There are several questions you must ask yourself before you start a music licensing company.
1. Is starting a music licensing company right for me?
Music licensing takes a lot of patience. As you dive into it, you'll discover how vague it can be. If you're thinking you're going to make thousands of dollars right away, and that royalty checks will be handed out to you every day - you've thought wrong. Read this full article before you decide whether or not you'd like to start a music licensing company.
2. Do I have enough music to start a licensing company?
Look at the successful music licensing companies out there. Look at APM Music. They have thousands of top-notch songs in their library. You will need to be competitive. I'm not saying you need thousands of songs to start a licensing company, but you will need at LEAST 20-30 tracks to start, and need to have new content being made frequently. It's very difficult to pitch your band's CD to potential licensees and have a guaranteed success. Having a wide variety of music and a constantly updated library of music in your hands would be most effective.
3. Do I have the patience to start a music licensing company?
Music licensing takes patience. It takes a lot of time and investment to get started. It's not CRAZY expensive to start a licensing company, but you probably won't see some decent cash-flow for a good year or so - unless you get really lucky.
On top of not seeing an immediate steady income from music licensing, you're going to spend a lot of time making phone calls to producers and music supervisors, mailing CD's, copyrighting music, adding music titles to your Performing Rights Organization (PRO) account, and if you have multiple artists - distributing necessary royalties, creating and signing multiple contracts, etc. Be sure you're going to be willing to do some good office work the duration of your company's existence.
To top everything off, you MUST act professional. Often times, when a music supervisor finds a song in a library of music he/she likes - they'll come back. However, if you don't speak in a professional manner to your customers, or try to put them first, you may never get any customers, and you'll fail.
4. What type of licenses will I be doing?
Not all licensing companies license the same type licenses. Some only license synch and master licenses for TV, Game, and broadcast use. Some only offer mechanical licenses. You may decide to go through an agency like HFA for certain types of licenses, and do the rest on your own - or you may decide to do each type of license. It's your choice.
5. Who will I be selling my licenses to?
You will need to decide what type of music you will have in your library and who you need to pitch your music to. Finding a music supervisor is as easy as doing an IMDB search, or watching the credits of a TV show for the production company. Once you have at least the production company's info, request contact info from them. If you are polite, patient, and professional, most places will be happy to get any available contact information to you.
6. Do I have the funds necessary to start a music licensing company?
Starting a music licensing company isn't incredibly expensive, but not cheap for the average at-home musician. To simply start the business, expect to pay between $300-$500 to just start the business - more if you can't come up with cost effective solutions for your website, business location, etc.
7. Are you an agency for other publishers or a publisher for composers/artists, or both?
A music licensing agency simply licenses music on behalf of other publishers with libraries of music of their own - all performance and publishing royalties will go to your clients, you will only collect a percentage of the licensing fee you collect (about half.)
On the other hand, a music licensing company that acts as publisher for individual composers, artists, etc., has the right to publisher's share of royalties on top of a percentage of the licensing fee (about half.) Acting as BOTH, you will need to set up different agreements (contracts) for each type of client you represent. It takes a bit more work, but doing both will most likely profit you the most.
Now that you have gone through and answered/figured out every preliminary question listed above...
It's time to start.
Step 1: Get licensed to start a business in your town.
First, file a fictitious name statement. This will serve as your business name. This way, you can accept payments under "My Business Name" as apposed to your name. This not only looks more professional, but makes your business easy to remember. Your business name can be anything as long as it's not already taken. Make sure it's unique, but easy to remember.
Next, get a business license. Getting a business license is not difficult, it just costs a few bucks. Doing this varies from county to county, and sometimes, city to city. Check with your city to see what their fees are to file a fictitious name statement and obtain a business license.
Step 2: Join a Performing Rights Organization (PRO)
You will need to join a PRO as a publisher if you're going to publish music on behalf of -and represent the music of individual artists. There are three PRO's in the US available for you to join:
1. BMI: This is one of the most popular PRO's to join, specifically for composers/writers. It's free to join as a writer, but if you're a publisher, there is a preliminary $150 registration fee.
2. ASCAP: Joining ASCAP as either a writer, publisher, or both will cost you $35. If you apply for both at the same time, mailing in the forms together, you only need to pay the fee once. However, if you mail them separately, you will have to pay the fee twice.
3. SESAC: This is the smallest PRO. You have to apply to join with them, and they don't take just anyone. They are very selective. If you meet their preliminary requirements, it is free to join.
Each PRO works differently, visit their websites to get more info about how they distribute royalties, how they work, etc. and decide for yourself which PRO is best for you.
Step 3: Build a Website
If you can't build one yourself, contact a professional web designer who can build one for you. Having a website is only beneficial to your business. You can have all your music available for preview and purchase, and you can even license your songs through your website.
Because music supervisors are often in a time crunch, it's important to make it as easy as possible for them to license and obtain your music quickly.
Step 4: Make Your Music Publicly Available
The easiest way to do this is through your website. Make your FULL LENGTH songs available to stream online for free. I recommend doing this so that your customers will know the song they hear is right for them. Most of your customers probably won't even bother if they can't hear your songs in their entirety.
Step 5: Make CDs
This isn't a requirement, but it will help you pitch your music to potential customers. Send free "Demo CD's" that feature a selection of your best songs. Make sure the CD and its casing look as professional as possible. It's too easy to look at a home made CD and immediately judge it by its appearance.
Step 6: Write your license agreements
Generally, your music licenses will be generic, so type a generic template you can modify per customer. If you're licensing your music online, there is a service called LicenseQuote (www.licensequote.com) where you can license your music online. They have generic licenses that can be used, and have the option for custom licenses. This will take a bit of a load of your shoulders.
Be sure you understand the standard rates for each type of license. You can find this information at the Copyright Office's website.
Step 7: Pitch Your Music
Now that you have your website up, your CD's made, and your business ready, contact as many potential customers as possible and let them know what you have to offer. Give them reasons why they should license your music, and offer them a free CD or direct them to your website where they can listen to your music online for free. Don't be too pushy. Give them time, they are busy and have deadlines to meet. Give them a couple weeks before contacting them.
Don't rely on just one or two music supervisors. Contact as many as you can that you have music they can use. Get to know what they've worked on before you contact them; you can then compare your music with music they've used before - let them know your music is a good fit for them.
Be professional, patient, yet persistent, and offer top-notch quality music. If you do all this, you have a good chance at success.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Downloading Software from Pirate Bay
The music industry has changed for the better thanks to digital recording. Many digital audio workstations (DAW's) have become so easy to use and install, ANYONE can make great quality music. While the cost of professional, analog studios may cost over $100k to start, and the pro digital studio may cost $20k to start, the $200-$600 cost to start a great home studio still seems to be too high for potential music producers.
If you're around my age or younger, and you're just starting out in audio production, you've probably thought about going to the PirateBay and downloading a copy of ProTools or FL Studio. Maybe you've done it already, but is that the right thing to do for YOUR sake? Does it really benefit you to download pirated software in the long run?
Top excuses why people download pirated software (in no particular order):
1. You get your software for free, saving hundreds of dollars
2. The company already makes a lot of money, so if I download it, it's no big deal
3. I use my friend's copy at his house, so if I use a pirated copy at my house, it's like the same thing
4. I'm poor, and I can't afford the $200-$600 cost of a good DAW
5. People download pirated stuff ALL THE TIME, one more person doesn't make a difference.
6. I have antivirus software, so it's safe to do it.
When it comes down to it, there are only a few REAL reasons people download pirated software:
1. Laziness
2. Lack of Respect
3. Selfishness
That's it, really. These are the REASONS behind the EXCUSES of downloading pirated software. Laziness, because they're not willing to work hard and save money for the software they want to buy, lack of respect for the manufacturers and software engineer who work night and day to create a great product, and selfishness because they don't care about how it effects the business and the people who use the software.
Most people who download pirated software don't take the time to look at the negative effects it has on the economy of the business - which effects EVERYONE, and don't take the time to look into cheap or FREE and legal alternatives.
What happens when too many people download pirated versions of a particular software:
1. The company loses money. They can't make the software cheaper, because nothing is cheaper than free, so they are FORCED to raise the prices.
2. Raised prices force people to stop using the software.
3. The company loses more money, and goes bankrupt
4. The company is either sold or discontinues business, and no one - not even people who download pirated software - get the new software.
5. Since the product is discontinued, support for previous versions of the software dies.
6. The entire industry is forced to raise the cost of all gear and software.
7. Affordability becomes scarce, and less potential producers have a chance to make music
You can see the domino effect pirated software can cause. A prime example would be Macromedia and Adobe. Macromedia was a popular company that created "Flash." They died and were bought out by Adobe. The changed caused prices to reduce a bit, but in the last 5 years, prices have increased. A defining factor of that increase is piracy. It effects the music industry more than most people understand.
