Music Business/Law Tips - "YouTube"

For an artist to maximize their YouTube presence they should do the following: 1. Shoot a video and upload. 2. List the artist and song title. 3. Describe the video (i.e., category = music). 4. Insert an ISRC Code in the metadata to generate a "buy" link for the song to iTunes and Amazon. 5. Enter similar popular artists names in the tags field to capture the target demographic and make it more viral. Ben McLane Esq benmclane.com

Music Business/Law Tips - "Top 5 Success Elements"

Of course there are many factors that contribute to an artist's success, but all artist's that make it seem to have the following 5 things going for them: 1. Strong work ethic 2. Exceptional talent 3. Unique image 4. Perseverance 5. Professional team Ben McLane Esq benmclane.com

Music Business/Law Tips - "Synch Tips"

An artist can increase the likelihood of getting their music placed in film, TV and commercials if they take care of the following first: 1. Make sure to own the copyrights for both the masters and the songs embodied on the masters so there is easy licensing. 2. Make sure the music is "claim" and "sample free" (i.e., all legal issues/permissions/clearances have been worked out in advance). 3. Make sure that the person "pitching" has the authority to act as an agent (administrator) on behalf of all the copyrights. Ben McLane Esq benmclane.com

Music Business/Law Tips - "Neighboring Rights"

“Neighboring Rights” mean an artist is entitled to royalty payments for the public performance of masters in key foreign (i.e., non-US) countries. This form of royalty is payable only to the record label (50%) and the performers on the master (the other 50%). It does not pay the songwriters whose songs are embodied on the masters. Money is collected from performances of the master on/in foreign radio, TV, theaters, clubs and restaurants. For an American artist to be eligible to collect, the master must have been recorded in a participating foreign country (e.g., the UK). A record recorded in the US generally does not qualify. Like joining BMI or ASCAP to collect songwriting performance income, an artist must join a foreign neighboring rights collection society to get paid. One of the best known ones is the Dutch society called SENA [http://sena.nl]. Ben McLane Esq Benmclane.com

Music Business/Law Tips - "ISRC Codes"

ISRC stands for International Standard Recording Code, and is like a bar code for recorded music that identifies songs and videos worldwide sold in the digital realm, and helps tracks digital sales/royalties. It is required to have an ISRC code to sell on iTunes and to chart in Billboard. Each song on an album (or each single) has to have its own ISRC code. You can get ISRC codes here: www.isrcmusiccodes.com (the current cost is $32/song). Don’t forget you still need a separate bar code to sell a physical CD. Ben McLane Esq Benmclane.com

Music Business/Law Tips - "Fan Discovery"

It is important for an artist and his/her music to be discovered by the masses to create fans who will buy their art. The Internet allows for anyone to put themselves in a position to be discovered, but there are a few key things that must be in place: 1. Create multiple sites. The main ones would be a website, a Facebook page, a Twitter page, and a YouTube channel. 2. Add the necessary info/content to the sites. At a minimum make sure there is music, videos, photos, a bio, and show info. And make sure the metadata is correct and consistent across all sites. Ben McLane Esq benmclane.com

Music Business/Law Tips - "Poor Man’s Copyright”

Emailing or snail-mailing yourself a copy of your music (or other creative work) is what many people refer to as a so-called "poor-man's" copyright. However, the "poor man's copyright" has never been a part of the US copyright law, nor is it recognized by law. Hence, it's not a substitute for formal copyright registration. Technically, a copyright is created under the law when an original creative work like a song is embodied in a fixed format, such as CD or a lyric sheet. However, by taking the extra step of timely registering the song/copyright with the US Copyright Office, the creator gains extra important rights/benefits, the biggest one being the ability to bring a copyright infringement lawsuit for statutory damages which can be up to $150,000 per infringement, plus attorneys fees. None of these benefits apply to a “poor man’s copyright”, so its best to spend a few extra dollars to protect your valuable rights. Ben McLane Esq Benmclane.com