HOT 102.7 MUSIC MEETING REQUIREMENTS

[Dre WADE]

TIPS FOR LOCAL ARTISTS

Trademark your band/label name. It’s the first thing you should do if you want to be in the business. Log on to: http://www.uspto.gov/main/trademarks.htm. It’s free with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

Obtain Licensing for samples or covers. Any sample used on a track needs to be cleared with the holder of the copyright. A sample used without permission is considered stealing

Copyright your songs and recordings!!! Check out http://www.copyright.gov/register/sound.htmlor contact the Library of Congress to get an SR form. You can use this form to protect your interest in both the composition, as well as the recording. It’s $30 per registration form.

Join ASCAP or BMI, which represent songwriters. They collect money from the businesses that play the music and pay the money as royalties to the composers and songwriters of the songs that get played. Log on to ASCAP.org or BMI.com.

Get a barcode!!! This is imperative for tracking CD sales. Your record label manufacturer should be able to obtain this for you. You can also obtain your own membership. There is a $750.00 lifetime membership fee to obtain unlimited company UPC numbers. Contact the Uniform Code Council @ 7887 Washington Village Drive, Suite 300, Dayton, OH 45459, 937-435-3870. Email: [e-mail].

Register your release with SoundScan @ http://www.soundscan.com.

Register your single with Broadcast Data Solutions (BDS) to document your airplay. Contact them at Broadcast Data Systems, 5055 Wilshire Blvd, 7th Floor. Los Angeles, CA 90036, 914-684-5525, www.bdsonline.com.

Radio stations and disc jockeys now need copies. Go to an Internet search engine like Google and type "CD duplication in Detroit" to find a company to make copies of your CD. Type in "record pressing in Detroit" to find a company to make vinyl/wax copies for the radio and club mixers.

Make sure your CD cover artwork is also appealing. Find a good professional-quality photographer and a good graphic designer to design your cover. Do not do it yourself, unless you have proper training.

Finally, today's hit songs have two constants: a hook and a beat. DO NOT short change how much you spend on the beat. This can make or break a song. So instead of buying a set of rims for your car, put that money towards buying GREAT beats. Contact one of our DJs or on-air personalities for some good references.

This should help get you started. Remember, radio is NOT the starting point to jump-start your music career. Your affairs should be in order well before you come to the radio station. So you need to make sure you are: 1) networking and 2) handling your business properly. Radio and the music business is 10% music and 90% business. So handle your business and pick that one song that you want to work. That will streamline your efforts so you can have one banger... instead of 3 or 4 "ok" songs. Plus, by focusing on only one song, it allows you to focus more time on conducting your business.

Follow those tips and you should be ready to test the waters and bring your stuff to the HOT 102.7 Music Meeting.

HOT 102.7 MUSIC MEETING REQUIREMENTS

NO Demos. NO freestyles. NO mixtapes (rapping over someone else's beats). NO songs sampling someone else's music (you have not cleared).

Songs MUST BE mixed, mastered and completely finished before we will listen.

Your CD SHOULD be in-stores, you SHOULD have a barcode for your CD and KNOW your in-store date.

CD's should be PROFESSIONALLY manufactured and labeled.

Select ONE (1) song ONLY for us to listen to.

Song MUST BE a radio clean version.

ALL songs MUST BE copyrighted BEFORE we will listen to them.

ONLY the company representative and/or artist should attend the meetings.

IF YOU MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS
Contact [e-mail] or 313-316-5198
I will setup a meeting with 955, 98, 102.7 and UDMA Record Pool to BREAK your record in Michigan.