If you're someone who believes DAW's are just too expensive, try making music 10-20 years ago. Music production has become more affordable than ever, but is slowly becoming LESS affordable due to piracy.
Some of the best DAWs only cost about $200, which you can earn in just a few weeks on a minimum wage job. There's no reason not to save your money and buying a legal copy of the software. Think of small ways to save your cash. When you drive through, don't supersize your meal. Maybe, create a new source of income. Try going door to door offering to mow a lawn, bake cookies and sell them. If you're unemployed, get a job! Generally speaking, you can always find a way to earn what you want. Plus, when you earn it, there's a new sense of value and appreciation for your purchase, because it's an investment into your future as a music producer.
If you're someone who still thinks it doesn't make a difference, you know it does. It's no difference than trying to walk into a guitar center and grabbing a guitar off the shelf and trying to sneak it out the door. The only difference is you're a lot more likely to get caught at guitar center.
I'm not in a position to find new work, save money, or spend any extra expenses on software. What am I supposed to do?!
If you're in a financial situation where saving money just isn't an option, there are MANY free alternatives to mainstream DAW's. Just Google it! Here's one website I found with a simple Google search that lists 25 audio editors - some of which emulate some of the most popular DAWs in the world: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-free-digital-audio-editors/
In Summary:
Pirating music software is no good for the manufacturers or the consumers. Whether you agree or not, it negatively effects the entire music industry. Keep the industry going steadily in the right direction. Us indie artists NEED affordable software, and putting a STOP to pirated software can make a huge difference.
What do you think? Will you consider purchasing your DAW instead of downloading a pirated version? Will you consider using a free/open source alternative to a more expensive DAW? What is your favorite free recording software? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
If you're around my age or younger, and you're just starting out in audio production, you've probably thought about going to the PirateBay and downloading a copy of ProTools or FL Studio. Maybe you've done it already, but is that the right thing to do for YOUR sake? Does it really benefit you to download pirated software in the long run?
Top excuses why people download pirated software (in no particular order):
1. You get your software for free, saving hundreds of dollars
2. The company already makes a lot of money, so if I download it, it's no big deal
3. I use my friend's copy at his house, so if I use a pirated copy at my house, it's like the same thing
4. I'm poor, and I can't afford the $200-$600 cost of a good DAW
5. People download pirated stuff ALL THE TIME, one more person doesn't make a difference.
6. I have antivirus software, so it's safe to do it.
When it comes down to it, there are only a few REAL reasons people download pirated software:
1. Laziness
2. Lack of Respect
3. Selfishness
That's it, really. These are the REASONS behind the EXCUSES of downloading pirated software. Laziness, because they're not willing to work hard and save money for the software they want to buy, lack of respect for the manufacturers and software engineer who work night and day to create a great product, and selfishness because they don't care about how it effects the business and the people who use the software.
Most people who download pirated software don't take the time to look at the negative effects it has on the economy of the business - which effects EVERYONE, and don't take the time to look into cheap or FREE and legal alternatives.
What happens when too many people download pirated versions of a particular software:
1. The company loses money. They can't make the software cheaper, because nothing is cheaper than free, so they are FORCED to raise the prices.
2. Raised prices force people to stop using the software.
3. The company loses more money, and goes bankrupt
4. The company is either sold or discontinues business, and no one - not even people who download pirated software - get the new software.
5. Since the product is discontinued, support for previous versions of the software dies.
6. The entire industry is forced to raise the cost of all gear and software.
7. Affordability becomes scarce, and less potential producers have a chance to make music
You can see the domino effect pirated software can cause. A prime example would be Macromedia and Adobe. Macromedia was a popular company that created "Flash." They died and were bought out by Adobe. The changed caused prices to reduce a bit, but in the last 5 years, prices have increased. A defining factor of that increase is piracy. It effects the music industry more than most people understand.
If you're someone who believes DAW's are just too expensive, try making music 10-20 years ago. Music production has become more affordable than ever, but is slowly becoming LESS affordable due to piracy.
Some of the best DAWs only cost about $200, which you can earn in just a few weeks on a minimum wage job. There's no reason not to save your money and buying a legal copy of the software. Think of small ways to save your cash. When you drive through, don't supersize your meal. Maybe, create a new source of income. Try going door to door offering to mow a lawn, bake cookies and sell them. If you're unemployed, get a job! Generally speaking, you can always find a way to earn what you want. Plus, when you earn it, there's a new sense of value and appreciation for your purchase, because it's an investment into your future as a music producer.
If you're someone who still thinks it doesn't make a difference, you know it does. It's no difference than trying to walk into a guitar center and grabbing a guitar off the shelf and trying to sneak it out the door. The only difference is you're a lot more likely to get caught at guitar center.
I'm not in a position to find new work, save money, or spend any extra expenses on software. What am I supposed to do?!
If you're in a financial situation where saving money just isn't an option, there are MANY free alternatives to mainstream DAW's. Just Google it! Here's one website I found with a simple Google search that lists 25 audio editors - some of which emulate some of the most popular DAWs in the world: http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/25-free-digital-audio-editors/
In Summary:
Pirating music software is no good for the manufacturers or the consumers. Whether you agree or not, it negatively effects the entire music industry. Keep the industry going steadily in the right direction. Us indie artists NEED affordable software, and putting a STOP to pirated software can make a huge difference.
What do you think? Will you consider purchasing your DAW instead of downloading a pirated version? Will you consider using a free/open source alternative to a more expensive DAW? What is your favorite free recording software? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts!
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Start Your Own Record Label
Everyone wants to get signed. There's this idea floating around that says, "If you get signed, you'll be rich and famous." WRONG. If you get signed, you sign rights to your music away. Now, if you're reading this, chances are you're either someone who REALLY wants to start a label as a business, or you're not popular enough as a performer to get signed. Either way, starting a label is a fantastic way to generate income off your music, and off the music of other artists while simultaneously getting those artists paid. Believe me, even if you're ONLY doing this to make YOUR band famous, sign other artists - it is for your own benefit. Read on for details.
Let's go through the steps. BEFORE you complete these steps, you'll have to save up a couple hundred bucks. This shouldn't be too hard. Sell your TV or Xbox 360, or get a small, part time job and you'll have the cash in no time.
Firstly, you'll want to come up with a name for your label. Despite what other people may say, it doesn't have to be catchy. It can be your last name for all anyone else cares. Your label isn't about your name, it's about what you can do for the artist and for the audience. The only thing you DO have to worry about is if anyone else has that name. Do some research, or do a WHOIS domain name look up for that name. Just make sure it's not inappropriate or anything - you don't want to turn distributors and production companies away!
Once you have a name, get yourself a business license, a business bank account, and a fictitious name statement. Doing all these things will legally allow you to do business and collect money under your business name. Taking only personal checks can seem tacky, and it's illegal to conduct business within your town without a business license. Get caught and you could receive a nasty fine.
Get a website ready to showcase any upcoming artists you sign. You'll want to sell their music from it, promote their gigs, and license music from the site.
Now, figure out what you'll offer as a label. Will you offer distribution, publishing and licensing? Are you going to book and promote shows for your artists? If you said yes to all of these - GOOD! You'll probably take off locally in no time. But, you need to know how to do these things. That's where I come in and save the day by explaining simple solutions on how to be your bands' distributor, publisher, license manager, and booker:
1. Distribution: Unless you have enough bands with enough CD's made, you probably can't do too much on your own. Consider joining CDBaby or Tunecore to get your music on Amazon, iTunes, and opt in for physical distribution as well. You won't get your band's music in Walmart any time soon - but having the option to have local record stores order your music is always a plus. If you or one of your artists gets big in any given town, you can probably sell their music there. Once your music catalog is big enough (20 Albums at LEAST) you can start doing your own distribution. One thing you can try is apply to become an iTunes contributor. If you have a Mac and have enough albums in your label's catalog, you have a good shot in working directly with iTunes - no more extra fees being taken out by CDBaby or Tunecore!
2. Publishing and Licensing: Get yourself familiar with the music biz and music law. Join a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC as well as SoundExchange. As publisher, you'll collect royalties for music to keep, and will be responsible for distributing royalties to your artists. Being a publisher is a great thing, because your artists will sign an exclusive agreement with you allowing you to license their music out in different ways. A way to generate money as a publisher is to license music to production companies and music supervisors. Be professional and make your music easy to license, and your artist could have a song in a hit movie or TV show. If that happens, you AND your artists get royalties as well as major publicity.
