REQ: Berklee Online - Music Publishing 101
Authored by the former Vice President, Creative at Sony/ATV Music and current A&R executive for Shapiro Bernstein, Music Publishing 101 provides a step-by-step guide to setting up your own publishing company, including administration of copyrights, the role of performance rights organizations, and preparing a functioning accounting system for your catalog. You'll develop your own publicity plan, submit your songs to the instructor for critique, and register your songs with the copyright office. You'll also learn how to market and promote your compositions and writers by developing effective pitch and promotion strategies, and discover how to turn that stack of demos and lyrics in the closet into a real, independent business.
Lesson 1: The Fundamentals: "What Is Music Publishing, Anyway?"
Greet and Meet
What is Music Publishing?
The Five Functions of a Music Publisher
Examples of the Functions
A Quick History of Music Publishing
Quiz: Who Ya Gonna Call?
Assignment: Market Leaders
The Writer/Publisher Relationship
Assignment: Make a Deal
Lesson 2: The Financial Structure of Music Publishing: "Show Me the Money"
Where the Income Stream Begins…
Assignment: Income Sources of One Song
Where the Income Stream Leads
Assignment: Royalties of One Song
Where the Income Stream Ends
Assignment: Distribute the Money
Conclusion: The Big Payback
Assignment: Advance
Lesson 3: Understanding the Catalog: "It All Starts with the Song"
"Do You Own the Songs?"
Negotiation
Assignment: Song Split Case Study
Do You Still Own the Songs?
Sampling
Interpolations
Translations and Adaptations
"Can You Find the Songs?"
Assignment: Post Two Song Submittal Forms
"Are These Songs Any Good?"
Assignment: Assess One Song in Your Catalog
Assignment: Billboard Predictions
Lesson 4: The Basics of Business: "Start Me Up"
Choosing a Business Structure: "What Am I?"
Assignment: Select a Business Structure
Choosing the Office: "Where Am I?"
Gearing Up: What Do I Need? (Page 2)
Designing a Web Site: What Do I Do?
Discussion: Choose Your Office
Information Is Power: What Do I Know?
Discussion: Research the Resources
Making a Plan
Where Are You Going?
One Final Caveat
Assignment: Book Quiz
Lesson 5: Setting Up Systems
Managing the Music
Digital Archiving
Common Concerns
Distributing the Music
Assignment: Develop an Archiving System
Managing the Administration
Accounting Systems
Assignment: Financial Management Case Study
Conclusion: The First Line of Defense
Assignment: Copyright Dispute
One Last Thing...
Dan Coleman Interview Part 2
Lesson 6: Building a Team : "You Got to Have Friends"
"Get Me My Lawyer!!"
Payment Structures
Finding a Lawyer
Assignment: Find Three Lawyers
A Writer's Best Friend
PROs Continued
A Global Perspective
Assignment: Find Your Friends
Interns
Developing Your Contacts: Music Conventions
Awards Shows
Songwriter and Music Business Organizations
Assignment: Choose Your Smooze Fests
Assignment: Let's Count Our Friends
Peter Bliss Interview
Lesson 7: The Art of Exploitation: "Getting the Music Right"
The Constructive Critic
The Song Quality Checklist
Constructive Criticism
Assignment: Post One Song from Your Catalog
"Hits Only, Please"
Discussion: Reassess the Song's Hit Potential
"Demo Do's and Don'ts"
What Works and What Doesn't
Redemoing
Assignment: Redemo a Song
"It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right"
Challenges
The Wise Weasel's Credo
Discussion: Potential Collaborations
Lesson 8: The Art of Exploitation: Getting the Music Out
Looking at the Landscape
Assignment: Identify Your Market Focus
Who's Looking?
Who Are These People and How Do I Get to Them?
