Singer Songwriter Info Archives - Page 3 of 8

Songwriters honored for Jimmie Allen, Morgan Evans hits

Two ‘Number One’ parties in Nashville

Jimmie Allen (Stoney Creek) celebrated his debut No. 1 single “Best Shot” at The Local in Nashville, Tuesday January 21. Pictured (back, L-R) are Major Bob’s Tina Crawford, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Wide Open Music’s Ash Bowers, Major Bob’s Chandler Thurston, BMI’s David Preston, the label’s Jon Loba and producer Eric Torres; (front, L-R) songwriter Josh London, Allen and songwriter J.P. Williams.

Morgan Evans (Warner Bros./WEA), celebrated his first chart topper, “Kiss Somebody,” at No. 1 party held at Soundcheck in Nashville. Pictured (front, L-R) are songwriter/producer Chris DeStefano, Evans and songwriter Josh Osborne; (back, L-R) the label’s Adrian Michaels, Matt Signore, John Esposito, Scott Hendricks, Tom Martens and Justin Luffman.

President signs Music Modernization Act

Songwriters ‘breathe sigh of relief’

“The Music Modernization Act (MMA) is now law! We have worked on elements of this legislation for 15 years. With the passage of this law, every professional songwriter in America, including myself, who has suffered devastating economic losses in the era of digital music delivery, can now breathe a sigh of relief and be optimistic about the future of our profession. Along with the songs that bear my name, this is my proudest career accomplishment.” – Steve Bogard, writer of 10 #1 songs and President of the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI)

“Now the job of utilizing the tools found in the Music Modernization Act begins,” said NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison. “NSAI and other songwriter organizations will immediately select songwriter board and committee members for the new Music Licensing Collective (MLC) that commences operation on January 1, 2021. We have two years to build the first-ever songwriter, music publisher run mechanical licensing collective. This will be the first collection agency that pays songwriters 100 cents from every royalty dollar since the digital streaming companies will pay operational costs of the MLC.”

Note: the text of this post is taken from a media release issued on October 11, 2018, by the Nashville Songwriters Association International. For more information, visit the NSAI website.

Higher streaming royalties

Higher streaming royalties resulting from the marketplace rate standards included in the Music Modernization Act will come over time when the next Copyright Royalty Board proceeding occurs in four years or when ASCAP or BMI have rate court proceedings under the terms of the MMA. Agreements reached with streaming companies or court proceedings could result in higher streaming rates.

“It is not too bold to say this is the most important songwriter legislation ever adopted by Congress. When we negotiate our digital rates or go to trial-type proceedings, we expect rates that are much fairer based on what the market should pay,” Bogard added.

44% mechanical license royalty increase

Songwriters WILL see an immediate 44% mechanical royalty increase beginning in January 2019 from the previous Copyright Royalty Board trial where NSAI and the National Music Publishers Assn. represented American songwriters and won the largest mechanical royalty increase in history. The increase will phase in over a five-year period.

Steve Bogard (President, NSAI), Darius Rucker, Bart Herbison (Executive Director, NSAI), Congressman Doug Collins (GA), Lee Thomas Miller (Former President, NSAI) at the Nashville Songwriter Awards

THE MMA in a nutshell:

Changes the standard by which songwriter streaming rates are established replacing an outdated 1909 law that governs songwriter mechanical or sales royalties, changes consent decree regulations from 1941 that govern songwriter performance royalties.
Requires the random selection of judges when performing rights societies ASCAP or BMI go to a rate court proceeding. Presently those judges are appointed for life.
Creates a new Music Licensing Collective governed by songwriters and music publishers to oversee and administer digital mechanical licensing and payments, resolve disputes and administer unclaimed royalties.
Eliminates the disastrous Notice of Intent (NOI) program administered by the U.S. Copyright Office that shifted the digital mechanical licensing burden back to songwriters.
Guarantees streaming royalty payments to artists whose recordings were done before 1972 who now are not required to be paid due to a loophole in the Copyright Act.
Stipulates direct streaming royalty payments to record producers and engineers.

More information about NSAI here.

The Simpsons know the music biz

Synch licensing pays big $$$ over 30 seasons

The writers of the Simpsons apparently know a thing or two about the music business. Or at least the challenges faced by songwriters in the current climate.

In a recent episode, Lisa asks Bart to write a song for her…

Bart: “What will you do for me if I write the song?”

Lisa: “I might make brownies later.”

Bart: “Wow! That’s the best deal any songwriter ever got! And that’s true even if I don’t get the brownies!”

