The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers

SONGWRITING COLLABORATION - Many lyric songwriters find it difficult to write melodies, and many melody songwriters find it difficult to write lyrics, they often seek to collaborate, setting up a songwriting collaboration, lyricist with composer, composer with lyricist, therefore, setting up a collaboration songwriting and composing partnership.

It is in this way that success has been achieved by songwriting collaborations at all levels. Remember - Lennon and McCartney, Rogers and Hammerstein, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber, David and Bacharach, Elton John and Bernie Taupin, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards etc, these are just a few examples of successful songwriting collaborations.

As a lyicist songwriter you may have to try many songwriting collaboration partners before you decide upon someone with whom you can collaborate and work with comfortably but you will soon know when you have found a suitable songwriting collaborator partner. Many lyricists and composers have to go through several songwriting collaborators to find one or more suitable songwriting collaboration partners with whom they can eventually produce worthwhile songs.

Every lyricist should try to write a melody, many lyricists may have an idea of a tune in their mind but cannot express it in audible terms or write it onto manuscript. It is, therefore, advisable to try to sing, whistle or hum the basic tune onto tape so as not to forget the melody. It does not matter what the song sounds like at this early stage, as the tape/cassette recorder is only a notebook for ideas.

Lyricists should also try to expand their song and tune to try and complete a song with lyrics and melody, using the tape/cassette recorder to listen to their efforts and then improve upon their idea. It is amazing how quickly songwriting ideas will come when using a tape/cassette recorder to help. When the song can be basically demonstrated-by singing, whistling, humming or whatever-then The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers members free Assessment Service can be used to analyse and help with the songwriting progression.

Every composer songwriter should also try and write lyrics. Many composers have an idea of a story or lyrical theme but find it difficult to express it in terms of their melody writing and compositional arrangements. Songwriting collaboration is a good means of exapanding you ideas with other songwriters.

If, in the end, you as a songwriter, lyricist or composer decide to collaborate, which may generally be a good idea, then try to find someone in your local area so that you can meet personally. However, there is nothing wrong with having a songwriting collaborator hundreds or even thousands of miles away, as any songwriting partnership can give you that enthusiasm and inspiration that you may require. Technology, internet download facilities also gives songwriters, composers and performers the ability now to communicate quickly over any distance, so collaboration with songwriters and composers in every territory of the world is no obstacle

Lyricists should try to meet songwriter/composer/musicians as many songwriter/composer/musicians lack the ability to write lyrics and here would be the good basis for a songwriting collaboration.

Composers should try to meet songwriter/lyricists as many songwriter/lyricists lack the ability to write melodies and, again, here would be the good basis for a songwriting collaboration.

Writing your own melody to your own lyrics, or your own lyrics to your own melody, or even collaborating to produce complete songs, is an exciting, creative experience.

The Guild advises lyric writers never to pay to have somebody write a melody for you. Music to lyrics/melody services will not get you a hit song (if they were any good then they would be writing their own hit songs anyway), so we advise you not to part with any money to any person offering a melody to lyrics service.

Again, The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers advises composers never to pay to have somebody write lyrics for you. Lyric to melody services will never get you a hit song (if they were any good then they would be writing their own hit songs anyway), so we advise you not to part with any money to any person offering a lyric to melody service.

The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers also draws your attention to what is known as “vanity publishing and recording”. A reputable music publisher or record company would not ask a songwriter, composer, lyricist or performing songwriter to pay for music publishing, recording, production and promotion of his or her own works, or to contribute to the cost in any way. (The only possible exception to this may be where the work is of a specialised nature with a very limited market.) However, if a song is worth publishing, sooner or later a music publisher will be prepared to publish the song at his/her own expense and pay you money(royalties) as an advance against future royalties. But if you, as a songwriter, composer, lyricist or performing songwriter cannot resist the temptation to hear your song on CD or tape, even though you may have to pay a substantial sum of money to do so, you should first discover just how much-or how little-the music publisher, record company or production company will undertake and will do in return for the payment he/she/they demand.

Therefore, we repeat:
Never pay any music publisher for publication of songs, lyrics, music, poetry or books.

2. Lyricists should never pay to have a demo recording made that includes a “free” melody service or pay for a music to lyrics service. Never pay to have melodies written for you.

3. Composers should never pay to have a demo recording made that includes a “free” lyric service or pay for a lyric to melody service. Never pay to have lyrics written for you.

All songwriters and composers who have had songwriting and/or composing success know that a really good song will always sell itself to the listener and be taken up for music publishing and recording. Songwriters and composers are also aware that they have had to write many run-of-the mill songs before they were able to write a really good song/hit song. As a songwriter do not ever be discouraged. Analyse your songs, pull them apart, try different structures, different arrangements, giver yourself options and a direction and never abandon a song, always finish it and try to remember to make each song better than the one before.

As a member of The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers you will have access to the Guild's register of songwriter composer collaborators, which appear in the Guild’s Songwriting & Composing Magazine, which is issued to all members within their annual subscriptions

Songwriting collaboration is a good means of exapanding and progressing your songwriting ideas with other songwriters and composers.

SONGWRITING COLLABORATION

A successful 2011 for songwriters' songwriting royalties

MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic) royalties increased 45.3% in 2011 to £38.5m

Over £545m of songwriting and publishing royalties were paid to PRSforMusic songwriter, composer and publisher members in 2010. For the first time PRSforMusic's revenue has topped £600 million, which is an amazing achievement. PRSforMusic’s record results have seen: Licensing revenue growth of 8% on 2009. Double digit growth in three of our four licensing areas effective licensing of new online services Growth of 9% in net distributable revenue on 2008.

The PRSforMusic's July 2011 distribution totalled just over £91million. In total the PRSforMusic July 2011 distribution contained more than 2,274 separate usage sources, generating 126million transactions. There were some 35million unique performanmces during the quarter made up of 674,905 distinct works to include Guild members works.

The PRSforMusic October 2011 royalty distribution totalled just over £127 million to its publisher and writer members. In total the October 2011 royalty distribution contains more than 2,400 separate usage sources, generating 109 million transactions. There were some 37 million unique performances during the quarter, made up of more than 8000,000 distinct works.

MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic) who represents 85,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in the UK saw royalty collections rose 3.2% to £630.8m last year after a surge in revenues from overseas and digital services. As part of this uplift money from services including itunes , Spotify, Amazon and we7 increased 45.3% in 2011 to £38.5m and made up a record 6% of total PRS collections. The licensing of new digital services enabled PRSforMusic to pay additional royalties to their members last year.

Newly-announced figures also reveal there was a big increase in money collected for the use of UK music overseas with this sum rising 10.6% to £187.7m. The lift came on the back of successes by British songwriters such as Adele, Taio Cruz and Coldplay last year as well as improvements in working with overseas collecting societies to collect what was owed.
Royalties from live music were up 8.2% to £225.5m, helped by the likes of the UK festival market and Take That’s Progress Live stadium tour, while money brought in from businesses such as shops, pubs, hotels, restaurants and work places for publicly playing music went up 0.9% to £131.4m. Broadcast income increased 1.2% to £149.0m with the only area of business experiencing a fall being recorded media. Here royalties fell 13.3% on the year to £101.6m with royalties from CDs, DVDs and covermounts all dropping.

The licensed digital market is now delivering a significant income stream for MCPS/PRS (PRSforMusic's) writer, composer and publisher members.

Songwriting and publishing royalties are a substantial source of income.

The Guild of International Songwriters & Composers
Publishers of Songwriting & Composing Magazine since 1986

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