Sign the Bill of Rights for Songwriters & Composers!

Sign the petition to protect your/our/my rights as music creators! It does not matter which performing rights organization you belong to, you can sign it. If you don't wanna read this whole message, just go to www.ascap.com/rights to sign the petition. This petition about our Bill of Rights will go to Congress to let them know we as music creators have rights that need to be protected. Tell others about www.ascap.com/rights, please!

A CALL TO ACTION - SIGN THE 'BILL OF RIGHTS FOR
SONGWRITERS & COMPOSERS'!

Given the many issues that surround the music industry today, it can be easy for those who are the source of it all - songwriters and composers - to get lost in the shuffle.

That's why ASCAP is calling on music creators to offer their support of a critical new advocacy initiative.

Earlier this month, ASCAP launched 'A Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers,' designed to remind the public, members of the music industry and U.S. legislators of the central role and rights of those who conceive and create music.

This important awareness-building initiative centers around 10 core principles, including "We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate" and "We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used." The full text of the Bill of Rights (included at the end of this article) is posted to the ASCAP website - along with an online petition where music creators can electronically sign to demonstrate their support.

The rights laid out in the Bill, all of which are already inherent in the act of music creation and protected by U.S. copyright law, are increasingly under threat as competing interests argue over the future of the business of music - and as growing numbers of individuals bypass payment altogether to illegally share music online.

Said ASCAP President and Chairman and Academy Award-winning lyricist, Marilyn Bergman, "Our goal is to remind lawmakers, the general public and music creators themselves of the rights that are inherent in their art. We simply cannot allow the original source of all music to be forgotten. Our rights must be considered in all conversations about the future of the music industry and the future of copyright law."

Over 1,000 Signatures and Counting

The 'Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers' debuted during ASCAP "I Create Music" Week at the 25th Annual Pop Music Awards held on April 9, 2008. It was then formally introduced to attendees of the third annual ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, held in Los Angeles from April 10-12.

In just the first few days, more than 500 signatures were collected, including such recognizable names as Lionel Richie, Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, Justin Timberlake, Desmond Child, Jackson Browne, Steve Miller, Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller, Chamillionaire, Keri Hilson, Johnta Austin and John Rzeznik.

Since that time, other legends have added their names and their support - including Tony Bennett, Quincy Jones, Paul Williams and Hal David - as well as hundreds of additional signatures online. Currently at over 1,000 signatures and counting, the Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers is gaining serious momentum.

As part of this initiative, ASCAP also wrote a perspective piece on the relevance and importance of music copyright protection, titled "Music Copyright in the Digital Age: A Position Paper." This paper offers straight-forward explanations of how copyright law impacts music creators, and may be viewed and downloaded from ASCAP's website.

Sign the Bill - Spread the Word

"The signatures that we collect on this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers will be shared with key legislators in Washington, as well as numerous other leaders both inside and outside the music industry," said ASCAP CEO John A. LoFrumento. "Now is the time to ensure that everyone who has a stake in determining the future of music, both as an art and as an industry, recognizes the importance of protecting creators' rights."

Those who wish to add their support to the Bill can sign it electronically.

ASCAP encourages its members to help spread the word! Share the URL www.ascap.com/rights and encourage everyone you know to sign their support!

A BILL OF RIGHTS
FOR SONGWRITERS AND COMPOSERS
Created by ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers

Just as citizens of a nation must be educated about their rights to ensure that they are protected and upheld, so too must those who compose words and music know the rights that support their own acts of creation. Without these rights, which directly emanate from the U.S. Constitution, many who dream of focusing their talents and energies on music creation would be economically unable to do so - an outcome that would diminish artistic expression today and for future generations.

At this time, when so many forces are seeking to diminish copyright protections and devalue artistic expression, this Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers looks to clarify the entitlements that every music creator enjoys.

We have the right to be compensated for the use of our creative works, and share in the revenues that they generate.

We have the right to license our works and control the ways in which they are used.

We have the right to withhold permission for uses of our works on artistic, economic or philosophical grounds.

We have the right to protect our creative works to the fullest extent of the law from all forms of piracy, theft and unauthorized use, which deprive us of our right to earn a living based on our creativity.

We have the right to choose when and where our creative works may be used for free.

We have the right to develop, document and distribute our works through new media channels - while retaining the right to a share in all associated profits.

We have the right to choose the organizations we want to represent us and to join our voices together to protect our rights and negotiate for the value of our music.

We have the right to earn compensation from all types of "performances," including direct, live renditions as well as indirect recordings, broadcasts, digital streams and more.

