Your Producing - Music Publishing?

[Hestan]

Hi Janek,

In an earlier post you talked about being a producer and registering your work with a PRO such as ASCAP and BMI?

I've been writing and producing my own stuff myself and have a couple of questions for you?

1. Do you also keep the publishing to all the tracks you've written? I remember seeing a video in which the guitarist Steve Vai said he took Frank Zappa's advice to "get a good lawyer and keep all your publishing". Is self-publishing a massive undertaking or can it be done by the solo musician?

2. Being in the UK, do you recommend registering with BMI/ASCAP or can you only register with PRS as long as you aren't in the US?

thanks for your insight and advice,

cheers,

J

[janekbass]

I do keep all the publishing on any tracks I write or produce on my own. Sometimes it gets split if there's a co writer on the song. It's pretty different in most situations as soon as you get outside of it just being yourself.

I'm not sure what the best way to go with the publishing companies in the UK is. I never had one there as I moved here in my late teens, so I can only really speak for my company BMI here.

They've been totally cool with me, and I get my quarterly check from them from radio play and royalties etc.

Definitely get yourself a good lawyer when you're writing, producing, or working on a production of any kind. I got totally screwed over the first major album I produced, and lost a lot of money over it.

It's taken me about five years to get things straightened out. There still hasn't been a contract signed and the album has been out for some years now. The label totally sucked, the artist was terrible at business, and I didn't know any better and was totally taken for a ride. I don't recommend it.

Easy,

Janek

[ksandvik]

Usually selling the publishing rights comes from a recording deal, so read the fine prints. If you are an BMI/ASCAP member, then there's really no need to be part of a publishing house, me thinks. Just hang on to the publishing rights as much as possible. Zappa/Vai is right. --Kent