FAQ

Be smart, do your homework! Take advantage of the resources that are available to you, such as organizations like TAXI or Circle of Songs. There are great classes and seminars offered by organizations like BMI that can further help you develop your songwriting skills. In addition there are several trade magazines, such as Performing Songwriter, that offer valuable information for the beginning songwriter.

We don’t shop deals for affiliates as a general practice, but if we hear something that is extraordinary, we certainly make our friends in the A&R community aware of the artist.

- J.W. Johnson, Artist Relations Executive & Songwriter101 Faculty Member

Registering your copyrights is not required but it is highly recommended since doing so will give you certain protection under copyright law in case you need to sue someone for using your song without your permission.

Technically, your song is copyrighted as soon as you finish writing it. However, you’re going to want to register that copyright to protect yourself in case someone tries to use your song without your permission. You can download copyright registration forms from the Copyright Office at http://www.copyright.gov/forms, or you can call the Forms Hotline at 202-707-9100, or write to the Copyright Office, Library of Congress, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, DC 20559-6000. The cost to file Form PA is $30.

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

After registering, you will receive an email from Songwriter101.com with instructions.  All you need to do is to click the link presented in the email. 

There is no one simple answer to this question. It’s a competitive market so you need to do your homework and develop a solid fan base. Start by building your e-mail list. The people who sign up are your best customers for your music and merchandise. Let people know when you’re performing next in your e-mail correspondence to draw them in for your next gig. When you’ve built up a local following, you should expand to a few new towns. Check out the popular networking sites. Create a great web site and stay in touch with your audience. You might want to hire a publicist and gradually expand your touring area, in turn building your e-mail base. Also, make sure your CD sales are being tracked so you can build a story around that. You can also network at key industry events around the country like SXSW, CMJ or the DIY Convention. Build your e-mail list; build your network of people who support you; and you will evolve from there.

Go to your profile page by clicking on your name in the upper right.

The button to log out is labeled “Logout”.

Agents are all about finding gigs/shows for bands, but they can also help set up sponsorship opportunities for tours and help with logistics in general.

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.