How many are both writers AND publishers?

[matto]

I think it boils down to whether you want to be writing music for a living, or do it as a hobby and maybe make a bit of money on the side. Neither approach is more valid than the other, but I think you have to ask yourself what you really want and then follow the path that is most likely to lead to success. Not a lot of people are making a living from selling their CD's on CDBaby, Derek would be the first to tell you that.If you wanna do it for a living, you're not going to get around doing business with people "you don't know".It's highly unlikely that you'll be able to hold on to all of your publishing and copyrights. If you want other people to help you succeed it's important to realize that they too are running a business, so there has to be something in it for them.The very very few people who are making a living in music running their own record and publishing companies, and holding on to 100% of everything, have succeeded because they do THE JOB of a real record company and a real publisher. They work an UNGODLY amount, easily the equivalent of 2 full day jobs, and spend much more time on the business end than on the music.I would rather spend more time on the music, it's what I love. You won't get around knowing the business end and spending some time on it, but by having a variety of publishers and music libraries do the leg work of actually "working" my songs, I'm still able to spend the majority of my time on writing and producing music.Which is the way I like it.The companies that have helped and are helping me succeed at what I love to do most certainly deserve to share in that success.And btw, not one of those companies is a big international music publisher; it would be a big mistake to assume only a huge corporation can make things happen for you; if anything, your songs are just going to get lost in those companies' gargantuan catalogs.The bottom line:If you're offered a deal, research the company as best you can. Try to negotiate the best deal you can (and no, being your own "publishing company" won't give you more bargaining power). Have an entertainment attorney review the contract with you. After all the the facts are in, make a decision based on them, and on the song(s) in question. Is it really likely that Celine Dion is gonna record that song, or that it will help you get signed to a major record deal? If yes, hold on to the song. If no, you may decide to take a chance on this company and give them 2 or 3 songs.Doing business involves taking risks, just make sure the risk you take is limited and calculated. So you won't be ruined if it doesn't pay off.As Dave said before: these are just songs. You can write more. And if you can't you definitely WON'T make a living doing music... matto

[nomiyah]

I recently joined Taxi and wanted to submit a song to a listing from a music library. Then I wanted to submit the same song to a different listing. What if I had an incredible streak of beginner's luck and both submissions were forwarded and both offered me an agreement? What if the library wanted my song, would I be restricted from using that song elsewhere? If a tv soundtrack used my song, could I pitch it to a film soundtrack too? Or are these listings usually exclusive?Nomi

[zink]

What if I had an incredible streak of beginner's luck and both submissions were forwarded and both offered me an agreement? That would be a good thing, not a dilemma!!! If you signed a track to a library, you would be resticted unless you singed a non-exclusive deal (which doesn't seem to be the norm). When something like this comes up, choose the library you think will get the best placements for you, and offer to write a similar song for the other. Zink

[matto]

Quote:If a tv soundtrack used my song, could I pitch it to a film soundtrack too?If you yourself pitch your song directly to the music supervisor of the TV show and they use it, you'll be free to pitch it to a movie or another tv show, whatever, because music supervisors are not publishers and don't take any rights to your song (with the exception of the right to use it in the specific production in question).Music libraries are publishers and will want some rights, they could be non-exclusive (which is fairly rare these days), "semi-exclusive" (they want the exclusive right to pitch to "visual media", you'll retain the right to pitch to artists or sell your own recordings of the song to the public), or exclusive, meaning the own the whole enchilada.Of course once a music library has aquired the rights to do so, they will pitch the song to as many productions as possible and hopefully get it used in a number of different projects. matto

[nomiyah]

Thanks for the answers. I'd like to add that I found another thread on the subject at http://taxi.proboards27.com/index.cgi?b ... 1077042778

[treuman]

This has been one of the most informative threads I've read yet. I wish they had a book called "Publishers for Dummies" cause I could sure use it. Right now, I'm not with a publisher, so I guess I am my publisher. But I'm very interested in maybe getting one now. I know this is a big question, but could someone tell me the main differences between BMI and ASCAP? Thanks again for all this great information.www.jasontreuman.com

[hookstownbrown]

Hi treuman, welcome...I have heard different people argue that BMI/ASCAP question a few times. Some folks are steadfast in their opinion of one over the other. But many, many others will admit that one is no better than the other. A few will even tell you that SESAC beats them hands down!There are differences in the way they run surveys and calculate royaties. The paychecks are what matters, though, and any of the PRO's can underpay or overpay you in a given quarter. My take on everything I've heard about them is that, in the larger sense, one is no better than the other...