Tag Archives: Parallel Music

Great advice from our June 2018 “Play For A Publisher” event!

Want to get inside the mind of a hit music publisher?  Read on!

We had a great “Play For A Publisher” event in June with Tim Hunze of Parallel Music in Nashville.  The Songwriting Pro community brought some strong songs, and Tim brought some great advice.  Let’s dive into some of his advice!

Publishers are looking for GREAT songs.  Bring your best and let him know who you are as a writer.  Bring something that represents the real you, not just who you think the publisher wants you to be.

Want more?  Read on below.

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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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Even thought it might be an honest line… beware if it makes the singer look like a jerk.  Singers tend to prefer songs that make them look good.

Be sure you write to the hook.  If you have a great hook but a cliche’ setup or even a non-setup, it’s a missed opportunity.

Aim for the fringes.  If an artist usually writes a particular type of song, it’s going to be really hard for you (not writing with the artist) to get a cut on that type of song.  Aim for the fringes.  Aim for what they don’t write.

A clean guitar/vocal with a loop beats a bad demo.  Either go simple demo or do a great full demo.  A mediocre or “not great” demo hurts you.

A great place to find new artists is the “New Boots” playlist on Spotify.

Most artists don’t want songs that are super wordy.

A lot of artists like good, positive message songs.

These are just a few of the value-bombs Tim dropped on us that night.  If you’d like a get a legit music publisher to give YOU some advice… I have a great opportunity for you.

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up, and our guest is John Ozier of Ole’ Music!  John has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists.  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 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

Congrats To Our June 2018 “Play For A Publisher” Winners!

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 over 230 songs, it took a while to whittle it down to just 10.  We have country songs, pop songs, cowrites & solo-written songs!

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 one of his recent albums.

joe-nichols-crickets

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):

“Surprised” by Kay Williams Mott, Katherine Portanova

“Fences” by Eric Mallon

“The Boy That Once Was Me” by Sam Speirs

“She’s Gonna Leave A Mark” by Jeff Roe, Matt Rogers

“Three-Star Hotel Room” by Curtis Cameron

“Stars In The City” by Cody Coggins, Cheryl Jividen

“All About The Party” by Jonathan Helfand, Conner Sweet

“Hey, LA” by David Michael, Daniel Leathersich

“Picture Frame” by Josh Kiser

“Beat Down” by Troy Werner

(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 19.  (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…

“Nice Tall Glass”  by Marla Rubenstein, Tucker Bouler, Betsy Walter, John Cirillo, Dan  Reifsnyder

“Just An Old Tattoo” by Richard Rende, Jacob Morris

“It’s Goin’ Fast Enough” by Marla Rubinstein, Kelly McGrath, Brad McKinney, 

“Stars” by William Underwood

“Furniture” by John Watts

“LA” by Brendan Roberson

“Ammunition” by Tiffany Williams

“Nowhere Bar” by Dan Harrison, Andrew Capra

“I Thank God For Your First” by Jonathan Helfand, Joey Ebach

“Life Behind Bars” by David Micheal, Ross Cooper

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, a top 10 in Texas, and a #1 in Canada… so far.SWP 4

This one surprising fear may be silently killing your songwriting career.

You know that great song idea you believe is a sure-fire hit… Why haven’t you written it yet?

What’s really keeping you from writing that powerful song idea that’s been sitting in your notebook?  And why haven’t you called and asked for that (potentially) life-changing cowrite even though you think they’ll say “yes?” And what’s keeping you from walking through that open door to play your best song for an artist or publisher?

Is it fear of failure?

Maybe.  Maybe not.  Read on below.

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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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Maybe you fear that the artist or publisher will say your best song isn’t good enough. Maybe you fear “ruining” your hit idea because when you write it, you might write it “wrong.”  Maybe you’re afraid of sitting down with a big-time writer and being exposed as a fraud. You might be terrified of what happens if your dream gets crushed.  Or…

…maybe you fear what will happen if your dream comes true.

Maybe somewhere deep down you fear that your hit song idea REALLY IS A HIT.

