I'm With The Band: Guest List Etiquette for Local Bands

The guest list at a show is a very interesting thing that isn't discussed often. There are different rules for the guest list at each venue and each promotor will do their guest list a certain way. When it comes to local shows this is something that is often abused by local bands. While it seems innocent enough to want to get your friends or family into your show for free bands need to consider the implications of putting people on their list.

The obvious thing about putting people on the guest list is that is one less paying person which means less money in the door. If there are 4 bands playing and each member of each band has 1 person on the guest list, assuming there are 4 members in each band, that is 16 less people paying. If tickets are only $5 then the door is losing $80 from the guest list, a number higher than what most local bands will be paid for said show. I'm not saying that it's a bad thing to put guests on the list but if you are in a band that is drawing on average under 20 people then you shouldn't be putting anyone on the guest list except in a few situations.

1. Merch Table - You have a friend running the merchandise table.

2. Photographer - You have someone taking photos of the show (this does not mean a friend taking pictures with their phone).

3. Videographer - You have someone taking video of the show (same thing about a friend just taping with their phone).

4. Press - You have someone from the press attending the show. It could be someone from a school paper for all I care, any press to get the word out about the bands and local shows is a good thing. 

5. Music Industry - You have a record label exec, A&R rep, Sponsor rep, or anyone who has an important role in the music industry.

6. Important to Band - By this I mean someone whose help ensures the band can play. This would include someone who is lending equipment, someone hosting the band's practices,  or possibly someone who drove the band members. This does not include some friend who came with you at load-in to help you load-in. 

In my opinion every band should adhere to these rules unless they are drawing over 100 people locally on average, especially since the majority of local fans at this level are friends and family. I find it odd that so many friends of bands feel entitled to get into the show for free because they are "supporting" their friend's band by attending. 

The last thing I will mention is the girlfriend/boyfriend/significant other of a band member debacle. Some people think it shouldn't be a big deal to let them in for free and some people think they shouldn't be on the guest list. I've had door-guys at shows just let them in for free despite what the promotor says because they basically consider them part of the band. This is something that I don't see as a problem once a band can consistently draw over 20 people but if a band draws less then their significant others usually make up a big chunk of their 'fan base'. 

7 Things Promotors Do To Make Bands Frustrated

After receiving some response about my previous post, "7 Things Bands Do To Make Promotors Frustrated", I felt the need to write a follow-up article. There are many other posts out there quite similar to my article which seem to always go after the bands, so I thought I would turn it around. Promotors are far from perfect and to be completely honest, there are some promotors who frustrate me more than any band could. Here is my list of 7 things promotors do that make bands frustrated.

1. Pay-To-Play - This is one of the biggest pet-peeves that bands not only talk about but many other promotors talk about as well. Some larger promotion companies, who I will not name but many probably know exactly who it is, will seek out any band who is willing to play on a Sunday on a 10 band bill and then make them sell overpriced advanced tickets for no pay or very little pay. It isn't just the large promotion companies who do this but also local and regional promotion agencies. There is a pretty big movement in the USA and the UK criticizing the practice and even a website dedicated to informing bands about who does the practice and why it sucks.

2. Horrible Communication - When it comes to contacting promotors it can be a crap-shoot, even if you have worked with them before. When it comes to booking shows all bands can expect a large amount of their inquiries to receive no response. But horrible communication becomes a terrible problem when you get a promotor to take on a show. Once you get that email of "we've accepted your offer" then it is time to play the waiting game of show details. It is absolutely and horribly frustrating to have waited 3 weeks, contacted the person multiple times, and have received no word about anything. If something is wrong with the show and it falls through this is ample time lost I could have been setting up another show. Some promotors don't even take the initiative to tell the bands the info for the show, so if you don't follow-up you won't know load-in, set times, or anything.

3. Knows Nothing - When a band arrives at a gig they usually look for venue staff or the promotor to find out the where to load-in and the times for the show. The venue staff may tell the band where to load-in but will usually just direct the band to the promotor. It's one thing for the promotor to not know the drink policy for the venue or the closest place to get food but to not know where to load-in, band order, set times, ticket prices, or anything that is their job to decide is just ridiculous. I've played some shows where the promotor just kept saying "I don't know, you decide", which is not just stupid but pretty damn lazy. Which leads into the next part…

4. Does Nothing - When a promotor sets up a show I always see the promotor as the lead-person for the night. They are the director of the show and need to be active with the show. Shows always seem to be rough when the promotor just sits back and does nothing. The promotor should be all over the venue all night; checking on the bands, checking on the door, checking on the sound guy, making sure everything is on schedule, making sure the switch-overs run smoothly, and just gauging everything for possible problems that could arise. If you go to a show and see the promotor sitting all night, expect a shitty show.

5. Horrible Promotion - When it comes to working with a promotor there is one main job everybody thinks about…Promoting. It is the promotor's main job to get the word out about the show and create a buzz. This doesn't mean bands shouldn't promote, everybody involved in the show should promote because it helps all involved in the end. Yet it is the promotor's job to go a step above. You can tell when a promotor's only work was putting up a facebook event and posting on twitter.

