Most songwriters can’t seem to get a music publisher’s attention. They’re simply invisible, or at least it feels that way. And maybe your songs are good. Maybe they’re really good. But that doesn’t matter much if you’re missing the other key things you need to get on a publisher’s radar.
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You see, publishers are surrounded by songs and songwriters. They find them at writers nights, they meet them at workshops, they often meet with new writers sent to them from PROs, other publishers, and friends. Basically, they listen to songs and meet with songwriters. All. Freaking. Day.
Publishers are drowning in songs and songwriters. And you’re offering them a cup of water.
So, how do you get publishers to notice YOU and YOUR SONGS?
REACH & FREQUENCY.
Before a publisher can even form an opinion of you as a songwriter, he or she must know you exist. And they’ll never know you exist if you don’t reach them.
There are several ways to reach a publisher. You can ping them on social media with something kind or helpful. (Don’t be a taker.) You might meet them at a workshop or event such as Songwriting Pro’s Play For A Publisher event. Maybe they hear your name from another songwriter or see it on a lyric sheet as they listen to one of your songs. Maybe they’ll see you at a writers night or shake your hand at an industry function.
You’ve reached the publisher and you’ve gotten their attention for a second, a minute, or even an hour. But it’s not enough.
Even if they like you. Even if they like your songs. You walk out of that room, and “poof” – you’re invisible again. They’ll have another meeting, go to another writers round or hear another batch of good songs.
You need frequency. So get your frequency on.
You need your name, face and/or songs to reach that publisher again. And again. And again. You need to reach that publisher with enough frequency that they go from “I’m sorry… have we met?” to “What’s your name again?” to “Yeah, you wrote that song about blah blah blah” to “Hey, Joe! Great to see you again! How ya been?”
You have to be patient. But don’t be so patient that you only reach out to them every other year.
You have to be persistent. But don’t be so persistent that you call them every other day.
So, what’s the right frequency? I can’t tell you that. It’s going to be different for each songwriter and each publisher. But I do know this: If your songs are really great or really horrible, it won’t take nearly as long for the publisher to remember and form an opinion of you. So if you’re really, really bad, you should probably focus on your craft before worrying about finding a publisher.
But if you ARE ready to reach a publisher in a friendly setting- on a personal level- without your songs being judged- I have a great opportunity for you.
On Tuesday, July11, 2017, I’m hosting an online “Know The Row” event 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!
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.
