Make Money From Your Original Music in TV and Film!!!!

Many musicians have been successful at making a living from their music by performing, producing music for local artists and studio session work, however; they continue to hit a brick wall. So how does a songwriter, producer, singer, hip hop artist or band find alternate ways to make money from their original music? License your music for TV and film. At the same time, expose your music to the masses.

Why License your Music?

TV and film companies are always open to using quality independent music. Depending on the company’s music budget, some companies prefer independent music as opposed to major label music. Think about it. If a film company can find a song that works in a particular scene at a reasonably low fee, why not?

What is Music Licensing?

How many times have you heard music from unknown artists, bands, hip hop artists and instrumental music makers on shows like “Entourage”, “Weeds”, “True Blood” or “Single Ladies”? Think about all the reality shows that have music playing in the background. These unknown musicians create their own original music and license it to these shows. When a musician submits their music to be used in television or film, and it’s accepted, these companies pay the musician a licensing fee (sort of like a financial permission) to use the music in a particular film or television program. When the television program airs, the musician receives a performance royalty through a performance rights organization such as ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. I know you’re asking, “How am I supposed to get my music to these people in television and film?” Glad you asked.

Start Researching

I suggest you start out with research. Researching can be as simple as listening for the types of music being licensed. This should let you know if the type of music you produce fits a particular television program or film project. If you produce Hip Hop instrumental beats, it wouldn’t make sense to submit your music to a television program that has a history of using Country music. You can also find information on the people who have working relationships with the television and film companies, by reading the credits on a particular television program or film. If you’re fast enough, I suggest jotting the information down and looking them up on the internet.

Performance Rights Organizations or PROs

Before you start submitting your music to be licensed in television or film, make sure that you join one of the 3 performance rights organizations or PROs: ASCAP, BMI or SESAC. PROs act as a middle man to collect royalties from entities who wish to use your songs publically. If you want to receive royalties from your music, I urge you to join one of these organizations.

How Much Money Can Be Made?

The amount of money you can make from licensing your music in TV or film can vary. Some have received as little as $300.00 for one song that was used briefly in a TV show. Others have received as much as $5,000.00 for a song that was used as a prominent part of a show. These fees I’m referring to are considered a licensing fee. This is upfront money that is paid to the owner or songwriter of the song.

Royalties for Music in Film

In addition to receiving a licensing fee, you can receive a royalty check, every time the network broadcasts the TV show that includes your song. This is different with film. You can receive a licensing fee, however; royalties do not apply when it comes to film. Royalties only apply with film if your song is included on a soundtrack CD or if the film is broadcasted on TV.

Information That Will Help Increase Your Chances With Music Licensing

I came across one of the greatest programs for artists, bands, hip hop artists and instrumental music. With this program, you can learn how to make money and get exposure for your music by licensing your songs in TV, Films, Video Games and Advertising from Berklee alumnus Aaron Davison. This program, “The A To Z Of Music Licensing” is great for frustrated musicians, bands, hip hop artists and songwriters. Learn how to make music a full-time job. With this program, he provides a TV/Film Music Business Directory, a Music Publisher Directory, Sample Licensing Contracts, A Songwriter’s Guide To Music Licensing Ebook and more. I receive royalty checks, each quarter, following Aaron’s program. You can too.

To learn more about the A To Z’s of Music Licensing, just click or copy and paste the following website information into your browser: http://www.howtolicenseyourmusic.com/programolcb.php?hop=tavaent

The Formula for Creating A Hit Song!!!

In my lifelong venture with music, I’ve searched over and over again to figure out what constitutes making a hit song.  I always knew what music I liked.  I always knew how a certain song made me feel.  I even knew how a song could take me back to what I was doing, feeling or where I was, when I first heard a particular song.  But the anatomy of a hit song baffled me.  How could a few words that rhymed (or not), mixed with musical instruments, create a feeling of euphoria, sadness, anger, rebellion, etc…?  Like I said, it baffled me.  I’ve always said, “If teachers could teach subjects using music, we would never have problems with essays, exams or even showing up for class”.  So what is the formula for creating a hit song?  Good question.

There are theories and speculations on how to create a hit song, however; there isn’t a set, iron clad, constitutional, 10 commandments formula for creating a hit song.  You’re probably saying, “But Tim, ummm, Michael Jackson, The Beatles, Motown, Led Zeppelin and all the other greats must’ve had a formula because I still hear their music ‘til this day”.  And I completely agree with you.  We continue to hear their music ‘til this day, however; I’m sure they didn’t sit in their bedrooms saying, “Man, this formula for creating a hit song is going to keep my music around for generations…even after I’m gone”.  I’m pretty sure they “wanted” it to happen, but it really doesn’t work that way.

