Posts by Marty Dodson
Hall of Fame Songwriter Kent Blazy
Hall of Fame Songwriter Kent Blazy joins hit songwriter Marty Dodson on the SongTown on Songwriting Podcast to talk about his journey in songwriting, his newest Album and gives advice to all who are pursuing songwriting as a career. Blazy has a total of seven number one hits which include several singles for Garth Brooks…
Read MoreMorning Stretch
I believe that our writing “muscles” are just like any other muscle group. If we want to be as flexible as possible, we have to stretch those muscles from time to time. So, this morning, I wanted to give your brain and maybe your writing muscles a little “Morning Stretch”. It makes me cringe every…
Read MoreSongwriting And Life: Lessons That Apply To Both
Someone pointed out this weekend that my posts often have as much to do with life as they do with songwriting. That made me think, and I realized that it’s probably because songwriting is just a reflection of life. So many of the principles we talk about in our posts and the answers we give are really just…
Read MoreWrite A Song That Excites You – Always Write Inspired
Learning to write inspired… One ordinary Tuesday, I drove to a co-write with really low expectations. My co-writer, Jason Matthews, and I were going to try to finish a song that I wasn’t really in love with. We weren’t writing inspired, but we had decided we would finish it, so I drove to his house.…
Read More5 Things To Do Before You Pitch Your Song
Pitching songs that are not ready or that are not in the ballpark for the artist you are pitching to is one of the fastest ways to burn bridges. In fact, doing either of those things is effectively pouring gasoline on the bridge. Way too many people pitch songs prematurely and significantly hurt their chances…
Read MoreWhat Do You Do If You Catch a Publisher?
Are you a songwriter dying to get a publishing deal? It might not be as magical as you think! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about working with a publisher, their first publishing deals as well as the pros and cons of publishing deals and what to look for when negotiating deals. Write…
Read MoreTurning Time On Your Hands Into Better Songs
Years ago, I had a big write scheduled and it got cancelled the morning of the write. One of the biggest writers I had ever written with traded me for a co-write with Cher. I couldn’t blame him, but I was very let down. My publisher said “Turn time on your hands into better songs.”…
Read MoreHow Songwriters Get Paid: The 5 Minute Overview Of Songwriting Income Streams
Several people have asked about the different ways songwriters get paid. So, here’s the 5 minute overview: Publishing Draws for Songwriters. This is a monthly amount a publisher pays to a writer that is on a staff publishing deal. These are really advances on royalties that have to be repaid out of incoming royalties. Once your catalog…
Read MoreThe #1 Rule Of Songwriting – The Song Is King
If you’ve been hanging around SongTown for a while, you’ve heard Clay and I talk about the idea that “The Song Is King”. When we say that, we mean that, when we write, we are there to serve the song, NOT to serve our own interests. I believe that music and songs have a “life”…
Read More“Stay The Course” With Curb Recording Artist Hannah Ellis
Curb Records recording artist and country music singer/songwriter Hannah Ellis joins Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson on the SongTown on Songwriting Podcast. Hannah talks about her journey in the music business, from networking and internships to publishing deals and eventually signing a deal as an artist. She shares useful tips to help you get an idea…
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