Jon Bellion Quotes

I'm delighted about the track's success in the sports world, but the frustrating thing is, I don't think I got rich on it. The labels and publishers did very cheap deals on our songs.

With Joe Walsh, that was kind of random. I'd written 'Hi-Roller Baby' for myself while I was at Island/Def Jam; literally, four years later, it got cut. Songs can be around for a long time.

I don't want to have to talk to a lawyer if I want to jam with someone or if I want to sing on someone's album.

I rarely have any contact with the artists who cover my songs.

I have a 200-song catalogue in the streets and I never got any money off that.

Mostly I've never let record companies become involved with my music, which was a very smart thing that my first manager Dave Robinson did, to keep them out of it.

I'm singing the music publisher's theme song - it ain't a commercial.

Honestly, when I got to Hollywood I was trying to sell my songs.

I would make far more money if every song were my own, but I don't write to fill up the album with my songs.

Songwriters, you have to work - you have to wait for residuals. You have to pray that the song's going to be a hit. And then a year later, you might get a check.

Our first manager really pushed that we not sell our publishing rights, which is one of the earliest things an artist will do: They'll sell in order to get a cash advance.

We look at the sharing of music as really, really important for our business.

As long as you have a percentage of a song, that lasts forever. You have to study the business. Don't just be in it for money. You have to understand what you're in it for, then get your money.

I think overall, and this isn't specific to Spotify or any streaming service or any label... when you consider the overall value chain of the music industry and how important the songwriter is to the business - I think there needs to be another look at the value chain.

Getting a record deal is a meaningless thing now.

I left the entertainment industry part of my life behind in 1983, when we decided not to work with major record companies anymore.

The new independent spirit at Warner Music is a perfect fit for a stand-alone label like Maverick.

One of the reasons I started Tzadik, which is my own label, is to keep things in print. I got tired of labels dropping things out of print when they don't sell.

As for the music business itself, the key things have not changed that much. It operates like any business and money still keeps things moving.

To the extent that '60s guys own things, yes... but I don't have the publishing, just like most '60s guys, and that was an error, you know... part ownership in publishing was the kind of era that started a little bit later, when real businessmen started to manage artists.

I would never put my songs in a commercial.

My original idea was to produce and not make records myself.

Music can be so disturbing and frustrating. I mean the business side of it. The actual making music part is fun, but the business side of it is just so out of control, has nothing to do with anything.

We turned what is virtually a glorified independent label into one of the powerhouse labels in the town.

I originally passed on 'Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head' in 1969, so they gave it to B.J. Thomas.