Theory of 1000 Fans
In 2008, Kevin Kelly put forth The Theory of 1000 Fans, which essentially posits that any creative needs only one thousand true fans in order to make a living. It is a theory that I think can provide artists with an attainable business goal that can radically shift their economic well-being.
As defined by Kevin Kelly, a true fan is one who will buy anything that you produce. They will drive or fly for hours to hear you sing and purchase trinkets and shirts.
In order to make the theory truly work (especially if you live in a major metropolitan area), you’ll need to meet two criteria. 1st you’ll need to produce enough work to profit $100 from each of these fans in order to produce $100,000 in profit. 2nd you’ll need to have a direct relationship with your fans, i.e you share no percentage with publishers, labels, or merchandize producers.
While many of us dream of millions of fans screaming our songs, one thousand fans is a much more accessible number to reach for. That said, not every fan is a super fan who will drop $100 into your bucket every year. In order to accrue that many true fans, you’ll also have other circles of regular fans who might occasionally purchase something or more sporadic fans who check in on you once every few years.
Cultivating 1000 fans is no joke. Even if you accrue one true fan per day, you’ll still require 3 years of fan-making in order to obtain a livable wage. That said, do not be discouraged. Instead, let the theory of 1000 fans guide you as you build out your fanbase. It is a recipe for success rather than stardom, for livability rather than fortune. But, I have found, that for many, it is the right place to begin.
The Star Spangled Banners: National Anthems and their Nationalist Implications
This past week, in the United States, we celebrated July 4th. I spent the day grilling hot dogs with friends, recalling images of American flags and proclamations of Bush era wars for some reason. I try to use Independence Day to reflect on what Americanism is all about 248 years after the establishment of this find country. Unsurprisingly, my thoughts took a musical turn and I’ve spent the weekend considering how music can be a tool to bolster a sense of American nationalism.
There is, of course, the most obvious example: The Star Spangled Banner. The lyrics, composed by Francis Scott Key on September 14, 1814 during the War of 1812, is set to the tune of a popular British (ironic, much?) song called “To Anacreon in Heaven” by John Stafford Smith. The song was recognized for official use by the U.S. Navy in 1880 and, subsequently, defined as the national Anthem on March 3, 1931 by the U.S. Congress and President Herbert Hoover.
Most Americans hear the national anthem during sports events, a tradition that began at a baseball game in 1862, but was popularized at the 1918 World Series, during World War I. 17 months and 100,000 America deaths after the U.S. entered World War I, a military band spontaneously played the unofficial anthem at a World Series events which, as reported by the the New York Times, was met with thunderous applause and cheer. In a subsequent game, The Red Sox played the song and introduced wounded soldiers at the same time. One can see, here, the intersectional relationship between sports, nationalism, and war. By using wounded soldiers as theatrical props set against the Star Spangled Banners, sports figures were able to rouse support not only for their team, but for American national identity as a nation at war on the world stage.
This intersectional relationship had another flash point on January 27, 1991, ten days into the Persian Gulf War. Whitney Houston, taking the field at Tampa Stadium along with the Florida Orchestra, performed to 73,000 present fans and 115 million viewers at home during the Super Bowl. Her voice, soaring and magnetic, provided a sense of hope and resilience for a country at war. There was a self-assurance in Whitney’s performance that gave America confidence that their government and military had both a sense of moral clarity and a near diving right to win the Gulf War.
We live in a time when music—with its subgenera and internet corners—is largely something that we identify with a sense of self. We imagine songs to tell our story, to speak to who we are. But, the star spangled banner is a song that speaks to the collective. We view it as an almost religious text, invoked before every sports game as a reminder of our national identity. In the bigger moments, especially when war is in the air, the song can serve to unite a nation.
What’s most interesting to me is that the melody, at least, was never intended for nationalist identity building. Rather, John Stafford Smith’s tune was composed as a song for a British social club. It is interesting to consider how songs we create today for our own purposes can be shifted and morphed to fit the needs of a nation at war.
July Songwriting Challenges
Morphing Timbres: Experiment with morphing timbres within your voice throughout the melody.. Explore how changes in vocal color can shape the sonic character of the composition. Reference points are Nicki Minaj’s album Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
Beat Exploration: Create a simple beat using your preferred digital audio workstation (DAW) and samples from Splice or other sample libraries. Experiment with different drum samples and patterns .
Emulate a Hero: Pick a writer or artist or producer whose work you love. Write something in their style lyrically, vocally, and in terms of production. Use this as an exploration in analysis and replication.
Introduction to EQ: Use Youtube to learn the basics of equalization (EQ). Record a guitar and vocal demo, then, practice using EQ to shape the tonal balance of individual tracks and ensure they sit well in the mix. See how different EQ’s transform your own perspective of your work.
Epistolary Song: Write a song in the form of a letter. Explore the emotions, stories, or confessions that could be conveyed through a personal letter. A great reference point is Taylor Swift’s “Dear John.”
Book Title Inspiration: Choose a book title as the inspiration for your song. Create lyrics that capture the essence or themes of the chosen book in a musical narrative.
Poetic Structure Experiment: Write a song in which the rhyme structure changes from verse to verse. If you’re using an AABB structure in verse 1, try to use an ABAB structure in verse 2. See if this interplay makes your song better….or…worse!
Chromatic Escapade: Write a song that explores chromaticism. Experiment with incorporating chromatic passages and intervals into your melody.