Contacting People in the Industry
Assignment: Identify the Personal Contacts in Your Market
Here Comes the Pitch…
Discussion: Song Pitch
Helping Hands
Conclusion: "The Soft Sell"
Lesson 9: The Art of Exploitation: Moving the Writer Up
Getting the Writers In: The Art of Acquisition
A Quick Reminder: What You're Acquiring and Deal Structures
Deal Duration and Money
Contracts
Assignment: Identify Two Songwriters
The Hype Machine
Four Rules of Star-Making: Rule #1
Four Rules of Star-Making: Rule #2
Four Rules of Star-Making: Rule #3
Assignment: Put Together Your Publicity Strategy
Timing Is Everything: Rule #4
Assignment: Identify One Publicity Opportunity in the Next Three Months
Friends in High Places
Discussion: Collaboration
A Moment of Inspiration
Lesson 10: Getting the Money In: "You Get What You Give"
Confronting Contemporary Pressures
Knowing What You Have
Duration
Territory and Alterations/Adaptations
Special Uses and First Use
Assignment: Define Publisher's Rights in License
"License Please"
Mechanical License
Synchronization License
Special Uses
Assignment: Identify Licenses for Various Uses
The Bones of Contention: Mechanical Licenses
The Bones of Contention: Sync Licenses
The Bones of Contention: 360 Deals
Assignment: Find the Most Profitable Writer
You Get What You Bargain For
Use the Tools Available
Lesson 11: Getting the Money In: "Help Is on the Way"
The Mechanics of Mechanical Collection
Collection Option #1: Going Direct
Collection Option #2: Going with the Big Guys
Collection Option #3: Going With the Not-So-Big Guys
A Quick Diversion on Dealing with Digital
Collection Option #4: Going With An Administrator
Assignment: Collecting Your Mechanical Income
"I Hear Music in the Air"
Assignment: Choose a Performing Rights Society
"All Around the World"
Stick with Who You Know.
One size (large) fits all.
Go with the locals.
Buffet or à la carte?
Assignment: Find an Approach for International Earnings
Conclusion: Subpublishers
Lesson 12: Protect and Defend: Protecting Your Copyrights
Understanding the Threat: "Where Evil Lurks . . . "
Protecting the Jewels: "Lines of Defense"
Assignment: One Last Pop Quiz
The Circle of Friends
The Three Secret Weapons of Negotiating: 1. Knowledge
The Three Secret Weapons of Negotiating: 2. Patience
The Three Secret Weapons of Negotiating: 3. Flexibility
The Outer Limits
Stop, Look, and Listen
Assignment: Negotiation
The Dangerous New Frontier
The Death of Mechanical Income
The Folly of Free
The End of the World As We Know It
Get On Board
Get Your Share
Get Into Greener Pastures
Assignment: Identifying Potential Danger
Registering Your Copyrights: The Claim to Fame
What's the Point?
Registering Online
The Berne Convention
Exercise: Register Songs in the Copyright Office
Lesson 1: The Fundamentals: "What Is Music Publishing, Anyway?"
Greet and Meet
What is Music Publishing?
The Five Functions of a Music Publisher
Examples of the Functions
A Quick History of Music Publishing
Quiz: Who Ya Gonna Call?
Assignment: Market Leaders
The Writer/Publisher Relationship
Assignment: Make a Deal
Lesson 2: The Financial Structure of Music Publishing: "Show Me the Money"
Where the Income Stream Begins…
Assignment: Income Sources of One Song
Where the Income Stream Leads
Assignment: Royalties of One Song
Where the Income Stream Ends
Assignment: Distribute the Money
Conclusion: The Big Payback
Assignment: Advance
Lesson 3: Understanding the Catalog: "It All Starts with the Song"
"Do You Own the Songs?"
Negotiation
Assignment: Song Split Case Study
Do You Still Own the Songs?
Sampling
Interpolations
Translations and Adaptations
"Can You Find the Songs?"
Assignment: Post Two Song Submittal Forms
"Are These Songs Any Good?"
Assignment: Assess One Song in Your Catalog
Assignment: Billboard Predictions
Lesson 4: The Basics of Business: "Start Me Up"
Choosing a Business Structure: "What Am I?"
Assignment: Select a Business Structure
Choosing the Office: "Where Am I?"
Gearing Up: What Do I Need? (Page 2)
Designing a Web Site: What Do I Do?
Discussion: Choose Your Office
Information Is Power: What Do I Know?
Discussion: Research the Resources
Making a Plan
Where Are You Going?
One Final Caveat
Assignment: Book Quiz
Lesson 5: Setting Up Systems
Managing the Music
Digital Archiving
Common Concerns
Distributing the Music
Assignment: Develop an Archiving System
Managing the Administration
Accounting Systems
Assignment: Financial Management Case Study
Conclusion: The First Line of Defense
Assignment: Copyright Dispute
One Last Thing...
