FAQ

There’s no one perfect answer, but you have to get the attention of the person who’s booking the festival/tour. Show them that you’re drawing big crowds at your gigs and that you’re getting a lot of radio/retail/press attention…you get the picture. State your case in terms that translate to people showing up to see the show.

You should register your songs as soon as you have officially registered as a songwriter. Again, most offer online works registration or you can call your local office for the paperwork.

UPC codes are used to track inventory as well as to track distribution and retail sales; SoundScan is unable to track your sales without a UPC Code. You can get a UPC Code from several sources:

1) You can register directly with the Uniform Code Council. To find out more
about UCC membership, visit their website at http://www.uc-council.org

2) Ask your record label or CD manufacturer

3) Companies like CD Baby offer UPC barcodes for a lower fee. To find out more
about this service, visit their website at http://www.cdbaby.net

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.

You should sign with a manager when the opportunities a manager can create are better than the ones you can create yourself. Or if you are spending more time deal making than writing songs, you should get a manager. A good manager drums up new business, coordinates your existing business activities, and generally advises you and propels your career forward. Managers get a percentage of your earnings, so your ideal candidate (a) believes in your career and its possibilities, (b) is aggressive in seeking out new revenue streams, and (c) is looking out for your long-term best interests in any deals that are made.

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.

You don’t need to have a publishing company to register a song with a performing rights organization.

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 $500. Or you might be able to work something out with a local recording studio, which are hurting since the home recording revolution took hold.

When it comes to demos, the simpler the better. Nothing ruins a great song like a bad presentation so keep it to three songs maximum with guitar and vocals, or piano and vocals only. Always leave room for the imagination of the listener. See Don’t Demo to Death! article.

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