Elongated Intros. Short, almost perfunctory intros have been a mainstay of pop music recently, its like a “don’t bore us get us to the chorus” mentality on steroids. Fight this trend. Write a song where the intro drags on for at least 1 minute.
Short Song. Write a song where the entire story, lyrically and melodically, wraps up within 1 minute.
How Streaming Changed the Financial Lives of Songwriters.
Pre-Digital Era Revenue for Songwriters
In the era before digital dominance, songwriters negotiated contracts with publishing companies, generating hefty advances with post-recoupment earnings on performance and mechanical royalties as well as sync fees. Radio was a major economic engines for writers scoring hits, but because physical copies were sold so widely, even writers who nabbed the 12th song on a successful record were living comfortably.
Let’s examine one examples.Diane Warren is a prolific songwriter known for her hit "Un-Break My Heart" performed by Toni Braxton. With 10 million copies sold worldwide and Warren being the sole writer of the track, we can assume Warren has generated a jaw dropping amount of revenue from this song alone. Hits have financial implications.
Counting Pennies: Songwriter Revenue in the Streaming Era
Fast forward to the streaming era and the economics have drastically shifted. Songwriters now contend with fractions of a cent per stream, as well as a significant reduction in the sale of physicals, significantly impacting their income. A song accumulating one million streams on a major streaming platform might translate to approximately $3,000 in earnings for the songwriter, and that’s if they don’t share the publishing or master rights with any other collaborators!
Like other industries in the wake of the 2008 recession, the middle class in the music industry has been carved out. Now, you must be operating at the level of hitmaker in order to make a livable wage.
To understand the granularity of streaming revenue, let's break it down further. On Spotify, a leading streaming platform, the average per-stream payout hovers around $0.0035. This implies that a songwriter would need approximately 286,000 streams to earn a modest $1,000. This microscopic per-stream rate underscores the challenge songwriters face in monetizing their art in the current streaming paradigm.
David vs. Goliath: Songwriters Battling Tech Giants
Examining the power dynamics reveals a significant imbalance between streaming platforms and songwriters. Despite platforms like Spotify reporting revenues of $9.5 billion in 2021, the earnings per stream remain disproportionately low for songwriters. This underscores the uphill battle songwriters face when negotiating for fair compensation, with tech giants often holding the upper hand. The need for advocacy and renegotiation of terms becomes evident as songwriters navigate this uneven terrain.
Luckily, in 2023, The Copyright Royalty Board, the federal body in the U.S. in charge of establishing statutory rates, ruled in favor of a pay raise for songwriters going as far back as 2018. The CRB decided to move that percentage figure up from 10.5% to 15.1% of total revenue across the five years between 2018 and 2022. It was the largest rate increase in the history of the CRB.
Hopefully, the federal government continues to establish raises in songwriter revenues and the songwriter community can unionize to leverage collective bargaining in order to set better rates themselves.
Communicating in Co-Writes
When you begin a co-write, you are stepping into a professional environment. Two or more people have decided to set aside their personal time to pen an original song. Recording gear, sound panels, and midi keyboards are all indicators of your working space. It is important for you to think about the ways in which you are interacting with your co-writers to make that space effective, comfortable, and professional. So, let me give you a few tools in order to keep the energy in your co-writes flowing.
Get to know your co-writers. I'm paraphrasing here but Ross Golan, who hosts a podcast called And the Writer Is... in which he interviews hit songwriters, says that his favorite part of each session is getting to know his co-writers during the first hour or so. It is fairly standard to talk about miscellaneous things at the start of a write: industry triumphs, a bad first date, a recent bike purchase, etc. Be kind and listen during this part of a co-write. Getting to know your collaborators will help to create an open energy in the room.
Use positive language. Once you begin the creative process you will encounter some ideas from your co-writers that you love and some that you don't. Giving them positive feedback when they present you with a great idea will help foster a positive environment. When they present you with a less than savory idea, you'll have to navigate that as well. Try to avoid saying things like "no" or "I don't like that." Instead, opt for positive statements like "let's keep searching for the line" or "I wonder if we can top that." Negative statements can make your co-writer feel closed off while positive statements keep them open.
Stay engaged. It can be quite annoying when your co-writer gets distracted by text messages or Instagram. This type of behavior suggests that their work is not important to them. Don't be that co-writer! Experiment with turning off your phone or using software like Cold Turkey to limit your access to distracting websites. Work time is not web time. Unless you're using an online rhyming dictionary then you should switch off your devices.
Send a follow up. Typically, you will know by the end of the co-write whether you want to work with someone again. If you had a great time then send a follow up text or e-mail in the hours after your session. Communicate to your co-writer that you enjoyed yourself and would love to set up another session. If they're interested then go ahead and schedule another date. If they're not interested, be respectful of that as well.
During my retreats, I break the attendants into co-writing groups of three. Often times, these songwriters are experiencing a collaborative environment for the first time. Therefore, their co-writing etiquette needs some fine tuning. After all, it takes practice to develop these skills. I notice some of the same social flubs happening over and over again. If you commit these tools to your tool box you'll be a few steps ahead of your peers when you begin to work together. And, what's more, those peers are going to want to work with you again and again.
Pride Month: Required Listening
Get out your notes! This is required listening for 2024’s Pride month.
Dorian Electra: An experimental hyperpop artist who challenges gender norms through their music. Their work explores themes of identity, sexuality, and societal expectations. They are currently touring their third album Fanfare.
