Music in the Millenium
by Dirk P Stewart, Barque & Byte Music
So, you have written some songs or music. Where do you go
from there? If the songs or work you have created are to be performed in public or recorded for distribution, some steps must
be followed to protect your work. 
Copyright and registration with SOCAN (SOCIETY of COMPOSERS, AUTHORS
and MUSIC PUBLISHERS of CANADA) is most important. This will not protect your work from being performed or recorded without
your expressed permission, but SOCAN will collect any royalty payments due from any of your copyrighted works or performances
of those registered works.
All rights reserved and or © symbol, followed by your name and the date
the work was created should be included on everything you write. Copyright is immediate upon completion and the addition of
the copyright symbol and your signature, or signatures if co-written, is proof of copyright. Also, include this on all home
recordings.
So, step one is to use this © symbol or the word Copyright along with
your name and date. Step two is to register your works with SOCAN. There is no fee for registration or membership with SOCAN.
Also, you have the choice of either American affiliate you wish to collect
on your behalf, ASCAP or BMI. Your song royalties are then protected and collected for you the writer.
This next suggestion I believe is very important. Internet music
clubs make it easy for you to put your songs on the web for all to listen to and share. It's a modern prestige to have everything
posted to the web. I know the feeling; I love the WWW, but I also understand that not everybody out there has the best intentions.
Bootlegging and unauthorised duplication is a multi-billion dollar business.
In many parts of the world, these practices are rampant. So hopefully, you have protected your work accordingly before you
upload anything to the Internet. Lots of people make a very good living from plagiarism and copyright infringement, often
earning large amounts of money before being discovered.
Be very careful if you choose the Internet to be your distributor. Many
others within the music and recording arts industry have no faith in the Internet at all.
Poor mans copyright is an additional form of secure proof of ownership.
It is a simple procedure. Enclose a copy of the work (lyrics, transcriptions
or recordings) in a self-addressed envelope and mail it to yourself. When it comes back to you in the mail do not ever open
the envelope. So, make sure you have made copies of everything that is in the sealed and now post-marked envelope. The postmark
provides you with security only if the envelope is kept sealed. Anyone else opening the envelope other than the addressee
will be committing the federal offence of interfering with registered mail. For the small cost of mailing the package, it
provides a large amount of security.
Mail another package to your legal representative or lawyer. Or, another one to yourself for backup, one copy will have to
be opened should a dispute arise. Your backup copy, then will be left unopened and in your possession. As mentioned before,
do not open this backup -- ever!
Registering a catalogue or songbook for copyright is cheaper (we are
all looking to be somewhat frugal) than registering each work individually. The John Doe Songbook, for example, may be registered
with the Registrar of Copyrights, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20559 6000, USA. Phone 1- 202 -707- 9100 for the necessary
forms and information.
Or, Barque & Byte Music at 1-506-625-0046. Be sure to include all
track sheets, lyrics, bios and sound recordings with your submission. Include as much information as you can, mailing addresses,
contact numbers and other such personal information. Submit your works as professionally as you can afford. Please do not
submit scribbled hand-written notes and track sheets or otherwise illegible material.
Now, you are protected or at least your musical creations have been.
What plans or intentions you may have for your songs may vary with each writer. Some may want to pursue the publishing of
their works in the event that copyrights might wish to be acquired by a record company, music publisher or performing/recording
artist.
Others may wish to publish their own music and pursue an 
independent release of their own material. This has become very common with the general growth of the personal computer. CDRW's
and home publishing software have allowed every artist to publish his or her songs and work initially for themselves.
This format works very well, in the real world big companies love to
deal with little companies. Make yourself or your band a little company or enterprise. Music as we all know is a very big
business and it all starts with the writer or creator. We as songwriters are the first rung of the ladder, so watch your first
step, so to speak, make sure you are off in the right direction.
If you choose the independent route, make yourself look as professional
as possible. Hey, there are thousands of artists and writers out there trying to get noticed. There are thousands of artists
and writers already working in the field. Competition is fierce in the music world, so, be a Boy Scout and be prepared.
So, you have made the decision to pursue a career in the music industry.
How can you get people to notice your songs?
First of all, get out there and perform them to the public. Open mike
nights, songwriter's circles, variety shows, benefits, busking or whatever it takes to establish a basic fan base. Tape some
of your live performances and rehearsals.
Starting out, you should be able to accept honest opinions from a never-ending
supply of suggestions. Everyone is a critic when you are still a rookie, be willing to listen. Positive and negative comments
are both good, as long as they are honest! That's the hard part when asking friends and family to review your newest release.
With or without a band you will need a good quality demo recording. It
need not be a 24-track production but should be good enough to give the listener a good impression of your musical style.
Take the time to make it sound good!
A demo for circulation to A&R departments should be limited to a
maximum of three songs. A demo for circulation or sale should include eight to ten tracks.
Plan your demo recording. In the music business, an artist mustsell recordings to be a success. It is not easy to get A&R
people excited about your music, but you must try!
Demo recordings and promo packages are the best way to make initial contact.
Do not send out unsolicited material to anyone! Always call first to make sure your product is not being wasted. Remember
be frugal, this is most often your own capital that has been invested.
When making a submission include both Cassette and CD copies, a lot of
people like to listen to demos while commuting. Including both formats increases the chance of someone actually listening
to your music. Some people believe that in this day the cassette is a waste of money because the 4-track format is history.
If you should decide to forgo the little extra cost of the cassette, keep this in mind. Not every country in the world is
as high-tech as we are. Include both, why narrow yourself down, right from the beginning? Go for the world!
The first song should be your strongest hook, make sure it sounds good
enough to warrant a second listen. Stick with the same sound for the rest of the demo. A&R people are looking for a sense
of direction and consistency in your style. Commercial viability is more important at this stage than artistic originality.
How good should your demo be? It all depends on who will be listening
to it. (Your mother or the president of a recording label?) You will be judged foremost on the sound, then on the artistic
and commercial viability. Make sure you capture your best possible sound on all recordings. If you do not get it right the
first time, do it again and again if necessary until it is absolutely right. Try not to wear out yourself, your band or your
ears. Be patient!
If you are unsure of anything on the recording, trust your engineer to make the final judgements. Never bring in relatives,
lovers, friends or any other non-professional opinions! NEVER!!!
A completed professional demo-promo package should include a complete
bio of all musicians involved in the project, glossy photos, contact numbers on everything in the package, including CD and
Cassette. Make sure to include proper track sheets of the recorded material. The cost of such an endeavour will vary with
the number of promo packages to be distributed. Expect to spend a minimum of twenty-five dollars on each package. Big shiny
packages get opened well before plain brown manila! Thus the call first rule!
Do as much as you can yourself to help bring costs down. Remember, these
packages are to be given away. (Radio stations, A&R, Agents, Club Owners, etc.) Most of all expect to do a lot of hard
work to prove yourself a true professional musician.
Good Luck! Now get out there and let's hear your stuff!
Dirk P Stewart is a solo performer of his original material.
He has been writing songs since 1972, but is only now willing to share.
Download a sample of his Folk/Blues acoustic flavoured
music at:
