More FAQ'S

 

1.Do I need to copyright my song?
Technically your song is copyrighted the minute your pen leaves the paper. You do not need to copyright your song right away. It is advisable to copyright a song that gets a lot of exposure. Copyrighting songs is an expensive practice if you are a prolific writer. You can copyright a collection of songs and only pay one fee for the whole collection. The collection of songs must have the same writers on each composition. Then if one of those songs gets a lot of action you may decide to follow up the copyright with and individual registration for that song.

2.How do I copyright my song?
You contact the Library of Congress Copyright Office in Washington DC and ask for the PA form now it is called the CO form. Fill out the form and send it in with a copy of your song or collection of songs and a check that covers the registration fee 35.00 per song or multiple songs.

3.Do I have to live in Nashville, LA, or NY to succeed as a songwriter?
There is no right or wrong answer to this question but you need to consider that if you want to be a successful songwriter you need to realize that songwriting is more than an art. It is a business, and like all businesses it is based on contacts. If you live on a farm in Texas you might be able to write some fantastic songs. But if you don't know who is cutting, when or how to get your song to them and if you don't have a circle of contacts to help you get that song to that artist you are going to have a much harder time succeeding.

4.How can I learn more about the business of songwriting?
If you have a songwriting association in your town by all means join. There you will find access to materials, books, videos, classes, showcases, and collaboration opportunities. If you don't we have two organizations in Nashville that are dedicated to the education of songwriters. NSAI and SGA.

5.Do you listen to outside material?
No. The reason for that is TRAYJ MUSIC has it's own writers. They provide us with plenty of material and we have limited staff to be able to go through all the song submissions that we would get. We will be open to listening to songwriters who have studied with NSAI and met with a performing rights organization writer rep and have developed enough contacts to be referred to us.

6.What is a performing rights organization?
A performing rights organization (PRO) is the company that collects your royalties from radio airplay (performance royalties). The three choices are ASCAP, BMI and SEASAC. They employ people to meet with writers and artists. They are called artist/writer reps. They are there to help you. If you come to town you should try to meet with them all. Eventually when you become a professional writer you will be faced with the decision of which one you are going to affiliate with. It will be a much easier decision if you have developed a good overview of what each company has to offer. It is also an excellent place to develop some good solid contacts in town.

For More Information Visit:
www.bmi.com
www.ascap.com
www.sesac.com

Who is cutting right now?
That changes weekly. There are pitch sheets available. Music Row Magazine has an excellent one that comes out weekly and can be ordered on an annual subscription basis.

Does my song need to be fully demoed before I pitch it to publishers?
Sometimes the song itself dictates whether or not you need to fully demo it. Some songs are just fine as a guitar/vocal or piano/vocal. Many people prefer them that way. Some people just don't get it unless it sounds like a full-blown record. The important thing about the demo, whether it's a full-blown band demo or a guitar/vocal is to make sure:

1. The vocalist sings in tune
2. The instruments are in tune
3. You can hear the lyrics over the music
4. The recording quality is clean

You don't want to get your one shot at a hard earned meeting with a publisher and have them get distracted from listening to the song because the singer isn't able to quite hit that high note. It makes them shut the CD off that much quicker. This is where Backwoods Recording Studio comes in. We produce demos and CD Projects for songwriters and artists well as the novice.
 

 

Recording Tips
 

37 great common-sense tips and techniques were culled from some of the country’s top studio and mastering engineers.


Before you go into the studio


1 Record your songs during live gigs and pre-production rehearsals. Even a simple cassette recording on a boom box may reveal weak parts of songs.
2 Have all musical and vocal parts worked out. (Know your guitar solos!)
3 Using a computer or sequencer? Prepare all sequenced material before the session.
4 Make sure your drummer is comfortable playing to a click track. (To get “tight,” practice to a click track at a very slow tempo.)
5 Rehearse more songs than you plan to record. You never know which songs will sound strong on the final tape. (If you plan to have a four-song EP, prepare six songs just in case.)
6 Take care of your body before and during your recording sessions. Eat well, get enough sleep, and keep your ears rested and clear.

Setting Up

7 Be early! The clock starts running whether you’re there or not.
8 Make the studio a comfortable and relaxed place. If it’s not, it will show in your finished product.
9 Make sure you and the engineer have the same “vision” — go over your songs with him/her before recording. Before booking your studio time, ask to hear other material the engineer recorded.
10 Depending on whether your studio has 8, 16, 24, or 48-track capability, plan out how you will leave room for the essential parts. This should simplify the mix and eliminate the need for bouncing tracks later.
11 Use new strings, cords, drum sticks and heads — and bring spares!
12 Find out the hours of the local music store just in case...
13 Don’t use new gear or different equipment that you haven’t used before, even it it’s “better than what you have.” Surprises can cause problems.

The Recording Process


14 Remember, it’s emotion and feeling that make the best song, not necessarily the best technical rendition.
15 If you mess up a part while recording, don’t stop and start over. That can easily cause you to burn out. Instead, have the engineer punch in the correction.
16 You don’t have to fill all the tracks on the tape — don’t try to force something that won’t fit.
17 Always keep in mind the focus of your music. If it’s the vocals, plan to spend the most time on them. Don’t waste time on things that don’t highlight the focal point.
18 Get the sound you want while recording. (Never assume that you can fix it in the mix.)
19 Record individual tracks clean, and add effects later.
20 Don’t necessarily double track everything. Doubling a lead vocal can hide all the subtleties that make a song personal and likable (although it can work well for a chorus).
21 Know when to quit for the day. If you’re tired, it will show.
22 Keep guests out! It’s your recording. Guests will distract you and may sway your opinion of how the music should sound.
23 Make backup copies after every recording session.
24 Tune up often.
25 Singers: always bring water, but don’t use ice! Ice constricts your vocal chords. Hot tea with lemon and honey works just as well.
26 Always get a track listing and accurate time log from the studio.

Monitoring The Mix

27 Listen to your music at moderate levels in your car or on a boom box. This is how most of your fans will listen to it, and mixing at loud levels will fatigue your ears and distort the “true” sound.
28 Sometimes it’s good to take a day off and come back to listen; ears don’t last very long in the studio!
29 As you review each mix, make sure you can comfortably hear all of the instruments. Tweak the mix on a small pair of speakers at an extremely low volume. You should be able to pick up each instrument even at this level.
30 Know when to quit for the day. You’re better off quitting a session early when you’re tired than wasting time making a bad mix that will have to be redone anyway.

Mixing


31 Listen in the studio to CDs you’re used to hearing on your home stereo, to get an idea of how the studio’s system sounds.
32 Determine a band spokesperson ahead of time. An engineer getting five different opinions on how to mix will grow tired and try to rush through the job.
33 Once you have selected an engineer (or a producer) to mix your recording, trust them to do a first mix. Their ears are better trained than yours. Try to keep an open mind.
34 Think about the songs as a whole, and not just the individual instruments. Otherwise everyone will want their instrument louder in the mix.
35 If mixing somewhere other than the recording studio, make sure you use the same speakers. If not, the mix will sound completely different.
36 Decide which format you want the finished mixes to be on: DAT, one-off CD, PMCD, reel-to-reel, or 1630. (Your studio may not offer every option.) Use the format that is most practical and economical for you.
37 Count on and budget for unforeseen delays.



Extra Bonus Tip

Always, always, always make a safety CD copy. or backup to your hardrive DVD , or external hardrive!
Happy Recording !

Tony Ray Jones-Backwoods Recording Studio- 2010