Paramount Song

[SamuelGabriel83]

a few weeks ago i decided to see if it would be possible to sell lyrics via the internet. I came across paramount song who claim to be a nashville based studio/company looking for songs/lyrics that they can shop to record labels and artists.

 

Now i have no real idea how all this works or if it is a con or not. But i decided to send off 2 of my lyrics to see what kind of reply i would get. I quickly received an email stating that they would get in contact once they had reviewed my lyrics. I sent them the following 2 song lyrics i have written.

 

http://forums.songstuff.com/topic/12731-whiskey-drinking-woman/

http://forums.songstuff.com/topic/11477-sycamore-tree/

 

 

Now today through the post i recieved a reply from them.

 

which starts off along the lines of

 

Dear xxx,

what great lyrics you/ve sent us. in fact we believe the talent you've displayed has outstanding hit song potential. so much so that we're happy to award you with a song writing contract.....

 

the letter then goes on to give more praise.

 

 

Now with the cover letter i also received 2 pieces of paper with contracts on. however it seems to me like they are expecting my signature and for me to send them money to hire someone to record the music for the song. So this is where it doesn't seem right.

 

now i have no real experience at this and i certainly dont expect something for nothing but the way its all worded seems like a copy paste reply they send to everyone and the fees aren't exactly cheap.

 

Has anyone used them before or someone similar?, is this common practice and would it be worth getting 1 of them recorded? i can afford to but i obviously dont want to throw money away for nothing, they say for 10.00 you can recieve a cassette recording, surely a cd would be better?

 

 

 

[SamuelGabriel83]

yea did a google search, seems to me like they can produce a medicore to low quality recording of your desired song for a fee. not exactly what im looking for.

[midnighthowler]

I'm trying to find a way to answer this tactfully .... I can only speak from the songwriters side. ...... hmmmm. ... To boil it down .... Its kind of like there's two sides to the music buisness community in Nashville ...... the REAL and legit people you WANT to meet on the legit music side are not out seeking songs or songwriters , you can't generally walk in an meet them , and you will probably never be around them (that you know about) ....... and you will meet them in an unforced and natural way,and thru other people that you get to know over time .... NOT because you seek them out of stock them ................ that is how Nashville works , but those are the people you want to know and deal with ....... I can't give a percentage , but I'd guess if you added up the legit people and the crooks and shysters and wanna bees ...... the people you want t to deal with might be around 10% ......... there are hundreds or more people, songwriters and artists looking to make it ,comming to Nashville every year just waiting for someone to praise them..... and in way to many cases, all someone has to do is tell them them, or their songs are good , and they will do anything and spend all their money to hear it again ....... be vary vary wary of anyone that thinks your songs are killer ........ the one that won't even listen to them , or listens to 15 seconds and shuts it off , then tells you he can't use them is much more likely to be just the one you want to meet and be around .............. take it for what its worth

[Lisa Gates]

^SG,

^{I sent Paramount some lyrics too and got the same letter. They just want money.}

^{Midnighthowler gives the advise we all know is true but don't want to believe... Thanks for that, I think. No just kidding, you were tactful and truthful!}

^{SG and I just have to put our time in, say our prayers, and be at the right place at the right time.}

^{All the best to you all!}

^Lisa

[Kel]

Lisa, you say that like it's a bad thing. All businesses need to make money!

 

I have a PS contract too, I hold on to it for the amusement if nothing else. If you think of them as a studio who will make a demo for you, you won't be disappointed. Their work is reasonable, but not exactly radio ready, but I have found similar quality for a lot less cash. I have also seen "radio ready" products for up to $1800 per song, so like anything, you makes your choice, you pays your money.

 

Don't expect much from their promotion though. They make compilation cds of what they consider to be the best of the bunch and send it to A&R execs. Have you ever heard of an A&R exec with the time to listen to an album of up to 20 tracks? Me neither.

 

You want a demo produced? You gonna pay somebody. PS are just one organisation that promotes themselves heavily.

