I Bet You Don't Know How to Get Your Music to Millions!

You know, when chasing a record deal was your only real shot at becoming a star and thousands flocked to labels in hopes of global stardom, the one thing they all had in common was they simply wanted to be known everywhere and a small town indie artist with no real marketing dollars or a way to get their music out there was just running on a treadmill, going nowhere fast. The reality of the situation is most releases are segmented, released, and campaigned within a certain geographical location to minimize excess spending on an artist that might not even sell 100 copies in their hometown (they probably wouldn't have gotten a deal if this were the case but you get the picture). But with the surge in technology, the fall of the traditional record label, and the DIY takeover, many artist are really left to try and assemble a team and a supporting cast to handle many of the aspects that the traditional record label would have taken care of (which doesn't come cheap).

One aspect that has been scaled down tremendously to the size that the independent can easily fit into their DIY lifestyle, is distribution. I personally only have one place to play your CD and that's in the car but even then, I am tuning in to submissions or production I am working on, through my phone. So if you give a cd, you probably aren't getting played. Knowing most of us are digital now, digital distribution is the focus for a great majority of content creators out there but how do you choose the best distributor? How do you know what to base your comparisons on to researching them all? Do you really have the time and the money to research all of the available digital distribution platforms before making  your final decision for a songs you have never let anyone hear? With so many questions and not many places to turn, it can get overwhelming for the indie artist trying to and navigate such a forward industry.

There are distribution channels that thousands of indies are competing for like Tunecore, CDBaby, nd Distrokid, who will take anyone with a debit card  no matter the quality but that's not the race I would run. Then there's Interscope and Universal Music Group's global distribution sector, INgrooves, that major artist like Kendrick Lamar, ASAP Rocky, and Black Eyed Peas go through, but how does an indie get to go through that portal? Thankfully someone took the time to research and compile all of that information on 8 different distribution companies and made it available for all of us to check out. So if you are a label, artist, or just anyone makes digital content and wants to know how to get it to millions of people out there digitally connected, then you should probably read the entire article by Ari for reasons far beyond those mentioned above. Go get Ari's take on these platforms and get yourself a better perspective on which fits your vision. Leave a comment below on which ones you use and what your experience was like while using them.

Why Aren't You Turning Your Lyrics Into Money?

What's up world, it has been a while but I have been finalizing the touches on 2 projects I have been producing for the better part of a year (will post details and links to both projects soon). Well during several conversations with artist over the years about ways of exposing their projects, I have asked the question of "have you typed up your lyrics yet?" Well, the initial response was normally no, but was accompanied with a curious look. I usually went on to inform them about how many times I have heard a song but didn't remember anything but some lyric and that is the very lyric I would do a Google search with. 9 times out of 10, I found the song on some lyrics site or the artist's on site. SEO benefit aside, typing up your lyrics is always important especially if you are looking to submit songs to artist for them to record your song. When I say "type" I am referring to using a text editor like MS Word or Notepad but of course there are tons of note taking apps for your phone and tablet (which a lot of artist use to record their lyrics) but not many are not typing up and digitally archiving their lyric sheets for publishing purposes, copyrights etc.

My opinion on submitting your music to placement companies is to contact a handful of those you want to target, that work with style of production and songs you create, and inquire about any current opportunities that have. Next, get all the information about their submission process and criteria that you can. It is also helpful to find out about any of their recent clients to get a feel for what turns them on currently. Then go do as much research on those clients as you can as you may uncover for tips on how to get your music placed or licensed. Now of course, if you have your own plug or connection on direct submissions, that allow you to bypass the rigorous landscape many artist face today, then you have several ways to play it. One being the ability to negotiate a higher publishing percentage and the other being the ability to license out not only your music but the songs of other songwriters or producers who you'll essential represent. Like I said, there are several ways all songwriters who fully represent and exploit their portfolio properly.

It is also very helpful to upload your lyrics to as many lyric websites as possible (copyright them first) to increase online visibility and potential profit. Google itself has even shown it recognizes the importance of uploading your lyrics and has started making them available in search results, further giving your fans a way to connect with you instantly. Just do whatever you can to secure online visibility and also do not forget to use your split sheets also to ensure all parties are aware of their contributions. While many may understand the importance of this, many still do not and many still do not take the time to type them up.

After realizing this fact, I decided to post an example of what a lyric one sheet could look like...

Song Title

Songwriter / Songwriter / Songwriter

VERSE 1


Lyrics go here

Pre-Chorus can be indented here

This leads to the...

CHORUS

Chorus lyrics here

VERSE 2


Verse lyrics go here

Just like VERSE 1

You do not have to write out the entire Chorus. Just type "Chorus"

CHORUS


BRIDGE (usually 8 bars)

Bridge lyrics here


CHORUS


© 2016 Songwriter / Phone: (228) 555-5555 / Email: Songwriter@email.com

__________________________________________________________________

SoundExchange - Fighting For Your Digital Streaming Royalties

In the challenging world of music, it is becoming increasingly difficult for musicians to make a substantial amount of revenue from their craft without stretching themselves too thin. One obvious choice is royalties, but many do not get the required exposure and coverage of their material to receive any royalties from ASCAP or BMI. Another avenue is licensing, which allows you to exposure you content to different mediums and markets not directly associated with your target market.