A hit can be scary.  A hit means you finally have to decide if you want to quit your “safe” day job and try to repeat your success.  Nobody expected anything from you as a writer before- but now they’re waiting to see if you can do it again.  Yikes!

And what if your cowrite with the big-name writer goes really well, and he wants to write again or even recommends you to his big-name writer buddies?  Maybe you’ll be found out as a fraud.  (You aren’t a fraud, by the way.)

Success can make you feel a lot of pressure to write at a high level again and again, on demand.  And maybe you don’t know if you’re up for that. Maybe you don’t know if you’re good enough.

Fear of success can be just as paralyzing as fear of failure.

Now, I’m no shrink, so I’m not going to try and walk you through how to defeat fear of success. But I do know there’s value in identifying where your fear is coming from- so you can call it by name as you battle it.

And I know there’s value in facing your fears.  It’s okay to be afraid.  Just do what you fear, anyway.  Fear gives you the opportunity to be brave.

What about you?  What fears have been holding you back?  And what are you going to do to punch that fear in its big fat face?  Let me know in the comments!

Oh, and if you’re afraid of putting your music out there, of having a real live music professional hear it… I have a great opportunity for you to practice bravery.

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim 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!  Play for a publisher.  Get his professional feedback.  Make a connection.  Overcome your fear.  But the deadline to send in your song is THIS WEEK.

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 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

2 rhyming mistakes that can ruin your song

You might not think too much about your rhymes. You might just go with whatever rhymes fall out naturally as you write your songs. Any rhyme is a good rhyme, right?

Wrong.

If you want to write songs that thrill your fans or get recorded by other artists, you need to be intentional about your rhymes. Making the following two rhyming mistakes can hurt your song – and your chances for songwriting or artist success.

Read on if you want to write better songs.

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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

_________________________________

1. Boring Rhymes.

“My love for you… is true” and “without you… I’m so blue” is NOT gonna cut it. Neither will “our love… is a gift from above.” Moon and June. My way and the highway. Heart and apart.

Professional songwriting is so competitive, you must be more interesting. Publishers and artists want something fresh- something they haven’t heard before a bazillion times.

If you think you’ve heard a certain rhyme a lot, imagine how many times a publisher has heard it!

Yes, some boring rhymes will make it into songs on the radio, but they’re probably either internal rhymes which don’t have to do as much work (they’re almost like “bonus rhymes,”) or they’re few and far between. Or they’re written by the artist or an established hit songwriter. Either way, you want to be better than that. You have to be better than that.

To get away with simple, cliche rhymes, you have to do something absolutely amazing in other areas of your song- melody, idea, raw simple honesty, or something else.  But why put yourself in a position to have to depend on those other parts of your song?

Why not get the best of both worlds- have a great melody AND interesting rhymes?

2. Chasing Rhymes.

It’s easy to start chasing rhymes. This is when you write a line with a setup rhyme and, instead of concentrating on what needs to be said, you just try to get the payoff rhyme to work.

For example, line 2 of your verse says, “You’re the one I love” setting up an “of”-sounding rhyme in line 4. It’s easy to spend lines 3 and 4 just getting to, “Girl, we fit like a glove,” without really stopping to consider the thought behind the lines should be.

A place this happens a lot is the line right before the chorus.

The line right before the chorus is one of the most important lines in your song- it sets up the chorus and helps determine the impact the top of the chorus has on the listener. (In basketball terms, the last line of the verse or pre-chorus throws the ball up – alley oops it- so the chorus can slam dunk it.)

But sometimes that line, instead of serving the song or chorus, is trapped into serving the rhyme that comes before it. For example, a writer can get too focused on, “The line above ends in ‘blue’ so I have to write the next line so it ends with an ‘oo’ sound.”

This can result in a line that’s weaker than it should be.

To avoid this trap, I’ll often figure out the IDEA of the set-up line, but intentionally leave it unrhymed. Then I’ll move on to the last line of the chorus and get that line just right.