 

Cheers,

Kel

[Joe]

I fully agree with all of the above, both from personal experience and from some direct conversation with another party (in Nashville---very prominent in the music business).  I had a demo made by them.  It really wasn't all that bad.  For me it was a curiosity thing.  My plan was/is to find, slowly and methodically, what works best for me....and I may well have found that.  I'm not all that sure that PM is what it says it is.  I'm fairly certain (from my gut feeling) that it is a mill, in place to satisfy the egos of folks like me who want to hear their song in music....for a price.  I have no qualms with someone to be in business to make money.  I went into the situation with my eyes open and no gun to my head.  That said, one gets what one pays for.  Personally, I am about to embark in a relationship with an outfit which has a stellar reputation in the industry, has years and years of solid experience, which will not take everyone who comes along, and one which has taken multiple discussions to reach the point where they would even suggest that we hook up.  During the discussions we had, they were evaluating me...not my stuff (which they haven't even seen yet).  They were looking to see if there was any chemistry there.  It will be an expensive move for me, IF i am accepted (which it looks like), but the end result would be beneficial for both ends....they want me to grow and develop as a song writer, and they want me to be coachable, and part of the requirement (or process) is a lot of face time...not just internet swappings....actual face time.

[bobbyearlray]

They are a rip off.....plain and simple. I could give you a radio ready song for 300.00    Check out my website.....    www.bobbyearlray.com

[Kel]

Just checked your site Bobby Earl, you'll be hearing from me, I'm sure. Love "Shotgun Justice!"

Kel

[bobbyearlray]

While living in Nashville, I was educated on how things REALLY work there. A contract with Paramount is money in the trash. If you approach a label with their product, or mention their name, you will be dismissed. Almost any chance of getting a placement in Nashville is done through a co write with a writer of greater stature than yourself. It is estimated there are a total of 300 possible placements a year for unknown or lesser known writers. Put your money into using name players that can get your song some listens, or to get a co write with a name player or writer. Even if you had to pay, you will get lots more mileage from that than you will from anything having to do with Paramount. They are truly one of the worst. They've never read a lyric they didn't love...

[GocartMoz]

Hey Bobby,

 

Glad  you found Songstuff.  Welcome to the site!  A wonderful place with many wonderful people and musicians.  Kel,  I couldn't recommend Bobby more to put a solid production together.  Shotgun Justice was a tune I sent to him to produce and arrange and get quality players, including himself, to play on and he returned a recording beyond what I had ever imagined.  He is a top notch musician, producer and writer.  Last, but not least, he is a good guy too.

 

Dave

[Kel]

Shotgun Justice is yours? Well man Kudos to you and to Bobby. I've favourited that one on Soundcloud, and I don't have many favourites!

Thanks for the recomendation.

 

Kel

[Marilyn Oakley]

Paramount equals SONG SHARK! Hang onto your wallet and run for the hills 

[john]

Please don't waste your money, or trash your track by signing a contract with them (BEWARE THE SMALL PRINT). In the opinion of ANY credible music professional I have heard voice an opinion about them (pretty well every every single pro and semi-pro I know and I know LOTS) they wouldn't go anywhere near them, even for a laugh. They have mentioned the words like - "criminals", "sharks", "dishonest opportunists", "thieves and liars", "snake oil salesmen" and the choice "f*cking bastards".

If you are hell bent on such a self-destructive act, take your songs and the fees they would charge, burn them both and scatter the ashes. It's faster and spares you the pain of people repeatedly telling you just how stupid you were to be taken in by them, because that is exactly what they would do. It kind of ranks alongside giving your bank details to a Nigerian official who wonders if you would be interested in earning $40M if they can use your account to bring $120M into your country that they stole from a businessman who died while travelling their fine country!

If I sound a bit harsh about this it's because I want you to keep your song, your money and your self respect.

