HolodigmMusic.com
Where Have All The Dylans Gone?
Dmitry Popov asks:
Lately, I've been listening to the radio almost everyday and am I'm quite surprised by the quality of lyrics. Some new songs have poor lyrics and some of them are plain awful. With the rise of electronic music it seems that today a lot of people enjoy beat more than the actual message of a song. What do you think about that? Is it reasonable to believe that we are going to hear a new superstar song writer such as Bob Dylan?
Hartmann responds:
Rhythm was the first musical discovery. Our paleolithic ancestors danced, chanted and eventually sang. They started with meter, mixed in melody and fused their message into song. Long before producers crafted tempo, tune and tale into records the beat was deeply ingrained in the human psyche. Songwriting evolved along with man's cognitive skills as the concept of story led to the creation of spoken language. Music is the universal mathematics of the masses.
The computerized genre popular today is not dependant on lyrical content, it embraces that primordial ingredient in music that compels us to dance. It could just as easily be all instrumental. It is the lack of a lyrical ingredient that has kept electronica from producing a superstar, unless Lady Ga Ga is it. If so, at least she has reasonably appropriate lyrics for her image in most songs. Whatever her mass appeal, or success, certainly she will never be classified as a great songwriter.
The Hip Hop culture dominated popular music in the eighties and nineties The lyrical content of rap music is a primal ingredient but mostly demonstrate a rebellious attitude and social observation than a story with a beginning, middle and end. The folk, country and singer songwriter traditions are all lyric intensive embracing musical choices indigenous to each style.
The crafting of an effective lyric that communicates some identifiable truth is the highest art form in music. Although it can happen, rarely does a song spring full blown from the head of Zeus. Most often a universally appealing song is created over weeks and often months of careful experimentation. The end product is ultimately dependant on the writer's artistic choices.
Knowledge and experience in crafting musical compositions does not make one a songwriter For lyrics to resonate on an emotional level with the public, they must first emanate from someone with a point of view. When the public embraces any given tune they are identifying with the truth they perceive in the song's story. The goal is to tell the most story in the least least number of words. Every note, metaphor and simile must be shaped to support the song's central theme.
Songwriting is the core art form at the center the music industry. It is the source of the one true thing, music publishing. The most enduring material is produced by the greatest poets with the most prodigious musical skills. The writer describes the life and times of a specific segment of society and he exploits his work through an established music tradition. The message is infused with the romance, angst and rage embraced by the performers personal community. Regardless of genre or style it is the music fan who dictates the degree to which the words matter. Each generation discovers its personal poet laureate and ultimately identifies him as their Bob Dylan.
Showing posts with label music publishing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music publishing. Show all posts
Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday, August 28, 2009
QUESTION OF THE DAY - ACQUIRING COPYRIGHTS - August 28, 2009
TheHolodigm.com
ACQUIIRING COPYRIGHTS
Jeremy Correia asks:
How does a company that does nothing more than publishing acquire the rights to the valuable asset? Where is the leverage? Why can't the songwriter make the same phone calls the publisher would for the usage of songs. Since the artist is most frequently the songwriter these days, and organizations like ASCAP collect the fees, what is the value in having the middle man? Can't the manager handle the publishing for the artist? Do you have any words of wisdom that may help me see the light? I have all of the tools necessary to open a publishing company tomorrow but I don't have any idea as to what a legitimate pitch would be to acquire copyrights.
Hartmann responds:
Please note this previous post on music publishing:
http://theholodigm.blogspot.com/2009/08/hartmanns-law-never-sell-your.html
All that being said, as an entrepreneur you are precisely correct. I advise artists & managers to keep all income streams under their direct control. Publishing has always been the most lucrative part of the music industry and it is the only enduring asset for artists and songwriters. Acquisition of copyrights isn't just a matter of having a good pitch and a game plan. Its not rocket science either, and anybody can do it. Songwriters always love their tunes and it isn't easy to convince them to sign over their copyrights. I'm not the only one advising them not to sell.
The big leverage is money. Lacking investment there is little reason for songwriters to sign with a publisher, its just as easy to do-it-yourself. If you had a roster of writers, you might attract new writers by offering them associations with your veterans. An established company can always point to their track record and history of success to attract new writers. A new company hasn't much to offer. You are always fighting the gravity in the elevator imposed by the status-quo.
