If you’ve written a faith-based song and want to make money from it, here’s how to sell Christian songs!
The income stream from Christian songs includes radio broadcasting on Christian stations, selling CDs through Christian bookstores; Selling CDs through secular stores like Walmart; CD sales at live events, direct downloads from your own ministry website; and sales through Amazon.com, iTunes, and other sites.
You can also include income from the use of your song in Christian movies, cable television, and network television; use in product commercials, music book publishing, royalties from churches that use your song in plays or worship, overseas uses for all of the above … the list goes on and on. If your song is played on the radio, you will receive royalties from SESAC, BMI or ASCAP.
In order for the stream to flow, you must decide if you want a music publisher to handle your song and exploit the copyright, or if you prefer to keep a higher percentage through desktop publishing.
You will then need to have a demo recording (also known as “a demo”) to present your songs to Christian music publishers, producers and record companies, make a master recording, or make a limited edition CD containing your (s) for his desktop publishing efforts.
A master single or limited edition CD can also work as a demo, but is more expensive. This step will cost money, but if your song is good enough to sell, it is a necessary investment that you will pay back later.
Most composers write lyrics and music. If you only have lyrics written so far, you will need to have a melody and chords created for your lyrics because professionals in the music industry don’t read lyrics, they listen to demos. Most demo services will write music for a fee under a “work for contract” agreement that allows you to retain all rights.
Please note that you cannot sell a song directly for cash to anyone, anywhere, that is not legal due to laws passed years ago. Many years ago song publishers took advantage of songwriters, who paid hungry songwriters a few dollars for a song and then made millions, so Congress intervened. Cash flow comes from over-the-air and mechanical royalties. By self-publishing, you’ll get cash from the downloads, your CD sales, and other sources listed above.
These days, you can give up your publishing rights, but you can’t sell all of the copyrights or your share of the composition rights.
That covers the basics of How To Sell Your Christian Songs. Whether you use royalties and cash proceeds to support yourself, fuel your ministry, or donate to a good cause is something to consider and pray for.