We have the right to decline participation in business models that require us to relinquish all or part of our creative rights - or which do not respect our right to be compensated for our work.

We have the right to advocate for strong laws protecting our creative works, and demand that our government vigorously uphold and protect our rights.

When to fire an entertainment attorney

I know it's not typical to even suggest that there may be times when you need to fire an entertainment attorney! In my last blogs, I helped you with understanding how to hire an entertainment attorney, how to find one, and the benefits of having one. Now I want to help you know when to fire an entertainment attorney.



Before I do that, let me put my disclaimer here: These pages are created to inform and educate the public only. They are not and should not be considered legal opinions or advice. You do not and cannot have any client-attorney relationship with me based on these blogs. You should not act upon legal advice found here but are instead advised to seek professional counsel before taking any action based upon information found on this blog. Okay, with that being said, here's my list of tips:



1. Before firing your entertainment attorney:

1. Try to resolve the issue first.


2. Set up a meeting if possible.


3. Send a letter voicing your concerns. Sending a letter will document your concerns should you need proof that you communicated your concerns and the number of times you attempted to resolve the issue.


4. Discuss your concerns.


5. Find out ways that you yourself can help the attorney help you: If the attorney is having problems negotiating your deal for you, for example, perhaps the problem could be with the material that he or she is given to shop. You can thus help the attorney by making sure your material is a hit and that you are a hit artist or songwriter.


6. Make sure that the things you've asked the attorney to do is reasonable.


7. Make sure you know and understand the agreement you have with attorney and what it says about firing them. Follow the agreement.


8. Know that you have the right to fire your attorney at any time.


9. Send the attorney a letter letting them know that you have decided to no longer use their services. This documents the time and day that you fired them and helps with disputes for any legal work performed after that date.

When to fire your entertainment attorney:

1. When an entertainment attorney does something unethical.


2. When you can't hardly ever reach them. Be reasonable on this: if you are calling your attorney every day, then no, you shouldn't expect them to call you back every day unless perhaps, you are in the midst of negotiating a deal. The key word here is hardly ever.


3. When they don't have adequate time to meet with you and discuss your business . Let's say you do reach them but your attorney is always too busy, and for example, they constantly rush you off the phone or act impatient with you, constantly talk to other clients or other people while meeting with you, you should consider using a different attorney.


4. When your business needs are not being met: Say you hire an attorney to shop your songs for you and you've given them the industry standard time to do so (which means you must give them enough time to do this, and not because you are impatient with the process). After giving them the industry standard time for placement, you ask them to whom they've shopped your songs. If they can't give you a list, you may want to consider discontinuing using their services. This does not mean that if you don't get placement, you should fire your attorney as your lack of placement could mean some other things, like your songs are not commercial enough, record companies are not looking, etc. However, your attorney should be able to at least show you to whom they have shopped your music.


5. When the attorney can't deliver their services in a timely manner. The music business is a fast-paced business. So you want to make sure that your attorney is keeping up. If your attorney keeps taking his or her time with getting you the contracts you need, or helping you negotiate your deals, etc., then consider hiring another entertainment attorney instead.


6. When your entertainment attorney is too afraid to aggressively negotiate your deal. This business is your business. It's your money. It's your career. Your attorney should know and understand that. They should be just as aggressive and tenacious as you are about getting you the best deal possible. They should not be timid or shy or scared to do so or else, hire another entertainment attorney. On the other hand, make sure that you are not asking your attorney to give you the world. Make sure that you are not asking your attorney to do illegal or unethical things. Make sure that you are asking for reasonable amounts and things in your contracts.


7. When your attorney breaches their other client's confidentiality. You want to make sure that your attorney will keep your business confidential.


8. When your attorney has a conflict of interest. Again, make sure that your attorney and your manager are not the same person. And make sure that your attorney does not also represent your manager. If a discrepancy happens between band members and all members have the same attorney, then it may be time for the person with the dispute to hire a separate attorney.

Know the ramifications of firing your attorney:

1. You lose the business relationship you may have had. Having to begin again with a new attorney will cost you time and money of having to update the new attorney.


2. You may be given a bill for time spent working on your behalf, which is reasonable if the attorney actually worked on the case. Or you may not owe them anything. Check with the State Bar Association or consult with your new attorney on this.


3. Ask for all documents related to your case.

Prayerfully, you will find a better entertainment attorney the next time around. Again, for tips on finding an entertainment attorney, click here.