The publishing industry has lost considerable income as a result of diminished mechanical royalties from record sales. But, they have many other ways to go. The hottest outlet now is TV and Film where music is playing a stronger role than in recent decades. When a song is performed on American Idol, for example, the catalog for the original artist skyrockets. Every pitch has a "anti-pitch" so you can always ask. Many songwriters are starving and vulnerable to cash offers.
Your best shot at owning copyrights is to find a Band that has a great live act and offer them a management partnership whereby you are become an equal partner in all their activities. Then you can set up your own publishing and record company to exploit the records and merchandise at their gigs. As their partner and CEO of the LLC, or corporation, you can seek to place the controlled compositions, through music supervisors, on TV shows and movie soundtracks.
The only other option is to purchase songs directly from the writers. The problem here is 90% of the songs are not commercially viable, so you could end up with a catalog full of duds. If fans flock to a bands gigs there must be something about the songs that appeals to them. Rather than trust your personal taste, watch the audience. If they are screaming and yelling for more, they must be hearing something they like coming from the stage. If they buy the CD on site you have a business. If they pick up a t-shirt as well, you can bet they will be back, with their friends, for more.
ACQUIIRING COPYRIGHTS
Jeremy Correia asks:
How does a company that does nothing more than publishing acquire the rights to the valuable asset? Where is the leverage? Why can't the songwriter make the same phone calls the publisher would for the usage of songs. Since the artist is most frequently the songwriter these days, and organizations like ASCAP collect the fees, what is the value in having the middle man? Can't the manager handle the publishing for the artist? Do you have any words of wisdom that may help me see the light? I have all of the tools necessary to open a publishing company tomorrow but I don't have any idea as to what a legitimate pitch would be to acquire copyrights.
Hartmann responds:
Please note this previous post on music publishing:
http://theholodigm.blogspot.com/2009/08/hartmanns-law-never-sell-your.html
All that being said, as an entrepreneur you are precisely correct. I advise artists & managers to keep all income streams under their direct control. Publishing has always been the most lucrative part of the music industry and it is the only enduring asset for artists and songwriters. Acquisition of copyrights isn't just a matter of having a good pitch and a game plan. Its not rocket science either, and anybody can do it. Songwriters always love their tunes and it isn't easy to convince them to sign over their copyrights. I'm not the only one advising them not to sell.
The big leverage is money. Lacking investment there is little reason for songwriters to sign with a publisher, its just as easy to do-it-yourself. If you had a roster of writers, you might attract new writers by offering them associations with your veterans. An established company can always point to their track record and history of success to attract new writers. A new company hasn't much to offer. You are always fighting the gravity in the elevator imposed by the status-quo.
The publishing industry has lost considerable income as a result of diminished mechanical royalties from record sales. But, they have many other ways to go. The hottest outlet now is TV and Film where music is playing a stronger role than in recent decades. When a song is performed on American Idol, for example, the catalog for the original artist skyrockets. Every pitch has a "anti-pitch" so you can always ask. Many songwriters are starving and vulnerable to cash offers.
Your best shot at owning copyrights is to find a Band that has a great live act and offer them a management partnership whereby you are become an equal partner in all their activities. Then you can set up your own publishing and record company to exploit the records and merchandise at their gigs. As their partner and CEO of the LLC, or corporation, you can seek to place the controlled compositions, through music supervisors, on TV shows and movie soundtracks.
The only other option is to purchase songs directly from the writers. The problem here is 90% of the songs are not commercially viable, so you could end up with a catalog full of duds. If fans flock to a bands gigs there must be something about the songs that appeals to them. Rather than trust your personal taste, watch the audience. If they are screaming and yelling for more, they must be hearing something they like coming from the stage. If they buy the CD on site you have a business. If they pick up a t-shirt as well, you can bet they will be back, with their friends, for more.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
HARTMANN'S LAW - NEVER SELL YOUR PUBLISHING - August 20, 2009
TheHolodigm.com
HARTMANN'S LAW
6. NEVER SELL YOUR PUBLISHING
This is one of the cardinal rules of the music business. The intellectual property created by songwriters is the only permanent annuity that accrues to the creators of copyrights. Long after the artist is retired, and the recorded product is out of print, the song remains. The great ones are recorded over and over again by new and established artists. Under the compulsory licensing provisions established by law, anyone may record a song, that has been previously released on a commercial recording, without permission from the writer or publisher. The recording party remains obligated to pay the prevailing statutory rate, currently 9.1 cents, for each record sold, containing that copyright. However, they are not required to obtain permission from the administrating publisher in advance. It is up to the performing rights societies to track the use of the song and collect the monies due to their writers and publisher members. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC will distribute the domestically earned monies to the appropriate entities. It has become customary in the industry for writers to make co-publishing deals with established publishers. Hartmann’s Law #6 reminds you that the income stream from publishing may be the only earnings that will continue to accrue in support of your retirement. Although there are exceptions to every rule, and the major music publishers provide valuable services, it is best to never sell your publishing.
THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL - POCO
The most profitable activity in the music industry is music publishing. The myriad of income streams that flow from the users of music, to the writers and publishers, is a multi-billion dollar business. Every time a song is played on the radio, in night clubs, concert halls, elevators, or on movie and television soundtracks, a fee is paid. In the digital age, music is embedded in printed matter as advertising, greeting cards sing to us and digital downloads have surpassed CDs as the primary delivery system for music. Despite the legalities, most music in use is pirated for free.
From the antiquarian record business, to the postmodern era, mechanical royalties have been paid by the purveyors of sheet music and phonograph records to the creators of the copyrights. This income stream was the principal source of songwriter's wealth for more than one hundred years. The Internet has decimated the archaic infrastructure of the postmodern recording industry.
The digital generation has evolved a mind set that regards Internet content as part of the public domain. What the record business views as "stealing" is regarded by the youth as an inalienable right. If an intellectual property reaches the world wide web, it is considered free for the taking without moral obligation. A music fan who wouldn't even think of shop lifting a CD, will download a music file without a twinge of compunction. If its online its mine, is the only rule.
The big four record distributors are restructuring their systems and protocols to accommodate the decline of album sales. Since the Internet became the primary promotional tool for music, the record business has been forced to adapt. Their huge catalogs of copyrights and master recordings provide for low cost, high profit, exploitation of these primary assets. By shrinking their overheads and forcing 360 degree deals on the few acts that do get singed, they will survive.
The full force of the decline in record sales is felt most by the artists. In the early seventies, the seminal folk rock band Buffalo Springfield was sucked down the black hole of broken dreams and disbanded. Neil Young went solo. Stephen Stills joined David Crosby and Graham Nash to form the iconic act Crosby, Stills & Nash; and lead singer Richie Furay founded the first country-rock band, Poco. Orignally called "Pogo," they were forced by Walt Kelly, the creator of the famous comic strip, to choose another name. Poco is Spanish for "little" and proved appropriate.
The co-founders, Rusty Young, Jim Messina, George Grantham and Randy Meisner enjoyed moderate success out of the box. The title, "Pickin' Up The Pieces," is a reference to the breakup of the Springfield in 1968. It is the only debut album ever to be warded a perfect rating from Rolling Stone Magazine. A favorite of album oriented rock FM stations in the early 1970s, Poco was considered to be a highly innovative and pioneering band.
Although the band charted a handful of Top 20 hits, overall their Top 40 success was uneven, and many of their most innovative records were commercially unsuccessful. Throughout the years Poco has performed in various groupings, with the latest version still active today. With 24 original albums and 26 "Best of" and anthology collections, the band boasts a total catalog of 50 releases. The 1978 album "Legend" was their fourteenth LP and the first to go gold and platinum.
Two hit singles, Young's "Crazy Love," and Messina replacement, Paul Cotton's "In The Heart Of The Night," drove "Legend" to the top of the charts and Rolling Stone declared that Poco had finally made it. The hit records stimulated Poco's large record catalog and formed the basis of the long term success of their publishing company.
I was particularly honored a few years back when I received a call form Rusty Young. "I just called up to thank you," he said. " For what?" I asked. I could feel him smiling when he relied, "Every time I go down to the mail box, there's a check from ASCAP, and I remember how you insisted that I never sell my publishing." This was a gratifying moment, I'll never forget.
Of course there are no absolutes in this life, and there are always exceptions to every rule. Sometimes, young songwriters might sell their publishing, to finance their survival, and develop their writing skills. And, of course, after a certain amount of success is achieved, a valuable catalog will attract major publishers with large checkbooks and they might make you an offer you can't refuse. However, talented writers should avoid these temptations, and retain ownership of their intellectual property, whenever possible. The continuing profit flow should accrue to the original writers.