Shamir: An indie and alternative artist whose music combines elements of rock, pop, and electronic. Their countertenor voice and Jeff Buckley-esque tambre make for an engaging listening experience.
Christine and the Queens: A pseudonym for trans icon Héloïse Letissier, Christine and the Queens is a French singer-songwriter with a synth-pop and indie-pop sound. His recent albums have explored a “labyrinthine concept album wrapped around a fuckboy alter ego” as well as an “intimate revelations about transition, sex, and grief in a three-part bilingual epic” (Pitchfork).
Rina Sawayama: A Japanese-British singer-songwriter, Sawayama creates pop music for queer folks from all walks of life. She has collaborations out with Elton John and stirred public interest in anti-asian discrimination in a public battle with her label head Matty Healy of the 1975. Her work often explores identity, with themes ranging from queerness to cultural heritage.
BoyGenius. A supergroup formed by singer-songwriters Julien Baker, Lucy Daucus, and Pheobe Bridgers, BoyGenius is really…well…girl genius. The harmony and lyrical interweaving going on between these three fantastic talents has led to sold out shows at The Hollywood Bowl and the critically acclaimed The Record, which is…well…a record.
Big Freedia. Her bassy voice can be heard on Beyoncé records like “Break My Soul” and “Formation,” but her legacy stands apart from queen bee. Big Freedia has popularized New Orleans bounce, a Southern hip-hop form that relies on hypersexual dance call outs and a real sense of freedom of expression.
Hikaru Utada. One of the most influential and commercially successful acts in JPop, Utada came out as non-binary in 2021. They bring American-inflected R&B vocals into soulful ballads, bouncy dance-pop, and standard pop. She is currently on the 25th anniversary tour of her first record, Science Fiction.
June Songwriting Challenges
Emotion Roulette: Write up a list of six emotions on a piece of paper, numbered 1-6. then roll a dice, wherever that dice lands it the emotion you’ll be writing about!
Unheard Conversations: All humans love to eavesdrop at a coffeshop. Spend a day recording tidbits of overhead conversations and then use them as lyrical inspiration in your next write.
Musical Diary Entry: Write a song that encapsulates a particular day in your life, one you wrote about in a diary or journal years ago. See if you connect with the person you once were and the things they went through.
Loop Exploration: Experiment with pre-made loops or samples in a DAW, arranging them to create a simple track without worrying about original composition. Write over this repeating loop.
Song Structure Observation: Analyze the structure of your favorite songs—intro, verse, chorus, etc.—to understand their organization and arrangement. Mimic that same structure in your own song.
Playlist Study: Create a playlist of songs you love and take note of specific elements (lyrics, melody, rhythm) that appeal to you for future inspiration.
Kitchen Symphony: Compose a song using only sounds produced in a kitchen—utensils, appliances, and food items—as musical instruments. You can record these sounds on your iPhone and then drag and drop them into your DAW to create musical structure.
Speed-Writing Hit: Collaborate with a partner to write one chorus per hour over the course of a 4-5 hour session. Then, schedule a date to come back and write verses for the best of these choruses.
Streaming-Platform Tailoring: Craft a song specifically designed to engage listeners on streaming platforms, consider a specific playback and elements or themes that appear over and over again within that playlist.
Collaborative Production: Collaborate with a producer or engineer to co-write a song, sticking explicitly to your own spheres of expertise, trusting your partner entirely.
Benefits of Co-writing
Co-writing is the past and the present and the future! Lean in to your writing relationships and watch your career grow! Here are just some of the benefits to co-writing :)
Instant Feedback : When you’re writing in a session format, you get to instantly test melodies, lyrics, and chord progressions with a collaborator. As you negotiate your song, you’ll recieve on-the-spot refinement, ensuring that the song evolves into its best possible version.
Motivation and Accountability: The collaborative nature of cowriting creates a sense of motivation and accountability. Knowing that others are counting on you can inspire songwriters to stay committed to the creative process, leading to the completion of projects and the achievement of shared goals.
Access to a Variety of Skills: Co-writes include at least one producer, one songwriter, and one artist. This diversity of perspectives and skills allows a team to push forward a finished product that best suits an artists’ needs upping the chance of your song getting released into the wild.
Flexibility in Roles and Responsibilities: Cowriting allows songwriters to distribute roles and responsibilities based on each collaborator's strengths. Whether one excels in lyrics while another in melody composition, this flexibility can lead to a seamless division of labor.
Exposure to New Audiences: Cowriting, if you’re both artists, means reaching out to each collaborator's fanbase. This exposure to new audiences can expand the reach of your music, attracting listeners who may not have discovered your work otherwise.
Songwriter Toolkit Must-Haves
DAWS. No matter your level of expertise, every songwriter needs to have a DAW or Digital Audio Workshop downloaded onto their computer. Whether its Logic Pro X, ProTools, or Ableton doesn’t really matter. Get a DAW and learn how to use it so that you can properly record vocals or make your own productions.
SM7B-or any other microphone. The SM7B is a great mic for all writers. You don’t even need a mic stand to use it! You can just hold it in your name. That said, there’s a lot of great mics on the market so you should do your research to fine which one most suits your needs. This is essential for recording vocals at home or remotely.
Analog Guitar or Piano. Singer-songwriters I’m looking at you. Having your hands on a real instrument can help you maintain your creativity at home and allow you more opportunities to write solo.