3. Booking and promoting: Booking gigs is a time consuming process that requires the utmost patience. When you first start out, chances are your bands won't make a dime off their gigs, and you may even need to pay to play sometimes. Make your shows pay by selling CDs to fans. Since you're the label exec, you'll probably have plenty of time to stand next to the merch booth and sell everything. If you made yourself a good contractual agreement with your bands (which I'll go over later) you can take a SMALL percentage for yourself and give the rest to your bands. This will help cover the cost of travel, food, etc. Don't expect it to cover everything, though, always have an emergency budget for each gig.
Promoting can be just as time consuming, but it's a bit easier when you think about it. Use Facebook, Myspace, and other social networks to let fans know about the shows. Create and print flyers and posters and put them in as many shop as possible, and into the hands of local pedestrians. Contact local radio stations, let them know of the gig and request an interview. You may get a big "No" if all your bands are nobodies, but it NEVER hurts to ask. You need ALL the promotion you can get!
When you book shows or promote your gig, always be professional. Be polite over the phone, through e-mail, and if you book your gig, be polite at the venue. Make sure your bands are polite, too. If your bands are rude, or if they trash the place, you're never going to do business with that venue again.
One thing I didn't mention - as far as the services you'll offer as a label - is paying for CD's and recording. If you're just starting out, or if you don't have a ton of cash to spend, you're going to be FORCED to leave this to your bands. Overtime, however, if you become more successful, pay for CD Duplication/replication. Many bands may record their music at home, but won't have the funds to get their discs printed - so, if you've got the cash, take on the printing!
NOW, once you've decided all the services you're going to offer, you need to create a contract for all your bands to sign. This way they are LEGALLY obligated to whatever terms is written on that piece of paper. When you create your contract, here are some things you should take into account:
1. What rights will your artists sign over exclusively, and what rights will your artists sign non-exclusively?
A label will most likely sign publishing, licensing, and distribution rights exclusively - this means YOU are the only one allowed to license, publish, and distribute their music, unless under certain terms otherwise noted in your contract. For instance, you may exclusively own the rights to distribution, but you'll want to make an exception for when a band performs somewhere on their own and want to sell their music at the venue. If you don't make that exception, they can't sell their merch! Unfair! Many major labels have exclusive live performance/booking rights as well - meaning the artist can't even book their own shows. So instead, sign a NON-exclusive agreement allowing you AND the artist to book their shows. The shows YOU book, you can go to and take percentages off merch and any other revenue generated at the gig, while the artist can book their own gigs as well.
2. How are YOU going to get paid, and how will your artists get paid?
NEVER EVER EVER charge your artists to be signed. If you conduct business properly, you can agree to take 10-45 percent from different sources of income. For instance, take agree to take 15 percent from all distribution sales and live venue sales, take 10-15 percent from ticket sales/live show revenue, and take about half the overall generate royalties you get for radio play and air time (typically, there is a publisher's share and a writer's share and a license fee. You split the license fee with your artist and keep the publisher's share, give the other half of the license fee and the writer's share of the royalties to your artists.) Be sure whatever revenue is generated by your artists is divided between you and the artist in a reasonable way. Look at it his way - if an artist generates money from their music being sold or from playing a gig, they deserve the majority because they put in the hard work to make the record and perform at the gig. If a song generates money from licensing it to a production company for a tv show, it never would have happened without you - so take a slightly larger portion. However, NEVER EVER EVER EVER collect MORE than the artist. You're riding solo, you're not a major label with several different publishers, publicists, etc. Keep it fair.
3. How long will the contract last?
Your agreement MUST come to an end at some point. You can't own your artists FOREVER. If you're just starting out, make it 6months to a year MAXIMUM. This means that they're stuck with you exclusively for that period of time. So, if you're just starting out and you have an incredibly limited budget, make the agreement's lifespan short. If it's too long and you end up sucking as a label, it's your own reputation on the line.
4. How will you promote yourself?
Use this agreement to grant yourself promotional spots on CD cases and at gigs. Post a small label on the back of a CD case, or put up a banner at a gig. Let people know this band belongs to you and you're services are helping them. This will attract other bands to you, and will attract the fans to come to your show - regardless of who's playing. This means NEW fans for ALL your bands and artists!
Now that you've got your terms ready - and hopefully you've made them reasonable enough and have written them out clearly and thoroughly - it's time to sign some bands and artists! Go to local gigs or browse the web for unsigned artists near you. Work locally first, then branch out. There's no way you can benefit a band in New York if your brand new label is based in Montana, it just won't work. Get local bands and artists involved with your label, explain to them the benefits of being signed with YOU.
Starting and running a label successfully is a FULL TIME JOB. Don't think you can sit on your butt and collect money while your bands do all the dirty work. You've got some heavy responsibilities on your shoulders, so don't take it lightly! Get to work. If you work hard, be fair, and be professional about EVERYTHING, it'll all pay off.
Let's go through the steps. BEFORE you complete these steps, you'll have to save up a couple hundred bucks. This shouldn't be too hard. Sell your TV or Xbox 360, or get a small, part time job and you'll have the cash in no time.
Firstly, you'll want to come up with a name for your label. Despite what other people may say, it doesn't have to be catchy. It can be your last name for all anyone else cares. Your label isn't about your name, it's about what you can do for the artist and for the audience. The only thing you DO have to worry about is if anyone else has that name. Do some research, or do a WHOIS domain name look up for that name. Just make sure it's not inappropriate or anything - you don't want to turn distributors and production companies away!
Once you have a name, get yourself a business license, a business bank account, and a fictitious name statement. Doing all these things will legally allow you to do business and collect money under your business name. Taking only personal checks can seem tacky, and it's illegal to conduct business within your town without a business license. Get caught and you could receive a nasty fine.
Get a website ready to showcase any upcoming artists you sign. You'll want to sell their music from it, promote their gigs, and license music from the site.
Now, figure out what you'll offer as a label. Will you offer distribution, publishing and licensing? Are you going to book and promote shows for your artists? If you said yes to all of these - GOOD! You'll probably take off locally in no time. But, you need to know how to do these things. That's where I come in and save the day by explaining simple solutions on how to be your bands' distributor, publisher, license manager, and booker:
1. Distribution: Unless you have enough bands with enough CD's made, you probably can't do too much on your own. Consider joining CDBaby or Tunecore to get your music on Amazon, iTunes, and opt in for physical distribution as well. You won't get your band's music in Walmart any time soon - but having the option to have local record stores order your music is always a plus. If you or one of your artists gets big in any given town, you can probably sell their music there. Once your music catalog is big enough (20 Albums at LEAST) you can start doing your own distribution. One thing you can try is apply to become an iTunes contributor. If you have a Mac and have enough albums in your label's catalog, you have a good shot in working directly with iTunes - no more extra fees being taken out by CDBaby or Tunecore!
2. Publishing and Licensing: Get yourself familiar with the music biz and music law. Join a PRO like ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC as well as SoundExchange. As publisher, you'll collect royalties for music to keep, and will be responsible for distributing royalties to your artists. Being a publisher is a great thing, because your artists will sign an exclusive agreement with you allowing you to license their music out in different ways. A way to generate money as a publisher is to license music to production companies and music supervisors. Be professional and make your music easy to license, and your artist could have a song in a hit movie or TV show. If that happens, you AND your artists get royalties as well as major publicity.
3. Booking and promoting: Booking gigs is a time consuming process that requires the utmost patience. When you first start out, chances are your bands won't make a dime off their gigs, and you may even need to pay to play sometimes. Make your shows pay by selling CDs to fans. Since you're the label exec, you'll probably have plenty of time to stand next to the merch booth and sell everything. If you made yourself a good contractual agreement with your bands (which I'll go over later) you can take a SMALL percentage for yourself and give the rest to your bands. This will help cover the cost of travel, food, etc. Don't expect it to cover everything, though, always have an emergency budget for each gig.
Promoting can be just as time consuming, but it's a bit easier when you think about it. Use Facebook, Myspace, and other social networks to let fans know about the shows. Create and print flyers and posters and put them in as many shop as possible, and into the hands of local pedestrians. Contact local radio stations, let them know of the gig and request an interview. You may get a big "No" if all your bands are nobodies, but it NEVER hurts to ask. You need ALL the promotion you can get!
When you book shows or promote your gig, always be professional. Be polite over the phone, through e-mail, and if you book your gig, be polite at the venue. Make sure your bands are polite, too. If your bands are rude, or if they trash the place, you're never going to do business with that venue again.
