6 Crucial Pieces of Co-writer Information You Need To Get When Collaborating
Most of us songwriters are happy-go-lucky types… We waltz into a co-write with lofty dreams and aspirations and then we boogie our way home with smiles on our faces because we just wrote another “hit” that could change our lives. That’s a fun way to approach life for sure. But, we often forget some CRUCIAL…
Read MoreWhy Is The First Verse So Important To Songwriting?
Writers often overlook the importance of a great first verse. A first verse can make or break your song. Here’s why: 1) Industry people don’t have a lot of time to spend on each song. If your first verse doesn’t grab them, they will turn off your song and not even listen to the rest,…
Read MoreWhy Good Songs Fail: The “Preachy Lyric” Songwriting Trap
In pro songwriting circles, writers know about the “preachy lyric” trap and avoid it at all costs. No, we’re not talking religion in this episode of SongTown On Songwriting, but we are talking about a common pitfall that will trip up your potentially great song. Adding More Heart To Your Songs : Online CrashCourse Change…
Read MoreSongwriters: Are You Using The Power Of Metadata?
Let’s talk about a powerful tool that I use daily in my songwriting life, Metadata. Metadata is the key to mastering your song catalog and making better pitches. It organizes your songs and helps you target with what they’re looking for. And most importantly, when you send your song to a publisher or producer or…
Read MoreSongwriters: 5 Ways You Can Inspire Your Co-Writers
I’m a firm believer that inspiration can fall down upon us like a gift from heaven. But I’m also a big believer in the ideas that hard work and preparation can create inspiration. The best songs I’ve ever written were born from some combination of those 3 factors. I can’t control inspiration that comes down…
Read MoreSongwriting Hack – “Lyrical Opposites”
In this episode, Hit Songwriter Clay Mills talks about lyrical opposites and how you can use them in your songwriting to create hookier and more powerful songs. Chapters: Chapter 1: Titles Chapter 2: Implied Opposites Chapter 3: Setup Lines 1. Titles Check out these titles: “I Hate Myself for Loving You”, “Beautiful Mess”, “Nobody In…
Read MoreBlueprinting Your Songs: How To Write Better Songs Faster
Something that has changed my songwriting in a radical way is a technique I call blueprinting your song. When you’re building a house, you hope that the builder is working from a good blueprint. That’s really the only way to make sure that the house you wind up with is the house you intended to…
Read MoreBad Music And Songwriting
“I want more than anything to get one of my songs recorded by a major artist on the radio.” “Today’s music sucks. The stuff artist are putting out is bad music and it all sounds the same!!” (Two sentences spoken by an aspiring songwriter during a coffee conversation.) The other day at Bongo Java Coffee…
Read MoreDid I Wait Too Long To Start Writing Songs?
Many of our SongTown members put songwriting aside for years while they raised a family. The dreams from their 20’s only really started to get a chance in their 40’s or 50’s or beyond because life got in the way. So, they come to us and ask “Did I wait too long to start writing…
Read MoreFake It Till You Make It: A Pro Songwriter Shares Why It Isn’t A Smart Strategy
How many times have you heard it said that one must “Fake it to make it” or “Act as if you’ve already achieved your goal.” Nice comforting quotes but not a smart strategy for chasing your songwriting goals. I remember starting out years ago, landing my first publishing deal as a staff writer in Nashville,…
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