First Base Music

FAQ

Q. When will First Base Music be launched?

FBM (First Base Music) are currently developing the site and expect the basic services site to be up and running by the end of 2009, giving our members the opportunity to hit the ground running in 2010.

Q. How does First Base Music work?

Membership to First Base Music is FREE and you will receive all of the standard membership benefits. Additional services can be provided - see below "what are the additional services".

Membership does not include the transfer of your song ownership - they are YOUR songs. As a member you can sell through other channels as well as First Base Music (ie the agreement is "non-exclusive") EXCEPT if you wish for us to organise sales through third party affiliates such as itunes. We need exclusivity in this instance as the third party provider (eg itunes) will only deal with ONE provider per song and won't sell your songs if there are two or more representative companies.

First Base Music pays the mechanical royalty first (12% to the songwriters) on each sale, then pays 90% of each sale to the artist. This equates to a total payment of 91% to the artist (assuming you are also the songwriter). We only retain 10% after mechanicals have been paid, which equates to roughly 9% in total.

Note: Mechanical Royalties are the royalties paid to the owner of the song (ie the songwriters in this case).

First Base music donates to worthwhile affiliates such as the John Butler Seed Fund and The Jimmy Little Foundation. First Base Music reinvests income back into the services for it's members and provides financial and in-kind assistance to a number of members each year through it's own assistance initiative.

NOTE - Many providers charge US$50 for one song to be available for distribution and want exclusivity. Others charge a "set up cost" of $10 per track, then pay the artist royalties of 40-50%. This means you pay $50-120 for an ep/album plus you only get roughly half of the income derived from sales of YOUR music and merchandise.  On top of this they want excluvity or rights for a period.  First Base Music offers far more benefits and services for less money and the freedom you DESERVE. 

How much does it cost and what do I get?

Annual membership is free

Standard membership includes:

• having your music promoted directly to industry
• having your songs submitted for movies/television shows/ads etc in Australia, the US and UK
• having your music available for sale online (both digital download and cd shipment). We sell directly via the site and internationally including Grooveshark.  Additional distribution can be purchased (see additional services). 
• having your merchandise available for sale online (coming soon)
• have your music promoted via our online radio
• having your music actively promoted through our site and through our affiliates here and internationally.
• regular networking, information sessions and showcasing/gigging opportunities
• discounts on a substantial range of things including instruments, accommodation, recording studios and transport. Examples include 10% discount on vehicle hire nationally and 10%discount on studio hire. 
• access to all industry interviews and information including guides on roles within the industry, a calendar of competitions/conferences/showcase opportunities/festivals etc, "how to" guides, grant information, interviews (see Q&A below) and more.  
• access to our every growing resources listing with links to over 400 individual industry resources including publishers (50), print media, booking agents (50), record labels (130), rehearsal spaces (25), recording/mastering studios (90), cd manufacturing & distribution (20), industry and government bodies
• regular Q&A with industry identities.  See an example interview
• regular networking and showcasing opportunities.
• share your ideas, problems, solutions with other artists via our online forum

Some examples of membership in work in use:

• If you were a member who is going to record an ep, release it and tour the East Coast of Australia, not only would you have access to industry to help you with the planning and best way to do these things, you would also save substantial amounts of money. For example a 5% discount at one of our studio affiliates could save you $200 alone across a five day session. (5 days can add up to anything over $4,000 and that's on the cheap end). Then you could save another $100+ on van hire (10% discount on best daily rates) and $100+ on accommodation for a quick two week tour through the dicsounts provided by our affiliates. So already you have saved $400 because of your membership.
• You are about to tour, selling good numbers of your album and a "vibe" is beginning to happen. You would be identified as a "hot artist" or the "feature artist" on the website and be identified in the newsletter/blogs and all communication to industry. All of this would help you get industry along to your gigs and interested in your music. 
• You may need to hook up with other bands in each city but don't know who to contact. Your life is made a lot easier with the network of First Base Members and the other other resources that you weren't aware of, with all links and contacts in one place.
• You have a lot of people interested in your music and they want to buy it online. You can sell easily through First Base Music.
• You like writing music but don't like performing live and want to get people exposed to your songs, buy your songs and have them used. First Base Music helps you not only sell your songs but have your songs put forward for use by other artists, publishers, in ads, short films and films.
• You have finally got an offer on the table from a record company or publisher. You have been a First Base Music member and are worried what to do. That's ok - you are in the drivers seat. You have the ability to sell and licence your song yourself through First Base Music so you can approach the deal with confidence. If the offer from the label is good for you and your career you have full freedom to leave First Base Music without . If the offer is bad then no skin off your nose. You have all the tools and support you need until the right offer comes along.

