Want to get inside the mind of a hit music publisher? Read on!
We had a great “Play For A Publisher” event in September with John Ozier of Ole’ Music in Nashville. The Songwriting Pro community brought some strong songs, and John brought some great advice. Let’s dive into some of his advice (paraphrased)!
You can never have a bad meeting if you play great songs. John tries not to “cast” his songs too much- he just takes in his best songs.
Want more? Read on below.
_______________________________
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!
_________________________________
Write honesty. Don’t cast your songs so much (thinking “who can cut this? I’m going to write it like I think Artist X will like”) that you end up faking it. There’s no cookie-cutter way of writing a good song. Figure out what makes you different as a songwriter and do more of that.
Go for interesting, hooky phrasing. Phrasing seems to be what’s separating good songs from great songs right now.
Small publishers can’t sign 5 writers who all do the same thing. They want specific skillsets. They can’t be redundant. Build a body of work that the publisher loves. They’ll take work ethic over talent. You can’t control your talent, but you can control your work ethic. It’s 10% talent and 90% hustle.
First lines are important. Hook the listener fast. And if a title looks like a bumper sticker, that’s a good thing.
A&R wants tempo, attitude, and ear candy. Your song needs to fit sonically between the current hit songs and artists. Study radio. Catch the upswing of styles and sonics.
Not every song is for radio. Synch (film/tv) is a growing business for music publishers. Plus, synch licensing can help build an artist’s brand.
Want to play YOUR song for a legit music publisher? Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up, and our guest is Joe Dan Cornett, Creative Director of Daywind Music Publishing & Billy Blue Publishing! Joe Dan works in the Country, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass and CCM/Worship markets. If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them! Play for a publisher. Get his professional feedback. Make a connection. Overcome your fear.
CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND SEND IN YOUR SONG!
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, a #1 Single of the Year in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far. He also co-hosts a 5-star podcast, “The C.L.I.M.B.” on iTunes, Stitcher & HERE.
