A
Practical View To Co-writing & Collaboration
by
Byron
Hill
Having
been a professional songwriter in Nashville for 21 years, I can
tell you that in two person co-writing situations the best rule
to follow is this: Never write for more or less than 50%.
Once
you resign an idea to a co-writing situation, you should not count
words or start measuring the percentage of each others work. If
you feel you've done more work on this one, but like the song, book
another meeting with the same person and it may turn out the other
way around on the second song.
After
a few writing sessions if the other person is not carrying the weight
or making a significant enough contribution for you, move on to
other co-writers.
Getting
too analytical about percentages early on in a co-writing relationship
will usually kill the desire to get back together.
The
pros develop an understanding that one song will lead to another
with co-writers, and over the long-term the contribution of each
co-writer will measure out quite equal if it's working.
Regarding
the agreement, writers who are unpublished or unsigned might want
to just sign and date each other's handwritten lyric sheets. That
should suffice.
Here
again, anything too formal can kill the fun and desire to continue
working together.
Good
luck!
Byron Hill
Brian
Hill is a successful Nashville songwriter whose songs have been
covered by some of country music's top recording artists. Brian's
website is: www.byronhillmusic.com
(
The above article is presented as practical information, not legal
advice. )
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