Author: Marty Dodson

People often ask me if I KNOW that I've written a hit song when I finish it.  The answer to that is a resounding "NO".  I generally know when I finish a song whether it is great or just good.  Beyond that, so much goes into what makes a hit...

There are two common types of songwriting publishing deals that publishers make with writers. But, you don't have to limit yourself to those two options if you can think outside the box.  Here are the two common types of deals plus some ideas for creative options: 1) Staff Writer Writes exclusively...

"I worked 17 years for overnight songwriting success."  - Tim Hicks   There's often a misconception when someone in the music business succeeds. It's easy to think that an artist became and instant sensation or overnight songwriting success. So, I thought I'd share a story of how it most often happens...

Here are some ways to judge whether you are writing “better” commercial songs. No one of these measures alone determines “writing better,” but putting all of them together gives you a pretty good sense of your progress: Are you writing more unique ideas? Look at the songs you wrote a...

Songwriting can be a wonderfully, beautifully frustrating pursuit.  But it can be especially maddening if your singular goal is something outside of your control like focus on the songwriting summit. So, let's say your obsession and songwriting summit is a Bruno Mars cut... There are several reasons that you are going...

                One of the most popular questions we get at SongTown is "how many songs should I send to a producer or publisher?"  The prevailing myth for aspiring songwriters is that “more shots equals a better chance of something great happening”. I want to dispel that myth and to explain...

One of the frequent questions we get in SongTown is "How do I write song lyrics?" Many people confuse song lyrics with poetry, but there are some subtle yet important differences. So, how are lyrics to a song different from poems? Poems are typically visual pieces and song lyrics are...

One of the most important components to reaching any songwriting goal is to know exactly what you'd like to achieve. Here is a songwriter goal-setting worksheet that I like to use to help me focus on where I am going... As you set your goals, be sure that each one...

  The more accurate you are in regard to that self-assessment, the better success you will have attracting co-writers who fill in the blanks for you. 1) Be the kind of co-writer you hope to find. If you are organized and professional, then you will be more likely to attract that kind...

  Even those who have written thousands of songs could benefit from reviewing the basics of what a beginning writer does when writing their first song. Every now and then, someone joins SongTown who is just trying to learn how to write that first song - to turn their own...