One thing I didn't mention - as far as the services you'll offer as a label - is paying for CD's and recording. If you're just starting out, or if you don't have a ton of cash to spend, you're going to be FORCED to leave this to your bands. Overtime, however, if you become more successful, pay for CD Duplication/replication. Many bands may record their music at home, but won't have the funds to get their discs printed - so, if you've got the cash, take on the printing!
NOW, once you've decided all the services you're going to offer, you need to create a contract for all your bands to sign. This way they are LEGALLY obligated to whatever terms is written on that piece of paper. When you create your contract, here are some things you should take into account:
1. What rights will your artists sign over exclusively, and what rights will your artists sign non-exclusively?
A label will most likely sign publishing, licensing, and distribution rights exclusively - this means YOU are the only one allowed to license, publish, and distribute their music, unless under certain terms otherwise noted in your contract. For instance, you may exclusively own the rights to distribution, but you'll want to make an exception for when a band performs somewhere on their own and want to sell their music at the venue. If you don't make that exception, they can't sell their merch! Unfair! Many major labels have exclusive live performance/booking rights as well - meaning the artist can't even book their own shows. So instead, sign a NON-exclusive agreement allowing you AND the artist to book their shows. The shows YOU book, you can go to and take percentages off merch and any other revenue generated at the gig, while the artist can book their own gigs as well.
2. How are YOU going to get paid, and how will your artists get paid?
NEVER EVER EVER charge your artists to be signed. If you conduct business properly, you can agree to take 10-45 percent from different sources of income. For instance, take agree to take 15 percent from all distribution sales and live venue sales, take 10-15 percent from ticket sales/live show revenue, and take about half the overall generate royalties you get for radio play and air time (typically, there is a publisher's share and a writer's share and a license fee. You split the license fee with your artist and keep the publisher's share, give the other half of the license fee and the writer's share of the royalties to your artists.) Be sure whatever revenue is generated by your artists is divided between you and the artist in a reasonable way. Look at it his way - if an artist generates money from their music being sold or from playing a gig, they deserve the majority because they put in the hard work to make the record and perform at the gig. If a song generates money from licensing it to a production company for a tv show, it never would have happened without you - so take a slightly larger portion. However, NEVER EVER EVER EVER collect MORE than the artist. You're riding solo, you're not a major label with several different publishers, publicists, etc. Keep it fair.
3. How long will the contract last?
Your agreement MUST come to an end at some point. You can't own your artists FOREVER. If you're just starting out, make it 6months to a year MAXIMUM. This means that they're stuck with you exclusively for that period of time. So, if you're just starting out and you have an incredibly limited budget, make the agreement's lifespan short. If it's too long and you end up sucking as a label, it's your own reputation on the line.
4. How will you promote yourself?
Use this agreement to grant yourself promotional spots on CD cases and at gigs. Post a small label on the back of a CD case, or put up a banner at a gig. Let people know this band belongs to you and you're services are helping them. This will attract other bands to you, and will attract the fans to come to your show - regardless of who's playing. This means NEW fans for ALL your bands and artists!
Now that you've got your terms ready - and hopefully you've made them reasonable enough and have written them out clearly and thoroughly - it's time to sign some bands and artists! Go to local gigs or browse the web for unsigned artists near you. Work locally first, then branch out. There's no way you can benefit a band in New York if your brand new label is based in Montana, it just won't work. Get local bands and artists involved with your label, explain to them the benefits of being signed with YOU.
Starting and running a label successfully is a FULL TIME JOB. Don't think you can sit on your butt and collect money while your bands do all the dirty work. You've got some heavy responsibilities on your shoulders, so don't take it lightly! Get to work. If you work hard, be fair, and be professional about EVERYTHING, it'll all pay off.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Is Posting Cover Songs on YouTube Legal?
This seems to be a hot topic. Cover songs are all over YouTube. Performing covers of popular songs is a great way to get traffic to your YouTube channel, and can help promote you and/or your band. Did you know that it is even possible to make money on YouTube as a YouTube partner performing cover songs?
Most anywhere you go in relation to this topic will tell you other wise, but if you read YouTube's Partnership Program Qualifications and FAQ page carefully, they make it clear that it is possible.
Let's read what Youtube has to say about cover songs:
Simple enough to understand. So, if you want to perform covers on YouTube legally, and potentially become a YouTube partner, let's go through the proper steps.
Step 1: Record Your Song
This doesn't HAVE to be the first thing you do, but I'd recommend doing it, because licenses vary from publisher to publisher, and you may have to enter details about your video which can only be given if it has already been made.
Step 1a: Record Your Song WELL
If you don't do a GREAT job, you're not going to get very many viewers, and if you don't get viewers, you won't be able to partner with YouTube and generate income from your videos.
Step 2: Obtain a Synchronization License
A Sync license is necessary because it is the license for adding a song to video - cover or master track. This is probably the most important license you will need. To obtain a sync license, you'll need to go through the publisher. Many popular songs are available through EMI. If the song you're covering is not available there, find the publisher info about that song by searching BMI's, SESAC's, or ASCAP's database for any publisher info. Once you find the publisher, contact them and request a synchronization license. If written professionally, politely, and briefly, you should get a quick response.
Step 3: Obtain a performance rights.
Since you're specifying your use for YouTube within your synchronization license, it may not be necessary to purchase a second license for performance rights, as the rights may already be included in your synchronization license. Performance rights are granted by the copyright owner, or publisher. When purchasing your sync license, be sure to discuss this and find out if you will need to pay a separate license.
If so, you can often do this through a PRO like BMI, SESAC, or ASCAP. They may often offer a "blanket" license that you pay for use of every song in their repertoires. This is especially good because for a VERY decent price, you can have the rights to perform nearly any song you want at any time.
Now that you've completed all the necessary legal steps to upload your cover song to Youtube, go for it. If you are consistent in uploading content and receive a lot of views and subscribers, you'll have an opportunity to become a YouTube partner.
If it's illegal to do cover songs on Youtube without these licenses, how are so many people getting away with it?
YouTube has partnered with EMI and other major publishers to monetize all the musical content uploaded. When a song is recognized, the publisher is notified and has the option to delete the video, or generate a profit from it by sharing ad revenue and promoting the original artist.
Does that make it legal to upload cover songs to youtube?
NO! All it means is you got lucky the publisher decided to let you keep the video online. Most will do so if you give the original artist credit. One thing to note is if you don't obtain the proper licenses, you CANNOT become a YouTube partner, which means you won't be able to generate ANY revenue off your YouTube channel or its videos.
Most anywhere you go in relation to this topic will tell you other wise, but if you read YouTube's Partnership Program Qualifications and FAQ page carefully, they make it clear that it is possible.
Let's read what Youtube has to say about cover songs:
What is a cover song?
A new performance or recording of a song that has been either previously recorded, is commercially released, or is a popular song from someone else.
What are synchronization rights?
A synchronization (also known as "synch") rights involves the use of a recording of musical work in audio-visual form. This can be in a motion picture, television program, commercial announcement, or music video. Often, the music is "synchronized" or recorded in timed relation with visual images. The user is responsible for obtaining the necessary synchronization rights from the music publisher to use this audio.
What are performance rights?
The definition of a public performance is a performance "in a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered." The user is responsible for obtaining the necessary performance rights from the copyright owner or his representative to perform in a public place.
Simple enough to understand. So, if you want to perform covers on YouTube legally, and potentially become a YouTube partner, let's go through the proper steps.
Step 1: Record Your Song
This doesn't HAVE to be the first thing you do, but I'd recommend doing it, because licenses vary from publisher to publisher, and you may have to enter details about your video which can only be given if it has already been made.
Step 1a: Record Your Song WELL
If you don't do a GREAT job, you're not going to get very many viewers, and if you don't get viewers, you won't be able to partner with YouTube and generate income from your videos.
Step 2: Obtain a Synchronization License
A Sync license is necessary because it is the license for adding a song to video - cover or master track. This is probably the most important license you will need. To obtain a sync license, you'll need to go through the publisher. Many popular songs are available through EMI. If the song you're covering is not available there, find the publisher info about that song by searching BMI's, SESAC's, or ASCAP's database for any publisher info. Once you find the publisher, contact them and request a synchronization license. If written professionally, politely, and briefly, you should get a quick response.
Step 3: Obtain a performance rights.
Since you're specifying your use for YouTube within your synchronization license, it may not be necessary to purchase a second license for performance rights, as the rights may already be included in your synchronization license. Performance rights are granted by the copyright owner, or publisher. When purchasing your sync license, be sure to discuss this and find out if you will need to pay a separate license.
If so, you can often do this through a PRO like BMI, SESAC, or ASCAP. They may often offer a "blanket" license that you pay for use of every song in their repertoires. This is especially good because for a VERY decent price, you can have the rights to perform nearly any song you want at any time.
