Compilation CD!

Hi and welcome. Compilation Cd offers.. is something every songwriter will get now or later...To get an offer can be good and can be bad too..Compi cd offers goes hand in hand with Shark publishing. Now we have to do some explaing about shark publishing..

What about compi cd's?

Well, most songwriters, and artists who pitching out their demo submissions, have surely heard from these companies or have been contacted by them. Some are working together with other independent record labels , and ransack the piles of received demos, who otherwise would be destroyed in a trash mill.

In other words, they are recycling the cd's wit a review.

Then the staf re-listen these Cd's and make an selection of the best of the songs to be included in the compilation ( or what they consider as the best of).

The songwriter-artists,who are selected, they all receive and e-mail or a letter, with the message that (lucky) they have been choose to be included in the compi cd. Of course,not all companies are bad and not all are good too. So..in this particularly case of getting an offer to a compilation cd, being careful is the message . 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 ( don't want to call them " the good , the bad , and the ugly" ).

Compilation CD and
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.

Is this good or bad news?

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 (soundcloud,Itunes...)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.

Real Shark music publishing story!

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  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. For the pure songwriter it make no use to be included in a compi deal.. Unless you see it as a 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. Have had expectations ( but not too high), but in the end, didn't saw any money ( this can happen)from the sales of the compilation cd.

Asking around to others who were included on the same compilation cd and they were quit happy with the result. So, I suppose it's some times depending what you have expect to achieve or to receive.

Like I said, this will be different for a band , who can get exposer and the opportunity for doing more gigs, then this will be the case for a pure songwriter, who can only trying of getting a publishing deal some were..

So.. to be included or not ?

Being ia partner on a compilation cd, Bands and performing artists like singer-songwriters 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 I think you can better spend else were ( like a better recording...).

I have mentioned no names of these labels( most of these labels come and go anyway )because I don't wish to get some angry e-mails into my mailbox. Also , I wish to stay neutral and only t give the true facts and the right information. Consider it as a warning, when you get such a e-mail yourself one day..

Final Conclusion..

How can you be sure not be ripped of ?

Unless you can contact people who has been already featured on an album with the same record label, you never can be sure. These companies come and go, they changing of name, and re-start again. Of course I know that they are not all like this, but as I said, the honest companies have not the majority, if you know what I mean.

Best advice I can give is this: Be careful with a compilation cd offer.. Find out more info on Google and  the songwriting forums.

If you're not very sure...let it be, and keep the money in your pocket. Otherwise,they'll getting all the money, and you...nothing. A fair deal? I don't think so.

But on the other hand.. There are record labels that are truly honest..You need to do some research and I'm sure you'll able to discover them..and if they match your style of music, then why not give it a try..

If you wish to be absolutely sure of a truly, honest record deal..Then Don't pay a penny..Nothing..You have to be paid for your music and not other way around..Right!..

Facebook,and other  social network sites are  perfect to discover good from bad..People will tell about good and bad experiences..But.. What's good for you can be bad for the other..That's life..

Companies that are doing "compilation" offers...

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