Song Writer (Beat Maker), Not Producer

  • Thread starter Johnathan Bolton
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Johnathan Bolton

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Do you make beats only? If so, your a song writer (composer), not a producer.

A Producer by definition is "one who oversee a full production." Many producers NEVER make beats. They don't know how to. They get beat makers, singers, and others and they OVERSEE a full production. That is a producer.

My question is when selling beats to labels or artist why do cats want to get PRODUCER royalties when they didn't produce the record at all. All they did was co -write one song (the beat). Making a beat never makes you a producer but a composer (instrumental song writer)

Instead of getting PRODUCER royalties, shouldn't song composers get MECHANICAL and PERFORMANCE royalties since that’s what song writers receive?
 
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Technically you are correct about the difference between a composer and a producer.

And there are no such thing as producer royalties. There are only 4 types of royalties paid.

Mechanical licenses and royalties
Performance rights and royalties
Synchronization rights and royalties
Print rights and royalties

It's funny how you say
"All they did was co -write one song (the beat). Making a beat never makes you a producer but a composer (instrumental song writer)"

Actually do you know that writer's get more money than anybody. The songwriter and publisher split the mechanical royalties 50/50. The writer also gets performance royalties.

Knowledge dropping---> Never ever sign over your copyrights to anyone. You make a beat and copyright it. You just might regret it. My advice is start your own publishing company. And if someone wants a beat from you grant them a license to use the song.
Get them contracts tight. I can ask someone to give me a couple G's for a track and then say on top of that I want my royalties. Just because royalties aren't guaranteed. Old boy album might not make it off the shelf.
 
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Your almost right..But Their are producer royalties.. 3% SLRP

If you read "Music Powers"

OR
"All you need to know about the music industry" written by a lawyer, it states most PRODUCERS DO get royalties.

The actual royalty they get is about 3% SLRP of the CD. But they only get paid after their advance has been recouped.


This link is law advice. It talks about PRODUCER ROYALTIES

http://law.freeadvice.com/intellectual_property/music_law/music_producer_agreement.htm
 
Johnathan Bolton said:
If you read "Music Powers"

OR
"All you need to know about the music industry" written by a lawyer, it states most PRODUCERS DO get royalties.

The actual royalty they get is about 3% SLRP of the CD. But they only get paid after their advance has been recouped.
Click to expand...

^^ I believe what you stated above is in regards to mechanical royalites, as that percentage is in relation to the number of albums sold.
 
Johnathan Bolton said:
If you read "Music Powers"

OR
"All you need to know about the music industry" written by a lawyer, it states most PRODUCERS DO get royalties.

The actual royalty they get is about 3% SLRP of the CD. But they only get paid after their advance has been recouped.


This link is law advice. It talks about PRODUCER ROYALTIES

http://law.freeadvice.com/intellectual_property/music_law/music_producer_agreement.htm
Click to expand...

I didn't say producers don't get royalties. I stated there's no such thing as an producers royalties. The songwriter and publisher is guaranteed a certain percentage of royalties. The artists gets royalties also but not until the record label has recouped. The producers royalties are negotiated. If you do request royalties try to get the label to paying the royalties and not the artist. You might not see a check if the artist is responsible for paying royalties if the artist is unrecouped. If you are a beat maker you have to make sure you get create for songwriting and not just ask for producer credits.

Breaking down the royalty pie

There are 2 parts to mechanical royalties Song writer and publishing.

The track consists of 2 parts. 1 part song and 1 part lyrics when trying to figure out how much songwriter gets.

For hip hop, the beat maker should and better be getting half of the songwriter credits. The lyrics writer should be getting the other half of the songwriter royalties. Each share 25% of ALL royalties.
If I made the beat and I wrote all the lyrics to the song I get the full songwriter share which is 50% of ALL royalties.

The publisher divides up the rest among the artist, label and whatever.

If I composed the music and wrote the lyrics I receive both haves.

The producers negotiated royalties actually comes out of the artist royalties which might not be any if the artist is unrecouped. With that being said the artist still owes money to the producers. Hope you didn't spend all of that advance.
 
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ghost3000 said:
Breaking down the royalty pie

There are 2 parts to mechanical royalties Song writer and publishing.

The track consists of 2 parts. 1 part song and 1 part lyrics when trying to figure out how much songwriter gets.

For hip hop, the beat maker should and better be getting half of the songwriter credits. The lyrics writer should be getting the other half of the songwriter royalties. Each share 25% of ALL royalties.
If I made the beat and I wrote all the lyrics to the song I get the full songwriter share which is 50% of ALL royalties.

The publisher divides up the rest among the artist, label and whatever.

If I composed the music and wrote the lyrics I receive both haves.

The producers negotiated royalties actually comes out of the artist royalties which might not be any if the artist is unrecouped. With that being said the artist still owes money to the producers. Hope you didn't spend all of that advance.
Click to expand...


you gave some bad information on the Royalty pie...

your right on the twp parts Writers and Publishers..just wrong on your percentages... its like this..

200% Royalty Pie

100% Writers Share(50% music/50% lyrics)
100% Publisher Share(if more then 1 publisher it will be split 50/50)

rather if you write the music and lyrics the percentage is whatever you and the collaborator argeed to unless you did the song as a "work for hire"..as per ASCAP a split is 50/50 (music/lyrics)

the 100% Publisher share can be either be 100% to the your Publishing Company if your the only publisher or 50/50 if you are splitting the Publishing with your Collaborators Publishing Company..

88everything is subject to agreement you and your collaborator come up with..

:cheers:
 
Johnathan Bolton said:
Do you make beats only? If so, your a song writer (composer), not a producer.

A Producer by definition is "one who oversee a full production." Many producers NEVER make beats. They don't know how to. They get beat makers, singers, and others and they OVERSEE a full production. That is a producer.

My question is when selling beats to labels or artist why do cats want to get PRODUCER royalties when they didn't produce the record at all. All they did was co -write one song (the beat). Making a beat never makes you a producer but a composer (instrumental song writer)

Instead of getting PRODUCER royalties, shouldn't song composers get MECHANICAL and PERFORMANCE royalties since that’s what song writers receive?
Click to expand...


YOUR RIGHT WHEN YOU RECIEVE ROYALTIES FROM BEAT YOU MADE THATS WHAT YOU GET, MECHANICAL AND PROFORMANCE ROYALTIES (AMONG OTHERS ASWELL, SOME NEW ONES THEY ADDED IN). BUT THATS WHAT THE "PRODUCER" GETS ALSO. KIND OF COMPLICATED YOU HAVE TO GO INTO DETAIL ON WHAT AND HOW MUCH YOU ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTED, THATS WHERE A SPLIT SHEET COMES IN. LETS JUST SAY P DIDDY COULD TELL YOU TO ADD A DIFFERENT CLAP ON A BEAT AND HILL TAKE CO PRODUCTION FOR IT. WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR ASCAP YOU SIGHN UP AS A WRITER EVEN THOUGH YOU MAKE BEATS!! I WAS SO CONFUSED WHEN I CAME ACROSS THIS ALSO. A GOOD THING TO DO IS GOOGLE "PRODUCER ROYALTIES" AND YOU WILL FIND WHAT YOUR LOOKING FOR.
 
What if a make a song (beat) and i send the tracks to someone who adds certain sounds or works on my beat , does he get songwriting credits as well ?

For example if i go with a guitar to a producer and play the song accapella for him, then he takes it and pimps it up in the studio , adds drums synths etsc and makes it a full song ..do i share the rights and royalties or its still my song ?
 
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