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MISTAKES THAT CAN KILL YOUR SONG DEMO

4/10/2019

So, you’ve written a great song and you want to record an amazing demo to present it to the world. But there are certain things you need to know and follow before, during and after writing your demos. Believe it or not, the presentation of the demo sometimes can be even more important the content of the demo itself!! You can have a great demo and a bad presentation can make music supervisors and producers to don’t take it seriously, or opposite, you can have an “okay” demo but a good presentation and attract the attentions towards what you had done. Here are things I have learned in a 15-year career and more than 3,000 demos.

LEGAL BASICS FOR ARTISTS, MUSICIANS & SONGWRITERS

4/3/2019

Copyright Protection. Under copyright laws, copyright (literally, the right to make and sell copies) automatically vests in the creator the moment the expression of an idea is "fixed in a tangible medium" (in other words, the moment you write it down, type it or record it on tape). With respect to music specifically, a copyright in the musical composition owned by the songwriter and a sound recording copyright in the sound of the recording owned by the recording artist (but usually transferred to the record company when a record deal is signed). It is important to remember that you own the copyright in your work the moment you write it down or record it, and you can only transfer those rights by signing a written agreement to transfer them. Therefore, you must be wary of any agreement you are asked to sign.

WHY WON’T A HIT SONGWRITER WRITE WITH YOU?

3/20/2019

I’ve been asked hundreds of times “Why are staff writers hesitant to write with writers who don’t have a writing deal?”. The short answer is that the people who have gone before you have ruined it for you. Here are the most significant reasons signed writers hesitate to write with unsigned writers.

UNDERSTANDING COPYRIGHT LAW BASICS

3/13/2019

The basics of Copyright law are simple. Armed with some simple principles, you can understand just what is covered and what isn't, and hopefully save yourself potential trouble and money. It’s great for any songwriter or any other art creator to know their rights on copyrights or at least to have a trusted lawyer or publishing company to protect their rights for them.

SUCCESS IN MUSIC WITH TEN TIPS

2/20/2019

Win the battle in your own mind first. Surround yourself with family and friends who share a similar vision and avoid those who have a negative attitude. Before you win the fierce battle with your competitors, make sure you've won battle with your own mind to persist no matter what it takes. When I left Kansas, friends told me I was just a church organist and not a Vegas singer. After nine years, I had sung and played every room in Reno, Tahoe, and most in Vegas. When I left to go to LA to write, musician friends said, "you're just a musician, you'll never make it as a writer." Now, 100 cuts later I don't hear much from them.

HOW OFTEN TO RELEASE SONGS?

2/13/2019

This is a question I've seen many artists; especially new ones are struggling to find the answer. Some love to release a song each few days and some believe only in "perfection" and they don't hesitate to work even a year or two on just one single track before releasing it. But the main question is that how often to release songs and albums to be active enough yet not to be a spammer!
Well, when it comes to such topic, there's no right or wrong and it's really up to the personal mindset for indie artists or the managers of label for signed artists. And here is my personal opinion based on my 15 years of experience.

CONSISTENCY

2/9/2019

Just like most other jobs and careers, making a living from writing songs and being a professional in music industry requires a huge amount of sacrifices and more importantly it requires consistency. If you're anything like me, and the rest of 99.9% percent of other musicians, you'd fail for at least a couple of years! But the key here is not to give up. Not to be stubborn, taking no as an answer is okay here but don't "go home"!

WHAT IS MUSIC PUBLISHING?

2/6/2019

Music publishing deals with the ownership and exploitation of copyrighted music. Through music publishing, copyrighted work is sold for use in areas such as radio, performances, movies, TV, record sales, and streaming. Publishing provides a variety of avenues for an artist to earn a living while working in the music industry.
Live performances, club appearances, autograph sessions, and speaking engagements can get you a one-time check, but publishing your music can result in continuous payment for years — based on the popularity of your music. Ever wondered how some of these older artists are still able to buy homes and cars, and make investments without newly-released music? Then you should learn as much as possible about music publishing.

