Category: WHAT’S ON THE SITE

The 7 Habits of Successful Songwriters

I know I give you a lot of advice and sometimes you probably wonder if I know what I’m talking about. (Hey, I wonder the same thing about other people all the time.)

So, in this post, I thought I’d give you songwriting advice that comes straight from the mouths of songwriters and artists with incredibly successful, long-running, world-wide fame and success. I won’t include their bios or track records because you already know who they are. So, here are “7 Habits of Successful Songwriters” straight from the source!

1. DEVELOP A SONGWRITING PROCESS

Your songwriting process is the way in which you approach creating lyrics, melody, and chords. Maybe you’re a lyrics-first person. Or maybe you grab your guitar and come up with a groove and chords first. Here’s how a couple of successful songwriters approach their own songwriting.

Paul Simon
“I work with my guitar and a legal pad…. I get going fairly early in the morning, because my mind is sharp, and start by dating the pad and putting down personal comments, such as how I am feeling that day, so that it becomes a diary of sorts. … The first page might have all sorts of lines that will never be used, but as I turn the pages, a little thought might come forward and suggest potential for development.” (Making Music, book by George Martin)

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Cover Songs Are Still a Big Deal

Since I originally wrote this post almost three years ago, there has been a revolution in the way Film & TV music libraries are dealing with cover songs. Up till then, they would not accept or pitch cover songs from indie artists. But now, all that has changed. In addition to accepting cover songs for pitching, a top catalog like Crucial Music even has a list of cover songs they’d like to have!

The reason? I’m not sure but there are just so many movies, TV series, and commercials using cover songs, maybe it was inevitable. And (my real guess), music supervisors were really tired of trawling YouTube at 2 am to find fresh cover songs from indie artists because that was the only place where we could easily upload them.

Why did music libraries shun covers in the first place?
Short answer: Cover songs are not one-stop.
YOU ARE THE OWNER OF THE MASTER RECORDING BUT NOT THE SONG.

Since you paid for the recording (or recorded it yourself) you are the owner of the sound recording, the master. But you do not own the rights in the song: the melody and lyric.

If you are pitching to the Film & TV market, you can only give permission to use the sound recording. A music supervisor will still have to license the song from the copyright owner or administrator. Music libraries previously avoided signing cover songs, but that’s changing as more and more productions use them and understand, up front, they will have to clear the rights to the song.

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Overcoming “Collab-o-phobia”

Q & A

I’d Like to collaborate but I’m not sure how or whether it’s even a good idea. Can you help?

Lately I’ve been nudging songwriters toward more co-writing. Joining up with someone to combine your skills, resources, ideas, and energy will help you pick up your songwriting speed, finish more songs, find more opportunities and outlets, and so much more.

But my nudges are often meet with resistance. A lack of confidence or worry about looking foolish can really put the brakes on this idea. I call it collab-o-phobia: fear of co-writing. Here’s list of great tips that will banish it forever!

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A Shaky Start to a Successful Career

Stumble and Fall

I recently discovered an inspiring, fun, informative website called OpeningLines.org. This blog by Seth Fiegerman takes a look at the very first steps in the careers of the famous and successful.

There are names we all know—actors, musicians, scientists, educators, community leaders, and writers we admire. We don’t think of them losing their first talent contest or being told they have no aptitude for the field in which they later dazzle us all. But that—or some form of it—is what happens to many. So here are a few stories that might help you along when you start to doubt your songwriting career.

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Your Songwriting Career: Are YOU In the Driver’s Seat?

Picture your songwriting career as a car. Just for fun, let’s say it’s a Ferrari. It might not feel like one right now but that’s because it’s not going anywhere very fast.

It could be that your car is driving in circles, starting and stopping, or stuck in neutral. Maybe the driver is asleep at the wheel or doesn’t know how to get where they’re going. Wouldn’t it be better if the driver woke up, checked the GPS, took hold of the wheel, and harnessed the power of that amazing engine to get to a real destination?

You are the car’s driver. The engine that powers this car is your Energy, Inspiration, Desire, and Excitement. There’s plenty of potential there but unless the you have a real idea where you’re going and how to get there, the car can’t take you there on its own.

Start your engine

A successful journey starts with a clear destination in mind. Do you want to…

  • Have a career as a recording artist?
  • Write songs for other people to sing?
  • Write songs for film and TV?
  • Be a songwriter-producer?
  • Make money with your songs or write for friends, family, or your community?

Maybe you want to do all of these. Destinations can change, of course, but it’s a good idea to start your trip with one clearly in mind.

WRITE DOWN A DESTINATION YOU WANT TO REACH. If you can’t decide on just one, pick the one you want to go to first, then list the others.

The road starts at your front door. If you wait for someone to come along and pave a road just for you, it’ll never happen. You have to make your own road.  At the end of this post, I’ve included four ideas to get you started.

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