This is a question I often receive from writers and artists searching for ways to exploit their music. As a judge for several songwriting contests, I have the pleasure of listening to dozens of songs each year that deserve applause and spotlight. As a former member of TAXI, I have had the experience of exploiting my own song material. Both of these opportunities have their benefits, but both have their drawbacks as well. I’ll try in all fairness to outline both.
Songwriting contests can be a wonderful way to quickly and easily gain attention for your career. Some contests offer prizes such as recording time, money, a notable title, a chance to be on a compilation, advertising and promotion, and other great benefits. The cost is somewhat affordable at $25-45 dollars, and the process is simple with filling out the registration form and mailing in a CD. Some songwriting contests, such as We Are Listening, offer feedback at certain levels along with your entry. This feedback can be extremely helpful in assessing your skill level and your marketability in the commercial scene.
Some of the drawbacks of songwriting contests is that there are thousands of entries, all divided into separate categories predetermined by the contest guidelines. There are typically a few rungs of judges, the first being general screeners who weed out the obviously sub-par material. The remaining material gets tossed into boxes that get sent along to the next rung of listeners.
After a few rounds, the songs that are left get sent to a roster of notable industry personnel to choose the winning songs. Let me explain what I find difficult about the job of judging songs at this rung from my own personal experience. Of the 12 entries or so that I receive, all are produced by highly capable musicians, songwriters, and artists. I may be trying to judge a pop tune next to a punk tune, a latin tune next to an adult contemporary tune, trying determine which in my opinion is most deserving of the reward. The trouble here is that at this level, I may not be the most qualified punk judge, rock judge, or latin judge. I may also be swayed by my own preferences and my own skills, such as the quality of the vocalist, production, or lyric. I may hear the skill within one song, but appreciate the marketability in another. So in the end, my opinions are based on many elements that may or may not be important to the fans of those artists and songwriters whose songs I am reviewing. What every record label knows is that if bad music sells, it’s good music. All that matters is what the fans of that artist believe. Everything else is only relevant to educated musicians.
TAXI can be a valuable asset to those with no connections in the industry, who don’t perform their own songs, and no intention of moving to a major music mecca. The cost is a minimal $300 dollars for the first year, with only a small fee of about $5 per song when you send it in. TAXI finds the opportunities for you, providing a kind of ‘pitch list’ that you can use to match your songs to their appropriate placements.
I’ll be completely honest and admit that I have been in the music industry for a long time, and I have never met anyone who has had significant success this way. I have, however, met several writers who have felt the feedback received on their song was worth the investment. The issue here is the same as with songwriting contests, with various steps of the process where things can go awry. First, you are trusting that those who request a particular style or sound on the pitch list actually know what they need before they hear it. You are trusting that their description of what they need is accurate, and that your interpretation of that description matches your own musical sound. Finally, you are trusting in the ability of the screener to hear your song in the context for which you sent it in. The danger here is to assume that your music or your songs are not salable if you have no success with a program like this.
The real value of these opportunities is that they can be wonderful additions to what you’re already doing to promote your music. If you rely on contests and song-pitching programs to get your music out there, you’re missing the most vital element of making a career in music – relationships. Without relationships, the potential of prospects growing into real opportunities becomes thin. Whenever I analyze whether an opportunity for myself seems viable, I always go back to that simple truth. The more connections I make, the more opportunities I generate for myself. Without the connections, each opportunity is hit or miss.
If you have recently won a contest or had some success with TAXI, I encourage you to reply to this blog with some of the ways it’s benefited your career or advice you’d give to others looking for the same success.
Andrea Stolpe
