advice needed regarding production

A

amyelizabeth

New member
So I am new to songwriting and singing. I started a few months ago with a great vocal coach, who has produced some of her own music, which was really good, but in MIDI. I recently wrote 14 songs and of them,, I'd say 4 of them are spot-on. One of them in particular is a favorite of my coach's and she asked to help me produce it. Since I'm so new at all of this, i thought it would be great to learn from her some of her tricks, so i thought that I'd be happy to have her input/help. So I guess I am confused about how point/credits go.... If she produces the instrumental sounds (outside the piano, since i wrote it on the piano)....would she deserve a production credit if I send this off to a publishing company? Also, she mentioned something about selling my songs off to other people. What is that all about? Sorry, for the 2 questions, but I really am such a newbie to this all. Your help is appreciated.
 
I will want to record my stuff in real sounds, btw. Her equipment is in MIDI mostly, but I am open to doing this, if it will be a learning experience.
 
Production and points usually relate to the recording of the song on an album or whatever, where producers organise a commission structure on sales as a means of payment, usually in addition to a fee.

You sound like you're still at songwriting stage - you have a song and from what I'm reading, your coach wants to help you with arrangements etc - playing other instruments etc. for some type of demo?

Or do you actually have "proper" recording sessions organised?

By all means accept help with the arrangement, instrumentation, playing etc. and acknowledge it - whether than means a co-writing credit on a song or not depends upon you.... normally not, would be my HO.
 
Thank you for your advice! Yes, it is still in the songwriting development stage. It has piano and lyrics (I'd be the singer); but it could use some expansion. I guess I'm not sure what a producer does. LOL!. so true, but she said that she'd be happy to help me produce it....I guess I'm not sure if that means she gets a collaborators fee for service situation (as in a one time fee) or if I will have to offer her a credit to pay for her help with in royalties later.... as a collaborator. I would rather not do that, of course, but she does have contacts in the industry and for that, i'd probably give up some credit. Dunno. urgh... I am going to have to record it with someone else anyway later, since she doesn't have mics or will have to buy some of my own condensers(if I can)....so really... I am thinking that it's just more of a learning about how to expand the intrumentals via midi sound.... and then I can use those intrumental ideas and pay some musicians to lay tracks with me on a fee for service. Does that sound right?
 
Copyright is vested in the creator of the work, i.e. you.

What your music coach is doing is developing the arrangement, and arrangements can attract their own copyright.
 
Oh...! hmmm... ok. so that makes sense... I had someone allude to that last month while talking with me, about it in person. They said that I should copyright my lyrics and piano arrangement or chords and then have other musicians put their two cents worth in and get their own copyright. Is this the common way of doing it?
 
Your songs are copyrighted when you write them but it wouldn't hurt to get them "officially copyrighted" via the gov't. Make a written contract that the producer signs that either gives them rights/royalties/points or nothing. Don't just wait and see what happens if you are seriously thinking this is going somewhere.... Google for contracts - I'm sure there's some out there....
 
Get your composer credit & performer credit as well as arranger. IF you allow other musicians to make their own parts and they sound innovative, perfect etc you might give them a co-credit in the arrangement for a particular recording not for the song per se UNLESS it becomes the definitive arrangement that you dupliacte in otehr sessions.
 
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