Getting Your Songs Published

Subject: Getting Your Songs Published
From: GUEST,Theamhdaigh
Date: 08 Aug 02 - 10:58 PM

A friend and I have been writing songs for a while now, and are interested in getting some of them published. Do any of you folks here know of any good music publishers aside from BMI ? Thanks!

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: GUEST
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 10:44 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: Jeri
Date: 09 Aug 02 - 06:27 PM

Theamhdaigh, I think people aren't answering because they're not sure what you want. BMI, as well as ASCAP, Harry Fox and others, are agencies set up to protect musician's rights.

A publisher is something quite different - whoever publishes a song book, recording, sheet music, etc. (I think "publishing" also includes web pages, but I'm not sure.) I believe quite a few songwriters are publishing their own works these days - it sure beats paying someone to do it unless you don't mind spending the money.

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: khandu
Date: 10 Aug 02 - 12:14 AM

And, for what it's worth, there is "The Songwriters Market" at your bookstore.

khandu

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: GUEST,truckerdave
Date: 10 Aug 02 - 05:02 PM

Hate to "bust your bubble" so to speak, but you just about got to know someone to even get anyone at a large publishing company to even listen to your songs. I know too many people that have tried it in nashville. There are or course smaller local publishing companies, but then again they are trying to get someone to listen to thier songs too. It's really pretty hopeless if you really understand what's going on and how the whole business works. There's tens of thousands of unknown songwriters out there, and the publishing companies have staff writers that have whole portfolios of songs just looking for the right artist to record them. It shouldn't cost anything to have a song published except for your copywright fee. Typically the publishing company gets 50% of the royalties earned. Another way is if you know a good songwriter, sign away half the rights to your song by copywright and let him push it for you. He knows people. Lots of folks do that and even though it seems unethical, 50% of something is better than 100% of nothing. I know several music publishers/recording artists and i just don't even fool with trying to get my stuff published. There's not much market for country/folk/blues these days, about the best way to descibe what i do. If someone did record one of them they would most likely change it up so bad i wouldn't want to hear it. About the best way is to work hard and become a minor recording artist and put out a couple CD's. If enough people hear them, then a major artist may pick one of the songs up. What it comes down to is, ain't nobody gonna listen to your songs. No matter how good they are.

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: Amos
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 12:08 AM

Yeah, besides, guitar music is on its way out anymore.... :>)

A

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: katlaughing
Date: 11 Aug 02 - 12:26 AM

Sheesh! Slap a kid down for trying, eh? IF everything truckerdave said was true we'd never hear the stories we do of so and so hitting it big through some happenstance never dreamt of until its occurance. Sure, it takes hard work, a lot of promoting, getting out and singing your own stuff, visiting radio stations and giving them cd's for airplay, hoping the right person will hear it; perseverance, perseverance, perseverance, stick-with-it, BUT there IS always some kind of chance and who's to say what kind of karmic brownie points you may have that you can cash in for a few rewards?!

I do agree with Jeri. I think you are better off self-publishing...you retain all rights and control of your own works that way. Take a look at promoting yourself through free websites, such as www.iuma.com and other places. If you are ready to cut a CD but can't afford more than a demo recording on your computer, go to www.mixonic.com and upload your mp3's, design your label, and order as many cd's as you want from 1 on up, plus you can sell them through there, too.

Take a look around this site. We've got scads of threads on how to produce your own music, get gigs, etc. Good luck!

kat

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: GUEST
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 05:37 AM

refresh

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: GUEST,Frank
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 12:44 PM

If you know a reliable and active publisher and are on good terms,
you are better off than going it alone. A good publisher can
keep the books on your work if it is covered better than you can.
They have more contacts than you, generally, and have money
for producing demos of your song.

Self-publishing doesn't mean too much unless some big artist
covers your song.

But getting to a big publisher and have them be interested is
harder today than it's ever been.

Frank

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 22 Dec 03 - 01:47 PM

"Songwriter's Market" is available in bookstores or Amazon.com. In it are a long list of music publishers with descriptions of what kinds of music they are looking for, formats they want, contact names. e-mail addresses, mailing addresses, etc.

I have used this information to successfully obtain publishing contracts on 6 of my original songs. Some of the contracts have been so bad (one sided) that I chose not to sign, but some have been quite decent. One of my songs was signed to Transition Music in Hollywood. They are trying to find a movie or TV show to place my song in.

You must be persistent. Send out at least 100 inquiries along with samples of your work and be prepared for 99 rejections (or no response at all). Keep sending your material out to music publishers and, if it has any worth at all, someone might eventually pick it up and give it a try.

Self publishing is great, but it doesn't solve the problem of nobody ever hearing your songs. Prepare high quality demos, with full instrumentation and harmony. Present your songs in their best possible light. Make your demos sound like a master recording from the best studio in the world and you might have a chance to have someone listen to more than the first few seconds.

Good luck,
Mike

Subject: RE: Getting Your Songs Published
From: GUEST
Date: 23 Dec 03 - 12:50 PM

I'm sorry to be doing this to you, but I must! If you write a good song it will sell itself. Now having said that there are loads of great songs that get rejections.

When other people are singing your song, when other writers who hear you steal bits of your lyric/tune and when you can't listen to the demo - mostly you'll have a hottie.

If you take that to an agent who turns it down - it will be because he/she is a media exec with no market sense. Today with Radio monopolies pushing shit and CD sales falling there is very little good music being broadcast but on the Intenet there are a few legends happening right now. See MP3 stats for the best of these.

In effect selling to the media companies is not the way to go.

In either case you'll never get rich but the fame my change your life...

Happy Hollidays