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Songwriting
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Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 253
Apprentice
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Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2019
Posts: 253 |
Wanted to jump in on this conversation and offer my 2 cents. I confess that I haven't read all the replies, so somebody may have already covered this, but a point to be made about the numbers the OP mentions, and how it relates to spotify/streaming income.
Keep in mind that a substantial portion of the monies you receive from Spotify are royalties due to you as a label/artist. The actual songwriting portion of that money is very small, something like 14x less than the label/artist portion. Obviously, if you write/perform/record/release your own stuff, you stand to make quite a bit more money than if you were relying on the songwriter portion of those payments alone.
That's why I'm of the opinion that guys like me who've made their living writing songs for other people to record are dinosaurs...the meteor has hit, and we're just wandering around waiting to become extinct -another reason why you see so many successful writer selling books, teaching classes, and shamefully even charging people a fee to allow them to co-write a song with them (some of my friends/peers are guilty as charged).
I fully endorse the notion of "keep it/sell it/own it". There are a lot of people out there making a living by selling "how-to" guides for a dream that doesn't really exist anymore. I'm glad I was around for "the good ol' days" of songwriting, but it's a whole new world now and it ain't going back.
I'll stop now, I'm sermonizing. Just thought I'd share my thoughts.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,863
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,863 |
guys like me who've made their living writing songs for other people to record are dinosaurs...the meteor has hit, and we're just wandering around waiting to become extinct Ain't that the truth! And the only folks left making money are the shovel salesmen!
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Songwriting
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 7
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 7 |
Hi David
I have seen a couple of videos of BIAB and its obviously really impressive. As you have massive expeience with it and with songwriting i do have a question. I write using a piano sometimes guitar. I 'create' interesting chord and melody ideas along with lyrics. The thing is how on earth do i get BIAB to actually back say my paino piece as it has quite different chord variations and nuances.Wouldnt it just railroad over the piece and poss ruin the original feel?Sorry if this is a rather daft question...
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Songwriting
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
Welcome to the forum, your first post. Congrats.
This question should be in the Band in a Box forum, Windows or Mac whichever you use. I'll give you a response here anyway.
You're asking two things, chords and feel. Biab is designed to do exactly what it's name says. Be your backup band. Real musicians will rarely play a song EXACTLY as written, different players like guitar or piano will play different inversions or add a passing note or whatever because they think it sounds better. That's what Biab does too but you still have some control over that.
Right click anywhere in the chord grid and select Song Settings. On the left of that window see Force Song to Simple Arrangement and check that box. Also under the Edit menu see the checkbox Jazz Down the Chords. That will stop Biab from making too many changes to your chords. Even with these controls Biab may still make a few changes. If that happens regenerate the song again and you may have to do that several times until you like it. Once you like it freeze the tracks so a regeneration won't wipe that out.
A strength of Biab is the fact that regeneration will change things up a little and many people like that but if you don't want that then use the Freeze option. You see that when you right click on an instrument name and look for Track Settings>Freeze Track.
As for the feel that is controlled by the style you choose, either Midi, Real Tracks or both.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,443
Veteran
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OP
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,443 |
What Bob said!! 
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Songwriting
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 7
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 7 |
Thank you Bob (and Dave!) Yes my first post and a great answer and thank you for the welcome I find it really encouraging what you said and will definitely give BIAB a real go. Point taken and am quite excited to see what BIAB comes up with. I was in bands for years and agree musicians bring their own ideas and the best can bring out the best in original songs. Many moons ago i used here in the UK to spend many days in London going round to A&R departments - most of the major labels. I used to be daft allowing them to to take copies and the bits they liked and sometime later hear my melodies/ideas used !! I guess like a lot of things back in the eighties, it was seen as fair game☹Anyway have hundreds of songs and part songs in moth balls and some new ones so let’s see if BIAB can help me breath some life into them
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Songwriting
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Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 7,697 |
You're welcome. Now, if you have other questions about Biab you should start a new thread in the actual Biab for Windows or Mac forum. Other songwriting comments or discussion would stay here.
Bob
Biab/RB latest build, Win 11 Pro, Ryzen 5 5600 G, 512 Gig SSD, 16 Gigs Ram, Steinberg UR22 MkII, Roland Sonic Cell, Kurzweil PC3, Hammond SK1, Korg PA3XPro, Garritan JABB, Hypercanvas, Sampletank 3, more.
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Songwriting
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Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 7
Newbie
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Newbie
Joined: Sep 2019
Posts: 7 |
Thanks Bob. No doubt i will be visiting both compostion and production:)
Paul
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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,443
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OP
Veteran
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 8,443 |
Hmmmmm. I did it, I guess. I put it in another post for freshness, but here that is: *** Hey Y'all, OK, I have been MIA, I know, working on a book, missing everyone, got to get back I know! BUT, I thought about my long lost SongTradr account and logged in and saw I had made a pretty nice chunk of change when someone bought a Celtic tune for a video. Well, ok, so I did make my money back! And let me just say, to all of my adoring fans, that this will in no way change me, because as I know, in my humble servant's heart, that the way of the modest man is to ponder the... Ok, the joke is not going to work, but anyway, I thought that was cool. I need to fire up my Band in a Box and log back in!!!!!!
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Songwriting
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Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,318
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 20,318 |
Wow!
Way to go, David -- congratulations!
MY SONGS...Audiophile BIAB 2026
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Songwriting
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685 |
I need to fire up my Band in a Box and log back in!!!!!!
Well what you waiting for, C'mon back.
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
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Songwriting
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,956
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,956 |
Welcome back David,
You've been missed!
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Songwriting
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Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,185
Veteran
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Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,185 |
As an inventor, Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb.
When a reporter asked, "How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?" Edison replied, "I didn't fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps." in reality it was an invention with stolen and bullied acquisition of patents + some time, sweat and a few ideas. He was a low life.
Last edited by rayc; 02/03/20 12:12 AM.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
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Songwriting
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Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685
Expert
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Expert
Joined: May 2017
Posts: 1,685 |
My My ...you also know more than the average joe along with hear more !!!.
Very talented.
I was just reciting a famous quote, I've no idea if it is true or not And couldn't really care anyway just using it in the way it sends... a message out.
win 10 64 bit 16gb,i7 chip, ssd 500gb, m-audio air, ,Roland BK-7M, 1000,shure sm7b,sonar,acid,mixcraft, variety of plugins.Sample tank 3,Kontakt. TC Helicon Voicelive 3 2 . https://beatmaster1.bandcamp.com/releases
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Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
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