Music Publishing & Songwriting

If you’re looking for the future of the music business (and what music business weasel isn’t?), it may have just turned up in a Billboard article from last week. Buried amidst the doom and gloom of EMI lay-offs and further drops in CD sales was a rather shocking announcement:

“In the two months since MTV Networks and Harmonix released the music-based video-game ‘Rock Band’, players have purchased and downloaded more than 2.5 million additional songs made available after the game’s distribution. Activision, meanwhile, says it has sold more than 5 million new songs via download for ‘Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock’ since it began adding downloadable content in eary November”.

Holy Playstation! Holy Xbox! That’s alot of downloads! I’m trying to think of a single that has sold 2.5 million units in a month recently, but I’m afraid I’m a bit stuck. The fact is, no one is moving units like this. Purists will choke, but at the moment it appears that the best way of selling music is by tying it in with products that have nothing to do with music, specifically: ringtones and video-games. Even more striking is the fact that the games are selling downloads not for Steve Jobs’ meager 99 cents, but $1.99 (that’s a 100% increase for those who are too young to remember rising profits). I think we’re on to something here.

Of course, getting a song in a video game is not for everyone. For publishers, it’s much easier to score a hit and get a song in a game if your catalogue is full of 80’s head-bangers, than if it’s full of soft-rock and folk songs. It’s also a lot easier if you have classic hits in your catalogue, as opposed to unknown album cuts. Nevertheless, this opportunity is one that publishers have to avail themselves of, as it’s pretty much the only game in town. Here’s a quick set of suggestions for getting into the game world…

1. Show some energy. Find the songs in your catalogue that are aggressive, up-tempo, and exciting. These are your most likely candidates for a game placement. It doesn’t have to be classic metal– rock of all kinds works well, as does dance and electronica. If your catalogue is full of AC, check and see if there’s a song that might warrant a remix or a remake– maybe you can turn that Celine Dion pitch into a rock anthem, or a mash-up. But every game has its rules, and this one says: no sad, downbeat, soft and tender ballads allowed.

2. Know the players. The game industry is booming and there are new companies emerging right and left. The more that you’re aware of– the better your chances. Subscribe to some gaming magazines, attend conventions like Billboard’s Digital Music Live, the Consumer Electronics Show, or the Electronic Entertainment Expo. Or ask your little nephew. But there are more opportunities than just “Rock Band” and “Guitar Hero”. Brands like Madden football, Tony Hawk skateboarding, and Grand Theft Auto all have extensive music uses in various genres. The even more important thing is to find those young, up and coming game design companies– they’ll be the ones most open to pitches from independent publishers. Kudos to Cherry Lane Music Publishing, who partnered early on with Electronic Arts, one of the industry’s most successful game companies. Don’t we all wish we had?

3. Show some team spirit. I said “team”, not “teen”– although that might work too. But most game uses are negotiated as variations on a sync license– with a bit more flexibility than one would grant a Hollywood studio. Because this is a developing industry, whose whole success rises and falls on its proximity to the cutting edge of technology and innovation, most game companies expect a degree of flexibility and cooperation from the publishers they work with. If you own the rights to Metallica, you can probably drive a pretty hard bargain. But if you’re pitching a song from an unknown indie band to a new game just being released, you’re going to have to “play ball” as they say. Keep in mind those 2 million downloads and keep your eye on the prize.

4. Don’t forget the score. If your song catalogue just isn’t a fit for the gaming world, but you’ve got serious composition chops and a desire to be part of what’s happening, you may be able to find the next wave of film scoring, which isn’t for films at all. For games that rely more on background music than pop songs, you may be able to work your way in as a composer for hire, and create the musical backdrop for a new type of entertainment. Sure it will be work for hire– which doesn’t do much for your pub company. But a job’s a job.

5. Play offense! So there’s nothing out there for you in the game world? Why not try to design your own. Develop concepts that would fit your catalogue, meet with game designers, create proposals. Unlike the somewhat moribund music industry, this is a business that’s growing, and actively seeking out the next big thing. We know that music and games go together like a hand in a baseball glove. So figure out how your music can get on the scoreboard.

I know, it’s not exactly what you got into music to do. Me neither. But the truth is, music has always needed a visual stimulus to really connect with the masses– whether it’s the hip-shaking of Elvis, the moon-walking of Michael Jackson or the cranking of Souljah Boy. Whether it’s the Lindy Hop, or MTV, or Hendrix burning his guitar at Woodstock, people often need something physical and visual and exciting to pull them into music.

I’m not a game guy. You may not be either. But when you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.