Does TikTok Pay Musicians?

Does TikTok Pay Musicians The short answer:  Yes. The long answer: Very little for most users. Let’s examine why. If TikTok Pays Musicians? How Does TikTok Pay You? Your music will generate royalties from both the master recording and the songwriting (publishing), as it does with any usage. If you are a member of a […]

TikTok For Musicians: What You Need to Know

One of the biggest developments in the music industry in 2020 was TikTok. While the app was definitely big in 2018 and 2019, it truly blew up in 2020, surpassing over 1 billion users across 150 countries and establishing itself as a bellwether in the music industry. Many of the biggest success stories in the […]

SoundExchange Royalties: How Much Should You Pay Your Producer?

In recent years, one of the questions that I’ve been asked most by my artist clients is: how much of my SoundExchange royalties should I give my producer? As we examined in my article here, it is industry standard for music producers to be paid a percentage of an artist’s record sales (known as “points”). […]

5 Things to Look for in a Record Deal

After years of hard work, you just landed your first record deal. Amazing. Now the record label sends over the contract and it’s thirty pages long. Yikes. Here are the main points to look for in a record deal and what to avoid. 1) How Long is the Term? This is a good starting point: […]

Can You Copyright a Drumbeat?

Copyright a Drumbeat In light of the many high profile plagiarism cases making headlines in the music business over the last few years (Lana Del Rey, Led Zeppelin, Robin Thicke, Sam Smith, etc.), it felt like the right time to examine the topic of songwriting from where we all sit: the drum throne. All of […]

We Just Hit #1!!!!

After 13 years as a band, we just landed the first NUMBER ONE song of our career!! Humbled and HONOURED 

What is an Artist Development Deal, and Should You Sign One?

In the “glory days” of the recording industry (i.e. after Elvis, before the Internet), there was a very common type of deal offered by record labels called the Artist Development Deal, sometimes known as a “Demo Deal”. The idea was fairly simple: if a label liked you but didn’t want to commit fully with a […]

Should Your Band Trademark Your Band Name?

    Is it worthwhile for musicians to obtain a band trademark? When you think of bands like The Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Metallica, the Ramones, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith, KISS, and Iron Maiden, their logos and brands are immediately identifiable and familiar. These brands also happen to be worth millions. The trademark of a band […]