How do you work out who gets music and lyrics credit for writing a song?

Takaie

New member
Joined
May 25, 2012
Messages
1
Reaction score
0
In a band, how much of a contribution do you have to make to the composition of a song to get writing credit for it. For instance, if the drummer is told just to make up a simple beat for a song or the guitarist improvises a little bit on top of what the main songwriter asked them to do, do they get a full music writing credit or is it just the guy who comes up with the main idea for the song?

Deals In Delhi
 
Last edited:
IMO, just coming up with a cool riff or instrumental break doesn't qualify one for songwriting credit. George Harrison crafted some amazing guitar solos for Beatles songs that are credited entirely to Lennon and McCartney. And the distinctive guitar intro to the Temptation's "My Girl" was most likely created by Robert White of the Funk Brothers, while songwriting credits are given only to Smokey Robinson and Ronald White.
 
Wouldn't it depend on whether the songwriter (or song-writing team) present an unpolished, but essentially finished, song which the band then adorn (case of Harrison mentioned above); or whether the band, as a unit, developed an idea together from scratch. I believe convention is to credit everyone involved in the latter case.

I only hope you make enough money off a song, one day, for the issue to be worth fighting over ;)
 
IMO, just coming up with a cool riff or instrumental break doesn't qualify one for songwriting credit.
No, it doesn't. Generally songwriting credit goes to the composer of the melody and the lyrics. Anything else is part of the song's arrangement. You can "arrange" a song to where it's barely recognizable from the original (look what the Sex Pistols did with Sinatra's "My Way," for example) and you will not receive a penny in songwriting or performing royalties.
 
Top Bottom