Valve

A vacuum tube that acts as an amplification component, is also known simply as a tube. Since the silicon revolution, this component has been replaced in amplification circuits with the transistor.

Vanity Publishing

A vanity publication (also vanity recording) is created to be just like a professional product with the exception that it is not released, distributed or sold by retailers.

Vanity projects are paid for by the artist or writer.

Venue

A place where “live” performances occur, including:

• stadiums
• arenas
• concert halls
• sheds
• theaters
• clubs

Venue Fees/Hall Fees

Fees that the owner or manager of the Venue charges the artist or the artist’s merchandiser in order to sell artist merchandise at the venue. Most venues will state that their standard fee is 35% of the gross wholesale receipts from the sale of the artist merchandise, but this fee is often negotiable.

Venues License

In the U.K., venues buy performance licenses from PRS (for compositions) and PPL (for recordings). The license gives the venue the right to play live and recorded music.

Large venues send complete usage returns for all music played in their venue, to PPL and PRS.

Venue License money is divided between the members of PRS and PPL, minus the society commission.

Verse

The verse is the meat of a song. The function of the verse is to provide a context, provide background information, set the scene or tell a story, establish the vehicle by which the message of the song will be delivered, develop and evolve the story.

The verse gives listeners a deeper understanding of the main message of the song and it is the main method of giving a sense of progress through a song.

The first verse establishes the meter (lyrical rhythm), the rhyme scheme for further verses, and the type of language and phrasing to be used throughout the song.

Songs commonly have a number of verses, each composed of several lines. Rhyme may or may not be used within verses, but once established a rhyme scheme works best when it is adhered to.

As the song progresses, each verse further develops the story or theme.

Volt

Unit of measurement used to describe the magnitude of electro-motive force (EMF).

Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA)

VCAs’ are commonly used in audio equipment. Basically, they are amplifiers whose gain is governed by an input control voltage.

Volume

This term is used to describe the signal level of an audio signal or the intensity of the sound. Volume is usually expressed in decibels relative to a standard reference level or zero levels.

Volume Unit (VU)

A unit used for measuring the magnitude of a complex electrical signal.

VPL

Video Performance Limited (VPL) is responsible for licensing of music video usage. VPL is now run as part of PPL.

VU Meter

A volume indicator.