Seeking advise on handling an artist situation

BeatMusicGroup

New member
Been working with an artist for over a year, she is an aries , so you know what that means, starts but never finishes.
We have done several songs together in the studio , me providing the beats and her the lyrics, but we never seam to completely finish the tracks.
However, whenever we collaborate on an idea her first reaction is always " I would love to do an acoustic version of this", so there she goes getting a group of musician together and remaking the song we have 90% finished using my beat. The acoustic version is very different than the original but thats were her focus is with very little attention to the beat we did to spark the original idea. Once the acoustic version is done its a completely a new song and and she's off to the races having me mix and master the acoustic version which is very different, additionally since the song is so different I no longer get credit for the original idea which never gets finsihed. What are your thoughts? I've had several conversations about this with her and she says she is open to all music genres but we do a beat, a song and she's back to doing an acoustic version. Am i wasting my time because she is by heart a cover artist and prefers the acoustic platform, so i should just take my beats elsewhere, please provide me with your thought and direction, thanks
 
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If your beat has clear musical structures on top of which she writes her melody and lyrics, then you are part creator of the melody and thus should be credited song writing credit for the melody part. Afterall she couldn't have created that melody without having your song structure guiding the writing. And you were working on the song together so it's quite clear cut. But if she changed the melody so that it's unrecognizable from the original, then it's her original piece of art and has nothing to do with you. These kind of things are quite commonly disagreed upon because people are often selfish. In my experience those people who can't collaborate won't make it in the business though... so may that be a comfort for you.

To me she sounds flakey... It might also be possible that she needs your help to get her creative juices flowing and is just using you to get them. You often come across people who can't really concentrate. I've had singers love the song until it's done and then the "should this be a ballad or EDM" or whatever talk starts. These type of things are the reason I always have a discussion before starting to work on something with someone else, on what are they actually looking for and what I can bring to the table. And what they can expect and what should I expect. It's good to have some sort of parameters agreed upon before starting the work. This is also the phase where you always notice if someone is trying to take advantage of you or are completely impossible to work with, or complete assholes. I've noticed that the ones who are crying out that you are trying to take advantage are always the ones trying to take advantage.

No one else can say who you should work with. It has to be what feels best for you. If you feel like someone's taking advantage of you, then they most likely are. If you feel you are getting something out of it too, then that's just the business of making music.
 
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thanks appreciate your advice, I think the issue is yes I'm feeling taking advantage

thanks appreciate your advice, I think the issue is yes I'm feeling taking advantage of.



If your beat has clear musical structures on top of which she writes her melody and lyrics, then you are part creator of the melody and thus should be credited song writing credit for the melody part. Afterall she couldn't have created that melody without having your song structure guiding the writing. And you were working on the song together so it's quite clear cut. But if she changed the melody so that it's unrecognizable from the original, then it's her original piece of art and has nothing to do with you. These kind of things are quite commonly disagreed upon because people are often selfish. In my experience those people who can't collaborate won't make it in the business though... so may that be a comfort for you.

To me she sounds flakey... It might also be possible that she needs your help to get her creative juices flowing and is just using you to get them. You often come across people who can't really concentrate. I've had singers love the song until it's done and then the "should this be a ballad or EDM" or whatever talk starts. These type of things are the reason I always have a discussion before starting to work on something with someone else, on what are they actually looking for and what I can bring to the table. And what they can expect and what should I expect. It's good to have some sort of parameters agreed upon before starting the work. This is also the phase where you always notice if someone is trying to take advantage of you or are completely impossible to work with, or complete assholes. I've noticed that the ones who are crying out that you are trying to take advantage are always the ones trying to take advantage.

No one else can say who you should work with. It has to be what feels best for you. If you feel like someone's taking advantage of you, then they most likely are. If you feel you are getting something out of it too, then that's just the business of making music.
 
I think the situation needs of conversation. I would just lay out to her how I feel about it. And if her Main focus is not on the music you create for her, But what she changes. then it should be agreed upon before hand your exact crediting that will be on the track. And I would get that in writing because you never know what could happen with the music. If agreed upon I would list out the tracks done before and a clause saying that all future materials made in this fashion will be a credited as so. This is a business and cover yourself and always look out of your interest.
 
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