Dan Coleman Interview Part 2
Lesson 6: Building a Team : "You Got to Have Friends"
"Get Me My Lawyer!!"
Payment Structures
Finding a Lawyer
Assignment: Find Three Lawyers
A Writer's Best Friend
PROs Continued
A Global Perspective
Assignment: Find Your Friends
Interns
Developing Your Contacts: Music Conventions
Awards Shows
Songwriter and Music Business Organizations
Assignment: Choose Your Smooze Fests
Assignment: Let's Count Our Friends
Peter Bliss Interview
Lesson 7: The Art of Exploitation: "Getting the Music Right"
The Constructive Critic
The Song Quality Checklist
Constructive Criticism
Assignment: Post One Song from Your Catalog
"Hits Only, Please"
Discussion: Reassess the Song's Hit Potential
"Demo Do's and Don'ts"
What Works and What Doesn't
Redemoing
Assignment: Redemo a Song
"It Takes Two to Make a Thing Go Right"
Challenges
The Wise Weasel's Credo
Discussion: Potential Collaborations
Lesson 8: The Art of Exploitation: Getting the Music Out
Looking at the Landscape
Assignment: Identify Your Market Focus
Who's Looking?
Who Are These People and How Do I Get to Them?
Contacting People in the Industry
Assignment: Identify the Personal Contacts in Your Market
Here Comes the Pitch…
Discussion: Song Pitch
Helping Hands
Conclusion: "The Soft Sell"
Lesson 9: The Art of Exploitation: Moving the Writer Up
Getting the Writers In: The Art of Acquisition
A Quick Reminder: What You're Acquiring and Deal Structures
Deal Duration and Money
Contracts
Assignment: Identify Two Songwriters
The Hype Machine
Four Rules of Star-Making: Rule #1
Four Rules of Star-Making: Rule #2
Four Rules of Star-Making: Rule #3
Assignment: Put Together Your Publicity Strategy
Timing Is Everything: Rule #4
Assignment: Identify One Publicity Opportunity in the Next Three Months
Friends in High Places
Discussion: Collaboration
A Moment of Inspiration
Lesson 10: Getting the Money In: "You Get What You Give"
Confronting Contemporary Pressures
Knowing What You Have
Duration
Territory and Alterations/Adaptations
Special Uses and First Use
Assignment: Define Publisher's Rights in License
"License Please"
Mechanical License
Synchronization License
Special Uses
Assignment: Identify Licenses for Various Uses
The Bones of Contention: Mechanical Licenses
The Bones of Contention: Sync Licenses
The Bones of Contention: 360 Deals
Assignment: Find the Most Profitable Writer
You Get What You Bargain For
Use the Tools Available
Lesson 11: Getting the Money In: "Help Is on the Way"
The Mechanics of Mechanical Collection
Collection Option #1: Going Direct
Collection Option #2: Going with the Big Guys
Collection Option #3: Going With the Not-So-Big Guys
A Quick Diversion on Dealing with Digital
Collection Option #4: Going With An Administrator
Assignment: Collecting Your Mechanical Income
"I Hear Music in the Air"
Assignment: Choose a Performing Rights Society
"All Around the World"
Stick with Who You Know.
One size (large) fits all.
Go with the locals.
Buffet or à la carte?
Assignment: Find an Approach for International Earnings
Conclusion: Subpublishers
Lesson 12: Protect and Defend: Protecting Your Copyrights
Understanding the Threat: "Where Evil Lurks . . . "
Protecting the Jewels: "Lines of Defense"
Assignment: One Last Pop Quiz
The Circle of Friends
The Three Secret Weapons of Negotiating: 1. Knowledge
The Three Secret Weapons of Negotiating: 2. Patience
The Three Secret Weapons of Negotiating: 3. Flexibility
The Outer Limits
Stop, Look, and Listen
Assignment: Negotiation
The Dangerous New Frontier
The Death of Mechanical Income
The Folly of Free
The End of the World As We Know It
Get On Board
Get Your Share
Get Into Greener Pastures
Assignment: Identifying Potential Danger
Registering Your Copyrights: The Claim to Fame
What's the Point?
Registering Online
The Berne Convention
Exercise: Register Songs in the Copyright Office