Hello <>,

and welcome to Issue #004 of Songmaker!Xpress.

But first of all.... I'll Wish You a Happy New Year 2007 ! That All Your dreams may Come True... and even more !

Believe me when I say that I wish this from the bottom of my heart.

I hope that Christmas and New Years eve has been splendid ,and that you've got plenty food and drinks, enough for the next few weeks to come.

Don't tell me, I know just how you feel!

So we'll continue with..

Table of contents!

1-For all our subscribers, Two FREE!( Download) E-booklets , worth $40.

2-Article of the month: Compilation CD's Or Meet Mr Shark Publisher!

3-Looking for songs!

4- Useful Resources

1)The FREE gift for our New Subscribers.

MYSS: Make Your site sell, 1500 pages ( $40), every info you need when starting a business web site!

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Two great E-booklets for free. If you're thinking about starting a home based business, or if you know someone who does, then this is something for you( or him/her). Two E-books you absolutely need to read. And.. most of all , they are a gift.

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2) Compilation CD or Meet Mr Shark...

What are compilations Cd's?

Well, most songwriters, and artists who are pitching out their promotion packages , have surely heard from these companies or have been contacted by them.

They mostly working together with some independent record label , where they ransack the piles of received demos, who otherwise would be destroyed in a trash mill.

So, some companies re-listen these Cd's and then make an selection with the best of it ( or what they consider as the best of it) and then they contact the concerned songwriter-artists, mostly by e-mail, with the message that (lucky) you are selected to be included in their compilation CD.

Are these companies bad or good news?

Of course not all good or bad, but..being careful is the message, in this particularly case. Let me try give you a rough sketch of the most common forms of these record companies.

There are three kind of companies: In simply words they we shall call them the bad, the better and the best ( and not the bad, the ugly, and the good).

The Shark publisher

Just a few companies are really bad. In fact,these are a minority among the compilation companies. But.. if you're getting in the teeth of the real shark publisher,then you better run a mile or two (when you still can).

The second are the companies who are starting with full ambition, but things are growing over their head. These companies don't last for long. Most of these companies are doing their job,in the beginning, but far from what they have been promising in their introduction letter- e-mail.

Most of the promises are not kept by lac of time( our maybe is it just laziness our some other reasons)

The line between these companies and the shark publishers is sometimes very thin, even invisible, and sometimes they even turn into shark publishing.

As you already know, money can do strange things with people.

The third kind of compilation record company, is the real honest one. These companies don't promising heaven and earth, but they are doing their best to keep up with the things they promises. They consider it as a business mark and they don't want the company to have ( or to get) a bad name.

With the first two mentioned companies , you don't get a penny in your pocket. No money of the CD sales comes to you and stay in their pocket.

The first, because it was all prepared in advance. The second, did a lot of work, so they thought that the extra money of the CD sales have been a welcome earned gift. They have asked to sign your copy rights and royalties to the record company for a limited time ( the time of the agreement between you and the company, about 3 month or so), but , they tell you not to be worried.

You shall receive the money at your account or with a check. No doubt.

Promises,and promises again ...

Is it worth while to step into such a compilation adventure?

Sometimes it does. Also, for some bands and performing artists can it all work-out well.

They get a lot of exposer and promotion and that's why they have entered in the first place.

If you're a pure songwriter, then it has no sense to be included. Unless you see it as some kind of new experience, and if you can spare the money ( something between $250- 500 £ 180-250 or more! ) then the experience can be worthwhile, I think.

To be honest , I have done such an experience myself. Had some expectations ( not too high), but in the end, didn't saw any money.

Reviews from the music business people, I received only 2 or 3. But I have contacted others who have featured on the CD and they where happy with their result.

So..what isn't worth it for one can be worth for someone else.

Bands and performing artists can indeed profit of the received promotion and exposer. But if you're a pure songwriter, then I believe it's a waste of your good money, that you can better spend else where.

I have mentioned no names of record labels( most of these labels come and go)because I don't wish to get some angry e-mails in the mailbox. Also , I wish to stay neutral and only try to give you the right information. Consider it as a warning.

How to be sure not to get ripped of? Unless you can contact people who has already featured on an album with the same record label, you never can be sure. These companies come and go, they changing names, and starting again. Of course they are not all like this, but as I said, the honest companies are not the majority, if you know what I mean. Best advice I can give is this: Be careful with compilations.

Try to get info by people who have featured with these record labels, if possible.

Otherwise...let it be, and keep the money.

This was our first article of the New Year 2007. Hopefully you've learned something, and we'll meet again next issue, next month.. Bye! Bye!

3) Looking for Songs...

E-mail Address: sknylnrd@aol.com

Country: Canada

Style of music, artist,band?: 4 pc band (keys,guitar,bass,drums) looking for straight ahead rock /blues rock/ southern rock songs to record. Thx in advance

4) useful Resources!

Thank you <> for sharing your time with us.

Comments! Ideas! Feedback about the subject! Your own experience with compilation CD's( good or bad)!

Let me have it, right between the eyes!

I'd love to hear from you. Just reply to this zine and tell me what you think.

(c) 2006 Paul Farrier. of Song-Makes-Musicbusiness.com Inc.