Posts by Marty Dodson
Do You HAVE To Write With Artists To Get Songs Recorded?
Do you HAVE to write with artists to get songs recorded? Listen in as Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills discuss two different viewpoints on this topic! Marty and Clay also offer tips and advice on how to write with artists and how you can get one step closer to getting your songs cut!…
Read MoreSongwriters: Are You Pitching Your Songs With A Shotgun Or A Rifle?
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 why pitching your songs with a…
Read MoreThe Songwriter’s Code
The Songwriter’s Code From the Brill Building in New York, to Music Row in Nashville, songwriters have been operating under this “code” for many years. If you hope to join the professional ranks, you MUST learn the code and go by it. If you are just wanting to co-write in general, it’s good to know…
Read MoreWhy You Gotta Know How To Write To Tracks
Why is it so important to know how to write to music tracks?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson discuss the way that songwriting rooms have changed dramatically over the last few years and what you need to know to create great songs in today’s market. Want to dive even deeper into writing to…
Read MoreIt’s Impossible: More Songwriting Myth Busting
I don’t know how many times each week I hear the word “impossible”. The ridiculous part of it all is that most of the things I hear being branded impossible are not really impossible to do at all, they’re just difficult. So, I’d like to do a little bit of songwriting “impossible” myth busting. Let’s…
Read MoreDarden Smith : Write Songs. Tell Stories. Move People.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Darden Smith joins Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson in the SongTown Studios to talk about his wildly creative new multi-media project, Western Skies. Darden also gives insight into how he has been able to sustain a 30+ year career in music by releasing 15 critically lauded studio albums, landing singles on both the country…
Read MoreCheck Out Producer Andrew Petroff’s Home Studio!
Andrew Petroff is a multi-genre producer, songwriter, and musician. Recent work includes songs with Sheryl Crow, Phillip Larue, Devon Gilfillian, David Nail, Sierra Hull, Savannah Conley, and Charli Adams. Andrew’s work can also be heard on placements from Apple, HBO, Grey’s Anatomy, The Black List, How to Get Away With Murder, Fox Sports, Nashville, MTV,…
Read MoreWriting for Sync : Pitching Etiquette and Negotiations
In this episode Randall Foster talks about how vital it is to have proper pitching etiquette if you want to make a good impression when meeting with any music professional. He also talks about how to negotiate song contracts if you are offered a deal. Randall Foster is Vice President of Business Development and GM…
Read MoreSongwriting Perspective: A Powerful Tool For Songwriters.
I believe that “perspective” may be one of the most powerful concepts in our lives. Your perspective can totally change your experience of an event. Siblings can have dramatically different takes on a traumatic home situation because they take different perspectives on what occurred. When I was in high school, Nelson Eddy was my…
Read MoreSongwriting Is Not An Overnight Success Business
“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 in the real world……
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