Midi controller piano. Analog can’t provide you with everything! A midi controller will allow you to tap into plug-ins in your daw and begin constructing your very own productions with synth sounds and drum beats.
Voice Memo App. If your song isn’t recorded somewhere, then its bound to shift, morph, or completely dissipate from your brain space. Make sure to use the Voice Memo app, or some sort of comparable entity, to get all your demos down!
Notes App or Notebook. Ideas, like songs, are fleeting until they’re etched onto the page, digital or analog. Make sure you have a space dedicated to recording tidbits of inspiration so that you’re properly prepared for your writing sessions
Guitar Tuna App. This handy-dandy app is essential for all my guitar players. When your tuner dies, this is an excellent back up.
Metronome App. The best musicians practice with a metronome. As you’re running through your vocal scales or rehearsing a song, use the metronome app to keep yourself in time. Slowly speeding up the metronome app will help you master scales and musical exercises.
Rhymezone.com and Rhymebrain.com. Analog rhyming dictionaries are old news. These two sites are essential reference points whenever you’re writing a song. Discover perfect, near, and slant rhymes of varying syllable counts whenever you’re having trouble putting words to music!
Festival Season Economics
Coachella may be done for the year , but we are deep in the throngs of festival season! Every year from Spring until the Fall, huge gatherings of crowds and artists are popping up all over the world to celebrate in the joy of live music. So, today we consider how the economics of these music festivals work, considering Coachella as our lens!
Revenue Streams: For the companies and individuals that throw these music festival, there are many different streams generating revenue that make them economically viable. Let’s review what they are and how they might be structured.
Ticket Sales:
The initial and primary source of income for most festivals. In 2013, Coachella sold 180,000 tickets generating 67.2 million dollars.
ticket tiers offer varying levels of access or amenities; i.e. a VIP ticket costs more than a general entry ticket.
Sponsorship:
Companies pay to sponsor and promote their brand at the festival.
Sponsorship deals may include logo placement, product integration, or exclusive partnerships.
Heineken has long sponsored Coachella, even repping a Heineken house stage. Sponsorships such as push Coachella’s past what they’d be able to generate with ticket sales alone.
Camping:
If the festival includes camping options, fees from campsite rentals contribute to revenue.
A camping spot at Coachella typically cost $125 before fees. For a “preferred car camping spot” you’re paying $325 before fees.
In 2023, car camping spots were sold out, adding to Coachella’s giant financial haul.
Merchandising:
Sales of festival-branded merchandise, including T-shirts, hats, and other memorabilia.
There aren’t transparent numbers for Coachella’s merch haul. But one vendor, self-reporting on Reddit in 2022, postulated that the festival was generating 100k/hr in their merch lines.
Food and Beverage Sales:
People need to eat! Festivals hire out vendors to feed their ticket holders, receiving a percentage of sales from vendors in the process.
Partnerships and Collaborations:
Collaborative ventures with other brands or events to generate additional revenue.
Implications for the surrounding area: Coachella, located in Indio, is a huge economic engine for its neighbors in the Coachella Valley. Ryan Faughdner of the LATimes did a deep dive into the economic implications for Coachella’s neighbor. One interviewee reported that “it literally pays half my mortgage in three weekends.” Here’s the breakdown by numbers as reported by Faughdner.
$704 million -- amount of overall economic activity (spending by consumers and businesses) generated by Coachella and Stagecoach, according to projections by the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership and Greater Palm Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau
$403 million -- estimated spending in the greater Coachella Valley area
$106 million -- estimated amount of money injected into the economy of Indio alone
$3.18 million -- tax revenue for Indio generated by ticket sales, accounting for 5% of the city’s general fund
99,000 -- per-day attendance during the six days of Coachella, according to Goldenvoice
70,000 -- per-day attendance for the three days of Stagecoach
9,000 -- estimated number of people expected to stay in Airbnb homes during the festival, double the amount from last year
Expenditures: Of course to put on a great festival, companies and individuals must pony up the big bucks to ensure things run smoothly. Let’s examine where festivals are burning through cash to put on a great event. Of course, there are not financial transparency reports available to the public, but here’s things that are likely on Coachella’s itemized budgets.
Artist Fees:
Major portion of the budget; fees vary based on the popularity of the artists.
May include travel, accommodation, and rider requirements.
Headliners, like Frank Ocean or Blink182, can command hefty sums. For his headline set, Ocean was paid 4 million dollars per night. Because he backed out of his second headlining set, he left 4 million dollars on the table.
2nd billing might generating $750,000.
Smaller artists get paid even less.
Production Costs:
Stage construction, sound systems, lighting, and other technical elements.
Costs associated with permits, security, and emergency services.
Promotion and Marketing:
Advertising, online and offline promotion, and marketing campaigns to attract attendees.
Staff and Personnel:
Payment for event organizers, security, medical staff, volunteers, and other personnel.
Infrastructure and Logistics:
Rental of festival grounds, tents, fencing, and other infrastructure.
Transportation and logistics for equipment, artists, and staff.
Insurance and Permits:
Costs associated with obtaining necessary permits and event insurance.
Technology and IT:
Investment in ticketing systems, cashless payment systems, and other technological infrastructure.
Environmental Considerations:
Increasingly, festivals allocate funds for eco-friendly initiatives and waste management.
Coachella has shady areas as well as water fountains that protect attendees from the heat.
