Hip-hop music publishing

Article par Mike Doherty | vendredi 2 dcembre 2011

Les traductions pour les articles avant l’automne 2013 ne sont pas disponibles pour le moment.

Tony Tobias has worked in the cultural industries in Canada for more than 35 years, in the fields of music and media rights management, among others. His publishing company is Pangaea Media & Music Inc., and he’s a member of SOCAN’s Board of Directors. Saukrates is a veteran, Juno-nominated Canadian rapper, singer, and record producer who co-founded Capitol Hill Music, and sings in the group Big Black Lincoln. He’s also a member of Redman’s Gilla House collective, and has worked with K-os and Nelly Furtado. Here, they discuss publishing in hip-hop music.

Tony Tobias:
If you’re a hip-hop songwriter, you should be concerned about what you own of the copyright, which translates into multiple potential revenue streams. Some hip-hop producers don’t have a great handle on what music publishing is. The producer contributes to the master track, but the recording is a different entity to the song, so we have to differentiate – they’re separate as far as copyright is concerned.

There are also different types of producers. The producer-as-investor tells the artist, “I didn’t write the song, but because you can’t pay me, I’m proposing that you put me on the song as a co-writer, so I can benefit from airplay – that might be my only revenue.” Here, the artist retains copyright, as he or she does when working with the producer-as-arranger – or beat-maker – who comes up with beats for the song the artist has created. As an artist, don’t let that producer convince you that they have now co-written a song. The producer-as-composer actually has ideas as a musician and collaborates with the artist on the actual writing of the music, with a clear understanding that they are co-writing and sharing copyright.

In a writing-room situation, before you start, say, “OK, everybody in the room is cool with the fact that this is a collaboration/co-songwriting thing here, and before we leave the room we’ll agree about who contributed what, and here’s the sheet that we’ll all sign, basically accepting the percentage that we agreed.”

Saukrates:
These days the lines get blurred between beat-makers and producers. The more talented beat-makers play a huge role in putting a song through the roof. They can take some of the producer credit, or share it, because they have taken it that far.

A lot of times, new beat-makers get opportunities on a mixtape, which nowadays is just putting your music out there so people can get a feel for what you do. So in that case they might say, “You can use it for a minimal amount, but it’s non-exclusive” – and they’ll retain their publishing, and reap the long-term benefit. Two years later, you call the beat-maker again, and it’s not the same: you can’t use this piece of music for nothing, non-exclusively or exclusively. It’s a battle. It’s war out there!
Up-and-comers don’t even think about the red tape before they go in the studio. That’s something for all veterans to take note of, to keep it loose and be free with it and deal with it all afterwards. If it don’t fly, you find a way to change it, to replace the sample or said musician. The sky’s the limit.

Do I need to be a member of the S.A.C.?

Article par Lily Cheng | mercredi 3 octobre 2012

Les traductions pour les articles avant l’automne 2013 ne sont pas disponibles pour le moment.

Despite having an ongoing presence at music industry events across the country, representatives of the Songwriters Association of Canada (S.A.C.) are often asked, « Are you SOCAN? »

To which the answer is always, « SOCAN is an important organization for songwriters to be part of in order to get paid performance royalties. The S.A.C. is a separate organization that is also great for songwriters for networking, education and advocacy. »

As a member of SOCAN, you probably take your songwriting career seriously. Similarly, S.A.C. membership is an investment, not only in your career, but also in the songwriting industry at large.

Founded in 1983, the Songwriters Association of Canada was formed to inform and support songwriters at all levels, and to create a platform for songwriters to have a voice in the ever-changing landscape of the music industry. Since that time, the business has undergone significant changes, and continues to evolve rapidly with emerging technologies. As such, the importance of advocating on behalf of songwriters is now more important than ever. The S.A.C. continues to build important bridges between songwriting organizations and policy makers, both  in Canada and throughout the world.

Over the years, the organization has expanded to include networking and education initiatives to nurture the songwriting industry in Canada. This includes a recently launched webinar series that songwriters can log into from anywhere across the country, to access topics such as « How To Get Your Music in Film & TV, » « Going Indie in Urban Music, » and « Work, Life Balance for Songwriters. » Our webinars form part of Channel S.A.C., a video library exclusive to members on our website.

This past year saw the launch of our annual reference edition of Songwriters Magazine – a publication that covers both the business and craft of songwriting. We’ve also expanded a program called « Songworks, » that creates opportunities for professional and emerging songwriters to co-write and record together – which has already resulted in song placements around the world.

