RMMGA CD Volume III FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

The information in this document is provided by multiple contributors. The foundation of this FAQ is heavily based upon the FAQ for CD Vol. II, which I also compiled.

If you volunteered to work on a section of the FAQ and have something to contribute now, go for it.
Even if you didn't volunteer but want to add or modify info, tell me. Send me a message: musicaddict47 at yahoo dot com.

Last update to the FAQ: 17 May 2002

News in a nutshell (current CD status): The submission window for CD III is officially open. Send in your tunes now.

Contributors to the FAQ

I attributed chunks of information to the appropriate info-provider. Here's the key to the code names:

If you don't see an attribution to something, the reason is because I (Jennifer) wrote it myself.

Table of contents

1. Some basics about the CD project
   1.1 - What is RMMGA CD III (a.k.a. CDIII, CDiii and CD3)?
   1.2 - Can anyone from RMMGA be on the CD? / What kind of music may I submit?
   1.3 - How many pieces can I submit?
   1.4 - What do I need to do to be on the CD?
   1.5 - When is the deadline?
   1.6 - When can I start submitting music?
   1.7 - What pieces have already been submitted? / Who's aboard?
   
   
2. Copyright issues
   2.1 - What if I am doing music written by someone else?
   2.2 - How is a mechanical license obtained?
   2.3 - What if I am doing an arrangement of a "public domain" work?
   2.4 - How were the appropriate licenses handled for CD I/II?
   2.5 - What do I have to do in order to obtain a mechanical license for a song I'm contributing?
   
   
3. Submission formats
   3.1 - What formats are acceptable for submissions?
   
   
4. Recording tips
   4.1 - What are some recording-related resources on the web?
   4.2 - Are there any newsgroups that discuss recording techniques, tips, help?
   4.3 - How do I get rid of extraneous hiss if I'm recording on tape?
   
   
5. What if I get nervous? (or how many takes is enough) (nothing yet)
   
   
6. I'm done recording and am ready to submit!
   6.1 - Where/How do I send in my submission(s)?
   6.2 - What information do I write for the liner notes?
   6.3 - How/Where do I send the liner notes?
   6.4 - Is there anything else I need to do?
   
   
7. RMMGA CD Volume III - The final product
   7.1 - How much is CD III? / Who & what music is on it? / What do I get if I buy a set?
   7.2 - How is the price determined? / What does the price cover?
   7.3 - How do I order a set (or multiple sets)?
   7.4 - How do I pay for my order?
   7.5 - How do I check if my order is correct?

[Note: If you click on an external link from the FAQ, the web site will be opened in a separate browser window]

Section 1: Some basics about the CD project

1.1 - What is RMMGA CD III (a.k.a. CDIII, CDiii and CD3)?

This is the third CD project to be put out by RMMGA (the Usenet newsgroup rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic). The first and second volumes are sold out. At this point we do not know how many submissions there will be, how many CDs will be in the set, or what the price will be. It will be made up of musical submissions by the members of the RMMGA newsgroup. [Jan]

Publication date will be slated for December 2002. Distribution will be slated for
January/February 2003. [Jim]

If you want to learn more about RMMGA CD I and II, check out the RMMGA web site, put together by Tim Wampler: http://www.rmmga.org/.

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1.2 - Can anyone from RMMGA be on the CD? / What kind of music may I submit?

Yes. The only requirement to being on this CD is that it has to be acoustic guitar based (after all this is an acoustic guitar newsgroup). There can also be other instruments, and/or vocals. It can be an original work or a cover of someone else's work. Even if you submitted a piece or two for CD I or II, you can be on this CD. [Jan]

Solo instrumental, band/group arrangements and "vocal" works are considered appropriate for inclusion, as long as the main thrust of the music is acoustic guitar. [Jim]

If you are doing a cover, you will need to provide the required information so that we can obtain the license for it (see section 2: "Copyright issues").

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1.3 - How many pieces can I submit?

Members/readers of RMMGA may submit two (2) works, either original or cover for inclusion on the new project. There will be no limit to the number of entries allowed, but it is urged that people who have already contributed to previous projects to please limit themselves to one (1) submission. Duos, trios and other "arrangements" will be considered as one (1) submission for each listed performer. [Jim]

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1.4 - What do I need to do to be on the CD?

