How to Obtain A Mechanical License To Legally Record Any Cover Song Ever Released!
Posted: May 6, 2015 Filed under: Cover Song Licensing | Tags: Cover Song Licensing, Easy Song Licensing, Harry Fox Agency, Import License, mechanical license, Sync Licence Leave a comment
Do you want to record a song that was written and released by a well known artist or group, also known as a cover song?
Perhaps you want to sing the song and release it on your own CD?
Yes, it’s legal provided you obtain what’s known in the industry as a Mechanical License.
If you intend to record cover songs at Nashville Trax you can file the necessary mechanical license request before or after recording, we do not require you have one to record or mix. we can even handle the process for you.
Why? Songwriters and publishers need to make a living. The money you pay for your license will help compensate them.
If you release a cover song recording without a license it is not legal and can result in extremely costly fines and possibly even prison time. If you don’t look good in orange jump suits, don’t do it.
When? If you are cutting a demo with no intention of making a profit, but rather, simply using the recording to demonstrate your talents to music industry professionals and/or other prospective employers of singers and entertainers, you probably don’t need a license.
Once you’re certain you’re moving ahead with a public release of the recording and intend to offer it for sale on CD, as a download or via any other means, you should immediately file for a mechanical license. Most licenses are issued very quickly but some can take months. You don’t want your CD to be on hold waiting for a license to be issued.
The good news is the publisher has no choice but to issue a license. A songwriter or song publisher retains the right of first release and may refuse to issue a license only until the song is released publicly. After that they are compelled by law to issue a license to anyone who requests one, providing royalties are paid.
How Much?
The current rate is 9.1 cents per copy for any song up to 5 minutes long.
Where?
Where to file depends on how many copies you intend to sell.
Here are two easy-to-use options for selling up to 2,500 CD copies or 10,000 digital downloads:
If you know for sure you are pressing more than 2,500 copies then you must contact
the Harry Fox Agency via e-mail: slingshot@harryfox.com
Outside the U.S A. you will need an import license
If you want to use a cover tune in a video you’ll need a sync license
A non-commercial sync license is available here.
The CDs pictured to the above left (Dan Thompson from Canada) and above right (The Greatest Gift from Main) were recorded here but both contained self-penned songs so no mechanical license was required. Now if other artists or groups hear their songs online, on the radio, or elsewhere and wish to record them, those groups would need to file a mechanical with Dan Thompson or The Greatest Gift. They would be paid, as opposed to having to pay to use other songwriter’s works.
How likely is that? If you make a CD and let it sit in your basement, not very. But these groups are working their product. The Greatest Gift is setting the Gospel world on fire using the tracks we cut here to perform with. They’ve won local and regional Christian original song contests, are about to compete nationally and perform regularly at churches and other venues, moving CDs and downloads as they go.
Dan Thompson is performing in Canada and getting airplay in the U.S., Canada, Australia and several European countries. On November 3rd, 2015 he had 23 radio adds in one day!
Pre-Production Started On 10 song album for Blues Guitarist Tony Pizzino. Bill Watson/Jack White co-producing.
Posted: May 5, 2015 Filed under: Client News, Now Tracking | Tags: Bill Watson, blues album, Jack White, Tony Pizzino Leave a comment
Blues Guitarist, Tony Pizzino
Pre-production has started for a 10 song album featuring blues guitarist Tony Pizzino and singer Grant Anderson. Bill Watson will be playing bass on it, as well as co-producing with Jack White, who will also be playing drums. Tony is flat out amazing on blues guitar and Grant has a unique, totally awesome voice that naturally leans toward blues They’ve both written some excellent songs for the project. Bill, Tony and Jack recorded test rhythm tracks back in August.
Update: This album is in progress. Several songs have been tracked and a Christian spinoff project is underway with a song titled “Finally Free” tracked and rough mixed, and another titled “Into The Light” being co-written by Bill and Grant.
