - Jingles refer to the music played for TV and Radio commercials. This generally involves some composing, arranging and songwriting skills but also involves understanding the client well.
Lyricist - It is a lucrative career if you manage to sell your songs to the right artist. Lyric writing does not require any composing knowledge; however some ability with a musical instrument will be beneficial.
Performing Songwriter - Commonly known as the Solo Artist, performing songwriters can be found in bands as well. Of all the songwriting careers, this is the most rewarding financially as it enables the artists to receive payment for singing/playing as well as writing.
Producers - In addition to songwriting, they manage the production of the sound as well as the final mix. Perhaps it is the most nerve wracking job of all, as it involves decisions that will determine how the final product will sound.
We have all heard the terms, “his album has gone gold”, “her single has hit platinum” etc, but what does it mean?
Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond are names give to the various levels of achievement an artist reaches in the sales of his or her album or single. The RIAA governs these standards, which have been adopted by many countries in order to ratify their own music industries. The standards are generally percentage-based meaning that the number of sales an artist has to make to get Gold in the U.S. is not the same in the Philippines. This is fair and accepted by all parties involved.
The first ever Gold was awarded to Glen Miller for his hit single “Chattanooga Choo Choo” all the way back in 1942. As was the custom at that time, the award was bestowed to him by RCA, his own record company. The first Gold for an album only came in 1957, given to Harry Belafonte for “Calypso”. Both these achievements came as the artists hit one million records in sales.
The RIAA’s involvement came into being only in 1958, and their first award of Gold went to Perry Como that year for “Catch a Falling Star”, his hit single. In the same year, “Oklahoma” was the first Gold-certified album. The measurement by which the awards are handed out has fluctuated over the years between the number of units sold and the total value in retail sales. However, it seems to have settled on total volume shipped in recent times. Certification these days takes into consideration many new media including Ringtones and so on and so forth.
A solo singer has more of a chance to be discovered for obvious reasons than most other musicians do. However, this also means that the saturation of solo singers is also very high. As solo singers are “a dime a dozen” these days, this ultimately brings down your chances. There are ways to boost your chances and you would be well advised to follow them.
Identify your range - Do not fool yourself into thinking you can hit notes and sing in keys that are out of your vocal range. Get an honest, reliable, outside opinion as to where you really stand. Do not be discouraged if your range is not comparable to Whitney Houston’s, as there is a solution.
Write it to suit you - Whatever material you are singing, get it arranged so that the song suits your range. Let it complement and enhance your voice. After all, marketing is 70 % of the music business these days.
Do it right - Get the recording done properly. Do not cut corners in an effort to save money. What you are recording in the studio is your calling card, and if it does not sound good, a busy producer will not give it a second listen.
Grab everything - Do not miss an opportunity to perform. Self-promotion has to be done on a daily level so that people start recognizing you and your music. You can be selective once you hit stardom.
If you carefully sculpt your image and your sound, when the opportunity comes knocking it will be easy for you and the producer to work out how you are going to go about things, Therefore, do not be afraid of hard work, as the success is worth it.
Actually, there is a significant difference between the two. While many people confuse the two professions the functions performed by Managers and Agents are very different but intertwined.
Managers are big-picture oriented. They are concerned with the artistes future, where they are headed, what image is projected now and in five years time, where they should be playing, etc. The manager is the front man of the artiste or band when they are off stage. Record labels, talent agencies, literally anyone in the music business who wants to interact with the artiste has to go through the manager. More often than not, the manager becomes so essential to the artiste that they get involved in their personal lives as well. From taking them to the doctor’s to sorting out their insurance, managers need to be almost everywhere at all times. However, this is compensated by the commission that the managers receive which can range from 20 % to over 30 % in some cases.
Agents perform a simpler task; they find the gigs. Agents run around and aggregate locations, events, etc. that they think the artistes they represent should perform at. Then they communicate with the artiste’s manager to decide which opportunity suits the artistes most. Once the manager (not even the artiste) makes the call, the agent proceeds to book the gig. Agent commissions range from 10 to about 15 %.
Both Agents and Managers are essential in the careers of artistes as the functions they perform are impossible for the artiste to handle on their own.
So, you have a band. You think you sound good and want to be the next Metallica, Dave Matthews Band or the Jonas Brothers. The good news is that you have the hunger and the dream. However, that is not enough to get you to the top or anywhere near the top.
Before you get started with promoting your band, be realistic. Do you sound good? Is the band music sound ‘tight’? Does the music appeal to more people than just your friends? If the answer to any of these questions is a no, then you should work at it until you get a resounding yes. Once you have got that sorted, develop an image for the band, which should match the music. After all looking like The Beatles will not help if you are playing hard rock. Get a good songwriter for the band and come up with good original material and this will help in the end.
Grab all the gigs you can in the beginning because there will not be that many. Build up your following and start campaigning for bigger gigs. Getting an agent will help greatly in these matters. Once you are well known, get into a studio and record demos. These are your calling cards, so send them to every record company and radio station that you can find. Promote your band shamelessly to everyone you meet; you have to get the word out. Get people to call radio stations and request your songs, talk about you, etc.
Be prepared for rejection, criticism and for most bands, a long wait. Usually it takes a long time for a band to be “discovered”, but the wait is worth it and the perseverance and patience that keeps you going will help you later on when you are successful.
