Career Songwriter

I really enjoy reading your blogs. i have been working on my songwriting craft for a number of years and have developed a really good sound and flow. i have everything now apart from someone to listen to my stuff. i’m really unsure with where to go to next and who to trust out there. i know that i have a talent and something to share. any thoughts would be appreciated.

-Scott

This question was posted as a response to my blog ‘From Amateur to Professional,’ and I felt it deserved another blog to do it justice. I’ll try to outline some of my own thoughts and opinions, and I hope it helps spark some ideas of your own.

As artists and writers, our main goal after honing our music is getting that music heard. It’s a wonderful thing that anyone with a tune and an internet connection can reach volumes of people once only reachable through heavy marketing campaigns and major label budgets. But with so much music at our fingertips these days, it’s also difficult to rise out of the pack and be heard. The old model of touring and being discovered, signed, and vaulted into stardom is almost a thing of the past. Artists are retaining more control while making more money by staying independent of labels. As long as we can create a product our fans will buy, the rest is up to our own ingenuity and ambition.

In a large sense, the focus of the artist has shifted from trying to please the industry, to trying to please the fans. If the fans are buying our music, it doesn’t matter what the industry argues is or isn’t marketable. This is one reason why there are so many more genres of music these days. We don’t need to be able to fall neatly into the genre of pop/rock or world or jazz to market ourselves to people who might enjoy our music.

All that said, I believe the important idea here is about changing our perspective. As writers and artists we assume our best bet is to get connected with gatekeepers in the industry – A&R, publishers, radio, etc. But what if those gatekeepers are dissolving, losing their positions due to downsizing, lack of sales, the turn to chat radio, fewer songs being placed because fewer records are being successfully released, etc.? Now the question becomes, how do we reach the people who will buy our music?

It’s hard work, but it’s being done successfully. You’re going to be running a small business, relying on your own resources and connections to grow your career. Bottom line - it involves a business plan and lots of persistence. The steps to getting heard as writers or as artists overlap in many areas, so take these suggestions and throw them up against the wall of your own aspirations. Keep what sticks, and throw out what doesn’t.

Here are some ideas to get you started.

1. Clarify your vision. How would you describe your music? How would you describe your live show? What messages shine through your songs? What kind of an experience are you trying to create for your listener? Refer to my blog on ‘What Kind of Music Do You Write?’

2. Where would your music be played? Think of all the places music is played – make a comprehensive list of all the places you go where music is a part of the experience – live and recorded. Think about the people who visit these places. What do these people have in common?

3. What kinds of activities are you involved in that could become a platform for reaching others involved in the same activities with your music?

4. For writers, get involved in your local songwriting community. Attend seminars and clinics that come through your area, or travel once in awhile to take part in them when you can. Network with others in these groups, and keep in contact as you write new songs.

5. Go out to shows, meet artists in local venues who might be interested in hearing your original songs. Consider each an opportunity to share connections, and form a co-writing relationship.

6. Develop an online presence. If you have a website, update it frequently with new and interesting material like a verse and chorus of a new tune or a weekly blog. If you don’t have a website, take advantage of the multitude of online communities.

7. Throw an event or fundraiser in your area, making an opportunity to spread awareness for your music while supporting a good cause. This is a great way to expand your fan base, and be remembered long after the event is over.

8. Consider how you can partner with local businesses at your live shows. How might you help them advertise while at the same time benefit from being a part of their marketing scheme? Again, think about creating a campaign in which your fans don’t just buy your record once and forget about you, but keep recognizing that you are a fabric of the community.

9. Get to know the artists in your area who perform other songwriters’ material. Become a fan, supporting their careers and opening up the doors for creating a reciprocal relationship of support. Keep CDs of your own music on you at all times. Label all your material clearly with your name and your email and phone as well as site addresses.

10. For writers and artists, educate yourself about the film and TV markets. There is a world of opportunity there for pitching your own material. Do your research and identify the opportunities that are right for your style of music so you know with which music supervisors and editors you’ll need to develop relationships.

11. Take advantage of the events and information circulated by the performing right organizations (PRO) and NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association, Inc.).

12. Relationships are key. Whether a fan, industry personnel, or fellow artist, the most unpredictable people can be the key that unlocks the door to your next opportunity.

I hope this gets you on a new stream of thought. If you have more specific questions regarding pushing your career ahead as an artist or writer, I’d be happy to try to throw in my two cents.

Good luck,

Andrea