Music Publishing
Using Existing Publishers versus Self Publishing in Music
Over the years I’ve seen a lot of music creators struggle with a focus on securing music publishing. In today’s technology driven world there are two main ways of getting music published, either you publish it yourself or you find an existing music publisher who believes in you and your music. One thing rings truer today than ever before, you must think in terms of a business rather than simply as a composer of music or as a singer/songwriter as there is considerably more to it than that. The second thing that rings true lays in the control of your music and who has that control.
Self Publishing
Your Own Business
There are pros and cons to self publishing which must be considered if you elect to go this route. Let’s take a brief look at some of the basic pros and cons of self publishing.
PRO – First and foremost is the necessity to start your own business. You must take into consideration and assume all operating costs and you must assume additional responsibilities and duties which can be time consuming. The management of the business and employees, paperwork, communications, IT, marketing and promotion are among all additional things you must be willing to do yourself or to subcontract out to another company when operating a business. Many singer/songwriters find this a daunting task as it takes away a considerable amount of time otherwise spent writing music. However, if you have what it takes to own and operate your own music publishing business the rewards can be extremely good for you.
PRO – There is a strong upside to owning your own business which includes 100% control of your music and 100% control over the use and placement of your music. This comes with a price but the need to sell mega-millions is removed, unless of course you can market and sell huge volumes of your music on your own. The advantage is in the numbers. You keep the 50% or higher publishing income otherwise given to an existing publisher. In some cases the amount of earned income when self published is considerably more than enough to earn a decent living when added to the writers percentage of income. On top of that you do not need to sell as many products in order to earn a living. If you are seeking a comfortable living this could very well be your preferred choice.
CON – The main limitation in owning and running your own music publishing company is the amount of the initial investment that is needed to start and run your company. It requires a substantial amount of money to start a new company and the costs to do it legally. Additional costs come into play when you consider the costs for gaining a decent and respectable reputation in the marketplace.
Aside from the initial costs there are ongoing costs that need to be understood and provided for. Such things as producing the necessary hard copy materials for marketing and promoting your business as well as ongoing operating costs such as covering employee wages and benefits, rent, utilities, etc. Remember you still must provide for the costs of producing your own music too.
CON – You will need to have ample business knowledge to manage your company well. Just because you can write well and perform better than most you still need to know how to run a music publishing company. This is an additional and vitally important consideration which can make or break your success in short order. A small business owner wears many hats especially at first. You must be able to self manage your financial and time investments. Further, you must be able to network within the music community, design or have designed by others all of your marketing and promotional materials, manage your reputation, your website, etc. If you do not have a good understanding of business or the knowledge to operate a business you might not choose to self publish and to elect to seek out an existing music publisher instead.
Commitment
There’s no half way here. You must commit everything and believe in yourself when self publishing. You will need to have both the knowledge and the financial resources and, as many artists do not fully realize, the industry connections which are of vital importance for your success. It is invaluable to have many “real” connections within the music business that can help you and that can speed up the process of earning a living through your music by their help and possibly by their assistance in areas such as the promotion and marketing sides of getting your music published. You must have a 100% commitment when starting your own music publishing company, being “all in”, as they say. You must also commit 100% to you business relationships to gain a high level of success.
The Modern Digital World
In this digital age, with all of the available technological resources available today it is easier to consider self publishing than to seek out and “sell” your goods to an existing music publisher. Computers, networking websites and social media, as well as digital distribution makes the entire process of self publishing of music more within the reach of the average artist than at any other time in history.
The downfall is in the amount of time and the quality and quantity of available resources you have to devote to the publishing side of your music. Many artists do not wish to go this route simply for these reasons, however, when taken as a whole they offer an accessible means by which you can get your music published.
Existing Music Publishers
With all of the changes currently underway as well as many other considerations locating and securing existing music publishers remains a difficult road unless you have absolutely fantastic music and quite the buzz going on. If this is the case existing music publishers will find you. Otherwise, the task of securing a music publishing agreement is a steep uphill battle.
Let’s take a look at some of the basic pros and cons of using existing music publishers.
PRO – First and most obvious is that existing music publishers are businesses who have thrived and survived over many years within the industry. This counts for a lot. They have connections and resources unavailable to the self publisher especially a new start-up company. If you should be one of the fortunate ones who secures a contract with a large music publisher who will actually market, promote and sell you to the world then you will have arrived at the top of your dreams. Need I say more?
PRO – Existing music publishers can provide a lot of knowledge resources and support for creative types unwilling or who simply cannot get a handle on the necessary management of a music business. These resources include the management of your act, your “music business” and the necessary resources and connections to raise your game to the highest levels while supporting you along the way. The speed to market is greatly increased through their investment in you and/or your band.
CON – Nothing is for free and that includes speeding your pathway to stardom. Existing music publishers will require from you all or a part of the publishing income from the sale of your music, depending upon your agreement with them. Most if not all will also require that you give up the majority if not all of the control of your music in the marketplace. They are taking a great risk by investing in you and your music. For this you will give up some or all of your publishing income and most if not all of your control.
CON – So you thought that an existing music publisher was actually looking for you? Gone are the days when scouts would canvass the world seeking the next big hit. Now, you need to be that great big new bright and shining star to get signed by a major label. You will need to have a large following in place before they will even notice you.
This is not stated to discourage you rather to awaken you to the task. Nowadays writing a couple of songs isn’t going to cut it. You will need not only one or two albums, maybe even three or four albums worth of new and original material but you will also need to have developed a growing following of fans helping you to create that “buzz” about you and your music. The bigger the better!
Assuming this is the case, getting your music published becomes more feasible and possible by promoting yourself and your band to existing publishers. This will help you gain exposure in the marketplace. If you take on self promotion to music publishers be certain you are creating a unique image and sound with your music and your band. Uniqueness and a high quality of sound are two characteristics publishers hope to see in a new band.
The New Gig
The old days are over and now a solo act or band has to do much in order to be “discovered”. Whether you self publish or seek out an existing music publisher you will need to take your music seriously and to think of it as a business rather than simply as playing music, unless of course you are a virtuosic performer or Mozart-esque composer, in which case, if that is your calling, your efforts require an entirely different approach to the music business.
The new gig is favored for the majority of music composers and singer/songwriters. In both cases, using existing music publishers or self publishing, requires the development of a large following of fans and creating a large and respectable “buzz” in the marketplace about you, your band and your music. Yes, it takes a lot to gain fans beyond your local or regional marketplace. In order to do so your efforts need to include a number of actions, all done well by the way, to gain the loyal, wide and deep fan base needed to be heard amongst the noise. The new gig involves massive action with social media, networking, quality performances, marketing, promotion and of course excellent music! In other words, a growing business is needed to secure successful music publishing whether you self publish or seek out an existing publisher. Both require a business consciousness and doing due diligence as a business and because both require the same amount of effort getting you acknowledged in the marketplace, a little more knowledge and a little more effort allows you to keep 100% control and 100% of the generated revenue from your music.
In the end, it still boils down to creating and performing new incredibly beautiful and marketable music, believing in yourself or band and working your tail off to make it in today’s music business and for getting your music published.
Music Publishing 101
