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“Ever notice that the people who are late are often much jollier

than the people who have to wait for them?” [all anon.]

 Menu 

‘I Believe’ does it again [and I know nothing about football!]

Clever site that teaches and sells to you [check it out]

Best MySpace Jpeg size? [good image advice]

Testimonials [lots of ‘thank-you’s’ this week]

Subscriber's Section [publishing or record contract?]

The gags: .....      [ Never argue with a woman - From Lynne ]

 

‘I Believe’ does it again [and I know nothing about football!]

 

Rather curiously one of the bosses of BBC Radio Oxford called me and asked would my band mind if Oxford United football team used our new release of ‘I Believe’ [ on our latest, 71^st album ].  The one The Pope asked for.

 

It seems the team are making a huge bid to get up to the next division this year.

 

Yep, the outcome was we did a conference call with my brother Con in Yorkshire, me in Eastbourne and the Friday morning DJ, Malcolm Boyden. In Oxford … we launched the whole idea on last Friday.  The team blasted out on to the field on Saturday afternoon with ‘I Believe’ screaming from the ground’s speakers.  The crowd were soon singing it at every opportunity during the game. 

 

BBC have provided car stickers and adverts with the emotive phrase: “We Believe”.  They are on cars and shop windows, bus shelters, everywhere in Oxfordshire…. Great!

 

Now all I have to do is learn which end of the pitch Oxford United are at?  AND – they won … with the biggest attendance of the season so far.

 

“Most of us go to our grave with our music still inside of us.”

 

Clever site that teaches and sells to you [check it out] 

What a smart idea? 

You simply go to the site with a query about equipment that you need or are looking at… the pages are full of links within the text that will bring you straight to a mini tutorial on the equipment or the subject - and you can also peruse the various versions of that equipment at all the differing prices. 

Very clever … very useful …. Very innovative. 

http://www.gear4music.com 

But the best advice is always at http://www.makehits.co.uk/artintro.htm .... the best list of articles on the Net. 

Mike Japp from the band ‘Marmalade’ … quite a force in music, contacted me the other day to advise him on soundproofing … he picked up on the fact I am, probably the most knowledgeable guy around on all the aspects of sound proofing and sound insulation. 

Mike wrote a lot of the ‘Kiss’ hits and is now building a new studio in Wales … he knows where to come to for advice? 

"If Wal-Mart is lowering prices every day, how come nothing is free yet?” 

Best MySpace Jpeg size? [good image advice] 

I get asked a lot about the fact that some pictures on MySpace look a lot clearer and crisper than others. 

This is simply because the guys uploading the images know the optimum [best] size to give the sharpest result. 

It is wise to size the image to be uploaded properly on ‘Adobe Photoshop’ programme … the Industry Standard for manipulating pictures and controlling images.  Photoshop will allow you to take a bigger image and size it to a smaller size with no loss of quality [well, very little].  Photoshop will also ask you to specify the quality requires … I use 900 Pixels per sq. inch.  You can also ask it to optimize for the Web.  This will reduce the file size. 

From experimentation I have found that the best size on MySpace is  170 X 250 [pixels] 

If you put a smaller image up then the image will be enlarged by MySpace and the result will be ‘pixillated’ [you will really notice the pixels]  The pixels will look like out of focus squares within the picture.  A really large image, similarly, will be distorted when they make it smaller. 

You can also improve the sharpness of the picture with the ‘adjustment’ located in the ‘image’ section of the toolbar.  By adjusting the brightness and contrast you can optimize the image for the MySpace screen … or for any web page, really.  It is worth the effort … check out the pictures at http://www.makehits.com/testimonials.htm  

At The Serious Writers Guild offices we are extremely careful to optimise every pic. using the technique above … simply make sure you create the picture to the size you want using Adobe Photoshop before uploading … most recent computers have a stripped down version of Photoshop loaded.  Don’t even think of using any other programme.  If you are serious, buy the full, latest version. 

Remember…. “Success in the Music Industry is 80% visual and 20% music” … shouldn’t be, but tragically it is! 

“You may be only one person in the world, but you may also be the world to one person.”  

Testimonials [lots of “thank-you’s” this week]

“Hi Dec

I have already done the course and I got a lot from it which has held me in good stead. I still dip into it. Your one minute briefings are also useful.

So keep up the good work,  Regards,  Brian Inglis

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Thanks for your help over the years man. You're a legend.