Miscellaneous:
Contingency Fund:
Buffer for unexpected expenses or emergencies.
Post-Event Activities:
Clean-up, restoration, and post-event evaluations
May Songwriting Challenges
Narrative Ballad: Craft a story-driven ballad with a clear beginning, middle, and end, using descriptive verses to tell a compelling tale.
Reharmonization Challenge: Take one of your own songs and completely reharmonize it, changing its harmonic structure while maintaining the melody. Plainly, if a song is written in a major key, rewrite it in a minor key or vice versa.
Limited Vocabulary: In your next co-write, create a list of 100 or so predetermined words. You may only fashion lyrics from these words, forcing creativity within those constraints.
Blind Genre Fusion: Choose two genres at random and merge them into a single song. This may be done alone or in a group.
Dialectical Dialogue: Create a song structured as a dialogue between conflicting perspectives, aiming to find a resolution through the lyrics and music.
Advanced Automation: If you’re a producer or if you’re working with one, employ automation extensively—let it be the central tool to your production— to create intricate changes in effects, volume, and parameters throughout the song.
Dull Repetition: Create a song with intentionally repetitive lyrics or melodies, exploring monotony as an artistic statement. Can you use this monotonous element to drive home something new and interesting in your work?
Annoyingly Catchy: Create a deliberately annoyingly catchy song, aiming for a tune that gets stuck in people's heads for the wrong reasons. You may employ tropes like the millennial whoop.
Polarizing Perspective: Take on a controversial viewpoint or debate in your lyrics. Fight diligently for your perspective and see if it opens you up to new audiences.
Multilayered Storytelling: Craft a song that tells multiple interconnected stories, weaving them together to create a layered narrative. (Think Billy Joel’s “Piano Man").
Legalese for Songwriters
In a music industry without unions, we are still governed by laws and contracts! It is best to do your due diligence to understand some of, if not all of, legal concepts and frameworks that will appear over and over again in your work life and the work life of your collaborators. Today, let’s go over six legal frameworks you need to know about! Btw, there are way more than six you need to know about which is why you should also hire a music lawyer asap!
1. Public Domain and The Copyright Act of 1976: The public domain comprises creative works, including music, that are no longer under copyright protection and can be freely used. The Copyright Act of 1976 established parameters for copyright duration and the eventual entry of works into the public domain.
Songs typically enter the public domain when the copyright expires, which, under the 1976 Act, is the life of the creator plus 70 years. In 2024, songs from creators who passed away in 1954 or earlier may have entered the public domain. Cole Porter’s “Let’s Do It” is one such work that is now public domain!
2. Sunset Clauses: contractual provisions setting an expiration date for specific rights or obligations. They allow for reassessment or renegotiation after a predetermined period.
Per Tunecore: A “sunset” clause may be used to reduce a manager’s commission in the years following expiration of the term of the management agreement. This clause reduces the percentage the artist owes to the manager over time and eventually extinguishes this obligation entirely.
3. Work-For-Hire Agreements: Agreements that involve hiring a songwriter for a specific project, with the hiring party owning the rights to the work. Instead of receiving an up-front fee and subsequent royalties, a work-for-hire agreement ensures that the creator only receives a one-time up-front fee for their work.
Necessity: These agreements are often necessary in collaborative projects, film scores, or commissioned works where the hiring party requires full ownership and control of the music.
Who Writes Them: Typically, legal teams or representatives of the hiring party, such as film producers, write work-for-hire agreements to ensure clarity and protect their interests.
4. Statutory Technical Royalty: Rates that govern the compensation songwriters and copyright owners receive for various uses of their music. The U.S. Copyright Act and the Copyright Royalty Board set these rates.
Governing Process: The Copyright Royalty Board periodically reviews and sets rates to ensure fair compensation. For instance, changes may occur when stakeholders advocate for adjustments based on market dynamics or technological shifts. In May of 2023, The CPR established a new rate for songwriter royalties between 2018-2022 which saw a government imposed raise for songwriter royalties (yay)!
5. Renewal Options or, plainly, Options: Renewal options allow parties to decide whether to extend a contract after a specified period.
How They Work: Songwriters and publishers use renewal options strategically to reassess agreements, typically publishing contracts, potentially renegotiating terms based on their evolving careers and the success of their compositions.
Impact: These options offer flexibility and ensure that agreements remain relevant, fostering a dynamic and mutually beneficial partnership. They can ensure that songwriter’s advances grow over time.
6. MDRC Clauses: Minimum Delivery Release Commitment (MDRC) are publishing contract clauses that place a commercial sound recording release quotas on songwriter.
How They Work: MDRC’s might says that a minimum of three 100% songs (300% total) must be recorded and released by a major record company, or a mutually approved indie label. A songwriter can work up to that 300% through co-writing songs as well. If you have 33.33% of a song, then you will only 267.66% of your MDRC left before your contract is completed. This version of the MDRC can be easier for a songwriter/artist, because they’re recording an album of their music.
Does this benefit the writer?": There’s no guarantee that a writer’s songs will be recorded and released under a major/indie label. In fact, your entire output might be sync related or independantly released. In such circumstances, you will not be able to get out of your deal. You could make hundreds of thousands of dollars for your pub company, but still not succeed in meeting your MDRC.
Voice Types in the American Public Imagination
Different voice types have different iconographical functions in the United States. To understand this we can examine how the public has come to understand soprano voices (the highest voices in the female range) and black contralto voices (the lowest voices in the female range).
