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writeandwrong
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Posts posted by writeandwrong
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Hi, Chuckk.
Once a song has been recorded with lyrics and music together. The song legally belongs to both you and your co-writer. It is not a situation where you own the music and the lyricist owns the words.
There is no need to submit a score. Audio is sufficient. If it has lyrics, though, a lyric sheet would be submitted. If there are unique chords, you can include the chords on the lyric sheet.
If you submit a collection, the authorship has to be the same for everything submitted in that collection. As an added note on collections, if you get a bite on a song, it is recommended you do an individual copyright registration on the song of interest.
As for the public domain material, that is an area I'm not familiar with enough to say too much on. You can call the copyright office at
(202) 707-3000. Make sure it is a time when you have nothing else planned as you will be on hold for awhile. Morning is the best time to call.
*NOTE* I've responded to the best of my ability and am not associated with the Copyright Office or a legal expert. Just offering information based on my own personal experiences.
I hope this helps.
Cheryl
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Absolutely. Well said.
The 1000 dollars spent, from the diagram, is not the bands' share, but the breakdown thereafter is on the recording side completely ignoring that rather large share of the profits. Songwriters and publishers do get a share of the original 1000 based on license fees.
The other bit the diagram misinforms about is that balance point whereby the label outlays all the cash, and the band has to pay that back before they actually make a penny more than their advance. Meanwhile if the band record sales don't pass that point the loss is the labels'. True contracts usually contain a section about what they can recoup and claw back from artists in the event that sales are that poor, however bands don't usually end up directly paying that back... Though if the band signs a new contract with another label you can bet it comes into negotiations.
So the risk is really the labels. That is also why they get some of what they get. They have stumped up the money to pay for the party, including what the band lives on. If the record sales are poor, they lose the money.
That said, because they tend to arrange many of the contributing services from graphics to videos to recordings and they do so through arrangements with external service providers or in-house people, they do stand to make large profits as it is more or less a closed market. So the label is the investor. They are also the main services provider. The band is the business. The liability belongs to the band.
Sorry I haven't explained that very well, I am still shattered after all that server fixing lol
No, you explained it well (tho you should be getting some rest...caught you!! ;-)
They should have had this put into more circles rather than just two to do it properly, which would have had the person creating the circles easily see the pieces to their pies that are missing... Largest circle...obviously...the record company going down in size to the smallest circle, the songwriters. If they had done that, they would have seen the band members would be receiving less than 18%, and it would also show just what tiny portion the songwriter gets...but it could also show the different avenues a songwriter can make money as well as a band rather than just from the song. Okay. I'm shutting up now because I'm gonna be compelled to create all these yummy circles of pies and...I need to watch my weight. The holidays are upon us
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Thanks, Donna!
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I'm not sure how it all works outside of the US, but the songwriter's share usually doesn't come from the "band payout". That belongs to members of the band after all the expenses are paid (costs above that John noted).
The songwriters get paid from performing rights agencies like ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and also from the publishing company. I don't take anything from the band when they get paid. My cowriter gets his share because he is the guitarist. He doesn't get extra for being a songwriter when the band gets paid for a performance from a club, bar, festival or wherever they are getting paid for their performance.
The performing rights agencies get their money to distribute to their publishers/writers from licensing fees they get from users of music (radio, cable and network TV, bars, clubs, shopping malls, concert halls, airlines, etc.). The value of the payout to the publishers/writers has several different factors, including how much they received in licensing fees from where your songs were performed.
These agencies will pay the songwriter directly for the performance, not the club that the band has performed at. As a rule, what the agencies collect, the publisher gets 50% and the writers split the difference of the other 50%. If you self-publish and you are the sole writer, you get 100% of the royalties.
This is why it "pays" to have multiple "jobs" in the music industry. Band manager, publisher, publicist, web designer, writer, performer, photographer, videographer, studio musicians...as many jobs as you can fill on your own especially when you are starting out. It keeps more money in your own pocket.
The agencies pay for performance royalties. Songwriters also collect mechanical royalties from the sales from downloads, CD sales and other sales containing the musical compositions. Mechanical royalties get paid to the record companies who pay the publishing companies (or representatives like the Harry Fox Agency) or if you self-publish, directly to you. The publisher shares these royalties with the writer (the amount being whatever is in the contract between the publisher and writers).