Barry McGuire

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Dec - I am absolutely amazed at the quality of all your works.

To call them outstanding would be an understatement.

Thanks ever so much … Diego Guzman

"Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.” 

Subscriber's Section [publishing or record contract?]

“Hello Dec, 

I want to know if I use the publishing document for the assignment contract agreement on page 63 of your "How to set up your own publishing empire for less that £100", can I just use this to sign the single track? Is this like a single record deal I’m guessing, or would I need a separate contract for that also?
 
Will this document allow me to act as publisher and record label in one is really what I’m asking Dec?
  
Many thanks for all your help so far.
 
Kind regards
D***** B*****
CEO - Digital Insomnia Recordings
www.myspace.com/digitalinsomniarecordingsltd 

My Reply:    

Our rules are "one short reply to ONE question on music FOR NON-MEMBERS, Members of 'The Serious Writers Guild' have unlimited personal access to Dec by direct telephone, Fax and Email, apply at https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm ".     

[Any advice given here shall not be deemed as financial or legal advice under any existing or future laws of any country] 

D*****

The two contracts have to be separate … because the publishing contract would normally be lodged with PRS.  The recording contract would be separate.

As a guide for a recording contract look at page 106, 112.

These are the normal type of contract as many artists now make their own recordings and wish to lease them.

Again, the main points of interest are ‘how much’ and ‘how long’.  The rest of any contract is small piffle.

A leasing deal is normally in the region of 12%-20% of recommended retail price depending on how strongly you feel that you can make money by releasing it [huge costs in artwork, duplication, video, promotion, plugging, P.A’s etc.].  An advance would be paid against the anticipated income.  There would be a clause taking care of royalties for inclusion in compilations [usually half the points pro rata] and in low priced releases … plus an agreed percentage for inclusion in soundtracks etc.

If you feel confident that you can make money in actually producing the material yourself then you would issue a simple recording contract for a period [usually 5-7 years] with options for similar periods thereafter.  The royalties, in this instance, would be 8% - 12% … because you are paying for the entire production … the artist pays nothing, except he/she gives their time.  You would then be in the position of leasing the material to other record companies world wide.

It would be expected by the artist that you pay an advance against royalties [to support the artist during the initial recording period, then the promotion period until you pay over the first income from sales … usually 6 months]

It may be that there could be other promoters and record companies interested such that you wouldmhave to pay a ‘signing fee’ … this may be in lieue of or together with the advance.

Care should be taken to acquire as many territories for release … a seasoned production company would know all about territories and limit any contract with you to the UK and possibly Ireland.  The ideal for you is to get world wide releasing rights. 

Regards  

Dec [Cluskey]  dec@makehits.com <mailto:dec@makehits.com>  

2 Gold discs in 2008!  Decca have relaunched their ‘World Of’ series on the back of those hits.  Readers Digest are now promoting a triple album set …. Do you think I can help your music career succeed?  

Check out 'How to Make A £Million From your Music' at http://www.makehits.co.uk.  Secure purchase at https://secure.mistral.co.uk/makehits/swgappsecure.htm or fast cred*it card line: +44 1323.728005 or UK 01323.728005 

Please consider the environment, do you really need to print this email?   

“3 Minutes on the Radio with Dec” …. Available immediately at http://www.myspace.com/makehits 

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The gags: .....      [ Never argue with a woman - From Lynne ]  

One morning the husband returns after several hours of fishing in his boat and decides to take a nap. Although not familiar with the lake, the wife decides to take the boat out. She motors out a short distance, anchors, and reads her book. 

Along comes a Game Warden in his boat. He pulls up alongside the woman and says, 'Good morning, Ma'am. What are you doing?' 'Reading a book,' she replies, (thinking, 'Isn't that obvious?') 

'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her.

'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading'.

'Yes, but you have all the equipment .  For all I know you could start at any moment.  I'll have to take you in and report you”.

'For reading a book?' she replies,

'You're in a Restricted Fishing Area,' he informs her again.

'I'm sorry, officer, but I'm not fishing. I'm reading'.

'Yes, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.  I'll have to take you in and report you.' 

'If you do that, I'll have to charge you with sexual assault,' says the woman.

'But I haven't even touched you,' says the game warden. 

'That's true, but you have all the equipment. For all I know you could start at any moment.' 

'Have a nice day ma'am,' and he left.  

MORAL: Never argue with a woman who reads. It's likely she can also think.

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