HARTMANN'S LAW
6. NEVER SELL YOUR PUBLISHING
This is one of the cardinal rules of the music business. The intellectual property created by songwriters is the only permanent annuity that accrues to the creators of copyrights. Long after the artist is retired, and the recorded product is out of print, the song remains. The great ones are recorded over and over again by new and established artists. Under the compulsory licensing provisions established by law, anyone may record a song, that has been previously released on a commercial recording, without permission from the writer or publisher. The recording party remains obligated to pay the prevailing statutory rate, currently 9.1 cents, for each record sold, containing that copyright. However, they are not required to obtain permission from the administrating publisher in advance. It is up to the performing rights societies to track the use of the song and collect the monies due to their writers and publisher members. ASCAP, BMI and SESAC will distribute the domestically earned monies to the appropriate entities. It has become customary in the industry for writers to make co-publishing deals with established publishers. Hartmann’s Law #6 reminds you that the income stream from publishing may be the only earnings that will continue to accrue in support of your retirement. Although there are exceptions to every rule, and the major music publishers provide valuable services, it is best to never sell your publishing.
THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL - POCO
The most profitable activity in the music industry is music publishing. The myriad of income streams that flow from the users of music, to the writers and publishers, is a multi-billion dollar business. Every time a song is played on the radio, in night clubs, concert halls, elevators, or on movie and television soundtracks, a fee is paid. In the digital age, music is embedded in printed matter as advertising, greeting cards sing to us and digital downloads have surpassed CDs as the primary delivery system for music. Despite the legalities, most music in use is pirated for free.
From the antiquarian record business, to the postmodern era, mechanical royalties have been paid by the purveyors of sheet music and phonograph records to the creators of the copyrights. This income stream was the principal source of songwriter's wealth for more than one hundred years. The Internet has decimated the archaic infrastructure of the postmodern recording industry.
The digital generation has evolved a mind set that regards Internet content as part of the public domain. What the record business views as "stealing" is regarded by the youth as an inalienable right. If an intellectual property reaches the world wide web, it is considered free for the taking without moral obligation. A music fan who wouldn't even think of shop lifting a CD, will download a music file without a twinge of compunction. If its online its mine, is the only rule.
The big four record distributors are restructuring their systems and protocols to accommodate the decline of album sales. Since the Internet became the primary promotional tool for music, the record business has been forced to adapt. Their huge catalogs of copyrights and master recordings provide for low cost, high profit, exploitation of these primary assets. By shrinking their overheads and forcing 360 degree deals on the few acts that do get singed, they will survive.
The full force of the decline in record sales is felt most by the artists. In the early seventies, the seminal folk rock band Buffalo Springfield was sucked down the black hole of broken dreams and disbanded. Neil Young went solo. Stephen Stills joined David Crosby and Graham Nash to form the iconic act Crosby, Stills & Nash; and lead singer Richie Furay founded the first country-rock band, Poco. Orignally called "Pogo," they were forced by Walt Kelly, the creator of the famous comic strip, to choose another name. Poco is Spanish for "little" and proved appropriate.
The co-founders, Rusty Young, Jim Messina, George Grantham and Randy Meisner enjoyed moderate success out of the box. The title, "Pickin' Up The Pieces," is a reference to the breakup of the Springfield in 1968. It is the only debut album ever to be warded a perfect rating from Rolling Stone Magazine. A favorite of album oriented rock FM stations in the early 1970s, Poco was considered to be a highly innovative and pioneering band.
Although the band charted a handful of Top 20 hits, overall their Top 40 success was uneven, and many of their most innovative records were commercially unsuccessful. Throughout the years Poco has performed in various groupings, with the latest version still active today. With 24 original albums and 26 "Best of" and anthology collections, the band boasts a total catalog of 50 releases. The 1978 album "Legend" was their fourteenth LP and the first to go gold and platinum.
Two hit singles, Young's "Crazy Love," and Messina replacement, Paul Cotton's "In The Heart Of The Night," drove "Legend" to the top of the charts and Rolling Stone declared that Poco had finally made it. The hit records stimulated Poco's large record catalog and formed the basis of the long term success of their publishing company.
I was particularly honored a few years back when I received a call form Rusty Young. "I just called up to thank you," he said. " For what?" I asked. I could feel him smiling when he relied, "Every time I go down to the mail box, there's a check from ASCAP, and I remember how you insisted that I never sell my publishing." This was a gratifying moment, I'll never forget.
Of course there are no absolutes in this life, and there are always exceptions to every rule. Sometimes, young songwriters might sell their publishing, to finance their survival, and develop their writing skills. And, of course, after a certain amount of success is achieved, a valuable catalog will attract major publishers with large checkbooks and they might make you an offer you can't refuse. However, talented writers should avoid these temptations, and retain ownership of their intellectual property, whenever possible. The continuing profit flow should accrue to the original writers.
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