While there\u2019s no guaranteed formula for songwriting success, there are steps you can take to maximize your chances. The first thing to do\u2014after writing your masterpiece\u2014is to confirm that it\u2019s as strong as you think it is. This will require getting objective professional feedback. (Your mother doesn\u2019t count\u2014unless she\u2019s a music publisher.) Presuming the verdict is that you have indeed nailed a terrific song, pat yourself on the back. Now it\u2019s time for the hard work.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re a recording artist\u2014and your intent is to record the song for your own project\u2014you\u2019ve already got an outlet. But if your hope is to generate sales, and interest in your live performances, you\u2019ll need a marketing plan. Simply making downloads of your song available on your website or putting it on YouTube is unlikely to be effective, unless you already have a significant fan base. This article will address the steps to take if your hope is to have your song recorded by an artist other than yourself.<\/p>\n
Before you can proceed further you\u2019ll need a demo\u2014and it will need to be up to the industry standard. Few music industry pros can recognize a song\u2019s potential unless you approximate how the song is intended to sound.<\/p>\n
Now that you\u2019ve got a great song\u2014and a great demo\u2014you\u2019ll presumably want to get it to a recording artist who can generate royalties: mechanical royalties (paid for the sales of digital downloads and\/or physical copies) and performance royalties (earned primarily by having your music played on the radio, Internet, and television).<\/p>\n
Few songwriters have the professional relationships and credibility required to get their songs heard by successful recording artists, and the time and energy expended pitching material is time taken away from writing. You need someone who has the ability and connections to get your song to the decision-makers\u2014artists\u2019 managers, producers, and A&R executives\u2014and in some instances, directly to the artists. That person will likely be a music publisher.<\/p>\n
Publishers typically retain approximately 50% of all income generated by the songs they publish. With global hits earning millions of dollars, why would anyone want to give away half of their money? Because, to paraphrase the old clich\u00e9,\u00a050% of a substantial sum is better than 100% of nothing<\/em>. Ideally, in addition to pitching songs, publishers develop their writers by critiquing their material and setting up collaborations that can lead to recordings.<\/p>\n It\u2019s interesting to note that only a handful of songwriters (who are not also recording artists, or collaborating with recording artists) have ever established and maintained a successful career without being aligned with a music publisher at some point in their journey. So, if you\u2019ve got a great song (or hopefully, many of them) finding a publisher to represent your work should probably be your goal.<\/p>\n Publishers acquire songs two primary ways: one-at-a-time\u2014by signing\u00a0single song agreements<\/em>, and by signing writers to\u00a0exclusive publishing agreements<\/em>, typically referred to as\u00a0staff writing deals<\/em>. In many instances, when writers sign exclusive publishing agreements they are advanced enough money to quit their day jobs\u2014and focus exclusively on writing songs. They might also be advanced money to pay for musical equipment, a home studio, and\/or demo recordings. The money paid to staff writers is not a salary\u2014but an advance that the publisher will recoup when royalties are generated. In the event royalties do not offset the money advanced, the writer is not required to pay back the money.<\/p>\n So \u2026\u00a0how<\/em>\u00a0do you find a publisher? Just as there are no rules in writing songs\u2013there are no rules or guaranteed formulas to get them published. But buying a book that lists music publishers, and sending unsolicited copies of your song will rarely be effective.<\/p>\n One of the best routes is to write an exceptional song with someone who has a deal\u2014or at least a working relationship\u2014with one or more publishers. Presumably, he or she will bring your co-written future hit to his or her publisher(s) who will be duly impressed\u2014and therefore, eager to hear more of your songs.<\/p>\n Finding co-writers who have relationships with publishers requires networking. Attend events such as songwriting camps and workshops; join songwriters\u2019 organizations; and go to music festivals and local songwriters\u2019 nights where you are likely to meet other songwriters and recording artists.<\/p>\n Publishers screen songs at events such as BMI\u2019s Nashville Songwriters\u2019 Workshops, NSAI\u2019s Spring Training, the Kauai Music Festival, the Taxi Road Rally, and the West Coast Songwriters\u2019 Conference. Additionally, there are companies such as Taxi\u2014that screen and pitch material (for a fee). Primarily for the Nashville market, companies such as SongU, The Song Tuner, and Play for Publishers also offer this service.<\/p>\n Bear in mind that successful publishers are inundated with perfectly crafted, \u201cgood\u201d songs; they don\u2019t need one more. But if you have a song that is truly \u201cgreat,\u201d it might be the key that opens the door to a publishing deal.