Saturday, 21 February 2015

Selling Your Music

Selling your music on the online can be a simple process. There are lots of different sites which usually comes with a step to step guide on how to create an account to sell your music online. Below are some sites you may use depending on your style of music.
Episonic

Publishing
The publishing of music is the developing, protecting and valuing of music. The business is diverse and demands a range of different skills. Music publishers play a vital role in the development of new music and also manages the business side of things to allow the composers and songwriters to concentrate on their creative work.
The role of a music publisher involves:

​ ​Finding new and talented songwriters and composers and encouraging and supporting them as they develop their skills, ​​whether through helping with their living expenses, providing them with the facilities they need to produce music or offering advice and guidance in writing for particular markets;
Securing commissions for new works and helping to coordinate work flow;
Registering the works of songwriters and composers with all appropriate collecting societies and agencies, eg PRS for Music in the UK;
​Producing demo recordings and, in the case of contemporary classical music, performance materials (score and parts etc);
Producing and licensing the production of printed music;
Producing promotional materials, including sampler CDs, study scores, brochures etc;
Promoting composers and songwriters and their music to performers, broadcasters, record companies and others who use music on a commercial basis, both nationally and internationally;​
​ Licensing the use of music, whether directly in the case of individual and special usages (eg synchronisation deals) or via the collecting society network;
​Responding to new licensing opportunities that flow from technological developments;
​​Monitoring and tracking the use of the music they own and ensuring that proper payment is made for all licensed uses;
​Making royalty payments to songwriters and composers in respect of the usage of their music;
​​​Taking appropriate action against anyone using music without the necessary licence.
Music publishing and copyright
The business of music publishing is dependent upon there being a strong copyright framework in place. The control of copyright enables a publisher to recover the investment made in songwriters and composers and to ensure that they are rewarded for their creative work. Without copyright there would be no financial incentive for writers and composers to create, or for music publishers to invest in them and their music. This would be to the detriment of composers and writers who depend upon publishers to manage the business of exploiting their musical works, thus enabling them to make a living out of their creativity.

Partnership with writers

The relationship between a music publisher and a songwriter/composer is supported by a publishing contract setting out the rights and obligations of each to the other. Under these contracts songwriters and composers assign the copyright in their music to the music publisher in return for a commitment to promote, exploit and protect that music. The publisher agrees to pay the songwriter/composer a percentage of any income earned from such exploitation as royalties. Note that copyright can only be assigned in a written document that is signed by both parties.

The definition of a good publisher

A good publisher seeks out great music and great composers and songwriters, supports composers and songwriters in the creative process, promotes their catalogues across a variety of platforms, manages the business exploitation of the catalogues (including the registration of works and the collection and onward payment of all due royalties) and generally seeks to protect and enhance the value of their works with passion and professional commitment.
Copyright
There is also the option of copyrighting your own music through copyright companies,   The Copyright Association of Ireland  or The U.K Copyright Service.
Collecting Royalties (How it works)
For this example I am going to use IMRO
Imro (Irish Music Rights Organisation) is an organisation that gives artists rights to their music whenever, however and wherever their music is played. Imro administers the performing right in copyright music in Ireland. People who decide to use songwriters, composers and music publishers material to the public such as broadcasters, venues and businesses must pay for their use of copyright music by way of a blanket license fee. A blanket license makes it hassle free to play music without having to acquire rights each time they play a song. It’s a simple process, pay the fee, get the license, and play – or sing – whenever! IMRO is also involved in the promotion and sponsorship of music in Ireland. Every year it sponsors a large number of events. IMRO main mission is to collect monies from these select businesses and distributes them to the songwriters, composers and music publishers who created the songs that are registered to IMRO. The money earned by copyright owners is also known as public performance royalties. To become a member, applicants must fulfil Imro’s criteria and also provide proof that they qualify for membership. In order to qualify for IMRO membership as a music publisher you must have a catalogue of at least 10 works, 5 of which must have received some form of commercial exploitation in the EU territory within the past two years. To copyright without permission members should contact MCPSI who collects and distributes royalties to its members, who are composers and music publishers when their works are used on physical formats such as DVDs and CDs etc. If your songs are sub-published abroad, you should receive royalties via your publisher.  If your songs are not sub-published overseas, Imro may be able to collect royalties on your behalf through other affiliated companies for instance PRS (Performing Right Society) which is a U.K collection society or ASCAP/BMI/SESAC which are all U.S collection societies.