The line at the end of the verse or right before the chorus is more important than the line in the middle of the verse.  And I’d rather have the more important line determine the rhyme of the less important line. This frees me up to focus on finding the strongest idea for the last line of the verse- on finding the best idea and figuring out how to say it. After I have that figured out, I can go back to the set-up line and figure that one out.

Remember: the thought behind the line is more important than the rhyme at the end of the line.

 

It requires intentionality, discipline and time to build the habit of putting the thought behind the line first. But it’s worth it. It helps your song to be more thoughtful and more interesting. Figure out the thought first, then figure out the rhyme.

Rhymes matter. If you don’t believe me, just ask a publisher.

Easy for me to say, right? How do you actually GET your song to a publisher to ask them? Well, I’m glad you asked.  I have a wonderful opportunity for you.

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 is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim 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, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

5 Ways To Ruin A Publisher Meeting

Let’s say you’ve leveraged your networking and songwriting skills to finally land a meeting with a music publisher. Congratulations! Now, don’t screw it up.

No pressure, right? Don’t worry. I’m here to help. To keep you from ruining this opportunity, here are five things you SHOULD NOT do in a publisher meeting.

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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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Okay, let’s dive in!

1. Don’t be an ask-hole.

Don’t focus on your needs and what the publisher can do for you. It’s okay to share your goals with the publisher. That clarity will help the meeting. But don’t beat them over the head by asking for cowrites with their writers, hook-ups with a producer or artist, hook-ups with a PRO, helping you land a round at the Bluebird Cafe, or for more of their time that you originally agreed to. This is not all about you. Publishers are looking for songwriters who solve the publisher’s problems. Publisher’s aren’t in business to solve problems for you.

2. Don’t talk bad about other songs or songwriters.

Nashville is a small town, and there’s a decent chance that the publisher knows someone involved with that song or artist. Heck, the publisher may even publish that song or songwriter! (Same goes for any major music center: New York, LA, etc..) It’s okay to state that certain things aren’t your cup of tea. That helps the publisher understand your artistic voice. But draging a song, songwriter, or artist through the mud won’t be helpful. The point is how YOU get better, not how you wish someone else were “better.” It’s unprofessional. Besides, publishers operate in a rough, frustrating, failure-heavy business. If you’re ALREADY negative, why would they want to spend more time with you?

3. Don’t disrespect the publisher’s time.

If you asked for a 15-minute meeting, stick to the 15 minutes. Even if you don’t have an agreed-upon meeting length, it’s better to make things short and sweet. After a little bit, volunteer to bail. “Well, I don’t want to take up too much of your time. I know you’re busy.” If the publisher wants to visit more, they’ll certainly tell you so. If they need (or want) to end the meeting, you’ve allowed them to do so in a way that helps them feel good. It’s uncomfortable and rude to overstay your welcome. Believe me, there’s probably nothing the publisher can tell you in that 20 minutes of overtime (“Just one more thing…” “Just one more song…”) that is worth being annoying and inconsiderate.

4. Don’t be arrogant or argumentative.

If confidence is good, overconfidence is even better, right? Wrong. Be humble. Take their feedback and advice with a teachable attitude. If they get the vibe that you think you already have it all figured out, that’s a turn-off. Even if you think the publisher is foolish not to fall in love with your song and see its obvious hit qualities, be humble. You can’t argue a publisher into loving your song. They’ll just end up disliking both your song and you. Be thankful for the opportunity, and tell them so. Sincerely.

5. Don’t be a total fanboy (or girl).

Yes, it’s cool to compliment the publisher about their writers or their success. Yes, it’s great to express appreciation for their time and let them know you respect them. But please don’t freak out and overdo it. If you gush too much, it’s unprofessional. If you act unprofessionally, like you’re just a wide-eyed tourist, the publisher won’t take you seriously as a songwriter or as a pro. Don’t fake like you’re a big shot, but try to act like you belong there. Be humble, but don’t humiliate yourself.

If you avoid these mistakes, it’s sure to help the quality of your next publisher meeting. Hopefully, you have great songs to play for them, too!

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 next guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim 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.SWP 4

Writing A Hit Song Without Living In A Music Town

You don’t have to live in Nashville, New York or LA to write a hit song.

