Vol 2, Issue 13: Alternative Sources of Revenue Pt IV: Licensing & Songwriting, Indie Vs. Major Representation

It is possible for musicians, without representation, to both license and write songs for various purchasers, but as Simon Wilcox, a highly successful songwriter for EMI Music Publishing notes, signing a deal with representation helped her enormously. In terms of finding appropriate opportunities for her music, expanding her portfolio, and allowing for collaboration with industry veterans, EMI more than helped her get her foot in the door. With projects including writing for Juliette Lewis, Three Days Grace, and The Trews on her resume, EMI presented Wilcox with breaks she likely wouldn’t have been able to muster on her own. But in saying that, she most certainly credits her perseverance, and hard work as factors in her success. After all, if it wasn’t for her already established impressive songwriting portfolio, she likely wouldn’t have grabbed EMI’s attention.

According to Michael McCarty, Managing Director of EMI Music Publishing Canada and a graduate of Fanshawe’s very own MIA program, EMI only signs about one out of every thousand artists they review (and keep in mind artists are ONLY reviewed if they have been recommended through a previously established connection). However, Steve Thomson of Backstage Productions offers more of an optimistic view with his new talent recruitment protocol.

Unlike the majors, Backstage Productions and other independent music publishers are willing to accept unsolicited material, and even provide funding for the recording of a demo, if they truly believe that the songwriter has got what it takes. Take David Baccha, for example.

Starting out as a controversial radio discjockey in Cleveland, Ohio, Baccha migrated to Toronto to elude government authorities that weren’t too happy with the satirical content of his show (to say the least). Again, through the magic of connections, he was able to hook up with Steve, then the manager for Ronnie Hawkins, who instantly recognized Baccha’s potential and contracted him as a songwriter for his company. Throughout his career, Baccha has had the privilege of undertaking many songwriting endeavours including writing for numerous commercial campaigns, and movie scores. Maintaining his American roots, Baccha also initiated a writing deal with Jimmy Inner, drummer for Lighthouse, and the composer behind the “Dirty Dancing Soundtrack”. Through Inner, he obtained the opportunity to write for pop-band Dejavu, which spawned for Baccha, a series of billboard charting hits.

Despite the fact that both Wilcox and Baccha have carved out successful songwriting careers for themselves, they continue to compose their own original material, and participate in various gigs on the side. According to Wilcox, “a successful song in Canada is worth about four figures on average, five, if you're lucky, but that can vary greatly depending on [the song’s genre] and where it is being played.” In general, it would seem that pop songs, because there are more outlets for distribution, tend to generate higher revenues, and instrumental tracks, especially if intended for synchronization use, are easier to sell.

Although, as Wilcox indicated, a single composition can allot a songwriter a substantial chunk of change, Baccha quickly pointed out that because royalty payments are issued annually, budgeting one’s expenses carefully is absolutely essential. Elaborating on this point, Baccha also explained that songwriting does not earn a writer a consistent paycheck because there is no way to guarantee the success of a given track. In fact, he has personally had tracks that weren’t “discovered” (or profitable) until TEN years after their initial release!

From my own personal experiences with licensing, I can tell you that I have had a moderate amount of success including having ANTI-HERO’s album featured on MTV’s hit tv series, Next, WITHOUT being signed to a music publisher. However, the opportunities with which I’ve been presented are sporadic at best, and are usually “exposure deals” in which there is little or no monetary exchange. In addition to music publishers, there are several licensing agencies whose job it is to solicit the work of independent artists to various music buyers, but after two years of being signed to a handful of these agencies, I’m still waiting for something to come into fruition!However with the growing popularity of sites such as www.youlicense.com , a site designed for independent musicians to solicit their music directly to music purchasers FREE of charge, things may be changing.

Both Backstage Productions and EMI Music Publishing are always on the look out for new emerging talent to feature on various projects, and if you want to be successful in this alternative artist arena, diversity will be your ticket.

