Month: November 2017

Things to keep in mind when doing cover songs


Cover songs have long been a part of music over the years. Lots of artist use covers as a way to find new fans and to make their sets interesting.

But can you simply do a cover of a song just like that? Well, theanswer to this question varies depending on the situation. And that is doing public domain songs and songs still owned by publishers.

Public Domain Songs are free to use

Public domain songs are songs which have been released for over 50 years and not owned by anyone and free to use by others legally. You as an artist can use public domain songs as you wish and can get your feet wet with using covers. Hymns are songs in the public domain and a few others.
Songs owned by publishers

Should you release your version of a top 10 billboard song and resell it, say on iTunes, then there’s an issue. Because you have no permission to use the song to sell it.
If you desire to redo a single as apart of an album for resale, there are publishing houses to contact for help re this matter. Depending on the agreement, there may be  arrangements to use the single without pay or to pay a licensing fee. The agreement may differ depending on each situation.

How to get permission?


The basics of getting permission to cover a song are to first contact the publishing house responsible for the artist you want to cover. As for some major labels, they facilitate covers. So, you pay a fee to use the single as a cover or to sell it based on the agreement made.


From a promotional perspective, simply singing the song and posting it on the various mediums online, should not be an issue, granted that you put out the disclaimer, stating the intended use and that you are not the legal owner of the song.


There are known instances where persons are asked to remove an original song published because they did not seek permission to do so.


Just note there is a facility in place to get permission for use of songs not owned by you.

Hope this helps to demystify the world of using covers.

Your questions are valued. Email me at andrae.palmer@gmail.com, to get your questions answered.

How use cover songs to promote yourself as an artiste

A cover song is when an artist sings over another artist’s original song. In the early days of music, in particular, reggae music, a number of the artists sang covers. One such person is Sanchez. He transformed popular songs from  R&B, Souls, and did those songs on reggae beats, and he made the song his own.

An easy promotional strategy is to sing covers that are from artists whose fan base is similar to yours.

eg: you’re an  R&B singer, you have picks from the likes of Chris Brown, Rhinna, etc. As A POP artist, your picks may be from the top 10 Billboard charts. This would normally be done in the early phase of your career, to build your fanbase.

For a deejay or singjay, you can mix it up, for example, using the hooks of popular songs and doing a completely new verse to showcase your lyrical skills

The next phase of the process, You’d have then published your cover on youtube, and so when persons are searching for these originals eg. Steven Marley and Pitbull ” Options” they’ll find your version in the mix.

The spin-off is that persons may check out other singles you have posted as well.
You may choose to do a pristine production of the cover, or simply do a lyric video or a live acoustic performance.

Cover songs can be used to find new fans online. Use this as a means to get your name out to the public. You may release the cover while working on your originals, as this is just a way to ease into the market.

 Covers are an effective way of introducing yourself to new audiences. This may be a way to funnel persons to your youtube, and other social media pages, where they can update themselves and get familiar with your work. Existing fans may also better appreciate your music as a result too.

 Doing a cover though does not mean that you will do the song back in the original form. instead, transform the song in a way that makes it uniquely yours. eg.Sanchez  is known to go all out productions and performances of covers, which, in turn, leaves you thinking it’s  his original.

When you find the cover you want to to do, check out the top 10 or 100 Billboard charts. Get the lyrics and chords for the song. You can get someone to play it for you, and you record the video of your live performances or an all-out production.

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How often Should an Artist Release Music


How often should you release music

The question as to how often a singer should release new material is up for debate. But in this week’s blog post we will look at the EP campaign, and the results,  following the launch of the THUG EP project by Dawit Jeffery and how it, assisted his career, as a recording artist.

What better way than to show a real-life case study as to one way to release music.

In a singles-driven market, it is recommended that you release songs every 6 to  8 weeks.The frequent release of songs can be tied to the release of an album or leading to a show.


THE EP CAMPAIGN

In 2012 Dawit Jeffery and I linked for the first time, and he did a song “Nuh worry Wi” in collaboration with Jason Ramsey (J’Son). This was the first song recorded by Dawit.


The general idea is that you release 4 to 5 singles from the album, leading up to an event. All this is the link to a larger campaign.


To release the first song, we decided to release a lyric video and posted it on youtube, facebook, and Twitter. This was shared with friends. Additionally, the song was sent to a compiled promotion list of  DJs. We also used Soundcloud.  that was basically the campaign.


The second song ” I call on Jesus” was released about two months after the first release, and the same steps were taken. This too for the third and fourth singles, which saw the final release, January before the EP event.


In between the release of each song, work continued to complete the production of the album.


The EP EVENT SUMMARY


About March or April following, we launched the EP. The location was  Dawit’s church in the south side community. The event featured collaborating acts on the album and other supporting friends.


A band was hired to for the event. they were given the instrumentals for the tracks to do a few rehearsals.

Entry to the venue was $JMD300. You enter the venue along with receiving the EP.
Persons received a printed CD, packaged in a designed cardboard sleeve casing. ABout 50 persons turned up to the launch.


I Noticed the crowd’s response to the songs performed. The majority knew the songs word for word. Nothing significant was done as a full-on promotion, and the results were good.


THE RESULTS OF THE EP LAUNCH


From the launching of the EP,  Dawit has received a number of bookings for events, such as concerts, leading praise and worship sessions, and a number of speaking engagements. Recently he was invited to share at a book launch.


Persons have become more aware of his music and the other things he has to offer. This has propelled him over the past four years, as an artist and as a  brand.

Conclusion


When looking to promote an album, or you just want to know if it is wise to do so, you can examine the results of this case study, and other case studies like this.

Frequent music release allows a buzz around your brand. Note you can be easily forgotten. Over time you get support for your music and your fan base grows as a result.