[jbek]

Yea People

 

I had much the same run in with paramount song a few years ago, but I quickly sused them for being shysters if you like, all they were after was your money I totally agre with what you've all said, but this  is a little different, I dont think I explained myself very well at the outset, so let me put it a different way, I've not been aproached for any cash at all, this is about pitching material to the pros, what I understand this to means is this! every year/season they're aproached by various artists, to ask help in finding songs for their up and coming albums, and what the record companies are interested in are full songs they can offer to the said artist which they find through various outlets, to me, unless I read it totally wriong is about the music, I'll attach another email I pasted into word a few months after the one I've already posted, I'd really appreciate your further comments on this one people, being an outsider if you like, I don't get as much info on these companies as you people will, ok! I hope to hear from you all again shortly, the new email is below. oh and I really appreciate all you've said

 

 

Correction To Deadline Date: Artists Looking for Songs

ParamountSong

To Me

14 May 2013

Hi, jon...

 

We wanted you to know that the following artists have let us know that they need songs for projects they're working on now, and we have begun a search for them. Take a look, and if you have songs that you think will fit, see the instructions at the bottom of this email and get them to us right away!

Artists Looking for Songs:

Jake Owen, Looking for songs in the style of recent hits like "Alone With You" and "The One That Got Away." Please be aware that Owen won't record songs exactly like these again, but similiar in tempo.

Josh Turner, Looking for great songs, all tempos. Listen to recent hits like "Time Is Love" and "Why Don't We Just Dance" to get an idea and feel for what Turner wants. 

Lauren Alaina, Looking for songs that lean towards a modern, pop-country feel. Please remember that Alaina is still only a teenager so the lyrics must be age appropriate. 

Guidelines for submitting your songs to us:

1. All submissions MUST be MP3s and/or lyrics sent via EMAIL attachment ONLY to XXX@XXXXXXX.com.

2. Put the word Submissions in the subject line of your email.
3. We will accept submissions for this ONLY through Friday May 17, 2013.
4. We can't predict how long it will take to acknowledge your submission, but If you haven't heard from us within three weeks, you may assume we have passed on the submission.
5. We cannot accept phone calls or emails asking about status or whether we received your submission. If 500 writers call, it just bogs everything down.

Best to you,

 

The ParamountSong A&R team.

 

 

 

This message was sent to jbek17@yahoo.co.uk from:

ParamountSong | 3212 West End Ave | Nashville, TN 37203

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let me know what you make of it people especially if you can see something I'm missing.

 

later JB   

Edited March 30, 2014 by john

[midnighthowler]

Please disreguard my earlier post ... I've got bumps all over my head frotm not listening to advice and hearing what I want to hear all my life too ... welcome to the club ..good luck

[john]

Please disreguard my earlier post ... I've got bumps all over my head frotm not listening to advice and hearing what I want to hear all my life too ... welcome to the club ..good luck

 

I don't see why, you only advised caution

[jbek]

Yes I have Havan't I

 

I didn't realise I've posted in an old thread, guess I got a little engrossed with everyones andswers, I'll just leave you all with a few words.

I can understand all the sceptisism I'm hearing, I'm in that loop as well, but, I can't for ther life of me see where or at what stage during the proccess of accepting songs or say in my case pitching songs for professional artists who are in search of material, at what stage or for what reason could they possibly ask for money, thats the bit that plagues me a little, I don't think for a moment that they would ask for payment for actually pitching a song, that what has me stumped in all this,  yes they all have there own A&R teams but artists never seem to have enough material, and when that occurs they reach out to companies like paramount along with others I might add, in the hope of finding fresh material, all these recording companies who run yearly or even monthly competitions are constantly on ther lookout for new talent, and the yearly competitions have a final prize of a recording contract for the winner, amatour one day professional the next, there's sometimes a fine line.   

[john]

Hi Jon

Real simple. Especially if they are associated with Paramount, who are famed for looking for inexperienced writers. It goes something like this:

"After consideration and having matched you with a number of suitable artists who we would like to submit your songs to, we have decided that your recording is not fully up to standard. As stated we have access to some of the top names in Nashville. We believe that we stand a far better chance of securing you a contract by recording your song with top professional musicians and a "name" producer. The stars we mentioned are well known for only considering material that have the best quality recordings... " etc etc.