In recent American history, the female soprano voice serves a unifying function. One of modern time’s greatest sopranos, Whitney Houston, was one such unifier. In 1991, ten days in the Persian Golf War, Houston emerged into Tampa Stadium before 73, 813 fans. 115 millions viewers tuned in to watch as Houston performed the national anthem and a flyover of F-16 jets from an Air Force base. The performance served to unify the nation behind a military effort to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait.
Beyoncé’s mezzo-soprano has been used in a similar fashion. When we think back to the 2008 inauguration of Barack Obama, we remember that the 1st couple’s 1st dance was to the tune of “At Last,” originally by Etta James bother sung by Beyoncé. As the first black President ascended to the highest office of the land, Beyoncé’s voice and song speak out to the feeling of love happening at last, but also the dream of black political power and the hope of change. During Obama’s 2nd inauguration, Knowles would take to the stage to perform the national anthem and unite the country once again.
Female contralto voices, on the other hand, with their allusions to masculinity and husky rattlings disrupt the national fabric. They tell us of hardships that need to be overcome. Rather than wash over society’s flaws, contralto voices have the power to show us the places where society is in desperate need of improvement.
Nina Simone is one such contralto voice. Her songs “Mississippi Goddamn” and “Four Women” speak to the the consternation of black America during the Civil Rights Moment and the plight of black women in particular, respectively. Simone uses her voice to great effect making listeners confront American societal failures. Her contemporaries, like Fannie Lou Lou Hamer, an American voting and women’s rights activist, sang “This Little Light of Mine,” a hopeful song about fully embodying yourself. Her deep voice and musical arrangement conjures the history of slave songs, giving context to the 60’s civil rights movement by reminding us of the history that delivered us there!
In more modern times, artists like Lauryn Hill have taken over the mantle of contralto voices. Inspired by the events in Ferguson and the shooting of Michael brown, Lauryn Hill released a song entitled Black Rage, which interpolated “My Favorite Things” by Rogers and Hammerstein from The Sound of Music. She recalls the three-fifths clause from America’s slavery history as well as the sexual violence of slavery. By reminding herself of her people’s history, she “doesn’t fear so bad” what is coming next. The weightiness of her timbre gives weightiness to her subject matter, forcing the listen to confront the truth.
By analyzing what role different voice types serve in our culture, we glean a better understanding of why certain artist occupy certain roles in the public imagination. It also helps us better consider how we might use our voices. Gone understudied within this particular blog post is the intersection of womanhood and blackness as they pertain to this particular set of artists! Please think deeply on how that angle might apply here as well.
Choosing a Distributor as an Indie Artist
If you are an independent artist, you need to ensure that your music is showing up on Apple Music, Spotify, and all other relevant digital streaming platforms. In order to have your music delivered to relevant DSPs, you will have to utilize a distributor. Distributors, in 2024, are essentially digital middle men who take music from the artist and send them to DSPs for upload. Subsequent to a song's release, distributors will collect master royalties generated from streams, dolling them out to master owners.
Distributors nearly all provide the same service. However, their payment structures vary. In my estimation there are two different types of payment models with which you can engage. There are those that take a percentage of your earnings in exchange for distribution and there are those you pay upfront in exchange for distribution.
Those that take a percentage include STEM or AWAL. Stem takes 10% of all royalties while AWAL takes 15% of all royalties. This can be beneficial for an artist who has very, very little budget for distribution but it does cut into your back end earnings. Of these two distributors, Stem will provide you with more services. Not only do they distribute your songs to DSPs, they also distribute royalties to any other master owners. With AWAL, you will have to do the accounting yourself. In order to use either of these distributors, you will have to apply for their services. This gives each company an air of prestige - one that I advise you to ignore. Choosing a distributor is purely a business decision and you should not be swayed by trivial matters. If, perhaps, one of these distributors has a key person interested in your work or can offer you an advance against earnings, they might have the edge!
Distributors that you have to pay upfront include TuneCore and Distrokid. Both sites have subscription based services that ensure you’re getting the services you want which can include artist revenue split, unlimited track uploading, and pre-save campaigns. With distrokid, certain additions are paid for on top of your subscription service.
For most independent artists I recommend using Distrokid. The upfront fee is relatively small and the guarantee of unlimited releases,100% earnings on streams, and master distribution services really helps artists guarantee they are making the most money and doing the least accounting work. That said, every artist is different and you need to do your own research to figure out which distributor is best for you.
Famous Songwriting Teams
I am the preacher at the pulpit shouting religious proclamations about collaboration: Co-write as much as possible! Bring a producer and an artist into your session! I did not arrive at my beliefs at random. Years in the music industry as a publisher proved that collaboration is a winning formula for any songwriter. Here’s a list of songwriting teams that you should know about.
1. Lennon and McCartney
Genesis: John Lennon and Paul McCartney's musical collaboration started in 1957 when the two met at a church fete in Liverpool. Their bond over a shared love for music sparked the formation of The Quarrymen, which later evolved into The Beatles.
Innovations:
Modal Interchange: Tracks like "Hey Jude" showcased the duo's use of modal interchange, seamlessly blending major and minor modes to create emotional tension and release. Listen to the outro to hear this element.
Polyrhythmic Elements: "Let It Be" experimented with polyrhythms, with McCartney's piano playing against the rhythm of the drums, adding a layer of complexity.