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
interviewed.blogspot.com - contains interviews of top producers, songwriters, & music execs
globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com -helping you go global with your music
musicpanels.blogspot.com -missed a music conference, find some clips of it here
mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com -go mobile with your music, find ways to do mobile marketing
musiclabels.blogspot.com - find out information on new record labels recently launched
hitsamillion.ning.com - network with other producers, singers, songwriters, and beatmakers

How to find an entertainment attorney

How to find an entertainment attorney:

• Ask other musicians, singers, songwriters, bands for referrals.
• Google local entertainment attorney
• Check your yellow pages
• Read the Music Industry Connection book series. You can find a list of Atlanta and Los Angeles entertainment attorneys in those books.
• Again, if you hire a local attorney, make sure that the attorney is familiar with nationwide trends in the music business and has relationships with people in cities where the music industry is prominent. This is again why I recommend the Music Industry Connection books series because it contains contact information for Los Angeles and Atlanta entertainment attorneys. If you purchase the book, let JaWar know I sent you!

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
interviewed.blogspot.com
globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com
musicpanels.blogspot.com
mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com
hitsamillion.ning.com

Tips on Selecting an Entertainment Attorney

As a songwriter or singer-songwriter, recording artist, producer, musician, garage band, and/or rock group, one of the people that you want to find when you are out networking is an entertainment attorney. An entertainment attorney should be an integral part of your plan to succeed in the music business. In my prior post, I discussed some of the benefits of hiring an entertainment attorney. Now, I want to help you decide on selecting and hiring as your entertainment attorney. To find the right entertainment attorney:

1. Ask for references!




2. Make sure that the attorney practices entertainment law. You should know that not every attorney knows and practices entertainment law.




3. Make sure that the attorney has experience with representing the type of role that you play in the industry. So for example, if you are a producer, make sure that the attorney has experience representing producers.




4. Caveat: don't discount using a young, enthusiastic but somewhat low profile attorneys since they may be more attentive to your needs than an entertainment attorney or firm who has a very long list of clients.




5. Personally, I would hire a separate entertainment attorney from your manager. In other words, you and your manager should not have the same attorney because if something wrong happens with your manager, your lawyer won't have a conflict of interest with representing you.




6. Stay away from attorneys who attempt to guarantee that you will get a deal or ones that seem only interested in your money.




7. If you hire a local attorney in a city or state where the music industry is not a prominent business, make sure that the local attorney is familiar with nationwide trends in the music business and has relationships with lots of people in cities where the music industry is prominent.

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC

Check out my other sites and blogs:
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
interviewed.blogspot.com
globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com
musicpanels.blogspot.com
mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com
hitsamillion.ning.com

Benefits to hiring an entertainment attorney/lawyer

I've done now a month's worth of blogging on how to network, where to network, provided some encouragement to those of you who are really just tired of networking. Well, as a songwriter or artist, one of the people that you should find and meet when you are out networking is an entertainment attorney. An entertainment attorney should be an integral part of your plan to succeed in the music business. Although I'm an attorney, I would recommend any songwriter or artist hire an attorney. (and this is not a self plug because I'm not currently taking clients). In later posts, I'll discuss what to do before hiring an entertainment attorney but for now, I want to help you see why I say there are benefits to retaining/hiring an entertainment attorney or attorneys:


1. Entertainment attorneys can help you properly set up your business.


2. An entertainment attorney can help you determine what type of corporation to set up which can possibly help you in terms of liability issues and tax purposes.


3. An entertainment attorney can help you draft contracts for hiring your manager, hiring a graphic artist, hiring musicians, hiring singers, etc.


4. An entertainment attorney can help you with understanding the contracts you are presented with as a songwriter and/or artist.


5. An entertainment attorney can help you understand what each proposed contract covers and what it does not.


6. An entertainment attorney can help you negotiate the terms of any contract.


7. Some entertainment attorneys help you shop your artist and/or song and help you look for record deals, endorsement deals, production deals, etc.


8. An entertainment attorney can also help you establish some business relationships or at the least, use their business relationships to help you.


9. An entertainment attorney can help with navigating the legal issues that arise in other industries you may not be familiar with, such as the film industry, TV, gaming, etc.


10. An entertainment attorney in a city where music is prominent has access to more music seminars, conferences, continuing legal education (or CLEs), music groups, or associations, music executives, etc. That means that attorney has more access to make and have business relationships with other industry professionals and it may mean that the attorney, if they are taking the CLE courses, is up to date on all the legal issues in the business.

