When should a producer get a publishing split?
While a producer may get points on your sound recording, is he or she entitled to a share of the composition (songwriting) royalties? It depends on how they’ve contributed. Read the post.
Music Industry News
A collection of articles from the Disc Makers blog that relate to the music industry, including trends and news that relates to the independent musician.
The services and skills you need to promote and grow your music career
In part three of our DIY music business series, you’ll learn to leverage key services and expertise to help you delegate promotion, sales, and marketing tasks so you can grow your music career. Read the post.
Licensing holiday songs — don’t assume it’s in the public domain
Recording your own iconic versions of familiar Christmas carols or holiday songs might be the perfect way to catch the attention of new fans or thank your existing fan base with a free download or limited-edition CD. But don’t assume your choice is in the public domain. Read the post.
My overnight success was 15 years in the making
With an adaptable music release strategy and an eye on results, I was able to get over 700,000 streams for one of my singles and over 100,000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Here’s how it happened. Read the post.
Make your music easy to license for TV, ads, and film
To license your music, you need to understand the role of the music supervisor as well as how to prep your music. Follow these steps to increase your chances of getting your music licensed. Read the post.
How Spotify blew up the “Top 40” and made it the top 43,000
In the continuing democratization of the music industry, Spotify and other streaming sites are spreading the wealth as more artists are getting their share of the pie every year. Read the post.
Fuel for your music career — a collection of music industry resources
One of the drivers of any successful career is developing expertise in your field. Where and how do you gather that information for your music career? Here’s a place to start. Read the post.
Your copyright and royalty questions answered
On the heels of his YouTube series addressing copyrights and royalties, Tony van Veen solicited questions from you, our viewers and readers — and you responded. Here are answers to some of the copyright questions that are on your mind. Read the post.
How to sell 1,000 CDs in ten weeks
Brian Hazard sold 1,000 CDs in ten weeks using a “free CD plus shipping and handling” offer. He also made over $3,500. Here’s a detailed look at how he did it. Read the post.
Tailor your music marketing campaigns for paid and earned media
To boost the effectiveness of your marketing, you need to understand the four different types of media channels. In this article, we explain how to make the most of paid and earned media to get the message out about your music. Read the post.
Things every musician and songwriter can learn from McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner, a giant of jazz piano, embodied powerful lessons that music-makers of any sort can learn from. Read the post.
Ben Folds’ “2020” — A case study for indie artists
From songwriting ideas to recording technique, there’s a lot you can learn from the songwriter’s tragi-comic recording-in-quarantine project. Read the post.
Neighboring rights and SoundExchange
In our sixth video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses neighboring rights and SoundExchange, the organization that tracks and pays those royalties. Read the post.
Performance royalties and PROs
In our fifth video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses performance royalties, the PROs (ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC) who collect them, and why you’re probably not getting all you deserve. Read the post.
What are mechanical royalties (and how do I get mine)?
In our fourth video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen discusses mechanical royalties — the money that gets paid to the songwriter or publisher for the “reproduction of your song.” Read the post.