Now that you've completed all the necessary legal steps to upload your cover song to Youtube, go for it. If you are consistent in uploading content and receive a lot of views and subscribers, you'll have an opportunity to become a YouTube partner.
If it's illegal to do cover songs on Youtube without these licenses, how are so many people getting away with it?
YouTube has partnered with EMI and other major publishers to monetize all the musical content uploaded. When a song is recognized, the publisher is notified and has the option to delete the video, or generate a profit from it by sharing ad revenue and promoting the original artist.
Does that make it legal to upload cover songs to youtube?
NO! All it means is you got lucky the publisher decided to let you keep the video online. Most will do so if you give the original artist credit. One thing to note is if you don't obtain the proper licenses, you CANNOT become a YouTube partner, which means you won't be able to generate ANY revenue off your YouTube channel or its videos.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Cover songs: Is it legal?
Recording or performing cover songs can be a great way to get noticed. When you first start out, it gives your audience something to relate to and sing along to. Engaging with your audience in this kind of interaction is key to making it somewhere in the industry. However, before you do it, you MUST RESPECT THE LAWS AND RIGHTS OF THE ORIGINAL ARTIST.
This isn't too hard to do, nor is it too expensive if your audience is small. Follow these steps to stay out of trouble and honor the original artists and writers. Remember, if you make it big some day, you will want people to respect your rights, too. This is all a part of common courtesy and practice.
1. Pick a song.
Your song can be just about any song that's been recorded and distributed throughout the US. So if you hear a tune on the radio and you think to yourself "I'd like to do my own version of this song," then do it! Just be sure you keep the lyrics generally the same as the original. Usually, you must notify the original artist/writer/publisher if you make any changes to the lyrics of the song, but we'll get to that later.
2. Figure out how you'll be using that song
Are you going to record and sell that song on CD? Are you going to upload your performance of that song to YouTube? Are you only going to perform that song live? Each of these have specific laws and regulations that you must follow under penalty of law, and you must follow these laws for each type of license; this includes if you use the song in multiple ways. You may decide to upload your performance to YouTube and sell it on CD - you will have to get the appropriate license for each type of use.
3. Purchase your license(s)
Purchasing the proper license can be confusing. So first, let's go over the common types of licenses and what they're for.
Mechanical License
This type of license allows you to record a song to a CD and sell it - not necessarily sell it on iTunes or AmazonMP3. Mechanical licenses are usually for the PHYSICAL distribution - but this varies from license to license and would be discussed with the agency distributing the licenses. TYPICALLY, your mechanical license WILL cover both digital distribution AND physical distribution. This is because the rate for digital and physical sale of a cover song is the same, so most publishers will combine the two.
Before you get your mechanical license, you should have recorded your song first. This is because the publisher needs to know 1. Your album name, 2. The length of your version of the song, 3. How many copies you intend to sell (digitally and physically.) You will then be assigned a fee to pay that covers all the copies you intend to sell. Once you've sold the amount of copies you listed in your license, by law (and by being contractually obligated by your license) you MUST purchase a new license.
The cost for a mechanical license is 9.1 cents or 1.75 cents per minute of playing time or fraction thereof, whichever is greater (according to http://www.copyright.gov/carp/m200a.html)
Synchronization License
A synchronization is the use of a song in a form of visual media. So, basically, if you use a song in ANY type of video for online use (Youtube or your own website), broadcast (TV), or any other video usage, you must pay for a synchronization license. If you intend to perform a song and upload it to youtube, you must purchase a synch license.
Uploading a cover song to YouTube can be complicated - we'll tackle how getting songs onto Youtube in another post. For now, just know by law you need a sync license to do so.
Other Uses
Most other uses are taken care of or negotiated with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC. If you are performing a song LIVE at a venue, you can do so without paying a fee, however, the original artist is STILL entitled to royalties for your performance. Thanks to PROs, artists don't have to worry too much about paying those royalties, as the weight is rested on the venue's shoulders.
This may not seem fair, but the fact is the owner of the venue is responsible for everything that takes place within that venue. Many venues have a "no cover-song" policy to avoid paying royalty fees. Most places don't worry about paying royalties for live performances. Though it is technically illegal, it can be really easy to get away with. I don't condone this, however. I feel it is important to obey the copyright laws and pay the necessary royalties which may not cost hardly anything at all because of how it was used and the audience size.
Recording a song and putting it on MySpace, Last.fm, or another online music streaming service is a bit different. Most online streaming websites like MySpace have a terms of service agreement that overrides the law - but doesn't break it. Meaning you may be allowed to perform and record your song, but because you don't own the place you're posting your music, your right to post your song on that site may be taken away.
It seems kind of lame for a lot of artists, but most places like MySpace, Purevolume, Soundcloud, etc., don't want to pay the royalties necessary to let millions of people post cover songs. It would be TOO expensive. To get around this, it is best to contact the publisher and/or the PRO and get the proper license. You may have to notify MySpace or whoever that you have the rights to the song so it won't get deleted and your account won't be removed.
Finally....
Step 4. Be worry free.
Your performance is now LEGALLY available in the way that you want it to be.
THINGS TO NOTE:
You may be required to renew your license(s.) For example, if you purchased a mechanical license and sold all the copies listed in your agreement, you must purchase another license for the amount you intend to sell again.
If you "sample" music in your recordings, you MAY need to obtain a license to do so. Sampling music has been made legal under creative commons licensing - meaning...you're free to do it under certain conditions. For detailed information on Creative Commons and Sampling, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/legalcode
Have you performed a cover song? If you've done so legally, post a link in the comments below and share it!
This isn't too hard to do, nor is it too expensive if your audience is small. Follow these steps to stay out of trouble and honor the original artists and writers. Remember, if you make it big some day, you will want people to respect your rights, too. This is all a part of common courtesy and practice.
1. Pick a song.
Your song can be just about any song that's been recorded and distributed throughout the US. So if you hear a tune on the radio and you think to yourself "I'd like to do my own version of this song," then do it! Just be sure you keep the lyrics generally the same as the original. Usually, you must notify the original artist/writer/publisher if you make any changes to the lyrics of the song, but we'll get to that later.
2. Figure out how you'll be using that song
Are you going to record and sell that song on CD? Are you going to upload your performance of that song to YouTube? Are you only going to perform that song live? Each of these have specific laws and regulations that you must follow under penalty of law, and you must follow these laws for each type of license; this includes if you use the song in multiple ways. You may decide to upload your performance to YouTube and sell it on CD - you will have to get the appropriate license for each type of use.
3. Purchase your license(s)
Purchasing the proper license can be confusing. So first, let's go over the common types of licenses and what they're for.
Mechanical License
This type of license allows you to record a song to a CD and sell it - not necessarily sell it on iTunes or AmazonMP3. Mechanical licenses are usually for the PHYSICAL distribution - but this varies from license to license and would be discussed with the agency distributing the licenses. TYPICALLY, your mechanical license WILL cover both digital distribution AND physical distribution. This is because the rate for digital and physical sale of a cover song is the same, so most publishers will combine the two.
Before you get your mechanical license, you should have recorded your song first. This is because the publisher needs to know 1. Your album name, 2. The length of your version of the song, 3. How many copies you intend to sell (digitally and physically.) You will then be assigned a fee to pay that covers all the copies you intend to sell. Once you've sold the amount of copies you listed in your license, by law (and by being contractually obligated by your license) you MUST purchase a new license.
The cost for a mechanical license is 9.1 cents or 1.75 cents per minute of playing time or fraction thereof, whichever is greater (according to http://www.copyright.gov/carp/m200a.html)
Synchronization License
A synchronization is the use of a song in a form of visual media. So, basically, if you use a song in ANY type of video for online use (Youtube or your own website), broadcast (TV), or any other video usage, you must pay for a synchronization license. If you intend to perform a song and upload it to youtube, you must purchase a synch license.
Uploading a cover song to YouTube can be complicated - we'll tackle how getting songs onto Youtube in another post. For now, just know by law you need a sync license to do so.
Other Uses
Most other uses are taken care of or negotiated with a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) like BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC. If you are performing a song LIVE at a venue, you can do so without paying a fee, however, the original artist is STILL entitled to royalties for your performance. Thanks to PROs, artists don't have to worry too much about paying those royalties, as the weight is rested on the venue's shoulders.
This may not seem fair, but the fact is the owner of the venue is responsible for everything that takes place within that venue. Many venues have a "no cover-song" policy to avoid paying royalty fees. Most places don't worry about paying royalties for live performances. Though it is technically illegal, it can be really easy to get away with. I don't condone this, however. I feel it is important to obey the copyright laws and pay the necessary royalties which may not cost hardly anything at all because of how it was used and the audience size.
