If you get the chance to play a song for a publisher, what kind of song should you play?  What kind of demo?  Should you play a cowritten song?

The awesome members of the Songwriting Pro community often ask me questions about publishers and publisher meetings.  I thought I’d answer a few of them here on the blog.  So let’s dive in!

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Question: What kind of song should I play for a music publisher in Nashville?  A country song?  I song I think fits the market or radio?  Or just something I think is cool?

Chris Oglesby of BMG Chrysalis dropped some great advice on us at a previous Play For A Publisher event that Songwriting Pro hosted.  Here’s what he had to say on the subject:

“Play songs for publishers that YOU love.  Don’t just play what you THINK the publisher will love.  After all, you probably don’t really know the publisher personally, so you don’t really know what they’ll like.  But songs that YOU love will tell the publisher a lot about YOU, and that’s valuable.”

I agree with Chris.  And that’s because publishers are usually looking for more than just a great song.  They’re looking for a great songwriter.  And so they want to get to know YOU.  Yes, they want to work with a writer that can write radio hits and make a ton money.  But what’s the special sauce that will make YOUR songs different, and tasty?  Well, that’s the “YOU” ingredient that only YOU can provide.  And the publisher can get the best taste of YOU when you play songs that you love- because they will have the most YOU in them.

After all, over the long haul, the real you is going to shine through in your songs- for better or worse.  So the earlier a publisher can find the real you, the earlier he or she can figure out if the two of you are a good match, musically, personally, and professionally.

As for me (since I’m currently collecting songs for our next Play For A Publisher event), I’m just looking for something that knocks my socks off.  Something I think is really cool.  Not everything I select for these events are radio-hit types of songs.  But each of them are really cool in their own way.

Question: Can I ONLY play fully-produced demos for publishers?  I don’t have full-band recordings of my songs…

You want to make the best first impression possible.  So, if you have two songs that are both really good, but one is demoed and the other isn’t, I’m always going to play the demoed song.  It’s more professional, and it’s just easier for the publisher to hear and “get” the full expression of your song.  But a worktape or guitar/vocal of a great song beats a full demo of a good song every time.

Good song people know great songs- even if they aren’t fully produced.  A good guitar/vocal should be enough.  Or even a clean, well-performed worktape.  But even the best song person might miss a great song if the work tape is really bad.

(Side note: I don’t want to work with a publisher who can’t hear a great song in a decent worktape.  After all, they’ll be listening to worktapes to help me figure out which songs to demo!)

For the Play For A Publisher event, you can send a demo, a simple stripped-down recording, or a work tape.  It’s all welcome.

Question:  Can I play cowritten songs for a publisher?  Or do I have to write the songs all by myself?

It doesn’t matter if your song is a solo write or a cowrite.  A publisher just wants a great song.  Granted, it’s more impressive if you can write a killer song on your own.  This is for two reasons: 1) it’s rare that great songs are written, much less by one person and 2) the publisher doesn’t have to wonder if you were responsible for the cool stuff in the song or not- they know it’s ALL you.

So, a great solo written song is an added bonus, but having a cowriter (or cowriters) on your song won’t make a publisher like it any less.

For the Play For A Publisher event, both solo and cowrites are welcome.  I screen them without any idea if it’s a solo or cowrite- I’m just listening for really cool songs.

Question: Ready to play YOUR song for a publisher?

If YOU would like to play your song for a legit music publisher, our next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest will be Matt Lindsey of Matt Lindsey Music.  Matt has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND SEND IN YOUR SONG!

Last question:  Is this event worth my time?

These events have resulted in publishers wanting copies of songs, to wanting meetings with the writers to an open door to send more songs.  It’s a great relationship-building tool for songwriters.

And here’s what a couple of previous participants have to say:

“The combination of Brent’s talent as a songwriting teacher with some of the best ears among Music Row’s publishers makes this an indispensable event for any aspiring writer.” – Joe Slyzelia “Vinyl Afternoon”

“I just took part in Brent Baxter’s Play For A Publisher event with Chris Oglesby of BMG. This was a great opportunity for me to get one of my songs in front of Chris and also to meet him personally. Chris listened to my song (and everyone else’s) start to finish and gave very useful and specific feedback regarding each. Chris and Brent took a lot of time throughout the night to answer everyones’ questions. This was very educational, helped me get my face and name in front of a prominent figure in the Nashville music industry, and honestly was a lot of fun. Thanks Brent and Chris for a great experience!” – David Hill “Are You Awake”

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.  He  also  co-hosts  the  popular  podcast  “The  C.L.I.M.B.”  available  on iTunes,  Stitcher,  and  HERE.

When trying to get a music publisher’s attention for cowrites or a publishing deal, how produced should my songs be?

Can I play a worktape (imperfections and all), a clean guitar/vocal or piano/vocal, or does it need to have a full band?

I’ve gotten this question from the Songwriting Pro community on several occasions, so let’s talk about it!

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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

_________________________________

What’s your goal?

Well, like most things in the music biz, there’s no one right answer.  Think about your goal for the meeting.  If it’s just to get feedback to make your song better, a work tape is preferable.  The publisher will feel more free to make suggestions.  If you have a full demo, it’s more uncomfortable for them to suggest changes that might mean you having to drop another $800 on a new demo.

But if your goal is to be seen as a pro and treated as a pro, you want everything about you to be professional.  And that includes your song’s production.  So you want to play the most pro-sounding recordings you have, whether that’s a guitar/vocal, or just your best “one-take” iPhone worktape.

Here’s what I do.

Even though I’m already seen as a pro in the biz, I only play demos or high-quality guitar/vocals for publishers when I’m first getting to know them.  Over time, I may feel more comfortable playing work tapes- but not at first.  At first I always want to put my best foot forward.

That being said, it’s important to start playing work tapes for a publisher as your relationship deepens and you’re talking about signing a deal.  I don’t want to write for a publisher who has to hear a full demo before he knows if the song is any good or not.  I want to be able to run into his office and play that day’s worktape and have him do backflips and yell, “we gotta demo that!”

Here’s what I’m NOT saying…

Now, I’m not saying that you should stop trying to make publisher relationships until you’ve dropped a few grand on demos.  I’m not saying that.  Get feedback through other sources first (Songwriter Pro Coaching, NSAI, etc.).  That way you can figure out if your song is worth demoing.

Playing the demo of a bad song just tells the publisher that you don’t have the judgement to know NOT to demo a bad song.  It tells the publisher that you probably don’t even know it’s a bad song.  So save your money (and your reputation) until your songs are ready.

So to break down playing a full demo for a publisher:

**If the song is amazing, the publisher can run right out the door and pitch it immediately.

**If the song is good, you look like that much more of a professional.

**If the song needs work, the publisher is less likely to suggest changes.

**If the song is bad, you look like that much more of an amateur.

If your song- worktape or demo- is ready for a publisher… if you’re ready to get some honest, helpful feedback… or if you’re ready to knock a publisher’s socks off, I have a great opportunity coming up for you.

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up, and our guest is Matt Lindsey of Matt Lindsey Music.  Matt has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

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 and a #1 in Canada… so far.  He  also  co-hosts  the  popular  podcast  “The  C.L.I.M.B.”  available  on iTunes,  Stitcher,  and  HERE.