FAQ

It varies depending on the co-writing situation. What is important is that all writers as a collective agree on the decision.

If you’re serious about your band, then it is worth the expense of paying an entertainment attorney to draw up a legal agreement so you can set the parameters of your partnership right from the start. Otherwise, you’re setting landmines for yourself in any future dealings between you and your band mates. If you’re all professionals, approaching the band about this shouldn’t be difficult.  The time to draw up such an agreement is as soon as profits are going to be made.

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A cue sheet is a listing of the music used in a TV show or movie by title, composer, publisher, timing and type of usage (e.g., background, feature, theme) usually prepared by the producer of the program or film. Again, if your songs are registered, then the information will come automatically.

Home recording is so inexpensive to do that it shouldn’t be an obstacle for anyone. A nice home studio can be set up for under $1,000. You also might be able to work something out with a local recording studio, which are often in need of business since the home recording revolution took hold.

As a songwriter, you inherently own the publishing rights to your music and you retain creative control.

Nielsen SoundScan is an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Sales data from point-of-sale cash registers is collected weekly from over 14,000 retail, mass merchant and non-traditional (online stores, venues, etc.) outlets. Weekly data is compiled and made available every Wednesday. SoundScan is the sales source for the Billboard music charts. You can register your CD at http://www.soundscan.com/register.html

You must contact the song’s publisher or publishers to get permission to sample a song. Publisher information can usually be found in the Performing Rights Organization websites.  You’ll likely have to search within the PRO with which the song is registered.

Obviously, the best arrangement is for the person who writes the songs to have it clearly stated that they wrote the songs. Consult an attorney with specific knowledge about intellectual property. You need to get a clear agreement as to who owns what.

The Musician’s Atlas and the Music Registry are just two examples, but there are lots of directories on the market. Google can help you find them and most are available via Amazon.com.