Our other programs include:

  • Song Vault:  A secure registration service to protect your songs.
  • Song Assessment: Get online professional feedback.
  • Regional Writers Group: Network and hone your songwriting.
  • WritersConnect : Meet new songwriting partners and collaborate.
  • SongPitch.ca:  Pitch your songs for film & TV placement.
  • Songposium: Full-day interactive workshops.
  • BlueBird North: Where writers sing & tell.

We welcome professional songwriters to join our roster of mentors, panelists and song assessors, along with providing feedback on our advocacy initiatives.  We also welcome aspiring songwriters who can tap into a wealth of growth and networking opportunities to help them succeed.  For more information about S.A.C., and to join, visit songwriters.ca

Photo par Vince Mancuso

Seeing the big picture

Article par Dominic Mancuso | mardi 11 octobre 2011

Les traductions pour les articles avant l’automne 2013 ne sont pas disponibles pour le moment.

Dominic Mancuso has been independently making music for 20 years, as a singer-songwriter, performer, film/TV/ theatre music composer, multi-instrumentalist and producer. Last year, he won a World Music Album of the Year Juno Award for his current recording, Comfortably Mine, which transcends cultures and borders, combining traditional Italian music with North American influences. He and his visual artist brother Vince have also created MANCUSO2, a production combining music and live digital art. It’s been staged at Toronto’s Distillery Jazz Festival and Nuit Blanche, and been commissioned by Pfizer, Cadbury/Adams and Bell World. Here, Mancuso offers some thoughts on how to take control of your independent musical career.

In today’s demanding music industry, it takes much more to « make it » than having some good music under your belt. The reality is, music is only part of what’s necessary for long-term success. You also need to arm yourself with technical, visual, marketing and branding skills. I’d like to highlight a few of these « extra-curricular » pursuits that have empowered me to flourish in my musical career.

Build sonic savvy
Early in my career I realized that being « just a musician » wasn’t enough. I wanted to learn about all aspects of the creative process. So while my bandmates were shooting pool in between takes at the recording studio, I’d be sitting next to the engineer watching and learning. We were paying the person to be there, so why not get double value by extracting tricks-of-the-trade?
This attitude paid big dividends as recording technologies advanced. I created a home studio and applied years of these informal « lessons » to make professional recordings within my means. Ninety percent of Comfortably Mine, was recorded at mi casa, and engineering and editing the record in my own studio allowed me to invest instead in the best musicians and a world-class final mix engineer, mastering house and co-producer.

« While my bandmates were shooting pool in between takes at the recording studio, I’d be sitting next to the engineer watching and learning. »

Go Photoshopping
Developing skill sets outside your medium is also a must. Basic proficiency in Photoshop software is an example. We’re living in a visual world saturated with images. Do you grasp the concept of 72dpi vs. 300 dpi images? Can you format your photos for various contexts?
Many of my peers haven’t harnessed the visual side of their careers, but more than ever, success is about selling a whole package. Micro-manage all visual aspects, from font selections to band attire. Don’t post poorly designed or low-quality images – you’re only hurting your brand.

Define your own unique brand
The idea of « brand » can be awkward for musicians. But if you’re creating a product and selling it, then you have lots to learn from the advertising and branding industries.
The sooner we musicians accept the principles and approaches associated with those disciplines as integral to our own success, the sooner we’ll advance our position in the marketplace. Know who you are and carve out your own identity.

Find ways to market your music
Did you know that corporate investment in music is quickly approaching the level of traditional labels? Corporations are the new record labels. Feist had great success with her Apple campaign. Natalie MacMaster placed a song in a Tim Horton’s commercial. These are smart pairings.
Seeking the right relationships to enrich your brand can have multiple benefits. Endorsements provide financial rewards and viable distribution, hard to achieve without paying for advertising.
I realized I had a niche product in Comfortably Mine, an album of traditional Sicilian-Italian songs re-invented. After exhausting conversations with record labels and distributors, I realized the Canadian music industry didn’t really know how to promote it. So I came up with the idea of teaming up with a winery to help disseminate my music.

Since my record was sung mostly in Sicilian dialect, I researched wineries in Italy and Ontario and found Pillitteri Estates in the Niagara region. The bonus: the owners and company name are of Sicilian origin. Bingo!

I met with management and a partnership was struck: They commissioned 10,000 CDs of my music for a promotional campaign. The CDs were attached to bottles of Pilliteri wine and sold at Liquor Control Board of Ontario outlets throughout the province.

Consumers bought a $13 bottle of wine and received a CD of my music. The response was incredible, and I was able to leverage Pilliteri’s popularity and distribution network to reach a completely new audience.

While you may be an expert in music, you’re probably not an expert in production, design, branding and marketing. In these fields, hire the best available to you, learn from them, and understand that their contributions are integral to your career. That’s how I was able to achieve much of my success – by seeing the big picture.