JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Mentor Questions Forum Common Questions

Below are Question suggestions from the original "10 Most Common Questions" thread.
I have tried to categorize them, to enable me to concentrate all the similar or related ones, and will attempt to answer some of them.

Two Singers
Publishing: (1) How do I get a publishing deal?
Co-Writer: (2) How can I find a co-writer?
Demonstration Recording: (3) When should I do a demo of one of my songs?
Copyright (4) Should I copyright all of my songs?
Royalties: (5) How do I get paid royalties?
PRO's: (6) Do I need to join a PRO (Performance Rights Organization)?
Structure: (7) Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?
Demonstration Recording: (8) How much does a decent demo cost?
TAXI, SongU, NSAI: (9) Which organizations, such as TAXI, SongU, NSAI, etc. are most helpful for a newbie?
Contests: (10) Are songwriting contests really as good as they claim to be?

Ben Willis
Copyright: How do I get a copyright?
Copyright: Is it safe to post my song here?

Jill Sansores/JP Jill
Demonstration Recording: Is the quality of my demo good enough?

Song Length: How long of a song is too long?

Hobby vs. Commercial Endeavor: I just started writing songs, it is a hobbie right now but I may want to persue it as a possible career or professional avenue. Where should I go to learn as much as possible before I make any moves (go to the library and read EVERY book there is on songwriting and most importantly, read ALL of the archived JPNOTES!)?

Song Length: How long should my intro be? (obviously, cut to the chase!) but people really need to know this.

Demo Recording:
Publishing: How do I package my demo before sending to a publishing co and how should I follow up and with what tools (postcards included, follow up with phone call, etc)?

Pitching: Where can I find a good example of a good song pitch package?

Song Quality: IS MY SONG A G O O D SONG (have people review it!)? What makes a good quality song.. as far as for what category or genre or audience you are trying to reach.

Co-Writing/Publishing/Legal: I can't read music, do I need to pay alot of money to have someone help me?

Copyright: Where do I get my song copyrighted and can u teach me any tips on how to get my money's worth (Wash D.C.) to file? - meaning.. do as a collection per say.. rather than song by song.

niteshift
Song Quality: o I've just started writing songs, are they any good ?
Success: o How do I "Make it" in the music biz ?
Security/Copyright: o I'm paranoid about people stealing my songs, do I need an attorney ?
Publishing: o How do I submit my works to a publisher, and which one ?

Kevin Emmrich
Song Critique/Review: Where can I get my songs critiqued and reviewed for a reasonable price?

Everett Adams
Demo Rec: Where can I get demos made? How much should I spend? How good do they need to be?

Big Jim Merrilees
Recording: How do I record my songs properly?

Mike Dunbar
I just made a quick survey of the questions on the first five pages of this forum. Here's the way it looks.

Copyright: 1. Legal Questions. Mostly questions about copyrights, followed by specific contract questions.

Commercial Transition: 2. Specific Businesses. Folks want to know about specific publishers, record labels, and studios. Quite often, the questioner wants a publisher, but the publisher wants to record the questioner's demos (Joe got it there). Also some questions about specific pluggers.

Copyright: 3. How to copyright songs.

Pitching: 4 and 5. This is a tie. How to pitch songs. How to get recordings ready for a cd or mp3.

Performance:
Demonstraton Rec./Promotional material: 5 and 6. Another tie. Questions about performance and questions about creating promo material.

Song-Writing Quality: 7. Questions about improving writing (funny, if this were the number one question, most of the other questions would answer themselves.)

PRO's: 8. Questions about PROs, how they work, who are they, which is best.

Taxi: 9. Taxi.

NSAI:
Booking Agents: 10. A tie again, NSAI and how to find booking agents.

Hummingbird
Co-Writing: "how do I find someone to write music for my lyrics"
Song Splits: "I wrote 80 percent of the words & most of the melody but my co-writer wants 50 percent, is that fair"

Producer Points: "I took my words & melody to a producer who added drums & bass& stuff, now he says he owns 50 percent of the song, what do I do"

On-Line: "where's the best place to put my music on-line"

Work-For-Hire: "what's a work for hire"

Copyright: "someone told me I could mail my lyrics to myself and that would make them copyright, is that right"

Marketing: "how do I sell my songs"

Ray E. Strode
Copyright: If a demo company wants part of my copyright for doing the demo that I pay for?

Co-Writing: What should a co-writers agreement contain?

Song Structure: As to song structure. It has been noted that a popular song needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. It has been noted from time to time, that a song, popular type, should be about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes long.
Song Length: A song too short may not be a song at all and one too long may get too repetitious.
A song should not give away everything until it is ready in the song. In other words, a bit of mystery. But of course the song still has to have some continuity instead of a bunch of words just thrown together.

A song that is pretty long but works perfectly is EL PASO by Marty Robbins. Keep writing.

Monica E. Yasher
Avatar: How do I put my picture on this website?
Security: Is it safe to post my songs here?
Link to Listen: Is there an area to upload my songs so people can hear them?
Name vs. On-Line Anonymity: Why should I put my name here? Can't I be incognito?

Cher Klosner
Publishing: 1)How do I become "self-published" and what do I need to know as a "self-publisher" if someone wants to cut my song?

Matt Stoneham
Books: What books to buy, on Song Writing.

Song-Writing: Modern Rhyme, Meter, Rhythm, Phrasing. How to use repetition. The Vowel Triangle (Open and Closed vowels).to create singable lines.

Two Singers
Publishing: 1: How do I get a publisher, label/artist to listen to my original music?
Demo Rec: And, how do I prepare/package my demo?

Publishing: 2: I was contacted by email by someone �in the business� who heard my music and wants me to sign a publishing/promotion deal. I constantly hear about people being scammed like this. How do I know if it�s legitimate?

Copyright: 3: Should I copyright my songs? If so, how do I do that?

Taxi, NSAI: 4: Is there any real benefit to joining an organization such as Taxi or NSAI?

Nashville Formula: 5: I write mostly country music. Nashville insiders say that I have to stick to their guidelines and formulas if I expect to have a major publisher seriously consider my music. But, so much of what I hear on the radio frequently violates many of those rules. Can someone intelligently explain that to me? It seems so contradictory!

Demo Rec: 6: When I feel my song is good enough to invest money in a demo; should I do a full scale production? Or, is a vocal with just guitar or piano backing adequate?

Security: 7: Is it really safe to post my songs on the numerous Internet sites that offer that service? Can�t someone just steal it or make a similar derivative work from it?

Co-Writing: 8: I�m a great lyricist/musician. But, I do not play an instrument/write lyrics. How do I go about collaborating with someone on the Internet? And, is it difficult?

Feedback/Critique: 9: Mom and Aunt Betty think my songs are great! But, how can I get a real and honest critique of my songs?

Feedback/Critique: 10: How much should a good demo/critique cost me?

Song-Writing: 11: I am very serious about my music. I�m pretty darned good! But, I want to be even better�professional quality work. What resources are available to take my skills to the next level?

Publishing: 12: I can�t convince a publisher or label to listen to my music. It really is great, though! Are there any other avenues to get my music heard by someone in the business?

PRO's: 13: Should I join a Performance Rights Organization (PRO), such as ASCAP, BMI or SESAC? And what, exactly, can they do for me?

Royalties: 14: I write some pretty darned good songs. But, I am not a performer. How do I get paid for my songs if a performing artist records them or plays them publicly?

Contests: 15: I see dozens of songwriting contests all over the place. Are they legitimate, for the most part? And, has anyone ever achieved professional success by winning one?

Recording: 16: I hear lots of really nice sounding songs on the Internet that people say they have recorded at home. Sounds complicated! How do I go about doing that?

Publishing: 17: Can I be my own publisher? If so, how do I do that?

Nashville: 18: I write/compose mostly country music. I�ve heard it said that you have to live in Nashville if you have any hope of succeeding in country music? Is that true?

MP3 Rec.: 19: How do I make an MP3 music file; and how do I upload it to the hosting site?

Money-Making: 20: Is there really much money to be made as a songwriter or composer, rather than a performer?

Bill Robinson

I think the most important question would be;
Copyright: How do you make that little copyright sign?..� year and name

Judy Hughes
Someone to step up on topics like these as an answer provider:
Song-Writing: Songwriting
Pitching: Song pitching
Marketing: Marketing
Demo Rec.: Recording
Copyright: Copyrights, legal basics,
PRO's: PROs
?????: Artist /Band perspectives
?????: Songwriter perspectives

Here's a random first question from the lists.
Structure: What is song structure? Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?

Song Length: Concept: I think information about concept and length is important and a good addition to the answer for this question.

Structure: I do believe beginning songwriters need some understanding of structure though, before they venture out of the box. Once you know what rules you're breaking it's easier to get away with it.

