Mechanical royalty rates are going up… Or are they?
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.
song publishing
The MLC’s $424 million royalty distribution conundrum
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.
How to make more money from your studio recordings
In part three of our series on making money with your songwriting and recording, we explore ideas to restructure how you record music so you can make more money from the recording process. Read the post.
Creating song split sheets in 10 easy steps
Musician, author, educator, and music industry consultant Bobby Borg lays out the process of creating a simple, functional song split sheet. Read the post.
New music royalties: The Mechanical Licensing Collective and what it means for you
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.
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.
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.
How to turn music royalties into a cash advance
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.
How does sync licensing work?
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.
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.
Understanding music rights and royalties
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 Dos and Don’ts
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.
Music publishing for 2nd graders
A friend of mine wanted me to explain music publishing and he asked me to “use language a 2nd grader would understand.” I figured this could serve our blog readers who need a primer (or refresher). Enjoy! Read the post.
The story of “The Happy Song” (or “The joy of musical manipulation”)
“The Happy Song” is music that is scientifically engineered to make a baby happy. Is it freaky mind control or brilliant use of resources? Or a bit of both? Read the post.
License your music (and generate revenue)
Excerpted from our latest guide, this post gives an overview of what music licensing is and lays out five things you can do to boost your chances to license your music. Read the post.