You don’t even have to live in a major music city to get that song recorded by a major artist. At least, that’s my story.  And I’d like to share it with you- along with a few lessons which might help you on your songwriting journey.

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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

_________________________________

As a songwriter living outside of Nashville, you may think it’s impossible to get a song recorded by a major country star. You’d be wrong.

Just because you may have a family, job, or other responsibilities that keep you from making a move to Nashville or one of the other major music centers, New York or LA, doesn’t mean it’s impossible to get a song recorded. It just means you have to…

…grow where you’re planted.

Now, don’t get me wrong, songwriters in Nashville have a decided advantage over those living elsewhere. They are close to the industry, it’s easier to make those all-important personal contacts in the business, and Nashville is a great place to learn the craft of songwriting. However, just because it’s harder doesn’t mean it’s impossible. At least not in my experience.

In 2000, after graduation from Arkansas State University, I was looking for jobs in Nashville, which, I hoped, would help in my pursuit of a songwriting career. However, the job offer came from a company in Little Rock, Arkansas, so Nashville would have to wait. But I knew I couldn’t afford to be idle in the meantime.

I couldn’t waste time waiting on an eventual move to Nashville.

I dove into the local music and songwriting scene in Little Rock, which by no means qualifies as a major music center. But my main cowriter from back home in Batesville was living there, too, so that was a start. Since I’m a lyricist and not a singer, I helped get my friend, Tim Meitzen, some gigs in town.

Now, what follows is a string of steps that by themselves may seem insignificant. But in the end, each of those forward steps led to my big break.

I was downtown one day and saw a flier for an upcoming songwriter’s night. Well, that was pretty rare in Little Rock, and I immediately signed up my co-writer, Tim. (That was part of my job as the non-singing half of our cowriting team.)

Tim played the writer’s round, and we met a few guys who were starting a publishing company based out of Little Rock. Through the course of that relationship, one of ‘em gave me a cd of songs by Erin Enderlin. Erin was a songwriter from Conway, Arkansas, who was currently in college at Middle Tennessee State University outside of Nashville.

Being active in the local music scene helped create my network.

Months later, I saw that Erin was going to be performing in Little Rock. She was in over her spring break, and I went out to catch her show. She’d been writing songs in Nashville and was having some success making contacts in the music business. I gave her a cd of some songs, and she liked them.

Well, when Erin came back over summer break, we started writing together. Then she went back to school and continued making music business contacts. Then, over Christmas break of 2001, I gave her a lyric I’d had for a few years for a song called, “Monday Morning Church.” She liked it and wrote a great melody for the lyric.  She also made some tweaks to the lyric.  Then she was back off to Tennessee.

Now, I ended up finally making the move to Nashville myself in March of 2002, but it was Erin’s contacts that made the cut of that song possible. She brought the song back to Nashville, where she had begun working with a publisher. He demoed the song, played it for Keith Stegall, and it was eventually recorded by Alan Jackson in March of 2004.

It all went according to plan.  Kind of.

Looking back on it now, it might seem like a straight line to the record store, but that’s only in retrospect. At the time, I was plugging away, just trying to take advantage of every opportunity that I could either find or create. I chased several rabbits along the way, not knowing which one would lead somewhere.

And that’s the point. You don’t know which small step will eventually lead to where you want to go. No, the writer’s night at Starr’s Guitars wasn’t the Bluebird. No, Little Rock wasn’t Nashville. But taking those small steps, growing where I was planted, led to a hit song and the ability to do this for a living. At least for a while.

I wouldn’t presume to know exactly which steps you need to take. And I certainly don’t think I was so talented that Nashville couldn’t help but notice me. No, I know ultimately, it was up to God to open those doors. He had me in Little Rock at that time for a reason.

God has you where you are.  And He has you there for a reason.

If I’d been idle, just waiting to get to Nashville, I might never have gotten here. But God had me there for a reason. And God has YOU were you are for a reason.  Maybe it’s for music, maybe not. But I do know that where ever you are, it’s important to grow where you’re planted.

