Stryker Speaks, Part IV... | Music City Unsigned Blog

Mark "Stryker" Ahlberg is the Client Transactions Specialist at Big Loud Bucks Administration and Information, an arm of the hit music row publishing company Big Loud Shirt. BLB clients have written over 50 #1 songs, dozens of top 10 singles, and had cuts on hundreds of #1 albums.

Part IV: The Dirty Harry Question

One of the hardest decisions for an independent writer to make is when/whether to sell out/go corporate/give in to the man. Or at least that's the view die hard independents would present to you. I, however, don't see getting a publishing deal in strictly negative terms; as with most decisions, there are pros and cons to both sides. My goal with this entry is to lay out the biggest of each and let you make up your mind. Nothing fancy or revolutionary, just some important things to consider:

The Independent Writer

Pros:
* You retain all ownership rights in your songs! This gives you complete control over how your works are used.
* You retain all ownership rights in your songs! You will be the one collecting the publisher's share of all royalties, along with your writer share.
* There is no minimum song requirement; you can be as prolific a writer as you have time to be.

Cons:
* No security: Without a steady paycheck, you will need either a second (or third) job or an understanding spouse.
* No advocates: You will either need an independent song plugger or co-writes with "company" writers to get your songs in the right peoples' hands.
* No funding: If you want to record demos of your songs or travel to another city to write, that money comes out of your pocket.

The "Company" Writer

Pros:
* You get an advance on future royalty earnings that functions as a steady paycheck.
* You have someone with the right connections, who knows your songs as well as you do, trying to get artists to record them.
* You get the opportunity to write with people you would not have had access to previously, both inside the publishing company and out.

Cons:
* Advances pile up quickly; unless you write a single or two, it is likely you won't see any mechanical royalties for years, if ever.
* The publisher will have to accept, typically, 12 complete songs (or an equivalent total of co-written songs) over a year's time for you to be considered for contract renewal. So you can't just write when you feel like it.
* You will have very little control over how your songs are used. A typical writer contract will only allow you veto power for use in explicit or political material. Everything else is fair game.

Simple, right? Hopefully this gives you an idea of what's at stake in this decision. It really comes down to a case of risk vs. reward: the independent writer has the potential for greater compensation, but that comes with a smaller chance of success. So, in the end, it's the old Dirty Harry question: "Are you feeling lucky?"

Next up: Closing Arguments

Tin Pan South

The 18th Tin Pan South Songwriter Festival is coming March 30 - April 3, and we're back with another show!