A songwriter is one who writes the lyrics Lyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of expression. The lyricist of traditional musical forms or music Music is an art form whose medium is sound. Common elements of music are pitch , rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter, and articulation), dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousike), "(art) of the Muses" for songs (or both). One who writes only lyrics may be called a lyricist A lyricist is a writer who specializes in song lyrics. A singer who writes the lyrics to songs is a singer-lyricist. This differentiates from a singer-songwriter, who also composes the song's melody in addition to the lyrics, while one who writes only music may be called a composer A composer is a person who creates music, usually by musical notation, for interpretation and performance. The level of distinction between composers and other musicians varies, which affects issues such as copyright and the deference given to individual interpretations of a particular piece of music. In the development of European music, the. Although songwriters of the past commonly composed, arranged and played their own songs, more recently the pressure to produce popular hits has tended to distribute responsibility between a number of people. Popular culture songs may be written by group members, but are now often written by staff writers: songwriters directly employed by music publishers.

Some songwriters serve as their own music publishers In the music industry, a music publisher is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially. Through an agreement called a publishing contract, a songwriter or composer "assigns" the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. In return, the company licenses, while others have outside publishers.

The old-style apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by some universities and colleges and rock schools. A knowledge of modern music technology and business skills are seen as necessary to make a songwriting career, and music colleges offer songwriting diplomas and degrees with music business modules.

Since songwriting and publishing royalties Royalties are usage-based payments made by one party (the "licensee") to another (the "licensor") for ongoing use of an asset, sometimes an intellectual property (IP) right. Royalties are typically a percentage of gross or net sales derived from use of an asset or a fixed price per unit sold of an item. but there are also other can be a substantial source of income, particularly if a song becomes a hit record A hit record is a sound recording, usually in the form of a single or album, that sells a large number of copies or otherwise becomes broadly popular or well-known, through airplay, club play, inclusion in a film or stage play soundtrack, causing it to have "hit" one of the popular chart listings. Despite the current dominance of a few, legally, in the US, songs written after 1922 may only be copied or performed publicly by permission of the authors. The legal power to grant these permissions may be bought, sold or transferred. This is governed by international copyright law Copyright is the set of exclusive rights granted to the author or creator of an original work, including the right to copy, distribute and adapt the work. Copyright lasts for a certain time period after which the work is said to enter the public domain. Copyright applies to a wide range of works that are substantive and fixed in a medium. Some.