Recording a song and putting it on MySpace, Last.fm, or another online music streaming service is a bit different. Most online streaming websites like MySpace have a terms of service agreement that overrides the law - but doesn't break it. Meaning you may be allowed to perform and record your song, but because you don't own the place you're posting your music, your right to post your song on that site may be taken away.
It seems kind of lame for a lot of artists, but most places like MySpace, Purevolume, Soundcloud, etc., don't want to pay the royalties necessary to let millions of people post cover songs. It would be TOO expensive. To get around this, it is best to contact the publisher and/or the PRO and get the proper license. You may have to notify MySpace or whoever that you have the rights to the song so it won't get deleted and your account won't be removed.
Finally....
Step 4. Be worry free.
Your performance is now LEGALLY available in the way that you want it to be.
THINGS TO NOTE:
You may be required to renew your license(s.) For example, if you purchased a mechanical license and sold all the copies listed in your agreement, you must purchase another license for the amount you intend to sell again.
If you "sample" music in your recordings, you MAY need to obtain a license to do so. Sampling music has been made legal under creative commons licensing - meaning...you're free to do it under certain conditions. For detailed information on Creative Commons and Sampling, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/sampling+/1.0/legalcode
Have you performed a cover song? If you've done so legally, post a link in the comments below and share it!
My Story - From Amateure to Professional Musician
Before I get to detailed in much more, I feel it's important I share a little bit about myself. Who am I? What is my musical background? I'll tell you.
My name is David Crandall. I am 22 years old as of June 16, 2011. My dad is a southern gospel singer for "The Crandall Brothers" and has his own solo project "Dave Crandall Ministries." Yes, I am named after my father - he loves himself that much. *JUST KIDDING DAD!*
His music isn't what tops charts today, but in the Christian Music Scene in the 70's and 80's, he had some music on the charts. He performed on TV and all around the globe. In the 90's, I got a taste of what he did. I was in and out of studios, traveling the world, watching skillful musicians...my life was music from a very young age.
My travels were wide. I saw the rich and poor in countries and continents like southern Africa, Hong Kong, Greece, and London to name a few. I experienced the joys and pain of the various cultures as a kid. It's interesting: as young as I was, I remember many things as if it happened recently. It stuck with me.
In the states, I was somewhere different every weekend. I may be in a church, an out door festival, a tv studio, or a recording studio. When in the studio, I had opportunities to sit and watch amazing session musicians record. Needless to say, they blue my mind. At age 10, my dad, the brothers, and myself flew down to Oklahoma City to work on a new album. Just before turning 10, I began teaching myself the drums. I had a natural sense of rhythm. My family was impressed enough by my abilities so early on to brag to the drummer, Steve Short (known for drumming for Reba Mcentire.) He, like many other kind-hearted, professional musicians are very supportive of young, aspiring artists. He invited me into the drum room and showed me how everything works. It was a great experience for me.
Soon after, I picked up a guitar and taught myself to play. Later came the bass, and I tinkered with the piano. Music had overtaken my life. I spent many many hours in my room practicing each instrument, getting better and better. All the while, I volunteered in churches to help out with their music in any way possible. Church isn't always the BEST resource for learning to play professionally, but I learned to listen and to make the best of what's available.
Playing at church and being involved in the church community began to really payoff and grow me when I joined a local church band filled with seasoned, skilled musicians. The pastor was the bass player, and could he play! He taught us young musicians the ins-and-outs of music performance, from timing, to dynamics, and even genre. Every practice, he challenged us to imrpov/jam a different genre. It was great fun, and was very beneficial.
I was involved with more than one church. I was honing my skills as vocalist while leading worship for youth groups from many different churches. It got to the point where I was at a different church 6 days a week - and to top it off, I wasn't getting paid. All was not in vein, I grew as a person as a musician. As I matured, I decided to part my was with much of my commitments with a lot of these churches. I personally didn't like the politics of religion, and it wore me down.
A lot of good songs came from my experiences. Enough to write and record an EP. Now, when I recorded this, I had one mic, a borrowed mixer that ran into the 1/8" line-in on my computer. I recorded all the audio in audacity and attempted to mix it in FL Studio. It came out pretty good given my lack of experience as a producer and lack of quality gear.
I called the EP "Freedom - EP." (You may now purchase it on iTunes, Amazon, and wherever online music is sold.)
I'm 19 now. I have an EP, I'm on iTunes thanks to CDBaby, but...I live in a small town, I can't seem to get a job as hard as I would try, so I can't tour or leave town to perform, let alone afford a driver's license and get a car. I was at a loss. My inspiration was dying. I began to doubt my abilities as a musician. I wanted more than anything to have a career as a musician, but I had no idea how.
I was a part of a community for geeks called Lockergnome owned by former TechTV host, Chris Pirillo. I spoke with him one day when he was taking live calls on his website's live stream. We began to talk about music, and I referred him to my myspace page to listen to my music at a later time. He went while I was on the phone, and was impressed. I should mention there were over 1,000 people watching, and within 24 hours, I got over 1,000 new fans. My inbox was flooded. (I owe a HUGE portion of my success to Chris. THANK YOU!)
I later joined a social network called ReverbNation - a place where labels, venue, musicians, and music fans can network with each other and share music and book gigs. They had a lot to offer, and for some reason...be it my constant status updates or a miracle...they noticed me. They offered me the chance to have a song sponsored by Microsoft for Playlist 7. I sent them a song, and they gave me $500 for it. WOAH! Who knew licensing out a song could pay so well?! On top of that, it got me on the front of the Windows Media Guide.
This happened again, but it didn't pay as much. My songs got a lot of downloads, and I got some cash. ReverbNation came to me once again with a new opportunity. Based on my success with the sponsored songs programs I was featured on, they wanted to invite me to a new program they called "Premium Song Licensing." ReverbNation teamed up with APM Music, an amazing music licensing company/library, to get independent artists in APM's music library so that their music may be licensed for film, television, and video games. I was iffy about it at first, but I read through the entire service/program agreement. I had to sign over my rights to license my music, but that was it. There was no fee, I still owned my music, and I would get paid whenever a song is licensed. So I signed the agreement.
Once I did that, I had to get a few things taken care of. I had to join a PRO. I chose BMI, and I joined as a writer and as a publisher.
After that, I had to audition my music to APM...they accepted EVERY track I sent. Now, every few months, I get a report and a payment telling me how often my music has been on TV, in films, and in various productions. This was the beginning of my career.
Today, my music has played on NBC Universal, the Travel Channel, Scifi, MSNBC, and other networks on primetime shows, not to mention on various ads, online promos, and some internal uses. In a few days, you'll hear my song "Freedom" from my old EP on "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." I have to say, I'm lucky.
I have a new album coming - my first full length album. You can buy it at www.davidcrandall.com
Here I am, sitting in a desk chair, recording music one day, and hearing it on tv another.
Now...as long as this post is, it's only the short version. There have been a lot of experiences I've gone through to get to where I am. The point of this is to let you know, it doesn't matter where you live, who you are, or what you do - you can be successful in music. It just takes devotion, hard work, patience, and perseverance.
This blog is to show you just that; YOU can reach success, YOU can make it in the music industry, and I will show YOU everything I know about the industry to make that happen.
My name is David Crandall. I am 22 years old as of June 16, 2011. My dad is a southern gospel singer for "The Crandall Brothers" and has his own solo project "Dave Crandall Ministries." Yes, I am named after my father - he loves himself that much. *JUST KIDDING DAD!*
His music isn't what tops charts today, but in the Christian Music Scene in the 70's and 80's, he had some music on the charts. He performed on TV and all around the globe. In the 90's, I got a taste of what he did. I was in and out of studios, traveling the world, watching skillful musicians...my life was music from a very young age.
My travels were wide. I saw the rich and poor in countries and continents like southern Africa, Hong Kong, Greece, and London to name a few. I experienced the joys and pain of the various cultures as a kid. It's interesting: as young as I was, I remember many things as if it happened recently. It stuck with me.
In the states, I was somewhere different every weekend. I may be in a church, an out door festival, a tv studio, or a recording studio. When in the studio, I had opportunities to sit and watch amazing session musicians record. Needless to say, they blue my mind. At age 10, my dad, the brothers, and myself flew down to Oklahoma City to work on a new album. Just before turning 10, I began teaching myself the drums. I had a natural sense of rhythm. My family was impressed enough by my abilities so early on to brag to the drummer, Steve Short (known for drumming for Reba Mcentire.) He, like many other kind-hearted, professional musicians are very supportive of young, aspiring artists. He invited me into the drum room and showed me how everything works. It was a great experience for me.