Structure: So if someone could answer the specific - what is structure. Maybe there's a post you could refer to regarding structures - ABABCB, or AAA or possibly the difference between Pop Verse-Chorus and Country Verse-Chorus. I don't think we can go into depth but I think a starting point is important.

Critique: I am reminded of our first song critique submission - a meandering 7 minute, ABABCAAABCDEFG.... I can't repeat the comments here. Ouch.

Books: Don't forget book suggestions on the subject.
Here's one - Songwriting - A Complete Guide to the Craft, Stephen Citron

Structure: Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?

A) What is song structure

There are several categories of song structures; lyric, rhyme, melody and chord structures. Here is one of the basic lyric structures used in many pop and country songs.

A - verse 1
B - chorus
A- Verse 2
B - Chorus
C - Bridge (or verse 3)
B - Chorus

Rhyme Structure: A basic rhyme structure in a verse containing 4 lines:
Rhyme the last word of lines 2 and 4
Verse 2 rhyme differs from verse 1.
The last line of the chorus is generally the hook, or punchline of the song.

Study song lyrics of hit songs and you will often see this structure.

Pre-Chorus/Lift: You may also see an additional line or two between the verse and chorus. This is the lift, meant to carry the power of the song upward into the chorus.

This is only one of many song forms. We highly recommend you study a good book on the subject.

Concept: Simplify: After understanding song form basics, conceptual form is the important consideration. Keep in mind - simplify, simplify.

Lyrical Story Completeness: Time: Simplify: A country music song tells a story, framed in concrete terms of real things happening to real people. The best ones are a single complete thought without loose ends. That complete thought needs to be expressed in 3-1/2 to 5 minutes.
A pop song does not always stick to a story line, but expresses an emotion, concept, or feeling. The best ones are about real things happening to real people. Pop songs generally run from 2-1/2 to 3-1/2 minutes, even less time to get your point across. That is why it is important to simplify. If verse one sets up a question, answer it in verse two, don't set up another question.

Song Screener: If you want to be noticed, you have to provide a reason to be noticed. Song screeners literally get hives over too many cliches in a song. This is where you pull out a rhyming dictionary, or read poetry or novels and get ideas about how to say things in a different way.

Song-Writing/Structure: B) Where can I learn about songwriting and song structure:

Learning: As far as where to learn, a lot depends on how you learn. Some folks learn best from books, others from organized classes; some like the �immersion therapy� of songwriting camps. You may learn best from watching other people. The lyric and song forums here on JPF are an excellent resource. Read lyrics and what other people say about them; try to get a handle on what people consider �good� in your chosen genre, and why.

Rules: Once you understand how to write a song by the rules, you can start to break them. Say something new, or say something old in a new way. Change the structure, use structures you are unfamiliar with. AAA, AABA, AAAC. Look them up. Try them on. Break them completely. See what happens.

Books: Book recommendations:
The Craft and Business of Songwriting, John Braheny
http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Business-Songwriting-3rd-Edition/dp/1582974667

Writing Better Lyrics, Pat Pattison
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Songwriting, A complete Guide to the Craft, Stephen Citron

http://www.amazon.com/Songwriting-C...&keywords=Songwriting+Stephen+Citron

Joe Wrabek
I�ll just be providing a starting point for others to talk from. What I say will reference country music, too, because that�s what I write. There are other genres, and some of the rules are different. You should also take what I say with a large amount of salt, because I am not famous by any means.

Structure: There are music-industry experts who will tell you a country music song should follow the pattern of verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. I think that�s c**p. You�ll find most good songs ignore that format. I pay attention to it only when it�s convenient (which is not often).

Concept: Time: Contests: I am interested more in conceptual structure. A country music song tells a story, framed in concrete terms�real things happening to real people. I insist my songs be a complete thought, with no loose ends. I also impose time limits on myself. I want that complete thought expressed in 3-1/2 to 5 minutes, with and without a lead break; the numbers are mostly arbitrary (though there are a lot of song contests that will not accept material longer than 5 minutes), and simply force me to be economical with words.

Saying Something New: Beyond that, I also insist on being different: I want to either be saying something new, or saying something old in a new way. If you want to be noticed, you have to provide a reason to be noticed (which I suppose is another argument for staying away from that Official Nashville Song Structure thing).

Learning: As far as where to learn, a lot depends on how you learn. Some folks learn best from books, others from organized classes; some like the �immersion therapy� of songwriting camps. Myself, I learn best from watching other people. One of the best resources I�ve found is here at JPF. Read lyrics�lots of lyrics�and what other people say about them; try to get a handle on what people consider �good� and why. JPF is one of about half a dozen writers� groups I subscribe to. Lot of good writers here, who are real helpful with advice.

Studying Songs: I look for famous songwriters whose work I consider good, and try to puzzle out what they�re doing with words that makes it good, and apply those tricks to my own writing. And not just songwriters: anyone who works in the �oral tradition��words that are meant to be spoken, not just read�is fair game. People like Cicero, Churchill, Vergil, Homer, and Dr. Seuss.

Feedback: And on the rare occasion when I end up writing something audiences consider good, I try to find out why they think it�s good.

Brian Austin Whitney
Royalties: "How do I earn royalties"

I began answering before I thought of having a more formal review of the suggestions made by others in the original thread.
Further down may be Posts that are more specific to those responses.

"Should I copyright all of my songs?"
"I just started writing songs. It is a hobby right now but I may want to pursue it as a possible career or professional avenue.
Where should I go to learn as much as possible before I make any moves?"

Most of us start out as amateur hobbyists, with a bit of something we've composed, with an instrument, or just words that we think have merit as poetry, perhaps a singable Lyric. Some time later we begin to think of transitioning from 'avocational hobbyist' to 'commercial entity', a 'vocation', a company with a product with value, salable in the marketplace.
A Song can be worth a fortune.
The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) took the concept as its slogan, its motto: "It all begins with a Song."
For every famous singer or band the Song became the vehicle they 'rode' to fame. Some wrote their own. Some found new product written and composed by those amateur hobbyists or other 'professional' Song-Writers. Some simply 'covered' product that had already been recorded and released to market, perhaps getting better distribution, or actually doing the Song better than the original. No matter how they did it, they owe the fact that you know their name to the fact that someone created a Song.
Despite thousands of years of Song-Writing, Humans have not exhausted the possibilities. There will always be another Song to be written. Someone will write a great new Song and many of us will hear it and agree that it is a great new Song. And a great new Song can be worth a fortune, the vehicle some singer or player can ride to fame and fortune of their own.
So, yes, you should Register your 'right' to 'copy' that Intellectual Property (IP) to establish your ownership of that 'right'.

"How do I get a copyright?"
In the United States, Copyright Law is Federal, and so the Library of Congress, Register of Copyrights, www.copyright.gov , is the entity with whom you Register your formal claim of your 'right' to 'copy' your Intellectual Property. There are circulars to read at the website, to educate yourself, to study this 'new' venture, transitioning from hobbyist to 'commercial endeavor', trying to bring your product to market where it can be that vehicle, for you or others, to fortune and fame.
To bring an Infringement Suit in a Federal Court requires that you have a Registration.
Your Lawyer will have to prove a Party accused of 'copying' your IP and making money had 'Access' to the product. This, again, is part of becoming a Company, not just an amateur hobbyist. Companies keep records, files, documentation of who has 'Access' to your product, who, when, where, what, why.
Each country has its own entities for Copyright Registration and most are subject to international agreements to cover the legal aspects of Copyright.

"Is it safe to post my Song here?"
A Copyright Registration documents your claim of ownership as of the day the application is received by the Register of Copyrights. Any 'Publishing' of your Product, passing it out on a street corner, printed in a book, posted on the internet, gives 'Access' to anyone in the world. Those who know the potential of a Song to earn profits may attempt to use your Song without your permission. They may become financially successful, making it worth your while to sue. Your lawyer would have to prove 'Access', how they got your Song to use it.
They may use your Song in ways you feel are demeaning or toxic for your product, politics, pornography, advertising something you don't want to be affiliated with. Copyright Registration establishes your ownership which can be proven in Court, getting a Judgment, perhaps, to get some of the money the 'misappropriating' entity has made with your IP, or getting a 'Cease and Desist' order to stop the 'Infringing' person or company from continuing to misuse your Product.
However, posting here might be worth your risk, if you're not sure about the quality of your product and want feedback. I don't see much feedback given. People may compliment your Song without telling you anything about why they like it. People may criticize your Song, telling you or not telling you exactly what they find wrong with it. Ideally you want a conversation, back and forth, eliciting specifics you can use to improve that Song and your Song-Writing in future product.
If you have Registered the work for Copyright you can be assured that, if someone should infringe on that copyright, and you can prove they had Access, you can cause them to cease and desist, or sue for the monetary profits their 'use' of your product has earned, possibly including punitive damages.