There is one player in town though that offers royalties from online plays/streams and it is SoundExchange. The one cool thing I like about them is that they can even get you paid for past online plays also (Up to 3 years back). I will say the application process is a bit drawn out but if you are mainly featured online, then this is probably your most important tool for royalties payments. Be sure to have a voided checked and a Driver's license which will have to be scanned and sent to them for processing. If you are an artist, producer, or copyright owner, you should definitely watch this short video about the benefits of becoming a member of SoundExchange. After all, membership is FREE!

+SoundExchange @Soundexchange www.soundexhange.com

         

Another DRM Trainwreck

If you have music to give away, now would be a good time to start giving. What if you could only drive your car on specific streets around your town which were decided by your car maker? Well Sony has decided to release music that can only be played on specific compatible devices and can only be copied a certain number of times. This was taken from an insert on Amazon.

This product limits your ability to make multiple digital copies of its content, and you will not be able to play this disc or make copies onto devices not listed as compatible. Content/ copy protected CDs should allow limited burning, as well as ripping into secure Windows Media Audio formats for playback with most compatible media players and portable devices. In rare cases, these CDs may not be compatible with computer CD-ROM players, DVD players, game consoles, or car CD stereos, and often are not transferable to other formats like MP3


     Interested in more on this story? go to www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/sony-music-cds-surreptitiously-install-drm-trojan-horses-on-pcs/2092/

ISRC CODES VS. BAR CODES

https://www.usisrc.org/

In addition to the music on your CD or digital file, there is certain information that travels with your music to identify your song, and provide a way to keep track of how many copies of your track or album have sold. This information is known as metadata. One of the most important pieces of metadata is your ISRC code. An ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) is a unique 12-character alphanumeric “digital fingerprint” that stays with an individual recorded track forever, regardless of any changes in ownership of the track.

   

ISRCs are added to the recording during the mastering stage, or at the encoding stage by whichever digital aggregator/distributor you are using to deliver your recorded content to the retailer. ISRC codes are used to trace sales of single tracks through digital distribution outlets like iTunes, as well as help to trace the owner of a recording who is owed royalties when their recording is used by Internet and satellite radio. A UPC (Universal Product Code or Barcode) represents the entire digital product, as opposed to just an individual digital track. UPC codes are also found on the back of the sound recording’s physical packaging, and are used by both brick-and-mortar retailers and online outlets to gather and track sales information for the entire product. 

   

Soundscan compiles UPC sales data from thousands of physical and digital retail outlets in the U.S. and Canada (as well as sales from artists on tour) to compile its weekly list of music sales. These reports are an important ingredient in the weekly Billboard charts, and also factor into many A&R departments’ decisions to sign an artist or not. ISRC registrant codes are allocated by national ISRC agencies to both corporations and individuals. Distribution companies and companies like SoundExchange use this data to monitor plays and streams of registered content.

   

The usual practice is to do this free of charge, but national agencies may make a reasonable charge to cover their costs. You are able to obtain an ISRC registrant code from the RIAA which allows you to use up to 100,000 codes per year. There is currently a $80 one time fee per applicant (and polices to follow) but you a can also become an ISRC manager if you meet certain criteria and adhere to their operations policies. One thing to keep in mind is you will also need software to encode the ISRC codes into the tracks before sending off to get mastered. But keep in mind that your Red Book mastering will include the embedding of ISRC codes if its being press to a cd but the digital technology has allowed for that process to happen even after you have recorded and mixed down and mastered your track. Though most services like Disc Makers includes the ISRC code in your tracks during the mastering process at no extra charge and their are ISRC managers who will sell you codes for as low as $2 a code.

If you are serious about your craft and you want to make sure you are properly represented, ISRCs should be at the top of you list of things to take care of before releasing your music.

Synchronization license

    Synchronization license is just that, a license you issue someone (producers, record label) enabling them to "synch" your audio to a video, music video, television, commercial etc. In most cases a record company owns the master to the song so they receive all monies created from the license and the artist is paid royalties based on whatever agreement he/she has with the record company beforehand.

If you used your audio in a video, commercial or even on a 800 number line, you must have licensed that to the producers of the visuals that are being synched to your audio. In some cases a certain audio recording of a composition is used and requires you to obtain a "master-use" license from the masters owner. Royalties are usually the same as album sales royalties but all that should be outlined clearly in your agreement/contract.

It is wise as a videographer, photographer and even the editors of the content to be sure they have written permission or an official synch license before working with the audio to ensure not to be involved in a legal dispute. A license does not have to cost you anything, all parties just need to clearly state all aspects of the collaboration and have it signed and notarized. Basically if those steps are not taken, the owner of the visuals will in turn own the video and all content included within it(audio included).

Licensing your music is a great way to get exposure and turn a dormant catalog into a very profitable one. Instrumentals can be bought by various companies and businesses and many others in need of music and audio clips. So be sure to take the proper steps to secure your content through licensing.