Team Members for Songwriters
One way to elevate your career is to surround yourself with team members you trust who do work that pushes your reputation and financial life forward. Let’s look into who these team members are and what they can do for you.
1. Music Publishers: Intermediaries between songwriters and the commercial world, ensuring that your compositions are monetized to their fullest potential.
Why You Need Them:
Licensing Expertise: Publishers secure licensing deals for your music in films, TV shows, commercials, and other media, expanding your reach.
Royalty Collection: They handle the collection of royalties from various sources, ensuring you receive fair compensation for your creative work.
Session Calendar: Publishers can connect you with other writers, artists, and producers, ensuring that you’re working as often as you’d like.
Pitching: Publishers can make sure that pitch songs and songs languishing in your back catalogue find new homes with signed or indie artists.
2. Music Lawyers: Legal counselors who protect your rights, navigate contracts, and ensure that your creative assets are safeguarded.
Why You Need Them:
Contract Negotiation: They negotiate and review contracts, ensuring that you enter fair agreements with publishers, labels, and collaborators.
Copyright Protection: Music lawyers help protect your intellectual property, enforcing copyright claims and resolving legal disputes.
Networking: Many music lawyers are heavily connected individuals who can help you link with other members of your team. There are certain lawyers who relish the act of putting a writer or artist’s team together.
3. Managers: Managers oversee your career trajectory, handling day-to-day operations, and acting as your strategic partner in decision-making.
Why You Need Them:
Career Guidance: Managers provide strategic vision, helping you make informed decisions about projects, collaborations, and overall career direction.
Industry Navigation: They navigate the complexities of the industry, connecting you with opportunities, collaborators, and key industry players.
Wheeling and Dealing: Managers can help you negotiate splits and fees so that you don’t have to get into the weeds with your collaborators
Calendar: Managers ensure that you’re booked and busy!
4. Producers and Songwriters: Collaborators who help you to craft and refine your musical vision, bringing technical expertise and creative input to the recording process.
Why You Need Them:
Sound Enhancement: Producers elevate the quality of your recordings, ensuring that your music is competitive and resonates with your audience.
Collaborative Catalyst: They contribute creatively, adding a fresh perspective to your work while respecting your artistic vision.
Diverse Perspectives: Collaborating with other songwriters introduces new ideas, styles, and perspectives, enriching your creative output.
Shared Network: Your creative community can connect you with artists who they work with, allowing you to expand into new creative and business territory.
6. Agents: Music industry professionals who secure live performance opportunities, endorsements, and other career-boosting engagements, maximizing your visibility for artists.
Why You Need Them:
Performance Opportunities: Agents secure bookings for live performances, helping you connect with fans and build your brand through touring. They can secure opening slots, festival dates, corporate gigs, or entire tours!
Negotiation Skills: They negotiate deals for appearances, endorsements, and other opportunities, ensuring you get the best terms.
7. Labels: Labels provide support for recording, marketing, and distributing your music, amplifying your reach in the industry. They’re like music industry banks with a plethora of people hired to make you that money!
Why You Need Them (you might not!):
Resource Access: Labels offer financial support, resources, and industry connections, aiding in the promotion and distribution of your music.
Artist Development: Although this has become rarer in this post-Soundcloud TikTok era, labels might focus on artist development, nurturing your talent and helping you grow and evolve in your career.