For more detailed information on songwriting and licensing, Baccha suggests picking up a copy of Songwriters magazine, an industry publication issued by the Songwriters Association of Canada.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 2, Issue 12: Alternative Sources of Revenue Pt III: Licensing & Songwriting: An Overview

It’s wasn’t until "1234" made its debut in Apple’s 2007 advertising campaign for their latest iPod Nano that Leslie Feist, more commonly referred to solely by her surname, became a worldwide phenomenon. Despite the fact that she had been performing in and out of many notable acts since the 70s, had previously toured with the likes of The Ramones, and had released two solo albums previous to her current effort, The Reminder, for Feist, it was a licensing agreement that finally sealed the deal. This kind of a story, according to music industry experts, is not uncommon.

*To view Feist's Apple Ipod commercial, please visit http://youtube.com/watch?v=tkpdJ_0ubXI*

In fact, Steve Thomson of Backstage Productions, a Canadian independent music publisher, informed me that the licensing of a single song, if picked up by the right client, can set a songwriter for life! So why, then, aren’t more musicians taking advantage of this aspect of the industry? Well, it’s NOT as easy to navigate as one may anticipate.

In addition to the fact that one literally needs to apprise themselves of a dictionary’s worth of technical jargon, success in music publishing is highly dependent upon connections, and therefore, tends to be restrictive in many ways. As unsolicited material is generally NOT accepted, making it as a new aspiring songwriter is anything but easy. To make matters worse, resources regarding this area of the industry are limited, and it would seem that, based on my own personal experiences trying to track down songwriters and music publishers alike for interviews, this is no coincidence. However, my persistence finally paid off! Based on my findings, I hope that I will be able to shine some light on this rather contentious employment avenue from both an indie and major perspective. But, before we get started, a review of some key definitions is required.

First and foremost, it’s important to establish the difference between licensing and songwriting:
Licensing is the act of granting permission to a purchaser (which may include: a media/production company, ad agency, cd compilation manufacturer and/or film producer) to feature one of your originally written and recorded compositions in a creative project whereas there is a promise of remuneration for your contribution. Payment may take the form of an upfront flat rate per song or royalty payment depending upon the success of the project. In some situations, the licensing of a song is granted to a purchaser free of charge if there is promise of potential exposure, which may in turn lead to further commercial success for the artist.

Songwriting, on the other hand, again involves the granting of a license of an original composition by an artist, but, the purchaser is free to edit and re-record the work for the project. Songwriting purchasers most often include: established recording artists, media/production companies, and ad agencies.

Either avenue can involve exclusive or non-exclusive agreements, and fees will vary depending upon whether or not you have representation. However, it’s important to note that the practise of selling song ownership has long been out of use. Whether you license material off of your current band’s album, or write songs for fellow artists, as the original songwriter, you will maintain the ownership of all of your song(s), will be credited for all of your contributions, and are able to both release your songs commercially through your own means concurrently with your licensing efforts and/or grant licenses to a variety of companies for a single track unless specified otherwise by an exclusive agreement.

So then what exactly is a music publisher? According to the Canadian government, the primary role of a music publisher is to act on behalf of authors of musical works as an intermediary between the artist and the marketplace. Aside from finding advantageous placements for their songwriters’ compositions, music publishers, whether independent or major, are additionally responsible for negotiating contracts on behalf of their songwriters, and fulfilling all of the necessary paperwork to ensure that their songwriters are receiving compensation in the form of royalties for their efforts.

Within Canada, there are four main types of contracts that outline royalty and ownership splits between the music publisher and its songwriters, but the two most commonly in use are the standard music publishing agreement (50/50 split between the publisher and songwriter), and the co-publishing agreement (songwriter is entitled to 75% of the gross royalties earned). For more information on the kinds of available publishing agreements, please visit:
http://www.canadianheritage.gc.ca/progs/ac-ca/progs/pda-cpb/pubs/statistical_profile/3_e.cfm

One last area that we need to conquer prior to delving too deep into the realm of licensing and songwriting, concerns royalties (I promise I’ll try to keep it as simple as possible). In Canada, there are three basic forms of royalty payment that are issued: mechanical, synch, and performance fees:

1) Mechanical royalties have been set at the industry standard of 8 cents per song, and are awarded based on commercial sales. This means that the more the project on which your song is featured sells, the more money you will be paid for your contribution, and if you have multiple songs featured on a project, you will collect profits for each track.