Bart and Lisa. Image copyright Twentieth Century Fox

Hard to believe that the Simpsons have just started their thirtieth season. Over the years, the show has featured a lot of music, both original and pre-existing songs for which the production company had to get clearance prior to use with a synch license.

Fees for a network show such as The Simpsons could be in the $6,000 to $10,000 range for an ‘all television’ synchronization license. Even if Bart doesn’t get the brownies, quite a number of songwriters and music publishers have pocketed some nice change over the years thanks to that animated family.

For a full list of every song ever featured in the Simpsons, by season and episode, visit this Tunefind website. Each listing include the composition’s title, the composer and/or recording artist and links to Spotify, Apple Music, etc. Season 28 was particularly tuneful with eighty-eight songs.

Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com

Inside Track on Music Row September 2018

Tour updates, album releases, awards, music industry news and more

Scroll down for news on Thomas Rhett, Brett Young, Scotty McCreery, Dan+Shay, Bill Anderson, Kenny Chesney, Charlie Daniels, LANCO, plus plenty more.

This is the September 2018 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row, the longest-running country music column in the USA. It is published in Nashville Music Guide and on websites around the world. Check out previous columns at Nashville Music Guide’s website and at my ‘I Know Country’ website.

Send me music stuff, I love to get it! / Preshiaswriter@hotmail.com

VERSE OF THE MONTH: ‘Let the word of God dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. – Colossians (3:16)

Album News

Thomas Rhett’s latest album LIFE CHANGES has earned RIAA Platinum Certification, hitting the noteworthy sales mark less than a year from its release. An instant hit out of the gate, LIFE CHANGES debuted at No. One on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart, marking the first Country release to take the top spot in 2017, also drawing a 2018 Grammy nomination for Best Country Album.

Resonating with fans, each of the album’s three singles have soared to the top of the charts, bringing Thomas Rhett’s No. One tally to 10. His latest Gold-certified hit ‘Life Changes’ is Top-5-and-climbing at radio, becoming his 12th song to earn an RIAA sales certification. “I found out LIFE CHANGES went PLATINUM and the single was GOLD the same day I got to play Nissan Stadium at home in Nashville, so that was a really special moment for me,” Rhett said. More info at ThomasRhett.com.

Americana Music News

The AMA’s 18th annual Americana Music Festival & Conference will take place September 11-16, 2018 gathering thousands of artists, fans, and industry professionals from all over the world in Nashville, TN. It is a must-attend event for anyone who loves the melting pot of Americana’s influences including roots, folk, country, blues and soul-based music. Each year, AMERICANAFEST℠ brings together legendary artists, the next generation of rising stars, fans, and industry professionals for six days of music and education.

AMA receives enormous support from the Tennessee Department of Tourism, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC among others. AMERICANAFEST℠ will feature 500+ live performances at almost 60 of Nashville’s most prominent venues and much, much, more. The Americana Honors & Awards Show will take place September 12th at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium. For more info on the Americana Music Association℠ and to become a member, visit the official website Facebook Twitter and Instagram.

Artist News

Continue reading “Inside Track on Music Row September 2018”

How artists can capture ‘Muscle Shoals’ sound

State of the art analog recording adds ‘tone’

Artists and bands who value the concept of ‘old school’ recording are finding what they need at a unique studio in Huntsville, Alabama. It’s the new home of both Muscle Shoals Sound Studios (MSSS) and Chess Records, and its owner Noel Webster.

See previous post here for more about the history of MSSS and the unique, historic, recording equipment still in use there today.

Artists who come here to record say they achieve a unique tone; a sound they have not been able to find anywhere else. Noel will tell you that comes from the equipment that he rescued and restored back to its peak performance. Consoles, microphones, amps, speakers and control boards from the Hit Factory, Abbey Road, Capitol Records and Motown.

Noel Webster with Bobby Whitlock’s Hammond organ. Check out the lush woodland through the window! Photo: Preshias Harris

But much of that unique tone must be due to the man at the controls, Noel Webster. A musician himself, he put in twelve years on the road as the ‘sound man’ for acts like the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd at major venues from arenas to stadiums. He developed the skill of making an act sound great at live gigs. He fleshed out that skill with his next venture when he bought and renovated the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studios.

“The music is always going to change, but it all still comes down to the song and the singer. If we can capture them in the most realistic way, the results are astounding.” – Noel Webster

‘It changed their lives’

The refurbished processing effects rack, now up and running in Noel Webster’s Huntsville studio

Thinking back to those days, Noel said, “It started to develop where people would come in and record, but it changed their lives in the way they made records because we didn’t edit everybody in. Such as put a drum and bass down then have everybody build on top of it. We wanted everybody, at the same time, playing together, a core. Then you build on that.”

