Welcome to Real Men DON’T Cry!!! The informative column designed to provide insight for ALL artists who have decided that Music is their favorite form of expression. I’d like to thank all the people who have supported this column. As long as you click here we’re going to bring you THE REAL!!!
Nas said it best on “Represent” by rapping, ”Sometimes the Rap Game reminds me of the Crack Game!!!” If that’s the case then the “Writer’s Block” has to be one of the most lucrative drug strips in this game. “Writer’s Block” is just a metaphorical term for publishing. What is publishing? Why is it important? Well I definitely will have to do this subject in parts to cover this vast territory of income but let’s start with the fundamentals.
For most, artist publishing is the equivalent to having a 401K (Which musicians do not qualify for). After getting an advance (which by the way is nothing more than a Loan) one of the main revenue streams for an artist is publishing. Publishing is accrued by the amount times a record is played on the radio or broadcast live to the public (This would be considered Performance Rights) and how many times it is physically manufactured such as CD’s ,streaming and DOWNLOADS (These would all fall under mechanical royalties). In order to receive checks for publishing you must set up a publishing company. There are 3 Major Performance Rights Societies for which you can set up your Publishing Company. They are BMI (That’s where I’m registered!!!),ASCAP & SESAC. They pay either quarterly or every 6 months depending on which one you choose.
When you participate in the creation of a recording as a producer or songwriter you are entitled to publishing. A record is based on the theory of 100% in which you have the Writer’s share and the Producer’s share. Each party, provided there are no samples, is entitled to 50% each. Now if you have a situation where there are multiple writers then they have to split the Writer’s share and usually the Producer’s share would go untouched. If there were multiple producers and the artist wrote the record alone then the producers would have to split the Producer’s share. When a Producer uses Samples that’s when publishing becomes a Math problem. When you use a “Sample” you’re bringing in a Third Party who has the right to demand a certain percentage of a song. I’ll give you an example of what I’m talking about. On “DayJob” I had a song Kanye produced called “Don’t Forget’Em” in which the artist he sampled demanded 80% of the record which left us with 20% to split. I loved this record so I accepted those terms although I knew it would cut into my profit margin. Don’t get me wrong! If a joint with a SAMPLE is going to get you a HIT then jump on it. You’d rather have 10 or 15% of a Million then 50% of a DUD!!!
I look forward to divulging into this vast subject in the weeks to come. Publishing is one the most important areas of the Music Business that an artist should be informed about. In this day & age it is vital that we understand HOW 2 GET PAID!!!
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