The short answer: Yes. The long answer: Very little for most users. Let’s examine why. How Does TikTok Pay You? Your music will generate royalties from both the master recording and the songwritng (publishing), as it does with any usage. If you are a member of a PRO (Performing Rights Organisation) in your territory (SOCAN in Canada, ASCAP or BMI … Read More
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 music industry in 2020 were … Read More
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”). Industry norm is between 2-5% … Read More
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: how long will you be … Read More
100 Episodes of KD and Me!
Two years ago my friend Gary from my local rock station had a little idea to call me and chat on-air about what was happening in my world. Very casual. We had a load of fun so he called me the next week and we did the same thing. Then listeners started sending in questions and requests and next thing … Read More
Free Legal Program Completes Third Year!
Three years ago, I relaunched a program with the help of SaskMusic to provide free legal advice to musicians in the province. It’s the only program of its kind in Canada and in those three years, we’ve provided over 180 hours of free legal advice to Sask musicians!! It’s an absolute honour to do it and maybe someday we’ll take … Read More
Two of My Clients in Rolling Stone today!!
Feeling like a proud papa!! Two of my clients were in Rolling Stone Magazine today!! Huge congrats to Colter Wall and Black Mountain Whiskey Rebellion. Celebration time gents
Elected President of SaskMusic for a third straight year!!
Absolutely honoured to serve as President of SaskMusic for a third straight year!!! There is more incredible talent per capita in this province than anywhere in the world and I am humbled to be a voice for it. Music is life. Life is music.
Can You 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 the above instances of alleged plagiarism involved similarities … Read More