Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Composer's Lounge ?????????HOW??????????

How exactly would I become.....uhhhhhhh, whats the work, sponsored? I dont know, but when a company can avertize my music and get it out there for people to hear and stuff, I know they would get a percentage....but how exactly would that work? Is it just some phone calls to make? Help me out here. Any recommendations?

Actually, you get the percentage. They get the bulk. And it is extremely difficult to get representation in the classical world. It's the same process as getting "published", because in effect, that's what you're accomplishing. If you "know people", it could be as easy as a phone call. Otherwise, it's a long, tedious process of query-and-rejection.

Consider music libraries. They’re publishers too. If they like your music they may find placements on TV/film.

You have to have a quality finished product though. They won’t re-record anything.

If you get to the contract stage, ask for a non-exclusive contract. Some will go along with it some won't.

Good luck Monica. Watch out for the "sharks".

Best, John

I had someone from a music library ask me for some of my music. She said we'd have to sign forms through ASCAP and stuff. I am still keeping in touch with her, but I'm a little freaked out at the whole idea (right now). I mean, she said that I'd get money too, and that it would be open to tv/film, etc. but i dunno. It's a little scary. I'm not sure if I feel im old enough to turn over rights to my music yet! (or a good deal of them).

That's why I suggested a non-exclusive contract. You'll still be able to shop your tracks to other sources.

Don't be afraid of ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC - they're the source of your royalties.

John

I highly suggest one of two things to ANYONE dealing with contracts.

1. Go to a decent university. Enroll in a business law class that teaches contracts. (Usually it's a "101/102" thing...mine was "201/202".)

2. Figure out what books the professors use (go to the bookstore and ask) and read the books.

The more familiar you are with contract law, the less you have to have someone else explain it to you, and the less-likely you are to be cheated.

The same goes for copyright law. <---It's AMAZING the number of people who don't understand this law. Fortunately, I have the only textbook you need right here.

That's for the US. If you want International, it's a little trickier. At that point, you can probably trust an agency or contact your own (highly-paid) lawyer. (You should have one if you're planning to go international.)

Also, if you have concerns about a publishing contract you can hire a "music" lawyer (about a $1,000 an hour). Your everyday lawyer isn't usually familiar with the music industry and how it works.

Another option would be to just sign a couple tracks at first to see if your publisher will come through for you.

You can also go on-line and find standardized publishing contracts. I still favor the non-exclusive contract. It allows you more freedom to shop your music (or sell it yourself).

As far as copyrights, Derulux's link is the only one you need.

Good luck, John

well, atleast I know theres some hope out there......I do need to learn all that copyright stuff..theres just soooooo much to know, but it will really help me. Well I have your good suggestions, THANX

You don't need to learn ALL the copyright stuff. (That's what lawyers are for.) Just the highlights:

1. The minute you "create" a work, it is yours. Copyright exists upon creation.

2. The above rule doesn't mean diddly in a court of law (when seeking compensation) unless you've filed for (and received) an official copyright.

3. ANYTHING International follows a whole different set of rules depending on which countries are involved (and, of course, what the issue is).

That's pretty much all you need to know to keep your head above water and out of trouble.

Contract law is more interesting, and better to know...if you wanted to learn one of the two.

There's another option which hasn't been mentioned on this thread:

Self-publishing.

You can create discs and MP3's of your music on your computer. You can transcribe your own music into a professional-looking score with software like Finale or Sibelius. And you can distribute your compositions in any form through the internet.

The downside of self-publishing is that you are on your own - it is much harder to reach your audience and somewhat trickier to protect your rights. But the upside is that you don't share your profits with anyone. Every sale you make is 100% yours. And all the rights to the music remain 100% yours.

You still need to overcome the fear of exposing your music to the world. Many people don't realize that this is actually the most difficult step in getting published. Indeed, this is the sole reason I myself don't come forward and self-publish my music: I'm too chicken to do it.

Self-publishing is fine, but you should know one thing about the legal aspects first:

When you sign with a record label, the rights to the work you do usually goes to the label and you are paid royalties. Any lawsuits are taken care of by the label. If you publish on your own, you keep the rights, the full profits, and the full burden of any resultant legal action (which can actually cost enough in fees to bankrupt you, regardless of whether or not you're "in the right").

I imagine this has more of an effect in other artistic fields (authoring/writing comes to mind almost immediately), but it's always good to know.

And if you ARE going to self-publish, you MUST ABSOLUTELY read this first: www.copyright.gov . This is U.S. Copyright law. It's everything you need to know to protect yourself. The quick and skinny:

Under no circumstance should you publish ANYTHING without first obtaining an officially-documented copyright (complete with government-issued number). If you were to publish without such a thing, people could very easily re-distribute your work online and never face legal action because your right to seek compensation is directly tied to whether or not you have an officially-filed copyright.

Second thing: Get the "music world" equivalent of an ISBN number immediately. This is one of the fastest ways to get your CD (or whatever) out to the world...and you can't have the CD stocked in any kind of reputable store without it. (Obviously if you know a friend with a store, they'll probably stock it for you, but I'm talking about a "Tower Records" or something similar.) They use these number-trackers for lookups, order, stocking, and inventory/repurchasing needs.

Yes, you have to pay a fee to acquire one of these. Yes, you have to pay a fee to obtain a copyright. Yes, it's worth it.

Well, hope it helps...I think that's all I really need to say on the subject to help you all stay out of trouble.

$1000/hour??? Ouch! How many lawyers do you get for that?

One.

That's pretty unheard of. You're paying too much.

I think you're right Steve. I did some checking and I found a music attorney that charges only $125 per hour.

Best, John

See. I just saved you $875 per hour. The least you could do is buy me dinner…

Do you like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?

Actually, I'm not looking for a music lawyer. This is something I was considering once and found the rate to be $1,000 an hour. I guess things have changed since then.

Best, John

That sounds like the difference between an established music lawyer for the stars and one "just gettin started." Something tells me Jessica Simpson pays more than $125/hour.

That's one expensive PB&J!!!

What do you expect? It's Skippy peanut butter!