Unsigned or Signed songs on CDs?

[brianleewheat]

I am really excited for my first Road Rally and want to make the most of it. Thanks to the advice on the forum, I am planning to bring a few CDs to hand out. The problem is that all of my good songs are already signed to libraries. Is it ok to put Signed songs on the CDs to illustrate the quality and type of music I specialize in?

Thanks so much for the help.

Brian

[Russell Landwehr]

Heya, Brian. Everything on my CD is signed... if someone likes me and wants some exclusive stuff... I'll write it...

I've got a million I haven't written yet.

Russell

[kclements]

I find most of my publishers are ok with me putting signed tracks on my demo. But if the track(s) is signed exclusively I would ask the publisher first. A simple email goes a long way and helps build that trust relationship.

Also, if signed exclusive, be sure to indicate that on the Cd and Jacket.

Cheers
kc

[Casey H]

I find most of my publishers are ok with me putting signed tracks on my demo. But if the track(s) is signed exclusively I would ask the publisher first. A simple email goes a long way and helps build that trust relationship.

Also, if signed exclusive, be sure to indicate that on the Cd and Jacket.

Cheers
kc

I agree with KC... If you can, ask for permission first. Labeling the signed tracks as "Under Exclusive Agreement - Demo Purposes Only" or similar is usually OK.

Good luck!

Casey

[remmet]

I find most of my publishers are ok with me putting signed tracks on my demo. But if the track(s) is signed exclusively I would ask the publisher first. A simple email goes a long way and helps build that trust relationship.

Also, if signed exclusive, be sure to indicate that on the Cd and Jacket.

Cheers
kc

I agree with KC... If you can, ask for permission first. Labeling the signed tracks as "Under Exclusive Agreement - Demo Purposes Only" or similar is usually OK.

Good luck!

Casey

Just for clarification, even if a track is signed exclusively to a publisher, if a music supervisor wanted to use it, wouldn't that merely mean they would have to make arrangements with the publisher to do so? In other words, exclusivity does not preclude a track from being used; it just defines which party makes the deal on our behalf, on what terms, or whether to make a deal at all.

In terms of the Rally, it would seem to make sense to avoid sharing with other publishers your CDs containing a lot of exclusive tracks. If you share them with non-publisher entities (music sups, for example), make sure the publisher info is indicated on the CD packaging. Same with the listening panels at the Rally -- It wouldn't make sense to pitch a published track to a panel of publishers (i.e., library owners), but with proper labeling and with the understanding of your publisher, it would be okay, IMO, to pitch a published track to a panel of music sups and other non-publishers.

Richard