Seven years after moving to Los Angeles to become an overnight sensation, I had my first song recorded and it was slated to be a single. During a phone call, the producer of that song casually mentioned that he would like to write with me the next time I visited Nashville. I promptly booked a flight and hotel, maxing out my credit cards to do so. This was a huge […]

Think of your recording the way an artist works with paint—that is, using different types of instruments, as well as effects or even mic techniques, to create contrasting shades of sound that help get the listener’s attention. It takes a keen ear to understand how to produce tracks that have warmth, depth and above all, layers of color, as if the finished product were a painting rather than a recording. […]

What constitutes a hook? Any element of a song that grabs a listener’s attention and “hooks” them in. With there being so much competition for our listeners’ attention, including multiple hooks throughout our songs has become more important than ever. According to an article in The Atlantic magazine, “A short-attention-span culture demands short-attention-span songs. The writers of Tin Pan Alley and Motown had to write only one killer hook to get a […]

Emailing complete strangers for advice, assistance, guidance, help, favors or anything else involving their time and effort can sometimes be productive– but only if you can make a really good case for yourself, why you’re emailing them in particular, why they should pay attention to what you’re doing and what you need, and most importantly, what’s in it for them to help. If you expect to have any success whatsoever, […]

This is an excellent read I came across regarding streaming and producer royalties. Take notes & ENJOY!   PMP Question: “Hey Bernie, with music streaming becoming more popular than paying to download a single or album I wanted to know how much does a producer get paid per stream and is there still a mechanical as well as publishing royalty involved with music streaming?” Bernie’s Response: Prior to answering the […]

When I took my first songwriting workshop I had no idea that verses, choruses, and bridges were the primary building blocks used in popular songs. Nor did I know that the vast majority of the songs I listened to on the radio combined these components into one of four song forms, or a variation of one of these forms. Initially, when I learned about song structures, I feared that confining […]

Pitching songs that are exceptional is a critical part of the equation for success—whether you write those songs or publish them. No matter how well you take care of business, it’s unlikely there will be any business to take care of—unless your songs are strong. But regardless of how good they are, before your songs can be recorded by artists, or included in television shows and movies, you need to […]

Get a paper and pen. Just do it, it’ll totally be worth it. I’m about to blow your mind. Quick – tell me 3 people you want to listen to your music that you think will be able to put it in a commercial, film, or TV promo! Even if you’ve already contacted them, write down a name with a little space beneath to complete this exercise. Done? Great! Now […]

So you have hot beats, your rhymes are on point and you even got major swag. What happens now? Is releasing ‘good’ music enough to get you signed? Although much of the industry is revolutionizing how it does business, certain aspects of it have remained the same. Every act should be doing shows consistently and selling CD’s along with merchandise. That being said, stay up to date with approaching new […]

Do you ever feel like modern society is like a million screaming kids with A.D.D. unleashed at a Chuckie Cheeses? We’re just bouncing off the walls, interrupting each other, there’s no order, we just go and fling ourselves into the next unconsciously interesting experience… A successful artist was just an artist who did the right things, the right way, and didn’t quit. I’ve never met a dumb musician. Seriously. So […]