The statutory rate for mechanical royalties is 9.1 cents per song and so much more per minute over for a longer song.
Hope this makes sense and helps you understand a little bit from this end of the songwriting process. This is fresh in my head as this is the step I've been working on a LOT over the past several months. It pays to be be as knowledgeable as possible in every step in the song process regardless if you have a separate publisher or have been signed by a record company because you do not want to be ripped off.
P.S. Just because you register your songs with a performing rights society doesn't mean you can skip registering your songs with the copyright office...that's a whole other topic in itself...
Cheryl
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I'll try! I feel like I'll be missing something if I jump ahead, no?
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Hi, John. I can't say too much as I just came in and only have done the first challenge. It seems there is good participation and people at all levels, which is nice. It looks like the challenges progress as the weeks go on, which is also nice.
I'm wondering if every once in awhile there should be a rotation of "new" people...pick a day to welcome new people in and each "group" starts at the same time. It's kinda lonely at the bottom, but at the same time, haven't "grown" with the first group. Just a thought. It might also entice new people to come in rather than overwhelm them with "what they've missed". It's not so much that I couldn't jump in where you all are, but personally...I guess I have a little self-diagnosed OCD? lol
Cheryl
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Played with Guitar
Well I re posted my lyrics, thought I would give a shot. Thanks John for the encouragement to stick around.
Revised version:
Oh Summertime Sings to You
Verse:
Top down cruising the beach
Sunlight beams down from the sky
Wind blows wildly through your hair
As you watch seagulls fly by
Verse:
Children laughing and splashing
Frolicking in blue water tide
Pretty girls wearing bikinis
Take surf boards out for a ride
Chorus:
Oh Summer time sings to you
Oh Summer time sings to you
There's music through the air
An orchestra of joy
Is playing everywhere
Oh Summer time sings to you
Oh Summer time sings to you
Charming everyone around
Making hearts beat faster
With a romantic sound
Verse:
You hear waves crashing
Lying with your girl on the sand
Kissing her in the moonlight
Lovers walk by hand in hand
Chorus:
Oh Summer time sings to you
Oh Summer time sings to you
There's music through the air
An orchestra of joy
Is playing everywhere
Oh Summer time sings to you
Oh Summer time sings to you
Charming everyone around
Making hearts beat faster
With a romantic sound
Ending Chorus:
Oh Summer time sings to you
Oh Summer time sings to you
Makes you burst into a smile
Hearing a Summer melody
If only for a little while
Hi, Goldylocks.
Hmm...I'm thinking the title simply could be "Summertime". I think maybe if you keep the title you have, you can strengthen your verses to support the title and chorus.
To keep your title, you could write down a lot of words that have to do with summer and singing and bring them into your verses. For instance, the last line of verse 1 could be something like, "While seagulls sing flying by" I'm not a fan of using "sing" so early in the lyric if it's in the title. If it was "The Music of Summer" you could incorporate more musical terms rather than just singing related.
The chorus could be made stronger by organizing it a little more. Instead of repeating the title two times at the beginning of each chorus section, maybe split it up a little. Here is just a first thought that came into my mind:
Oh Summer time sings to you
There's music through the air
An orchestra of joy
As summer sings to you
Singing songs everywhere
Oh Summer time sings to you
Charming everyone around
Making hearts beat faster
As summer sings to you
With a romantic sound
I'm just throwing out different directions you could take your lyric to make you think more of the possibilities of what you can do with what you have here. I think this is a very workable start and would like to see/hear what you do with it.
Cheryl
Edit: I just read through other peoples' responses and found you are new to writing. For a new writer, you did amazingly well and hope you are still sticking with it. Please take what everyone has said as a learning experience. There is always room for improvement and once you are familiar with the tools, you learn to rewrite until you personally are 100% happy with it. I haven't checked out the rest of the challenges yet, but hope you are continuing to plug along with them :-)
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last taste of summer
your love was my last taste of summer
and the good times to
when darkness falls im a lone
winter calls for those for got on
only blues can carry me on
bring me back the summer
i still think of you
though the spring is gone
for me theres only you
only blues can carry me on
just like winter
im alone with out you
the cold it drains me to
restless days and sleepless nights
all a lone i think of you
bring me back the summer
and the good times to
come back to me precious one
your love was my last taste of summer
summer was my last taste of loving you
though the days feel like autumn
in the summer im still with you
bring me back the summer
summer was my last taste
of loving you loving you loving you
Hi, Az09.