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1.5 - When is the deadline?

All submissions must be received before October 1, 2002.

1.6 - When can I start submitting music?

Now!

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1.7 - What pieces have already been submitted? / Who's aboard?

Sorry, a current list isn't available at this time.

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Section 2: Copyright issues

2.1 - What if I am doing music written by someone else?

In order to include material which is copyright controlled, a mechanical license must be obtained. If the work which is desired to be included has been previously recorded (by the composer or by someone else), the publisher/composer/copyright owner is mandated by law to grant the license. "Standard" licensing fees are set by statute. In 1999 these fees were, as I recall, 7.1 cents per copy. Rates have gone up for 2000 to, I believe 7.5 cents. [Editor's note: As of January 2002, the rate is now 8 cents (US) per copy of songs that run 5 minutes or less.] Probably, you won't be able to obtain a license for less than 500 copies (which is what we did for CD I). [Harold]

To find out what you need to do to help obtain a mechanical license, read section 2.5.

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2.2 - How is a mechanical license obtained?

===
A license can be obtained directly from the publisher/composer/copyright owner under any terms which you can negotiate. Otherwise, for many many works, a license can be obtained from "The Harry Fox Agency" (http://www.nmpa.org/hfa/mechanical.html). Publishers and record companies use Harry Fox as sort of a clearance house to funnel licenses and cash back and forth between license grantors and license grantees.

The only information required to apply for a license is the name of the work, the name of the composer, the name of the publisher and information about the recording (who and how long). Most music of interest will be listed in either the BMI (http://repertoire.bmi.com/) or ASCAP (http://www.ascap.com/ace/ACE.html) on-line data bases where publisher information can be ferreted out. [Harold]
===

If you're doing a cover song for RMMGA CD II, you do not have to send in the forms to obtain the licensing yourself. See section 2.5 for more on this.

If you want to find out more about licensing in general and how The Harry Fox Agency and BMI and ASCAP fit in, Harry Fox has a helpful FAQ (http://www.nmpa.org/hfa/hfafaq.html).

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2.3 - What if I am doing an arrangement of a "public domain" work?

===
A copyright for an arrangement cannot (as I understand it) be obtained for a work which is not in the public domain. This means, for example, that Charles and Donna cannot copyright their stirring arrangement of "Blowin' in the Wind." A copyright of an arrangement of a public domain tune, though, can be copyrighted and if a copyrighted arrangement of a public domain tune is used, a mechanical license is technically required--the statutory rate for an arrangement is 20% of that for an original work, I have been told. Fortunately, we didn't have any of these for CD I; I'm not sure how to obtain such a license.

Exactly what constitutes an arrangement is not real clear. It can't be the melody (obviously) and you can't copyright a chord progression (thank god). You also can't use the arrangement path to copyright control something which has previously been in the public domain (though it has been suggested that A.P. Carter sure did try).

I think that the solution to the whole arrangement thing is that any public domain tunes that are included should have "original" arrangements. [Harold]
===

Here's something more from Harold -- this was in answer to a question from John BJ, who wanted to know if his performance of "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (public domain, but based on a Leo Kottke arrangement) was a copyright issue:

It seems that if you created your adaptation directly from Kottke's arrangement then we need to consider your performance as a use of his arrangement and secure a proper license from his publisher. I think that is the proper thing to do. My understanding is that Harry Fox doesn't handle arrangement licensing, but the good news is that Kottke's publisher is Bug Music and that Bug appears to be quite easy to deal with. [Harold]

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2.4 - How were the appropriate licenses handled for RMMGA CD I/II?

On CD I, some people secured permission from the writer/publisher to include copyrighted works. These we didn't worry about other then an annotation in the liner notes indicating who composed the work and the fact that it was used by permission. For all the other cover tunes (about 9, as I recall), I secured the license from Harry Fox. Worked well. [Harold]

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2.5 - What do I have to do in order to obtain a mechanical license for a song I'm contributing?

