If you’re a newcomer to the music industry, you may not be
familiar with some of the terms used in creating, producing and “selling” your
songs.
This is by no means a comprehensive list. If you are serious
about songwriting, buy or check out a library book on the business, attend
workshops and definitely study songs you like for structure and melody.
When you’re writing
Pre-Chorus or Channel:
typically consists of two or sometimes four lines that act as a melodic
transition from the verse to the chorus.
Bridge: usually comes after the second chorus as in
verse/chorus, verse/chorus, bridge, chorus. Melodically, the bridge changes
rhythm and lyrically resolves the story of the song. The idea is to introduce a
change to keep the listener engaged.
Hook: refers to the repeated phrase that the listener
remembers. A riff is an instrumental hook.
Scratch Track: may also be called a rough, as in your
homemade version of the melody and lyrics.
Co-Writing: means you and a partner or partners created the
song and own a pre-arranged share. Even if you’re the only writer, you can
choose to offer a co-writing credit to the producer if he or she makes a
significant contribution to the final recording.
When you’re in the
studio
Demo: is a finished studio or home-recorded track that you
use to pitch the song. Demos can be as simple as a singer with piano or guitar,
but they must absolutely sound professional and polished with a great vocal and
instrumental.
Feel Track: is the style you hear for the demo. If you’re
not a very good singer or player, a feel track can help musicians better
understand your vision for the song.
Overdub or Sweetening: comes after the basic song is
recorded when the guitarist or pianist makes another pass to add an extra layer
to the track.
Dynamics: refers to variations in the vocal delivery such as
full voice versus head voice.
Nashville Chart: means that studio musicians follow a series
of numbers and symbols rather than notes. As an example, if the key is C, C
becomes one and F becomes four. If the key changes, the chart doesn’t and the
musicians know what chords to play once they have one, or the key.
On or Off Card: is a term for union or non-union rates. Demo
rates are different from master rates.
Fly: comes from today’s technology. Say you like the
singer’s performance of line two in the first chorus. The engineer can “fly”
that same portion into another chorus.
Work for Hire: is a release signed by anyone involved in
producing a demo to specify terms of use. You need this if you want to pitch
your song to film/TV.
When you’re offered a
contract
Reversion Clause: sets a certain length of time in a
contract for the publisher to get a cut or rights to the song revert back to
you.
Cut: means a commercially released recording of your song,
either an album cut or better still, a single.
Mechanical Royalties: are set rates for sales of the
recording, from CDs to downloads.
Performance Royalties: are collected by organizations such
as ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC and you must be a member in order to receive these
royalties.
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