"Song Agency" Racket Bleeds New Zealand Writers

Radio Record, 10 June 1938, Page 6

"Song Agency" Racket Bleeds New Zealand Writers

There ave no doubt "song agencies’ who act in the best interests of their clients, but there are also "song agencies" whose activities are nothing more er less than a racket. Before lyricists or Composers forward one penny to such @ coneern they should check its bona fides. This article tells them how and why.

HIS. is the story of a racket, written for amateur poets and conrposets: who read the classified advertisement columns. It has the virtue of being in a general sense not only true, but fairly re-

presentative of a state of affairs out of which a number of unscrupulous firms have made hundreds of thousands of pounds throughout the world. Mrs. X was something of a lyric poet. Like most people in New Zealand she was unfamiliar with ways by which her talent could be turned to account, and half a dozen songs reposed in her writing desk which, she was confident, would make a hit if only she could get in touch with a composer to put the words to suitable music and a publisher to arrange printing. One day she read in her daily newspaper an advertisement like this: There’s Money in Song Writing! Send us your manuscript and, free of charge, we will advise you on its merits. Hundreds of thousands of songs are required every year for radio, stage and screen. YOU may be the author of the next BIG HIT. Send your song to the XYZ Agency for free advice ! There seemed no harm in sending the manuscript under such conditions. Mrs. X typed it and posted it, and waited.... A week later the XYZ Agency wrote saying that the song was eminently suitable for publication and was being forwarded to America for further consideration. Mrs. X was

elated-anxious about the verdict, and eagerly awaited the opinion of the Big American Agent to whom the manuscript had been . sent for comment. In the course of time back came the reply. Yes,

Mrs. X’s song "‘had got what it takes." One or two trivial technical’ faults had to be corrected by the office, for which it was necessary to make the nominal charge of two dollars, but otherwise the lyric was really excellent. | Would Mrs. X care to have her song set to music by a successful composer? This could be arranged by payment of a small retaining fee, 20 dollars, which could be forwarded by return mail to expedite publication. Greatly excited by having her words set to music by a famous composer, Mrs. X forwarded the 22 dollars to defray expenses to date and in due course received a receipt and a letter stating that the song was now ready to be tried out over the air. The agency had arranged with a broadcasting station to put over the number at an early date and to analyse public response. ‘The artist could be engaged, under special contract with the radio station, for the trifling sum of 25 dollars--which the agency would be glad to receive by return mail to expedite bringing the song to publication stage. But by now Mrs. X was getting a little tired of paying out trifling sums. ‘"[wenty-five dollars was a lot of money. And so. alas, another lyric. which would have set Broadway whistling and stamping its feet died an obscure death for want of twenty-five dollars! Other countries have long since been awake to the activities of song-writing ‘"‘agencies’’ that (Continued on page 40.)

Song Agency Racket

EXPLOITATION OF N.Z, (Continued from page 6.) operate on these lines. Not so New Zealand. The song-writing "agencies" of this nature in New Zealand are at the moment- so flourishing that it is a wonder Hollywood and Brondway have any room in their shows for songs that have NOT been written by 4 New Zealander! So here the "Record" offers a few points of good advice to people who have songs for sale. (1) Many legitimate music publishers fight shy of "agencies" as they would the plague. If agencies submit manuscripts on behalf cf’ their clients, many publishers make a practice of returning | them unopened. (2) It is almost impossible for unknown song writers to crash into Hollywood, however good their work may be. This is absolutely true. Hollywood will not touch anything outside its own "ring" for fear of action for plagiar- ° ism. Yet agencies still have the nerve to advertise they will negotiate with producers for "spotting’ songs in film productions! (3) Lyrie writers should endeavour to contact composers themselves. Seek the advice of a broadcasting station, a newspaper, or established and reputable publishing firms, the names of which will be supplied gladly ‘by the Australasian Performing Right Association. ‘There will be people in any or all of these organisations who will offer sound advice without charge. (4) There may be agencies in existence who act in the best interests of their clients, but there are far more who regard their clients merely as "suckers" from whom money can be bied. If this article has not conyineed you of a danger, if you feel that you still have a chance of capitalising your song with the help of an egency in which you have confidence, inquire the bona fides of the agency you have chosen from any of the organisations mentioned in (3) before parting with one penny of your good money. Tke song-writing racket has heen killed in every country of the world but New Zealand. Now is the time te kill it here. ~