The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter's 'Need To Know' Reference Handbook

By Preshias Harris

The College of Songology 101:The Singer/Songwriter’s ‘Need To Know’ Reference Handbook should be in the backpack or guitar case of every singer or songwriter, if they’re just starting out or already on the way to a career in music.

Unlike some books that claim to tell you ‘everything you need to know,’ Songology 101 focuses on the basic elements that are essential to take your music from a hobby to a career. The workings of the music industry can seem like a tangled mystery, but this book avoids the ‘insider’ jargon. It uses ‘everyday’ language to show you how to use these basic elements to protect the songs you create, make money from your music and move confidently through the music industry.

Author Preshias Harris is a music career development consultant and a music journalist with more than 25 years experience in Nashville. From her many years mentoring new and emerging singers and songwriters, she is able to communicate the ‘need to know’ information in a way that is easy to understand and put to use as your music career develops.

Among the topics covered and explained: Why Copyright is the essential tool to protect your creations; how to do it simply and cheaply; when to do it and when NOT to do it; how to use the different Copyright applications and where to find tutorials...

How to turn your ‘rights’ into income by Licensing; maximizing the different streams of income from Royalties; the difference between a ‘First Use’ mechanical license and a ‘Compulsory’ mechanical license; the increasing importance of digital royalties and ‘sync’ fees...

There’s a section on Performing Rights Organizations (P.R.O.s); what they do for you; how a P.R.O. collects royalty money that is due to you when your songs are played in public; how a P.R.O. tracks radio airplay; how royalties are ‘split’ between songwriters; comparisons to help you decide which P.R.O. is right for you...

The curtain is pulled back on the world of song publishing; What a song publisher does for a songwriter; the benefits and drawbacks of self-publishing your songs or signing with a song publisher; using the services of a music publishing administrator; how to name and register your publishing company...

In the section on Demos, you’ll explore the different types of song demos, acoustic demos and ‘full band’ demos; what you must do before you record a demo; why you might not be the best person to sing the demo; how to find a demo recording studio and what to ask before you cut the demo...

Because every creative person is unique, there are sections at the end of every chapter allowing the reader to personalize the information for his or her particular needs and level of experience. Each chapter includes clickable links to scores of helpful websites and essential information. There is also an entire section titled ‘Music Industry Definitions from A to Z’ that explains and clarifies literally hundreds of words and phrases that you need to understand as your musical journey progresses. (This section alone could be worth the purchase price because not knowing – or misunderstanding – certain music business terms and phrases could be disastrous to your career.)

The College of Songology 101:The Singer/Songwriter’s ‘Need To Know’ Reference Handbook will demystify the most important aspects of the music business as they apply to you, the aspiring singer or songwriter, and to explain, in a way that is fairly easy to understand, the ‘need to know’ basics of how you make money from your music while protecting your interests.

Welcome to the crazy, exciting world of creating music!

“I wish I had this book when I started writing songs and making trips to Nashville! It would have taken a couple years off the learning curve.”
-- Doak Turner, songwriter and co-founder of MusicStartsHere

• Language: English
• Publisher: Preshias Harris
• Release date: Mar 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370062379

Preshias Harris

Preshias Harris is a music career development consultant with special emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters as part of her College of SongologyTM. Working one-on-one with clients, she focuses on ‘chasing the dream’ while understanding the realities of the music industry. She maintains a writers’ room on Music Row – named The Sangtuary – for her clients and their co-writers. Preshias has interviewed everyone from Alabama to ZZ Top for articles and stories published in numerous music magazines. She is the author of ‘Inside Track on Music Row,’ the longest-running monthly country music column in America. The column appears in ‘Nashville Music Guide’ and on websites around the world. She is the author of "I Know Country!" featuring 366 day-by-day country music Q&As, and "The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s ‘Need To Know’ Reference Handbook." Preshias began her career as an intern to the VP of Publicity at BNA Records and started to build a network of music industry contacts from coast to coast. She also began writing her column for Nashville Music Guide. She wrangled on-air celebrity interviews for radio DJs broadcasting from Emerald Studios during Fan Fair and CMA Week, and handled promotion and media relations for the NY Times bestseller, “Chicken Soup for the Country Soul.” She has also served as song plugger and A&R assistant to an award-winning songwriter, and as Promotions Coordinator with George Jones University. She is a sought-after judge at talent contests, including the nationally promoted US Country Showdown. She also serves as Artist Relations/Nashville Division for Boulder Creek Guitars and for Country Rewind Records for whom she also writes CD album liner notes. She is a member of ASCAP (as a publisher), BMI, The Country Music Association (CMA), The Recording Academy (formerly NARAS), The National Association of Talent Directors (NATD) and a life member of Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI).