Nashville Trax Producer, Bill Watson
Is your Child a Future Star? Disney Rap, Pop Music, or Country, We Can Help!
Posted: May 3, 2015 Filed under: Music Industry News | Tags: 10 year old session singer, country, Pop, rap Leave a commentIf your child shows talent in the area of Rap, Pop or Country music, your first step should be to have a demo made. If that turns out as good as you suspect it might then you incorporate that as part of an entire album or even pitch your child’s talent to movie producers and A & R people in the music business.
Step 1.
Our producer will evaluate your child’s talent and team them with appropriate song material. He’ll then write the charts for the musicians to play, hire them and schedule the recording session. Your child does NOT have to be present for any of this, we can do it completely over the Internet.
We cut Music Only Mix In Your Child’s Key. For example here
s a recent rap song we produced for a child to rap with:
Step 2: A young singer, such as Samantha will sing or rap on it as a guide for your child. Copies of both the music-only version and the guide track version are sent to you almost instantaneously over the Internet.
10 year old female session singer, Samantha.
A Samantha guide vocal:
Step 3. Your child sings or raps on the “music only” version. At that point it can be mixed either locally or your child’s vocal can be sent back to us to be mixed in with the music.
If you do think your child has talent then it’s important that you ACT NOW! e-mail us at
nashtrax@bellsouth.net
Boom Buh Jinjee is © 2015 Amarish Dave and is posted here for demonstration of production values only. No other use is permitted. If you wish to record this song or use this production the songwriter holds all rights, including the right of first release.we will be glad to forward your interest to him.
Bass Guitarist Available! Bill Watson (Nashville Trax music producer) available for shows in the Nashville area and the U.S.
Posted: May 1, 2015 Filed under: Music Industry News | Tags: Bill Watson Nashville Music Producer, fill in bass player available for shows Leave a commentDo you need a bass guitarist for an upcoming show?
Or a bandleader to assemble a band for your upcoming show here in Nashville or using Nashville-based session or touring musicians?
Opening The Producer’s Choice Awards in Las Vegas, NV 11-7-18, Bill Watson. bass guitar and bandleader; Jim Riley of Rascal Flatts on drums; Jenee Fleenor of NBC’s The Voice on fiddle, Ten times Music Row Session guitarist of the year, Brent Mason and The Swansons of Los Angeles, CA.
Interested in hiring Bill to help with your upcoming performance?
Rates for shows in Nashville are negotiable and depend on the number of songs and amount of work and time involved. Outside Nashville rates include travel, per diem and show pay.
Contact him with details of your show via nashtrax@bellsouth.net or text particulars to 615-319-8616
Bill (B.E) Watson playing bass for the Los Angeles based duo, The Swansons on their Nashville debut show with Brent Mason on guitar; Jim Riley (Rascal Flatts) drums’; Joe and Angie Finley; Jenee Fleenor (Blake Shelton/The Voice/Steven Tyler and 2016 CMA Musician of The Year) on fiddle and several other Nashville session quality musicians, Bill Watson band leader:
Need chops?
Nashville session player band, Basket Case @ 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville, TN Bill “B, E.” Watson bass guitarist & bandleader. Left to rt: Steve King keys (Keith Urban); Holly Covell and Rodney King (session bgv singers); Tom Wild guitar (Mindy McCready) David Northrup drums (Boz Scaggs); Kristen McNamara (Nashville Star, American Idol);; Bill Watson; “Mr. Johnny” sax.
Need a bass guitar player for an upcoming performance you have booked?
Nashville Trax producer, Bill Watson, based in the Nashville Tn area, and a member of The Nashville Trax A Team has many years of experience playing bass on shows and/or filling in on bass guitar on short notice.
Bill Watson and Brent Mason minutes before a show featuring The Swansons, an award winning husband and wife duo from Los Angeles, California…
… Game on:
To book Mr. Watson on bass guitar or have him assemble a band for you contact him with details at nashtrax@bellsouth.net or text to 615-319-8616.