When I was young and on my quest to find the winning formula for creating a hit song, I seemed to always hit a brick wall.  I mean a HUGE wall.  It frustrated me.  I mean some songs were created this way and others the other way.  In today’s world of the internet, you can Google “The Formula for Creating a Hit Song” and you’ll probably find millions of links on this one subject alone.  You want to know why?  It’s because everyone has their own version or theory on how a hit song is created.  But if you purchase a book in a bookstore or read music content online, you’ll notice that producers, songwriters, singer-songwriters, whoever it may be, provide general or technological answers.  That doesn’t help me.  And it probably doesn’t help you.  My apologies to the book publishers and the online authors who publish books or provide content information on the subject “How to Create a Hit Song”.  So, what is the formula for creating a hit song?

The answer?  THERE IS NO FORMULA FOR CREATING A HIT SONG!!!  You’re probably thinking, “I wasted my time reading this article.”  No you didn’t.  There is no formula for creating a hit song.  There’s a structure for creating a song itself.  But there is no formula.  And when I say structure, I mean…intro, verse, hook followed by another verse, hook…so on and so forth.  A “hook”, for those of you who didn’t know, is sometimes referred to as the “chorus”.  The “hook” or “chorus” is a part of the song that music listeners remember the most like Annie Lennox’s “These Dreams (Are Made of This)” or Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean is not my lover”.  You may want to YouTube it if these songs were before your time.  To further elaborate on structure, it’s equivalent to one’s daily life….“I wake up” (intro), “I’m going to take a shower, brush my teeth and then get dressed” (verse), “I’m in my car going to a job that I despise” (hook [chorus]), “on my way to work I got a flat tire so I’m late for work…I might lose my job” (another verse), “I’m standing by my car on the interstate/highway hoping I can get to a job that I despise” (another hook [chorus]….so on and so forth.  See where I’m going with this?  The structure is easy because it’s in the form of an outline.  But a formula for creating a hit song is a another beast.

I came across an interview with Music Producer, Film Composer and Television Producer Quincy Jones.  For those of you who are not familiar with him, he has worked with the likes of Dizzie Gillespie in the 1950’s, Frank Sinatra and Leslie Gore (It’s My Party and I’ll Cry If I Want To) in the 1960’s, composed the theme song for “Sanford and Son” and produced Michael Jackson’s “Off The Wall” in the 1970’s, produced the biggest selling album in the history of music, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and produced the TV show, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” featuring the now mega-superstar Will Smith.  In an industry of uncertainty, why wouldn’t I pay close attention to what this long-standing veteran has to say?  I mean, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” alone makes me wonder.  If there is no formula, then why does “Thriller” remain to be the biggest selling album in music history?  I’ll tell you.

Quincy Jones says, “You have to do something that gives you goose bumps”.  It has to make you say, “Yea man, that really turns me on.”  Note, he is not referring to a sexual feeling everyone.  He follows with, “…If [you and others around you] get turned on a lot [by your own music], you’ve got a chance of somebody else getting turned on”.  To sum it up, if you feel it deep in your soul that you’ve created a great piece of music and others around you feel those goose bumps, 9 times out of 10, other people will feel the same way.  Quincy also states that you can’t plan a hit record.

So where is the formula for creating a hit song?  It lies in you.  “Thriller” sold as many as it did because people felt the same goose bumps that Quincy and Michael felt.  Gut instinct.  My advice….Listen to your own songs the same way you listen to songs that grabbed you when you heard them.  Not every song you create is going to be a hit.  But you will find your audience, if what you create, is your honest point of view.  Good luck.

Protect Your Music-Please!!!!

Imagine this happening:

You wake up early in the morning (or in the afternoon) to melodies, lyrics or music playin’ over and over again in your head.  If you’re working a 9 to 5, 9 times out of 10 you’re humming the idea, in your head, on the way to and from work.  Now that the song has been in your head all day, you decide to share it with your closest friend, who happens to be a musician.  Your friend loves the song.  You get excited because he/she loves the idea.  When he/she gets home, they write your ideas down on paper.  They put their name(s) down as the writer or as the person who thought of the whole idea.  They make a CD or post the song on the internet.  2 months later, that same song is on the radio or internet with his/her name on it.  Messed up isn’t it? Hey, that’s what friends are for, right? LOL!!!  What do you do?…Even better, what can you do?

