I've Written A Song...Now What Do I Do? July 22, 2022
I've written a song...now what do I do...
The lesson : don't ever give money upfront to anyone, ever. We are the talent - the material from which the music industry is built. THEY are the investors and middlemen. We write songs. They put them out. They take the financial risks in exchange for some financial rewards. We take no financial risks and still get some financial rewards in exchange for being the party that brings forth the actual material (without which there would be nothing at all). It's a partnership.
If your material is strong, people will gravitate towards it. Remember that and keep working on improving your craft.
But do not pay money to the middlemen who should be paying you. Even "legit" agencies like Taxi make more money from the thousands of amateurs (who have no chance of interesting anyone other than their drunken aunt with their songs) than from any actual placement.
We are desperate, naïve, dreamers. Find a well-paying job that keeps you happy and able to continue making music. Then write and improve your art. Make music for music's sake and stop trying to "make it".
Unless your name is Paris or you know someone who knows someone ("cool cred" indie bands are just as bad as far as I'm concerned), forget about it.
Stop wasting your energy, hopes, time and money on "getting heard". When you come up with "the song", you'll know it. And everyone else will too.
Until then, good luck.
A great artist doesn't repeat what someone else has already done but tweaks it, improves it, makes it his own.
Grass roots campaigning...bars, beer joints, truck stops, casinos.
EGO'S don't sell....only good music does.
If anyone thinks your song is copywritten by mailing it yourself registered mail you are mistaken. When your copywrite is challenged in the courts, it's the official date of copywrite with a third party the Judge looks at to determine a ruling. If you register your composition with The Library Of Congress US or the Canadain Copywrite Office (Canadian intellectual property website), both are members of the Berne Convention making copywriting a song in either country is valid.
RIP OFF ALERT!!!! from the one who offers to register your song on your behalf. They register your song alright, but ownership becomes theirs or you may get lucky and they may share it with you...maybe.
Always remember the last song you wrote will be your best song. Many seasoned composers write over 100 songs to discover the last bunch may be eligible as an album filler. It is numbers that will hone your song writing skills. However, having said album projects are on their way out and perhaps the industry may go back to the 1950's where one song is recorded at a time then followed up with an album.
Some composers write lyrics first then music. Others may do the opposite. Then there are writers such as myself that write words and music at the same time. Remember there is no wrong formula.
HOME WORK:
The next song you write or, previous compositions, check to listen if it fits the PENTAMIC METER TEST! Look it up. You will soon discover this to be major part of a blueprint for a hit song.
Until next time...
Never Allow Your Songwriting To Decompose!