Watson is known for doing his homework and fits into almost any performing situation in the genres of classic rock, modern country, traditional country, and contemporary christian. He has assembled multiple complete bands for various projects.
We live in a video world. One reason to do shows in Nashville is to capture your act on video for future promotion; for posting on social media and your web site and to help sell your act to music industry A&R.
It definitely can increase your credibility to be backed up with some of the very best musicians in the Nashville session and live recording scene. B.E.. can arrange a Nashville based pro video crew of up to three cameras to capture the essential moments in the shows. Ask about video or photography pricing, it’s likely the best investment you can make in your career.
All photos and videos on this page were taken on shows played in 2015, 2016 and 2017 except the photo above of Basket Case, the songs of Jon Smith, featuring Kristen McNamara (for which Mr. Watson was the bass player and band leader) was taken in 2009.
B.E. Watson playing bass, Contemporary Christian music with the band at Compassion Church in White House, Tennessee:
Above: B,E, Watson playing bass guitar with country singer-songwriter, Jamie Braham, Clarksville Riverfest, Clarksville, TN
Watson has also played bass guitar on multiple shows throughout the South, North and Midwest United States including The Sargeant Sisters (based in Pittsburgh, PA), Fishin’ With Dynamite (based in Atlanta, GA) Flashpoint (based in Virginia Beach, VA) and toured the Midwest with Holiday Road (based in Des Moines, Iowa).
Fees for smaller venues in the Nashville area are negotiable depending on the time involved and distance.
Outside the greater Nashville/Mid-Tennessee/South Kentucky area, there is a reasonable day rate fee, plus per diem and travel expenses that typically includes time spent charting/learning the show playlist.
Interested in hiring Bill to help with your upcoming performance?
Contact him with details of your need via nashtrax@bellsouth.net or text particulars to 615-319-8616.
Trailer Choir Seeking Songs
Posted: May 1, 2015 Filed under: Song Pitch Opportunity Leave a commentFat Shan & Butter are producing this project, with “beer & party songs” being the best way to describe their need for material. Think “Drink In My Hand” by Eric Church.
- Professionally made demos and masters of unpublished songs may be submitted (with permission) to Listen Again Music (BMI) or PlayItAgainMusicPublishing (ASCAP).
- E-mail your request for permission to submit to: LAMusicPublishing.1@gmail.com
- MP3 only, songs must be unpublished. Lyrics submitted in body of e-mail, no attachments except the MP3. Songwriter and/or co-writers must control copyright 100%.
If your song is accepted you will be asked to sign a single song publishing agreement. There is no charge to the songwriter, the publisher will acquire the publisher’s share of the song and the songwriter retains 100% of the writer’s share.
Starting production on Hall & Oates “She’s Gone”
Posted: May 1, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentDo you need:
Performance tracks to enhance your live act’s sound
Tracks to make your self-produced recordings sound more professional
OR
Quality tracks for karaoke at your next party
We have you covered with tracks you can download individually for total control of your mix, or pre-mixed on .wav or MP3!
First up:
“She’s Gone” by Hall & Oates
For more info please visit our “Cover Tracks” page:
Dobro Tracks Online is our Over-The-Internet Service, Add Dobro to YOUR project!
Posted: April 30, 2015 Filed under: Nashville Session Musicians | Tags: Kevin Post Dobro Online, Nashville Trax Dobro Over The Internet Leave a commentNashville Trax announces:
It’s easy!
It’s affordable!
Add a Nashville session quality dobro track to your project!
Strings Online: Keyboard-Generated, Live Player Violin, Cello and Viola Delivered Over the Internet
Posted: April 13, 2015 Filed under: Studio Services | Tags: fiddle tracks online, piano tracks online, String Tracks Online Leave a comment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Nashville Trax has added strings online to their list of instruments available to producers and self-producers of music.