The above example happens every day.  Even before the web, there were millions of cases where a songwriter would fight to prove that his/her song was stolen.  Some cases have been proven, some haven’t.  Now, proving that a song was stolen from you is tricky.  Did you know that when you have an idea for a song and you put it in tangible form (having an actual physical existence) you already have a copyright?  Didn’t know that, huh?  According to the Berne Convention (see http://www.copyright.gov/title17/92appii.html for more info), if you have an idea for a song, or even a poem, and you jot it down on paper, record it on CD, or simply write it on a piece of toilet paper…anything tangible (not an idea in your head), you already have an “automatic” copyright.  By law.  Sounds simple doesn’t it?  In my experiences with life, “simple” is usually followed by “but”.  Ummm, but.  Remember the scenario where the friend heard the song idea?  Didn’t he go home and write the idea on a piece of paper?  The guy with the idea chose to share his idea, in confidence, with a trusted friend.  But there’s a difference between an “automatic” Copyright and registering your song idea with the Library of Congress.  While your works are considered to have a Copyright when you first create it, it will not protect you from someone stealing it. Registering your works with The Library of Congress doesn’t protect your music from being stolen either, but it does show the date the song was registered, therefore allowing you to sue the person who stole it from you. So the creator of the song, in the above scenario, would have a case had he/she registered with the Library of Congress.

Now with the current digital age, it appears to me that it would be easier to prove who had the idea first by the date of when the song was uploaded.  However, I feel it’s important to take the time to protect your music.  It doesn’t hurt.

To register your songs (usually referred to as works), simply go to http://www.copyright.gov and look for “About Copyright”.  This will give you the copyright basics.  This will also answer questions that are frequently asked about the type of copyrights needed, the fees and the information that takes the mystery out of copyrighting you music (works).

Good luck.

-The Chirpin’ Byrd

Take Control of Your Music Destiny

As we all know, the music industry is going through a lot of changes. You’ve seen the articles: “CD sales are down“, “Can the recording industry be saved?”, “What’s the future of the music business?“, “Did the internet kill the music industry?“…so on and so forth. A lot of up and coming musicians are still trying to find a way to get signed to a major record deal.  But is this the way to go in this day and age?

Getting signed to a major record company used to be the greatest feeling a struggling artist could ever have. I mean, think about it. You send in your demo. An A&R rep calls you and says, “Hey, we love your stuff….we wanna sign you.” Even better…you’re humming a tune at your local convenience store and a record executive says, “Hey, ummm, I wanna sign you.”  The next step would be to go to either New York, Los Angeles or Nashville to meet with the record executives.  They lay down a 20 to 50 page contract in front of you.  You sign it.  They give you an advance (money up front to support your project) and then you’re off to the studio to record your “No. 1 hit album”. Sounds fun, huh? Ahhh, the good old days.  That’s how the music industry was and for some people it still is.  But what’s crazy is that only a hand full, if that, actually comes out with an album.   And it’s still that way today.

To tell you the truth, there are thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands of artists signed to record deals and still haven’t recorded their first album…let alone a single song.  Sucks, huh? It’s true.  You want to know why?  Well, I’ll tell you.  Some artists wait for the record companies to guide their careers.  That’s like saying, “Just wait ‘til I hit the lottery”…and you never play.  I completely understand why a band, group, solo artist or musician would believe that a record company would take care of them.  It’s easy.  They give you money in advance to support your project.  If a friend of mine gave me hundreds of thousands of dollars to do what I’ve been wanting to do all my life….and I didn’t have to work a regular job anymore…believe me, they would be my friend for life.  But the reality is….the upfront money is a loan.  Some artists view this money as a sign of “makin’ it”.  But this money has to be recouped (paid back to the record company…for those of you who aren’t familiar with the music industry lingo).

This model of the recording industry is still in practice. I’m not branding major record labels as a hopeless case.  If you can get funded by a major label, by all means have at it. All I know is, if you don’t have a vision of where you want your career to go or what you want your music to sound like, you’ll either be shelved or recording music that you either hate or can’t relate too.  Not a bad thing.  It’s worked in the past and is still working for some artists today.  But if you want control over your career, getting signed to a major deal may not be for you.

The internet has made it possible for someone to record a song in their room and post it that same night for the entire world to hear.  It has also made it easier for an unknown, who would have never been able to step foot in a major record labels office, to find his/her own audience.  Isn’t that what the majors are doing?  Trying to find who would buy your albums or songs?  That’s why they spend millions of dollars promoting an artist’s project.  But even if they spend millions on your project, you’re still not guaranteed to come out with a record.  I’ve seen it happen.  And it happens because the artists rely on the record labels to guide their career. Don’t be one of them.

Like I mentioned earlier, signing to a major is not a bad thing. You just have to remember whose career it is.  It’s the record company’s job to bring income into the company to pay for their own expenses. It’s the artist’s job to guide their own career. And one great way to do this is to find your listening audience before you go to the record labels.  Yeah, family is great, however; I’m referring to the listening audience that would spread the word and convince others that your music is worth buying.  Find out who’s going to buy your music. Sell it to them.  Keep track of the sales.  Then approach the record companies….if that’s route you want to take.  Nine times out of ten, once you start making money from your own product, on your own terms, it’ll be hard to even consider a major recording deal.  I say this because….record labels take a hefty percentage from your sales because they’ve invested loads of money in “hopes” your record sells.  With websites such as CDbaby.com, Broadjam.com and several other sites, you can receive majority of your money sooner than if you signed with a major record company.  So, take control of your career. Don’t wait to be discovered.  Once you take control, the majors will take notice.

