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Contents:

Hello

First up: Editor's Note from the laptop of Robert Curtis,
your songwriter in residence at Songwriting Software Plus.

Followed by Items:

1. Cover Your Covers
2. One Minute To Better Songwriting With Evyn Charles
3. This Month's Notable Quote
4. Songwriting Software Plus Software Superstars

Editor's Note:

There is a lot of talk these days about protecting yourself online from viruses and spyware and hackers and so forth but how well are you protecting your own songs before they even appear online?

Are you getting a collaboration agreement when you co-write? Are you getting work-for-hire releases signed by your demo singers so you can get your songs into tv and film? This is just the start.

Protecting your work needs to be part of how you process every song because it's just too easy to forget all these little particulars.

This can especially be the case when it's a year or so later and you've got a deal pending on a song and the publisher needs a copy of your co-writing agreement or a tv/film placement company needs a release from the singer who did your demo.

We touched on this a little recently with co-writing agreements but today we'll go further.

Security and safety measures apply to your songwriting too.

Item 1

Cover Your Covers

As you may well know once a song is recorded and then recorded or performed again by another artist the song is said to have been "covered". That's what happens to great songs and that's when the monetary payoff really can snowball.

So "Cover Your Covers" is just a fancy way of saying get all your song dealings in writing from an initial co-write to dealing with any band members to signing a single song contract. That's because you and your writers should have everything set up in writing so well deserved earnings are divided up in a fair manner.

Collaboration Agreements

We covered collaboration agreements in a recent issue but the basics bear repeating as this is where it will all start if there is more than one writer on your song. It is good practice to clearly define, right from the beginning, in writing, how the song will be divided up.

I've provided a link to a copy (below) of the agreement I've constructed from various discussions and agreements I've encountered.

You can preview and download it and use it and modify it as you wish.

Keep in mind this agreement below is for general reference only and is not formal legal advice. Consult an attorney if you prefer but make sure they specialize in music law.

Click here for the Collaborators' Agreement pdf file (right click to download).

Click here for the Collaborators' Agreement txt file (right click to download)
(this version you can copy, paste and reformat in your word processor so you don't have to type it up from scratch :-)

For more information on viewing and or downloading this form click here to the co-writing page on Songwriting Software Plus and proceed to the middle of that page.

Work For Hire Releases

I just had the pleasure of being in a meeting yesterday with Skip Adams of Global Graffiti. He's a successful songwriter, musician session player and producer who's parlayed his talents and connections into one of the most successful song placement companies based in Los Angeles.

Skip's company currently has songs and tracks appearing in almost every hit show on television and in major film releases.

The biggest point he made as it pertains to having your songs prepared legally, beyond the collaboration agreement if there are co-writers, is to have a release signed by the performers on your song, mainly the vocalist at least.

In other words a document that a singer for example would sign that indicates that the performance was purely for hire - payment for that one time only.

To be really fair though you can have a clause in this agreement that says that if the song were to be performed in a show or film that the performer would be compensated per industry standards - a percentage of your earnings basically.

So where can you get such a release form to use as is or to use as a template to create your own...

Work For Hire And Other Types of Music Business Contracts

Check out the full line of music contracts for all of your songwriting dealings, from co-writing to gigging to running a band, that won't cost you high attorneys' fees click here to check out 101 Music Business Contracts.

Copyrighting

There is a degree of debate about when it's the right time to officially copyright your songs ranging from doing it right away once your song is demoed to waiting until you're in the process of signing a song to a publishing contract or any type of recording deal.

Remember your song is copyrighted immediately and automatically upon the completion of your song but what we're discussing here is making it official to the world by once again "getting it in writing" :-)

Whenever you decide is the time you can do it all online these days.

One reputatble company to check out is Official Software.com.

And for the ultimate last word (and sometimes the first)...

Music Attorneys

When dealing with music issues always, always consult with a music attorney if you're going to consult with one at all. Not all attorneys know the music business and there are a lot of particulars that are important that a music attorney worth his or her salt will have a fundamental grasp of.

A good place to find one is often through a recommendation of your local songwriters organizations. If there isn't one near you contact major songwriting organizations like the Nashville Songwriters Association International or The Songwriters Guild in the US or The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers in the UK.

End of Item

One Minute To Better Songwriting With Evyn Charles:

In a word - yes.

Even if you never plan to perform your own songs and even consider yourself primarily or only a lyricist.

Learning about what happens musically only improves your overall writing ability. It can particularly help a songwriter to learn the rhythmic influence that comes to bear in the meter, phrasing and length of your lyrics among other things.

The more you learn the better cds you'll burn :-)

Evyn

Evyn Charles is a singer-songwriter and musician in Los Angeles and graduate of the prestigious Berklee College of Music. He regularly performs on his own and he's played stints from Club Med to a current Orville Redenbacher popcorn commercial as well as with numerous classic touring acts.

He's author of From Guitar Owner To Guitar Player - the no fluff guide to playing guitar readily geared to songwriters. Click here to learn more about From Guitar Owner To Guitar Player and click here for Evyn's own site.

For Inspiration And Thought On Your Path To More Songwriting Success:

"A window of opportunity won't open itself."
-- Dave Weinbaum - Reader's Digest 3/99

Songwriting Software Plus Software Superstars:

Lyric Writing (Windows and Macs):

Lyricist - the premiere indispensable and affordable lyric and lead sheet music writing program.

Performing Songwriter Magazine said this about Lyricist - "...what it does, it does well." March/April 2004

Click here for all the benefits Lyricist gives your songwriting and enjoy the Songwriting Software Plus discount - save $5.00. Or try it FREE for 30 days. CD or download.

MasterWriter - the most comprehensive program for writing lyrics with a recorder for melodies and preprogrammed grooves.

Used by hit songwriters Gwen Stefani, Rob Thomas, Jimmy Webb, Kenny Loggins, Trent Reznor, Clint Black, Jeffrey Steele, and many more. Windows and Mac compatible.

Click here to read more about MasterWriter and save big with Songwriting Software Plus. Or try it FREE for 30 days. CD or download.

Music Writing (for Windows):

Play Music - the easiest music notation program around.

Music Recording (for Windows):

Music Recording (for Windows)

Mixcraft - easy recording software.

Information & Credits

Songwriting Software Express is published monthly by Songwriting Software Plus: Robert Curtis, Editor.

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