The exclusive agreement with Best Buy is up, there’s a new sheriff in town and the price of the Beat Thang has dropped and will now soon be available in other countries and other professional music gear stores such as Guitar Center and Sam Ash, plus there are more great things to come from Beat Kangz Electronics out of Nashville, Tennessee.
The Beat Thang Portable Music Production Center was announced and promoted several months prior to release that it would be available for $999 and upon release (July 2011) and a Best Buy Music Gear exclusive, the price heightened to $1499. Well for those who’ve been waiting and saving to get their hands on the Beat Thang, you’ll now have it much sooner than you think!
Other great news is there’s a new firmware version update coming soon for both the Beat Thang hardware and the software. The Virtual (software) also gets a facelift and will soon become Beat Thang Virtual Solo and Beat Thang Virtual Pro.
I know all of of this because the new President of BKE (Reavis Mitchell) said so! Video below by Sounds and Gear.
Stay tuned to more details as they become available.
To write song lyrics and get them to the next step seems like a simple task when technically it’s a process in this music business. As a songwriter, it’s also helpful to learn the fundamentals of the creation of music because many songwriters also write music. While this is not necessary to sell a hit song, it keeps you abreast of the industry leading songwriters and knowing how to speak their music lingo.
As many are confused in the process of what’s next after the song is jotted down on the notebook, on a napkin, or inside the palm of your hands; here are a few simple steps in copyrighting your work.
Copyright and Ownership - Having a copyright is important for legal reasons should you have infringement issues down the road. Of course you are aware that once your piece is written that by law you own that particular work. However, in the court of law, having an accompanied document to prove your ownership weighs heavily and accurately.
U.S. Copyright Office Online – Simply go here for more information on filing a formal copyright application (US Copyright Office) using the new CO form. It replaced the PA, TX, VA, SE and SR forms. Submit your lyrics and a sketch of the audio of the song on CD. To save on the copyright fees, it’s a great idea to copyright several songs under one fee as a collection of songs and/or compilation of work. Here’s a PDF tutorial in the online filing process.
Important to Know
Lyrics and Melody: If you wrote the lyrics and a music producer contributed the music, then the copyright’s entitlement is split 50% between you and the music producer or composer, or whatever amount you all agree upon. On the old copyright forms this would fall under the PA form.
Sound Recording: As this is often confused with the production of the song; a sound recording is usually owned by the record label or the entity that releases the record. This would fall upon the old SR form. In the instance of the sound recording and with so many home studios and indie labels out there, it’s common to find one entity or group owning the lyrics, melody and sound recording provided there are no publishers involved which holds the copyright or partial rights to the lyrics and the melody only. However, if there was a separate deal to come about with a major label, they often seek copyrights to the sound recording. ***It’s always best to speak with your attorney to fully understand these aspects before signing any agreements.
As music is distributed between producers and artists, understanding work for hire is viable in this business. In simpler terms to distribute a piece of work you’ve created as a work for hire to another party, you no longer have any ties to that work! Read more from source
Here also is an excellent resource of music business contracts. Be sure to have your attorney review before administering!
Coming up with the right name for your music business is an important step. Many describe their names as cute, clever, stand-outish, catchy, and even strange.
The good thing is you can name your business whatever you want; however, the following are the things you should consider first:
1. Stay away from local names. Including your city or state name as part of your business name may work for you early on as your local patrons use your services, but when you begin to span outside your area, potential new clients will assume you only cater to those in your area… therefore you lose business.
2. If your name can’t reside on a roadside billboard without offending somebody… then you should consider something else. I use this as a model because I’ve seen names that include profanity and sexual verbiage. Think about what type of marketing and other business opportunities you are limited to. Also consider potential clients who will be turned off simply because of your name.
3. Consider your target audience or clientele. If your company is Rap Artists Entertainment, then I’m assuming you are selling Rap music, and I surely won’t think you have Pop or Rock Artists on your roster.
4. Consider a name that will allow you room to expand your business. Look well beyond the here and now. Lil Swagg Daddy Entertainment is not cute 15 years from now when you’re 40.
5. Think branding. Consider a name that looks good in several media outlets such as web, print magazines, mobile, newspapers, cd covers, billboards, electronic press kits, television, etc.
6. Be mindful of your competitor’s name and how it’s working for them. Because your competitor share the same market and are doing well in it… understand what makes their name stand out so you can choose a name that does the same thing for your business.
7. Check if your prospective name is available as a domain. If you plan to have an online presence, you will need a domain name to reflect your business name.
A music publisher can make your life a lot easier while you focus on creating good music. If a traditional music publisher approaches you and interested in your material, after under contract they will shop those songs for you placing them with artists who are seeking your kind of material.
Just so you know, when you complete a song, you are the publisher of that song. Allow me to reiterate: 100% publishing belongs to you by default simply because you created the piece. When you sign with a publisher, you are typically giving up at least 50% of the pie which is not a bad deal when they as experts in their field are going to handle your publishing business for you. There are other instances in which a co-writer is involved whereas that 50% you now own becomes whatever breakdown you and the co-writer assumes. Say for instance, 80/20 or 90/10 or 70/30 of that 50%. (I hope that made sense!) It all depends on how much material they contributed to the piece and whatever agreement you all come to terms with. It is also common these days that the writer receives their 50% plus half of the publisher’s share. This is considered a co-publishing agreement, and is also typical among successful writers.
If you are an artist signed to a record label and have a contract with a publisher, and your recording is manufactured and distributed by your record label… the record company and publisher negotiates your mechanical royalties of which the record company would pay for the right to manufacture and distribute your master recording. This also applies if you are not affiliated with any record company, but your song is under contract with that record company.
The Harry Fox Agency (a company in New York), is an excellent median between record companies and publishers. They issue mechanical licenses to record companies and collect mechanical royalties on the publisher’s behalf. They now become a piece of the pie (so-to-speak) where they charge commission fees which are paid right off the top.
If your song is used in film, TV, commercials, promotional videos, etc… synchronization licenses are issued and royalties are paid. Synchronization means your song is in sync with a visual image on screen.
Performing Rights Organizations/Societies such as the 3 major U.S. companies BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC issue licenses, track and collect your performance royalties when your song is performed i.e. played on the radio, television, clubs, restaurants, and other venues. Whatever your affiliation with the societies is how you will be paid. Say for instance your song is co-written by another writer and they are with BMI, and you are with ASCAP… each of you will be paid your share of the performance royalties for that particular performance. Please note, you can only belong to one performing rights organizations at one time.
Tons of songwriters and producers are living well off their publishing income. It’s lucrative if the business is handled accurately and effectively. Get your study up and research the fine details of this conglomerate operation. More importantly, be careful of so-called publishing companies that sucker you for money up front. This is not traditional habit and more often a scheme. Contact an entertainment attorney should you have any doubt; better yet, if you are in the music business, you should already have an attorney!
Books I strongly recommend for further reading and referencing…
Music Publishing: A Songwriter’s Guide – 2nd Edition (Paperback)
The Plain & Simple Guide to Music Publishing: Foreword by Tom Petty (Book) (Hardcover)
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