Submit now for SOCAN Song House at 2019 ECMAs

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday February 27th, 2019

SOCAN songwriters are invited to submit now for the fifth SOCAN Song House, taking place during the 2019 East Coast Music Awards: Festival & Conference, scheduled for May 1-2 in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

The 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018 SOCAN Song House events were a resounding success. After the 2016 event, five participating songwriters undertook the inaugural ECMA Songwriters Tour, in February of 2017. The tour brought them to eight different soft-seater venues throughout the Atlantic region to showcase their own songs, as well as those written and co-written during the SOCAN Song House.

We’re excited to welcome renowned songwriter and producer Brian Howes, a winner of multiple JUNO Awards (including two for Producer of the Year), a Grammy Award with the band For King And Country, and the SOCAN International Achievement Award. Howes will lead the two-day interactive workshop, for which 12 songwriter participants from Atlantic Canada will be selected to participate – gaining valuable insight into the craft of writing a hit song. This initiative aims to help members improve their songwriting and reach new heights in their careers.

***SVP notez que tandis que Brian est Anglophone, l’AMCE et le SOCAN encourage les artistes Francophones de soumettre, étant entendu que la session aura lieu en anglais***

Songwriter participants must meet the following criteria:

  • The workshop will be best-suited to songwriters in pop and country genres.
  • Must be SOCAN members and ECMA members in good standing, based in Cape Breton, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, or Prince Edward Island.
  • Must be attending the 2019 ECMAs, and be available to participate Wednesday, May 1, and Thursday, May 2, 2019.
  • Willing to take their writing craft to the next level.

Submissions close on Wednesday, March 13, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. AST.

Complete the submission form here to be considered for the SOCAN Song House.

 

Enter now for 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday February 28th, 2019

SOCAN members and other songwriters and composers are invited to enter their songs now for the Australian-based 2019 Vanda & Young Global Songwriting Competition, offering a $50,000 AUD cash first prize. The prize is offered courtesy of Australasian performing rights organization APRA AMCOS, music company Alberts, and the Australian arm of BMG.

Two runner-up cash prizes are also on offer: second place receives $10,000 AUD thanks to AMPAL (Australasian Music Publishers Association), and third place takes home $5,000 AUD. An “Unpublished” prize of $5,000 AUD is also up for grabs.

The competition is named after iconic songwriters Harry Vanda and the late George Young – responsible for The Easybeats’ classic “Friday On My Mind,” John Paul Young’s “Love is in the Air,” and a great number of hits – and is open to songwriters, from all genres, at any stage in their career.

The full $50 AUD entry fee goes to fund the transformative work of music therapy non-profit organization Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Australia. For contest information, rules, or to enter, click here.

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. AEDT on April 12, 2019.

New online resource to guide music users

Story by Eric Parazelli | Monday February 25th, 2019

Using music can be confusing. Whether you’re a film director, a content creator, or a producer for the screen, the stage, sound recordings, or web series, all music users like you now have access to a free platform to guide you through the process of integrating music to your projects, all thanks to the Professional Music Publishers Association (PMPA, and in French, APEM).

According to the association’s executive director, Jérôme Payette, PMPA’s new “Music Use Guide” fulfills a need that’s grown over the last few years, as platforms have undergone a democratization, and the number of small- and medium-sized content producers has exploded. The guide can also be used as a teaching tool for students, or the personnel of existing organizations.

“Our portal will simplify the use of music by indicating, among other things, how to clear the rights to a musical work,” says the PMPA’s coordinator of training and development, Yzabel BeauBien, who piloted the project. “It’s mainly geared toward professionals, but non-professionals will find it just as useful, because it de-mystifies copyright and the licensing process.

“If you’re looking for a specific song for your documentary, your podcast or an event, guide.apem.ca will assist you in securing what you are looking for.”

Created by APEM with the support of L’Institut national de l’image et du son and Fondation Musicaction, the guide lists all the various music uses, the rights holders, and the resources available, and includes a list of industry organizations.