9 Jan

Why Opt for Royalties, in Composers’ Own Words

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We’re a community of, for, and by composers, songwriters, music producers, and creators. Making resources and advice public, free, and accessible to all has always been part of the mission and we’re thrilled to see Your Music, Your Future communities growing on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter . Keep an eye on your inbox for some insightful information for the community (young composers in particular) in the next few weeks and be sure to check out a few of the videos that career composers have created for folks who are just starting out in the meantime.

John Powell: “The question is, are you going to cut yourself off from the potential income that you could get for the rest of your life?”

David Vanacore: “I had three young children and I was a struggling composer. The royalties were one of the things that kept me going.”

Joel Beckerman: “I can honestly say that everything I have now, financially, all came from having performance royalties for the shows that I’ve worked on.”

Nathan Barr: “Hold tight when you’re starting out, and understand that royalties stream will grow and grow and grow.”

Mark T. Williams: “It’s critically important that we as a collective body are aligned.”

Jeff Cardoni: “Performance royalties: you owe it to yourself to find out what it means.” It just might mean the difference between getting a gig and having a career.

Mateo Messina: “A bird in hand is so tempting, but as a composer, we live and die by our royalties.”

Didier Lean-Rachou: “I would encourage all young composers to carefully consider the long-term effects of signing away your rights at this early stage in your career.”

Thank you for being part of this critical conversation—and for helping to lay the groundwork that will empower young composers to make career choices with confidence.