# Ghost writing GIG - who has experience about it?



## Marco (Aug 31, 2019)

Hello I hope not to double some older topic. 

I am wondering if anyone here have had some experience as a ghost writer, and if so, if wanna share thoughts, concerns, suggestions or whatever else about it. 

I know this post will open 1000000 off topic discussions but please let's keep it practical and out of the "artist" perspective, as we all know that these jobs are not the best but sometime may save your back. 

Marco


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## Jdiggity1 (Sep 1, 2019)

Anything specific you want to know? Or are you just opening it up to rants and rabbles?


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## Marco (Sep 1, 2019)

Jdiggity1 said:


> Anything specific you want to know? Or are you just opening it up to rants and rabbles?



Rants and Rabbles are fine as soon as come from people who have something to tell about it. I just don't wanna start a conversation about is that right or wrong, you should do it or not. Whatever else is valuable, overall experience, how people got involved into ghost writing, how does it work with the contracts, what are you expected to deliver.. 

It is just that I know nothing about this side of the job and I want to be prepared to understand when to say yes or no eventually 

Thank you 

-M-


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## chillbot (Sep 1, 2019)

"Ghostwriting" implies writing music under someone else's name. But there's (generally) two kinds of credit, screen credit and cue sheet credit. Ghostwriters by nature never get screen credit, otherwise it's not ghostwriting, it would be "additional music by" or whatever. So that leaves cue sheet credit. You can ghostwrite and get 100% of the cue sheet credit or you can get 0% and every percentage in between. Typically the lower the percentage the more you would get paid upfront, but that's not always the case. It's up to you to decide how much you're willing to sell yourself for. I would say the contracts for ghostwriting are pretty similar to any other composer contract. There may be a clause that states you need to keep quiet about it or they may not care if you list in on your imdb page. But a ghostwriter that wants to continue to work as a ghostwriter is not going to go around town blabbing about it, that's kind of implied in the job title.

Not much more than that. As jdiggity said, was there a specific question somewhere?


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## Daryl (Sep 1, 2019)

Just be aware that if you are a PRS member, ghost writing is illegal, unless you get on the cue sheet. This does not necessarily apply to other PRO members.


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## chillbot (Sep 1, 2019)

Daryl said:


> Just be aware that if you are a PRS member, ghost writing is illegal, unless you get on the cue sheet. This does not necessarily apply to other PRO members.


That's a good point. Out of curiosity does PRS require you to have a certain percentage of the track? 100%? 50%?


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## Farkle (Sep 1, 2019)

I don't *believe* there's a minimum that the PRS requires, just that you are on the list as a writer. I did some ghostwriting for a library contact, and split my writer's share with him. So, I was listed for 50% on the ASCAP cue sheet, and the other individual was, too.

I did another where I split with two other writers, and (just due to some math) I got 15% writer's credit on that. ASCAP still pays me on that. So... just anecdotal numbers?

Mike


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## Daryl (Sep 1, 2019)

Farkle said:


> I don't *believe* there's a minimum that the PRS requires, just that you are on the list as a writer. I did some ghostwriting for a library contact, and split my writer's share with him. So, I was listed for 50% on the ASCAP cue sheet, and the other individual was, too.


The PRS Writer's share is a minimum of 50%. It doesn't matter how many people share that, as long as they actually wrote something on the track.


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## germancomponist (Sep 1, 2019)

Ghostwriting is very lucrative and above all stress-free. I have exactly the best experiences with ghostwriting. 
But yeah, this is only one part of my life.


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## germancomponist (Sep 1, 2019)

A little side note: As a ghost writer you have an insight on how it works in politics.


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## jononotbono (Sep 1, 2019)

I’ve done some ghost writing on two features so far. No credit but I got paid money and I needed to pay my bills so it was worth doing at the time. Roof over my head or a credit and no house? That was basically my choice and I have no regrets about it. I got paid, I got to write music, life was good! 🙂


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## chillbot (Sep 1, 2019)

jononotbono said:


> I’ve done some ghost writing on two features so far. No credit but I got paid money and I needed to pay my bills so it was worth doing at the time. Roof over my head or a credit and no house? That was basically my choice and I have no regrets about it. I got paid, I got to write music, life was good! 🙂


I'm glad you have no regrets about it, that's a best-case scenario. I just want to point out that with ghostwriting sometimes there are many regrets, and that's a worst-case scenario. It's occasionally a bit of a gamble, but you need to know what you're getting in for.


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## Farkle (Sep 1, 2019)

Daryl said:


> The PRS Writer's share is a minimum of 50%. It doesn't matter how many people share that, as long as they actually wrote something on the track.


Yes, Daryl, that makes sense. The other two composers and I added up to 50%, so that's the wonderful, wonky world of writer's share math! 

Mike


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## jononotbono (Sep 1, 2019)

chillbot said:


> I'm glad you have no regrets about it, that's a best-case scenario. I just want to point out that with ghostwriting sometimes there are many regrets, and that's a worst-case scenario. It's occasionally a bit of a gamble, but you need to know what you're getting in for.



Definitely. It’s not something I want to do as my main thing in music but sometimes the need of money dictates life choices. Depends entirely on circumstances. If someone wants experience working on something or with certain people can be motivators as well (for me anyway).


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## Daryl (Sep 2, 2019)

This may not be what many of you want to hear, but, in my opinion, ghostwriting is actively supporting the race to the bottom. In the UK we are protected, up to a point, by PRS, so although some people do it (illegally), we are not under pressure to give away all of our rights. My concern is that once the precedent is set that you get paid a fee, no matter how small, and a 3rd party is able to claim Royalties, on your work, as the author, the one advantage composers have over researchers, for example, is gone. The next step is reducing the fee, so basically there will be no Royalties and no fee. A slippery slope.

Obviously one can make one's own decision, and if it is choice between ghost writing, and being destitute, the choice is obvious, but we should all be aware that this practice is just one further erosion of our profession.


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## Saxer (Sep 2, 2019)

I like to call it "co composer", "team member" or "arranger/orchestrator". For me "ghost writing" implies doing the complete work while another one calls it his/her work. Creating soundtracks is a team job. I like to be part of a team. I got the luck to find fair conditions and nice fellows to work with. Always a pleasure.


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## Marco (Sep 3, 2019)

all good inputs thank you so much =)


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