Piano teacher wants to send his composition 'to Hollywood' :)

[publicradio]

I have been taking lessons from a piano and guitar teacher who wants to record something he wrote, and sell it. He's an older guy, and his song is pretty good, but I don't think he has a realistic idea of how the music industry works now.

I showed him how to record MIDI in Reaper, and how you can display it as notation. He has this idea that he will record his song, print out the notation, send it to 'Hollywood' and someone will read it, decide that it's catchy and pay him for it.

Now I don't want to burst his bubble, and I did tell him I would ask around how he could sell his music. So I would put it to you, KVR: is there any kind of music industry structure out there today where someone would buy a song based on the sheet music?

Or, can you send a demo to someone and sell your song that way? Maybe a bigger question is whether there's a modern equivalent to library music, or if there's any other way to sell your compositions without performing as a band, or putting commercial music on itunes.

[JJ_Jettflow]

Well the first thing he needs to do before sending anywhere is to register it for copyright protection.

Written sheet music will cost him $85. Downloading a copy the song being performed will provide him with the same protection and will cost $35.

As far as sending it to Hollywood he has a better chance at winning the loto. His best way is to record it well and the get a distributor like Distrokid (there are several but Distrokid is the one I am going to be using) and have his song placed on Spotify and the like. Chances are better that an artist may hear it a decide to record it than trying to break into the Mafia that is the songwriting industry.

[thecontrolcentre]

He'd be better off finding a publisher, than sending stuff to Hollywood. Or a promotions company that can get his music to the right people.

[planetearth]

I have been taking lessons from a piano and guitar teacher who wants to record something he wrote, and sell it. He's an older guy, and his song is pretty good, but I don't think he has a realistic idea of how the music industry works now.

I showed him how to record MIDI in Reaper, and how you can display it as notation. He has this idea that he will record his song, print out the notation, send it to 'Hollywood' and someone will read it, decide that it's catchy and pay him for it.

Now I don't want to burst his bubble, and I did tell him I would ask around how he could sell his music. So I would put it to you, KVR: is there any kind of music industry structure out there today where someone would buy a song based on the sheet music?

Or, can you send a demo to someone and sell your song that way? Maybe a bigger question is whether there's a modern equivalent to library music, or if there's any other way to sell your compositions without performing as a band, or putting commercial music on itunes.

As @JJ_Jettflow mentioned, your teacher should copyright his song first. After that, someone should tell him it's not 1944 anymore, this isn't Tin Pan Alley, and there's no point in sending sheet music to "Hollywood". (I say this because that's how long I've been trying.)

Most of the label reps refuse to take unsolicited songs, and that's been the case for several years now. They don't want to be accused of "stealing" anything, so unless they ask you to submit something (and 10 times out of 9, they won't), they won't accept what you send them.

There are still music libraries, however; and if your teach wanted to work his track up into a recorded version, he can post to any one of half a dozen music libraries for free. People can then listen to his track and license it directly from the website. This doesn't involve iTunes, but he will need to join a performing rights organization if he wants to license his tune.

If he's not comfortable recording the music, it might not be worth paying anyone to do it, though. The libraries don't pay much per track, and it could take him quite a while to recoup his investment in the tune.

The main point with all of this is that, at best, sending unsolicited sheet music to "Hollywood" is as good as throwing it away. At worst, someone will find it, claim it as his own, record it, and license it through one of these library websites.

Steve

[jancivil]

You can't crash Hollywood so easily. You'd have to find some spot where you're useful and schmooze all the time. Read bios of successful Hollywood musicians.

[publicradio]

Is Hollywood even the center of the music industry? I would have assumed it was New York, if it was centralized at all.

[kbaccki]

In the US for "radio music", probably either Nashville or LA first, then NYC third. My $.02.

I have to ask the OP... exactly what kind of music is this?

[jancivil]

Is Hollywood even the center of the music industry? I would have assumed it was New York, if it was centralized at all.

OP said his piano teach wants to have his song seen in Hollywood, like be heard in a movie.

If he writes something that really fits in a scene or a mood in a picture and the song has already been properly produced, there are ways to 'place' it more or less targeted to movies. To really deal in H'wood you want to be with one of the major Performance Rights Organizations and have your work copyrighted.

I have a screenplay I want seen by people in the biz, but I expect to have to be in there making 'friends' and being seen myself. I have it copyrighted and registered with SWG just in case someone wants to, it's kind of late in the day for me.

[Jace-BeOS]

He might try https://www.taxi.com/

It's a membership service to get music to people who look to license music. Though I think the song needs to be a recording.

[Hooj]

Maybe a bigger question is whether there's another way to sell your compositions without performing as a band, or putting commercial music on itunes.

He can be a ghost writer.... There are loads of producers/artists out there who use them.