References

Music industry The music industry sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. Among the many individuals and organizations that operate within the industry are the musicians who compose and perform the music; the companies and professionals who create and sell recorded music (e.g., music publishers, producers, studios, engineers, record labels,
Music companies and careers Musician Composer · Songwriter · arranger · Orchestrator · Record labels In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound · Management A talent manager, also known as an artist manager or band manager, is an individual or company who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day business affairs of an artist; advise and counsel talent concerning professional matters, long-term plans · Publishing In the music industry, a music publisher is responsible for ensuring the songwriters and composers receive payment when their compositions are used commercially. Through an agreement called a publishing contract, a songwriter or composer "assigns" the copyright of their composition to a publishing company. In return, the company licenses · Entertainment law Entertainment law or media law is a term for a mix of more traditional categories of law with a focus on providing legal services to the entertainment industry. The principal areas of Entertainment Law overlap substantially with the well-known and conventional field of intellectual property law. But generally speaking the practice of entertainment · Concert promotion An entertainment promoter is a person or company in the business of marketing and promoting concerts, festivals, raves, nightclubs or other live events (or tour promotion Tour promoters are the individuals or companies responsible for organizing a live concert tour or special event performance. The tour promoter makes an offer of employment to a particular artist, usually through the artist’s agent or music manager. The promoter and agent then negotiate the live performance contract. The majority of live) · Retail A record shop or record store is an outlet that sells recorded music. Although vinyl records and audio cassettes are no longer sold in the majority of music stores, in favour of compact discs, people in some countries, like the UK, still use the term "record shop", in conjunction with "CD shop" or "music shop" · Radio Radio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space. Information is carried by systematically changing some property of the radiated waves, such as · Road crew The road crew are the technicians who travel with a band on tour, usually in sleeper buses, and handle every part of the concert productions except actually performing the music with the musicians. This catch-all term covers tour managers, production managers, stage managers, front of house and monitor engineers, guitar techs, bass techs, drum · Music venues A music venue is any location regularly used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music. Opera houses, bandshells, and concerts host classical music performances, whereas public · Music education Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on the development of the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity. The incorporation of music training from preschool to postsecondary education is common in most nations because involvement in music is considered a fundamental · Musical instruments A musical instrument is constructed or used for the purpose of making the sounds of music. In principle, anything that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the beginnings of human culture. The academic study of musical instruments is called organology · Music journalism Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today generally classified as music criticism, comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of music and its performance. Modern music criticism
Record labels In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound Major In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion, and enforcement of copyright protection of sound: Universal Music Group Universal Music Group is the largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry. It is the largest of the "big four" record companies by its commanding market share and its multitude of global operations. Universal Music Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of international French media conglomerate Vivendi · Sony Music Entertainment Sony Music Entertainment is the second-largest global recorded music company of the "big four" record companies and is controlled by Sony Corporation of America · Warner Music Group Warner Music Group is the third-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies. The current incarnation of the company was formed in 2004 when it was spun off from Time Warner, and as a result, Time Warner no longer retains any ownership. Warner Music Group also has a · EMI The EMI Group is a British music company. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major publishing arm - EMI Music Publishing - based in New York City. The company was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but Independent An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels: (list of independent UK record labels Categories: Independent record labels | Lists of record labels | British record labels | Electronic music record labels )
Record company divisions Music executive A music executive or record executive is person within a record label who works in senior management, making executive decisions over the label's artists. Their role varies greatly but in essence, they can oversee one, or many, aspects of a record label, including A&R, contracts, management, publishing, production, manufacture, marketing/ · A&R Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label · Art (cover design) An album cover is the front of the packaging of a commercially-released audio recording product, or album. The term can refer to either the printed cardboard covers typically used to package sets of 10" and 12" 78 rpm records, single and sets of 12" LPs, sets of 45 rpm records , or the front-facing panel of a CD package, and, · Manufacturing Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to make things for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale. Such finished goods may be used for manufacturing · Marketing Marketing is the process by which companies determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It is an integrated process through which companies create value for customers and build strong customer relationships in order to capture value from customers · Radio promotion Radio promotion is the division of a record company which is charged with placing songs on the radio. They maintain relationships with program directors at radio stations and attempt to persuade them to play singles to promote the sale of recordings, such as CDs, sold by the record company. They may also pay a fee to a third party, known as an · Distribution The music industry sells compositions, recordings and performances of music. Among the many individuals and organizations that operate within the industry are the musicians who compose and perform the music; the companies and professionals who create and sell recorded music (e.g., music publishers, producers, studios, engineers, record labels,
Production Recording artist Composer · Songwriter · arranger · Orchestrator · Record producer In the music industry, a record producer has many roles. Those roles include controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, gathering the ideas of the project, directing the creativity, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. This has been a major function of producers since the inception of sound · Songwriter · Arrangement In investment banking, an arranger is a provider of funds in the syndication of a debt. They are entitled to syndicate the loan or bond issue, and may be referred to as the "lead underwriter". This is because this entity bears the risk of being able to sell the underlying securities/debt or the cost of holding it on its books until such · Sound engineer Audio engineering is a part of audio science dealing with the recording and reproduction of sound through mechanical and electronic means. The field draws on many disciplines, including electrical engineering, acoustics, psychoacoustics, and music. Unlike acoustical engineering, audio engineering does not deal with noise control or acoustical · Session musician Session musicians are instrumental performers or vocalists who are available for hire for live performances or recording sessions, as opposed to musicians who are either permanent members of a musical ensemble or who have acquired fame in their own right as bandleaders. Although the term generally refers to musicians skilled in contemporary
Music genres A-F · G-M · N-R · S-Z · Cultural and regional Pop Pop music is a music genre that developed from the mid-1950s as a softer alternative to rock and roll and later to rock music. It has a focus on commercial recording, often oriented towards a youth market, usually through the medium of relatively short and simple love songs. While these basic elements of the genre have remained fairly constant, · R&B Although the acronym “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in the 1980s. Some sources refer to the style as urban contemporary . R&B has also been used to refer to rhythm & bass · Hip hop Hip hop is a musical genre which developed alongside hip hop culture, defined by key stylistic elements such as rapping, DJing, sampling, scratching and beatboxing. Hip hop began in Bronx, New York in the 1970s, primarily among African Americans,and Jamaican Americans. The term rap is often used synonymously with hip hop, but hip hop denotes the · Drum and bass Drum and bass , is a type of electronic dance music which emerged in the mid 1990s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats (typically between 160–190 bpm, occasional variation is noted in older compositions), with heavy bass, sub-bass lines, and occasional infra-bass lines. Drum and bass began as an offshoot of the United Kingdom rave · Rock Rock music is a genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the 1950s. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, country music and also drew on folk music, jazz and classical music · Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions · Folk · Blues · Reggae · Country · Gospel · Soul · Funk · Motown · New age · Dance · Electronica · Easy listening · Latin · Instrumental · Soundtrack · Classical pop · Crossover · World
Release formats Album · Single · EP
Music awards Grammy Award · World Music Awards · American Music Award · BRIT Award · MTV Video Music Award · MuchMusic Video Awards · NRJ Music Awards · MTV Europe Music Awards · Echo Award · Choice Music Prize · Juno Award · Meteor Music Awards · MOBO Award · ARIA Music Awards · TEC Awards · MTV Pilipinas
Music charts Billboard Hot 100 · UK Singles Chart · ARIA Charts · Canadian Hot 100 (list of worldwide music charts)
Sales certifications RIAA: Gold · Platinum · Multi-Platinum · Diamond BPI: Silver · Gold · Platinum CRIA: Gold · Platinum · Multi-Platinum · Diamond ARIA: Gold · Platinum PROMUSICAE: Gold · Platinum · Diamond
Music publications Billboard · Hot Press · Rolling Stone · NME · Q · Kerrang! · Mojo · Smash Hits · Top of the Pops
Music retailers Online music stores (e.g. iTunes Store) · Best Buy · Wal-Mart · Target · Amazon.com · Trans World Entertainment · Virgin Megastores · HMV
Other A-side and B-side · hidden track · Christian music industry
Television MTV · Viva · Much · Fuse · CMT · TMF · B.E.T.

