If you've been reading consistently, you may be getting the impression that I'm taking on the role of some old grump that just wants to put kids in their place... That's not my intention. I purely/genuinely would like people to read this, and reflect.... reflect on yourself and your band, and maybe find a few things that you could work on. I want you to get there, and I honestly hope that you find success.... but 9 out of 10 bands that I witness, whether it's on Facebook or in my studio, have a HUGE sense of urgency to "make it," but aren't putting in the proper work, or approaching this with the proper business savvy that it really takes.
Assuming you're in a good band, and assuming that you all play your instruments well, get along, and have an equal passion for making this your long-term career... there are still things that you can be doing to further your career:
By now, you probably know how to get your songs on iTunes (and/or all other online retailers), you probably have a Twitter and a Facebook... you might even have merch for sale at shows and online... and those are all things that I definitely love seeing. This is a brand that you're creating, and you've gotta be able to sell it.... I'll keep on assuming that you've been following my advice, and you have yourselves set up as an LLC, and you have a band bank account... If you have all that stuff in place, give yourself a huge pat on the back. you are the 1%. ;)
NOW, do you have a publishing company set up? Are you registered with ASCAP or BMI? have you done any research on copyright law? ... didn't think so.
Think about this... What if, out of the blue, someone called you and said "Hey! I'm a big-shot placement agent, and I want to use your song in a movie/ad/tv show!" ... would you be prepared for that? would you know what to do? ... if you don't have your band properly set up, you may just miss out on opportunities like that.
First: Research ASCAP and BMI ... decide which you want to go with, and register. They will, first and foremost, let you know if your "company name" (band name, or what you want to call your publishing company) is taken or not. IF you have a band name that has already been registered, don't worry, you can call your publishing company whatever you want. It's really just a formality, so that they know who to write the checks to.
***NOTE*** Register as both Writer and Publisher.
Then register your publishing company with the state. It's different in some states, so just Google it, and you'll find plenty of info...
After those steps are done, and you're properly registered (can take a while... sometimes weeks, sometimes months) ... Then you need to submit your songs (lyrics, tabs, written notation, whatever you can) with the Copyright Office under whatever you've called your publishing company. Submit everything you've done as a band, and then from now on, submit everything BEFORE it's released.
These steps basically ensure that if your song is ever used on anything, for profit or advertising, you will get paid. If you sign to a label, they will make you do most/all of these steps as well... but it really looks good, and makes you seem much more professional if you've taken these steps preemptively.
Okay, Next...
You've taken all these steps, and before going to record your new songs, you've submitted your intellectual material to the Copyright Office... you go record, and you're ready to release and sell your songs (digitally or in hard copy)... do you have a digital fingerprint embedded on your songs? ... did you even know that you can (and SHOULD) do that?? ...
The best, most common way of doing this is through ISRC. You register with them, and set up an account.... and basically, what they do is give you a formula to create your own "ISRC Codes" ... it's a 12-digit code that your mastering engineer will digitally embed on your master. This way, no-matter how many times it's duplicated, copied, or whatever... it will always have a digital fingerprint that can be traced back to you. (If your mastering engineer can't do it, find a new one... but last-resort, most CD duplication places can help you out with that.)
All of these things may seem like overkill... but trust me, if you're serious about the music you're creating, you can never be too careful. Being properly set up for the big boy stuff is really crucial.
-Ryan
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