Darden 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 MoreRaw and Real Singer-Songwriter Kalie Shorr
Artist/Songwriter Kalie Shorr joins hit writer Marty Dodson in the SongTown Studio to talk about her journey in the Country Music Market. Kalie has been on multiple tours opening for major artists, has her own Podcast supported by Bobby Bones and has been an integral part in Nashville’s Song Suffragettes. Write better songs faster! Clay…
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……
Read MoreDoes Writing A Great Song Even Matter Anymore?
Does writing a great song even matter anymore? Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson weigh in on the subject and share things you can focus on in your songwriting instead of getting wrapped up in the negative. Write better songs faster! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series will help you level-up your songs and…
Read MoreHow Do Songwriters Get Paid? 4 Ways You Could Be Missing Out
Songwriters are wonderfully creative people with the ability to dream big with their hearts and minds. But often, we don’t understand the answer to the important question, “how do songwriters get paid.” So, here’s an overview of how songwriters get paid. Publishing Draws for songwriters. This is a monthly amount a publisher pays to a…
Read MoreGetting Feedback Before Demoing a Song
Should you be getting feedback before demoing a song? Listen in as Hit Songwriters Clay Mills (Multiple #1 Songs, Grammy Nominated Songwriter) and Marty Dodson (10 #1 Singles and 125+ Cuts) talk about how much feedback you should get before demoing a song and where that feedback should come from.
Read MoreWriting WITH Recording Artists
Writing WITH an artist can be a totally different experience than writing for/pitching songs to an artist. Hit songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share co-writing tips from their combined 25+ years of experience of writing with recording artists. If you want to have a better chance of your song getting cut by an artist…
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