2) Synchronization royalties (more commonly known as synch fees) follow more of a play-pay method in which payment is dependent upon how frequently your song is aired in conjunction with a video project. Synch royalties would be awarded to you if one of your songs is used as "theme" or "background" piece for a commercial, movie, news track, video game or DVD. Currently, synch fees are negotiated on an individual basis.

3) Finally, performance royalties are paid directly to original artists for the live performance of their works at various venues including clubs, radio, and tv stations, and internet webcasts.

For the purposes of this article, I will not be discussing where the details of the monetary exchanges in each of case, but if you would like more information regarding royalty payment in Canada, please visit SOCAN’s official website located at http://www.socan.ca/

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 1, Issue 7: Creating Music with Mass Appeal

I’m sure by the very title of this piece that some of you are rolling your eyes at the concept of me providing you with guidelines about how to write sellable music. I will give you this: there is no one-to-ten detailed instructional manual outlining how to write the perfect song.

For that matter, I feel that songwriting is an art form requiring a great deal of skill that cannot be mastered by everyone. However, songs that have been able to cross generations, cultures, and time barriers do share some commonalities, which I don’t believe is mere coincidence.

The tunes that make an impact and continue to maintain their popularity 20 years later are memorable for more than just their catchy melodies. The songs to which I’m referring have been repeatedly listed in the Top 100 lists year after year. Though these songs are dissimilar in genre and methodology, what makes each and every one of them able to claim “greatness” is this: simply put, they are extremely well-written, and therefore have mass appeal.

For starters, the lyrical content of said songs tends to prey on social and/or political mentalities/issues that drive a solid point home with the listener. But, the message of each of these songs is presented in such a fashion that it is accessible to even the status quo. Nothing too complicated. Nothing too convoluted.

When John Lennon asked us to “Imagine” a world without violence, poverty, hunger, and religion, he painted a crystal clear picture. He blatantly probed listeners to question their existence, and rethink the structure of society. He ended on a hopeful note stating that he knows others like himself are out there, and he looks forward to the day in which everyone in the world, despite their differences, will learn to “live as one.” The purpose of his song is self-evident: to make listeners question that which is presented to them, rather than just accepting things as they are.

Another strategy of writing strong lyrics is delving into concepts that are relatable on a personal level. Everyone has had a point in their life in which they’ve felt like Mick Jagger: unable to get any “Satisfaction.” Though Jagger was referring to satisfaction in the sexual sense, a listener does not have to interpret the song in that manner because the lyrics remain open-ended enough to suggest otherwise.

Audiences appreciate the opportunity to take a song and apply it to their personal situation. As a consequence, most often songs that encompass complex metaphors don’t become hit singles, because audiences can’t get a grasp of what the songwriter is trying to say.

I’ve found that the best songs out there cover issues that are common and easy to understand. Hence, the reasons as to why we have so many popular cliché love songs. Everyone experiences love, romance, bad breakups, and broken hearts (hopefully not always in that order).

Next, comes the melody.

Writing a song that gets stuck in a listener’s head may seem like an easy task, however you want your melody to be unforgettable because it’s well structured, not because it’s extremely annoying.

I can count several instances in which I’ve had Britney Spears’(sorry to pick on her again, but it’s just so easy) songs stuck in my head on repeat, but it’s not as though it was an enjoyable experience. No one likes a broken record. Although Spears’ songwriters manage to write her material that is “catchy,” it’s not always catchy in a good way. There is a difference between good and bad catchy.

