LiveMusic Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 ...only trouble is, he doesn't know it yet. Curious how much a songwriter could earn from a hit record. I've always wondered how much a writer could make from one big hit. Say you wrote a song for someone and it goes on a CD that goes Platinum or whatever they call it... say, 500,000 units. Is that platinum? How much could you earn? Any ballpark idea? Say you are a writer you writes enough songs for your own CD and you are good enough to sell 10,000 copies. Would you make more from that or more from having a big artist include ONE of your songs on the 500,000-selling CD? > > > [ Live! ] < < < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplspaul Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 It's my understanding that songwriting royalities are not negotiable and are paid at a statutory rate. So if you put out an album with 10 songs and it sells 10k copies, you will make as much in songwriting royalities as you would if you got one song on George's album that sells 100k copies. BUT if you're signed to a major label (as opposed an indie), you would actually have to sell about 12.5k copies of your own album to make the same amount because the majors have a non-negotiable reduction (I forget the precise reduction, somewhere in the 75-90% range) in songwriting royalties paid to artists who record their own material. This math applies to songwriting royalties only. The rest is too horrible to even talk about, especially if you're dealing with a major. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplspaul Posted November 9, 2001 Share Posted November 9, 2001 Oh, silly me, I forgot about all the ways your publishing deal could affect your royalties. Own your own publishing? Great, you get 100%. But who's going to get your song to George (and who's going to do your accounting)? Hmmm. Maybe you could get someone like Bug Music to act as your administrator. They help with marketing and other business issues for a percentage but you still own your songs. Or you could try to get a staff writing deal with a publishing company that has a good working relationship with producers and artists. And if you don't get lost in the shuffle and actually get something covered, you usually end up with half of the royalties. But the publisher owns the rights to your songs for 30 years or so. And then Michael Jackson buys the rights and lets NIKE use something you wrote to sell shoes... Ow... my head hurts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip_dup1 Posted November 10, 2001 Share Posted November 10, 2001 The best of both worlds is to be an independent label owner, like Annie Di Franco, but have a representative (an agent or agency) with legit connections to the mainstream. It`s not worth hiring an agent if you have one song you`re sure George would go nuts over (or anyone else, for that matter). If you`re in it for the long haul, get someone that the suits will listen to, but hang on to your soul-you`d probably get an offer for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplspaul Posted November 10, 2001 Share Posted November 10, 2001 As to how much money you can make by getting a song on a hit album, there's a widely circulated story about how Nick Lowe became a millionare thanks to someone's cover of "What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding" on the Bodyguard soundtrack. Bet Nick will always love Whitney Houston. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveMusic Posted November 10, 2001 Author Share Posted November 10, 2001 Originally posted by mplspaul: As to how much money you can make by getting a song on a hit album, there's a widely circulated story about how Nick Lowe became a millionare thanks to someone's cover of "What's so funny 'bout peace love and understanding" on the Bodyguard soundtrack. Bet Nick will always love Whitney Houston. I wonder if the numbers add up. If we knew how many albums were sold, I guess someone could "back into" a guess as to how much potential money is on the table. > > > [ Live! ] < < < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mplspaul Posted November 11, 2001 Share Posted November 11, 2001 Well, the answer was pretty easy to get: The current statutory rate for Mechanical Licenses is $.0755 per song...per manufactured unit. In other words, if one of your songs is recorded by an artist who manufactures 1000 CDs, the Mechanical Royalties for that one song would be $75.50. So, let's see, that means that in order for a song to generate $1,000,000 in royalties, the album has to move about 14 million units. I have no problem believing that the Bodyguard soundtrack sold that much considering how huge the single was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted November 12, 2001 Share Posted November 12, 2001 After seeing George on the CMA awards...he damn sure needs some better material. However I would guess from listening to the current "style" coming out of Nashville that you just have to make it squeaky clean and sappy as possible within reason. In my humble opinion the women are kicking all the mens arses in Nashville. Remember Whispering Bill's "Peanut Butter" song: Your spreading your love to one to another Your spreading it around, like peanut butter OR...the Happiest Girl in the whole USA song...... : ) Of course I'm not suggesting this format, but damn, it seems like Country is in a deep depression of sorts, they don't know who they are anymore. Cosmopolitan Country doesn't appeal to the Cosmic Cowboy generation......I think! Who knows......maybe the Shadow....... Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveMusic Posted November 12, 2001 Author Share Posted November 12, 2001 Originally posted by strat0124: After seeing George on the CMA awards...he damn sure needs some better material. That song... "Run To Me" or whatever it's called... when I first heard it, I wasn't even sure I liked it. Now, after hearing it several times, I love it. And my girlfiend is nuts over it. I bet you it hits #1. Of course, damn near every single he puts out hits #1, so that's not much of a stretch. My original post was in jest; I'm not writing a song for George, although that would be nice! I was just curious how much a good hit song could earn a songwriter. I can't see how one song would make somebody a huge amount of money unless it's like the one mentioned that was beyond big hit... it was a collossal hit... like, one in a million. > > > [ Live! ] < < < Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip_dup1 Posted November 13, 2001 Share Posted November 13, 2001 A key point-a super maga hit is not necessarily written with the radio/concertgoing crowd in mind. I`ve taught English in several foreign countries, many of the students love to sing, and an easily digested, positive message-type song will appear in a ton of instructional songbooks. It doesn`t have to be sappy, but a lot of them are anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skip_dup1 Posted November 13, 2001 Share Posted November 13, 2001 Originally posted by skip: A key point-a super maga hit is not necessarily written with the radio/concertgoing crowd in mind. I`ve taught English in several foreign countries, many of the students love to sing, and an easily digested, positive message-type song will appear in a ton of instructional songbooks. It doesn`t have to be sappy, but a lot of them are anyway. One or two examples-theme song from `Titanic`, `I just called to say I love you`, `I want it that way`. Then there`s other tie-ins, like advertising. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WFTurner Posted November 16, 2001 Share Posted November 16, 2001 >>it seems like Country is in a deep depression of sorts, they don't know who they are anymore<< MSNBC's Imis In The Morning show, they played Alan's Jackson new patriotic offering (which I find more refreshiing lyric wise than most of the lot) and the anchor/host/announcer say's there's sure alot of patriotic songs coming out these days and asks is it me or do they all have the same melody? Kinda struck me funny over morning coffee. I dug out some old Haggard the other day and there's a couple tunes that are pretty patriotic but wasn't written on a bandwagon when patriotic was in style and in todays climate they sound pretty damn refreshing. William F. Turner Songwriter turnersongs Sometimes the truth is rude... tough shit... get used to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat0124 Posted November 17, 2001 Share Posted November 17, 2001 Originally posted by WFTurner: >>it seems like Country is in a deep depression of sorts, they don't know who they are anymore<< MSNBC's Imis In The Morning show, they played Alan's Jackson new patriotic offering (which I find more refreshiing lyric wise than most of the lot) and the anchor/host/announcer say's there's sure alot of patriotic songs coming out these days and asks is it me or do they all have the same melody? Kinda struck me funny over morning coffee. I dug out some old Haggard the other day and there's a couple tunes that are pretty patriotic but wasn't written on a bandwagon when patriotic was in style and in todays climate they sound pretty damn refreshing. Ain't it the truth. I routinely have to spank the young guys on the Alt Country circuit with my old New Riders, Flying Burrito Brothers, Jerry Jeff, Merle, Waylon, Joe Ely, etc to let them know where it started. I grew up listening to all the old stuff. Down like a dollar comin up against a yen, doin pretty good for the shape I'm in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.