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The College of Songology℠

Copyright © 2016 by Preshias Harris

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Disclaimer

This book is designed to provide basic information on the music business as it relates to songwriters and singer-songwriters only. This information is provided with the understanding that the publisher and author do not offer any legal, accounting or other professional advice. If such expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

This book does not contain all information available on the subject. This book has not been created to be specific to any individual’s situation or needs. Every effort has been made to make this book as accurate as possible. However, there may be typographical and or content errors. Therefore, this book should serve only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source of subject information. This book contains information that might become dated and is intended only to educate and entertain. The author and publisher shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity regarding any loss or damage incurred, or alleged to have incurred, directly or indirectly, by the information contained in this book.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Why you are part of the music industry

Acknowledgements

Some very important people

Foreword

Learn to protect and monetize the music you create

Copyright: The essential tool to protect your creations

The definition of copyright; the benefits and ‘rights’ of copyright; the simplest type of copyright; reasons for registering a copyright; when and where to register a copyright; single application or standard application; copyright application fees; Form PA or Form SR; when a copyright registration is regarded as ‘effective’; ‘poor man’s copyright’; getting help with copyrights

Licensing: Where the money is

Monetizing Your rights; performance royalties; mechanical royalties; ‘first use’ mechanical licenses and ‘compulsory’ licenses; print royalties; digital royalties; synchronization [‘sync’] fees; the Harry Fox Agency; who gets what?

Performing Rights Organizations: Why a P.R.O. is your B.F.F.

Why you need a friend in the business; the history of ASCAP, BMI and SESAC; what does a P.R.O. do?; P.R.O. licenses; radio airplay, television, digital streaming and the Internet; getting paid for your music on YouTube; foreign royalties; the P.R.O. royalty split; comparing ASCAP, BMI and SESAC

Music Publishing: Putting it all together

The importance of music publishing; why is it so darn complicated?; how music publishing started; what does a song publisher do in today’s world?; becoming a self-publishing songwriter vs signing a deal with a song publisher; working with a publishing administrator; questions to ask a music publishing administrator; naming your publishing company; watch out for ‘Song Sharks’

Time to Demo (Or maybe not)

What is a Demo and what it isn’t; seek critique before you demo; studio time is money; acoustic or full band demo; don’t let them bury the vocal; build your network; your demo ‘to do’ list; how a lyric sheet should be formatted

Music Industry Definitions and Terminology A to Z

Words and phrases that every singer-songwriter should know and understand

Appendix (i): Further reading

A guide to some books that you might find useful 110

Appendix (ii): Music Promotion Websites

Creative ways to promote and market your music

About Preshias Harris

The author, and how you can reach her

Introduction

Welcome to The College of Songology℠ 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Book!

Allow me to congratulate you on your decision to treat your career in music as a business and to learn all you can about making it a successful business. You are the C.E.O. of You, Inc.

When you set out to become a songwriter, or singer-songwriter, you also become part of the music business. Why? Because now it is your career – even if it’s your part-time career – and you are now going to get paid for your creations. Or at least, you should be. The various sections of this book will show you how to make that happen.

The best way for me to pass on the knowledge I have acquired over my many years in Nashville is when we meet face-to-face, you ask questions and I help you find answers. I work with a limited number of aspiring songwriters and artists, and schedule occasional group classes as well, in what I call The College of Songology℠

. If you acquired this book from me at one of those meetings, so much the better: we can work on it together. However, if you’d like to find out more about me and about the services I offer, please see the section at the back of this book.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.

Preshias Harris

Nashville, Tennessee

P.S. Some words of inspiration: When John Newton wrote the lyrics to Amazing Grace he had no way of knowing the impact that his words would have over the next 250 years; the tears that would be shed while singing it, the stages it would be sung on, or the people it would bring closer to Christ. Fortunately, during a violent storm at sea in 1748, he managed to jot down a few words in his journal that he later developed into the hymn that would inspire millions.

