PUBLISHERS, AND PLUGGERS AND HACKS, OH MY!!!!
Many people go through the same thing when it comes to finding out about the music business. They read things on web sites, advertisements, or are contacted by people they don't know claiming to "pitch songs" to the major labels, producers, etc. I am very hesitant to call people "rip offs", but tend to think they overpromise and underdeliver. So I thought I might provide some insight into the world of pitching to show you what the 'other side of the desk' goes through.
First of all, why are their song pluggers? Don't publishers do the same thing?
Well yes and no.
A PUBLISHER is a CO-OWNER OF THE SONG.
A SONG PLUGGER is a FEE FOR SERVICE non-owner of the song.
If you look at the music industry, you can look at it like a large corporation. There are different departments in a company. Advertising, Accounts reciveable, Accounts payable, development, exectutives, main workers, etc.
Publishers spend their time, money and effort, building relationships with people over years and decades. They build their companies, and develop writers and artists. And they pay money to those areas. They usually line up financing, investors, bankers, for those companies.
Song pluggers develop their relationships with the industry and mostly FOR NOT WASTING TIME. They get together with their friends and contacts and physically have the "sit down" appointments with producers, labels, managers.
They study other artistrs, what they are recording. They know studio schedules. They get industry skuttlebutt on who is losing and getting deals. They are the "A&R departments of publishers. But they don't pay out the money. They are paid.
When an artist is cutting, most of their songs have already been picked. Things they or their publishing or record companies already own, and have paid money for are first on the consideration. Mostly things they write now, so there is less to pay out in ever diminishing royalty returns.
So the very few "outside" songs (which are never really outside as much as being represented by people they know, songpluggers.) come through. Usually they will listen to between 500 and three thousand songs in the course of a project. A huge majority of those songs are rejected out of hand.
The legitimate song pluggers and publishers are VERY DISTINCT in what they bring to an artist. They have learned about the artist, subject matter, style, on previous projects and understand the direction of the new project. They never go with more than about two songs at a time.
So anyone asking for "Five of their best songs" are suspect. If they are getting to know a writer with the intent of promoting them for co-writes, helping assess their catalogue and skill level, that is one thing. But if they are just trying to accumilate songs, many times for the purposes of getting people to record in their studios, use their song plugging services, be involved in contests, etc. that to me is very superficial. And if someone is on the Internet advertising for songs, I would be very suspect.
People who do this on a consistant basis, are very careful of their reputations. I would investigate what their repuatations ARE before entering into anything with anyone. And I would ALWAYS meet someone face to face before entering any relationship.
MAB