Then there's "in order to give your pitch the maximum chance of success you will need a professionally written and compiled press kit / electronic press kit...."

Of course they also make a commission if they ever did place this music.

Out of interest they have a carefully worded letter. It says the artists "have let us know" and "we have begun a search for them". A strange way to put it... They most definitely are not saying "they have asked us to perform a search for new songs for their current projects". In other words it sounds like "we read in the music press these artists were recording and therefor might be looking for some songs, even though they haven't asked us, please send us your music so we can pitch it to them"

Lastly, the big clue is that a publisher, or label, A&R doesn't pitch songs. They don't do song matching services for artists not signed to them to writers not signed with them. Their job is primarily to spot talent that they get signed to the publisher or label. They then help develop the writer or artist and act as a contact point between you and the label or publisher. They can be involved in a light weight way in marketing and promotion of finished albums, but they are NOT song pluggers, which IS the role they describe, or close to it. Even then, a publisher A&R only interacts with unknown writers as a talent scout, to sign them for the publishing house.

There are companies out there who scout gullible, inexperienced writers or sometimes bands. Usually writers. Often they produce poor quality, mediocre recordings of songs after charging a lot of money. I have heard a few recordings made via paramount and they were worse than I could have believed. The best I have heard of such a company (it wasn't them) was an ok recording that had cost $3000 to use some second rate session musicians that once played on an album by a C list star. The music was uninspiring, safe, if reasonably recorded. It was not worth $3000.

Why did they get the recordings? To do just as Paramount suggested and get their songs pitched.

[john]

Oh, and to follow on the fact that they do not say that they were specifically asked to find songs for the artist means that you do all that and then they send them in unsolicited. Worse, they arrive stamped by a company with a terrible rep for producing terrible recordings and your music goes straight in the trash.

Believe me, there are a hundred ways they could "justify" you parting with your cash.

[MikeRobinson]

Heh... "Nashville is a very nice town – really."  I was at a nice little concert just last night where Naomi Judd was in the audience – quite routine, and she seemed to have a great time as did we all.  It was no big deal.  However, all that being said, let's get down to business.  Which, by the by, is business.  Nothing more, nothing less.

 

"Songs" are, pardon me, "a product."  Andd-d-d, quite frankly, they are a dime a dozen.  Andddd-d-dd-d-ddd, quite frankly, there are so many "hopefuls" out there, "trying to pitch one" here in the Internet Age, that (well, call it "in self defense," since for the most part that's quite appropriate ...) a certain system of "trusted gatekeepers" has developed.

 

You can "separate the wheat from the chaff" in the following way:  

• The chaff is trying to attract you.  "Hey, they know you're a green-horn dreamer," so they want to reinforce your dream ... for a few bucks."
• The wheat is asking for earnest-money, and promising you nothing.  (Easy example:  http://www.taxi.com.  There are many.)

The wheat consists of companies who are seriously helping the buyers of music to find the music that they want to buy.  They charge you a (token) fee to participate, which more-or-less covers the real costs of their time spent to judge your contribution ... and ... (fair warning, here!) they are [paid to be ...] gatekeepers.  

 

 

"Abandon All Hope (Or, at least, All Illusions) Ye Who Enter Here!"

 

in a word, the "bright line rule" is simply this:  the (useless) "chaff" will expect money ... since this is all they really want (suck-er!!) anyway.  

 

Whereas the "wheat" will cover oblige you to cover their expenses.  They are in business, and they quite-frankly expect you to be a business(wo)man, fully up-to-speed as to how this game is actually played.  Yes, they do "have the connections," and they (quite sensibly) are paid to filter out the chaff.  Because, the customer that they serve needs to buy "the right piece of music, (unless, "stay tuned," the Director changes his/her mind... hope you're cool with that) ... preferably in the next two hours."

 

Ahem.  "Music" meets "Business."  Welcome to Nashville.  (Meanwhile, do keep your money in your pocket...)