I began answering before I thought of having a more formal review of the suggestions made by others in the original thread.
Further down may be Posts that are more specific to those responses.

"Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?"

Your local librarian has or can get any book you'd like to read.

Your own music collection of Songs you think do Structure right can enable you to study what you think is 'right' about those Songs.
Conversely, you can study what you think Songs do wrong in Structure.
Pick one Song. Write out the Lyric. Can you discern where the Verses begin and end, whether they have internal components that affect how the Song 'works' or doesn't?
How long is the Introductory Movement? That's the first sounds you hear, that 'Hook' your interest, until the Verse or Chorus begins.
Pick another Song, or several more, to repeat that analysis of what you think they do right, or wrong.

Some Songs begin with the Chorus.
The 'Intro' is whatever sounds first command your attention.
An Introductory Movement need only be long 'Enough' to serve that function. It can be long, if it is interesting 'Enough' on its own. But it can be 'Too Long', 'Too Much' or 'Not Enough' in the concept of 'Enough'. A Song, overall, can be Too Short, Too Long, Enough, Not Enough, Too Much.

How much is 'Enough', versus how much is 'Too Much' or 'Not Enough'?
These are judgment calls you, the first listener, as the Song-Writer, can make.
Listeners will make their own judgment calls.
If your Intro isn't effective in Hooking and sustaining their interest, they drift off to their own thoughts. You may get them back when the next Structural component begins, Verse or Chorus.
The same thing happens at that point. Either you Hook their interest, and sustain it, or you lose them again because what you do in that component is 'Not Enough' or 'Too Much'.
'Enough' should not be an elusive judgment. In time that judgment call should come to you naturally. You sense when Repetition is 'Enough', when the Exposition has supplied 'Enough' detail, when it is 'time' for Change, to get to the point in the Chorus, time for THE Hook.

Timing is of strategic importance. How long can you expect them to sit and attentively listen to whatever you're doing in an Introductory Movement or a Verse or a Chorus, or a whole Song? Is your expectation reasonable? Is it logical that what your composition is sending to their ears should have that sustaining effect? Or is it logical that they will drift off to their own thoughts? What 'Hook Factor' can you assess the sounds you're making, the words you're 'saying', to have on the listener?
There are limits to the Human attention span.

You, playing, singing, may be more entertained than others will be. It's fun to play, to sing, to emote, to enjoy the Prosody of how the Lyric works with the tempo, the beat. You may not even think of making a judgment call about whether it will also be entertaining to the listeners. Sometimes you miss your cue on when to start singing, so you run through the Intro again, making it twice as long. Will they stay attentive? In live play you do what you have to do, come up to that cue point again and hopefully get it right the second time. In a recording, you have to get it right. 'Enough' Intro, and begin the next Structural component, whether it's a Verse or The Chorus.
Instrumental compositions can benefit from the same judgement call of Enough, long 'Enough' to have entertained, and now it is 'time' to Change, time to Repeat.

What you Register for Copyright is a Lyric, and the Melody to which the words are sung.
Form SR, Sound Recording, can Register an actual recording of a performance, the Arrangement, instrumental accompaniment, the Lyric and the Melody to which the words are sung.

The function to be served in a Verse is 'Exposition'. The Singer, or the Singer-Character, whose persona the Singer 'assumes' to deliver the story in the Lyric, is telling details of a situation, setting the scene, putting props on a stage where the Singer-Character can 'exist'. The intent is to get the listener to 'suspend disbelief' and 'believe' that it is a reality, a story that credibly could have happened to the Singer.
The Singer-Character may be speaking to the audience, telling them the story.
The Singer-Character may be speaking to a Love-Interest Character, or other Character in the story, letting the story unfold for the listeners through that eves-dropped 'conversation'.
The 'Enough' concept applies.
How much Exposition is 'Enough' to Hook the listener? How much is 'Too Much', losing them again? How much is 'Not Enough'?

When 'Enough' Exposition of the story is told to the listener, in Verse I, it may be 'time' to get to the Chorus, the gist of the story, the main idea, THE Hook. That main idea is likely the title of the Song, some few words, a phrase that sums up the Exposition so far, a phrase the listener comprehends as having that meaningful concept. It is THE Hook as opposed to other Lines or phrases that have Hook Factor.

Verse II does more Exposition, tells more of the story, leading logically to Repeat the Chorus. Repetition and Change. Enough Repetition to supply Structure. Enough Change to keep it interesting.

A Chorus can be several Lines, a Stanza-Type Chorus.
A Chorus can be a single Line, a 'Refrain' of Melody and Lyric, the main idea of the Lyric, a Refrain-Type Chorus.
Folk Songs often employ the Refrain-Type Chorus, a single Line ending each Verse.

The concept of a Pre-Chorus, sometimes called a Pre-Chorus 'lift', is often misconstrued as a Stanza of several Lines separate from the Verse. It can simply be the last Line or two of the Verse, 'lifting' Melodically or dramatically to lead into the Chorus. Simplify. Keep It Simple Stupid! I mean, Keep It Simple Sweetheart! Sorry baby!

A Verse III can finalize the story, a 'denouement', an end.
A beginning of the story in Verse I, a middle in Verse II, and an end in Verse III.

The Third Verse Curse is a writer's dilemma when they can't think of a satisfactory end to the story.

Despairing of finding it, writers often resort to a Bridge, a device to break the Repetition with Change, Lyrically pivotal information, coherent in the Storyline, with its own Melody, different from the Verse or the Chorus, enabling a third Repeat of the Chorus to end. A Bridge may be a brief instrumental component.

The judgment call of 'Enough' applies in how much Repetition is necessary to supply Structure, and how much Change is needed to keep it interesting, to keep the listener Hooked. You're the Song-Writer. You're the first listener. Your judgment will be seconded by other listeners.

The final Musical Movement is called a Coda.
'Intro' is slang for 'Introductory Movement'.
'Outro' is a logical abbreviation for 'Outroductory Movement' but 'Outroductory is not a word.
The Coda, often called a 'tag', is simply the final Structural component of the composition. It is likely a series of Repetitions of the title, THE Hook, the main idea. It may be an instrumental composition.

Structure within a Verse or Chorus can vary.
A common four-Line Verse, Rhyming Line 2 and 4, or 1 and 3 AND 2 and 4, or 1 and 2, 3 and 4, can work.
Nursery Rhymes offer an alternative, Rhyming Lines 1 and 2, and leaving Line 3 un-Rhymed, then having another Verse or 'Stanza' Rhyming Lines 4 and 5, and Rhyming Line 6 with Line 3. Any variation you can make work is fine.
Rhyme in Nursery Rhymes is designed to make them memorable for children with limited vocabulary.
A Song Lyric employs Rhyme for the same reason; to enable the listener to 'remember' the words, to 'get' the story you're trying to tell them.

Internal Rhyme can be interesting.
Again, the 'Enough', 'Not Enough', 'Too Much' judgment call is considered.
While a tongue-twister can be fun, is it still fun in a Song?

Reserving blank to put things in some preferred order. First Things First.
I keep thinking about the Creative Process as a First-Things-First point to discuss everything else.
Recently (2020's) people began referring to Song-Writers as 'Creatives', a noun, like Cook, Carpenter, Candlestick-Maker.
The First Thing is to 'create', to write Lyrics, possibly composing Melody at the same time, perhaps with some arrangement (instrumental accompaniment).
'Product'. Having 'created', you now have something to consider for Copyright, Publishing, Marketing, Critique, all the other considerations. Your creation can be Critiqued, examined for Structure, Rhyme-Scheme, Conceptual Coherence, Poetic Appeal, Hook Factor and Memorability versus Ignorability and Forgettability. Prosody is how a Lyric and Melody work together in a Composition. Having created it, you can now address yourself to all these matters of analytics.

PUBLISHING:
Publishing: (1) How do I get a publishing deal?
Publishing: How do I package my demo before sending to a publishing co and how should I follow up and with what tools (postcards included, follow up with phone call, etc)?
Publishing: o How do I submit my works to a publisher, and which one ?
Publishing: 1)How do I become "self-published" and what do I need to know as a "self-publisher" if someone wants to cut my song?
Publishing: 1: How do I get a publisher, label/artist to listen to my original music?
Publishing: 2: I was contacted by email by someone �in the business� who heard my music and wants me to sign a publishing/promotion deal. I constantly hear about people being scammed like this. How do I know if it�s legitimate?
Publishing: 12: I can�t convince a publisher or label to listen to my music. It really is great, though! Are there any other avenues to get my music heard by someone in the business?
Publishing: 17: Can I be my own publisher? If so, how do I do that?

