I know it's been a few days since I posted anything. I've been busy working through the details (and there are a lot!) for the upcoming Kompoz CD. There are still many more details to be completed, but I think we're getting much closer.

The most interesting development/accomplishment is ... The final (hopefully) song list has been drafted. There are currently 19 songs planned, although that's subject to change for a couple of reasons. Foremost, I have not yet contacted all of the contributors on the 19 songs to confirm that they are agreeable to the publishing terms. I don't expect any problems with this because the terms are way cool. We're not your traditional record label! (More on that further down)

The second reason the song list might change is that not all of the songs are mixed and mastered yet. Dogbizkits, MDK, and RB have volunteered to churn through the 19 songs and make sure they are ready for production. If for some reason a project cannot be engineered (due to sound quality of the available tracks, for example), then it may be dropped. I don't expect this to be an issue at all -- the selected projects are pretty awesome. By the way, please don't ask Rab, Marty, or Rick for the song list -- they've been sworn to secrecy!

I will be contacting the contributors to each of the final CD tracks, and asking that everyone sign a publishing agreement. This should be a pretty simple document that grants us permission to publish your work, and it will detail how proceeds from the sale of the CD/tracks will be distributed to you. I have not sent the agreement out yet because it's still being revised. I've been working with a very well respected entertainment lawyer to make sure this is done properly. Part of the reason this is taking a long time is because we're charting new ground here. There are no "template" contracts that apply -- the way music is created on Kompoz is revolutionary.

I had considered partnering with an existing label and publishing company, but the ones I spoke with either did not "get it", or they wanted exclusive nasty old-school stick-it-to-the-artist type of contracts. So we've decided to create a new label and publishing company! This will give us flexibility on how the music you've created will ultimately be published, and, most importantly, will ensure that more of the dollars end up in your pockets. The publishing agreement we put forth will be very simple and fair.

Basically, the spirit of the agreement will be this: you agree to have your work on the CD and you will get some money if it sells. If it does not sell, no harm -- you're not signing any rights away. This is totally a non-exclusive agreement. I'm sure the lawyers drafting the actual agreement will turn the above into 30 pages of legal CYA. The details on how the money will be split and distributed should be the bulk of the document, but that too will be fair and easy to understand. Kompoz, of course, will get a share, but I'm happy to say that the bulk of the profits will go to the artists. That's not something you find in a traditional publishing contract!

I've been driving around in the car with a demo CD. Those that have heard it, love it. I'm really excited about this project and can't wait to see it up on iTunes, Amazon.com/mp3, and CD Baby!