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Tips On Songwriting Collaboration© Janie Ross Coulter
Page 2
Oct 7, 2000
Ditto being clear re costs for demo production, marketing, etc. Demo production costs are usually split, but there may be extenuating circumstances. For example, if an artist wants creative control of the demo product, perhaps he should pay more for that privilege. But maybe not. Just do bring it up early on if you think so. Marketing, it seems to me, is a stickier issue. I had a collaborator who wanted me to share the costs she incurred while trying to pitch our songs. At one point she felt that because she was pitching so much more aggressively than I was, I should give her part of my publishing. We had not initially agreed upon any of this (nor would I have), and so we both ended up feeling a bit resentful and taken advantage of. Although the collaboration worked well creatively, our different approaches to the business side of things eventually ended it. I don't think there's a right or wrong to this, but the issues should be discussed and mutually agreed upon at the beginning.
It's key both to maintain a strong voice of your own and be open to the strong voice of your partner. After all, that's why you're working together. But disagreements, of course, will occur, and they can run the gamut in terms of import and intensity. Again, there's no right or wrong because it's usually a creative call. As with any relationship, choose your issues wisely. Be considerate and discreet, not overbearing. Compromise. Try alternatives. Find something better! My father, who was a songwriter, and his partner had a blanket agreement that if either one said no to something, they had to come up with something else instead. In other words, they agreed that they had to agree. But that was them. Every relationship is different. Just keep remembering that a collaboration is a relationship, with a full spectrum of creative, personal, and business aspects, and that's not always as seamless as it might seem!
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