PUBLISHING 'DEAL': A 'deal' sounds like a contract. Let's capitalize that; Contract. Your 'Signature' on a contract...Contract...Legally binds you to whatever is printed in that Contract. As an adult, your Signature binds you to the terms of the Contract.
Twelve million Americans signed Contracts called Mortgages, and lost their money and real estate because the Professional Lenders who wrote the Contract put in a clause about 'Variable Rate', meaning they could arbitrarily increase the monthly Mortgage payment to a level the Amateur Borrower could no longer pay.
No document submitted, on demand of the Professional Lender, Tax Returns, Check Stubs, Bank Statements, would make the Lender think the Borrower could continue to pay at that 'Rate'. But the Professional Lender knew what they were doing.
It was a land grab. Robber Barons and Railroads of olden days would be envious of the 'Legality' of the scheme, and how it worked, all because of Signatures on Contracts. You agreed by your Signature to be bound by that clause in the Mortgage Contract.
The person writing the 'Publishing Deal' to Publish your Song writes it to give themselves the 'Deal' they want, most advantageous to them.
You may tend to be amenable to whatever 'Deal' they offer you, not thinking about the long-term implications of what you are 'Legally' binding yourself to abide by. They're Professionals. They know what they're doing. You're an amateur.
Tales are infamous of people who signed Contracts and lost all control of their Songs. The old Blues Men. The Beatles. Creedence Clearwater Revival. John Fogerty was prohibited from even 'sounding like himself in the Songs he wrote for CCR'. Paul McCartney later, much later, recovered 'ownership' of some of the Lennon-McCartney Songs he lost 'ownership' and Legal control of, due to Contracts his Signature Legally bound him to abide by.
So knowing about Contracts for a Publishing 'Deal' is of strategic importance, as it goes right to the heart of the matter; money. Who makes money? Who has Legal authority to profits earned by the Song? Who can Legally Contract for 'use' of the Song? Whose Signature is required to make Contracts to make money?
Back when the world was young we heard bands with million seller albums, and how rich they got. But later we learned the Record Labels took all the profits from selling a million hard-copy units. They told the bands to go tour and make their money selling tickets to shows. Some were good at that. Some learned to 'Merchandise', to make money selling t-shirts, hats, whatever the public consumer would buy. Their tours promoted the Vinyl Record sales, Cassette sales, Compact Disc sales, which profited the Labels.
When the Labels stopped being able to sell 'records', the hard copy devices, they came back to Artists, wanting a share of ticket sales, merchandising.
Who writes the Publishing Contract? What 'Deal' did they secure for themselves? What 'Deal' should you negotiate for your benefit, before you put your Signature on that Contract?
You 'get' that 'Deal' by signing your name. You get that Deal when you contact the Publisher and get permission to submit your product. They said, "Yes. Send it." That is a 'Solicited Submission'. You can't just randomly mail or email your product. That's 'un-Solicited' and, if they're legitimate, Unsolicited mail goes into the trash. They don't want to risk being accused of Copyright Infringement if they Publish something that you can credibly accuse them of having 'Access' to and stealing from you, because they opened your Unsolicited submission.
You put that document, saying, "Yes. Submit your product." in your Company's file, for future reference. Add notes on who, what,when, where, why.
You send the product and wait for them to get back to you. It may be months.
Suddenly, they've decided they want to Publish the product and you find yourself sitting, pen in hand, ready to sign the Contract...that they wrote. They wrote it to benefit their Company. You have to read it, and comprehend what the 'Deal' is, what the terms of the Contract are, what your Signature Legally binds you to abide by, what's good for you, your Company.
Do you need a lawyer? Sure. It's a 'Legal' Contract. A lawyer can advise you on it. Criminal and Commercial lawyers may not be familiar with nuances of Entertainment Law. But any lawyer is better than none.

REVERSION CLAUSE: Does the Publishing Contract contain a 'Reversion Clause'?
Does it specify how long the Publisher has to Publish, to get the Song Pitched to an Artist to 'Cut' (Record) and 'Release' the Song to market?
At the end of that time period, if the Reversion Clause is in the Contract and specifies the time period, if they have not succeeded in getting it to market, the Contract ends. The Publishing Rights you 'Assigned' to them, authorizing them to be paid Publishing Royalties, if any are earned, 'Revert' back to you. You can then Pitch the Song to other Publishers, Artists, Music Supervisors, and the previous Publisher retains no Publishing Royalty 'Rights'.
Did they put that in there? They wrote the Contract. Did they give you the 'Deal', or 'Deal' themselves in for perpetuity, meaning they own those 'Rights' forever?
Some Demonstration Recording Companies try to Contract for Assignment of Publishing Royalties, just in case you get the Song to market, even though they didn't do anything to get it there. They made their money by selling you a Demo. They didn't 'Publish', 'Pitch', or do anything, but your Signature on a Contract locked them in.

PACKAGING: The Publisher, or other entity you're Pitching to, may specify how to 'package' your Solicited Submission, specifying MP3 or WAV digital format, or hard copy device, Lyric Sheet, other data they want to know up front. Who owns the Copyright? Who owns the Master Recording? Who are the Song-Writers?
Put your contact data on every piece. They may be messy, taking things apart and forgetting what goes with your Submission. Your data on the envelope, the cover letter, or email, the jewel case, the paper inserts, embedded in the Metadata in the recording, all increase the chances they can put it back together and get back to you to move forward and make money.

FOLLOW-UP: Don't be a pest. Assume they're busy. Assume they will get back in touch with you. It may take months. Three months may be reasonable. After three months it may not be un-reasonable for you to use the same method by which you got permission to Submit to contact them. Three months might be a reasonable period to expect them to have made a decision.
If they tell you they don't want to Publish your product, be courteous. You got this door open. Keep it open. Ask permission to Submit another Song, or three. You're representing your Company. Keep it 'business-like'. Don't tell them they're fools for not having 'ears' to hear your Song's potential in the marketplace. Your Company is bigger than that one Song. All your eggs aren't in that one basket. Make notes to add to your Company's file, dates, who, what, where, when, why.

SELF-PUBLISHING: You may be able to 'Market' or 'Pitch' your Song on your own, Publishing it for Artists to considaer Recording (Cutting) and Releasing to market, where it can make money for them, and the Song-Writer and Publisher.
When you join a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) they ask you to identify the Publisher. You can start your own Publishing Company through the Secretary of State in the State where you live.
What a Publisher does to earn their Publishing Royalties is get the Song in the ears of people who can take it to Market, where it can earn Song-Writing Royalties and Publishing Royalties. If you can do that yourself, you can Self-Publish. Publishing Companies may already be well-known in the industry, so when they come calling Artists and Management, Labels, Music Supervisors, industry 'consumers' of Songs, will answer their phone calls, emails, letters. If you can do it you can do it. If not, maybe you need to Contract with a Publisher who can.

SOMEONE SOLICITING YOU TO SIGN A PUBLISHING DEAL: When you Register a Song for Copyright you almost immediately get mail from Companies wanting to make 'Deals'. They have not heard your Song. They simply contact anyone who Registers, rightly assuming that you think your product has merit and market potential, money, money, money, money. If you believe in your Song enough to Register it they figure maybe you'll 'spend' or 'invest' in whatever they're selling. They may be selling Demonstration Recordings, or want to lock in for Publishing Royalties if you ever get your Song to market.
You're flattered. You think you're finally getting somewhere. Someone has heard your Song and thinks it can make money. You may be gullible. You may sign your name, your Signature Legally binding you to the terms of a Contract they wrote. Slow your roll! Think. Back when I submitted my first Copyright Registration I got the letters in snail mail within weeks. There was no way they could have heard my Melody, read or heard my Lyric, other than the material submitted for Registration. I knew they had no basis for wanting to 'do business' with me, other than their perception that I believed in my Song. Beware the Predatory Capitalist, who 'sells' you something that isn't worth what you pay for it.

CO-WRITING:
Co-Writer: (2) How can I find a co-writer?
Co-Writing/Publishing/Legal: I can't read music, do I need to pay alot of money to have someone help me?
Co-Writing: "how do I find someone to write music for my lyrics"
Song Splits: "I wrote 80 percent of the words & most of the melody but my co-writer wants 50 percent, is that fair"
Co-Writing: What should a co-writers agreement contain?
Co-Writing: 8: I'm a great lyricist/musician. But, I do not play an instrument/write lyrics. How do I go about collaborating with someone on the Internet? And, is it difficult?

Writing 'up' vs. Writing 'down'.

Finding a Co-Writer can be done live, or via technology.
Finding local people is a matter of going out where they are, Open Mic Nights, live music venues, music stores, and approaching people about it.
Finding people out in cyberspace can be done too. There are websites that specialize in collaborations. Many well-known musical acts worked from their homes or home bases to put together the various instruments and vocals and produced Songs that way, as opposed to all being in the same studio at the same time.
Co-Writers with that technology could easily work that way.

