Posts Tagged ‘music placement’

“The Role Of The Music Publisher”

by Aaron Davison

The Role Of The Music Publisher
The primary role of the music publisher is to secure commercially released recordings of the songs the publisher controls.  An established publisher will have working relationships with record company A&R executives, producers, recording artists, and managers.  The publisher works to place songs in its’ catalog with other recording artists in order to generate royalties for itself and the writers the publisher represents.

Publishers also handle the administrative aspects of the songwriting business.  From filing copyrights to dealing with performance rights organizations and collecting money dues, the publisher essentially makes sure that all the legal and financial aspects of your songwriting career are under control. A good publisher is a priceless resource.

Some publishers also help secure placement in Film and Television broadcasts as well. (note: the directory below is different than the directory I sell that focuses on the TV And Film part of the music business.  There are a  handful of publishers that overlap – but most of the publishers in the directory focus on securing recordings of their works.)

Start making Music Licensing Money now by Clicking Here

25

10 2009

“More Tips For Getting Your Songs Placed”

by Aaron Davison

More Tips For Writing Music For TV and Film

When writing songs for television and Film there are a number of points to consider.  By anticipating what some of the general needs are you can greatly increase your odds of your music actually getting used.  There are a number of factors to consider, today we’ll look at two areas that are important to keep in mind when writing for television:

1) Subject Matter -  Music in television and Film is used to enhance plotlines.  Generally speaking songs are matched with scenes based on subject matter.   The lyrical content of the music that you’re pitching needs to make sense with the scene that your song is being considered for in order to get placed.  I’m typically not writing for specific scenes or even specific TV shows for that matter.  So how do I know what to write about?  Well one very safe bet is to write songs about relationships.  Think about it, almost all stories, be it in television or film, involve relationships.  Whether someone is falling in love, falling out of love or longing for love – just like in our real lives, relationships are central to most plotlines.   Turn on the radio and what are 90% of the songs about?  That’s right relationships – and usually romantic relationships.   This is a very good area to start writing about when writing for general placements.

2) Production Quality – Although it’s true that the production standards for music used in television isn’t nearly as rigid as it is for studio albums, it’s still very important.  There is a lot of competition in this industry and like in any industry the best quality “product” rises to the surface.  It is possible to submit great quality songs recorded in home studios that will get placed.  As a matter of fact all of the songs I’ve had placed we’re recorded in this manner.  Most of them done in Pro Tools.  However, in retrospect I’ve realized that most of my songs that have not been picked up were due to poor production quality.  My publisher has confirmed this suspicion for me too.  If you’re not great at engineering and producing then find someone who is to work with.  All of the songs I’ve had placed I’ve had someone else help me with the producing.  It’s not my forte and I know it!


Start making Music Licensing Money now by Clicking Here

17

10 2009