I hope my story encourages you to keep chasing your passions.

What about you?  Do you live in Nashville, or are you chasing the songwriting dream from out of town?  I’d love to hear from you!

Also, if you want to connect to a legit, real-deal music publisher- from anywhere in the world, I have a great opportunity for you.

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Tim 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, a #1 in Canada and a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

Great Songwriting Advice From Hit Music Publishers!

Play For Pub

Here are some great lessons from our most recent Play For A Publisher Events!

So far, I’ve had the honor of hosting four great “Play For A Publisher” events.  Our guest publishers, Tim Hunze of Parallel Music  and Chris Oglesby of BMG Music on Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee, have dropped some major value bombs. Today, I’d like to share some of the best takeaways from these evenings.

TIM HUNZE: PARALLEL MUSIC

There are a TON of hooking-up songs in country music right now. I have a ton of those songs in my own catalog. Ideas are key. Take your ideas to a different level.

Artists want songs that are easy to memorize.

Bring your “voice” to your songwriting.

I’m a “title freak.” If you have a great title, I’m already interested.

Don’t just sit in the same situation for the whole song. Have some sort of resolution or journey.

If you can demo it, do it.  Much of what is coming to me has at least a track or loop of some sort.  Most of my writers are writing with track guys. That said, if you’re not in the industry full time, a guitar/vocal will work. A great song will get through.

What’s the “WHY” of your song? Why are you sharing this song/story with the listener? Why should the listener care about hearing your song?

Keep writing up-tempo. I still get 10-to-1 ballads. Even from pro Nashville writers. I always need up tempo.

In songwriting, most of the time girls like sensual more than sexy. So don’t just talk at her, paint her into the scene.

Challenge yourself to come up with a new idea. A unique spin on an old thing. I listen to 100+ songs a day, so ideas, melodies, lines, titles, all need to be fresh.

Sometimes songwriters forget that they know more than the listener- and they don’t get enough of the important information out of their heads and onto the page. As a result, the listener is either confused or emotionally disconnected from the song.

There’s value in bringing a “change-up” song to a publisher or A&R person- a song that’s great but not “the usual.” Even if it’s not exactly what they need, it’ll be a breath of fresh air. (As long as the song is killer, of course.)

If you have a stale melody, the best lyric in the world won’t be heard.

How do songwriters get songs to a guy like him? Events like Play For A Publisher, NSAI, PROs (ASCAP, SESAC, BMI), attorneys…

 

CHRIS OGLESBY: BMG MUSIC

Classic country is pretty fresh right now because everything is so pop. I like to play things that stand out.

When songs are really good, sometimes it’s just about finding an artist that relates to it the most.

After a while, the “trick” of a lyric is over. We get how clever your idea is. Now just focus on the relationship in the 2nd verse. The “tricky” chorus will bring us back. Focus on the takeaway of the song. Everything points to the big takeaway. Focus on the takeaway, not the vehicle for the takeaway. (In other words, don’t get so clever with your theme or gimmick that you forget the heart.)

A song must connect on BOTH a lyrical and emotional level.

Mentioning things like “texting” or other in-the-moment technology (“Facebook” “MySpace”) is a red flag in a song. Those things can make a song obsolete overnight or keep it from aging well.

Just because a line is cool so say, it still has to sing well. Singability is huge!

Sometimes writers get so busy “writing the story” using all kinds of clever craft- that they forget to just TELL the story. Don’t get so much in your head that you forget the heart.

Assume the girl you’re singing about is in the audience and listening.  Especially when it’s a positive love song, make sure to weed out the lines that might offend her.  Just assume she’ll take things the wrong way.

Be sure that it’s clear from the beginning of your song who you’re singing to.  Don’t take me out of the song by making me try to figure it out.

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.

If YOU’D like your chance to play YOUR song for a real-deal Music Row publisher, I have good news!

Our next Play For A Publisher event is in September with hit publisher, Dan Hodges!  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited.  CLICK HERE to check out all the details and submit YOUR song for Dan!

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.

SWP 4

Congrats To Our June 2017 “Play For A Publisher” Winners!