A Co-Writer 'offers' their contribution to your Song, or your contribution to theirs, as 'Consideration'. Each makes an 'offer' to the other.
If you/they 'accept' the 'offer', it can become a 'contract'; an offer, and an acceptance.
Until the two parties (or more) decide to accept the other Co-Writer's offer either can back out and decline the contract.
I've heard Demonstration Recordings, paid for by Song-Writers, recorded in studios, which, if I were 'offered' to Co-Write on, I would not 'accept'. Demo studios will record your momma's biscuit recipe if you're paying their fee. That doesn't mean it will be a hit.
The Song might not have merit, in my opinion, so I would not be able to invest it with merit by my offered contribution. After reading a Lyric or hearing whatever auditory presentation the Co-Writer offered, I would make a decision as to whether I could contribute.
Or the Co-Writer's 'offer' to my Song might not be to my satisfaction, so I would reserve the right to reject it.
Once the offer and acceptance form the contract...let's capitalize Contract...legally binding document...both parties agreeing to formally accept each other's offers, and the product is put in 'Fixed Form', written down, or recorded, it becomes Intellectual Property, bestowed with Copyright protection by Federal Copyright Law.
Formal Registration with the Library of Congress (U.S.A.) would establish the Co-Writers as Co-Authors, Co-Owners of the 'right' to 'copy' the Intellectual Property. Both would be required to sign other contracts for any 'use' of the Song.
So, Co-Writing can be serious 'business' with legal ramifications. You're crossing from avocational hobbyist to commercial venture, a company, a partnership.
Inherent in any partnership is potential for conflict and adversarial situations. Marriage. Commerce. So it is important to know what your signature on a contract, or your verbal agreement entails. Comprehension of these details of when an offer is made and when an acceptance is made should be discussed with Co-Writers. Sometimes it can be casual and no formal contract is agreed on. No 'rights' are transferred to what you bring to the table or what they bring to the table.

With modern technology, recording can be inexpensive, compared to days of old. Bela Fleck, jazz banjoist, said, "I'm getting better recordings in my living room with ProTools than I got in 30 years of recording in expensive studios."
People who make their money recording Demonstration Records are plentiful. Again, a contract should be written and the mutual 'offers' and 'acceptances' agreed upon before you put your signature on it, and pay the fee.
Now; you've signed your name.
Who owns the Master Recording? Did the contract specify that for the fee the Producer running the technology gained any rights as 'Co-Writer', co-creator of the Master Recording? Or did the con...I keep forgetting to capitalize Contract. It's legally binding. Whatever is in it is what you have to abide by. A lawyer will point out that you, as an adult, signed the contract. If it isn't in the contract it didn't happen. Verbal assurances can be denied. People often find they don't own the Master Recording they paid to have created, and therefore can't Contract for 'use' of that Recording, in a Synchronization License, for example, for a 'use' in a TV commercial or show, or a movie, a documentary, any 'use', without the Producer's Co-Ownership being involved. They have to agree because they, not you, own the Master.
Did you know that, going in? Or did you find out later, after the Contract was signed, the Master Recording made, and you, your 'Company', were trying to enter into a Contract with a Music Supervisor of Artist or Label or Publisher only to find out you didn't have authority to sign a Contract for that 'use'?

Splits: What percentage of a Song does each Co-Writer own? This is a matter for specifying, in a Contract.
If you expect or desire to have a long term relationship it is easy to see equal shares, 50-50 as reasonable. Equal shares make sense if you're trying to establish a long-term relationship. Each party has equal motivation to follow through in trying to get the Song to market where it can earn money, in ticket sales, merchandise, and Royalties. 'Next time' maybe they'll have the 80% to offer and you'll have 20%, but they'll agree to the established rule of equal shares.

If it's a one-time interaction and you came to the Co-Writing Session with a 'finished' Song, but they helped improve it, in your opinion, you might negotiate a percentage reasonable for their time and insight, and the 'qualities' you assess in their contribution. Remember, you still have time to reject their 'offer' if you have not 'shook hands' and signed a Contract.
Does the percentage you propose make it worth their while for having come and contributed, made their 'offer' of improvements, which you 'accepted'?
Don't get greedy. If it turns into a contentious argument it becomes part of your reputation. Keep the product moving toward the market, where it can earn Royalties. It hasn't earned anything yet, and may never if they withdraw their 'offer' before a Contract is signed. So far it's 80% of 'nothing', the insiders like to say.
But it's 100% of your Company's product. So you have to make some decisions about whether your Sole Proprietorship is going to take in a Partner. How much of your Company are you willing to give up?
No party is compelled to go forward before a Contract is agreed on verbally and especially in writing. Making that clear as you enter into the Co-Writing exploration is reasonable. They call it, "Taking care of business."

Internet Collaborating:
I just saw this, October 2022.

Sessionwire
Software Company
Creatively connect with anyone, anywhere in the world. Sessionwire, the all-in-one #onlinecollaboration platform, delivers a seamless in-studio experience used by top artists and producers the world over. Join our community. #remotecollaboration
http://www.sessionwire.com/
info@sessionwire.com

Here's another one:
Music Creator Collaboration | Songwriters, Singer, Producers etc!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/183716069605034

DEMONSTRATION (Demo) RECORDING:
Demonstration Recording: (3) When should I do a demo of one of my songs?
Demonstration Recording: (8) How much does a decent demo cost?
Demonstration Recording: Is the quality of my demo good enough?
Demo Recording: How do I package my demo before sending to a publishing co and how should I follow up and with what tools (postcards included, follow up with phone call, etc)?
Demonstraton Rec./Promotional material: 5 and 6. Another tie. Questions about performance and questions about creating promo material.
Quite often, the questioner wants a publisher, but the publisher wants to record the questioner's demos.
Copyright: If a demo company wants part of my copyright for doing the demo that I pay for?
Producer Points: "I took my words & melody to a producer who added drums & bass& stuff, now he says he owns 50 percent of the song, what do I do"
Feedback/Critique: 10: How much should a good demo/critique cost me?
Demo Rec: 6: When I feel my song is good enough to invest money in a demo; should I do a full scale production? Or, is a vocal with just guitar or piano backing adequate?

WHEN TO 'DO A DEMO':
When you want to 'demonstrate' the merits of your product to others, a Demonstration Recording can travel. When you have someone who has expressed interest in hearing the product you should probably already have the Demo ready to 'send'. If they want to hear it but it's going to take you a long time to create a Demo they may lose interest. When you transition from avocational hobbyist to 'Company', engaging in Commerce, 'marketing' product, you have to have that product ready for the 'consumer' as soon as they express interest. When? Now. In the ever-elapsing moment of 'now'.

COST:
Bela Fleck, Jazz Banjo-ist, said,
"I'm getting better recordings in my living room with Pro Tools than I got in thirty years in expensive studios!"
https://try.output.com/protools28?u...hjIKa-wIVbjizAB3jcwc9EAAYAyAAEgIy7_D_BwE

So cost depends on what you can do for yourself, or what a local 'technician' will charge, or what a big city 'professional' will charge.
Before you spend your money, expecting to make money, what makes you think your product can make money?
How much Market Research have you done? Do listeners want to know where they can hear you again? Do people want to buy it? Do they ask to buy a CD, download card, USB; any hard-copy device? Have you sold a substantial number of copies already at the 'quality level' you already have? Did your 'Company' document those sales? Did you document that 'feedback' as Market Research? Can you cite your success in a sales pitch to the 'Consumer' you're trying to get as a Publisher, the Artist or Artist Management you're Pitching to, the Music Supervisor who might be interested in a Synchronization License?
Cost depends on justifying it as 'investment', versus 'spending', on what you can afford, and on how optimistic you are about earning profit to recover costs.

QUALITY:
Is the one you made in your living room with your own technology and skill level ready to go 'on the air', Synchronization Licensed for 'use' in a movie or television show? Is it 'broadcast ready'? The 'quality' you might 'desire' for a 'hit record', played on radio and streaming might be higher than that adequate for background music in a movie or tv commercial.
Full band? Simple guitar and vocal, piano and vocal? What is 'adequate?
It is a judgment call. You make yours. Listeners make theirs.
I read that Kenny Chesney 'doesn't have ears' for anything less than a full band presentation.
Others are said to 'have ears', to hear a simple presentation of a Song and recognize its potential.
You, the first listener, the Song-Writer, have ears. But...do you have 'ears'? Can you tell the difference between a fun Song for you to play and a fun Song in the opinion, the judgment call, of others, people in the industry you're Pitching to, the general public, the market?
Your judgment about how much you should logically 'invest' in a Demonstration Recording may be influenced by your own attachment to the product.
To qualify as 'Investment' versus 'Spending', you have to have an expectation of 'ROI', 'Return-On-Investment'. Can this Recording of this Song go to market, and make 'Capital-Economic-Connection', earn profit, come away with 'Capital', money, money, money, money? Maybe. Maybe not. How good is your judgment? What makes you think it can, justifying your Investment?