The options you can add to a project you’ve started in your studio are:
Typically .wav files in the format required by the client’s recording setup (24/48, 16, 44.1, etc.) are exchanged via file exchanging services such as Dropbox.com or Hightail.com.
Mp3s are lower quality than .wav files but can be exchanged via e-mail.
For more information visit:
If you are searching for fiddle tracks:
If you are searching for keyboard tracks:
Looking For Music Produced Online? It Happens Here!
Posted: April 8, 2015 Filed under: Home Music Production, Music Industry News, Now Tracking | Tags: Over The Internet Album Tracks Leave a comment
Jim Riley, drummer for Rascal Flatts, playing drums on a song for Wayne from Main’s album
Do you want to have a pro sounding album produced with you as the singer?
Or perhaps you’d like to do a project featuring you as both the singer and songwriter, online?
Nashville Trax music producer, Bill Watson, can make it happen!
You get: An album of between 6 and 14 songs played by top tier Nashville session musicians that will impress your friends and family, will be suitable for marketing you and your music to record company A & R and music publishers, can be sold on various Internet sites and may even get radio airplay.
How would you like to have these musicians and their credits on YOUR album?
“I’ve produced several album projects for singers who can’t easily come to the studio to record their vocals,” says Watson. “They send me their rough mp3, I professionalize it, hire great musicians and give that work to them. Some clients have added their vocals and mixed on their end. Others sing to our work, then send me their vocal file for mixing here. It works great either way!”
In fact, Watson is doing an album project over the Internet as this is being written. It’s for “Wayne from Main” and Wayne is thrilled with the 5 songs (of 8 planned) completed to date. “They don’t sound cookie cutter at all which was the problem with other Nashville studios I tried prior to Nashville Trax, Each song on my album completed so far has it’s own sound and I love that,” says Wayne.
Wouldn’t you like to have players of this caliber on your project? On Wayne’s project, so far Bill has used:
Drummers:
Jim Riley, drummer, Rascal Flatts
David Northrup, has played for Travis Tritt, John Mellencamp, The Oak Ridge Boys’ and Wynnona.
Greg Ewen, (F.W.O., Louise Mandrell)
William Ellis, drummer for Montgommery Gentry
Bass Guitar:
Bill Watson, Nashville Trax producer
Guitar:
Tom Wild B.J. Thomas, Mindy McCreedy,
Bill Watson, Nashville Trax producer
Kevin Post (Blake Shelton)
Steel Guitar:
Kevin Post (Blake Shelton)
Kevin Post, steel guitar player for Blake Shelton adds a pedal steel track to one of Wayne from Main’s songs
Violin, Viola, Fiddle:
Jenee Fleenor (Blake Shelton, Martina McBride)
Piano, strings, B3 Organ, Synthesizer:
Ron Fairchild (Oak Ridge Boys)
Steve King (Nashville session keyboard player)
Saxophone:
John Heinrick (Roniie Milsap)
The cost?
Forget the typical $20,00 to $50,000 budget most Nashville studios charge to produce an independent project!
Try an 6 song album project as low as $4,000!* And you can pay as you go!. As little as $300 down will start your project. As each song is completed and paid for an additional down payment will be required.
Want a sample? You are welcome to try one song before committing to an entire album project.
For details or to have any questions you may have answered, simply e-mail: nashtrax@bellsouth.net
Jenee Fleenor, fiddle player for Blake Shelton, @ Nashville Trax
* the $4,000 price reflects the client or the clien’t’s singer recording the vocals and mixing on their end.
Singer-songwriter TJ Leonard has been offered a deal by MTS Management! 16 Year old Songwriter Cassidy Diana signs with Chappell!