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC

Check out my other sites and blogs:
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
interviewed.blogspot.com
globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com
musicpanels.blogspot.com
mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com
hitsamillion.ning.com

Recommended Songwriting Books - Part 3

In two of my prior blogs, I mentioned some songwriting books that I think every serious songwriter should have in their songwriting library. Having a songwriting library will help you solve a lot of problems that you may encounter as a songwriter. Problems with melodies, lyrics, rhyming, writer's block, publishing, mixing, mastering, etc are things that songwriters face often. So buy some songwriting books. They will help you save money and time! Here are my recommendations:

Audio Recording Books:

1.



2.



3.



4.



5.



Home Recording Studio Books:

1.



2.



Mixing and Mastering Books and DVDs:

1.



2.



3.



4.



5.

Songwriting Courses

Here's another great way to network: participate in online music and songwriting courses!!!! Join other people as you learn to take your craft to the next level. In fact, songwriters, musicians, and artists are now having to go indie and wear multiple hats. You've heard that an artist has to be a triple threat to stand out (triple meaning sing, dance and play, or sing, dance, and rap). Now everybody in this music game has to in some way wear multiple hats.

So if you simply a songwriter or musician, why not learn how to do some of the things you wait on others to do when you're ready to record? If your songs aren't getting raving reviews or people willing to pitch them, then perhaps learning a little more about the songwriting craft will help you! Stop waiting on others: take your own music career in your hands, and educate yourself!

So if you want to learn how to write a hit song, learn to play an instrument online, or learn how to mix online, then keep reading! You can take some weekly lessons from your home and start playing an instrument! It's not too late. You also save money from not having to pay others to do now what you can do! You can study when you want and how you want. Check out this online songwriting, music instruction, music theory and mixing courses:

1. MusicianUniversity.com Songwriting Courses
2. MusicianUniversity.com Piano Courses
3. MusicianUniversity.com Guitar Courses
4. MusicianUniversity.com Bass Courses
5. MusicianUniversity.com Mixing Course
6. MusicianUniversity.com Music Theory Basics Course

Check out my other blogs and go mobile, go global, watch interviews and listen to music panels! A list of my other blogs is located at bottom right of this blog!

Thedy B,
Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc

The Do's and Dont's of Networking in Music Forums

(c) 2008 all rights reserved



If you like reading my blogs, subscribe today and tell a friend!

In my prior blogs I gave you over 40 tips on the do's and don'ts of networking in the music business. Check out those prior blogs. Now, here are the do's and don'ts of networking in music forums.

1. Do post your ad on a social networking site. Don't overpost or you will most likely be flagged or banned for spamming. Most sites have a limit on the number of times you can post your advertisement so if you want to stay on the site and want your ads to stay up on the site, don't overdo the posting of ads. But do post some if allowed.





2. Don't simply go into forums just to post your advertisement. Actually meet people. Become part of their discussion. Ask questions. Be sociable!








3. Do start your own forum topic. Then invite others to discuss that topic with you. Before you start your own topic though, I do suggest doing a search in the forum section of a site to see if someone else has started a forum on your topic. People hate duplicate forum topics. Some sites will even delete your topic if someone else just posted a similar topic.







4. Do put your website and/or contact information in your signature line. Doing this is another small step in helping people find you and find out about your music.







5. Don't abandon your forum. If you post in a forum or start your own forum, remember to go back to it. Check and see if someone has responded. Follow up on comments and questions.









6. Do go into relevant forums. This is related to tip #3. Find forum websites that cater to musicians, songwriters, artists, fans, etc.







7. Do google music forums and find new ones to join. A simple google search will likely turn up hundreds, if not thousands, of music forums to choose one.








8. Don't post in unrelated forums. Please don't go into unrelated forums just to talk about your music. Your music has a specifically targeted niche. Find your niche and stick to it.








9. Do invite the people in the forum to contact you. If you are posting on the right website and posting on the right topic, invite the people in that forum to contact you directly. If, as in tip #4, your website and contact information is in your signature, they can easily contact you.




10. Do post. That should be self-explanatory but many times people "lurk" on forum topics and never post. Perhaps you simply don't have anything to say but perhaps you do. The people that go to forums like to talk, discuss, meet and network so don't be afraid to post. You might even post just to say you've been enjoying the conversation and let that be it.






11. Do try to keep what you say positive. While controversy is sometimes good, you want to attract the right people so keep your conversation positive if at all possible. That is, if you are going on a forum to network.






12. Do find out what others need and offer your services or products. If the site allows you to post your website or advertise, then by all means do it!




