Hey guys,
Wags, you CANNOT IMAGINE how much silly stuff goes on in the music business. People worrying about lavish contracts on songs that more than likely will wind up no more than a 30 second blurb on some local radio station and then forgotten. We are in such a litigious society that everyone is so worried about covering their butt. I finally gave up, and concentrate on things I can do something about. Namely showing people some information on the craft of writing and performing. Another reason to work with artists, is that their responsibility should be to carry the ball forward. So much of that is done through their resources. If you have someone that does that, you are in luck. Don't lose that relationship.
You have to be realistic. Unless you have a really strong publisher, with a large collection department, the chances of making any significant money is nearly nil. In order to get TO those strong publishers, you are going to have to assign your publishing to someone. Again, like always this is nothing new. It is the reason the BEATLES didn't own their publishing on most of their songs, and still don't on many of them. Publishing is the business side of songwriting and unless you are well connected AND have a good deal of money, you are going to have to hand that ball off.
And in this day and age, unless you are writing with someone INSIDE a strong publishing company, or has a significant shot at that or a record deal, you are probably not going to get those big cuts or those money making situations. Not fair, but that is life. What is fair?
To tell the truth, I have always felt a little sorry for publishers. They put up a lot of money, expend a lot of political capital, time, sometimes decades, to achieve the smallest noteriety. Then, the chances of song contracts expiring, artists or writers being taken by other publishers/record companies, and them being shut completely out of the process, is pretty depressing. It is why I was always ready to work with them in any way I can. I have never been "That EVIL SOB (record...publisher...producer...fill in the blanks here) THEY RIPPED ME OFF!!!" No they didn't. What were you without them? What were you doing? Did they help your career?
Got to keep it in perspective.
MAB
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