What's a song worth?

[atkinsr]

Hopefully this is the right forum, it kind of fits into a few places, but doesn't exactly fit into any of them.

I wrote a song a while back and gave copies to a few friends of mine in the music industry (DJs, other musicians, etc). A major artist is showing some minor interest in it.

If he wants to buy it, what should I charge? I have no idea of what kind of price to ask. $1k, $10k, $100k... I just don't know.

I'm totally new to this side of things, but (not being egotistical, I'm about as musically humble as they come) this song has a lot of potential. Catchy chorus, and it really sticks in your head.

Any and all input appreciated.

[phatbass]

You've done the copyright thing, right? You're a member of ASCAP/BMI or whatever, right? The song is properly registered, right?

Then just sit back and wait for the royalties to roll in...

Assuming the system works the same in the USA as in Australia, the artist records and releases the song, and you get rich off the performing rights.

[T-Bird]

Hi.

^+1

If You're not a well known songwriter (if even then), you don't sell material.

Entertainers use it and You get royalties.

You might not even have much of a say who can use your material and who can't.


At least that's how I've understood it.

Regards
Sam

[Phalex]

I think Sonny Bono sold "I got you babe" for $100.00.

[MalcolmAmos]

The way it seems to work now -- the labels hire song writers. On contract for so much a year for so many songs. Selling a song is not the way to go. You gotta hook up - like mentioned.

[T-MOST]

Never sell a song! You want always to control the publishing. If the song should ever sell a million copies you will make more on publishing than if you sold it. Not to mention future use of the song. Thats Music business 101.

[atkinsr]

Originally Posted by T-MOST

Never sell a song! You want always to control the publishing. If the song should ever sell a million copies you will make more on publishing than if you sold it. Not to mention future use of the song. Thats Music business 101.

"music business 101"... brings me to my next question:

Is there a good book/video/guide that y'all can recommend to keep from getting burned while traveling down this treacherous path known as the music industry?

Thanks for the responses so far!

[JTE]

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. " Hunter S. Thompson pretty much nailed it...

A local woman was a successful songwriter. But when she started and didn't know anyone in Nashville, nor had any history, she wrote a song that she sold outright. That meant her name didn't appear anywhere- the official records showed someone else wrote it. I knew Ann from playing in local country bands in the '70s and early '80s, and she said just about every band in town did that song. Why'd she sell it in the '60s? Because she was newly divorced, had some kids, and no money. That money she got took care of her family for a good while, and several people, including the person she sold the song to, helped her get more songs placed by national artists, including Loretta Lynn. So you CAN sell a song outright.

Whether it makes sense or not, that's up to your financial position, your connections in the real music biz, and your aspirations. Do you want to be like Carole Bayer Sager, Diane Warren, Rodney Crowell, Don Schlitz, etc. (look 'em up if you don't know who they are, because if you're serioius about being a song-writer, you're going to need to know about people like that) and write tons of songs for others? Or do you envision yourself as more of a 21st Century Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, etc. singer/songwriter?

And pretty much a song that's not getting recorded and sold doesn't have an established value. It's only after they're hits that they can be measured. And then the value is based on how successful the song is (NOT the record!). That's why Paul McCartney told Michael Jackson to invest in publishing royalties when Jackson asked for advice on his sudden huge wealth post-"Thriller". Part of the reason McCartney is so wealthy is that as one of the song-writers for The Beatels, he gets a mechanical royalty every time a song is used in any commercial application. Harrison (his estate now), only gets paid for when a recording of the Beatles doing "Hey Jude" sells. But Paul, as songwriter, gets paid everytime ANYONE's recording sells. But he also gets paid when it's used on a TV commercial, when it's played on the radio, etc.

John

[iamlowsound]

Originally Posted by JTE

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side. " Hunter S. Thompson pretty much nailed it...

A local woman was a successful songwriter. But when she started and didn't know anyone in Nashville, nor had any history, she wrote a song that she sold outright. That meant her name didn't appear anywhere- the official records showed someone else wrote it. I knew Ann from playing in local country bands in the '70s and early '80s, and she said just about every band in town did that song. Why'd she sell it in the '60s? Because she was newly divorced, had some kids, and no money. That money she got took care of her family for a good while, and several people, including the person she sold the song to, helped her get more songs placed by national artists, including Loretta Lynn. So you CAN sell a song outright.

Whether it makes sense or not, that's up to your financial position, your connections in the real music biz, and your aspirations. Do you want to be like Carole Bayer Sager, Diane Warren, Rodney Crowell, Don Schlitz, etc. (look 'em up if you don't know who they are, because if you're serioius about being a song-writer, you're going to need to know about people like that) and write tons of songs for others? Or do you envision yourself as more of a 21st Century Jackson Browne, Joni Mitchell, etc. singer/songwriter?

And pretty much a song that's not getting recorded and sold doesn't have an established value. It's only after they're hits that they can be measured. And then the value is based on how successful the song is (NOT the record!). That's why Paul McCartney told Michael Jackson to invest in publishing royalties when Jackson asked for advice on his sudden huge wealth post-"Thriller". Part of the reason McCartney is so wealthy is that as one of the song-writers for The Beatels, he gets a mechanical royalty every time a song is used in any commercial application. Harrison (his estate now), only gets paid for when a recording of the Beatles doing "Hey Jude" sells. But Paul, as songwriter, gets paid everytime ANYONE's recording sells. But he also gets paid when it's used on a TV commercial, when it's played on the radio, etc.

John

Doesn't the Jackson Estate own all the Beatles songs now though? So, wouldn't all that money go the that, not Paul?

lowsound