New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-24
MTsIC PUBLISHING METHODS.

TIE PROFESSIONAL COPY"-IIoW coop SONGS
CARRY BAD ONES.
The public r. reasonably familiar with the methods
employed By book publishers 10 push the sale Of
their wares. but few have any idea Of the way a
music publisher floats h.s songs on tn ~" OF pom
larlty The pr.l, pal launching apparatus see'is 70
be the professional copy" The professlona. copy
OF a song perform, the same function rs the ad-
vance copy Of a book which Ia sent to a newspaper
reviewer But Instead OF being sent % n newspaper
office It is sent to some professional singer.
Every musc-p publishing firm has hundreds OF such
on It's books When new song IS brought out
large number OF impressions of the piano score are
taH~a on cheap paper, minus The tte page. \ req
Ink stamp prints on the upper rishhand corner the
legend. send 10 cents for orchestra score. Then
a copy is sent 20 each Of he professional singers
on the firms list, Each singer tries the song ON
the plano. and n II promises 10 BE- effective ana
suits his style the 10 for orchestra score is
forwarded and the singer be -ius TO sing It in pub
lic and thereby advcrtlses the song forthwith
The average price Of song is 70 cents con-
when price are cut u means that the copyright
has run out or that the gong has proved i faiure'
and all concerned are glad 10 be- rd Of the editon
FOR what they can get. OK the 40 cents 10 or -
cents goes the retailer. out OF the - cents OF
- cents ,oft me publisher has To pay expenses roy
1ltcs to author and comp0set ana ge' MS own
profit that the business Is not g0hi NINE SUM-
great amount of capita. ~ f'lHliNA' W. 1'''
success VIII set firm IN" road To PROSPERITY
Sweet Marie" which has dcsOlated THIS country
for several months nearly made the fortune OF us
publishers 4 success" means 4 sale OF I'VE or ak
editions or NOR. OF thousand copies each. "h'n
a song has caugh, the popular ear ana begins 10 DE
hummed and whsticd in the street. 1t goes III the
rate OF tens OF thousands Of copies
Certain song-wrlters. such rs Thornton ahu MacA'
sing their own songs on the variety stage III ms
way they are enabled 10 boom up reasohao'e
sale for any Of their productions, as long as the
reputation OF their onc or more successes lasts'
one catching air like I'm In Love with the Man IN
the Moon" or 'Ay Pearl il Bowcry Glri Will
carry on the bread back OF its popularity many
brother weaklng TO remuI eratve sale Nheh one
can write both music ard words. one gets douoie
ROYALTIES Or one who sings ones own music can
usually buy good songs for s. 10 $40 ana compose
and sing the music. -,
IL follows from the above that publisher VINO
write his songs mas an ai'dn.Ise, ai h
that a wide ac1ualntancc and popularity among the
musical profession IL also AZ important FACTOR IN tne
success OF II publisher Thus II happens thit lnusl,
clans who have any business ability ana capit,h
frequently become publishers one OF tne ia.es 80
ccssons Of this nature is Mr. Wldmer. the leader OF
the orchestra at Days Theatre MI Nhnle, haS
arranged or composed most OF the music ncldenla
Mr. Days creations and REVEALS for many
years and has done much in preparation i9r the
production OF 1.-TWO Gentlemen or verona ne mas
also In West Forty-second 81. Inc present system
Of the dlstrbution OF professiona. copies ~ great
assistance to singers. Trey havc an immense
amount OF new music al hand to reject from ana
IL costs them nothing In the old days they had to
pay s. for a new score and then 1t might not he at
all what they wanted