A lot of gems were dropped in this workshop that ranged from the importance of paperwork, royalty collection, and different types of publishing deals. Check out what Al McLean had to say about the fundamentals of music publishing.
The Importance of Paperwerk
“Without the right paperwork you’re not in the music business you’re in music for fun.”- Al “Butter” McLean
The first phase of being in the music business is having the proper copyrights and split sheets. Split sheets determine the amount of revenue distributed and copyrights protect your intellectual properties. It is also important to have an established music attorney when doing business to protect you from signing a bad contract.
Royalty Collection
“There are plenty of artist who have made money and have no clue its out there.”- Al “Butter” McLean
It is important to get with a company that accurately tracks your revenue. Aligning yourself with a PRO such as ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC is the first step to receiving money off of your creative works. Royalties can be collected in the forms of mechanical, performance and sync licenses.
Choosing the Right Pub Deal
“Depending on what level artist you are depends on the type of deal you sign.” –Al “Butter” McLean
There are three different types of publishing deals: complete acquisition, co publishing deal, and administration deal. Today most companies look for artist they can make a profit from by shopping your music around for sync licenses and advertising. Artists have the advantage of working with an indie publishing company because there is more accessibility and service than a larger company.
To get more industry tips from music professionals be sure to visit our Patchwerk's Event Calendar and register for upcoming events.