Bob Dylan Interview Re: Songwriting
Bobby talks about writing songs, through an interview with Robert Hilburn ... if you want to understand more about writing songs, this is an all-out "must read!"
Janis Ian's Article Re: The Web vs Music Industry Controversies
Janis Ian has posted an article at her site, where she clearly defines all the issues, along with her own insightful and sharp-witted analogy of the facts, surrounding the web vs music industry controversy. I met Janis in Nashville once ... we talked, just the two of us, for over an hour. If you read her article, you'll know what it was like -- what a gal.
ARTIST PROMOTION
Below are links to tried and true resources that I endorse ... deals that don't cost an arm-and-a-leg ... deals that produce real results. If you're serious about promoting your work as an artist, these links will certainly help. Example: I wanted to get a bar-code for my CDs and found out it would cost me $750.00 (way too much, I thought!) ... then I found out that CD Baby provides bar-codes to members for only $20.00 per CD -- now that's worth sharing, eh?
OFFICE STUFF
"Good question. Performing rights organizations, such as SESAC, are businesses designed to represent songwriters and publishers and their right to be compensated for having their music performed in public. By securing a license from SESAC, for example, music users (i.e., television and radio stations, auditoriums, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, malls, funeral homes, etc.) can legally play any song in the SESAC repertory. Without a license from a performing rights organization, music users are in danger of copyright infringement."
~~Bill Velez, President and Chief Operating Officer of SESAC
ASCAP | American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
BMI | Broadcast Music Incorporated
SESAC | Society of European Stage Authors and Composers
The Harry Fox Agency: Cover-Songs Form
Thinking about recording a "cover song" of someone else's song(s), but don't know how to pay for licensing? Now, it can all be done right online -- and this is the link.
Songs In Public Domain Status
Thinking about recording a Public Domain Song? Here's all the info!
NARAS | The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences
RIAA | The Record Industry Association of America
The Songwriters Guild of America
How to Copyright A Song
Here's all the info you need about the ways to copyright your song.
MarketingYourMusic.com
Online Rhyming Dictionary
Working on a song? Stuck on a line? Rewriting some lyrics? Looking for a rhyme? I honestly can't think of too many times that a rhyming dictionary ever gave me the results I went to it looking for ... but I can't ever think of a time it didn't give me a fresh approach to the idea I started with, either! Rhyming Dictionaries are fun ... and this one by RhymeZone.com is pretty cool!
Roget's Thesaurus
Looking for relative ideas? Need another way of saying something? Want a different word that says the same thing? Roget knew you would ...
Webster's & More!
Need a dictionary? Or a Thesaurus?
MUSIC NEWS
Billboard
EQ Magazine
EQ Magazine is well known for it's quality content ...
Rolling Stone Magazine
Music news ... from the one and only Rolling Stone.
BOOKS TO ADD TO YOUR LIBRARY
101 Music Business Contracts - Updated Edition
by R. Williams
2005 Songwriter's Market
by Ian Bessler & Michael Schweer
The Songwriter's Market provides helpful, hard-to-find info for songwriters of every kind of music -- from rock and hip-hop to classical and country -- just what you need to build and maintain a successful life in songwriting ... like 1400 easy-to-reference and updated market listings ... key advice on how to market work for future sales, from writing popular single-song hits to creating a publicity campaign ... interviews with insiders who've "made it" and are willing to share their secrets for songwriting success ... and more.
All You Need to Know About the Music Business
by Donald S. Passman, Randy Gross (Illustrator)
How to Pick a Team; Personal Managers; Business Managers; Attorneys; Agents; Broad-Strokes Overview of the Record Business; Advances and Recoupments; Real-Life Numbers; Other Major Deal Points; Producer Deals; Advanced Record Deal Points; Advanced Royalty Computations; Loan-out, Independent Production, Label, and Distribution Deals; Copyright Basics; Publishing Companies and Major Income Sources; Secondary Publishing Income; Songwriter Deals; Copublishing and Administration Deals; Advanced Copyright Concepts; Group Issues; Touring; Merchandising; Motion Picture Music; Performer Deals; Film Songwriting Deals; Composer Agreements; Licensing Existing Recordings and Existing Songs for Motion Pictures; Music Supervisors; Soundtrack Album Deals.
The Complete Guide to Internet Promotion for Musicians, Artists & Songwriters
by Tim Sweeney, John Dawes
This book is like no other written about promoting your music on the Internet. The strategies contained in this book have been used by the most successful artists on the Internet today. The system in this book will lay the groundwork you need for a successful career in the fast paced music business.
This Business of Music :
The Definitive Guide to the Music Industry
by William Krasilovski, Sidney Shemel, and John Gross
Sections on recording companies and artists, music publishers and writers, and general industry aspects provide detailed information in areas such as contracts; independent record producers; work permits for foreign artists; copyright laws; public domain music; trademarks; music sampling; and taxation. Appendices offer extracts from copyright regulations, sample agreements, and current AFTRA rates. Includes forms for basic contracts and agreements.
Secrets of Negotiating A Record Contract :
Musician's Guide to Understanding & Avoiding Sneaky Lawyer Tricks
by Moses Avalon
To help artists avoid signing contracts laced with hidden agendas, this book exposes the multilayered language of recording agreements crafted by major-label lawyers. It dissects and deciphers actual recording contracts, presenting the originals and Òreal EnglishÓ translations side by side. The book explains the need for each contract clause, offers advice on negotiating certain points, outlines alternatives for developing new contracts, defines common terms, and shares insider stories.
Tim Sweeney's Guide to Releasing Independent Records
by Tim Sweeney, Mark Geller
Packed with hundreds of money-saving tips, helpful hints, and never-before-revealed secret strategies used by industry insiders, this informative guide will teach how you to set up your own independent record label; make a great-sounding record without spending a lot of money; get quality distribution into major retail chains and indie record stores; design a winning promotional strategy for your release; convince college and commercial radio stations to play your record, and use the exposure generated by your release to bring! yourself to the attenetion of a larger label.