As we walked through Noel’s studio in Huntsville, his passion for the music and the craft of recording was evident in his voice.

“When we record these [artists], we like to record them ‘live’ on the floor,” he said. “We get as much as we can on those passes. The techniques that we use are based on history. We’ve got our twists and our tools, what we call tradecraft. The little things we like to do.

Microphone, formerly at Abbey Road Studios

“At the end of the day, I’m not out to replicate what was done in the past. I just like to keep it alive. The techniques, the way that people record. The music is always going to change, but it all still comes down to the song and the singer. If we can capture them in the most realistic way, the results are astounding.”

Artists who come to this studio will find a refreshing change from many producers they have previously worked with who might have wanted to retain a financial interest in the recordings.

‘We want artists to secure their rights’

Continue reading “How artists can capture ‘Muscle Shoals’ sound”

Iconic record label finds new life

Combines with history of Muscle Shoals Sound

Noel Webster knows what it takes to upkick a recording from just sounding good to sounding great. He did it for thirteen years as owner and producer of Muscle Shoals Sound Studios. Today, he continues to do that with the reincarnation of another iconic musical brand that today’s artists can be a part of.

Chess Records – along with Motown and Stax – has a special place in the history of popular music. These were studios where dedicated people found a way to bring the sound of R&B to the ears of America and the world. Noel has saved the iconic Chess name from oblivion and is set to create recordings again under the Chess logo.

The original Chess Records logo

Noel found that all the copyrights relating to Chess Records, its name and its logos had been abandoned and allowed to lapse. He formed a corporation under the name Chess Records LLC and copyrighted the name and the original logo.

Noel now provides artists with an all-in-one studio recording experience that combines tracking, mixing and mastering in one place. (More about that later.)

‘Music history’ in every piece

Noel Webster and I have been friends for many years and we got together to catch up and talk about his latest ventures. We met at his studio in Huntsville, Alabama, that is unlike any studio I have ever seen. Set in a craggy hillside and surrounded by trees and vegetation, it is private without being remote. As Noel told me, artists can sit out on the wraparound porch to work out a few licks without worrying about annoying the neighbors. However, some curious deer sometimes stop by to listen as they drink from the water trickling over the rocks out back.

Inside, it has an ultra-modern vibe with an open plan and hardwood floors. But then you see all the gear and realize this is ‘old school.’ As we walked through the studio, it seemed that every piece of equipment had its own story.

The refurbished and fully functioning console from 1960s Capitol Records; mic from Abbey Road studios. Photo: Preshias Harris

“All the music stands and all the speakers in the main room and the control room came from Capitol Records, said Noel. “The console’s parts came from Capitol Records. Capitol had ‘mirrored’ consoles, identical consoles, in both Los Angeles and New York.”

The Capitol console dates from the early 1960s and Noel devoted a lot of time to refurbishing and rewiring it. We also looked at some of the musical instruments in the studio.

Hammond organ signed with a screwdriver

Bobby Whitlock’s autograph on the Hammond organ’s lid. Photo: Preshias Harris

“Bobby Whitlock from Derek and the Dominoes donated his Hammond organ,” said Noel. Whitlock had signed it and dedicated it to Noel, not with a pen but by scratching the scrawl into to the organ’s cover with a screwdriver!

“The drum set came from Mark Herndon [who played with the band Alabama]. I think that was his ’85 tour kit. The Ampeg Fliptop amp over there came from Bob Babbitt of Motown. Different speakers and microphones have a lot of historical significance. The mastering room came from the Hit Factory in New York City. A lot of the processing pieces are from Bill Putnam of Universal Audio. There’s Les Paul’s test equipment. Everything here had done famous things prior to us getting them.”

Back then, the labels gave [artists] the ability to make two, three, four, five albums. They let them develop on their own, to come into themselves, basically, instead of ‘we’re gonna chase what’s on the radio now and try to do the Nashville thing.’ Artists now need the same ability to develop. If we can get them on the right path and get them their sound and get them some cool stuff to make them original audio-wise, that’s what I see. – Noel Webster

But these aren’t simply museum pieces. Noel has no interest in just putting them behind silk ropes for people to look at. Every piece is fully working and is used as part of his recording process. Artists who come to Noel’s studio discover a sound that is impossible to replicate using only modern, all-digital, equipment. Even when played back over digital devices, the difference in audio quality is noticeable.

Six semi-trailers of music history

Continue reading “Iconic record label finds new life”

Song downloads plunge, streaming rockets

How does that affect your wallet?

