recording and selling drums for popular songs

[Slouching Raymond]

I don't see why drum music should be treated any differently to that of other instruments.

 

[Sheff37]

I don't see why drum music should be treated any differently to that of other instruments.

It isn't.

 

[rob aylestone]

I’m not certain that most artists don’t own their work is as valid nowadays. You can of course sell your back catalogue, like some big names did, for the dosh, but most still retain and manage their rights. Drum music should just be treated the same as didgeridoo music, or piano music. The unfair bit is that weird stuff on the net, often with identical wording on US and UK sites that has been shared as fact, and there seems no basis to it using modern legal terminology. We used to consider poetry differently to song lyrics, and still have odd differences in time after death, but the wording on government sites on the net is usually that everything you create is protected as it’s your intellectual property. It’s been fun over the weekend thinking of pieces of music that instantly identify the song by a rhythm, including our queen banging her tea cup in the we will rock you intro.

I never stick up for drummers, but it is demeaning to have your contribution to music knocked down because it lacks pitch and length, when it does have pitch and length before you choke it off?

 

[Sheff37]

I’m not certain that most artists don’t own their work is as valid nowadays. You can of course sell your back catalogue, like some big names did, for the dosh, but most still retain and manage their rights. Drum music should just be treated the same as didgeridoo music, or piano music. The unfair bit is that weird stuff on the net, often with identical wording on US and UK sites that has been shared as fact, and there seems no basis to it using modern legal terminology. We used to consider poetry differently to song lyrics, and still have odd differences in time after death, but the wording on government sites on the net is usually that everything you create is protected as it’s your intellectual property. It’s been fun over the weekend thinking of pieces of music that instantly identify the song by a rhythm, including our queen banging her tea cup in the we will rock you intro.

I never stick up for drummers, but it is demeaning to have your contribution to music knocked down because it lacks pitch and length, when it does have pitch and length before you choke it off?

The only songs that have any kind of demand, for money, are the old big name artists. ZZ Top, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Motley Crue etc. And most of those artists sold off. They don't own any legal rights to pursue anything anymore. People are only going to want the backing tracks to the old time million seller hits. And true most songs do not fall in that category. And the original artists do still own all thier intellectual rights, but nobody wants to purchase unknown backing tracks by total unknown nobodies. So we don't count those, as the original artists will never pursue legal recourses.

 

[Greenhousestudio]

But that doesn't mean that selling drum tracks is impossible. There is a big demand for that as drumming is a lost Art and modern drummers have no ability to play any of those songs correctly anymore.

Say if l wanted to sell drum tracks of La Grange etc, since l am a contracted BMG Artist, l would simply contact BMG through my mybmg.com account. Tell them my plan, and set it up where all sales were made to BMG. They would do the admin on the matter and send me my cut based on a contractual agreement before l began selling my drum interpretations. Which would accompany all the other works that BMG does admin for me and forwards the funds they collect in quarterly statements.

So yes it is possible, although maybe not real easy.

Woaw, I know it was most likely covered by copywrite but didn't expect to be on the FBI most wanted list Im from the UK anyways so the FBI would have to extradite me, altho since they look like they gonna be getting Julian Assange for doing journalism I imagine my government would hand me over without a sideways glance.

Unfortunatly I am no BMG Artist and again Id most likely not sell enough for them to justify buying their lawyers a latte. But your plan of how to get it done would be a model Id be happy with. . . . Sound like a much simpler way just make the sale and both partys get their cut. The plan is laying dead on a heap now tho as looks like there are just too many hurdles (not least that Id have to do a bunch more drums covers of a decent standard, (in fact excellent standard if I wanted ppl to buy em). But I guess the internet is the modern way to think out loud and get feedback. Might look into offering online session drumming. anyone know if there is much demand for that with all the modern drum machines and robot drummers?

 

[rob aylestone]

The practicalities are that most people do this kind of thing through ignorance, and those that know have to work really hard to do it properly - often costing them a lot of money for permissions on things that don't sell. We did a whole series of sort of classical karaoke - for people taking advanced exams who need to practice but can only afford a real accompanist for the exam and maybe the day before? Lots of the works were covered by copyright and getting permission was a pain, but in five years we didn't recover what it cost us, so we gave up. Online music lessons are tricky because you need to see them play, but getting that in sync is really random, plus they get isolated - remote lessons in covid were tough, most teachers got back to visits as soon as they could. With drums revolving around timing - delays make it so hard!

 

[Greenhousestudio]

The practicalities are that most people do this kind of thing through ignorance, and those that know have to work really hard to do it properly - often costing them a lot of money for permissions on things that don't sell. We did a whole series of sort of classical karaoke - for people taking advanced exams who need to practice but can only afford a real accompanist for the exam and maybe the day before? Lots of the works were covered by copyright and getting permission was a pain, but in five years we didn't recover what it cost us, so we gave up. Online music lessons are tricky because you need to see them play, but getting that in sync is really random, plus they get isolated - remote lessons in covid were tough, most teachers got back to visits as soon as they could. With drums revolving around timing - delays make it so hard!

Aha that's what I had expected about teaching online. With covid I've seen loads of music teachers and business promotors go on n on about how teaching online is the better way of doing things. But your the first that I've heard admit that online lessons are indeed tricky. I've not taught drums for about 6 years but have considered getting back into it as I have a good space for teaching but working full time as well has put me off the idea as when I was teaching finding enough students to make it financially viable was hard and After 10 years of self employment and zero hour work contracts I have been enjoying the stress relief a steady wage brings. Just a shame that after building up my studio equipment and drum kit and all the fun music stuff I now have to play with I'm too bloody tired after work to use it as much as id like.