13. Do read the terms of service for the forum. You'd be surprise what actions some sites will deem as spam, offensive or objectionable and will ban you. Some sites won't even let you put certain things on their sites to advertise. Your only choice then is to not join that site, leave the site, and find another site that is less restrictive. (I'm about to put one website on blast so keep reading!)







14. Start your own forum website!!!! Bring people to you! That way you can make your own rules. You know people are interested in what your site has to offer. You can post as many ads as you want.




15. Do have good, accurate information. When you provide good, relevant content (as I heard JaWar say all the time, content is king), people will naturally gravitate towards you and the information you provide. So make sure what you say is good and accurate. Adding to the conversation and not taking away from it.




16. Do keep your post short (I violate this rule all the time (:-)) If you keep your post short, people are likely to read it.




17. Do allow others a chance to post their comments. If you over-comment, you will be perceived as argumentative or abrasive.









18. Do spell check. Do use proper grammar and proper punctuation.








If you like reading my blogs, subscribe today and tell a friend!

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter


Hits A Million, LLC


myspace.com/hitsamillionllc - network with me!


hitsamillion.ning.com - network online here!

Network with who?

Okay, based on my series of blogs on networking, you may be convinced now that you need to network. You may also know now from my blogs how to network and where to network. I've also provided some encouragement to those of you who are really just tired of networking.



The question now is who do you network with? Who should you be looking for? What contacts should you be building? I'm glad you asked (:-)



As much as I would like to take the credit for the answer to this question, I think that the expert on making music industry connections is JaWar. JaWar has two music industry books dedicated to helping you make the right music industry connections. He not only tells you who you should connect with but also provides you the means of connecting with those individuals and/or companies by providing contact information.



As you will see from his website, you not only need to network with people in the music industry, you also need to network with people outside the music industry, people such as graphic artists, photographers, printers, etc. JaWar's books will help you make those connections! So that's why I keep saying as I've said in my earlier posts, that these books are truly must haves! (See my other recommended books in the side bar of this blog). As a reader of the Atlanta Music Industry Connection book, I can attest that it has helped me find the right companies to contact to set up my music publishing company. JaWar's Truth about Record Pools, Music Conferences, Talent Shows and Open Mics book has helped me find music conferences in surrounding areas. JaWar's Los Angeles Music Industry Connection book has over 100 digital distribution companies in it. For more information on these books and how you can purchase them, visit JaWar's blog at gomusicconnection.com!

Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter
Hits A Million, LLC
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
interviewed.blogspot.com
globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com
musicpanels.blogspot.com
mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com
hitsamillion.ning.com

Check out my new blogs!

I realized that at times this my songwriting blog, hitsamillion.blogspot.com, sometimes goes off topic. Yet, I've got raving reviews from those who have read my blogs and I appreciate all the wonderful feedback. But just to keep this blog on topic, I decided to create some entirely new music industry blogs. I'm so excited about them and want to tell you about them. My newest music industry blogs are:

globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com
interviewed.blogspot.com
musicpanels.blogspot.com
mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com

As with this blog, my new blogs will help you expand your music business in a BIG way:

Globalmusicbusines.blogspot.com will contain tips, tools and resources on taking your music to the international music market. There are already posts up now so check it out!

Interviewed.blogspot.com will showcase interviews from hitmaking producers, singers, songwriters, recording artists, and musicians, as well as successful studio engineers, and music industry executives. There are already posts up now so check it out!

Musicpanels.blogspot.com will hosts videos, if available, from music conferences, will provide ratings of music conferences, seminars and showcases, lists of upcoming music panels, and even tips for music panel organizers. There are already posts up now so check it out!

Mobilemusicbusiness.blogspot.com will help you find ways to expand your music business using your cell phone. There is a post up now so check it out!

My new blogs will be updated frequently so keep checking back, subscribe and/or bookmark all of these sites! You will be glad you did!

Meanwhile, this blog will be dedicated to songwriting and the business of songwriting. Please tell a friend about my blogs!

Thedy B
myspace.com/hitsamillionllc
hitsamillion.ning.com

Network Globally!!!!!!! The Launch of My New Blog, Globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com

At recent music conferences and seminars, panelists talked about the advantages of networking globally. For example, at the Radio Music Conference held on March 22, 2008 in Albany, GA, John Christmas, a successful sports and entertainment attorney, and Alan Johnston, a successful music consultant, both talked about going global with your music. John Christmas said that there are many English-speaking countries that love hip hop music for example. John said there are sooooo many opportunities for artists to get their music heard in other countries but many artists fail to take advantage of that. So think outside the box and network globally!