The song form is ABAB. If you want to keep this structure, I feel you need to strengthen up your chorus and make it pop out. Your title is "Last Taste of Summer". If you called it "Taste of Summer", you could offer different metaphors of tasty summer things to spice up your lyric and bring in some more imagery.
You are bringing the different seasons into the song rather than tastes. "You're the reason for this lovely summer season" or something similar is popping into my head for what you have here.
Just a few pointers to take what you have and turn it into something that pops out a little more. You have an idea down and sometimes it just takes a little push to light a spark. Once you have done that, then you can work on strengthening the rhyme scheme, etc. Hope I have given you a couple of different ideas to help.
Cheryl
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Well wrote this yesterday twiddled with it today, fun upbeat and about summer as per the brief .
I'm sure it will need a few tweaks though.
Hope you enjoy
I Love Summer
I love summer
Wished it stay
Beautiful sunshine
Everyday
Pretty girls in
Summer clothes
Looking for love
Mmm Who knows
Down on the beach
Out on the town
Everyone smiling
Never a frown
The sun is high
The sky is blue
Not a thing
I’d rather do
I love summer and all it brings
Surf and swim, lie on the beach
Sunshine and laughter, birds that sing
Beautiful gi----rls
Like you.
She walked by
Gave a smile
Big n bright
Stretched a mile
I said hello
She said Hi to
Carried on talking
All summer through
Now summers over
We’ve parted ways
Summer romance
Our sunny days
All behind us
Until next year
We’ll be back
For summer cheer
I love summer and all it brings
Surf and swim, lie on the beach
Sunshine and laughter, birds that sing
Beautiful gi----rls
Like you.
Hi, Skin. I love how cut down and pithy your lines are, nothing wordy.
One area of your lyric I found seems to need a bit of work is in the chorus, you are saying: "Beautiful gi----rls like you". Your next line says, "She walked by" I think you need to stay focused on who your singer is singing these lyrics to.
Otherwise, I think you are getting your point across as to how much you enjoy summer ;-)
Cheryl
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Hi, LIsa.
There's a melody in my head I haven't taken the time to relay yet. We're still working on getting demos done for 13-14 songs from last year's material...so there's plenty of time to play around with the new stuff.
For verse 1 my focus was that this woman caught the singer's eye; for verse 2, the focus was to let the listener know the singer actually got involved with the woman to build up to the chorus. Maybe I need to be more obvious in saying it tho.
I'm thinking we must be hearing something similar for the chorus :-)
The bridge has bothered me from the start because it doesn't support or stand out like it needs to. Will definitely play around with verse 2 and the bridge and see where it goes.
Thanks for your kind words and critique. I appreciate it! :-)
Cheryl
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My apologies, Kel. It must have been a different song you commented on...but anyway...here is "Some Other Day". A guy had a conversation with me about someone and this is what I got from it lol
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Thanths, Kel. Motht of my thongs...aren't as umm...'sweet' as the summer one I just posted...unless there is some other type of context to it so...be prepared ;-) hehe
I think you commented on my "Some Other Day" lyric I posted back in May lol
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I had really wanted to shelf this one until I came up with a melody and/or bridge but a challenge is a challenge so here is:
Summertime Breeze by Lisa M. Guzda
I love the cry of the seagulls
And the sound of the waves
Feel the sand between my toes
And thoughts of you on my brain
Meditate and find my peace
Centering my very soul
Feeling the constant wind
I am content, and feel whole
Summertime Breeze
Take me away
Smell the rum and suntan lotion
Summertime breeze
Oh please don’t stop
Make believe I’m at the ocean
A certain smell of salty air
Puts a big smile upon my face
Letting me know I’m awfully close
To a very special place
The ocean begs and it pleads
Asking me to never leave
Who am I to disappoint
It’s my time for a reprieve
Summertime Breeze
Take me away
Smell the rum and suntan lotion
Summertime breeze
Oh please don’t stop
Make believe I’m at the ocean
Hi, Lisa.
I really like a lot of things about this. You've got the rules down. Lovely chorus; nice rhyming, beautiful flow; leaves one with a nice summer feeling.
