Music Business
Songwriter Write-Up-Itis: Do You Suffer From This Common Illness?
Clay and I continually run into people throughout SongTown territories that have songwriter “write-up-itis”. We can spot the affliction immediately because we have both battled this dreadful and potentially fatal disease in the past. The symptoms generally start after you write the first song that you think is really commercially viable. A slight fever starts…
Read MoreSongwriters: 5 Keys To Building A Better Song Catalog
Several SongTownian’s have recently asked the question, “what’s the best way to build a better song catalog?” Here are some key things I’ve learned over the years after writing for several major publishing companies and building a new catalog at each. Write, write, write! There is no substitute for this. A catalog is a collection of songs. You…
Read MoreSony Records A&R Director TAYLOR LINDSEY
Sony A&R Executive Taylor Lindsay shares about her job and about what she does as her official title. Chapters Chapter 1: Background Chapter 2: What is a Director of A&R? Chapter 3: What do A&Rs look for in Artists? Chapter 4: How is being a publisher and being an A&R different? Chapter 5: Do artists…
Read MoreThe Poor Man’s Copyright For Songwriters: Separating Truth From Fiction (Updated 2024)
For years I have heard the phrase “Poor Man’s Copyright” thrown around in songwriting circles. The term is often brought up as a cheap alternative to an official $65 copyright from the US Copyright Office. Mailing a song to yourself… Statements are thrown out like: “Don’t bother to pay the money for the real deal.…
Read MoreWhat Do Publishers Look For In Songs (Revised 2023)
For many songwriters and artists, trying to figure out what publishers look for in songs can often feel like stumbling through an endless maze. Often this search for what someone else is look for leaves an artist or writer losing touch with their own talent and uniqueness. Throughout my career I’ve managed to navigate this…
Read MoreDo Songwriters Need A Publisher?
Do songwriters need a publisher? This is a question that I get all the time. Like most things in life, there is not a one-size-fits-all answer to the question. In general, I explain it to people this way. It’s very similar to the way I would answer the question “Do I really need a mechanic to…
Read MoreSongwriter Split Sheets: Pro Writer Explains What You Really Need To Know!
Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson talks about getting co-signed songwriting split sheets for your songs and why they are so important. Chapters Chapter 1: What is on a songwriter split sheet? Chapter 2: How are the percentages split? Chapter 3: Why are songwriter split sheets important? Chapter 4: Is publishing important to list? Chapter 5: What…
Read MoreSync Briefs: Your Key To Music Placements In Ads, TV & Film
Randall Foster is Vice President of Business Development and GM of the Nashville office of a digital distribution company called Symphonic Distribution. Prior to his current role, Randall was the leader of the Creative Sync & Licensing for ole music publishing where he oversaw a vast catalog of music copyrights and intellectual property and managed…
Read MoreWhat Is A Staff Songwriter?
There are many misconceptions about what it means to be a “staff songwriter.” So, I thought I’d make an attempt at clearing that up. In layman’s terms, a staff songwriter has signed an exclusive agreement giving a publisher some portion of every song they write. (During the term of the agreement.) So, if a songwriter…
Read MoreThe Out-Of-Town Songwriter: Getting A Major Artist Cut If You Don’t Live In Nashville, NYC, or LA
The number one question that fills our email inbox is “How do I get a song cut by a major artist if I’m an out-of-town songwriter?” “I don’t live in a big music city” is the challenge. This strikes at the very core of why Marty Dodson and I created this virtual SongTown of kindred…
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