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Should Songwriters Put Their Songs Out There?One of the questions I get most from beginning songwriters is whether there’s any risk or problem with getting their songs out there on social media, streaming services, websites or any other ways that songs can be heard by (hopefully) large numbers of people. It’s an interesting concern to me because, in my experience, the |
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A Discussion About Co-Writing PercentagesIn songwriting, as in any creative endeavor, there’s a delicate balance between art and commerce. While writing songs is, at its core, an act of artistic expression, it also marks the creation of what attorneys refer to as “intellectual property.” So, given that there is property ownership involved, the questions on the table are how |
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What You Can-and Can’t-Do with Your Finished Song DemoRunning a recording studio for the past two decades, I’ve recorded songwriting demos for GRAMMY-winning songwriters, major music publishers all the way down to first-time songwriters. One of the things I’ve noticed is that for newer songwriters there’s often confusion about what a demo can be used for. Strictly speaking, your professional song demo is |
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Four Ways Courage Can Make A Songwriter SuccessfulWhile the life of a successful songwriter can appear glamorous, building that career step by grueling step is not for the faint of heart. Creating art is equal parts passion, inspiration and discipline and figuring out how to monetize that art requires a special kind of courage. Bravery as a songwriter takes many forms, I’ve |
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A Few Tips on Writing Your Second VerseA friend of mine once said she’d have a lot more hit songs if they didn’t require a second verse. For anyone who’s ever written a song, this should make perfect sense. There comes a moment in the process of writing a song where you find yourself wondering how to follow up your first verse |
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How Songwriters Can Pitch To Publishers Who Don’t Accept Unsolicited MaterialOne of the seeming ironies of the music business is that we’re told music publishers are constantly looking for great songs but, at the same time, most major music publishers have a policy of NOT accepting unsolicited material. As an up and coming songwriter, this can seem at the very least confusing and worse yet, |
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Some Things Songwriters Shouldn’t Be Scared OfI’d like to introduce you to Julliard trained composer, conductor, string arranger and music publisher, Dan Coleman. Dan is the co-founder of Modern Works Music Publishing which he started in 1999. Dan has also spoken on music publishing and copyright matters for BMI, Harvard and MIT among others. His commentary below is well worth your |
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Five Music Industry People Songwriters Should KnowOne of the things I’ve observed over the years I’ve been a songwriter is that songwriting is a solitary endeavor. When you do muster up the courage to leave your creative bubble and try to market yourself and your songs, it can be a bit confusing (not to mention overwhelming) to figure out who the |
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Three Ways To Make Being Your Own Publisher Make SenseSo often as songwriters we hold the publishing deal out there as some kind of holy grail. I understand the mindset as so much of our work is solitary and the kind of industry acknowledgement that a publishing deal represents can be a very tempting proposition. In fact, signing with a publisher is a business |
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Three Things To Do Before Your Meeting With A Music PublisherFor songwriters early on in their careers, getting a face to face meeting with a music publisher can represent the first major step towards connecting with the music industry. Not knowing how to prepare for a meeting like this can create genuine anxiety. To help you avoid this, I’m going to suggest a few things |