Success with music

J

Johnone

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How easy or difficult is it to be successful in the music industry in SA and in the world.

For instance, if a person wants to pursue a career as a songwriter, what is the chances of that person to be able make a living out of it? Does that person have to write at least one hit song a year?

How does royalties also work? Do you sell your songs and receive a once of payment? Or do you receive a continuous income from your music as it is being utilised?
 
Incredibly difficult. And your payment depends on the agreement you have with your label. Royalties can continue indefinitely and you can also be paid by the label upfront for albums. But it is a very tight community to get in to and I'd hazard a guess at 1% of musicians actually being able to earn a decent living from it...
 
Want to make money as a songwriter in this country? Go into advertising. Become a jingle writer, composer and sound engineer. Those guys make bank.
 
Sound engineers earn diddly squat and the industry is saturated with them at the moment. I can'r speak for jingle-writers and composers, necessarily...
 
DJ... said:
Sound engineers earn diddly squat and the industry is saturated with them at the moment. I can'r speak for v and composers, necessarily...
Click to expand...
Well, the ones I know have more money than God. But they are composers and jingle-writers too(and thus make royalties), so maybe it's that.
 
Geriatrix said:
Well, the ones I know have more money than God. But they are composers and jingle-writers too(and thus make royalties), so maybe it's that.
Click to expand...

They're studio producers with a sound engineering background. Higher up in the food chain...
 
Johnone said:
How easy or difficult is it to be successful in the music industry in SA and in the world.

For instance, if a person wants to pursue a career as a songwriter, what is the chances of that person to be able make a living out of it? Does that person have to write at least one hit song a year?

How does royalties also work? Do you sell your songs and receive a once of payment? Or do you receive a continuous income from your music as it is being utilised?
Click to expand...

You can,but it is difficult and it's kept ridiculously confusing to keep it protected.Remember you'll have to sell your soul to mostly pop crap music.Also remember nowadays is harder for a songwriter
as everybody slap sommer self a song aanmekaar.

Example.This is a real song.
Mims said:
This is way i'm hot,this is why i'm hot
this is why,this is why,this is why i'm hot
I'm hot cuz i'm fly,you ain't cuz you not
this is why,this is why,this is why i'm hot
Click to expand...

OK

There are various income streams,some are even hidden.If you don't know about it and don't claim it,nobody will give it to you.

Best way imo is to sign off all administer rights to a reliable publisher.Do your research,all the big labels have their own publishing houses,trust me,you don't want to use them.
You'll get less royalties (normally 50/50 split with publisher) but he's not only responsible for collecting all possible royalties but to submit your work to tv,ad agencies,sign agreements with international agencies,ect.
There is various income streams...examples
1 mechanical royalties
2 perfomance royalties
3 needle time
4 blanket agreements
5 theatre,tv,cinema,printed music,karaoke,jukeboxes
6 webcast

Hidden stuff like blanket licenses for restaurants (background music),muzak royalties(music in elevators,grocery stores,etc), blanket pool royalties from blank cds,cd writers (not all markets),etc.Another hidden income is called black box and its all unclaimed money collected.Royalties are collected on ALL songs,but only registered ones gets paid out, After 3 years it gets paid to all registered publisher on a pro rato basis.This can get big.With blankets,they do not even have to play your tracks.

Sub licenses like foreign mechanical and performance royalties,etc

This is just what i can remember,trust me,there's more.

It is a minefield,so beware.
Never sign with a label affiliated publisher.
Never sign your copyright away,only publisher admin rights.
If you use a label, (in case you're an artist too) never include FREE GOODS (promo stock) in your deal,or put a cap on free goods.You don't receive any royalties on free goods,but you pay for the cost.

Collecting societies in SA - SAMRO,SARRAL.There might be more

edit:Try looking for a book from Donald Passman.Sorry can't remember the name.Afaik its for the US market but things are mostly the same.
 
Last edited:
JustAsk said:
You can,but it is difficult and it's kept ridiculously confusing to keep it protected.Remember you'll have to sell your soul to mostly pop crap music.Also remember nowadays is harder for a songwriter
as everybody slap sommer self a song aanmekaar.

Example.This is a real song.


OK

There are various income streams,some are even hidden.If you don't know about it and don't claim it,nobody will give it to you.

Best way imo is to sign off all administer rights to a reliable publisher.Do your research,all the big labels have their own publishing houses,trust me,you don't want to use them.
You'll get less royalties (normally 50/50 split with publisher) but he's not only responsible for collecting all possible royalties but to submit your work to tv,ad agencies,sign agreements with international agencies,ect.
There is various income streams...examples
1 mechanical royalties
2 perfomance royalties
3 needle time
4 blanket agreements
5 theatre,tv,cinema,printed music,karaoke,jukeboxes
6 webcast

Hidden stuff like blanket licenses for restaurants (background music),muzak royalties(music in elevators,grocery stores,etc), blanket pool royalties from blank cds,cd writers (not all markets),etc.Another hidden income is called black box and its all unclaimed money collected.Royalties are collected on ALL songs,but only registered ones gets paid out, After 3 years it gets paid to all registered publisher on a pro rato basis.This can get big.With blankets,they do not even have to play your tracks.

Sub licenses like foreign mechanical and performance royalties,etc

This is just what i can remember,trust me,there's more.

It is a minefield,so beware.
Never sign with a label affiliated publisher.
Never sign your copyright away,only publisher admin rights.
If you use a label, (in case you're an artist too) never include FREE GOODS (promo stock) in your deal,or put a cap on free goods.You don't receive any royalties on free goods,but you pay for the cost.

Collecting societies in SA - SAMRO,SARRAL.There might be more

edit:Try looking for a book from Donald Passman.Sorry can't remember the name.Afaik its for the US market but things are mostly the same.
Click to expand...
Go on...
 
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