On April 7, an article in The duty recounted the recent denunciations of the artist Philémon Cimon on his Facebook page regarding the attitude and practices of his music publisher. A generous, courageous and detailed text that you can read and reread.
This publication in The duty made me want to publish the following, in a spirit of protection and benevolence. This letter is addressed to all young and future artists in music. It is addressed to all future Philemons of this world.
Here are ten commandments given to young musicians:
Keep the rights to your works. The copyright on your songs belongs to you by default. The law is made like that. Nothing forces you to give it to a publisher or a record company. Especially not for “the legal term of copyright”. That’s 50 years after your death… And very soon, 70 years.
Keep the rights to your sound recordings. If you paid the musicians, singers and studio technicians properly, then the product is yours. No need to give it to a record label. However, you can share income for a reasonable period of time.
Hire professionals to help you. There are press relations, Web and radio promotion pros who can publicize your songs. To hire them, get money from people who like you. Remember that the financing by a record company is rarely better than that offered by the banks… The banks return your property to you once the principal and the interest have been reimbursed.
Read, learn and understand before signing a contract. The learning curve in this complex environment is long. It is important that you read the contracts offered to you and that you seek multiple points of view before signing them. And not after. Remember: everything is negotiated; there are no famous “standards” in this environment. Really not, in fact… Even if we will try to make you believe otherwise.
Get involved to change the world. Every year, general assemblies are held at SOCAN, SOPROQ, ARTISTI, the Union des artistes and the Guild of Musicians and Musicians of Quebec. Go ahead. Ask questions. Suggest improvements. Get elected. Take your place. Denounce barriers to entry. Don’t let others decide for you. The absent will always be wrong!
Publicly denounce inequities. If public funders, such as CALQ, CAC, SODEC or Musicaction, seem inaccessible to you, it is because their eligibility criteria are not inclusive enough. Speak publicly to suggest program improvements. It’s your public money, after all.
Demands a place for our culture.If you find that radio stations and platforms give too much space to American culture, denounce it publicly. We have the right, collectively, to be masters of the cultural proposals on our radio waves and on platforms like Spotify and Netflix.
Take part in education. There are cultural dissemination programs in schools and CEGEPs. Arrange to be part of this offer to the youngest. Because it is through education that our culture is cultivated and endures.
Unreservedly denounces injustices. If you feel down on your stomach in front of people in this environment, denounce it publicly and without delay. Silence will not change situations of abuse. Never.
There. There are many things to know in this environment. But, in my opinion, in light of my 25 years in the music industry, I believe that these 10 commandments represent the basis to be taken into account. In fact, that’s what little Guillaume would have liked to be told in 1989.
Go on. Good road.
#IAmPhilemon