Again, the advantage of networking globally was discussed at BMI's The Art of Songwriting seminar held on April 2, 2008 at Emory University. There, Keri Hilson, a member of The Clutch and a successful songwriter on her own who has written over 200 songs , said that her first song placement was with an Asian artist who didn't speak any English. She learned that the artist was looking for material through a producer with whom she was working. Keri Hilson and her producer thought outside the box, meet someone from another country and got her first placement. And the rest, as they say, is history!





So U.S. artists, don't limit yourself to just networking with people from the U.S. Now you can network internationally online. You are just a few clicks away from meeting someone from another country so click away! That one person could possibly change your life and your music career!





Since this blog is really dedicated to songwriting, I've created a new blog to help you expand your music to the global market. Just go to globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com and you'll find information on how to network globally!





Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter


Hits A Million, LLC


myspace.com/hitsamillionllc


globalmusicbusiness.blogspot.com


hitsamillion.ning.com

ASCAP Writer's Roundtable - Part 2 (the Scoop)

If you like reading my blogs, subscribe today and tell a friend!

Here's why I say you need to get out the studio some and network. And yes you can network because I've given you over 40 tips on the do's and don'ts of networking at music conferences, the do's and don'ts of networking via email, upcoming music conferences where you can network , explaining why networking is important, how it's helped me, and gave you over 30 places where you can network.

In my last blog, I told you that I would reveal what was said during the songwriting panel at the ASCAP Writer's Roundtable, which was held on March 6, 2008 at the Robert Woodruff Library Exhibition Hall at Clark Atlanta University. Okay, so here it is:

1. Publishing - much was said about this subject, a subject that is near and dear to the hearts of all songwriters.

• If you can wait, wait. Most of the songwriters suggested that you wait before getting a publishing deal. In particular, wait until you have a single and wait until the publishers are coming to you asking you for a publishing deal. The reason behind this advice was so that you can get a better deal. Having a single will provide you better bargaining power. If you instead only have album sales, you still can get a publishing deal but the publisher will most likely not give you the best publishing deal because you don't have a single. By album sales, I mean you have a song on someone's album and you have sales only because people bought the entire album, but your song wasn't released as a single.

• If you need the money, then do the deal. Depending on how desperate you are in terms of money, you should decide on whether to sign a publishing deal or not. Again, if you can wait, then wait.

• Sign a publishing deal that requires the least amount of published songs. Johnta Austin, one of the panelists, mentioned that publishing 10 songs a year or even 4 songs a year is still a lot of songs. Why? Because most publishing contracts require that you publish a certain number of whole songs. If you collaborate on the song with other writers, then you only get credit for your portion of the song. So if you and a 3 other writers wrote a song, then you'd only get credit for writing 1/4 of a song. You still have 3 3/4 published songs to go. If you use samples of a song, you may also have to share a portion of your song with the original artist and that will again, cut into your credits. I say may because RL indicated that he refused in one instance not to give up part of his publishing to a producer who unilaterally chose to use a sample in his music to which RL wrote the lyrics and melody. Since RL didn't make the decision to use the sample, he refused to allow his portion of the publishing to be diminished because a sample was used. Plus, the publishing contracts require that the songs be published. Since the number of albums being put out are diminishing and the number of artists are too, then getting your required number of songs published is harder than it was previously. For these reasons, the panelists suggested songwriters sign a publishing deal which requires the least amount of songs.

• Be sensible about the amount of money you are requesting in your publishing deals. Why? Because first, you only get paid after recoupment. Publishing contracts are essentially loans that you must pay back. You only get paid after the publishing company recoups the money loaned. So with that in mind, the panelists recommended that you make sure you only get the amount you need and don't spend your advancement on frivolous things yet.

• Publishing contracts have bonuses in them. There are bonuses in some publishing contracts that will reward you if your song is ranked, and the length that it is ranked, and I think also if your song is placed with major artists. They all said they liked the bonuses.

• Artists may try to get a portion of your publishing. They indicated that some artists will attempt to get a portion of the songwriter's publishing. Artists will sometimes ask to get a writer's publishing because of the artist's reputation or because they want to be seen as part of the writing team, and/or because they want some of the publishing money even though they didn't write any of the song. So the panelists recommended that you consider the source of that request. If the artist is major and you know that your song will be a single, then perhaps giving up a portion of your publishing will be worth it. Johnta Austin and Manuel Seal both said that even if you gave away all your publishing to a major artist, you will still win because your name is on the song and your name on the song will now lead to other songwriting opportunities. However, they indicated that if the artist is just starting out, is not signed, etc, then there may be less of a reason to give up portions of your publishing.