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re already working with a music publisher, speak with him or her to identify appropriate outlets for your song. Discuss pitching strategies, and apprise your publisher of any feedback you receive. Remember, your publisher might be representing hundreds\u2014if not thousands\u2014of songs. Part of your job is to keep your song fresh in his or her mind.<\/p>\n Setting up a publishing company is as easy as completing some paperwork, so almost anyone can call him or herself a publisher. You don\u2019t need just\u00a0any<\/em>\u00a0publisher\u2014you need one with the credibility and contacts necessary to get your songs into the right hands. Small, and up-and-coming-companies, may be more open to listening to your material. They\u2019ll have fewer songs in their catalog, and will likely give you and your songs more attention than major companies that might have forty or more writers already under contract.<\/p>\n When dealing with smaller companies it\u2019s a good idea to assess their credibility by respectfully asking questions such as: \u201cWhat recordings and holds have you secured?\u201d \u201cWhat artists do you hear this song for?\u201d and, \u201cHow would you get my song to those artists?\u201d<\/p>\n As in many industries, the music business includes unscrupulous people who prey on hopes and dreams. Protect yourself by remembering that successful, legitimate publishing companies do not solicit songwriters; run ads in magazines; have flashy websites that seek unpublished writers; hold contests; refer to song poems; set lyrics to music; sell compilation CDs; or require writers to pay for demo recordings or\u00a0any<\/em>\u00a0other expenses.<\/p>\n Another option is to be your own publisher. It\u2019s unlikely that anyone else will ever feel as passionately about your songs\u2014nor be as vested in having them generate income\u2014as you.<\/p>\n If you are pitching your material\u2014and have not assigned the publisher\u2019s share to anyone else\u2014you are already serving one of a publisher\u2019s most important functions. As previously stated, it\u2019s easy to establish a publishing company. However, it\u2019s futile unless you are able to secure placements that generate income.<\/p>\n To be a successful publisher, you will need songs that can edge out the formidable competition\u2014songs that will compel an artist to choose your song instead of one written by one of the current top hit-makers\u2014or one he or she wrote or co-wrote.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also need to know who is looking for songs\u2014and how to get to them. You can glean this information by buying a book, such as the\u00a0A&R Registry<\/em>, that lists contact information for the A&R representatives at all major record labels. If you pursue this route, your job will be to establish relationships with staff who will apprise you of the artists who are seeking material. It\u2019s a time-consuming process\u2014and unless you have a track record, it might be difficult to open some of those doors.<\/p>\n An alternative is to subscribe to tip sheets such as\u00a0RowFax<\/em>\u00a0(primarily for Nashville-based artists),\u00a0SongLink<\/em>, and\u00a0SongQuarters<\/em>. These publications do the research on your behalf, providing listings of artists seeking songs\u2014and contact information for those who are screening them.<\/p>\n Yet another route is to hire an independent song plugger. As opposed to a publisher who is paid a percentage of a song\u2019s earnings, song pluggers are paid a retainer\u2014a monthly fee\u2014regardless of whether they generate any income. In the event that they do place a song, there is typically a bonus schedule, providing the plugger with additional income determined by the song\u2019s success. Song pluggers are more prevalent in Nashville than in other music centers because Music City has more opportunities to pitch songs to artists who don\u2019t write or co-write all of their material.<\/p>\n On the surface, hiring a plugger may sound like an ideal situation for those who can afford the monthly fees. It\u2019s easier to write a check than to do the hard work of networking and seeking out publishers who may reject your songs. The problem is that there are few (if any) instances of an independent plugger securing a writer\u2019s first recording with a major artist\u2014unless the writer was previously signed to a publishing deal or had a track record. However, there are countless instances of hopeful writers paying pluggers thousands of dollars\u2014with no substantial results.<\/p>\n In summation, you\u2019ve written a great song\u2014now what? Keep plugging away. Write many more great songs. Build your catalog until you have exceptional, fresh material that is appropriate for a wide variety of artists who don\u2019t write their own songs. Continue to network and interact with industry professionals, and with other writers who are working their way up the ladder.<\/p>\n Few songwriters and recording artists relish the thought of promoting their music, but there\u2019s a reason why it\u2019s called the music business\u2014and those who are successful at it know that both the music\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0the business require their attention.<\/p>\n