Hi,
yesterday I received an e-mail from someone I had contacted to see if she was interested in recording any of my songs. I gave her a link to where I have 49 of my songs posted and this is a copy and paste of her exact reply... "Oh my goodness - these songs are great! I would love to record some of these!! I am still listening to some of them but after I pick a few out I will email you what they are and we can go from there!"
Could someone point me to an article with {or give me} very specific advice on what my first steps should be if she gets back to me. The songs are all mine but I don't have a publisher or anything like that {I can't find one}. I'm not looking for generalities, as they are often a little confusing, but rather a 1 2 3 type of thing if that even exists.
Thanks for any help you can give.
Cavemann
I don't have any specific advice for you -- but if that person asks for money to produce a demo in their studio, then it might be a scam. Might not be, but it is probably be a good idea to be skeptical. ... And to google info on this person/company (if there is a company involved).
Kevin
I agree with Kemmrich.
There's a lot of people out there taking advantage of aspiring songwriters. The internet now makes it a whole heap easier to investigate the legitimacy of these people.
If this was me and money was involved, I'd run a song or two past a professional songwriter/performer for a second opinion before committing myself to anything. One such person is Craig Bickhardt. He will give you detailed feedback on songs. He's a Nashville songwriter and has had a few number 1 hits. He knows his stuff. I regularly have songs critiqued by him and found his input very valuable. Be blunt, ask him specific questions, e.g. if it's worth getting demos done, etc. His site is...
http://www.craigbickhardt.comOnce there, you'll need to follow the
resources for songwriters link.
One of the toughest things that faces us songwriters is the ability to be objective about our own work. I always get at least five professional opinions on any of my songs before I even consider putting them in the demo queue
Good luck with your songs
Noel
Thanks for the warnings, I found this contact through Songwriter 101. At this point I have no doubt about her sincerity, just trying to find out what the usual first steps are, are there standard contracts, should I wait for contact from her agent or stuff like that.
As for the money aspect, I have none. I'm not interested in spending a fortune on demos for something that's as subjective as 'what's a good song'. I am constantly looking for someone interested in recording a song or two, but if they can't get a feel for what I've posted then they're not what I'm looking for.
This woman has a band that is looking for material since she is not a writer herself.
This is what she has to choose from
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/default.cfm?bandID=803693&content=musicCavemann
If she's recording for her purposes - to sell CDs, etc., then you should look at getting a contract organised. You're entitled to some income from sales.
I strongly suggest that you REGISTER your original songs. You have an 'automatic' copyright when recorded or when put into written form, but you need to protect your work. Registration sets a specific date for the work in case someone tries to rip off your masterpiece. This is invaluable if you sue for copyright infringement, etc.
There are several reliable sites which provide this service. If you don't mind the bureaucratic mish-mash, you can apply for registration with the US Gov.--however, this process can take several months for the Gov to get the docs back to you. It is pretty cheap: $35.00 for a bunch of lyrics, etc. You can check it out.
Talk to a lawyer, particularly a lawyer who specializes in copyrights, and the music industry. Seek professional advice to protect your intellectual property. If your songs are that good, then it's worth the money you will spend to get that advice on how to deal with this situation.
Gary
On a good day and with a strong tail wind I'm still more than a day's travel to the nearest place that might have an english lawyer specializing in the music industry. I'm not sure how to take that extra step. I'm pretty isolated.
Cavemann
A book that you should get hold of that will explain all you need to know is
The Craft And Business of Songwriting by John Braheny.
I've just had a look and there are some cheap, secondhand copies on
www.amazon.com. This book is split into two halves. The first half covers the craft of wiritng songs, the second half covers things like publishing, song contracts, copyright, etc. (all the business-side of things). It's well worth getting a copy. I have an old copy presently on loan to a friend.
Regards,
Noel
You may be able to schedule a phone consultation with an entertainment attorney then have them fax or mail you the contracts. It's not that expensive - likely won't take but a couple or three billed hours - and worth it. But I'd wait until I knew more from her end. What songs, when record session, distribution etc.
For the time being you can save money by registering your songs as a compilation through the copyright office.
Meanwhile you should read up on the biz and that's a good book.
Hey cave dweller if yer songs are like that one starts
UGA UGA chucka whatever that was covered LoL ....
Our cave dwellers come out about the start of Feb to check the shadow and decide on getting out and about or going back to sleep.
You don't really need an attorney to REGISTER your songs. In most civilized countries you have a copyright on your original works as soon as they are written down or recorded--this is under the relatively new international copyright laws.
Registering your work is simply a way to put a legal time stamp on it showing the date that it was created. If someone else subsequently claims your work as theirs, then you have legal proof of the date the work was created by you.
An attorney is certainly advised if you intend to sue someone for a copyright violation of any of your original works, but you better have some legally binding proof of the date that the work was created by you: registration!
Note that sending an envelope containing your creation to yourself is foolish, as this method has never held up in any court of law anywhere. There are several web sites which will register your work at a pretty reasonable price. One I like is songregistration.com. as it's maintained by some experienced lawyers.
In any event, get your stuff registered if you believe it's good enough. There are a LOT of slimey folks in the music biz. I'm not talking about the musicians, but the A&R and promoters, etc. Protect yourself.
Sure an attorney is not needed, but here in the states, a "weak" copyright, is not going to hold up in court. Registering with the copyright office will. There is wisdom in getting all things in writing. As axegrider01 says, you need legally binding proof.
Some promote mailing an envelope to yourself, or using the time stamp of the internet or websites. But all these things can be altered, faked, or argued. Nothing works better than a registered copyright.
And songregistration.com is of course ok? If the music biz is full of "slimey folks", why not set up a site, make starry eyes musicians pay, and sell the best stuff themselves?
- Jepster
SASE and registered mail to yourself and any of that kind of hoopla won't even make it to deposition.
Register with the copyright office.
Period.
--Mac
Registering with the US copyright office is fine, and it's pretty cheap if done online. However, there are a LOT of pages to scroll through, and it's a time consuming affair at best. Also note that it may well be 6 months or more to get any confirmation back from them on your submissions. There is a disclaimer on the US copyright office website which specifically states that you are NOT granted a copyright by submitting a request to them--that is done automatically when the work is recorded, published, or written down, etc.
To Jep...songregistration.com is a very reputable site. I did a lot of research on this stuff, and could find no negative information concerning them at all. Remember, all they do is provide a legally binding 'time stamp' for any work submitted. They do this virtually immediately, unlike the US copyright office, which usually takes months to confirm your submission, if they don't reject it for some arcane reason. Note the US copyright office will keep your money in any event...I must say that the one big advantage of the US copyright office is that you can submit and entire 'album' online for the price of a single song, so it's pretty cheap [ $35.00 online, I believe ].
The bottom line here is that however you decide to do it, PROTECT YOUR CREATIONS! There are some very talented folks posting their stuff in these forums, and it would be a crime and a shame if those great works were hijacked.
Thanks for you reply, Axegrinder. I've got nothing against songregistration.com. I hadn't even heard about the site before you mentioned it. If they are able to secure one's property rapidly, they no doubt fill an important function in a high-speed internet environment. Thanks for pointing that out.
- Jepster