12 | June | 2017 | Songwriting Pro

Congratulations to our newest “Play For Publisher” Top Ten songs and songwriters!

First of all, thank you to each of you who took a chance, took positive action, and submitted one or more songs to the “Play For Publisher” event with Tim Hunze of Parallel Music. Ya’ll are just plain awesome.

Out of about 200 songs, it took a while to whittle it down to just 10. We have country songs, pop songs, male songs, female songs, and there’s even a worktape!

There were a lot of worthy songs sent in, and I felt bad about leaving so many out. If your song wasn’t chosen this time doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good song.

You know, one time I turned a song in to my publisher, and they didn’t know what to do with it, so they didn’t want to do anything with it. My cowriters wanted to demo it, and the publisher said they wouldn’t pay for a demo.

The song was called, “Crickets,” and we got it cut by Joe Nichols. It’s the title track to his current album.

That’s right. The song my publisher wouldn’t even pay to demo got cut anyway. (My cowriters did an out-of-pocket guitar/vocal, and we pitched it ourselves.)

Welcome to Nashville. So while I listened to each and every song and did my best to pick the ones that have the best chance of catching Tim’s ear… I could be wrong. That’s just the way the music biz works. So if your song wasn’t selected, it doesn’t mean you should give up on it.

Okay, here are the Top Ten (in no particular order):

“My Shirt” by Mark Maxwell

“You Make It Rain” by Jonathan Helfand, Colin Axwell

“Mermaids & Pirates” by Jean Nolan, Kelsey Lamb, Taylor Goyette

“Pins & Needles” by Mikalyn Hay, Murray Dangle, Bobby John

“Call Me Drunk” by Troy Castellano, Doug Folkins

“Quitter” by Troy Castellano, Brett Mandel

“A Phone That Never Rings” by Danielle Diamond

“Another” by David Michael, Daniel Leathersich

“Your Key Still Works” by Jayne Sachs, Joey Ebach

“The Sound” by Jonathan Dean, Brandon Day

(The Songwriting Pro community would LOVE to hear your songs, so if you have a link you’d like to post to your “Top 10” song, please post it in the comments below!)

Congratulations! Tim and I look forward to hanging out with you on June 20. (In the days before the event, I’ll email the winners the instructions about the online meeting.)

Like I said, the 10 songs above aren’t the only good ones I had the pleasure of hearing. There are several more that were put “on hold” for the top 10 songs. This list could be quite a bit longer, but I’d like to spotlight a few of them, too. (Ya’ll feel free to link up your songs in the comments, too!)

“ON HOLD” songs…

“Yeah Oooh” by Nila Kay Jackson

“You Don’t Have To Ask” by James Kocian, Nick Siracuse, Jan Linder-Koda

“Off-Key Singing” by James Kocian

“Wishing On Weeds” by Alyssa Trahan, Danny Trainer, Max Masson

“Drinkin’ Days” by Steve Smentek, Chuck Jones

“Put Your Pants Back On” by Jayne Sachs, Hattie Murdoch

“Driftwood” by Danielle Diamond

“Thank You” by Jody Stewart-Regner, Jason Duke, Ben Freeman

“Days Like These” by Troy Castellano, Keesy Timmer, Dave Quirk

“Old Oak Tree” by Jenny Leigh, Nick Donley, Ryan Sorestad

These songs, along with others, were in there battling it out with the top 10, so be encouraged!

If you want to become a songwriting pro (in how you think, write songs or do business), then a great place to start is RIGHT HERE. I want to help you on your songwriting journey. I’ve been in the music business for years, and I’m here to help you get the cuts – and avoid the bruises. CLICK HERE TO START HERE.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Music publishing isn’t just about slinging songs all over town. It isn’t just about finding great songs and pitching those songs until they get cut. If publishing was ever about that, it certainly isn’t anymore.

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success. Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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When I first moved to Nashville from Arkansas in 2002, my understanding of music publishing was that they sign songs and songwriters, pitch those songs, get cuts, and collect and pass along royalties. I was excited about the possibility that a publisher might hook me up with some other songwriters, pay for my demos and provide a place where I could write. And I felt blessed when all that finally started to happen.

But it wasn’t enough. The business model was changing.

That first publishing deal WAS a blessing. The guys at Major Bob took a chance on signing a young songwriter. I’m really thankful for them. I was learning to write better and better songs. And the guys at Major Bob hooked me up with some good cowriters. And they would give me some feedback. But at the end of the day…

I spent a lot of time trying to create great songs, but not enough time trying to create great opportunities.

Heck, I was a newbie. I had moved to Nashville to write songs, and that’s what I was finally getting to do. And I was LOVING it. But while I basically understood how the music business works (royalties, publishing, licensing, etc.), I didn’t understand how the RELATIONSHIP business worked. Not really. And it cost me.

It’s great that I was working to create great songs. But I should’ve been wiser about creating great relationships at labels, with other publishers, producers, and artists.

(Maybe Major Bob was working hard on that for me – but my songs just weren’t good enough to open those doors. But in either case, I myself wasn’t focused on it enough.)

The smart publishers these days are focused on creating great opportunities for their writers. That’s why so many publishers sign writer/artists and writer/producers these days. Those MIGHT become in-house opportunities for cuts and cowriters. Publishers are partnering with labels (and labels are starting publishing companies). Publishers are also actively working to get their writers in the room with producers and artists.

Heck, Ole’ Music even has a tour bus that will take their writers on the road to write with artists. They’re serious about creating opportunities for their writers.

All this is in an effort to put their staffwriters in a position to win with a great song. (Yes, publishers still do the traditional “find a great songwriter and pitch their best songs” thing. That model just isn’t having as much success anymore, so they’re having to be more aggressive in creating opportunities.)

But what if you don’t have a publisher?

Well, you’re not off the hook. If you want cuts and hits, you need to focus on creating BOTH great music AND great opportunities. Don’t expect a publisher to come riding in on a white horse and save the day. Get started now. Start identifying potential opportunities- now. Start forging relationships- now.

After all, if you don’t HAVE a publisher, you ARE your publisher!

If you’re ready to learn more about how publishing works – or if you’re ready to start making your own relationships with music publishers, I have a great first step for you.

I’m hosting an online “Know The Row” event in July with Senior Creative Director of Daywind Music, Chad Green. This is YOUR chance to connect with a music publisher and to ask him YOUR questions. With it being online, you can join us from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. If you want details, just CLICK HERE. Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited!