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Frequently
Asked Questions
A&R,
Artist Development and Consulting
How
do I get my music ministry started?
I feel alone in this, can you help?
Will you listen to my demo?
What can I do to get more bookings?
I want to do this as my career, how can I do it unsigned?
Can you help someone get signed?
Do you offer consulting on music production, songwriting,
etc.?
How do I sell my songs?
How do I copyright my songs?
How do I know I'm good enough?
Studio
Production
Why
should I record a CD?
Will you produce me and/or my music?
How much does it cost?
Who will play the instruments for my production?
Where will we record?
Why is recording in Nashville different than recording
in my home area?
How do I become a music producer?
Music Services
Where
can I get better original songs?
What if I have songs but need arrangement help?
Can you write melodies to my lyrics?
I'm a musician, but want to get better, can you
help?
General
Where are you located?
Who are you? What do you believe?
Other
Topics
I
have a CD recorded. Can you help me promote/distribute it?
We just want to get signed, how do we do that?
How
do I get my music ministry started?
First
you need to make sure of two things:
Is your talent ready? Had God made it clear, both by what your
friends, family, and peers say and on the advice of several professionals,
that your talent needs to be heard?
Secondly, do you feel God's call do enter into ministry through
your music? Has His voice been unmistakable and have you sought
counsel on this?
If those determining factors are strong, then starting a music
ministry is easy. First you need to begin sharing your talent.
You can do this through the music team at your church, singing
or playing at local churches and functions, and beginning to work
very seriously on your craft.
Then when your beginning to get requested back at churches and
known as a music ministry, you can begin to think about expanding
by recording a CD to help support and bring legitimacy to your
ministry.
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I
feel alone in this, can you help?
Yes we can. Either as your producer where we work with you in
the studio, or as a music ministry coach, we can walk with you
through each step of your music ministry journey. We care about
your ministry and want to see you succeed. Our production rates
are generally $500 per day, and we can also work with you as a
consultant by the day or on a month to month basis. For more on
production click here. For more
on our consulting, click here.
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Will
you listen to my demo?
We
do accept demos, but truly have a very limited time to listen.
We'd much rather get an email with a link to a Shoutlife or Myspace
site where demos are posted. If you'd like a professional demo
critique, we offer consulting services that will help you decide
where your songs are from a developmental standpoint. Click
here to
find out more about our demo consulting services.
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What
can I do to get more bookings?
First, begin asking pastors, friends, and family what churches
they know of and begin to get a list of referrals to begin calling.
This alleviates having to call "cold". You can call the church
or pastor and tell them you were referred by someone they know.
This makes that first call easier.
Check out Dawn
Jones' "Booking Workshop". It's a step by step guide to
learn how to effectively have yourself booked as much as you want
to be.
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I
want to do this as my career, how can I do it?
The key is determination, the ability to sell product and demand
concert fees, bookings, and smart marketing.
Determination: Having the will to see things through. Staying
with your music when the going gets tough. Thinking of yourself
as a creative, ministering person for life. That in 20
years, you will still be doing this work.
Product Sales: This will mostly be CDs in a music ministry, but
could also include DVDs, T-shirts, Hats, 8x10s, etc. While there
will be some expense to produce your CD and other items, the profit
from these is usually very good and perpetuates making more product.
Concert Fees: As a working musician, this is your bread and butter.
These can rise from nothing to a Love Offering to a rate based
on church or function size.
Bookings: This will be your main job. You'll need to be out ministering
if you expect this to support you. Successful booking comes from
referrals, calling, and word of mouth. You can long for raido
exposure, distribution to stores, and publicity. But all those
cost money, and on an independent scale usually about break even.
But consistent bookings almost always result in income for your
ministry, product sales, and the most important thing: ministering
to the world with your gifts.
Smart Marketing: Make inexpensive buttons, flyers, cards, and
pictures to give away to guide people to your web site even if
they didn't buy anything at the concert. Make free singles with
only a few songs, for people to give to friends. Anything you
can do to get people interested and checking your ministry out.
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Can
you help someone get signed?
The
business of music is changing. Are you sure you even want to be
signed to a large label deal?
Many
artists are leaving the major label fold because they have just
found they can make a better living and have more creative freedom.
Getting
a record company to sign you means that you have something they
think can sell, that they can be successful with, and will put
you to work for them. They look for incredible talent, communication
skills with an audience, A Christian heart, very strong current
fan base, and how many CDs you've already sold and are selling
regularly. If any of these things are lacking, most labels will
not be interested.
Our
goal with any artist we consult with, work for, or bring into
our organization, is to build a strong music ministry, with quality
products, that can minister to a hurting world. The end result
being a ministry that can walk down any road that God puts in
front of them. Major label, indie label, or just getting out there
to do God's work.
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Do
you offer consulting on music production, songwriting, or just
what my best course is in music?
We
have many clients that say, "Wow, if I had only met you years
ago, I wouldn't have spun my wheels and I would have spent my
money more wisely."
What
we now offer is consulting based on what you need. We can have
you visit us at our office/studio, consult online, or on the phone.
For a price that works for the both of us. This is done on a case
by case basis. Click
here to find out more about this now.
If
you are a songwriter and need great demos of your songs, we have
been high quality creating demos and arrangements for 20 years
for folks just like you. Check
out our Masterscore Music service here.
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How
do I sell my songs?
You
never sell your songs. If you wrote them, no one should ever ask
about "buying" your songs.
You
own the publishing rights. Now, you may co-publish with someone
if they want to publish your song. You still should get 50% in
signing the song to the publisher.
We
recommend the Songwriter's Market to any writer with questions
about this. You can find it in most larger book stores.
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How
do I copyright my songs?
Go
to The Library of Congress and the
US
Copyright Office.
Here
you will find all the forms in downloadable form to send your
songs to be officially copyrighted.
Please
make sure you copyright your songs with the US Copyright office
before sending them to us.
You
can also copyright "collections" of song to save money.
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How
do I know I'm good enough?
This
is perhaps the hardest question of them all.
Do
people say you have an extraordinary gift?
Do
you love to make music and play it for others?
Do
you have talent in one area of music, and know that if the right
"other half" would come along, you'd have something
really special?
All
these are reasons to pursue music as a hobby, vocation, or dream.
But only you can decide if this is where you need to be or where
God wants you.
If
you are not committed to putting time, effort, money, and practice
in, then maybe it's not for you.
But
if you have a burning desire to make music, and make it part of
you, then do it. Make it your life. Make your goal to improve,
to learn, to grow, and to dream.
No
one is ever there...music is a journey. And it is important in
this work to be able to enjoy that journey. Making a living in
music is an up and down roller coaster ride. But in some ways,
you don't choose music as a life, music chooses you.
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Why should
I make a CD/DVD?
Having a product allows you to leave a part of your ministry at
every function or service you appear at. It also serves as a ministry
tool on its own long after you have ministered in person.
The biggest reason for making a project is to have a product to
sell and to generate income for your ministry. While money should
not be your motivating factor in this, it is important to have
some income to put back into the ministry.
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Will
you produce me and/or my music?
Understand
that Creative Soul is a "for hire" music production
company. Also understand, we are looking for Christians who are
serious and truly want to use their talent for the Lord in the
way He has for them.
We
work to help you create a commercially viable music product that
will sell and support your music and ministry.
We
work strictly on a "for hire" basis. We do not work
for free or in hopes of you becoming "famous" or getting
a recording contract with a large label.
Is
it possible you might "make it big" after working with
us? Well, that's ultimately up to God, you and your songs.
But
we definitely can help you get the next level, whether that means
from "home-produced" to pro studio, or from dream to
reality.
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How
much does it cost?
We
now work on a daily rate which is currently $500, which we think
helps clients save money, and budget effectively. Of course, some
work can be done on a set fee basis, but we find that most clients
prefer our daily rate, as they know what they are paying for.
Any
studio time or fees for engineers or musicians are in addition
to our rate. But this allows you to pick and choose the services
and personnel that are right for you as your budget allows.
If
you are looking to make a serious step into a music ministry,
have some financial backing, and think your talent and ministry
is ready, we offer top level production in Nashville with some
of the best in Christian Music. We also have partners in radio
promotion, booking, and distribution that may be available at
this level of production.
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Who
will play the instruments for my production?
We
have access to the finest musicians in Nashville. No matter what
your budget is, you can be assured that we will find the best
players and singers in Christian Music. And these are musicians
who may be in the studio for a major label artist one day, and
in your session the next. Just working with these folks will help
you grow to be a better artist (and you'll laugh alot too).
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Where
will we record?
Throughout
Nashville and all the outlying areas, like Franklin, there are
literally hundreds of studios to choose from. Depending on what
needs to be done, what your budget is, and what's available, we
could be working in a beautiful multi-million dollar facility,
a custom-built set of studios on a horse farm, or a professional
room in a home recording space. Wherever we choose, you'll be
treated to years of experience as well as the best equipment and
engineers.
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Why
is recording in Nashville different than recording in my home
area?
Well,
if you've been reading, you probably know the answer to this.
Just by working in the studios with the producers, engineers,
and musicians, you get to learn alot more than you would in your
local studio. But more than that, being in Nashville, you'll feel
the synergy of being with people than can help you grow as an
artist. Recording here makes it easy to meet with distributors,
publicists, songwriters, label folks, non-label folks, and much
more.
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Where
can I get better original songs?
We can write quality songs for you in your style, based on your
personal thoughts and ministry. Clients find this to be a VERY
effective service. It gives you fresh, original songs tailored
just for your voice and style. We can also work with your songs,
helping to add a more commercial feel, or help you get it to the
next level. For examples, take a listen
to our music samples...
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What
if I have songs but need arrangement help?
We
can develop an arrangement that fits you individually, and with
the additions of the best Christian musicians in the world, it
will sound even better! This has been our major business for 15
years. For
examples, take a listen to our music samples...
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Can
you write melodies to my lyrics?
We
call this co-writing. Since we charge for our time, we will be
happy to co-write with you, but there will be a charge
for our time. Do not mistake this charge for a common bit of bad
practice in the music business. You should never pay anyone to
put music to your lyrics. But usually co-writing and arranging
go hand in hand sometimes too, so it all kind of melds together
in the project. For
more information about this kind of service, check
out our Masterscore Music service here
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I'm
a musician, but want to get better, can you help?
By
being brave enough to step out of your comfort zone and come to
Nashville, you WILL get better. You may go home feeling like you
are not as good as other musicians here, but hopefully, you will
learn and grow from the experience. You can't help it. "Tribulation
brings about perseverance; and (through) perseverance, proven
character." Romans 5:3-4. It's OK to feel like you need to work
to be better.
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Where
are you located?
We
have office/studios located in Franklin, TN, just south of Nashville,
Tennessee. As you'll see, most of the Christian music industry
resides in Franklin. Most all of our consulting, development,
and production work will be done here, although we often work
in Nashville, on Music Row and elsewhere.
In
addition to our facilities, we have many studios at our disposal,
from pre-production studios to major recording facilities, all
to ensure you get a quality project no matter what budget you
may be working with.
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Who
are you? What
Do You Believe?
Good
question. Read about who we are, read our mission statement, and
read what we believe in our About Us
section.
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I
have a CD recorded. Can you help me promote/distribute it?
We
do provide this service, but only to the select few of the clients
we produce. Occasionally, an artist will come along that we feel
has a strong product and we'd like
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Contact
Us >
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