New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Anyone who records music knows the importance of credits. There are two main reasons why artists should pay attention to credits. A musician who's recording their own music must always properly credit anyone who helps their project along the way. But, beyond that, if a musician pays attention to who's credited in other recordings, this can help them build their professional network as they further their career.
While it comes to music credits, here are the top seven to keep track of:
1. Studios
As an artist, crediting where an album was recorded is essential. When starting out, if an album was recorded in a home studio or a hotel room because the budget didn't allow for a proper studio, make a note of that because fans will be interested to see where their favorite upcoming artist recorded.
If an artist has more experience (or more money) and has a studio where hours were spent creating a recording, it's not only important for the musician to credit that, but it's also important for the studio to know they're being recognized as a place of work.
Isabel Rose did a great job of crediting Capitol Hill Recording Studios in Hollywood through her YouTube video.
2. Producer
When first breaking into the music video industry, a lot of the time, the producer is going to be the musician themselves. Keep in mind, producers are the ones who actually create songs' music. As an artist, anytime someone helps with a tune, their name should be added to a list, so when it's time to credit everyone at the end of the project, no one is left out.
Similarly, if an entire band is responsible for producing an album, there are two ways to credit that—either as a whole under the band's name, or individually under each band member's name.
On the flip side of this, if there's a song you love and you want to reach out to a specific producer to inquire about their services, Jaxsta is a great resource for finding out exactly who was credited for any work on any song out there. This is the kind of knowledge that can help a new artist branch out and really expand their reach in the music industry.
3. Songwriters
While credit is important on its own, with songwriters it's even more important because crediting a songwriter ensures they're getting paid. If a songwriter isn't credited properly, there's the possibility of getting into legal trouble.
Bands have to be careful when deciding to credit the entire band as a whole or each individual member. A lot of times, bands will simply credit each individual member because this guarantees every member is getting a proper cut. As long as everyone is on the same page prior to recording, it isn't hard to avoid legal disputes over credits, as Lizzo did with her song Truth Hurts.
4. Backup Singers And Musicians
Although backup singers and musicians aren't members of the band, they still contribute to the overall sound. A lot of bigger stars now actually started out as backup singers or musicians, and because of their talent, made it even further. Every single person, no matter how small of a role they played in a song, must be credited.
Don't overlook those in the background either because you never know where they're going to end up and they can serve as a vital connection later in your career.
5. Mixers And Engineers
Mixers and engineers tend to do their work on the back end, so much so that some artists never actually meet them. But, that doesn't mean they can be forgotten during the credits. Mixers and engineers play a huge role in making sure the final product released is in the most pristine of shape.
These mixers and engineers are in high demand in the music business because they have talents that not many people have. Because of this, they're certainly worthy of getting credit for their work.
Again, as a musician who's looking for a good mixer or engineer, it's a great idea to check out who's credited for those jobs on some of your favorite songs and get to networking with them.
6. Labels And Publishers
Not everyone works with a label or publisher, but when they do (sometimes, they work with more than one) each one is credited. Record labels work with the artists directly with:
Coordinating, writing, and producing recordings
Manufacuring
Distribution
Marketing
Promotion
Publishers, on the other hand, are responsible for making sure those artists are paid for their compositions when they're used for commercial purposes.
Both the label and publisher are responsible for making sure the musician is paid; on the one hand, the musician is responsible for crediting their work so the labels and publishers can be paid as well.
Conclusion
There are so many moving parts to getting a song, album, or music video produced that it becomes very important for everyone who plays a role along the way to be credited correctly, from start to finish.
As a musician, no matter how long you've been in the business, you must pay attention to who you're crediting, as well as who's being credited on other successful recordings hitting the market. It should be your goal to keep those helping you happy, and also keep an eye on who's doing great work in the field and expand your reach based on that information.
