DISCLAIMER: Before you even consider this, please know this is a very major decision.

It may have extremely adverse effects on your payments (and your cash flow) from the society for years to come.

When switching to a new PRO, you will almost certainly lose money and you may not earn as much money at your new PRO depending on what kind of performances you are receiving. If you rely on the cash from your PRO to pay your bills and do not have backup income, this can be a very financially irresponsible decision.

THE SUPERFAN COMPANY (from the team that brought you ZinePak) creates one-of-a-kind programs and products that engage superfans. They bridge the gap between like and love by creating 100% custom, tangible solutions that fans can share in real life and on social media. We sat down with Brittany Hodak, the co-founder, to talk about artists and marketing - from the importance of crafting a brand for themselves to the pros and cons of DIY marketing - and why interacting with their fans on another level is so vital in today’s day and age.  

Sync licensing is an important driver, both creatively and financially, for artists, composers and producers. At a basic level, granting a sync and master license means to allow a third party to use the copyright and sound recording of a musical work in timed relation with visual media (ie. TV, Film, Ads, Trailers, Video Games, etc..). In my experience, sync is an art form that can add a dynamic layer to an artist’s story while also providing a significant revenue stream.  

The rise of creative AI understandably has some songwriters and publishers fearing for their future. Will AI-generated music ultimately compete with artists and songwriters for real-estate - and revenue - on terrestrial radio and streaming playlists? Will a fully AI-driven culture devalue human creativity altogether?

WRITING infectious pop melodies from a young age, Emma McGann grew up with the likes of Alanis Morissette & Imogen Heap on repeat. Small-town girl Emma has since molded those melodies into colossal pop anthems, gaining BBC Radio 1 airplay, nominations for various awards in the US including a Shorty Award and an iHeart Radio Music Award in 2017 and has amassed over 10 million views on her livestreams. Passionate about interacting with her audience, Emma’s TEDx Talk explains the importance of her YouNow livestreams and connecting with her supporters.

She has received recognition from some notably fierce female forces in the industry including Kylie Minogue, Nancy Sinatra and Beth Hart. Emma prides herself on being independent - after successfully raising £21,000 via Kickstarter with the help of her supporters, her recent album ‘B.R.A.V.E’ gained 20,000 streams in its first month as an independent release.

Of all the musical styles jostling for their place in the spotlight, perhaps none is as all-encompassing as electronica. In many regards the first truly global genre, electronica isn’t bound by any specific language, cultural boundary or geographic limitation.

This week we held another webinar - Music Publishing 101 - to dive into the major themes of music publishing that may still be a bit confusing to songwriters and creators. Hosted by Songtrust's own Julia Pernicone, Publishing Operations Manager, CJ Olivieri, Client Acquisition Manager, and Kyle Thiede, Associate Director of Publishing Operations, we covered topics from publishing deals to understanding PROs, copyrights and royalties. The turnout was tremendous and those that attended asked a lot of excellent questions.

As an independent writer and musician, the words “music publishing” always gave me anxiety. Whenever it was brought up, it felt like someone was reminding me of an essay or test I had yet to start and really didn’t know where to begin. I’d tell myself that if I just dedicated a couple hours to looking up all the questions I kept asking myself about this seemingly irritatingly complicated part of the music industry, I could feel a little more confident in how I was handling my own catalogue of works -- and that all my owed royalties were being collected.

Professional songwriters and musicians can potentially make more money today than ever before, however, that doesn't automatically mean they're going to be set for life. We've all seen the hard-luck stories of big stars who somehow wound up penniless after a series of setbacks. Over the years, how many top selling artists have declared bankruptcy - sometimes more than once - to manage debts that exceed their incomes?