Categories: Songwriters | Occupations in music

 

The above information uses material from Wikipedia and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Some facts may not have been fully verified for accuracy. [Disclaimers]
This page was last archived by our server on Thu Mar 4 07:27:34 2010. [ refresh local cache ]
Displaying this page or its contents does not use any Wikimedia Foundation's resources.
The owners of this site proudly support the Wikimedia Foundation.

[Hide]▼
'Songwriter' News
Peter Gabriel Says, 'I'll Sing Yours, You Sing Mine' - New York Times
news.google.com
Peter Gabriel Says, 'I'll Sing Yours, You Sing Mine'

New York Times

A covers album can be a tribute or a miscellany, a throwaway or a statement about what a songwriter holds dear. The production can imitate the original ...

Peter Gabriel 'Back' with cover album UW Badger Herald

Album Review: Peter Gabriel's Scratch My Back UI The Daily Iowan



all 49 news articles »
Google News Search: Songwriter,
Tue Mar 2 22:49:15 2010
'Songwriter' Images
bruce davies singer songwriter scottish header jpg
brucedavies.com
bruce davies singer songwriter scottish header jpg
172px x 700px | 36.50kB

[source page]



Yahoo Images Search: Songwriter,
Sun Jan 17 15:20:29 2010
'Songwriter' Blogs
Flutist, vocalist, and songwriter , Ragan Whiteside is taking the ...
jazzofilo.blogspot.com
Flutist, vocalist, and songwriter , Ragan Whiteside is taking the ...

Claudio Cavalcanti

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 13:59:00 GM

Flutist, vocalist, and . songwriter. , Ragan Whiteside is taking the Contemporary Jazz world by storm. With her unique style and soulful vibe, this triple threat is bringing the flute back into mainstream focus. ...

Google Blogs Search: Songwriter,
Tue Mar 2 08:17:03 2010
'Songwriter' Answers
How can I become a professional songwriter?
Q. a lot of people like Keri Hilson and Ne-Yo have become famous by first writing songs for other famous people. I get randomly inspired like lyrics will just pop into my head from no where, so I think song writing would be good for me. Obviously I am new at this, but how does one become a songwriter anyway? What should I do?
Asked by A - Sat Aug 23 00:04:58 2008 - - 2 Answers - 0 Comments

A. Well I will be a little obvious first when I say make sure you write those songs down that pop into your head. You need to be able to present the songs so recording a demo and sending it to record companies works well. Good luck do not give up on your dreams. Here is a song I love
Answered by Just a girl! - Sat Aug 23 00:14:07 2008

Yahoo Answers Search: Songwriter,
Sun Jan 17 15:20:29 2010
[Hide]▲