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.

joe-nichols-crickets

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.

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It Takes A Lot Of Songwriting Swings To Get A Hit

Don’t give up on your song if the first publisher doesn’t love it. And don’t give up on that publisher if they don’t love your first song. You usually have to swing the bat a lot of times to get a hit. Here are a few of my stories that prove that.

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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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I hope these stories from my songwriting journey inspire you on YOUR journey.  And there are some lessons in this we’ll get to at the end.

*Back before I had any success as a songwriter, I cold-called Major Bob Music, a publisher. They said I could drop off a comp (a comp is a few songs on a CD). I never heard back from them. Months later, a mutual contact in the industry, Chad Green, recommended me to them. We eventually sign my first publishing deal.

*My first meeting at ASCAP was with Mike Doyle. He saw potential in a couple of songs, but he probably forgot about me the minute I walked out of his office. About five years later, he’s my songplugger at Major Bob.

*Years later, a different publisher didn’t believe in my song, “Crickets” enough to demo it. My cowriters did a guitar/vocal, anyway. I pitched it to Joe Nichols’ label. They passed. More pitches. Eventually, it got put on hold for Easton Corbin. Didn’t get cut. Joe Nichols got a new record label. Pitch. Cut. Title track to his album, “Crickets.”

*I had a song idea and lyric called, “Monday Morning Church.” This was back in Little Rock, Arkansas. I showed it to (at the time) my main cowriter. He never did anything with it. I showed it to another potential cowriter. Nothing happened. Then I met Erin Enderlin. She loved it. We wrote it, and Alan Jackson made “Monday Morning Church” a top five hit.

What does this mean for you?

It means you shouldn’t give up!

What if I had given up on “Monday Morning Church” because the first few potential cowriters passed on it? What if I’d given up on “Crickets” because my publisher didn’t love it? What if I had given up on Major Bob Music because they apparently didn’t love the songs I dropped off or because one of their songpluggers didn’t do backflips over me five years earlier?

Nobody will believe in you or your music… until they finally do.

I’ve heard stories of producers who had to hear a song 3, 4 or 5 times on separate occasions before they finally “got it” and cut it. What if those writers had given up after only one try?

The people who succeed in the music business are the ones who don’t give up. I know the feeling. I know it’s frustrating. You write a song that you really believe in… and the first publisher you play it for skips to the next song halfway through the chorus without any comments. Or you finally get that first publisher meeting- and they say you need to “dig deeper.”

It hurts.

But if you want to be a pro, you have to act like a pro. And pros will take an honest look at themselves and their writing. Then they’ll get out the guitars and write another song. Then demo another song. Then pitch another song. Then call another publisher. Eventually, they’ll call the same publisher back. Or they’ll pitch that same song again. Why? Because…

Pros know that their songs probably won’t be “the right song at the right time” the first time.

We also know WE probably won’t be the right songwriter at the right time the first time, either. I sure wasn’t the right songwriter the first time I met Mike at ASCAP. But I WAS the right songwriter at the right time a few years later at Major Bob.

You’ll never hit home runs if you don’t keep swinging the bat.

So, what about you? Is there a song you believe in that’s been passed over? Maybe it’s time someone hears it again. Maybe you’ve been passed over as a writer. Maybe it’s time to put yourself out there again.

Let me help.

I’m hosting Songwriting Pro’s Play For A Publisher event next month. Now that I’ve done a few of these, I’ve seen some cool stuff happen. I’ve seen a songwriter who didn’t make it to one Play For A Publisher – make it to the next. I’ve seen the same song NOT make it to one Play For A Publisher, then make it to the next.

Maybe THIS time is the right time for you. CLICK HERE to learn more, submit your song, and take another swing.

Tim Hunze is coming back to do another Play For A Publisher event in June!  He’s a successful publisher with Parallel Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited.  CLICK HERE to check out all the details and submit YOUR song for Tim!

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.

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How To Romance A Music Publisher

You can’t just get a publisher to lay down (a publishing deal) for you on the “first date.”  You have to romance them.  Here’s how.