PACKAGING:
Put your contact data on every 'piece' you submit to a Publisher, Artist/Management, Label; any 'entity' you're trying to engage in commerce with.
Put that data on the Compact Disc or other hard-copy device, the Jewel Case, the paper 'inserts', your cover letter, the envelope.
The 'listener' may be messy and stuff gets scattered around. Putting it all back together again to enable them to get back in touch with you and make money could be made easy for them if you label every piece.
Embed the Metadata in the recording. That's how the Shazam Application (App) 'recognizes' and 'identifies' music coming out of your radio, tv, or phone. The data is there, 'broadcast' whenever the Recording plays.
Performance Rights Organizations (PRO) monitoring 'plays' to calculate your Royalties can let a computer collect, process and analyze that data if it's embedded as metadata in the recording.

FOLLOW-UP: You may not hear from them for months. Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. Assume they're busy. Assume, if they want it, they'll get in touch with you. Don't 'pester' by phone, email, or showing up in person...before a 'reasonable' amount of time has passed.
Three months? Okay. Follow up with whatever communication you used to get permission to submit in the first place.
You can't just 'mail' or 'email' material to them. That's called 'un-solicited' and, if they're legit, goes into the trash. They're afraid to open unsolicited material for fear of having 'Access' proven if they later Publish something you could credibly accuse them of having stolen from you, 'Copyright Infringement', since you sent them something. 'Solicited' means you contacted them somehow, and they said, "Yes. Send me your Song." You put that 'acceptance' in your Company's file on this 'business', for future reference; who, what, where, when, why. Use that same contact method for 'follow-up' if you have not heard back from them in a 'reasonable' period of time. What's 'reasonable'? Their opinion may be different from yours. Use some judgment.
If 'solicited', they're expecting it. Don't keep them waiting. Don't ask for permission to send them something and then have to wait while you finish writing it, getting it into 'Fixed Form', Registering for Copyright, or negotiating with Co-Writers, musicians or Producers involved in the writing or 'Master' Recording.
Three months waiting for them may be 'reasonable'. Waiting very long at all for you to submit the product is 'unreasonable'. They're the customer, the consumer, and the customer is always right. If they gave permission to 'submit', 'solicited your submission', they're interested, based on however you presented yourself.
Contact them, confirm that they have had three months to make a decision, and act accordingly. If they reject the product, be courteous, ask permission to submit something else. Tell them you're going to take back your earlier submission, maybe work on it a bit more, perhaps to re-Pitch to them, or to someone else. Be courteous. Don't get upset. Don't complain about three months. Don't tell them they're fools if they don't have 'ears' to hear your Song's potential. Just stay 'business-like'. Keep that 'door' you got open open. Your Company is bigger than one Song. Conversely, your Company IS your Song. Don't give away the store.

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL:
I'm the consumer. What do I desire and demand to know? Don't tell me what you want me to know about your life story, your philosophy. What do I desire and demand? What's your name? Where are you playing live? Where can I hear you? How can I buy your products if I desire them? Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
You can tell me all that other stuff later. But 'right now' it is in your interest to get your music in my ears to enable me to make a judgment call about whether I want to keep listening, stop listening, buy, engage in commerce with you, or not.

PUBLISHING:
Publishing can be as 'simple' as handing out copies on a street corner. Making your product available to others is Publishing. Giving 'Access' is Publishing.
When someone presents themselves as a Publisher, but wants you to pay them COST of a DEMONSTRATION RECORDING, they probably are not a Publisher. If they want to become a part-owner of the product they may simply be trying to lock in that ownership because they believe your Song has potential, or simply to lock in just in case you get the product to market and it makes money. They may not do anything to get it to market, to do the legwork of Pitching.
A Publisher is a Company looking for music to 'Publish' to an Artist, with the intent that the Artist will 'Cut' (Record) and 'Release' the Song to market, where it can earn Publisher's Royalties and Song-Writing Royalties.
In exchange for doing that work, Publishers want a 'share' of your Publishing Royalties. They may want 100% of Publishing Royalties. You retain 100% of Song-Writing Royalties. That's what you come to the table with; ownership of those Publishing Royalty 'rights'. Your Song is your Company's asset. If they want to make money with it, they have to contract with you.
To earn their money they do the 'legwork' of finding interested parties and 'Pitching' the Song to them for their consideration.
If you can do that for yourself you are a 'Self-Publisher'. If you can't, you may want to sign a Publishing Contract, giving the Publishing Company 'rights' to those Publishing Royalties FOR...A SPECIFIED...Period Of Time. At the end of that time, if the Publisher has not accomplished the task, a Reversion Clause in the written contract ends the contract and the ownership of the Publishing Royalties rights 'Reverts' back to you, the Song-Writer. You then Pitch it to another Publisher, or other 'consumer', Artist, Artist's Management, a Label, a Music Supervisor/Broadcast Producer.

PRODUCER POINTS: Producers often negotiate to 'own' the Master Recording. A specified share of the Song-Writer's Royalties becomes their 'right'. Your Copyright Registration would list them as Co-Writers. They may not 'negotiate' it at all. You may not know they're 'laying claim' until after the Master Recording exists.
Producers often lay claim to the Master Recording.
Did your contract...let's capitalize that...your 'Contract' with them specify that you were 'Assigning' Rights to them? Did your contract... Contract specify their work as a 'Work For Hire', meaning they got paid for their work, and no further 'Rights' to the Master Recording or the Song will be transferred to them?
In Synchronization Licensing, for 'use' in a movie, commercial ad, tv show, you must be Legally authorized as 'owner' to 'clear' the Master Recording and Copyright for the Consumer, the Music Supervisor or Broadcast Producer to 'use' the product.
Nothing stains your reputation more than having a project come to a screeching halt because someone pops up with Legal rights to those aspects of the product, who wants to re-negotiate the deal. You're transitioning from avocational hobbyist to vocation, professional Song-Writer, 'creative', engaging in Commerce, signing Contracts, Legally binding yourself to the terms of the Contract. You've got to know the ramifications of your signature on a Contract. There are nuances of Contracts any attorney might know about. An Entertainment Attorney, specializing in the type of Commerce you're engaging in might know nuances of the Music Industry a Criminal Lawyer or Commercial Lawyer might not know.

COPYRIGHT:
Copyright (4) Should I copyright all of my songs?
Copyright: How do I get a copyright?
Copyright: Is it safe to post my song here?
Copyright: Where do I get my song copyrighted and can u teach me any tips on how to get my money's worth (Wash D.C.) to file? - meaning.. do as a collection per say.. rather than song by song.
Security/Copyright: o I'm paranoid about people stealing my songs, do I need an attorney ?
Copyright: 1. Legal Questions. Mostly questions about copyrights, followed by specific contract questions.
Copyright: 3. How to copyright songs.
Copyright: "someone told me I could mail my lyrics to myself and that would make them copyright, is that right"
Copyright: If a demo company wants part of my copyright for doing the demo that I pay for?
Security: Is it safe to post my songs here?
Copyright: 3: Should I copyright my songs? If so, how do I do that?
Copyright: How do you make that little copyright sign?..� year and name ©

COPYRIGHT: Fixed Form.
Date of 'creation' of any 'Fixed Form', written, recorded, is an 'automatic' Copyright Date, a 'right' to 'copy' your Intellectual Property (IP) bestowed by Federal Copyright Law (U. S. A. May vary in other countries).
You may have been working on it for years without writing it down or recording it. The moment you put it in 'Fixed Form' is the moment Federal Copyright Law 'bestows' you with ownership of the 'right' to 'copy' your Intellectual Property (IP) for fun or profit.
Date of receipt by the Library of Congress Register of Copyrights is the 'Registration Date'.
A Federal Judge, in Federal Court, where Federal Copyright Law cases are heard, will not let you file a Copyright Infringement lawsuit without a Registration.
Your lawyer will appreciate your contemporaneous documentation of exposure to 'Access' to your IP. Notes of who, what, when, where, why, made at the time, filed away like Companies do, taking care of business, can carry weight in arguing a Legal case.
Mailing your Lyric or Manuscript to yourself by Registered Mail, receiving it and leaving it unopened, might be documentation you can present in a Court case.
But it is not a 'Registration' of your Copyright. Only formal Registration with the Library of Congress will entitle you to file a lawsuit in Federal Court. Known as the 'Poor Man's Copyright', cheaper than the $20 a Registration cost when I filed my first, a $20 bite out of my disposable income that was significant in my budget, the technique is just a little better than nothing.