Posted: April 7, 2015 Filed under: Music Industry News | Tags: Cassidy Diana, Chappel Leave a comment11-7-2015 Update: TJ Leonard has now signed a distribution deal with MTS Records. The first single will be “Remember Those Times” which is being released to traditional and Internet radio and digital download music outlets worldwide. MTS Management Group will handle promotion and publicity for the release as well as distribute the entire album the single is on, “High On Livin'” starting in December.
Two singer-songwriters have been offered deals.
Cassidy Diana, from Orlando, Florida has signed a deal with Chappell Entertainment Group. And TJ Leonard, a country singer/songwriter from Sweden has been offered a distribution deal on his single “Remember Those Times”.
We wish both highly talented, aspiring artists, much success!
Nashville session Piano and Keyboard player, Steve King, added to our Piano Tracks Online service: Piano, B3 Organ, Strings, Synthesizer Available
Posted: March 29, 2015 Filed under: Nashville Session Musicians | Tags: B3 organ, Steve King Nashville Piano Player Session Musician, Strings, synthesizer Leave a commentNashville area session piano player, Steve King, has been doing tracking sessions for us since 2006 but has now been added to our Piano Trax Online service.
Steve is called on regularly for Hammond B3 Organ, Strings and synthesizer sounds also and will do those for clients needing remote tracks.
That soulful B3 sound weaving around in the background throughout the song is just what I wanted—the playfully funky riffs are perfect!”- Allen Lintved- Exeter, California RE: his second Piano Tracks Online order
Steve, formerly with Keith Urban is highly skilled at country, rock, blues, jazz… basically any style of music and is one of the most in-demand session players in Nashville. We are thrilled to have Steve King on the Nashville Trax roster.
“The electric piano part is perfect! Just what I envisioned for the song–and then some. Many strong and tasteful fills to work with. Thanks again!”– Allen Lintved- Exeter, CA
It’s so EZ to add a piano track, B3 organ, strings or synthesizer to your project, played by a Nashville professional session quality player, right over the Internet!
Step 1: Make an mp3 stereo mix of your project. It’s optional to add a 1-2-3-4 count off upfront or a click track with the click (metronome track) panned hard left and your drums, guitar playing, etc. panned hard right. It’s possible for us to work without the click but it will likely be tighter with (provided your instruments are locked in to it also).
A vocal, even a very rough scratch vocal, is extremely helpful as well. But it’s best to keep the vocal fairly low in volume in the mix, just enough for the player to hear where the vocal phrases are placed without interfering with their ability to lock in to the music.
Step 2: e-mail the MP3 mix to nashtrax@bellsouth.net along with any notes. Step 3. Send payment via PayPal to nashtrax@bellsouth.net.
THAT’S IT!
For just $115 you’ll receive one piano part (or 1 clavinet part, b3 part, synth track, etc). If you purchase a $115 piano track, you can add your choice of either keyboard generated strings or B3 organ for just $15 extra per song.
Discount to $100 each for two songs or $95 each for 3 or more songs.
RE: His very first Piano Tracks Online order:
“Awesome, strings sound GREAT!” Donovan Farrell.
Later Donovon wrote: “You guys did so awesome on the last song I was wondering if I could get strings plus live violin and viola on the attached song?”
He was thrilled with that project also.
Nashville Bass Tracks
Posted: March 27, 2015 Filed under: Studio Products | Tags: Clay Krasner, Fender Precision, Nashville Bass Tracks, nashville trax Leave a commentIf you need a Nashville Bass Track for your song, why look anywhere but Nashville Trax? We’ve satisfied ,ore clients with our “add this instrument to your project” over-the Internet service than any other Nashville based recording studio!
Bill Watson engineering and playing bass guitar
Order your bass guitar track here:
http://www.nashvilletraxrecordingstudio.com/bass-guitar-tracks-online
Need a specific bass and amp combo?
Fender Precision? Ampeg? Hartke? Fender Jazz? Yamaha? Washburn? You name it, we probably have both the amp and bass you need. Not that knowledgeable? we’ll be glad to select the proper bass gear for your song!
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