Members SusieP Posted April 1, 2013 Members Share Posted April 1, 2013 Our current little bugbear is people asking for CDs.UK Law and US Law is different, but we all know it is similar enough in that, basically, a Venue pays an annual license to allow us to perform cover songs and the copyright owner gets their royalties. We don't have to pay a license to do that. But selling a CD of yourself performing a cover of a song you don't own the copyright for or have a license for is a whole other thorny problem. So we steer clear of it and just don't do it.Also, my Duo partner plays more than one instrument, neither of us have recording facilities at home, so it would take a fair bit of time and money to record enough songs to fill a CD.So we steer clear of it. Since we've been doing this posh Hotel gig, we've been asked by loads of Guests if they can buy a CD.They just won't take no for an answer!One guest who had asked for a business card and a CD after he'd seen us at the Hotel and been told we don't sell CDs because we don't own the copyright for the songs - emailed to suggest we catalogue songs that are out of copyright and make a CD of them. His point being, if Rod Stewart can do it, so can Smooth Duo.So we figured, maybe banging on about copyright isn't the way to say no and make it final. So we tried a different track last night. When asked, we said we can't afford the studio time to record all the intruments etc etc.The response, "oh it wouldn't cost you anything, we have some friends who own a recording studio and we could arrange it for you." I bloody GIVE UP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members pogo97 Posted April 1, 2013 Members Share Posted April 1, 2013 SusieP wrote: "oh it wouldn't cost you anything, we have some friends who own a recording studio and we could arrange it for you." I bloody GIVE UP. Some people have a rather loose grip on other people's reality. Here's Robert Benchley's take on it circa 1925: The telephone is the particular pet of the go-getter who won't take no for an answer. He has a passion for long-distance calls. Let us say that his organization is getting up a dinner in Chicago and wants to get an after-dinner speaker from New York. The go-getter is, of course, chairman of the dinner committee because he gets things done. He guarantees to get the New York speaker. "Leave it to me," he says, knowingly. And, even as he says it, he is putting in a long-distance call for New York. Bingo -- like that! The New York man answers and gets the following: "This is Ferley of the Autumn Coat and Suit speaking! We're holding a dinner here on February 10th, and you're coming out to speak for us! -- O, yes, you are! I won't take no for an answer. . . . O, yes, you can -- I'll call those people up and tell them you're coming to us. . . . Now, not another word! -- See you on the 10th!" With this he hangs up and reports to the committee that he has the speaker sewed up. The fact that the New York man can't go to Chicago on the 10th and has no intention of going doesn't enter into the calculations at all. No one is supposed to be able to resist the man with the telephone personality. He sweeps everything before him. The only drawback is that, two days before the dinner, when it is found out that the New York speaker meant what he said and really isn't coming, the go-getter has to go-get somebody through a local agency to do card tricks for the diners. "That's the trouble with dealing with these literary guys," he thunders. "You can't count on them!" And he puts in another long-distance call just to quiet his nerves. And so it goes through life. There are the doers and the dreamers, the men who make every second count and the men who waste their time with nothing to show for it. The first are the business men of the country, the others are the impractical fellows who write and draw pictures. Or perhaps it is just the other way 'round. I always get these things mixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sweatpat Posted April 1, 2013 Members Share Posted April 1, 2013 I believe the cost to license a cover song is about $0.07 per unit, ie. if you print 1000 CD's you pay $70 for the license. I'd take the offer of paid for recording time! That's quite a tip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted April 1, 2013 Members Share Posted April 1, 2013 Good call Sweatpat! I'm doing a cover on my disc and I'm paying about $99 USD for 1000 CD's. It's something to think about Susie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Shaster Posted April 1, 2013 Members Share Posted April 1, 2013 I know of performers who sell CD's in advance. They ask interested parties to prepay for a CD (including their profit portion) and then when they get the cash together they make the CD and distribute the copies. Needless to say we're talking about a few sign ups here, but 100 to 200 people at $20 a CD would be enough for an at home CD and press - depending. You might also find someone that wants to bankroll some or all of the project. I feel a story coming on.... 20 plus years ago my band was in a meeting with an investor. At the meeting this fellow was showing off and ordered two bottles of Dom, which was then $200 a pop. IIRC the bandleader eventually managed to liberate much more than that from the fellow's pockets. As a matter of fact, we recorded our first EP from money he liberated from his uncle's pockets - about $20k. That bandleader was and still is a master at accepting other people's money, and making them feel good about being "involved" in the music business. Okay, back to our regular programming...There's also the option of recording a live CD, which is really what people in the audience want to hear anyway. Over the course of a week or month you record everything you do. Pick the best, fix what is wrong and press it. I've known many groups that do it that way. Actually I was in one that did it that way. You could use a simple recording device - for instance I've got a used Zoom 8 track recorder that I picked up for a couple of hundred. Or use a Studiolive for a week - they make great live recordings.And for Pete's sake, take up the offer of free studio time; as long as the agreement is clear and agreeable to both sides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Kevin T Posted April 5, 2013 Members Share Posted April 5, 2013 Every musician should have an inexpensive 2track recorder tool in 2012. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members SusieP Posted April 5, 2013 Author Members Share Posted April 5, 2013 Kevin T wrote: Every musician should have an inexpensive 2track recorder tool in 2012. Interesting. Can you recommend a particular recorder, please? I will have a look. But I still think a studio recording is better than me having a go myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Potts Posted April 5, 2013 Members Share Posted April 5, 2013 Kevin T wrote: Every musician should have an inexpensive 2track recorder tool in 2012. What a great idea! I have so much gear and I bet I'd get more use out of something like this than many other pieces I own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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