Bridges: A Songwriter’s Rule Of Thumb
One of the most difficult moments in the process of writing a song is “bridge time.” I have been in many co-writes where we agonized over whether or not we need a bridge. At one point, early in my career, I came to my publisher to ask him if I needed a bridge in a song I…
Read MoreThe Truth About “First Use” Song Licenses
Lately, I’ve run into several interesting situations with “first use” song licenses, so I thought I’d try to educate and enlighten just a bit here. Copyright law allows the copyright owners to control the FIRST recording of any song. After that, a compulsory license kicks in. After the first license is granted, then ANYONE who…
Read MoreTaking Chances With Your Songwriting
Taking Chances With Your Songwriting By: Marty Dodson Several years ago, my publisher asked me to attend a song camp in Sweden. I love to travel, but Sweden is a long way from the comfortable confines of Nashville. The trip cost a good bit of money. My publisher paid for it up front, but they…
Read MoreIf you are a writer, your time is better spent on a clever lyric than a clever tweet
“Social media is a giant distraction to the ultimate aim, which is honing your craft as a songwriter. There are people who are exceptional at it, however, and if you can do both things, then that’s fantastic, but if you are a writer, the time is better spent on a clever lyric than a clever…
Read MoreHow To Behave In The Music Business: Don’t Be A Squirrel!
How To Behave In The Music Business: Don’t Be A Squirrel! By: Marty Dodson This is one of the questions I get all the time. People will say, “I called ASCAP and they never called me back. Why are they so rude?” Or, “I went to five publishers and none of them would listen to…
Read MoreWhat If These Artist Had Said “I Only Create When I’m Inspired”
What If These Artist Had Said “I Only Create When I’m Inspired” By: Clay Mills Do you find yourself choosing to only writeåÊsongs when your inspired byåÊheartache or some other major life event? Here’s a quick list of some truly great art the world would never know if the artist had said, ÛÏI only create…
Read MoreA Modern Songwriting Parable
So, let’s say I invent a new kitchen gadget and I really want to get Walmart to stock my gadget on their shelves. Why do I want Walmart to stock it? Duh? They have millions of customers. If I want to make lots of money with my product, I HAVE to get Walmart to sell…
Read MoreHow One Day Can Change Your Songwriting Life!
How One Day Can Change Your Songwriting Life! By: Marty Dodson One of the things I love about songwriting is that your fortunes can change completely in one day. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience several of those life changing days. One day, I walked into Jason Matthew’s house with nothing going on in my…
Read MoreArriving: In Life And Songwriting
The longer I live and the more I write, the more I realize that there really is no “destination” in life, unless it is death. Short of the grave, we are all still on the journey, trying to figure out the world and our place in it. In regard to writing, we all (or most of us…
Read More6 Demo Mistakes That Can KILL Your Song
So, you’ve written a great song and you want to record an amazing demo to present it to the world. Here are 6 demo mistakes I have learned in a 20 year career and more than 6,000 demos: 1) Telling the band what to play. Let the band and the engineer be creative. A…
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