Song downloads are on a steep slide that shows no sign of easing up. Meanwhile, streaming figures just keep rising. So, if you’re an artist or a songwriter, it’s no big deal if streaming is picking up the slack from downloads, right? Uh, not really. Raw figures don’t tell the full story as far as your potential income is concerned.

First the figures from Nielsen Music: During the first half of 2018, song download sales were down 27.4% to 223.1 million from 307.2 million for the first half of 2017. Album downloads also fell 21.7% to 27.5 million units, down from 35.1 for the same period last year.

Meanwhile, streams jumped 41.6% to 403.4 billion, January-June 2018, a gain of 118.6 billion (a half-year record) compared with the first half of 2017. As Digital Music News pointed out in a story posted July 10, 2018, not so long ago, paid downloads were greater than one billion annually. Now, Drake’s album ‘Scorpion’ chalked up more than one billion streams in a single week.

So Drake probably doesn’t need to be too worried about the decline of downloads. But for artists who are not up in the same stratosphere as Drake, this is not good news as revenue from streams is nowhere near that of downloads. And even that isn’t very much. Single track downloads that cost 99c earn the artist around 11c on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.

‘Fractions of one cent’

When it comes to getting paid for streaming, you receive mere fractions of one cent per stream from the major streaming services. These include Napster, YouTube, Pandora, Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play, Deezer and Spotify. In July 2017, Digital Music News posted a report titled ‘What Streaming Music Services Pay,’ available here. (Note: these figures may have changed since that report was posted.)

See the Digital Music News report for full details, but they note that Napster tops the pay-per-stream list with $0.0167 per stream for unsigned artists. Signed artists received $0.0190. In comparison, Apple Music pays unsigned artists $0.0064 per stream and signed artists $0.0073 per stream.

Meanwhile, YouTube is still the lowest payer and not improving. In 2015, an unsigned artist would earn $1,260.00 after 70,000 plays. In 2017, that artist would need to score 2.4 mullion plays to earn the same amount. However, YouTube should be seen by an artist as a promotional and marketing tool, rather than a revenue stream. (See previous post here at Nashville Music Line: ‘How to build community with YouTube.’) Continue reading “Song downloads plunge, streaming rockets”

Luke Bryan, co-writers, celebrate three Number Ones

‘Move,’ ‘Fast,’ ‘Light It Up’ all chart-toppers

Luke Bryan thanks his fellow songwriters. Photo credit: Preshias Harris

Luke Bryan is a songwriter at heart. Admittedly, a songwriter who can really sing, with a string of hits and awards to prove it. But it’s clear that Luke truly values songwriting and loves the amazing songwriters that he gets to work with.

He celebrated his 17th, 18th and 19th Number One singles at a party held at the Hutton Hotel in Nashville. Note that those are all Number Ones as a recording artist, but his songwriting career goes back a little further. I attended the party for his first Number One as a writer back in July 2007, honoring ‘Good Directions’ that Luke co-wrote with Rachel Thibodeau for Billy Currington.

The three songs being recognized as Luke’s latest chart toppers were:

‘Move’ written by Luke Bryan, Michael Carter and Jay Clementi
‘Fast’ written by Luke Bryan, Rodney Clawson and Luke Laird
‘Light It Up’ written by Luke Bryan and Brad Tursi

One billion streams

As Luke stepped up to receive his awards, he was introduced as a two-time ACM Entertainer of the Year and a three-time CMA Entertainer of the Year. In 2017, it was noted, Luke played live shows for more than 1.5 million fans and chalked up over one billion streams.

Songwriters celebrate three Number Ones. Photo credit: Ethan Helms

Each of Luke’s co-writers shared some memories about the songs. Jay Clementi said that this was his first No. 1 Award, drawing appreciative applause from the attendees.

“Cathy Gurley brought me to town and hooked me up to write with [hit writer] Radney Foster who mentored me,” said Jay, who added that Foster “must have seen something in me.”

Writing with best friend

Speaking about co-writing ‘Move,’ Michael Carter said, “I was very fortunate to work with one of my best friends, Luke.” Michael recalled writing for the first time with Luke. “The very first place Luke and I stayed was Motel 6 off Harding place [in Nashville]. I know that’s where we started writing.”

Luke said that he was in Europe when he first heard the finished demo of ‘Move’ that his co-writers e-mailed to him. “I can’t believe I got a chance to put a great song like this out,” said Luke, adding, “and I co-wrote it!”

Brad Tursi told the story of ‘Light It Up,’ his first co-write with Luke at Luke’s new house.

“It was the first write in my new writer’s room at my house,” added Luke. “When these genius songwriters give the demo to genius musicians to record,” said Luke, the result is “genius songs” for fans to hear.