Good catchiness makes a listener want to sing along with the track after hearing only a few short moments, and without knowledge of the majority of the lyrics. Good catchiness also tends to stimulate movement; whether it be head bobbing, toe tapping, air guitaring, or drumming on the nearest object. These are the songs that you listen to loud and proud while cruising down the highway with all the windows open; songs such as ACDC’s “Back in Black” or Queen’s “We Will Rock You.” They are more than just an auditory experience.

And by melody, I’m not just referring to the vocal line. All of the instruments play a crucial part in writing a well-structured song. A great singer needs a strong band to back him/her, just as a talented musical act needs a charismatic vocalist to front them. Therefore, dynamics are of the utmost importance. A band needs to know when to go all out, and when to draw back depending upon what the lyrics suggest. Different dynamics constitute different emotional reactions. Thus, the instrumentation and the lyrics need to be in synch with each other in order to maximize the impact of your message.

Additionally, your songs need to be able to maintain the listener’s attention all the way through. Add solos, riffs, bridges, breakdowns, and highlight each of your instrumentalists’ individual talent. Keep switching it up so that the listener becomes entranced, dying to know what’s coming next. But, be careful not to go overboard with your verses, as above all, your chorus should be the section that sells the song.

When it comes to writing songs with mass appeal, writing a champion chorus is by far the greatest feat, and it definitely takes time to master. Eventually, songwriters are able to develop their own style, but not without years of practice and experimentation. Despite this, understanding the following general principle makes it easier to get a grip on chorus writing.

Using as few words as needed to get the main message across, and repetition of words and phrases will definitely assist in making your chorus a powerful tool. For that matter, some of the best choruses written in history revolve entirely around the repetition of a single phrase such as Alanis Morissette’s, “You Oughta Know.” It’s bold, in-your-face, and straight to the point.

Even if a listener only hears the chorus of this song, the main message Morissette is trying to make is still apparent. Nothing beyond those three simple words really needs to be said. With a single phrase, Morissette managed to write one of the most impactful songs of the 90s, especially for feminists, and one of the best “fuck-you” songs of all time.

The last rule of thumb that I will be discussing in regards to writing strong material doesn’t really come into play, until your group is ready to approach radio stations for airplay and/or record labels for roster consideration.

Few are aware of the fact that the first 30 seconds of a song is the determining factor in terms of whether or not a band gets radio play and/or a record deal. May I repeat, only the first 30 seconds of a given song! You’ll note that this is a very short period of time to grasp a listener’s attention. So, suffice it to say, you better make it good.

If you do manage to present something of interest within that time frame, both station managers and A&R reps will quickly flip through your other tracks to see if it was just a fluke, or if your band has genuine marketability. Therefore, your material must be consistently captivating.

When it comes to creating compositions that have the potential for mass appeal, keeping it simple in all respects predominantly seems to be the key to success. However, I will note that there are always exceptions to these general guidelines, and one can never be certain whether they’ve stumbled upon greatness or failure without testing their material amongst different audiences to gage opinion. By providing these songwriting principles I’m not trying to stifle your creativity, nor am I suggesting that the only songs that are any good are simple. Hell, I like my Deep Purple and The Doors every now and again. All I’m saying is that if you want your band to have commercial success, you'll need to buy into this formula to a certain extent.

Irrespective of this, the tendency these days is to release albums with only two to three strong singles. Therefore, if you’re a prog-rocker at heart, you may just be in luck. There’s definitely a market for what I like to refer to as “stoner rock,” but keep in mind, in order for songs of that nature to attain success, they usually need to break in through an underground movement first, which will obviously pose a greater challenge to your band. In addition, they will more than likely require a radio edit that will substantially cut down your 10-minute guitar solos. Though, I do wish you all the power in the world, if this is the route you choose to undertake.

Rather, if you are simply a musician who creates art for art sake, never let these guidelines constrict your passion. They are merely meant to be used as a tool for bands wishing to obtain commercial success, and with that comes financial remuneration. And…let me tell you, there’s nothing better than getting paid for something you really enjoy doing.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/