Get to Know Your Copyright
As a songwriter, swatting up on copyright can be really advantageous when attending business meetings with publishers, labels or sync agents. It’s a part of the music industry which can be quite tricky to master. So, showing you have a great understanding to professionals really does set you apart from other songwriters.
If you are looking to expand your knowledge as a songwriter on copyright and how it affects you, here at Anara Publishing we’ve put together a series of blogs to simplify the most confusing parts simply and clearly.
https://www.anarapublishing.com/beginners-guide-music-copyright/
https://www.anarapublishing.com/a-beginners-guide-to-music-copyright-part-two/
https://www.anarapublishing.com/a-beginners-guide-to-music-copyright-part-three/
Get a Good Balance Between Creative and Business
Whilst writing a song for an artist or getting involved in a collaboration, it can be very easy to get caught up in the moment, forget about how you are working and need to earn money from what you’re creating. It’s often good to agree on a split before you go into a recording or writing session and have this written down on a signed contract. Slipping into a verbal agreement can be initially very painless however later be detrimental. It may seem like a stressful and awkward process, but once the contract is signed it can be forgotten about and you can truly enjoy the creative process of your work.
Funding
Being a creative head and trying to make a living is renowned for being challenging. However, many companies and the government are recognising the struggle and have set up a variety of funding schemes that you can apply for as a songwriter or an artist.
- The British Council have put together a list of the different UK Music Funding and Support you can get.
- PRS for Music are also a company heavily involved with funding opportunities.
- The Arts Council will fund specific projects as part of the National Lottery Project Grants.
These are just a few examples of funding you can retain. Just by typing “Funding a Songwriter” into your search engine, it comes up with an abundance of options. Please be aware some may be more realistic than others depending on the stage you’re at in your career.
Relentless Drive
Navigating your way through the music business can often get discouraging and tough at times. The most successful songwriters are the ones who come to love criticism or the word no, the ones who can fall down and get straight back up. Understandably, it’s easier said than done. However, if you can develop a positive relationship with these setbacks, it can really drive you to create bigger and better pieces of work that can really excite industry professionals.