Releasing a project properly isn't for the lazy. There are many steps you have to take to make sure everything is recorded and registered correctly. Whether you plan on doing this yourself or want to make sure your manager/label is doing their due diligence; below are the things that need to get done.
1. Pick the beat/instrumental you want to write to or produce your own. Work with someone local preferably or browse the web as there are many online producers to choose from. You can either lease beats or buy them exclusively depending on your budget.
2. Write the lyrics to your new song; brainstorm with any features or songwriters to make sure everything flows and makes sense before going in the studio to record.
3. Set up a studio session with a qualified engineer
to record the vocals. If you’re technical enough with a good mic and preamp, you can record the vocals on your own.
4. Have the engineer mix down the track (vocals & beat) to your liking; arrange the track for a final master.
5. Book with a mastering engineer to get that loudness and broadcast quality you want. With advanced plug-ins and mixing techniques the person who records/mixes the track usually can also provide a good master. Make sure the person metadata encodes your track with album art, catalogue number, ISRC code, artist, composer, label, etc... If they can’t, do it yourself; we use MP3Tag.
6. Copyright the song under your name or the label you plan on releasing it under. You can copyright up to 60 minutes of songs for $55 using their online portal.
7. Assuming you’re already registered with a performing rights agency such as BMI, ASCAP, SESAC; you’ll want to split up the writer and publisher share for all parties involved using a split sheet. Performance royalties are royalties you receive when your music is played on the radio, television, movies, or performed live. With ASCAP it is 100% total, with 50% being the writer share and 50% being the publisher share. BMI is 200% total with 100% being writer share and 100% being publisher share. A lot of times now the artist or song writer also have their own publishing company so they can reap royalties from both sides; front end and back-end. While having your own publishing company is great, you still need to keep in mind what more reputable publishing companies can do for your music. They likely have the connections to get your music in the right hands for placements all over the world. Do not be afraid to give up some, if not all, of the publisher share. Doing everything yourself is smart but you always have to look at the big picture and see what makes sense for you, everyone’s situation is different.
8. Make sure you register with Sound Exchange. They will help collect streaming royalties on your behalf for places such as Spotify, Tidal, etc... Out of 100%, this is split 50% with the label, 45% to the artist, & 5% to any back-up singers or musicians.
9. Register to get your international standard recording code or IRSC. This will give each track a unique code so your song(s) uniquely identify your songs, videos, or spoken word recordings. You will need this number to submit your music for online distribution to places like iTunes & Spotify. You will also use your ISRC codes to submit your work to Nielsen SoundScan for participation in the Billboard charts.
10. Make sure you encode your music with BDS. This makes sure your song plays can be tracked on radio stations so you can get paid. Link:
11. If you are selling physical cds and singles, register your project with Nielsen Soundscan. They keep track of how many singles and albums sell throughout the whole world. Make sure you get a barcode for your album or single.
12. Have a graphic designer make your album artwork or do it yourself. I use Canva or Poster My Wall and have made some pretty cool designs.
13. Now you’re ready to promote & release your song, which you can have your label do it for you or do it yourself. There are many low-cost companies that allow you to distribute your music worldwide on all platforms. A couple of the ones you can use are Distrokid ($19.95 per year unlimited releases) or TuneCore; there are many others. You pay a fee for their service but keep all sales and royalties from your song(s) or album.
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