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Author Topic:  How Much For Tracks?
Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 7:32 am    
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I'm planning on getting back into recording this week after a long layoff from it. I was thinking of making some more backup tracks for pedal steel players. The tracks would have bass, acoustic guitar, piano, drums, maybe some lead guitar in places. Other instruments too when appropriate. Vocals would be added to songs that have vocal parts. These parts would all be played by me in my digital studio - no Band In A Box tracks.

Furthermore, I was thinking of making the tracks available from my web site individually. Customers could browse the songs and add the ones they want to a shopping cart, then pay for only the songs they want. So two questions come to mind for me...

1. How much for each song?

2. Which songs do you want?

After filling up your shopping cart with your favorite tunes, you can pay with you credit card. For the price you'll get to download an .mp3 backup file and a professional looking Nashville number chord chart with a few tips on the arrangement.

Help me out guys. What it worth to you and what songs would you like to play?
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Gary Shepherd

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J D Sauser


From:
Wellington, Florida
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 8:42 am    
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I think that good quality country style progression songs in all sorts of keys and tempos will always sell.

I personally am in search of all sorts on nice slow Hawaiian tracks... preferably with vibes (can be synth) and almost no drums... but good quality so I can play without a band. I would not be surprised that you could sell that too on the non-pedal Forum and maybe also plug it on the HSGA association site.

Price? I think the country stuff has to be generic and a good CD packed with 15 to 24 tracks can sell here and on ebay (guitarists can use it too) for anywhere between 9.99 to 29.99 as long as you post sound samples and the quality is great (processed for home use).

The Hawaiian stuff... I'd pay good money for great tracks... But I think if "we" could put together an order of songs on this site and the fine people at HSGA... it could also work out to a reasonable price.

Tempo and key, is not so much an issue anymore if the tempo is reasonable and the song is recorded in two inverted keys, then with a computer "slower downer" program, it can be reworked to any key and speed.

Let me know an keep me up on your project universal_tuning@yahoo.com

... J-D.
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 9:14 am    
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Would the songwriters get royalties? You would have to figure the Harry Fox payments into your prices. iTunes charges $.99 per song download. I don't think that anyone can charge more than that nowadays.
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 10:03 am    
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b0b, I was kind of figuring the songs would go for $1 each. Was hoping for a little more but not expecting it. I suppose I could add a slot for custom songs and add charge a little more for them.

About the royalties...
Any idea how that works? I know that royalties should be paid but I'm not sure HOW it works. Do you have any info on that? Last I heard it was around $0.09 per song sold. No idea where that money would be sent.
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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000

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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 10:21 am    
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royalites should be paid, you obtain a license for X amount of units to be manufactured / song. You can now get a license for as few as 25 or 50 units for about $5 but the admin. fee is still the same from FOX, $15 per song. Maybe there is a cheaper way but not an easier or faster way. approx $20 total per song for 50 units.

I don't know of an easier way to get licensing but the FOX service is fast and secure. I'm sure someone else will chime in with another method.

visit the Harry Fox website and it's real easy to look up songfiles.

I just obtained 3 licenses / 50 units and the total bill was right around $50.
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Brian Kurlychek


From:
Maine, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 10:33 am    
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My weakness is too strong would be a good one
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 11:25 am    
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Would royalties need to be paid if I leave out the lyrics and only play the chord progressions?
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Gary Shepherd

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Michael Strauss


From:
Delray Beach,Florida
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 12:34 pm    
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Here's the link to Harry Fox:

http://www.harryfox.com/index.jsp
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Dan Lynch


From:
Lima, New York, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 4:58 pm     Tracks How much What
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I would love Poco, New Riders of the Purple Sage,

I paid 9.95 for some Blues Backing tracks individually and may $16 for a full CD.

Thanks

Dan
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Ron !