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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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Getting a publisher to offer you a publishing deal is kinda like getting them to marry you.  It’s a big commitment, and it’s one that isn’t taken lightly by a publisher.  It’s a tough, tough business, and they need enough of their investments to pay off to keep the lights on.  Just because you show up in their office one day with a cool guitar and one awesome song doesn’t mean they’ll drop a staff songwriting contract on your lap.

You gotta romance a publisher.  Here are eight ways you can do that.

1. Have sexy songs.

No, I don’t mean make-out songs.  I mean there needs to be something sexy about your songs- something that captivates the publisher or something that pulls their attention back to your writing.

Maybe the whole song is great.  Maybe it moves them to tears or laughter.  Maybe there’s that one line in the second verse that is so honest and real that it takes their breath away.  Maybe it’s a hook (melodic or lyrical) they can’t get out of their head.  A sexy song has something about it that sticks with the publisher after you leave the room.

2. Be yourself.

Publishers want to see the real you in your songs.  They want some real heart, some real truth, some of what YOU have to say (happy or sad, funny or mad).  You may get a publisher’s attention by dressing your songs up like Craig Wiseman or Luke Laird, but it’s YOUR true creative voice that, if it resonates with them, will make them fall for you.

3. Be a good hang.

Ever date someone who is good looking but just leaves you exhausted (in a bad way)?  Someone who is overly needy, pessimistic, a lush, or is addicted to drama?  Eventually, their good looks (or good songs) aren’t worth the trouble.  You don’t have to be the publisher’s best friend.  But being a good hang is only going to improve your chances of getting to second base.

4. Be buzz worthy.

Ever notice how people get better-looking as soon as they start dating someone else?  It’s like they get some sort of social proof that, yes, they are in fact… dateable.  It repositions them in your mind.  A similar thing happens in the music business.  As publishers realize other people (writers, publishers, etc.) take you for real, they’ll naturally start to see you as more of a legit option.

5. Be committed.

I don’t mean to prove you’re committed to that publisher, like you’d never look for a deal anywhere else or play songs for another publisher.  Show you’re committed to songwriting and the music business.  Show you’re committed to getting better.  Show you’re in it for the long haul- you’re not just testing the waters and will bail if the “music thing” doesn’t work out.  Publishers invest a lot into their writers.  They’re serious, and they want to know you are, too.

6. Make a good first impression.

It’s always good to start off on the right foot.  A publisher’s first impression of you can either be a setup for success or a setback you have to overcome.  Personally, I’d rather have the setup.  Your first impression can come from the publisher seeing you at a writers night, hearing one of your songs through a cowriter, a “blind date” meeting, a workshop, or from word-of-mouth in the biz.

You don’t usually get to control when you make that first impression- or how you make it.  But doing quality, consistent work in a professional manner increases your odds of making a good first impression.

7. Have “good prospects.”

Of course, it helps to woo a publisher by having three songs on the charts.  But almost nobody is in that position.  But the more things you have going on, the more attractive you are as a potential staff writer.  Publishing is a business, and the publisher stays in business by making money.  So even if you aren’t coming into the deal just crushing it, you want to show (honestly) that you have “good prospects.”  It’s like a girl thinking, “yeah, he’s broke now… but he’s in med school…” But be real.  Don’t hype.  Hype is NOT attractive.

8. Go on a few dates.

A publisher who is interested in you may set you up to write with their writers.  This is their way of checking you out.  They’ll want to hear the songs you write with their writers.  They know what their writers bring to the room, so it’s their chance to see how you play in the sandbox with someone on the team whom they respect.  And they’ll usually ask their writer, “So, how was he/she?”

There ya go.  Eight ways to romance a music publisher.  I hope you go out, find that special someone who will change your life, and you make hundreds of beautiful song babies.

Just invite me to the wedding.

Now, if you’re ready to start romancing a publisher, I have an opportunity for you!

Tim Hunze is coming back to do another Play For A Publisher event in June!  He’s a successful publisher with Parallel Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited.  CLICK HERE to check out all the details and submit YOUR song for Tim!

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.

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