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21 Nov 12 - 04:29 PM (#3440026) Subject: Tech: Producing my own CD in UK From: GUEST,Bobtheautoharp I have come into a sum of money. I am visiting the States in June, and staying with some friends who have a professional recording studio, who are outstanding musicians and who will feed me while I pay them to record a CD. It will contain some Public domain tracks, several covers, one of my compositions and one track where I have written new words to an existing non-PD tune. I will be bringing back the master tracks to this country and plan to get 500 copies produced and flog them at £10 each. I will probably make a loss. I don't care about that. My question is - what mechanical licence do I need? How do I get it? How much should it cost me? Please note I am in the Uk and will be producing and selling the completed CD within the UK. So even if I cover US artists, or sell some copies to US friends, or create the tracks in the US - I don't need to involve Harry Fox do I? |
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21 Nov 12 - 05:48 PM (#3440058) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: GUEST,matt milton I can't pretend to understand any of it, but as far as I can see, if you're serious about distribution/airplay/receiving performance royalties for your album, then you need to register with PRS (performing rights society). And they will sort out your covers for you. If you're not that fussed about PRS, and only realistically expect to be flogging the CD via your own two hands at gigs, then personally I wouldn't bother registering. Are you a member of Musicians Union? If so, I'd ask them - that's the sort of thing you pay union membership for. Either way, I think your instinct is correct - I can't see why you'd have to involve Harry Fox. |
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21 Nov 12 - 06:04 PM (#3440070) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: autoharpbob No, sorry Matt, there is no consideration of me getting royalties out of this. What I am concerned with is getting the right to distribute my cover versions. That is what the mechanical licence covers. And there are several versions - AP1 and 2 and LM. I think I know which I can get away with, but just need some confirmation. If I sell on CD Baby for instance, does that make a difference? And how do I get permission for the song where I have put different words to an existing tune? |
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21 Nov 12 - 06:24 PM (#3440080) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: Howard Jones It's MCPS you need to go to for a recording in the UK - PRS is for live performance. You send them details of all the tracks, including your own compositions, and they'll work out what royalties are due, based on the sale price and number of copies. For a small run you can pay a fixed fee which may or may not work out cheaper, depending on how much of the material will generate royalties. The question of putting your own words to someone else's tune is a bit more complicated. Perhaps Richard Bridge will pop up with an expert opinion. My very inexpert guess is that you may need to get the composer's permission. |
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21 Nov 12 - 07:38 PM (#3440118) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz From one Bob to another...you may wish to consider this...http://www.tunecore.com Best of Luck with your music... |
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22 Nov 12 - 04:22 AM (#3440279) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: GUEST "No, sorry Matt, there is no consideration of me getting royalties out of this. What I am concerned with is getting the right to distribute my cover versions." The point is that, even if you don't want your own royalties for your own songs, if you go to MCPS they will sort out your cover versions for you anyway. Howard's post above was very helpful - thanks! |
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22 Nov 12 - 04:31 AM (#3440282) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: treewind If you put your words to someone else's tune, you simply register yourself and the other party as co-authors when you register the work with PRS/MCPS/PPL. On the other material you should be able to claim "arranger" credit but you should also credit the original author. Some songs appear with a long list of co-authors and you can even allocate unequal percentages to each. |
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22 Nov 12 - 09:54 AM (#3440429) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: autoharpbob Thanks all but especially Howard, that clarifies what I thought. The other tune that I have used is Eddie Cochrans Summertime Blues - which I have rewritten as Autoharp Blues. Since it might be a bit problematical contacting Eddie to ask for permission, I guess I will not be distributing this one, just doing it in my gigs and letting PRS sort out who gets the royalties for it. I still have lots of questions - when does an arrangement become an adaptation which needs permission, how much does it cost me to add download rights, and is there any inherently let in recording the stuff in the USA and then producing in this country, for instance? But I know who to contact about these. As for my own royalties, I am betting that what I get back will be a lot less than the registration fee. I am much more concerned that artists like Richard Thompson get adequate compensation for the humiliation I cause by covering their songs. |
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22 Nov 12 - 10:13 AM (#3440445) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: Stringsinger In the States, we have a compulsory license, meaning anything composed by a songwriter(s) can be recorded if published as long as a royalty is paid to the publisher. This can be checked on through the Harry Fox Agency. I don't know how it works out in the UK. |
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22 Nov 12 - 01:14 PM (#3440540) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: Mr Red If you are the publisher you own the mechanical copyright. Though to make any benefit from it you need further advice about MCPS - but from what you post that is not a big consideration. The copyright on the non-PD tracks is another matter. The words and music are the copyright of the original composers &/or the copyright holder. And that is the demesne of the dreaded PRS. Once they know of the CD you will hear from them. But maybe 500 copies is not big enough for them to bother too much ---- maybe. It all depends on marketing & publicity and how they find out. If you get the permission of the copyright holders direct, it may be OK. I am making DVD's with music on them and I choose tracks from those who I can ask for permissions, but these are not for sale they will go to the contributors, of whom there are many (eg also those in the video/stills) |
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22 Nov 12 - 03:05 PM (#3440591) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: pavane No, not the PRS. The MCPS is correct. Their fees are reasonable, and you get the right to put the MCPS logo on your artwork. |
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27 Nov 12 - 07:59 AM (#3442988) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: Mr Red I had a contact for MCPS but wouldn't want to publish the details here. If the guest poster was a member I could PM them. The guy is Gordon Potts who worked for MCPS at one time. alternatively if he contacted me via I could relay the details to him. |
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27 Nov 12 - 07:56 PM (#3443377) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz For Bob the Autoharp: Found this while on YouTube, autoharp being used in computer music, thought you might find it interesting....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PghZcgaQL_I&feature=relmfu bob |
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27 Nov 12 - 07:59 PM (#3443381) Subject: RE: Tech: Producing my own CD From: GUEST,Bob Ryszkiewicz p.s. he gets into it around 3:30 in the vid... |