I'm trying not to read comments left beforehand. I started to with Kel's critique but would rather find out how closely the critiques match, etc.
One nit for this song: For the last two lines in the chorus, I feel it takes away from the rest of the song and being that it is in the chorus, it takes away more. This song is well written in that it can be taken metaphorically or not; however, the next to the last line in the chorus, I'd like to see that be a positive rather than a negative "don't" word., and for the last line, the "make believe" makes me stop and realize...oh this nice feeling isn't real...wake up and come back to reality, which isn't what I want to do. I want to stay in my ocean dream.
There are many, many things I love about this whole song though. The title is a great one that makes me want to hear the song, lots of nice ocean-y imagery. It all makes me feel like I am right there.
I hope what I have said has been helpful and makes sense. I would love to hear this with music!! Great job!!!
Cheryl
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Hi, Lisa. Thanks for the welcome. I will respond in a PM.
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Summer isn't always fun down here in Oz...
On The Line
It was a hundred in the shade when the call came inI was clearing dry leaves from my drain.Suzie called up from the base of the ladder, said"You're needed down the station again."Thirty minutes later in the back of the truckWe were heading south down the road.Skipper sent my crew out to cut a fast breakSo the fire wouldn't threaten homes.If only he knew...What he was sending us to..If only we knew,On the Line...We were working a break about half a mile or so longBetween the highway and the river bank.We could see the smoke around three miles north,But we still had the wind at our backs.It looked like we were winning when the sun went downWe were having a rest, were on pace.It was one of those things, ain't nobody's fault,It had shifted now wind blew in our face!If only he knew...What he had sent us to..If only we knew,On the Line...BridgeIt was hot as hell, I'm not ashamed to sayI was prayin' with the rest of my crew.With a roar loud enough to deafen the Devil,In a head-long rush it came through...If only he knew...What he had sent us into...If only we knew,On the Line...When the door was opened by the skip and his team,I don't know how long I'd been out.With a sigh of relief he helped me down from the truck,Left me standing on the black burned out ground.With a cry of despair Skip climbed in the truck,I span 'round, someone grabbed at my shirt.The others in the truck were not moving at all,I dropped to my knees in the dirt!If only he knew...What he had sent us into...If only we knewAt the time.If only we knewWhat he he was sending us to.If only we knew,On the Line...Hi, Kel.
I love how this story is told as if you were telling it over a beer or two recounting this event you lived through, and you have done it well, even tho it isn't a "happy" summer song.
The length of the song concerns me, though it would depend on what purpose you would be using the song for. To start with so many verses is a great thing because you can pick and choose your strongest lines if you decide to shorten it up, or if you decide to have radio cut of it and a long play version. Honestly, I think the song would be strengthened by shortening it.
I read on a previous comment you wrote you plan on using your current chorus as a pre-chorus and add a chorus so would like to see an updated version of this to see what you have done with it.
You kept your point of view throughout the song well, good rhyme scheme throughout, and good song form, and stresses seem to be in the right places.
While the song is not of a happy nature, not every song is, regardless of the season. I enjoyed the story line very much, and it was a great read.
Cheryl
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Hi, all. I'm jumping into the challenges several weeks late but I'm here. I'm really burnt from trying the 50/90 challenge this summer so I'm going to post my "summer" one from there here (but it is a first draft...was given the title and one hour to write it) to start off and get used to how these challenges here work. Personally, I think the bridge is my first area of attack. Thanks!
Male vocal
"Summer Storm" © 2013 by Cheryl A. Hodgins
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Verse 1:
A sultry look on an angel's face
On a hot, starry night in July
She flowed with a captivating grace
Others looked on with envious eyes.
Verse 2:
Her fingers promised me to the moon
As we watched Haley's comet go by
We heard Cupid's heart play a tune
Aquarius shown high in the sky.
Chorus:
She had me that summer
Yearning with a hunger
I woke every morn
To her summer storm
A season passing
But we were smashing
Soon summer will end
Until then I wake
To her summer storm.
Verse 3:
In the morning light we have coffee
Saying few words but saying a lot
When she talks she whispers so softly
We're both careful as to no forethought.
Chorus:
She had me that summer
Yearning with a hunger
I woke every morn
To her summer storm
A season passing
But we were smashing
Soon summer will end
Until then I wake
To her summer storm.