Q. What are the "standard" member services?

Standard membership includes:

• having your music promoted directly to industry
• having your songs submitted for movies/television shows/ads etc in Australia, the US and UK
• having your music available for sale online (both digital download and cd shipment). We sell directly via the site and internationally including Grooveshark.  Additional distribution can be purchased (see additional services). 
• having your merchandise available for sale online (coming soon)
• have your music promoted via our online radio
• having your music actively promoted through our site and through our affiliates here and internationally.
• regular networking, information sessions and showcasing/gigging opportunities
• discounts on a substantial range of things including instruments, accommodation, recording studios and transport. Examples include 10% discount on vehicle hire nationally and 10%discount on studio hire. 
• access to all industry interviews and information including guides on roles within the industry, a calendar of competitions/conferences/showcase opportunities/festivals etc, "how to" guides, grant information, interviews (see Q&A below) and more.  
• access to our every growing resources listing with links to over 400 individual industry resources including publishers (50), print media, booking agents (50), record labels (130), rehearsal spaces (25), recording/mastering studios (90), cd manufacturing & distribution (20), industry and government bodies
• regular Q&A with industry identities.  See an example interview
• regular networking and showcasing opportunities.
• share your ideas, problems, solutions with other artists via our online forum

Q. Are there additional services?

Yes – First Base Music can provide or organise additional services.  Each service is separated so you only pay for what you need.

• Distribution worldwide through "third party providers" such as all itunes stores, rhapsody, e-music, amazon mp3, myspace music, limewire and more.  Our affiliation with Tunecore means we can obtain these cheaper than an artist may be able to individually. 
• Consultancy. When you become a member you will have a list of consultants you can choose from depending on your needs
• Additional space for more music.  If you have a large catalogue we can increase your storage space.
  artist management/booking representation
• Independent music industry directory (coming soon)
• YOU Tell US what YOU need - if something is missing here let us know and we'll do outr ve

Q. If I get signed to a label or publisher, do I have to do anything to "get my songs back"?

No - membership does not involve the transfer of rights. YOU own your songs. Any time you need to you can leave. All we ask for is 30 days notification period so we can arrange for your music to be taken down from our site and any third party sites. We can then also finalise accounts with you.

Q. I've joined, Now what?

Once you've joined you will upload your own music and information. You will also be asked a range of questions about yourself as an artist. This is to help us provide better services to your needs. You will also be asked about Iinternational Standard Recording Codes (ISRC) for your songs. See "What is an ISRC" for answers on this topic. Once you are a member you are free to access all member benefits including discounts, information and resources, sell your songs, license your songs.

Q. I want to sell my songs via itunes, and other online distributors as well as FBM. How do I do it?

First Base Music can organise this - you just need to purchase the additional service, follow the instructions and agree to the digital distribution agreement when you become a member. We require exclusivity as the third party providers such as itunes will only deal with one party for your songs. If they get two companies or people asking then they will not put up your songs until they know which one is the rightful one to be dealing with. So it is in your interest to only use one provider such as First Base Music. This however DOES NOT mean we own your music, only that we are your agents dealing with Itunes.

Q. What is an ISRC?

The International Standard Recording Code (ISRC) provides a means of uniquely identifying sound recordings and music videos internationally. Each distinct recording has it's own unique ISRC. As such FBM needs to know each tracks' ISRC. If you are unsure then please let us know when applying for membership. If you don't have an ISRC for each track we can issue them (we have been given approval to issue via Australia Record Industry Association - ARIA).

Q. If the information in the members area doesn't answer my questions?

You have a number of options. The easiest is email us/post on the discussion Board area and we (or your fellow members) will answer it as soon as possible. If it is more in depth and requires some serious discussions and planning (for example you have recorded a great album and don't know what to do next to release and tour) we can pass you on to our affiliate consultants (all working in the music industry) or we can do the consultation.

Q. How does First Base Music get my music to industry?

Having worked for many years within the music industry, First Base Music has a large number of direct contacts within the industry and are constantly establishing more. We will be emailing a regular newsletter to our industry contacts with a range of information. The newsletter will include "who's hot" artists - these could be artists that are charting heavily on our site, selling high volumes via our third party affiliates, artists that are creating a buzz, artists that have caught members/our attention and artists that are out there working hard. We will also be informing industry of things being discussed by our members that can help with member needs and/or hopefully improve the indstry as a whole.

Q. How do I get my songs "licensed" (and what is licensing for that matter)?

Licensing is where your songs are effectively rented out to someone to use. The "renter" pays a fee to you for the use. An example is a song being used on an ad on tv.

First Base Music seeks out licensing opportunities through our contacts, affiliates, and other means. Depending on the needs of the licensee (user of your music), we will "call out" to members with the specs of what is wanted. For example they may be looking for a slow sad ballad with country twang for a commercial. Members can then put forward their songs which we will then forward on.Other times it may be we are asked to put forward a collection of artists.  We will let members know when this happens with any specifications the music supervisor/producer/user requires.