One thing that I have noticed is that there are a lot of
artist out there from all genres of music, however, only few are making a real
impact on with their audience. Of course we understand that every one is not
going to get the spot light, but there are so many out there that have a
tremendous amount of talent, and their only problem is not knowing or
understanding the right things to do to take their music to the next level.
I regularly review BMI’s songwriter 101 career advice
articles to be informed of the strategies, techniques and wisdom involved with
becoming a songwriting success. A recent article posted April 27, 2012 called, Seeking Songwriting Success: Three
ways Follow-Through Pays Off by Cliff Goldmacher, gives 3 steps to help songwriters
become more efficient.
Step 1: Get the song
finished.
This is probably as simple as it gets. The first step is to
finish your songs. We all have songs laying around in places that have not been
finished yet. Goldmacher reminds us,
although we love what we do, we still have to treat our songwriting activity as
work.
My suggestion is to treat that activity like a real job.
Time management is key in any business venture. As songwriters we are entrepreneurs.
We have to make sure that we are finishing projects that we start. A regular
schedule for songwriting is in order to make sure we get this done efficiently.
Step 2: Get the song
demoed.
Maybe you have heard one of the stories of how some
songwriter or artist was in the right place at the right time and a music
industry professional heard them sing or noticed their song and signed them on
the spot. Well that’s probably rare. We have to be proactive about getting a
professional recording of our songs. Goldmacher mentions that we don’t have to
demo everything, just our best stuff. Although anything can happen its better
to be prepared, and being prepared may require some investment.
For those who may not have the capital to go out and get
demos done, I can make a suggestion to you that has worked for me. Get out and
network. One good connection can open a door for good things to happen for you
that can save you a lot of money. It pays to be open to offering your gifts,
skills and talents to others in the industry.
Step 3: Get the song placed.
Obviously it’s not enough to get the songs recorded but the
right person needs an opportunity to hear them. We have to pitch the song. The
issue is that pitching involves something that most of us don’t like to do,
sell. Goldmercher calls it “an absolute necessity” for selling music.
Goldmercher mentions a way to enhance this activity by studying industry pitch
sheets to find artists and other music industry professionals looking for music
for a variety of needs. He also stresses the importance of follow-up on the
songs that you pitch.
I found a really interesting website that is great for
songwriters looking to get their songs reviewed by industry professionals. The
website is www.musicxray.com. This site
allows you to upload your music for free for professionals to review for use.
According to the testimonials it seems to be a pretty good site to use and get
your songs placed.
Check out more from BMI’s Songwriter 101 articles here.
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