Hits:
"Hey Jude" (1968) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
"Let It Be" (1970) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
"A Hard Day's Night" (1964) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
2. Goffin and King
Genesis: Carole King and Gerry Goffin's collaboration began in 1958 when they started dating in high school. Their songwriting journey took off when they penned "Will You Love Me Tomorrow," which became a breakthrough hit for The Shirelles.
Innovations:
Extended Chord Progressions: "Natural Woman" introduced extended chord progressions, contributing to the song's sophisticated and rich harmonic structure.
Hits:
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow" (1960) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
"Natural Woman" (1967) - Billboard Hot 100: #8
"Up on the Roof" (1962) - Billboard Hot 100: #5
3. Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Genesis: Introduced by Liberty Records as potential collaborators, Elton John and Bernie Taupin's partnership began in 1967. The two never wrote together in the same room, with Taupin first providing lyrics to John, who would then compose the music.
Innovations:
Harmonic Complexity: "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" showcased Elton John's willingness to experiment with complex harmonic progressions, pushing the boundaries of pop music.
Lyric-Driven Melodies: "Rocket Man" featured a melody intricately crafted to complement Taupin's lyrical portrayal of an astronaut's isolation.
Hits:
"Your Song" (1970) - Billboard Hot 100: #8
"Rocket Man" (1972) - Billboard Hot 100: #6
"Tiny Dancer" (1971) - Notable Hit
4. Rodgers and Hammerstein
Genesis: Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II formed one of the most influential partnerships in musical theater. Their collaboration began in 1943 when they joined forces to create the groundbreaking musical "Oklahoma!"
Innovations:
Integrated Song and Story: "Some Enchanted Evening" from "South Pacific" exemplifies their innovative integration of songs with the narrative, elevating the emotional impact.
Unconventional Song Forms: "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" in "The Sound of Music" introduced an unconventional song structure, enhancing the storytelling aspect.
Hits:
"Some Enchanted Evening" (1949) - Broadway Hit
"Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (1959) - Broadway Hit
"Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (1943) - Broadway Hit
5. Mann and Weil
Genesis: Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil's collaboration began in high school when they shared a passion for music. Their songwriting journey officially took off in the late '50s when they joined Aldon Music at the Brill Building.
Innovations:
Narrative Storytelling: "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" introduced a narrative storytelling approach, creating a cinematic quality in pop music.
Orchestral Pop Elements: "On Broadway" incorporated orchestral pop elements, expanding the sonic palette of the Brill Building sound.
Hits:
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" (1964) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
"On Broadway" (1963) - Billboard Hot 100: #9
"We Gotta Get Out of This Place" (1965) - Notable Hit
6. Mann and Hillel (Max Martin)
Genesis: Max Martin, then known as Karl Martin Sandberg, and Denniz PoP (Dag Volle) began collaborating in the early '90s at Cheiron Studios in Stockholm. Their partnership laid the foundation for Martin's later collaborations with various artists.
Innovations:
Hook-Centric Songwriting: "Baby One More Time" epitomized Martin's hook-centric approach, creating instantly recognizable and memorable melodies.
Millennial Whoops: "I Want It That Way" popularized the "millennial whoop," a melodic sequence that became a hallmark of pop music in the late '90s.
Hits:
"Baby One More Time" (1998) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
"I Want It That Way" (1999) - Billboard Hot 100: #6
"It's My Life" (2000) - Notable Hit
7. Porter and Hayes (Leiber and Stoller)
Genesis: Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller's partnership began in 1950 when they met as teenagers in Los Angeles. Their collaboration bloomed as they immersed themselves in the R&B and blues scene.
Innovations:
Blending Genres: "Hound Dog" featured a groundbreaking blend of R&B, blues, and rock, setting the stage for the evolution of rock and roll.
Novelty and Wit: "Stand By Me" incorporated witty and novel elements, showcasing their ability to infuse humor into their compositions.
Hits:
"Hound Dog" (1956) - Billboard Hot 100: #1
"Stand By Me" (1961) - Billboard Hot 100: #4
"Jailhouse Rock" (1957) - Billboard
April Songwriting Challenges
Library Lullaby: In an era of online content creation, referencing can get you a lot of attention. Write a song that incorporates titles or themes from classic literature, weaving them into a coherent and melodic story.
Layered Harmonies: Write a chorus in which you can layer stack vocal harmonies and layer multiple tracks. Let different intervals and arrangements make your chorus that much more impactful.
Breath Control Mastery: And iiiii-ee-iiiii will always love you! Hold that note honey! Focus on crafting a song where breath control is required by the vocalist. Use an artist’s vocal ability as inspiration to create challenging or long sections.
Cartoon Soundtrack: Create a song that could fit perfectly in a cartoon, exaggerating sound effects and musical elements to enhance whimsy. Get silly. Get goofy. Write a smash.
Simple Chord Progression: Create a song using basic chords (like C, G, Am, F) and experiment with their order to form a melody. Arrange and rearrange basic chord progressions is an essential song craft skill.
Call and Response: Create a song with a call-and-response structure, where one musical phrase is answered by another. These types of moments are fun for audiences and artists alike!
Beat Making: Create a simple drum beat using a digital audio workstation (DAW) or drum machine, experimenting with different sounds and rhythms. Build a song over this beat!
Vampire's Reverie: Write a song from the perspective of a vampire, exploring eternal life, loneliness, and the allure of the night. It might sound insane but there’s a lot of people still bumping those Twilight soundtracks!
