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music publishing

money on sheet music depicting new copyright rates

Mechanical royalty rates are going up… Or are they?

June 1, 2022June 29, 2022 Tony van Veen

The Copyright Royalty Board announced plans to increase the mechanical royalty rates for product sales, which is great for songwriters. But will streaming rates do the same? Read the post.

case with money depicting the music industry's royalty distribution issue

The MLC’s $424 million royalty distribution conundrum

March 23, 2022June 21, 2022 Tony van Veen

The music industry has long had a royalty distribution problem, AKA the infamous “black box,” which represents hundreds of millions in mechanical royalties collected on behalf of publishers and songwriters who have not been paid because they cannot be tracked down. Read the post.

small successes in your music career

Build Your Music Career One Small Success At A Time

September 14, 2021September 15, 2021 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

By building off successes — even small ones — you can ladder up to achieve greater opportunities. Try these techniques to grow your music career. Read the post

song split sheet

Creating song split sheets in 10 easy steps

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 Bobby Borg

Musician, author, educator, and music industry consultant Bobby Borg lays out the process of creating a simple, functional song split sheet. Read the post.

Mechanical Licensing Collective

New music royalties: The Mechanical Licensing Collective and what it means for you

March 2, 2021March 3, 2021 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

The new Mechanical Licensing Collective collects digital audio mechanical royalties from download and streaming services. Learn about the collective and see if you qualify to sign up so you can receive these new music royalties. Read the post.

money with your music

10 posts to help you make more money with your music

December 18, 2020December 18, 2020 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

As 2021 approaches, we’re sharing the Top 10 articles of 2020 that Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan, AKA the “Music Money Guys,” contributed with a focus on making money with your music. Read the post.

publishing split

When should a producer get a publishing split?

November 30, 2020March 10, 2022 Tony van Veen

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.

producer points

What are music producer points?

November 19, 2020November 30, 2021 Tony van Veen

A music producer can be an essential part of the creative process, but make sure you know how the compensation structure works before you start your project. Read the post.

holiday songs

Licensing holiday songs — don’t assume it’s in the public domain

November 17, 2020December 7, 2021 Andre Calilhanna

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.

music royalties

How to turn music royalties into a cash advance

September 11, 2020October 20, 2020 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

If you’ve established a proven stream of royalties, you can turn it into a lump sum of money that you can get today by using royalty auction services. Read the post.

sync licensing

How does sync licensing work?

September 4, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

In video number seven in our ongoing series on rights and royalties, Tony van Veen digs into sync licenses. How does an indie musician get in on the action, and how do sync licenses work? Read the post.

copyright questions

Your copyright and royalty questions answered

August 19, 2020August 19, 2020 Tony van Veen

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.

copyright music

Should you “officially” copyright your music?

June 1, 2020May 23, 2022 Tony van Veen

In our second video about music copyrights and royalties, Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen talks about registering your song for copyright. Should you do it? Read the post.

understanding music rights

Understanding music rights and royalties

May 18, 2020September 25, 2020 Tony van Veen

Disc Makers’ CEO Tony van Veen has started a new video series aimed at answering your questions about copyrights, how you’re paid for them, and what you need to do to collect your royalties. Read the post.

songwriting

Songwriting Dos and Don’ts

May 4, 2020May 10, 2022 Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter

A recent “Play For a Publisher” event featured Stacey Willbur, VP of Publishing and A&R for Full Circle Music sharing her feedback about 10 songs that were selected to be showcased. Read the post.

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