Skip to content
Disc Makers Blog
  • Music Business
    • Disc Manufacturing & Design
    • Free Guides
    • Music Business & Music Management
    • Music Industry News
  • Music Marketing & Promotion
    • Crowdfunding for Musicians
    • Social Media for Musicians
    • YouTube & Music Videos
  • Performance & Rehearsal
    • Booking Shows & Touring
    • Live Performance
    • Musical Equipment & Gear Reviews
    • Singing Tips
  • Recording & Mastering
    • Audio Recording
    • Film and Authoring
    • Home Studio
    • Audio Mastering
    • Studio Gear
  • Songwriting
    • Music Licensing, Copyrights & Publishing
    • Songwriting tips
  • DISCMAKERS.COM

song 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.

studio recordings

How to make more money from your studio recordings

August 3, 2021August 31, 2021 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

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.

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.

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.

Top 40

How Spotify blew up the “Top 40” and made it the top 43,000

October 6, 2020October 6, 2020 Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter

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.

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.

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.

music publishing

Music publishing for 2nd graders

April 27, 2020May 20, 2020 Tony van Veen

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.

happy song

The story of “The Happy Song” (or “The joy of musical manipulation”)

April 10, 2020April 10, 2020 Andre Calilhanna

“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

License your music (and generate revenue)

March 10, 2020October 21, 2020 Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan

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.

  Older posts

Newsletter Signup

Recent Posts

  • young women buying CDs

    Want to double your merch and CD sales? Here’s how to do it.

  • home recording studio mic in red wash

    Acoustics and your home recording studio

  • four takes on big yellow taxi

    Anatomy of a cover song: Four takes on “Big Yellow Taxi”

  • vocalist in the studio

    Choosing the right microphone to elevate your productions

  • teacher telling student about borrowed chords

    Use borrowed chords to add drama, depth, and variety to your music

Disc Makers Resources

The Disc Makers Audio Catalog
Making a Great Master
The Home Studio Handbook
How To Make More Money With Music - The Complete Guide

Resources

Disc Packages & Vinyl
Services
Help
Pricing
Free Resources
1-800-468-9353

Connect on Social

  • Join us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Join us on YouTube
  • Follow us on Instagram
© Disc Makers Blog. All Rights Reserved.