Monica Yonge was born in Holland and raised in Toronto, Canada. Her website is expanding and keeps you up to date with her current activities and gig information.
Monica's website: Monica Yonge
Considering Compilation CD's
by Monica YongeM/p>
Ever wonder if having your song on a compilation CD would be beneficial for your music career? Here are a few things to consider:
1. "Exclusive Right's" clause
2. Sign up fee
3. Distribution
4. Marketing Plan
5. How is the artist paid?
I'll attempt to explain the above in more detail under their associated headings.
Exclusive Right's" clause
Have an entertainment attorney go over the agreement. It is extremely important for a songwriter to maintain exclusive right's to their song(s). Make sure there is a clause for this in the agreement, otherwise the song may not be available for any other uses
Sign up fee
Musicians should not have to pay to have their song(s) on a compilation CD. It's surprising that so many CD compilation companies charge an entry fee. Beware of registration costs.
Distribution
Distribution is essential for making the compilation CD available to consumers. If a company does not have distribution or plan to have distribution set up then sale of the CD and artist exposure is minimal.
Marketing Plan
Marketing is the key to increase CD sales. A good marketing plan should include advertising campaigns, advertisements in magazine's, newspaper's, on-line, radio and television. Check to make sure that the company has an effective marketing plan before giving any consideration in submitting your song(s).
How is the artist paid?
Artists receive a percentage of CD sales but this usually requires negotiating on your attorney's part. Artist's are also paid when they license a song(s) to an interested party. The performing right's organizations sell the license on behalf of the artist and pay the artist directly. License fee's may be higher than the statutory rates if the song(s) have not been licensed already
Remember to always examine the fine print and legalese before signing any contract. It is better to have an entertainment attorney read over the agreement to negotiate and determine if the contract is in the artists favor.