COPYRIGHT: Education and Registration.
www.copyright.gov has Circulars to read to Educate Yourself so you can take care of business, and help your Lawyer if it's ever necessary.
The site will walk you through Registration.

COPYRIGHT: Posting on the internet.
Posting your Song anywhere is not 'safe'. Is putting gasoline in your tank 'safe'? Or is it possible someone will steal it? That's why you lock doors, lock gas caps. Car companies put a 'barrier' in the neck of your filler access to prevent a siphon hose from being put down to steal your gas.
Thieves for anything of value exist.
You are 'Saf-er' if you have Registered your product for Copyright, formally, with the Library of Congress.
However, you may want to take risks as you're learning Song-Writing and how to be a Company in the Song-Writing business. Sometimes you can get critiques that help you comprehend what's good about your Song, and what's 'bad' about it. Other eyes on your Lyric may spot 'flaws', in their opinion, and help you think about things you may not have noticed. Other ears may spot things in the sounds you didn't notice, and help you think about changes to make it better.
Indicating your claim to Copyright, "Song Title" by "Your Name Here" "Copyright November 6, 2022" can help advise thieves you are claiming your 'right' to 'copy', perhaps discouraging them from trying to steal it. No guarantee. Your dated post here may also serve as additional documentation in a court case. A digital forensics expert could probably find out if the accused ever 'Accessed' you post.

COPYRIGHT: Collections.
In the mid-1990's I was fond of playing 'Under The Elms' on the campus of Ohio University (1804) in Athens, Ohio. Suddenly people popped up with video cameras, and then cell phone telecomputers, enabling them to 'capture' my Lyric and the Melody to which I sang it, and the Arrangement I played on guitar. I worried they could walk away and Register the Song as theirs and I might be unable to do anything about it. I Registered 167 Songs with the Library of Congress in 'Collections' of about 32 Songs each, for a single Registration fee for each 'Collection'. "Out Of The Woodwork", a Collection of Songs by Gary E. Andrews. "Out Of The Woodwork II, ...", etc.
My first Registration, a co-write, cost $20, which was a lot of money to come out of my budget at the time. The fee has increased over time, and the rules regarding Registration are subject to change. This is Government and who wields Government authority can change the game according to their way of looking at it.

COPYRIGHT: Demo Company Wants 'In'.
If a Demo Company wants part of your 'Company', part of your Song, they either see merits in it, potential for it to earn profits, or they simply want to 'lock in' 'Rights' to the Song-Writing and/or Publishing Royalties if you ever get it to market, without them doing anything but getting to to sign your name on a Contract, legally obligating you to abide by the Contract.
You can't use their Demo Recording to 'Release' to market, unless you have a signed Contract saying you can. Their singers and musicians may retain 'rights', as specified in a Contract. The Producer may retain rights to the Master Recording. Unless your Contract says they don't retain those rights there is a danger that a deal you're working on could go bad when it comes to signing a Contract. You have to 'clear' the product as owner of the Copyright and Master Recording.
One Song isn't your whole Company. But it IS your Company's product. You sign away rights to a Publisher if they're going to do the legwork to market the Song. You should retain as much ownership of the 'right' to 'copy' your Intellectual Property as possible. This is how your Company will earn profits; owning the product.
If cutting a Demo Company in for a share means you CAN release the Master Recording to market, and you think you can do that and earn profits, it might be reasonable to cut them in. But once they're in and the Copyright is Registered with them as co-writers, co-authors/composers, it's permanent.

COPYRIGHT: Symbol.
On my Hewlett Packard laptop, hold down ALT key, and, on the number pad on the right of your keypad, type 0169 © to get the Circle in a C Copyright Symbol.
I had a $2,000 Apple computer that became obsolete, would not accept 'their' latest Operating System, and it was Control G.
If you hold down the ALT Key and hit every letter and number key on your keypad it may show you all sorts of alternative symbols you might have a use for. Or not.

PERFORMANCE RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS and ROYALTIES:
Royalties: (5) How do I get paid royalties?
PRO's: (6) Do I need to join a PRO (Performance Rights Organization)?
PRO's: 13: Should I join a Performance Rights Organization (PRO), such as ASCAP, BMI or SESAC? And what, exactly, can they do for me?

Royalties: 14: I write some pretty darned good songs. But, I am not a performer. How do I get paid for my songs if a performing artist records them or plays them publicly?
Money-Making: 20: Is there really much money to be made as a songwriter or composer, rather than a performer?
PRO's: 8. Questions about PROs, how they work, who are they, which is best.
PRO's: PROs
Royalties: "How do I earn royalties"

STRUCTURE:
Structure: (7) Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?
Song Length: How long of a song is too long?
Song Length: How long should my intro be? (obviously, cut to the chase!) but people really need to know this.
Song Structure: As to song structure. It has been noted that a popular song needs to have a beginning, middle, and end. It has been noted from time to time, that a song, popular type, should be about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 minutes long.
Song Length: A song too short may not be a song at all and one too long may get too repetitious.
A song should not give away everything until it is ready in the song. In other words, a bit of mystery. But of course the song still has to have some continuity instead of a bunch of words just thrown together.
Song-Writing: Modern Rhyme, Meter, Rhythm, Phrasing. How to use repetition. The Vowel Triangle (Open and Closed vowels).to create singable lines.
A song that is pretty long but works perfectly is EL PASO by Marty Robbins. Keep writing.
"Forty Shades Of Green", Johnny Cash.
"Stairway To Heaven", Led Zeppelin.
"Hotel California", The Eagles.
Song-Writing Quality: 7. Questions about improving writing (funny, if this were the number one question, most of the other questions would answer themselves.)
Structure: What is song structure? Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?

Song Length: Concept: I think information about concept and length is important and a good addition to the answer for this question.

Structure: I do believe beginning songwriters need some understanding of structure though, before they venture out of the box. Once you know what rules you're breaking it's easier to get away with it.

Structure: So if someone could answer the specific - what is structure. Maybe there's a post you could refer to regarding structures - ABABCB, or AAA or possibly the difference between Pop Verse-Chorus and Country Verse-Chorus. I don't think we can go into depth but I think a starting point is important.

Critique: I am reminded of our first song critique submission - a meandering 7 minute, ABABCAAABCDEFG.... I can't repeat the comments here. Ouch.

Books: Don't forget book suggestions on the subject.
Here's one - Songwriting - A Complete Guide to the Craft, Stephen Citron

Structure: Where can I learn about proper lyric/song structure?

A) What is song structure

There are several categories of song structures; lyric, rhyme, melody and chord structures. Here is one of the basic lyric structures used in many pop and country songs.

A - verse 1
B - chorus
A- Verse 2
B - Chorus
C - Bridge (or verse 3)
B - Chorus

Rhyme Structure: A basic rhyme structure in a verse containing 4 lines:
Rhyme the last word of lines 2 and 4
Verse 2 rhyme differs from verse 1.
The last line of the chorus is generally the hook, or punchline of the song.

Study song lyrics of hit songs and you will often see this structure.

Pre-Chorus/Lift: You may also see an additional line or two between the verse and chorus. This is the lift, meant to carry the power of the song upward into the chorus.

This is only one of many song forms. We highly recommend you study a good book on the subject.
Song-Writing/Structure: B) Where can I learn about songwriting and song structure:

Learning: As far as where to learn, a lot depends on how you learn. Some folks learn best from books, others from organized classes; some like the �immersion therapy� of songwriting camps. You may learn best from watching other people. The lyric and song forums here on JPF are an excellent resource. Read lyrics and what other people say about them; try to get a handle on what people consider �good� in your chosen genre, and why.

Rules: Once you understand how to write a song by the rules, you can start to break them. Say something new, or say something old in a new way. Change the structure, use structures you are unfamiliar with. AAA, AABA, AAAC. Look them up. Try them on. Break them completely. See what happens.

Books: Book recommendations:
The Craft and Business of Songwriting, John Braheny
http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Business-Songwriting-3rd-Edition/dp/1582974667

Writing Better Lyrics, Pat Pattison
http://www.amazon.com/Writing-Better-Lyrics-Pat-Pattison/dp/1582975779/ref=pd_sim_b_4

Songwriting, A complete Guide to the Craft, Stephen Citron

http://www.amazon.com/Songwriting-C...&keywords=Songwriting+Stephen+Citron

Joe Wrabek
I�ll just be providing a starting point for others to talk from. What I say will reference country music, too, because that�s what I write. There are other genres, and some of the rules are different. You should also take what I say with a large amount of salt, because I am not famous by any means.

