Why it’s more important than ever that musicians get credit for their work
By Casey Taylor Vice President of VEVA Sound
If you have the hobby of collecting records, then you’ve probably spent time perusing album liners; you’ve learned all about who played drums on or who produced each track on an album. There was a time when even non-audiophiles would appreciate the collective talent which brought a piece to fruition.
The most valuable asset any person in the entertainment industry can have is a platform. As with everything, the more things change the more they stay the same. Now, everyone has the ability to promote their work on social channels. Fans follow producers, musicians, or engineers on social platforms and have the opportunity to be exposed to their work on projects outside of the mainstream.
But what happens when someone hears a new song in a playlist and wants to know more about it? Streaming platforms are rolling out features which allow listeners to view complete creator credits. This is important because someone might find that a certain producer made music with other artists they would enjoy. And as the producer, he/she/they may bring more value to a production as more and more people follow their work.
In order to have your credits included wherever music is distributed, it’s important to understand how credits are collected. The best way to ensure that your credits are accurate, is to collect them as the music is being created – to keep accurate records of everyone who worked on a project. That’s why we developed VEVA Collect – to empower creators to Collect While You Create™.
Of course, the added benefit to accurate credits is that they are the only way to get paid for your work on any song or recording. But what about the work that you do on projects that may not experience large-scale commercial success? It’s equally important. The bottom line: no matter what work you do, you should make sure you get credit for your work.
As the technological landscape changes, the way that people find music is going to transform as well. It’s hard to remember the time before streaming platform recommendations when you had to listen to terrestrial radio or buy compilation albums (any of my 90s friends remember NOW That’s What I Call Music!?). Coming soon are the days when we will be able to say “Hey Siri, play every song where Shelly Fairchild sang background,” or “Alexa, play every song Reid Shippen has mixed.”
Every evolution in the way music is consumed is driven by data. As important as your follower count and engagement numbers, make sure you’re listed in the credits, so that the community can continue to find you in new ways.
About Casey Taylor
Casey Taylor is Vice President at VEVA Sound. Leading teams in London, New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, Casey has productized validation, verification, and archival services to expand VEVA Sound’s reach into live recordings, legacy collections, and back-catalogs. His initiatives have contributed to future-proofing the work of artists from Johnny Cash to Jason Isbell; Garth Brooks to Taylor Swift. For nearly 20 years, since his first job as a PA on a local television show, Casey has worked in all facets of the industry spanning multiple disciplines. He has seen firsthand the importance of creatives getting credit for their work: whether it’s a fiddle player on a regionally known album, or an artist on the Billboard Hot 100. Casey is a member of the Music Business Association and a contributor to the MusicBiz Metadata Summit. He also leads the Advisory Committee for VEVA Collect, VEVA Sound’s newest cloud-based platform for music creators everywhere.