Soon after, I picked up a guitar and taught myself to play. Later came the bass, and I tinkered with the piano. Music had overtaken my life. I spent many many hours in my room practicing each instrument, getting better and better. All the while, I volunteered in churches to help out with their music in any way possible. Church isn't always the BEST resource for learning to play professionally, but I learned to listen and to make the best of what's available.
Playing at church and being involved in the church community began to really payoff and grow me when I joined a local church band filled with seasoned, skilled musicians. The pastor was the bass player, and could he play! He taught us young musicians the ins-and-outs of music performance, from timing, to dynamics, and even genre. Every practice, he challenged us to imrpov/jam a different genre. It was great fun, and was very beneficial.
I was involved with more than one church. I was honing my skills as vocalist while leading worship for youth groups from many different churches. It got to the point where I was at a different church 6 days a week - and to top it off, I wasn't getting paid. All was not in vein, I grew as a person as a musician. As I matured, I decided to part my was with much of my commitments with a lot of these churches. I personally didn't like the politics of religion, and it wore me down.
A lot of good songs came from my experiences. Enough to write and record an EP. Now, when I recorded this, I had one mic, a borrowed mixer that ran into the 1/8" line-in on my computer. I recorded all the audio in audacity and attempted to mix it in FL Studio. It came out pretty good given my lack of experience as a producer and lack of quality gear.
I called the EP "Freedom - EP." (You may now purchase it on iTunes, Amazon, and wherever online music is sold.)
I'm 19 now. I have an EP, I'm on iTunes thanks to CDBaby, but...I live in a small town, I can't seem to get a job as hard as I would try, so I can't tour or leave town to perform, let alone afford a driver's license and get a car. I was at a loss. My inspiration was dying. I began to doubt my abilities as a musician. I wanted more than anything to have a career as a musician, but I had no idea how.
I was a part of a community for geeks called Lockergnome owned by former TechTV host, Chris Pirillo. I spoke with him one day when he was taking live calls on his website's live stream. We began to talk about music, and I referred him to my myspace page to listen to my music at a later time. He went while I was on the phone, and was impressed. I should mention there were over 1,000 people watching, and within 24 hours, I got over 1,000 new fans. My inbox was flooded. (I owe a HUGE portion of my success to Chris. THANK YOU!)
I later joined a social network called ReverbNation - a place where labels, venue, musicians, and music fans can network with each other and share music and book gigs. They had a lot to offer, and for some reason...be it my constant status updates or a miracle...they noticed me. They offered me the chance to have a song sponsored by Microsoft for Playlist 7. I sent them a song, and they gave me $500 for it. WOAH! Who knew licensing out a song could pay so well?! On top of that, it got me on the front of the Windows Media Guide.
This happened again, but it didn't pay as much. My songs got a lot of downloads, and I got some cash. ReverbNation came to me once again with a new opportunity. Based on my success with the sponsored songs programs I was featured on, they wanted to invite me to a new program they called "Premium Song Licensing." ReverbNation teamed up with APM Music, an amazing music licensing company/library, to get independent artists in APM's music library so that their music may be licensed for film, television, and video games. I was iffy about it at first, but I read through the entire service/program agreement. I had to sign over my rights to license my music, but that was it. There was no fee, I still owned my music, and I would get paid whenever a song is licensed. So I signed the agreement.
Once I did that, I had to get a few things taken care of. I had to join a PRO. I chose BMI, and I joined as a writer and as a publisher.
After that, I had to audition my music to APM...they accepted EVERY track I sent. Now, every few months, I get a report and a payment telling me how often my music has been on TV, in films, and in various productions. This was the beginning of my career.
Today, my music has played on NBC Universal, the Travel Channel, Scifi, MSNBC, and other networks on primetime shows, not to mention on various ads, online promos, and some internal uses. In a few days, you'll hear my song "Freedom" from my old EP on "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." I have to say, I'm lucky.
I have a new album coming - my first full length album. You can buy it at www.davidcrandall.com
Here I am, sitting in a desk chair, recording music one day, and hearing it on tv another.
Now...as long as this post is, it's only the short version. There have been a lot of experiences I've gone through to get to where I am. The point of this is to let you know, it doesn't matter where you live, who you are, or what you do - you can be successful in music. It just takes devotion, hard work, patience, and perseverance.
This blog is to show you just that; YOU can reach success, YOU can make it in the music industry, and I will show YOU everything I know about the industry to make that happen.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Getting Your Band Signed to a Record Label
This is a popular subject. So many bands and artists out there are looking to get "signed." There is a big misconception that being "signed" is what makes a musician famous, that "once I sign that record deal, I'm going to be famous and make a ton of money!" Sorry, wrong. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it's not always that way, and it's not as easy as it seems. In fact, for many people, it's not necessary.
Thanks to social networks like Facebook and Myspace, and online music retailers and broadcasters like iTunes, Rhapsody, and Pandora, the music industry has changed - and for the better. For just a few bucks, your music can now be heard around the globe, and with the click of the button, you can update all your fans with news about your music. This has created the demand for a connection between artist and audience.
Because of this, being famous so much always about being "discovered" by some label exec and having him/her turn you into a star. Yes, this still happens, but most successful bands/artists will tell you their success came from sleepless nights, hard work, and sacrifice.
Before we go on, let's understand what getting signed actually means. It means you're signing over certain rights to your music to that label. For certain deals, you may only sign distribution and publishing rights, others, you may sign performing rights, others, you may sign over your entire brand. If you sign the wrong contract, you can get gypped and make hardly anything at all.
Also, just because your signed doesn't mean your going to "make it." Many bands get signed, and the next thing they know, the label drops the contract. Yes, they can do that. They may think your new songs won't sell, or that you were just a bad business mistake. At any rate, getting signed is not the key to success.
Record labels today aren't so much looking for great talent. God knows, there are hundreds of thousands of AMAZING artists out there that NO ONE knows about. However, there are a select few who have made the big time. Why? Because people go to their shows and buy their music. This, if not anything else from this post, is the most important thing you need to understand. If you want to be signed, you must already be performing to large crowds and selling lots of records.
"So how can I be famous?"
Well, if that's your main concern, be willing to work your butt off. Here are a list of things you MUST do to be famous:
1. Be amazing at what you do. Don't jump the gun and start your serious band before you are near expert-level at your instrument. Frankly, if you suck, no one will listen to you, buy your records, or pay to see you perform. Therefor, no label will ever sign you. If you're not an "Expert" but you still sound really good to everyone who has heard you, you'll need to at least be a good performer with great audience interaction, stage presence, and a unique quality that will make you stand out.
2. Write good music. Once you're good enough and confident in your skills, start your band - or go solo. The first thing you as a solo artist or band will need to do is write your music. Be sure you write music that's comfortable for you to perform. Write a lot of songs - at least 6 to get you started. Rehearse those songs until their ready to be skillfully performed on stage. Join a Performing Rights Organization and register your songs. If you get radio play in the future, you have a chance at getting some royalties.
3. Raise some money. After you've written your songs, and have begun practicing them, start saving up. In my opinion, it is important to save some money to record a good album/EP/demo before you start booking gigs. The fact is, when you first start performing, you won't get paid. Plus, chances are you're going to open for someone else, and your audience won't be there to see you. If you don't have something for the audience to take home with them, chances are, they'll forget your existence within 24 hours. So save up some money for the next step.
4. Make that record. It doesn't matter if it's a small EP or full on record. What does matter is that the quality is decent. You probably won't get the BEST if you're just starting out, but save up as much as you can and get the best bang for your buck. You want your listeners to ENJOY your music, right? Sign up to CDBaby or Tunecore and get your music on iTunes, AmazonMP3, etc. People who go to your shows may prefer a digital version of your album. It's cheap and easy to do, so why not do it? DONT CHEAP OUT OF PHYSICAL CD's. Your fans DO need something to take home with them after your gig!!!
5. Now that you have a product in hand, it's time to book some shows. Contact your local venues, or venues in towns near by, and offer yourself as an opening act. Find local bands from your hometown and surrounding cities and offer the same. Let them know you're a good fit for their upcoming gig as an opener, and hope they'll let you. Get ahold of the county fair and see if you can perform on a small stage. Join a talent show. Perform at an old-folks home. The venue doesn't matter right now, what matters is wherever you play, you want there to be an audience - no matter how big or small.
6. Promote. Get a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, ReverbNation, Last.fm, Purevolume, etc. Get yourself out there. Invite all your friends and family to follow you. Let them know about your new gigs by posting them on all your sites. While this may seem weird to some people, call everyone up and personally invite them to your gig and to bring a friend. Make flyers and post them around town with the basic details of the show. How much to get in? Is there an age limit? What other bands are playing? Be sure to include all your social network links. Create a second set of flyers to bring to the show with all your social network links and some contact info to hand out with your new album.