 

Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 7:05 pm    
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Are the songs with the vocal part in it originals or covers?If they are covers you have to list them and you need a mechanical license for that(check into that).If they are originals then you can(like Tony said)expect them to be $15-$25 a piece.However.....you can put all these songs one 1 disc....send them in and they will charge a one time listing fee.
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 8:45 pm    
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Gary Shepherd wrote:
Would royalties need to be paid if I leave out the lyrics and only play the chord progressions?

I think you'd have to leave out the title, too.
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 10:15 pm    
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Surely not for just a chord progression. I'm 99% certain that chord progressions cannot be copyrighted.
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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000

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Bob Hoffnar


From:
Austin, Tx
Post  Posted 5 Aug 2008 10:46 pm    
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Leave out the melody along with the title/lyrics to be clear of copyright issues.
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 6:52 am    
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Gary Shepherd wrote:
Surely not for just a chord progression. I'm 99% certain that chord progressions cannot be copyrighted.

Anything can be copyrighted. Whether the copyright will stand in court is the real issue.

Once you give the chord progression a title, you are publishing music. If someone else wrote a song with that same title matching that same chord progression, you are publishing their music. You would likely lose an infringement lawsuit, if it came to that.
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 6:56 am    
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I'm going to get my lawyer team on it today to see exactly what I can do.
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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000

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Dan Lynch


From:
Lima, New York, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 6:59 am     re:How Much for Tracks
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Maybe ask Mike Headrick what he had to do.

http://www.mikeheadrick.com
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Greg Wisecup


From:
Troy, Ohio
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 8:12 am    
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To answer the original question, I would be interested for "Quality" tracks. A buck a piece seems about the norm. There are a few forumites on here that have emailed me great mp3s just for the asking!

Right song, no BIAB, right price,= you'll be busy!!
Greg
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Joey Ace


From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 8:29 am    
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Quote:
My weakness is too strong would be a good one



That's available from
http://johnhughey.com/music.html
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Tony Prior


From:
Charlotte NC
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 8:57 am    
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A titled track to a published song falls under the same copyright protection as the original song. The song title is under copyright as well, and yes there are many songs with the same titles, but different authors.

I guess you could offer a CD of tracks with NO titles.

There are plenty of songs with the same chord progressions, but the titles are different and thats how they are defined.
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 9:05 am    
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My law firm is supposed to call me back in a few minutes. I guess I get them to work on it. But from what's been said here, looks like I'll be leaving out the lyrics from the tracks - at least for now.

Bass, drums, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, piano, maybe some strings on certain stuff. I think that will be good. And with a pdf Nashville chord chart, most people should be able to get right in to my tunes.
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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000

www.16tracks.com
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Brian Kurlychek


From:
Maine, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 9:09 am    
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Who wants a singer mudding up the tracks anyway. Razz
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 9:13 am    
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I was just looking through some files I've already done over the years. I have the following.

1 What A Friend We Have In Jesus
2 House of Gold
3 Steel Guitar Rag
4 Steel Heaven
5 Green, Green Grass Of Home
6 Away In A Manger
7 Precious Memories
8 Old Rugged Cross

There were all recorded at different times with different gear. They were all mixed a little differently. But they sound decent if anyone is interested. I don't think I did any chord charts with these.
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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000

www.16tracks.com
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 9:26 am    
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I always liked the way Jimmy Day used singers for fills between the steel phrases. Smile

I don't see why paying a songwriter his royalty is a problem. Without songwriters, you wouldn't have marketable songs to record. It seems to me that it's part of the cost of goods.
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Brian Kurlychek


From:
Maine, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 9:32 am    
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And that is what will most likely dictate the price: The total cost of licensing + production costs, and squeak in whatever profit is left - minus how much a buyer is willing to pay.

Guess you really got to know if there is a market or you could stand to waste some money.
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Gary Shepherd


From:
Fox, Oklahoma, USA
Post  Posted 6 Aug 2008 10:01 am    
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Waste money? Hommie don't play dat!
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Gary Shepherd

Carter D-10 & Peavey Nashville 1000

www.16tracks.com
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