Music Info: Splitting Songwriting Percentages In A Song

I received a text from a friend the other day that read: “Tim, how do I determine who get’s what percentage of a song written by 4 writers?“  Good question, because each situation is unique when it comes to writing songs.  Especially, when there’s more than one person involved.  With one writer, he/she owns the whole song.  But with 2 writers, let alone 3, you end up in gray areas.  Or as I always say, potential loss of friendship.  Lol.  My friend asked me how to split percentages between 4 writers.  4 individuals, 4 personalities….4 EGOS.   
After thinking about what to reply, I finally text: “Well, what did you establish before the song was written?“  He replies with: “Ummm, what do you mean?“

When he asked that question, I knew right off bat what he meant.  4 guys…in his living room…listening to an instrumental track that one of his friends’ made and brought over.  They all came up with with the lyrics to fit the track.  When they were finished, it was recorded and burned onto a CD.  Needless to say, there wasn’t an agreement.  From my experience, after you put it on CD, you want everyone to hear what you’ve just created.  You’re not thinking about the future.  It’s like an overly excited parent showing off their newborn to everyone, but not thinking about the college fund needed for their future.  Well, my friend sent a text stating that one of the people who heard the song, happened to be a manager of an independent artist.  The manager wanted to pay $2,000 for the song (the writers would still own the rights to the song and publishing)and release it on the artists upcoming CD.  Now is when he had to scramble to make sure they got paid for the song since there was potential for it to be played everywhere.

When it comes to dividing percentages, whether its 2 people or even 4, it’s better to come up with a fair split to reduce the possibility of having to do extra math.  All of this should be established before you play the song for anyone, especially when you’re writing with friends.  By saying that, I’m speaking merely on my friends’ situation. 

Let’s start with the $2,000 up front money (usually referred to as an advance).  The advance is usually used to pay for studio time, musicians, singers or anything that helped put the song together.  In this case, the 4 friends did it all themselves.  The manager has decided to use the original music with the independent artists voice on it.  There are 2 ways to split this money:

1.  Being that the original music, created by one of the friends, is being used on the final product, he/she is allowed to receive the full $2,000.  The reason?  Well here goes: It’s true that the manager is paying for the song as a whole, but the singers of the original song are not going to be the singers on the final product.  In the recording industry, the lyric writers do no receive payment until the royalties from the song come in.  Hey, I didn’t make the rules.  Now you see why I mentioned earlier “potential loss of friends”.

2.  Establish an even split of the advance.  In this scenario, dividing the $2,000 by 4=$500 a piece. 

These friends wouldn’t be friends for long if they pick option #1.  If they weren’t friends, option #1 would work.  Now that the $2,000 is taking care of, there’s still some more money to divide.  Royalty money.  Royalty money is money that is generated through sales and performance.  Performance covers radio, tv, backing music for tv and radio, internet radio so on and so forth.

Songs are based on 100% (50% for writers & 50% for publishers).  So, I send a text to my friend to provide some friend saving advice.  If one person created/wrote the music, then he/she owns 50% of the writers end of the song.  NOTE: Now, if the he/she uses a sample from a pre recoreded song, the writers of the original song that’s sampled, can claim a percentage of the writers and publishing share because it inspired what became the final product.  That’s another subject that should be covered in another blog about sampled music.  But in this situation, there is no sample.  My friend states that the person who created the music, also helped with the lyrics.  There are 2 ways to approach this:

1.  The person who wrote the music receives 1/2 (25%) of the writers share. Now theres 25% percent left over for the lyric writers. Remember, there were 4 writers of the lyrics. I sent a text to him to divide the lyric percentage by 4. That divides up to: 6.25% for each lyric writer. The remaining 50% goes to the Publisher.

2. They could all split the writers share by four. 50% divided by 4= 12.5% a piece to the music and lyric writers. The remaining 50% goes to the publisher or publishing company. I then text to advise my friend that either they form one publishing company and get the other 50% for publishing or each writer form their own publishing company and then split the other 50% for publishing by 4.

He went with number 2 and the option to create one publishing company because the math would be easier. Luckily, there were no EGOS in the group and everyone agreed with number 2.

With that being said, even if you’re playing around, and you make a song, once you decide to put it on CD and play it for people, it’s best to have an agreement from the start. My writing partner and I split everything up the middle to build a company. Very few last long when there are EGOS involved. Hope this helped you understand how splitting percentages work. Good Luck. Any additional questions, please feel free to email me @ chirpinbyrd@gmail.com