• People get publishing deals because they are scared. Lyfe Jennings said that. He said people get publishing deals because you are scared of what to do with your success and the money. He suggested having a plan for what you are going to do with the money that you get from a publishing deal, such as investing it into real estate or a business.

• In addition to keeping your deals to the lowest number of songs, keep the number of years of the publishing deal low too. Lyfe Jennings said that he was in a three-year publishing deal which he liked because afterwards he can do his own thing. He doesn't need the publishing deal after that.

• Know why you need a publisher. New writers need publishers because they don't know anybody in the business. They don't have direct access to major artists. They need help with getting placement of their songs. They need better relationships. However, once you become a seasoned writer with some hits, you then have direct access to major artists. The artists themselves will call the writer asking to write with that writer. No in-between person is needed then. At that point, the writer needs a publisher just to exploit the copyright to its maximum by getting the song licensed to say film, ringtones, overseas, etc. So know what you need and why you need it.

2. Writing - the essence of what we do!

• Write real records! By that, each panelist meant that you as a writer should write songs that you can feel. (This goes back to my three key elements needed to write a hit, one of which was that the song had to be heart-felt).

• Write songs that are timeless. Don't "date" your record by simply writing songs that are going to be hits now. Johnta Austin noted that some songs, when they are timeless, may not be hits at the time the song comes out. But because the song is timeless, it still has the potential to become a hit. He gave examples of Lyfe Jennings' CD which during its first week sold only 3,000 copies but is now a platinum album. He also cited John Legend's album as another album that didn't have a lot of sales the first week out but because it was a good album, has sold millions of copies and go on to win various awards.

• Real, timeless records will always in the end win. Johnta Austin noted that because Clive Davis believed in Alicia Key's talent and sound, he kept her with just her piano and vocals without the use of rappers on the track. They said so don't succumb to writing songs that are dated or try to keep up with the times just to stay relevant.

• Hit records consists of: a great melody, great lyrics, a good song concept, great production, great performance of the song, believeability of the song, and a team who believes in, and works, the song, according to Manuel Seal. He said that a great performance of the song where an artist really believes what he's singing and the song is ringing true to the artist will make a good song a great song. He said that it used to be that artists were really worked in the studio on making the song believable and making sure the artist felt the songs they sung. I recently saw an example of this when Sean "P. Diddy" Combs refused to allow the men from the Making of the Band IV (or Day 26 as they are now known) to go into the studio and record until the men became passionate about what they were singing about. P. Diddy got the guys a vocal coach, Ankra, not because they were off key, or needed vocal training, but to help the fellas connect with the song and with their audience.

• Write simple words and hooks: Atozzio said that he had to simplify his lyrics to keep up with the times. He noted that at times he wrote a more catchy hook by simpling repeating a line. Lyfe Jennings said that his hardest problem with writing was saying more but saying it more concisely.

• Reseach your song concept idea: Cri$tyle said that she researches her song ideas before writing the song. She studies whatever she is writing on so that she can clearly and effectively write a song about say, water. For her, researching helps her creativity. And I agree. I recently wrote a song about a subject that I myself wasn't familiar with but always wanted to know. I researched the subject by going to Wikipedia. It helped my creativity.

• Spark your creativity: Cri$tyle indicated that she prays before writing every song. Atozzio and Johnta Austin related that their songs sometimes come from his experiences or from things they simply wanted to say but couldn't. Lyfe Jennings indicated that he tries to put himself in the song as well as think of other people who are also going through the same situation and how they must feel. RL said that sometimes because writing is so personal that sometimes its a writer's therapy so don't be afraid of what content comes out during difficult times. He indicated that the songs he wrote while going through a divorce were all related to those feelings. I laughed in agreement to this statement since I was recently looking at the slant that all my recent songs were taking and thinking they all dealt with one subject, love.

• Write and then move on. Cri$tyle indicated that she would mistakenly marry her songs. By that, she explained she meant that she couldn't write another song because she was still worried about the last song she wrote. She knew that the last song she wrote was great so she worry about its placement and what everyone else was doing with that song, instead of just writing. I could definitely relate to that as well! Write, give the song to your publisher, let them deal with the particulars, and just keep on writing!

3. Building business relationships - each person opened up the panel discussion by talking about how they got started in the business. Inevitably it all boiled down to meeting the right people.

