First of all, I want to congratulate you for taking a big step forward in your career as a songwriter.\u00a0 If you\u2019re considering submitting one (or several) of your songs for a music business opportunity, then you\u2019ve gone to the next level beyond just writing songs and hoping the world will come to you.\u00a0 This being the case, there are a couple of classic mistakes you should be careful to avoid so that you can present yourself as the professional you undoubtedly are.<\/p>\n
1. Never attach an mp3 to an email without permission.<\/p>\n
First of all, submitting a song either via email or on a CD without having a contact who is expecting it is the same thing as not submitting at all.\u00a0 Unless there has been some kind of exchange where an industry person is expecting your music, there isn\u2019t a pitch opportunity there.<\/p>\n
I know what you\u2019re thinking. \u201cAll music industry people say \u2018no unsolicited material,\u2019 so how can I get permission?\u201d\u00a0 We\u2019ll get back to that in a moment but here\u2019s the most important point.\u00a0 Under no circumstances should you email an mp3 to someone in the industry without express permission to do so.\u00a0 Those files take up a lot of space and if every songwriter submitted unsolicited mp3s to the same music biz person\u2019s inbox it would fill up\/crash their email program.\u00a0 The last thing you want is to have someone in the industry irritated with you before they\u2019ve even heard your music.\u00a0 Better still, if you can learn how to enclose a link to your song in the body of your email, you\u2019re way ahead of the game.<\/p>\n
Now, in reference to figuring out how to get past the \u201cno unsolicited material\u201d gateway, the music business is a relationship business.\u00a0 If you live in Nashville, NYC or Los Angeles, start getting out to industry functions, conferences and events and meeting people.\u00a0 Don\u2019t expect immediate results, but the results will come.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t live in a music city, using reputable proxy organizations like Taxi.com is a great start.<\/p>\n
2. Avoid writing long emails\/letters with your submission.<\/p>\n
Like in any business, publishers, A&R execs and music supervisors are busy people.\u00a0 While I understand that your history and reasons for writing your songs are important, that is a discussion for another time and place.\u00a0 Once you\u2019ve received permission to submit your song, you should keep your email or letter very short and to the point. A simple reference as to how you heard about the opportunity (mentioning a mutual acquaintance for example), the artist or project you\u2019re pitching to (if that\u2019s what you\u2019re doing) and your contact information is really all that\u2019s necessary.\u00a0 Really. This means not enclosing lyrics, photos, a bio, etc.\u00a0 If someone in the industry wants more information, they\u2019ll reach out.\u00a0 Promise.<\/p>\n
3. Don\u2019t send more songs than the opportunity requires.<\/p>\n
Once you\u2019ve been given permission to submit for a project, it\u2019s important to use some restraint and not over-submit.\u00a0 For example, if a listing is asking for songs for a particular project, this means that you should only submit the song\u2014or in very rare instances, two songs\u2014that fit the description of what is requested.\u00a0 This is not an opportunity to show the depth and breadth of your catalog. \u00a0As I mentioned above, if the individuals looking for songs want more from you, they\u2019ll ask.\u00a0 The rationale is simple.\u00a0 If you put yourself in their position, you\u2019ll appreciate that these folks have to go through a mountain of submissions and sending too many songs might get your pitch pushed to the bottom of the pile because it seems like too much work to go through.<\/p>\n
4. Don\u2019t forget to follow up.<\/p>\n
For the record, it is never safe to assume that one email, voicemail or CD submission is enough.\u00a0 In fact, it IS safe to assume that it isn\u2019t.\u00a0 While your song might be the most important thing to you, it will be one of many, many submissions for a given project or publisher.\u00a0 It\u2019s safe to say that submitting a song and not following up one to two weeks later is, again, like not submitting at all.\u00a0 I\u2019m not saying this is good or right but my experience has been that unless you put it on your calendar to follow up, then, most likely, your song will be overlooked.\u00a0 And, by the way, following up is not a one-time thing.\u00a0 You can politely (and concisely) follow up every two weeks after your first follow up until you either hear something back or decide there are simply better ways to spend your time.<\/p>\n
Conclusion<\/p>\n
Submitting your songs is an exciting part of the process of being a songwriter.\u00a0 By remembering to treat this part of your career as professionally as possible, you\u2019ll avoid the risk of losing credibility in the eyes of the industry.\u00a0 When in doubt, put yourself in the shoes of the person you\u2019re submitting to and think about what they would most appreciate.<\/p>\n
Good luck!<\/p>\n