Harold Hedberg has generously volunteered to take charge of the copyright licensing again for CD III. So if you are contributing some version of a copyrighted song (not copyrighted by yourself), then Harold says:

The only information required to apply for a license is: the name of the work, the name of the composer, the name of the publisher and information about the recording (who and how long). Most music of interest will be listed in either the BMI (http://repertoire.bmi.com/) or ASCAP (http://www.ascap.com/ace/ACE.html) on-line data bases where publisher information can be ferreted out. [Harold]

As with CD Vols. I and II (for the most part), the licensing fees for CD III will be added to the overall cost of the CD. So unless you want to take care of the fees yourself (in which case you should make that clear), you don't have to worry about them.

When you have finished recording your song(s) for CD III, be sure to e-mail the necessary information to Harold (hhedberg [at] swbell [dot] net) so that he can take care of the licensing for you. Write "RMMGA CD licensing info" or something of that nature in the subject header. Adding a "Thanks" would be nice, too. :-)

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Section 3: Submission formats

3.1 - What formats are acceptable for submissions?

Submissions may be made to Jim on the following media, listed in preferred order:

1. CD (WAV file)
2. DAT
3. electronic (WAV file)
4. electronic (MP3 file)
5. minidisk
6. cassette
7. vinyl

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Section 4: Recording tips

4.1 - What are some recording-related resources on the web?

Even if you're not a beginner, you might find something helpful in these links. Also see section 4.2.

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4.2 - Are there any newsgroups that discuss recording techniques, tips, help?

4.3 - How do I get rid of extraneous hiss if I'm recording on tape?

It's a good idea, once having recorded onto tape, to run the tape into the PC (via a simple lead) and save the track as a .wav file in one of several available shareware music editing programmes. It's then possible to use the programme to remove quite a lot of tape hiss. (I used the demo version of Cool Edit [http://www.syntrillium.com/cooledit/], which cost nothing.) [Shirley]

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Section 5: What if I get nervous? (or how many takes is enough)

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Section 6: I'm done recording and am ready to submit!

6.1 - Where/How do I send my submission?

All submissions should be sent to Jim McCrain, who's mastering CD III. Address your package to:

RMMGA CD III
1562 AUTUMN BREEZE
LEWISVILLE TX 75077
USA

(Thanks Jim!)

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6.2 - What information do I write for the liner notes?

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6.3 - How/Where do I send the liner notes?

E-mail your notes (preferably in the body of your e-mail message or as a plain text file) to me, Jennifer (musicaddict47 [at] yahoo [dot] com). Write "RMMGA CD liner notes" or something of that nature in the subject heading, because my incoming mail is filtered into different folders.

6.4 - Is there anything else I need to do?

If you contributed a cover song and/or used someone else's arrangement, be sure to send the appropriate info to licensing manager Harold Hedberg so that he can take care of the licenses. See all the details, including Harold's e-mail address, in section 2.

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Section 7: RMMGA CD III - The final product

7.1 - How much is CD III? / Who & what music is on it? / What do I get if I buy a set?

Price for the set will be determined in late 2002.

RMMGA CD Volume II was a 6-CD set and sold for $15.00 (U.S.) per set, including postage and handling for U.S. delivery. [Editor's note: That's right! Six CDs for 15 bucks!] Delivery outside the U.S. was handled on an individual basis. [John]

As with Volume II, CD III will also include liner notes and cover art. To get an idea of what Volume III might be like, you can see a track list of all the music and performers of Volume II, as well as images of the cover art, on the rmmga.org site (http://www.rmmga.org/CDII/cdii_list_artist.htm).

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7.2 - How is the price determined? / What does the price cover?

The RMMGA CD Volume III sets will be priced to cover the costs of production (CD duplication/pressing, printing, distribution/shipping and music licensing fees).

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7.3 - How do I order a set (or multiple sets)?

Details will be posted once applicable.

Pre-orders for the finished set will begin in October 2002, once we have a better idea of how many discs will be included in the final set. [Jim]

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7.4 - How do I pay for my order?

Payment instructions will be announced after the CDs have been pressed. Watch for these announcements on RMMGA as well as on this FAQ.

7.5 - How do I check if my order is correct?

Again, details on how to find out will be posted once the order-taking process begins.

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