4. Humility- All of the artists expected greatness from themselves but they were so humble. Cri$tyle was the most humble as she said several times that she felt so blessed to just be able to write for the people she has been able to write for. When asked does she get upset or feels it is unfair that a track is being given to her as well as to other more seasoned writers who have the ability to directly talk to the artists and find out exactly what the artist wants to talk about, she said no, she doesn't get upset. Instead she expressed her gratitude about even being considered in the same category as these writers to get the same tracks they get. She said that as a new writer, she understands paying her dues. She understood that she doesn't have the business relationship with an artist that say a Johnta Austin has since he's been in the business much longer and has written for so many different people and has some awards and hits under his belt. So the point is, be humble, stay humble.

Thanks for reading! And remember, if you like reading my blogs, subscribe today and tell a friend!

Thedy B

Hits A Million, LLC

myspace.com/hitsamillionllc - network with me!

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ASCAP Writer's Roundtable gets an A-

In my last post I gave you over 30 different physical places to go to in order to network.

If you've been following my blog and reading my posts, you already know that I'm about to say: get out of the studio, start networking more, and attend some upcoming music conferences. In my last post, I showed you that music conferences are just one out of 30 places you can go to network! (Click here to read that post!) And if your networking skills need some help, learn how to do it! Read my blog posts on the do's and don'ts of networking at music conferences, the do's and don'ts of networking via email, and purchasing some of the recommended books on networking. Subscribe to this blog to stay on top of things!

Here's just one of the reasons why I say what I say: I recently went to ASCAP's Writer's Roundtable where several ASCAP songwriters discussed the music business and the music creativity process. The panel consisted of:

1. Manuel Seal who wrote "Always Be My Baby" and "We Belong Together" for Mariah Carey, and "My Boo" for Usher.

2. Johnta Austin who cowrote "We Belong Together" for Mariah Carey, "Be Without You" for Mary J. Blige and has written for Toni Braxton, Tyrese, Enrique Iglesias, Ginuwine, Aaliyah, Faith Evans, B2K, Ciara, Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Mario;

3. Cri$tyle "The Ink" Johnson who wrote "Touch My Body," for Mariah Carey, "Angel" for Natasha Bedingfield, "I'm Grown" for Tiffany Evans, and "Hood Anthem" for Keke Palmer;


4. Atozzio The Hittwriter who wrote "Kryptonite" -Mario, "Friend Me Up" for Keke Palmer, "Mama" for Chris Brown, and "Holla At Ya Boy" for 2 Much;


5. RL who wrote Butta Love," "Too Close," "I Still Love You"


6. Lyfe Jennings who wrote "Never, Never land," "S.E.X." "Must Be Nice" on his own album.


My overall assessment: A-

1. Information: Great: relevant info since it was specifically dedicated to songwriters and songwriting unlike other music conferences that I've been to which are typically dedicated to the artist. Come back to my blog because I'll discuss more of what each songwriter said in a later blog.

2. Networking with the panelists: Great: We were given the opportunity to really talk to the panelists afterwards.


3. Networking with other attendees - Good


4. Ability to ask panelists questions: None. They had set questions that they asked the panelists. However, because we were able to speak to the panelists afterwards, we could ask our individual questions then so it worked out.


5. The quality of the panelists: Excellent: Look at all the heavy hitters that were brought in! I also like the fact that ASCAP chose both seasoned writers and new writers, older writers, young writers and both male and female writers.

6. The cost of the event: FREE!!!!!! Loved that!

7. Size of the seminar: Great: it was packed, standing room only. There was no RSVP required so they had no way of knowing how many people were coming to know how many chairs to set up but they needed more chairs. Lesson: get there early and you don't have to worry about that. (:-)

8. Location: Great: the venue was centrally located in the city. It was held at Clark Atlanta University's Robert Woodruff Library Exhibition Hall, which was a nice place to have it. Parking was horrible since most of it was dedicated to Clark students. Temperature in the room was good, the seats were adequately spaced, the spot was nicely decorated, and the building was secured.

9. Length of the event: Good: it was roughly a one and a half hour long panel. It started a little behind schedule as panelists arrived and were finishing up interviews.

10. Time of the event: Good: it was at 7:00 p.m. which is a good time when trying to travel in the city of Atlanta. BMI had an event the day before this one that started at 6:00 p.m. which is not the optimal time since most people are just getting off work.


11. Advertisement: I heard about this event via email and via MySpace so for me, it was well-advertised.

I'm glad I went and invested my time by going. And yes, I'd go again if they had the same event assuming the quality stayed the same. Sometimes, it's worth getting out the studio!


Thedy B, Attorney/Songwriter

Hits A Million, LLC

myspace.com/hitsamillionllc

hitsamillion.ning.com