Selecting a favorite CD from my music collection, I opened the chosen disc and hit play. As the music played, I took the cover off the CD and took a closer look at the contents of the box (aka sleeve notes). Among the colorful artwork, band photos and song lists were the lyrics to each song and, of course, the credits of those who were involved in the creation of this CD.
Looking at the profiles of an independent artist and band online, more often than not, this simple information is not readily available and even if that artist did most of the work themselves, credit information clears the air. Let’s take a closer look at the music credits.
Once upon a time there was a little band from Liverpool where the songwriters John and Paul made an agreement in their partnership to share credit for all their work, whether they were written alone or together, or one added more than the other, like Lennon/ McCartney. This worked for a long time with great success and the royalties were shared equally. It got to a point where the fork and various other elements started to break up a riff in the duet. Some of these issues are still up for discussion today, even though John Lennon has passed away.
Discussing legal issues with your collaborator(s), band or group before the first dollar on a CD or song sales begins and certainly before the long-awaited record deal hits has been shown time and time again. to your plate. Although it can be uncomfortable, you need to address this issue to avoid long-term problems. Don’t just talk about these topics, but get it in writing. A letter of agreement signed by all parties involved regarding earnings percentages, credits, and name order is all you need and should cover each song produced. Get ALL your gang problems with credits resolved early on, covering all your bases. Also, find out what works best for ALL of you if anyone wants to do solo projects.
Those credits must then be applied online to your music discography. The credits show upfront, in print, who owns and has the rights to what parts of the song and/or music created. The listener will then know in advance WHO to contact if they have a project that needs that person’s input.
Music discography – your album Credits:
Produced by, Arranged by, Recorded by
Recorded in
Mixed by, Mixed in
Distributed by
CD cover concept/art by, photography by
management
Special thanks to
What to include for song credits:
Written by
Voices, choirs, voices recorded by
Posted by, Produced by
Mixed by, Programmed by, Designed by
Additional by, Wizard
Recorded in
Special Thanks or Courtesy of
List of instruments played with who played them
Things happen in gangs, just like they happen in marriages, jobs and life. Members have disagreements, leave, go it alone, start new projects, and sometimes tragedies happen. Credits establish acknowledgment, acknowledgment, and ownership of the work done, as well as giving thanks to those who helped get the work done. It is the professional way of doing business.