The Truth About “Turning Pro” as a Songwriter
When my son was going through his freshman orientation at Belmont University’s School of Music Business, many there were hopeful of turning pro one day as a songwriter. Another parent raised their hand and asked “So, if my daughter gets her degree in songwriting from Belmont, she’s pretty much guaranteed a “slot” in the Music…
Read More4 Big Ways Songwriters Network
Networking seems to be a common struggle for songwriters. Many creative types are just not very social and we tend to be introverted. That can make it hard to really build the team you need to help you get your songs heard and placed. So, here are 4 ways this introvert has overcome some of his natural tendencies…
Read MoreRecording At Home: My Demo Process On A #1 Song I Co-wrote With Darius Rucker
People often ask me if they have to do full-production demos to present songs to publishers or major artist? I do a fair amount of full demos, but I also have had about half of my major cuts from pitching home demos done on a very basic set-up on my mac laptop. The Home Studio…
Read MoreHow To Get A Songwriting Staff Writing Deal
As a pro songwriter for the last 25 years, I’ve learned there are 5 key ways I know to increase your chances of getting a songwriting staff writing deal with a publisher: Get to know music publishers organically. If there’s a publisher you are interested in and you are able, go to writer’s nights where…
Read MoreChris Wallin : #1 Hit Songwriter
SongTown sits down with hit songwriter Chris Wallin who has topped the charts with songs such as “Don’t Blink” by Kenny Chesney, “I’m Tryin’” for Trace Adkins, “Something To Be Proud Of” and “Speed” by Montgomery Gentry and many more. Chris talks about the ups and downs of his journey through the music business and…
Read MoreSuccess In Any Creative Business: 4 Ways To Increase Your Odds
From time to time, someone asks me “What are the odds of getting a cut?” In my mind, what they are really asking is “Is this even worth trying?” I’d like to share with you how to increase your odds of success in any creative business. I’m going to suggest here that this is the…
Read More6 Last Minute Re-Writing Questions For Songwriters
I have found that rewriting songs a week or two after I write them and running through this quick checklist helps me catch and fix many of the major flaws that can exist in a song. Print this one out and hang it in you writing (or re-writing) room to remind yourself to check these…
Read MoreMistakes Lyric Writers Make
Can songs sound good AND make sense? Hit Songwriters Marty and Clay sit down to talk about the common mistakes they see lyric writers make and share lyrics hacks that you can apply to your own songs to instantly make your songs better! Write better songs faster! Clay & Marty’s 10-day video series will help…
Read MoreThis Valentine’s Day: 5 Ways to Write Songs About Love
One of our standard pro songwriter jokes goes something like this… Bill – What are you up to today, Bob? Bob – Oh, just trying to find another rhyme for love. We joke about it because many hours in the life of a pro songwriter are spent trying to find a new way to say…
Read MoreSongwriters: Songs Can Sound Good AND Make Sense!
Can songs really sound good AND make sense? A couple of years ago, I was scheduled to co-write with a pretty well known rock band. Little did I know it would prove to be a case of sound and sense…. They wanted to write at 9 PM at a remote house they had rented for a…
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