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This article originally appeared in the January/February 2002
issue of American Songwriter magazine.
Music
Business Terms Glossary:
by Nancy Moran
If you want to
compete as a songwriter in the music business, you have to speak the language.
Below is a list of key people, organizations, and basic terms that you need to
know.
A&R –
literally means “Artist & Repertoire.” These are the people at a record
company who are responsible for signing new artists, developing those artists
already on their roster, and identifying hit songs that the artists should
record.
Cut
– a recording of a song that is commercially available to the public. When you
pitch your songs, you are actively seeking cuts by other recording artists.
Copyright
–
legally, this is the ownership of a song. This ownership, among other things,
allows you the right to record, distribute, and perform the song. A writer may
assign his/her copyrights to a music publisher to allow them to issue licenses
and collect royalties on his/her behalf.
Demo
–
a professional recording used to demonstrate a song to potentially interested
publishers or artists. This is generally a better recording than a work tape and
most often includes full production that resembles what a finished master would
sound like.
License
–
a legal authorization from the copyright holder allowing someone to use a song.
Mechanical
Royalty –
paid by the record company to the writers and publishers of the songs appearing
on each record, tape or CD that they manufacture and distribute. Note:
contrary to popular belief, these royalties are not based on sales and
must be paid even if a record, tape or CD is given away for free.
Master or
Master Tape – a finished, fully
produced, professional recording that is ready to be manufactured and
distributed to the general public through retail and radio. This is the final
version of the recording.
On
Hold
– is equivalent to a firm “maybe.” When someone puts your song “on
hold,” they are indicating their intent to use the song and request that you
temporarily refrain from pitching the song to other potential users until they
decide.
Performing
Rights Organization (PRO) –
organizations that license
songs for performances and collect royalties
for those performances, such as on radio, TV and film. In the U.S., the three
PROs are Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), American Society of Composers, Authors and
Publishers (ASCAP), and Society of European Songwriters, Authors and Composers (SESAC).
Performance
Royalty –
paid to writers and publishers when their songs are performed live in concert or
broadcast on radio, TV, the Internet or in a cinema. These royalties are
collected and distributed on behalf of writers and publishers by Performing
Rights Organizations, or PROs.
Pitch
– to play a song for people who are seeking material (i.e. artists, producers,
A&R reps, film music directors, etc.) in the hopes of persuading them to
record/use it.
Producer
– The person who oversees the recording project and is responsible for the
overall sound and artistic success of an album. A producer often chooses the
songs an artist will record, decides on instrumentation and arrangements, and
may work with many different artists and record companies. Well known producers
include Quincy Jones (Michael Jackson), George Martin (The Beatles), Tony Brown
(Reba McEntire, George Strait) and Byron Gallimore (Tim McGraw, Faith Hill).
Published
–
a song is technically “published” when it is distributed on record, tape, CD
or other media to the public for sale, rental, lease or lending. Signing a
publishing contract or performing in public does not constitute publication.
Publisher
– a person or company who acts as a song’s promoter and seeks to maximize
the circulation of a song to the public through recordings, film, TV, print, the
internet, etc. A publisher
typically works with numerous writers and songs.
Record Company
or Label – the company that is
responsible for recording, manufacturing, and promoting an artist’s albums.
Examples are Sony, RCA, Warner Bros., etc.
Recording
Studio – the independent, physical
location where recording takes place. Studios are only responsible for
facilitating the recording process. They do not sign artists and are not
typically associated with the record company in any way.
“Sell a
song” – This phrase will give you
away as an amateur every time! You never “sell” your songs. You may assign
your publishing rights to a publisher or license your song to be recorded, but
you always retain your ownership of the song as a writer.
Single
song contract –
an agreement between a publisher and a songwriter for an individual song only.
Generally, these agreements assign publishing rights for one song to a publisher
for a specific length of time, typically 12-24 months. If the publisher has not
placed the song (on a record, in a film, etc.) by the end of the time period,
all rights revert back to the songwriter.
Song
Plugger –
the person who actively pitches songs to A&R reps, producers, artists,
managers, etc. in an attempt to get the song cut. Song pluggers who work for a
publishing company pitch only the songs in the publisher’s catalog.
Independent song pluggers may represent several independent writers.
Staff
Writer
– a songwriter who, by contract, writes exclusively for one publisher.
Synchronization
Royalty –
paid to writers and publishers when their songs are synchronized with visual
media, such as TV, films, videos and commercials.
Unsolicited
– means they didn’t request it. For legal reasons, if you send a tape to a
publisher or record company unsolicited, it will either be returned to you
unopened or trashed as soon as they receive it.
Work
Tape
– a rough recording of a song. Typically, a work tape is done as a
guitar/vocal or piano/vocal simple recording.
Nancy
Moran is a professional singer, songwriter, and recording artist with multiple
releases on Azalea Records. She has been a guest speaker at NSAI workshops and
has co-authored the audio series, the “Songwriter’s Survival Kit.” Her
website is www.nancymoran.com.