COLLABORATION AND CO-WRITER AGREEMENTS: WHAT THEY MEAN AND HOW THEY WORK

1/30/2019

Under the copyright law, an author or creator owns a copyright in his or her work the moment it is "fixed in a tangible medium" (i.e., the moment the expression of an idea is written down or recorded in some manner). When it comes to the recorded music business there are two primary copyrights of interest: one in the musical composition or song; another in the sound recording of that song. A copyright extends for the life of an author plus 70 years, and in the case of collaborators on a copyright it extends for the life of the last surviving collaborator plus 70 years.

HOW TO PITCH YOUR MUSIC

1/23/2019

There are a lot of people approaching me or respond to my approach for either publishing their music or using their demos for pitching to the bigger names in the industry. I can say about 40% of the demos are receive are okay in sense of professionalism but the other 60% usually have some sort of issue which makes the project to don't move forward. Here I list down some of the common issues and the solutions for them.

Decide what you want. Before sending your track or your demos to a publisher or a producer, make sure at least you know what you want, and it would be even much better if also be open for their suggestions too. When you are sending them a demo, do you something in mind? If you had the power to get the song in whatever direction that you wanted, what would you do with it? All these and things like these are what you need to prepare before sending your demos out. Don't be confusing and don't make people confused. At the end of the day, this is your project and you want it to move forward, right?

SONGWRITERS WHO ARE DREAMERS

1/16/2019

Through years of working at Flipside, I met a vast array of people wanting to become professional songwriters. People of all ages, races, backgrounds and economic situations, most of whom would love to achieve some degree of commercial success with their music. As a student of people and a guy in love with studying psychology, I have studied what causes some people to succeed and others who are equally talented to fail in that quest.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE INCOME SOURCES FOR SONGWRITERS?

1/9/2019

Income sources for songwriters differ from other industries because songwriter incomes come from multiple royalty streams and advances. The major forms of songwriter income include performance royalties, mechanical royalties, sync fees, and advances.

Here is a very brief summery of how these types of payment would work for you as a songwriter.

HOW TO RESOLVE SPLIT DISPUTES IN SONGWRITING

1/5/2019

Today's international music industry is extremely dynamic. Such a large and evolving industry comes with questions of song contribution, so how do you determine who created what? Two words: Split Sheets.
It is extremely common for songwriters to collaborate with other co-writers to create new pieces. Many songwriters are left unpaid as a result of split disputes when co-writers cannot agree on split portions. The performing rights organization and record company involved will withhold royalties for a song if a dispute involving ownership arises.

YOU ARE NOW A STAR

12/19/2018

When I first started out in the music business, I believed that someone was going to walk through a door where I was performing and make me a star! As I grew older, I started to face the reality that a minor percentage of the musicians and artists who have that dream, actually accomplish their goal. So, what is left?
realizing that being a star is secondary to expressing your soul and releasing from your spirit an energy, which is given to a very small percentage of the public. If you hone your craft, then you will draw the public to your front door. I will then guarantee you; the music industry will be standing right behind them trying to figure out how to make a buck off of your talent.

UNWRITTEN RULES TO SUCCESSFUL NETWORKING IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS

12/12/2018

Networking and relationship building is such an important skill for success in any business specially music business, where these relationships can take you to places you wouldn’t even imagine. You can gain value by attending events or loose credibility pretty quick when you meet people at events. Here are some tips to help YOU on YOUR Journey!

Do your homework. Research the people who will be at the event in advance. If it is a #1 party, find out who the songwriters are and research the writers and publishers to learn a little about them before you go.

IS YOUR PAYMENT AND AGREEMENT PROCESS LOSING YOU MONEY?

12/8/2018

Collecting your money is a big "MUST" if you are to survive Nashville music business. If you get paid for playing, producing, managing, and/or promoting, collecting payment is crucial to your operation. And yet, perhaps you've made it an afterthought.

Here are the types of scenarios we are seeing as an agency when asked to review client agreements. Agreements such as the one that follows feel like gigantic turn-offs that manifest themselves before an agreement is even finalized.

TODAY’S MUSIC SUCKS!

12/1/2018

Years ago, in Iran, my publisher convinced two different Hall of Fame writers to write with me, the new kid in the industry. I had been writing for years and written hundreds of songs, but never with writers this big. I was pumped!

