Dear All...

[SpikeSummers]

Dear All,

 

Hi. My name is Spike Summers. I started writing lyrics when I was around 14. Formed a punk band at 17 in the late 70s. I was the lead singer and collaborated with the guitarist to write songs. Later I learned to play guitar, a little piano and music production and started writing complete songs myself. 

 

I have pretty much been in and out of bands ever since and have been writing songs all that time. 

 

However up until now I have just written for myself and the bands I was working with, but today I had a thought that I might have a go at writing lyrics professionally for other people (Primarily in the rock/pop genre for both male or female artists or duets). This was the first website I came across and I was hoping that you guys might point me in the write direction.

 

Professional Organisations? Unions? Copyright? Where to go to find collaborators? Where to advertise myself? etc.

 

As I am new to this area of the business any help you could give me would be much appreciated.

 

Spike

 

 

[SpikeSummers]

Thanks for the heads up Tom. Will check it out.

[Savannah]

You play a little piano? Like Schroeder?

[Janeva]

Hi

 

Welcome to Songstuff  

 

Hope you enjoy being here on the boards  

 

Jan

[SpikeSummers]

You play a little piano? Like Schroeder?

Haha Like it Savannah. How long have you been waiting to use that one or do you use it on all the noobs?

[Bernd]

Hi there and welcome!

 

> Professional Organisations? Unions? Copyright? Where to go to find collaborators? Where to advertise myself? etc.<

 

Organisations (PRO):

If you've written songs already and performed them you are supposed to be a member of the PRS:

http://www.prsformusic.com
(if not you've made a capital mistake and lost quite a bit of money - that is IF the songs were performed publicly. But why else would you have been in all the bands?)

Copyright:
in the UK you need not register anything as in the US (and maybe in the Dark Ages in the UK, too). But you should be able to prove your copyright, that is that you've been the first who PUBLISHED the stuff in your name (performances are okay as long there are people to remember them).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copyright,_Designs_and_Patents_Act_1988

 

Collaborators:

as for lyricists you'll find more than  you would care for, as for composers it's a different piece of cake...

Finding producers and musicians to produce and/or perform your songs:

that's the tough part - and should actually come first. All the other aspects are only relevant IF your songs are actually used in some manner. You're supposed to have many contacts from form musical past. Utilizing them would seem to me the most promising path.

Good luck,

Bernd

[Savannah]

Haha Like it Savannah. How long have you been waiting to use that one or do you use it on all the noobs?

I say that to everybody all the time. It just happened to make sense in this case.

[SpikeSummers]

Hi guys. Thanks for your replys. Sorry I haven't been around much of late. Been busy. Will try to be a more regular visitor in future.