Sunshine Serenade: Create an upbeat, feel-good song inspired by the warmth and brightness of a sunny day. This song should be easily chantable or singable, something that one could bring to a campfire and easily teach to children.
Love and Laughter: Explore the lighthearted side of love, writing a song about laughter, playfulness, and shared happiness. We could all use a little joy after all.
Ask For Master
The music industry has a lopsided precedent for the compensation of producers and songwriters. Producers are often pulling in money from production fees, points on a master, and a slice of the publishing. Fees upfront, while master points recieve royalties as they come. Songwriters, on the other hand, are mostly pulling in revenue from co-equal slice of the publishing. For the most part, they only pull in back-end royalty money if a song streams well, gets played on radio, or received a large sync. There are exceptions to this custom, but these are largely accepted industry norms. That needs to change.
Songwriters, like producers, have had their role evolve over time. They are no longer just writing songs one session that will be cut by an artist in the next. Frequently, they are helping to develop an artist in the room or, at the very least, develop a song with an artist that fits their identity. Often times it is the songwriter who is helping to direct an artist's diction and delivery and arrange background harmonies to thicken out the production of the track. These duties, which were formally entrusted to a vocal producer, impact the recording, the production, and the final master. Songwriters often have a hand in returning production and mix notes as well.
Despite these shifts in the songwriting process, publishers and songwriters alike have failed to advocate properly for a shift in how songwriters are compensated. And yet, a shift is necessary. In my opinion, songwriters can and should set a precedent for asking artists for points on the master. The bulk of streaming revenue is delivered to owners of the master and songwriters deserve a cut of it. Likewise, producers should be sharing a portion of the production fee with writers who are helping them lock in cuts with their amazing top lines. Co-writing is a team sport. Without master ownership or a share of the producer fee, a songwriter, especially an independent one, cannot make a living wage at their job.
The precedent for a shift in payment custom can be found in the trend of giving producers a share of the publishing. Up until the turn of the millennium, industry precedent reserved publishing money for songwriters. As CD sales declined in the early aughts, producers sought to shore up their lost revenue by asking for part of the publishing. Songwriters obliged. Now that we're in a streaming era where songwriters too have seen their revenue decline, it is time for songwriters to think like a producer and ask for profits that have not been historically guaranteed to them. In other words, songwriters need to ask for a share of the master.
In 2024, we must, all of us, reevaluate industry norms so that we can determine if we are being compensated fairly for our work. In the case of songwriters, it is obvious that we deserve more. One way that we can ensure that songwriters are compensated fairly is if we ask artists to cut us into ownership of the master.
Songwriter To Artist Strategy
The music industry, at its most obtuse, espouses a delineation between songwriters and artists. Put simply: songwriters craft song while artists perform them. Of course, we know that there are many songwriters who also have successful artist projects (Priscilla Renea became Muni Long, Julia Michaels became, well, Julia Michaels) or artists who end up songwriting for other artists (Ariana Grande for Normani, Ed Sheeran for Justin Bieber).
A fairly consistent strategy I’ve seen replicated is a songwriter beginning their career writing for others and then transitioning into an artist career. Billboard charting cuts help songwriters garner industry attention that they then can leverage for deals and good pr.
One of my favorite examples of this strategic positioning is Victoria Monet. This bright star was one of the writers responsible for Ariana Grande’s career defining album, “thank u, next,” as well as heavy involvement in Positions. She then leveraged her friendship with Grande to release a collaboration called “Monopoly.”
Monet’s subsequent albums, Jaguar and Jaguar II, garnered public attention allowing her to tour widely to sold out audiences. Her music is currently licensed to RCA records.
What I like about Monet’s story is that it proves one can transition from the realm of songwriting to others to being a star in their own right. Her story also demonstrates that origins in the songwriting world can propel you to new heights! When we think about artists like Monet, one surmises that, perhaps, many artists would benefit from spending some time writing for others!
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.
March Songwriting Challenges
Inanimate Anthem: Personify an everyday object (like a toaster or a lamp) and write a song detailing its secret ambitions and feelings. Animated characters are often fashioned from these inanimate objects (Toy Story anyone?). Use songs from relevant cartoons or animated films to inspire you.
Sensory Symphony: Compose a song that aims to evoke a specific sensory experience (taste, touch, smell) through music and lyrics. By evoking one—or all—of the five senses, we can put listeners in the moment.
Time Signature Fusion: Create a song that fluidly navigates through multiple time signatures, showcasing complexity and rhythmic diversity.
Biome Ballad: Craft a song inspired by a specific biome (e.g., rainforest, tundra) and its ecological elements, using sounds to mimic the environment. Think ASMR or sleepy time music!
Word Tag: Get together with a co-writer and trade lines. Each line should begin with the word that ended the previous line.This exercises cohesiveness.
Minimalist Mastery: Limit yourself to a small number of tracks (e.g., 4-8) and create a full, compelling song within those constraints.
Sampling Challenge: Create a track using only samples you've recorded yourself, manipulating them to form the entire musical arrangement. Go out into the field and use your phone to record sounds of birds, crickets, cars, or whatever else is in your lived environment.
Villain's Lament: Pen a song from the perspective of a classic villain, expressing their misunderstood emotions and motivations.
Superhero Serenade: Switch it up nowWrite a song about the trials and triumphs of an unconventional superhero with unique but not-so-heroic powers.
Master your craft.
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