Rodney Clawson’s 24th Number One

When Rodney Clawson talked about co-writing ‘Fast,’ he took a moment to say, “Thank you, Luke, for letting me fish in your pond.” After the presentation, Rodney reminded me that ‘Fast’ was his twenty-fourth No. 1 as a songwriter.

Luke Laird recalled an earlier writing session that was his first ‘big’ co-write. “I suddenly realized that my co-writer thought I was Luke Bryan,” said Laird with a smile.

Making the achievement even more remarkable, all nineteen of these songs were consecutive Number Ones for Luke Bryan. He will soon be celebrating again. In May, ‘Most People Are Good’ became his 20th career chart-topping single.

Visit Luke Bryan’s website for music and tour updates, including info on the Luke Bryan Farm Tour 2018.

The party at the Hutton Hotel was presented by ASCAP, BMI, Global Music Rights and KPEntertainment.

Note: I originally posted this story here on the European website for Country Music News International magazine and radio show.

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Preshias Harrisis a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters. Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com

7 Facebook security tweaks to keep artists, songwriters safe

How to make Facebook work for you, not against you.

Exposure. That’s something every ambitious artist and songwriter strives to achieve.

Exposure is essential. It’s all about getting noticed and spreading the word about your creative output. However, there’s a fine line between exposure and being exposed. Whereas exposure is good, being exposed is bad, and can turn out to be very bad indeed. In case you hadn’t noticed, there are some pretty seedy people lurking out there in cyberspace.

Ensuring your personal security and guarding your privacy while promoting yourself is important for every singer and songwriter, but it should be of particular concern to parents who are guiding the careers of their minor children.

Ask yourself this question: When did I last review my security and privacy settings on my Facebook page? If the answer is “Not for some time” (or worse still, “Never”) here are a few quick and easy ways to be sure that your security is all that it should be.

1. Find your security settings

To get started, go to your Facebook page and look for the little ‘downward-pointing’ arrow icon at the top right of your page. Click on that, and then click on “Settings” at the bottom of the drop down menu. This brings up a page headed General Account Settings. Look at the menu on the left of page. (Note: you’ll be returning to this menu for all the steps you need to follow.)

Click on ‘Security and Login.’ Here you can see where you are logged in to Facebook. Be sure that only your own devices are logged in. There are several ways to check and increase your Facebook security on this page.

2. Change your password

Under ‘Security and Login’ click on ‘Change Password’ and click ‘Edit.’ Click ‘Save changes’ when you have completed the change. It is a good idea to change your password frequently, at least every three months, and pick a password that is not the same as one you are using elsewhere.

Avoid using anything too obvious (such as part of your email address or the name of a pet that others might know). And always change your password immediately if you think your password has been stolen or accessed by someone else. Continue reading “7 Facebook security tweaks to keep artists, songwriters safe”

From Self Release to Major Label

What are you giving up to become a recording artist?

So you’re an artist or a singer/songwriter and you’re looking at an opportunity to sign with a major label. Or maybe you’re not sure that’s even the way to go. What should you know before you pick up that pen?

“What are you giving up to become a recording artist? What are you giving back for artist development?”

Those are the questions posed by session moderators, Austen Adams and Noah McPike. Adams and McPike both serve as OF Counsel for Dickinson Wright, the Nashville Legal firm that co-sponsored the session on opening day of Music Biz 2018 in Nashville.

The room at the Omni Hotel was ‘standing room only,’ packed with both creators and music business execs. The session title was ‘The Modern Approach to Artist Development: From Self Release to Major Label and Everywhere In-Between.’

Be prepared to ‘give back’

The panel made it clear that you must be prepared to give up certain things when you transition from being an Indie artist to an artist signed to a major label. You must also be prepared to ‘give back’ to the label in terms of time and effort to promote yourself and your music on the label’s schedule.

The panelists all agreed that, in today’s business climate, almost all labels will want a percentage of an artist’s touring income if they are going to make an investment in you as an artist.

(My note: These types of arrangements can often include what’s called a ‘360 Deal’ or ‘Multiple Rights Deal’ in which the artist agrees that the label will earn part of the artist’s ancillary rights such as income from, say, merchandise sales, endorsement deals and concert revenue. In exchange, the label agrees to actively promote the artist’s career, and often takes on certain aspects of the client’s management.)

Find a music attorney

Noah McPike then gave attendees perhaps the best advice that will have heard all day. “If you enter into any type of deal like this, ask for a separate advance so that you can employ a lawyer. You need someone who works just for you!” Continue reading “From Self Release to Major Label”