4 THINGS I LEARNED FROM MY FIRST CUT

11/21/2018

1. It takes a LOT longer than you think it will in the beginning. I had written for 3 years on my own and about 3-4 years into a writing deal with ZERO cuts before I landed that first one. I was really fortunate that it went to #37 on the charts and became my first Top Forty hit.

2. There is a huge learning curve when you are trying to write commercially. It’s not as simple as “writing a really good song”. There are lots of other elements that go into making a song commercial and getting a song cut.

WHY DID YOU START SONGWRITING?

11/17/2018

Even as professional songwriters, sometimes we get to the point that we keep asking this question over and over to ourselves. Why on earth I started writing in the ﬁrst place?

The situation can get rough. There can be times that you might think of doing any other job, and just give up on writing, at least professional writing! But that exactly is when you need to remind yourself about your goals and dreams when you ﬁrst started this path. What were you looking for? Where were you seeing yourself in 5 years from the time you started? Had you achieved those?

5 TYPES OF RECORD DEALS AND THEIR PROS AND CONS

10/31/2018

1. The 360 Deal

Pros:
You're signed to a major label. This comes with all the bells and whistles, like world-class producers, worldwide tours, and a world of potential fans.
Having the label's connections makes your touring and marketing easier. Agents will book shows for you, set up your travel, and get you on radio shows. You just need to sit back, be you, and make good music.

Cons:
If you're a self-built artist, the label could be using you for what you've already created. If you've got a huge fanbase already, millions of YouTube plays, and have cracked radio, a label deal can't offer you much more.
You have the potential to be shelved. If the label doesn't think you've got what it takes, they have the option to do nothing for you. Not to mention, your deal prevents you from doing much without them or their approval.

EVERY ARTIST IS A MEDIA COMPANY

10/20/2018

Every company is now a media company. This isn't a new take or an innovative take. It's the reality of today's business landscape. It's the standard. CEO and Marketing expert, Gary Vaynerchuk has talked about it. Consulting firm PWC has written about it. With the barriers to entry to media creation shattered by innovative technology, there's very few reasons not to play in the content creation game.

In most instances, the focus is on traditional businesses evolving as media companies, but I want to talk about why this is essential to artists and how they can employ similar tactics.

DON’T BE THAT GUY

10/10/2018

If you want a career in music, great co-writes, meetings with publishers, artist co-writes and the like, you CAN’T be “That Guy”. You know, the guy (or girl) who does these things or anything similar to these. These pointers are symbolic ones, talking of some of the worst behaviors one could so subconsciously.

Drops off a CD with ten songs. Let’s be real. Nobody has time to listen to 30 minutes of music from someone they don’t know. If someone has requested that I send them songs, I usually limit it to 3-4 songs. If they haven’t requested them, I keep it to 1 or 2. Less is more. You want them to ask for more, not to throw your CD in the trash because you overload them.

NON-TRADITIONAL WAYS TO SHARE YOUR MUSIC ONLINE IN 2018

9/26/2018

The internet is a place full of endless music promotion. It can be easy to get lost in the commotion on popular music sharing platforms, such as SoundCloud and Spotify, but there are many other avenues for self-promotion. Spotify streams and SoundCloud plays are important, but you can look to other platforms for sharing your music and growing your audience.

Below are 10 non-traditional ways to share your music in 2018.

EFFECTIVE DEMOS: WHAT PRODUCERS AND PUBLISHERS NEED TO HEAR

9/24/2018

So, you’ve written your latest great song and you want to take the next step and record a demo? Understanding what producers and publishers need to hear in a demo is crucial. Here are some questions every writer should ask his or her self before and after the demo process.

Who will be listening? If you are playing your demo for an experienced producer or A&R person then a simple professional production will often suffice. If you are playing your song for a just-out-of college A&R rep, then they may not have the experience to hear the tune through a simple work tape.

3 BRANDING TIPS FOR MUSIC PRODUCERS

9/12/2018

Producers are the power of music industry. They are some of the most influential people in the music industry because they set the sonic landscape by creating new sounds and pushing the culture forward. In a level can say they are “The Brain” of the music industry and “The Heart” of the studio sessions.