7. Once you've booked your first gig, perform the crap out of it. Show off your skills. You've got an audience full of people who want to like you, don't let them down. If all goes well, you'll likely be able to set up a small merch booth to sell your new album. Your new fans will buy it if you make it cheap enough, and they'll share it with their friends, and since you have made that flyer - a good percentage of those fans will follow you online.
8. Repeat step 5-7. Book a lot of shows, sell lots of CD's, and expand. Record another album, start performing in other towns. Get the press involved for publicity. Send your music to magazines for review. Promote, promote, promote. Go on tour, work your butt off. You're going to start seeing things unfold.
9. This step coincides step 6: Join ReverbNation. ReverbNation is a great place for musicians to connect with fans. You get a free mailing list and you have the ability to submit to perform at amazing gigs, festivals, etc. You occasionally get opportunities to make money with your music. They have a gigfinder to locate venues, presskit makers to send the venues, etc. ReverbNation is just a great place for network artist to join.
10. Get a real website done. The cost of a real, custom site can be expensive, but there are alternatives. HostBaby is one. ReverbNation has a sitebuilder as well. (Here comes some self promotion...) I actually build websites, it's what I do on the side. If you need a website for a REALLY good price, contact me at david@davidcrandall.com
Once you've done at least 1-8, you have a shot at getting signed. Of course, at this point, it may not be necessary with all the success you may have. Consider starting your own label for yourself.
If all of this seems like too much, consider hiring a manager, publicist, promoter, and/or marketing specialist to help you out. It may be in your best interest to keep YOUR focus on your music, and keep all the "business stuff" to the "business guys."
A couple extra tips:
Be professional to your fellow musicians and venues. It's just good ethics to do so, but having a bad rep can kill and chance of having a career in music fame. Don't treat music like a competition with other bands/artists. It's not. Music is a fun, emotional, and meaningful experience.
In conclusion:
Getting famous is HARD WORK. You reap what you sew. If you work hard, perform well, and be professional and respectful, you may very well make it in the biz. Being "signed" shouldn't be your biggest concern. Focus on getting out there for people to hear. You can do it on your own. Just work hard and have faith in yourself. Don't let ANYONE tell you you can't do it, because with hard work and determination, you can.
Thanks to social networks like Facebook and Myspace, and online music retailers and broadcasters like iTunes, Rhapsody, and Pandora, the music industry has changed - and for the better. For just a few bucks, your music can now be heard around the globe, and with the click of the button, you can update all your fans with news about your music. This has created the demand for a connection between artist and audience.
Because of this, being famous so much always about being "discovered" by some label exec and having him/her turn you into a star. Yes, this still happens, but most successful bands/artists will tell you their success came from sleepless nights, hard work, and sacrifice.
Before we go on, let's understand what getting signed actually means. It means you're signing over certain rights to your music to that label. For certain deals, you may only sign distribution and publishing rights, others, you may sign performing rights, others, you may sign over your entire brand. If you sign the wrong contract, you can get gypped and make hardly anything at all.
Also, just because your signed doesn't mean your going to "make it." Many bands get signed, and the next thing they know, the label drops the contract. Yes, they can do that. They may think your new songs won't sell, or that you were just a bad business mistake. At any rate, getting signed is not the key to success.
Record labels today aren't so much looking for great talent. God knows, there are hundreds of thousands of AMAZING artists out there that NO ONE knows about. However, there are a select few who have made the big time. Why? Because people go to their shows and buy their music. This, if not anything else from this post, is the most important thing you need to understand. If you want to be signed, you must already be performing to large crowds and selling lots of records.
"So how can I be famous?"
Well, if that's your main concern, be willing to work your butt off. Here are a list of things you MUST do to be famous:
1. Be amazing at what you do. Don't jump the gun and start your serious band before you are near expert-level at your instrument. Frankly, if you suck, no one will listen to you, buy your records, or pay to see you perform. Therefor, no label will ever sign you. If you're not an "Expert" but you still sound really good to everyone who has heard you, you'll need to at least be a good performer with great audience interaction, stage presence, and a unique quality that will make you stand out.
2. Write good music. Once you're good enough and confident in your skills, start your band - or go solo. The first thing you as a solo artist or band will need to do is write your music. Be sure you write music that's comfortable for you to perform. Write a lot of songs - at least 6 to get you started. Rehearse those songs until their ready to be skillfully performed on stage. Join a Performing Rights Organization and register your songs. If you get radio play in the future, you have a chance at getting some royalties.
3. Raise some money. After you've written your songs, and have begun practicing them, start saving up. In my opinion, it is important to save some money to record a good album/EP/demo before you start booking gigs. The fact is, when you first start performing, you won't get paid. Plus, chances are you're going to open for someone else, and your audience won't be there to see you. If you don't have something for the audience to take home with them, chances are, they'll forget your existence within 24 hours. So save up some money for the next step.
4. Make that record. It doesn't matter if it's a small EP or full on record. What does matter is that the quality is decent. You probably won't get the BEST if you're just starting out, but save up as much as you can and get the best bang for your buck. You want your listeners to ENJOY your music, right? Sign up to CDBaby or Tunecore and get your music on iTunes, AmazonMP3, etc. People who go to your shows may prefer a digital version of your album. It's cheap and easy to do, so why not do it? DONT CHEAP OUT OF PHYSICAL CD's. Your fans DO need something to take home with them after your gig!!!
5. Now that you have a product in hand, it's time to book some shows. Contact your local venues, or venues in towns near by, and offer yourself as an opening act. Find local bands from your hometown and surrounding cities and offer the same. Let them know you're a good fit for their upcoming gig as an opener, and hope they'll let you. Get ahold of the county fair and see if you can perform on a small stage. Join a talent show. Perform at an old-folks home. The venue doesn't matter right now, what matters is wherever you play, you want there to be an audience - no matter how big or small.
6. Promote. Get a Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, ReverbNation, Last.fm, Purevolume, etc. Get yourself out there. Invite all your friends and family to follow you. Let them know about your new gigs by posting them on all your sites. While this may seem weird to some people, call everyone up and personally invite them to your gig and to bring a friend. Make flyers and post them around town with the basic details of the show. How much to get in? Is there an age limit? What other bands are playing? Be sure to include all your social network links. Create a second set of flyers to bring to the show with all your social network links and some contact info to hand out with your new album.
7. Once you've booked your first gig, perform the crap out of it. Show off your skills. You've got an audience full of people who want to like you, don't let them down. If all goes well, you'll likely be able to set up a small merch booth to sell your new album. Your new fans will buy it if you make it cheap enough, and they'll share it with their friends, and since you have made that flyer - a good percentage of those fans will follow you online.
8. Repeat step 5-7. Book a lot of shows, sell lots of CD's, and expand. Record another album, start performing in other towns. Get the press involved for publicity. Send your music to magazines for review. Promote, promote, promote. Go on tour, work your butt off. You're going to start seeing things unfold.
9. This step coincides step 6: Join ReverbNation. ReverbNation is a great place for musicians to connect with fans. You get a free mailing list and you have the ability to submit to perform at amazing gigs, festivals, etc. You occasionally get opportunities to make money with your music. They have a gigfinder to locate venues, presskit makers to send the venues, etc. ReverbNation is just a great place for network artist to join.
10. Get a real website done. The cost of a real, custom site can be expensive, but there are alternatives. HostBaby is one. ReverbNation has a sitebuilder as well. (Here comes some self promotion...) I actually build websites, it's what I do on the side. If you need a website for a REALLY good price, contact me at david@davidcrandall.com
Once you've done at least 1-8, you have a shot at getting signed. Of course, at this point, it may not be necessary with all the success you may have. Consider starting your own label for yourself.
If all of this seems like too much, consider hiring a manager, publicist, promoter, and/or marketing specialist to help you out. It may be in your best interest to keep YOUR focus on your music, and keep all the "business stuff" to the "business guys."
A couple extra tips:
Be professional to your fellow musicians and venues. It's just good ethics to do so, but having a bad rep can kill and chance of having a career in music fame. Don't treat music like a competition with other bands/artists. It's not. Music is a fun, emotional, and meaningful experience.
In conclusion:
Getting famous is HARD WORK. You reap what you sew. If you work hard, perform well, and be professional and respectful, you may very well make it in the biz. Being "signed" shouldn't be your biggest concern. Focus on getting out there for people to hear. You can do it on your own. Just work hard and have faith in yourself. Don't let ANYONE tell you you can't do it, because with hard work and determination, you can.
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