Bridge:
We don't want this to end
This wasn't supposed to happen
We both have to go back
To the lives we used to have
We don't want to say goodbye
But this is to be our last night.
Chorus:
She had me that summer
Yearning with a hunger
I woke every morn
To her summer storm
A season passing
But we were smashing
Soon summer will end
Until then I wake
To her summer storm -
On this summer's eve I wait for you
I wait for you to knock on my door
I wait for you to show me the stars
I wait for you to show me the moon
On this summer's eve I wait for you
I wait, I wait, I wait for you
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I woke up this morning to bees buzzing in my head
From the dreams swarming around with you in my sleep
It took everything I had to pull myself from the bed
The anticipation of being with you tonight
Got me up and ready and running high
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Excellent work, guys! Let's start a new topic!
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It would make my day a lot better
All I have from you is this old letter
I miss how we used to be
How we used to be
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Hi, lord. I almost always write the chorus first, but as you can see, we're all different in 'how' we write. Since a song has a beginning, middle, and end, that's how I think of it...got the chorus...great! Then build the rest of the song around it...how did this story all start if this is the chorus, then what happens, then the chorus hits, we're winding down toward the end...so what happens last to finish the story...at least that's my thought process...but we all have our own ways. Good topic conversation tho as I think sometimes just reading how others create helps add to how we create :-)
Cheryl
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Hi. In 1985 I co-wrote a song with a guy. In 2013, my current co-writer rewrote the music and I rewrote half of the original lyrics.
Copyright law says that 1/2 of the full song is still shared with the first cowriter...so now there are 3 of us.
When I write up a lyric sheet or we post the song as a whole, how to we notate the copyright message?
Here is an example of how I currently have it:
Copyright © 1985 by JLM & CJW. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2013 by JLM, CJW, & BSH. All rights reserved.
Is this wrong? Can I have it all on one line as in:
Copyright © 1985, 2013 by JLM, CJW, & BSH. All rights reserved.
Now that there is the new co-writer, that does not change the original copyright, correct?
Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks!
Jena
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** I have started the first two lines of the lyric...to play the game, continue on from where I have left off. Simple :-) **
Verse 1:
Here I am sitting at my desk
There is something here I must confess
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Hi, MakesMeSmile. There are a couple ways of doing this.
Some go by syllables...but that's more of a poetic way of doing it...more of a poetry writer to lyricist conversion. I remember your lyric "Empty Eyes" and enjoyed it...so it does work.
For me, I usually have a certain set rhythm in my head...I count out stresses...sometimes every line will have 4 stresses, or 3 stresses, or 2...depending on the lyric. The chorus and bridge obviously can be different. Sometimes I play around a bit and mix things around to try something new. Rules were always made to be broken, but within reason. Anyone just beginning should be comfortable with the rules before expanding. I remember with "Empty Eyes" you didn't have a problem with meter and I felt a rhythm to your lyric, so you might want to have fun with it and try it both ways :-)
Keep in mind, others critiquing your lyric may have a different rhythm in their head than you do. For the title Someday for instance...one word...some might sing it a SOME-day, some-DAY or SO-ome-DAY or SO-ome-DA-AY, kinda being extreme here, but to show you how one two-syllable word actually can be four syllables with different people having different stresses when they read a lyric.
Hope this helps.
Jena
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Performance Rights
in Music Industry
Posted
Hi, 21miles. You may want to seek advice from an entertainment lawyer to go over the contract provided on the licensing company to ensure you understand all it entails.
Do you have a written agreement with these musicians you have paid that was agreed on before they started? Does that contract hand over all their rights to you?
Even if you paid them, they are on the recordings, and unless there is some contractual agreement that states otherwise, it seems they would qualify for performing rights payments if you have or if the licensing company publishes your digitized recording that uses those musicians. If they are just listening to it and redo it with their own musicians...the ones you paid wouldn't see any of it (unless you have published a recording with the musicians you used)...again...depending on any agreements.
Non-writer musicians can receive artist royalties if they are signed to a label and a recording agreement is involved stating that fact, which might be what is going on here. This has nothing to do with Copyright. Copyright is only for the owners/writers.
This is only my take on this. I am not a lawyer. I don't work for the copyright office but most importantly, without seeing all the agreements, etc. it's difficult to fully offer the advice you need, I suggest you seek professional advice as I said in the beginning.
Cheryl