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Thanks. Very frustrating indeed as BMI is supposed to be “on my side.” But the whole royalties system is changing. Whether it’s for the better or worst is still yet to be seen.
Yes. BMI should be working with you to pay you. They already have the money. They hold a pool of money for unclaimed royalties. I just do not understand what the trouble is. If you have proof, they should review that evidence promptly and pay you the royalties you deserve. No, the royalties you earned!!!
Does BMI believe that you are trying to steal money or do something illegal? You created the music and have a right to be paid when that music is used for broadcast purposes.
I am rooting for you. I hope you will be paid all of your backend royalties.
Both.
The short of it is that, when CourtTV turned into TruTV, BMI told me they had no contract with TruTV yet so I would not collect royalties. When I asked how long this could take, they told me up to 10 years. Turned out they had a contract with TruTV the entire time. I have documented meetings/emails/phone calls so I’m hoping BMI settles and I don’t have to get litigious.
Oh gosh!!
Please be persistent and get your money. It is a shame when these things take years and years to be settled. I just wish that people would do business the right way and pay composers their money.
The weird thing about it all is that TruTV pays a blanket license to BMI to use music from BMI songwriters and publishers. BMI already has received payment. All the network has to do is file the cue sheets so the songwriters and publishers can be paid. No extra money is involved.
Frustrating how silly these things get.
Was the song placed through a library?
Not exactly. The smallest is the soprano, then the concert, then the tenor, then the baritone, which is biggest.
In terms of sound, concert and tenor are quite similar in sound and playability. Tenor is more comfortable, especially for guitarists, because of its bigger size. It also tends to have a fuller sound, because of the size.
The soprano, being the smallest, may be quite difficult to play if you have big fingers. They do sound “thinner” than tenors, but I think it mostly depends on woods and construction. I have a wonderful Pono soprano that sounds much sweeter and fuller than some cheap tenors that I had. The good thing about the Soprano is that it provides the most “ukulel-ish” sound, so to speak. That mid-rangy, bell sound so typical of hawaiaan music is best reproduced by a soprano. Not so much by a tenor, in general.
The baritone, the biggest, is a very different beast. It is tuned differently, it sounds different, it should not even be called a ukulele, because it has nothing to do with sopranos, concerts and tenors. But, it is a wonderful instrument (I really, really like it …). In general, I think it sounds best when finger-picked, not strummed. Go on YouTube and you’ll find lots of people strumming the baritone and sounding awful. It takes a lot more musicianship to make a baritone sound good, while with a soprano or a tenor you can just strum and sound good enough.
Overall, if you are just starting with a uke, I would suggest a decent tenor. More versatile, easier to play, more immediate gratification. Possibly, a solid mahogany one – you can find them cheap enough and you get a real instrument, not a toy. I think it’s the best starting point. Just my opinion of course.
I am an “old” guitarist, but fell in love with ukes several years ago. (well before Eddie Vedder came out with his uke album …). I bought 10 ukes so far, but I currently have 6 (bought and sold a few in the meanwhile). Yes, using a mic is always better, if you can do it. But that’s true for any acoustic instrument.
I’m not a Kala lover, at all, although I know they make some decent instruments (actually I have one, it was a gift, but it’s the one I never use … it just doesn’t sound as good as others, even cheaper ones). As I said, I’ve own about 10 and tried many, many more. I strongly suggest to buy a solid mahogany model – it gives the uke a sweet, full, rounded sound – much, much better than most dirty cheap non-solid ukes, which usually sound way too harsh, thin and without any fullness. If you don’t want to spend much, Cordoba makes good ukes like that, very reasonable (around 200 I think). I like some Ohana solid mahogany models too. If you can spend a bit more, go for Pono – best bang for the buck, super nice ukes in all respect (woods and construction etec), but we’re talking at least 400$ or so. But there are many more brands and models to choose from. I’d just stay away from super cheap instruments. If you have a lot of money to spend, well … go for a uke made from traditional Hawaiaan Koa wood. It’s worth soundwise, but we’re talking serious money (800 and up).
Also be aware that ukuleles come in different sizes (soprano, concert, tenor and baritone) and they are very, very, VERY different animals. That’s the first choice you have to make.
Uke on!I agree with Musicmatters. I have an inexpensive uke and a mic is the way to go. If you are really lazy (and sometimes I am) you can use this http://8dio.com/instrument/ukulele-strummer/. I have it and it does a pretty good job.
This is the orchestra in Prague my friend used.
“fifty piece orchestra is only $2250 per hour (booked as 3-hour session) including conductor, studio, engineers, and music printing.”
Man, that is awesome!
They have connections to the right people.
If this software fits a composer’s needs, then great. If you have a process in place that works for you, then perfect. But we all have to start somewhere and I thing that this software is a great start for composers that need to start tracking their library and may not have the tools or knowledge to do anything on their own.
Definitely. It is hard work getting started. But now you can add and improve as needed. Congratulations on getting your product to the market.
Alan, how big is your library?
It looks great Keith, I’ve been wanting one of these for years. I would buy it today if it had:
-Submission records (so I don’t accidentally re-submit a track)
-Financial/Sales data tracking, i.e. who licensed it, how many times, how much income did it generate
-Placement data, i.e. Series, episode, original air date, PRO income
-Tunesat detection importWhy not buy it in its current state? Your support could help fund the team to make new features. No software will ever do everything. But working with the features it has is better than not using it at all.
Don’t wait for perfection!