Structure: There are music-industry experts who will tell you a country music song should follow the pattern of verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus. I think that�s c**p. You�ll find most good songs ignore that format. I pay attention to it only when it�s convenient (which is not often).

DEMONSTRATION (Demo) RECORDING:
Demonstration Recording: (8) How much does a decent demo cost?
Demonstration Recording: Is the quality of my demo good enough?
Demo Recording: How do I package my demo before sending to a publishing co and how should I follow up and with what tools (postcards included, follow up with phone call, etc)?
Demonstraton Rec./Promotional material: 5 and 6. Another tie. Questions about performance and questions about creating promo material.
Quite often, the questioner wants a publisher, but the publisher wants to record the questioner's demos.
Copyright: If a demo company wants part of my copyright for doing the demo that I pay for?
Producer Points: "I took my words & melody to a producer who added drums & bass& stuff, now he says he owns 50 percent of the song, what do I do"
Feedback/Critique: 10: How much should a good demo/critique cost me?
Demo Rec: 6: When I feel my song is good enough to invest money in a demo; should I do a full scale production? Or, is a vocal with just guitar or piano backing adequate?

COST:
Bela Fleck, Jazz Banjo-ist, said,
"I'm getting better recordings in my living room with Pro-Tools than I got in thirty years in expensive studios!"
So cost depends on what you can do for yourself, or what a local 'technician' will charge, or what a big city 'professional' will charge.
Before you spend your money, expecting to make money, what makes you think your product can make money? How much Market Research have you done? Do people want to buy it? Do they ask to buy a CD, download card, USB; any hard-copy device? Have you sold a substantial number of copies already at the 'quality level' you already have? Did your 'Company' document those sales? Did you document that 'feedback' as Market Research? Can you cite your success in a sales pitch to the 'Consumer' you're trying to get as a Publisher, the Artist or Artist Management you're Pitching to, the Music Supervisor who might be interested in a Synchronization License?

QUALITY:
Is the one you made in your living room with your own technology and skill level ready to go 'on the air', Synchronization Licensed for 'use' in a movie or television show? Is it 'broadcast ready'? The 'quality' you might 'desire' for a 'hit record', played on radio and streaming might be higher than that adequate for background music in a movie or tv commercial.
Full band? Simple guitar and vocal, piano and vocal? What is 'adequate?
It is a judgment call. You make yours. Listeners make theirs.
I read that Kenny Chesney 'doesn't have ears' for anything less than a full band presentation.
Others are said to 'have ears', to hear a simple presentation of a Song and recognize its potential.
You, the first listener, the Song-Writer, have ears. But...do you have 'ears'? Can you tell the difference between a fun Song for you to play and a fun Song in the opinion, the judgment call, of others, people in the industry you're Pitching to, the general public, the market?
Your judgment about how much you should logically 'invest' in a Demonstration Recording may be influenced by your own attachment to the product.
To qualify as 'Investment' versus 'Spending', you have to have an expectation of 'ROI', 'Return-On-Investment'. Can this Recording of this Song go to market, and make 'Capital-Economic-Connection', earn profit, come away with 'Capital', money, money, money, money? Maybe. Maybe not. How good is your judgment? What makes you think it can, justifying your Investment?

PACKAGING:
Put your contact data on every 'piece' you submit to a Publisher, Artist/Management, Label; any 'entity' you're trying to engage in commerce with.
Put that data on the Compact Disc or other hard-copy device, the Jewel Case, the paper 'inserts', your cover letter, the envelope.
The 'listener' may be messy and stuff gets scattered around. Putting it all back together again to enable them to get back in touch with you and make money could be made easy for them if you label every piece.
Embed the Metadata in the recording. That's how the Shazam Application (App) 'recognizes' and 'identifies' music coming out of your radio, tv, or phone. The data is there, 'broadcast' whenever the Recording plays.

FOLLOW-UP: You may not hear from them for months. Let it be. Let it be. Let it be. Assume they're busy. Assume, if they want it, they'll get in touch with you. Don't 'pester' by phone, email, or showing up in person.
Three months? Okay. Follow up with whatever communication you used to get permission to submit in the first place.
You can't just 'mail' or 'email' material to them. That's called 'un-solicited' and, if they're legit, goes into the trash. They're afraid to open unsolicited material for fear of having 'Access' proven if they later Publish something you could credibly accuse them of having stolen from you, 'Copyright Infringement', since you sent them something. 'Solicited' means you contacted them somehow, and they said, "Yes. Send me your Song." You put that 'acceptance' in your Company's file on this 'business', for future reference; who, what, where, when, why.
They're expecting it. Don't keep them waiting. Don't ask for permission to send them something and then have to wait while you finish writing it, getting it into 'Fixed Form', Registering for Copyright, or negotiating with Co-Writers, musicians or Producers involved in the writing or 'Master' Recording.
Three months waiting for them may be 'reasonable'. Waiting very long at all for you to submit the product is 'unreasonable'. They're the customer, the consumer, and the customer is always right.
Contact them, confirm that they have had three months to make a decision, and act accordingly. If they reject the product, be courteous, ask permission to submit something else. Tell them you're going to take back your earlier submission, maybe work on it a bit more, perhaps to re-Pitch to them, or to someone else. Be courteous. Don't get upset. Don't complain about three months. Don't tell them they're fools if they don't have 'ears' to hear your Song's potential. Just stay 'business-like'. Keep that door you got open open. Your Company is bigger than one Song.

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL:
I'm the consumer. What do I desire and demand to know? Don't tell me what you want me to know about your life story, your philosophy. What do I desire and demand? What's your name? Where are you playing live? Where can I hear you? How can I buy your products if I desire them? Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.
You can tell me all that other stuff later. But 'right now' it is in your interest to get your music in my ears to enable me to make a judgment call about whether I want to keep listening, stop listening, buy, engage in commerce with you, or not.

PUBLISHING:
Publishing can be as 'simple' as handing out copies on a street corner. Making your product available to others is Publishing. Giving 'Access' is Publishing.
When someone presents themselves as a Publisher, but wants you to pay them COST of a DEMONSTRATION RECORDING, they probably are not a Publisher. If they want to become a part-owner of the product they may simply be trying to lock in that ownership because they believe your Song has potential, or simply to lock in just in case you get the product to market and it makes money. They may not do anything to get it to market, to do the legwork of Pitching.
A Publisher is a Company looking for music to 'Publish' to an Artist, with the intent that the Artist will 'Cut' (Record) and 'Release' the Song to market, where it can earn Publisher's Royalties and Song-Writing Royalties.
In exchange for doing that work, Publishers want a 'share' of your Publishing Royalties. They may want 100% of Publishing Royalties. You retain 100% of Song-Writing Royalties. That's what you come to the table with; ownership of those Publishing Royalty 'rights'. Your Song is your Company's asset. If they want to make money with it, they have to contract with you.
To earn their money they do the 'legwork' of finding interested parties and 'Pitching' the Song to them for their consideration.
If you can do that for yourself you are a 'Self-Publisher'. If you can't, you may want to sign a Publishing Contract, giving the Publishing Company 'rights' to those Publishing Royalties FOR...A SPECIFIED...Period Of Time. At the end of that time, if the Publisher has not accomplished the task, a Reversion Clause in the written contract ends the Contract and the ownership of the Publishing Royalties rights 'Reverts' back to you, the Song-Writer. You then Pitch it to another Publisher, or other 'consumer', Artist, Artist's Management, a Label.

PRODUCER POINTS: Producers often negotiate to 'own' the Master Recording. A specified share of the Song-Writer's Royalties becomes their 'right'. Your Copyright Registration would list them as Co-Writers.
Producers often lay claim to the Master Recording.
Did your contract...let's capitalize that...your 'Contract' with them specify that you were 'Assigning' Rights to them? Did your contract... Contract specify their work as a 'Work For Hire', meaning they got paid for their work, and no further 'Rights' to the Master Recording or the Song will be transferred to them.
In Synchronization Licensing, for 'use' in a movie, commercial ad, tv show, you must be legally authorized as 'owner' to 'clear' the Master Recording and Copyright for the Consumer, the Music Supervisor or Broadcast Producer to 'use' the product.
Nothing stains your reputation more than having a project come to a screeching halt because someone pops up with legal rights to those aspects of the product, who wants to re-negotiate the deal. You're transitioning from avocational hobbyist to vocation, professional Song-Writer, 'creative', engaging in Commerce, signing Contracts, legally binding yourself to the terms of the Contract. You've got to know the ramifications of your signature on a Contract. There are nuances of Contracts any attorney might know about. An Entertainment Attorney, specializing, in the type of Commerce you're engaging in might know nuances of the Music Industry a Criminal Lawyer or Commercial Lawyer might not know.