6. Mis-matched Bands - I think this is the biggest under-rated qualm I hear from bands these days. It is okay to put bands of different genres on the same bill together but the promotor must make sure there is a theme that can tie it all together. I can't even begin to tell you how many bands have told me they had so much fun at a show I booked just because "the line-up actually made sense".  It definitely happens that shows will have an outliar in the line-up, a band who just didn't quite fit, but to have a 4 band bill with only 2 bands somewhat similar in style is just mind boggling.

7. Being Sketchy - There are many ways a promotor can act sketchy but the biggest tell-tale sign is they always seem to beat around the bush when answering certain questions or give unrealistic answers. Sometimes promotors will deduct things such as food, drink, or supplies from the band's pay without telling the band until the end of the show. Sometimes promotors will promise you a guarantee and then tell you at the end of the night they can't pay you or even leave before the end of the show. Some promotors will lie about the ticket count, expenses, door split, or whatever to squeeze some more money their way. Obviously this doesn't apply to every promotor but there are definitely some conniving promotors out there.

In the end I think promotors and bands should understand that they both have reasonable complaints about the other. This article puts it pretty well, even though it is based in the UK it translates well to what I've experienced (although I don't recommend the video, it's pretty lame).

8 Things Every Musician Should Know About Music Publishing

One of the most overlooked and complex aspects of the music industry today is music publishing. Many musicians have no clue what exactly music publishing entails or why it is so important. The biggest reason any musician should understand music publishing is because music publishing is how musicians make money for their intellectual property. Here is a list of 8 things every musician should know about music publishing.

1. Musical Composition vs. Sound Recording - When it comes to music publishing this is a concept so important the copyright office has a singled-out page about it. The musical composition is the specific ordering and structure of musical notes, sometimes accompanied by words. The sound recording is a phono-record copy of the composition being performed in some manner. Basically, the musical composition is the actual song and the sound recording is the recording of the song.

2. Publishing Share = 50% of the song - When a song is created it automatically has two rights associated with it; publishing rights and songwriter rights. Publishing rights represent a 50% share of the song and songwriter rights represent the other 50% of a song. If a songwriter publishes their own work they will own 100% of the song. If the songwriter signs a co-publishing agreement for a 50/50 split, the songwriter owns 75% of the song. This is because the most any publishing contract can cover is 100% of the publishing rights which only accounts for 50% ownership of the song.

3. Length of Copyrights - The length of the copyright for a song lasts until 70 years after the death of the songwriter(s). If there are multiple writers then the 70 years is determined to last after the death of the last surviving author. So if you write a song that becomes a hit and it has lasting effects, your great-grandchildren or even 2nd-great grandchildren could be receiving royalty checks from your work.

4. Performance Rights Organizations - Also known as PROs, these are organizations who collect royalty fees for artists and distributes them amongst the artists accordingly. In the USA there are three societies; ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC. Most artists join ASCAP or BMI because they offer open membership but if you want to affiliate with SESAC you'll have to submit an application for consideration. In order to join any of these you will need to have a composition released in an area which the PROs issue licenses; radio, television, film, interactive streaming, mechanical reproductions, or public performance (not a performance as in you playing it live, this refers to restaurants, shops, and businesses playing songs over their speakers). The societies are currently working to pass the Songwriters Equity Act (SEA) which would re-establish many current rules including the statutory rate for mechanical licenses and royalty payment for interactive streams (i.e. pandora, spotify, etc).

5. Mechanical Licenses - A mechanical license is the licensing of a copyrighted musical composition for use on CDs, records, tapes, and certain digital configurations. You can think of it as a mechanical reproduction of a copyrighted musical composition or the sale of one. A mechanical license does not give the right to sample from any phonorecord of the original recording, it just allows the reproduction of the composition. In the USA these licenses are mostly issued through the Harry Fox Agency but there are smaller agencies who also collect the royalties from mechanical licenses.

6. Synchronization Licenses - A synchronization license is the licensing of a copyrighted musical composition for synchronization to a visual media outlet. In layman terms it is a license to use a composition in a tv show, movie, video game, advertisement, promotional video, or any other visual media. Similar to the mechanical license a synchronization license does not give the right to use any part of the studio sound recording, this would require a Master Use License issued by owner of the recorded work (often a record label).

7. Publishing Contracts - Signing a publishing contract is kind of similar to a record contract in that you are given an advance (basically a loan) which is often recouped through the royalties earned. A music publisher's main role is to collect royalties for the songs in it's catalogue and distribute them accordingly. Many music publishers also actively sell the songs in their catalogue and maintain relationships with other personnel throughout the entertainment industry who buy music. MOST IMPORTANTLY, you do not need to sign a publishing contract to copyright your music, license your music, or collect royalties for your music. Signing a publishing contract is very risky and should be done only after consulting your lawyer (if you are offered a deal and don't have a lawyer, find one). It can be quite profitable to team up with a music publisher as they can help advance your career quite heavily but it isn't necessary.

8. Copyright Royalty Board - Also known as the CRB, this is the board which decides the royalty rates for copyright statutory licenses. The board consists of three judges who are appointed by the Librarian of Congress. The board currently consists of; Suzanne M. Barnett(Chief Copyright Royalty Judge),David R. Strickler, and Jesse Feder. Each judge must be an expert in either economics (Strickler), copyright (Feder), or adjudication and trial procedure (Barnett).