Keep in mind, that as a songwriter, there will be days when you have just a phrase, a line or a title in mind … and that’s all. Creativity has no clock, so whether it comes to you a line at a time or as fast as you can sing it, write it down, record it, hum it into your phone…do whatever you have to do to NOT lose it. Don’t be the person that says, I thought of that title. THAT was my idea. Instead, be the songwriter with the credit on the album.

Acknowledgements

So many people have given me their help, advice and encouragement, and generously continue to share their knowledge and professional insight into the many aspects of the music industry. It would be impossible to name everyone who has touched my life in a positive way in the years since I arrived in Music City, but the following are among those special people:

First of all my husband and best friend Michael Harris, who supports me unconditionally in business and in marriage; my family who have watched from Kentucky as I’m chasing my dream and kept me in their daily prayers; Jim Della Croce who, when he was VP of Publicity at BNA Records took a chance and gave me my first internship ‘job’ in Nashville; hit songwriter Randy Boudreaux who hired me as personal assistant and his A & R ear when he needed an unbiased opinion; my lifelong friend (since childhood) and air personality ‘extraordinaire’ Shannon McCombs who has been there encouraging and supporting me since day one; Joe Kelly, Vice President & General Manager CDX Nashville, who sends out my daily I Know Country! Q&As to 1,400+ country stations; my friend and client Tom Gramuglia, President of Country Rewind Records who is doing his part to keep ‘traditional’ country artists in the spotlight; Kat Atwood, president of Music City Media who has taught me so much about media relations and artist branding; Charlie Flood of SPI Books who published my previous book, I Know Country!; Michael Martin, Ralph Murphy and Mary Self of ASCAP/ Nashville, who have given me guidance and wisdom beyond their years; David Preston and Jordan Hunter at BMI and Shannon Hatch at SESAC (my ‘Go-to Girls’ for answers) and all the knowledgeable, helpful folks at all three of those P.R.O.s, who make my life with songwriters much merrier; Brandi Simms, Membership Director of the CMA, who is always ready to help me in any aspect of the music business as my friend and a wonderful voice of the CMA; Dave Pomeroy, President of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM Local 257); Jeff Strametz, President and CEO of Boulder Creek Guitars who continues to educate me and my music family from the perspective of the musician; Bart Herbison, Executive Director of NSAI for endless words of encouragement that have passed through my ears to my heart for many years; Buddy Jewell and Tracy Lawrence for letting me be a part of their musical journey and who were my first introduction into an artist’s career from the ground up; Suzzane Skinner (who I believe has a cape hidden in her office) who has been a good listener, loyal friend and my life mentor; Sheree Spoltore, Founder of Global Songwriters Association (GSA) for her insight and expert knowledge; Anthony Corder, adjunct professor at Belmont University, and a music publishing authority; Barry Shrum, Esq, my ‘legal eagle in all things relating to trademarks; and a special thanks to Sherrill Blackman, President of SDB Music Group, a great friend and mentor over the years, who gave his invaluable insight into the sections on Music Publishing and Demos, and who also signed me to my lifetime membership into Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI). Posthumous thanks to Tandy Rice, Milan Bogdan and Kim Williams who had no idea that I was a human sponge and how much knowledge I absorbed while in their presence.

Foreword

First of all, I want you to know what this book is not. It is NOT Everything You Could Ever Want To Know About The Music Industry And Being A Singer-Songwriter.

There are some very good books about different aspects of the music industry, but I don’t believe any book, however good it is, could ever tell you everything about the music business. The best education is your own experience: you get started and learn as you go.

However, there are a few basics with which you should become familiar as you follow your dream of becoming a songwriter or a singer-songwriter. These basic elements are the tools that take your music from a hobby to a career.

The workings of the music industry can seem like a tangled mystery, but when you familiarize yourself with those basic elements you will know how to do two very important things:

Protect yourintellectual property

Monetizeyour music

If you are unfamiliar with those phrases, don’t worry. All will be explained in the following pages, and if at any time you see a word or a phrase you don’t understand, turn to the section titled ‘Music Industry Definitions A to Z.’

I will explain why Copyright is the essential tool to protect your creations; how to do it as simply and