So you’ve written a bunch of your new favorite jams, and you’ve flipped a lot of burgers for demo money.  But heading into the demo studio right now might be a huge mistake.

Read on if you want to level up your songwriting game.

________________________________

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

_________________________________

The big question you should be asking yourself right now is not when to demo, where to demo, or how to demo.  The big question to ask is should you demo this song?

After all, demos cost time and money.  If you have an unlimited amount of both, then rock on.  Hit the studio, and hit it hard.  But if you want to spend your time and money efficiently and effectively, you want to take a little time and thoughtfully and honestly answer the following questions.

1. Is the song finished?

I love the emotional high of having just finished a song and feeling like it’s a big ‘ol hit.  That never gets old!  But it’s important to step back and make sure it’s really finished.  90% right and 100% right might mean the difference between a pass and a keep or a hold and a cut.  Or even a cut and a single.  That can be a difference of hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Have you played your song for an industry pro and gotten their feedback?  Have you played it for your songwriting peers and asked them for their honest opinions?  Even pros usually run songs by their publishers before spending money on it.  If they know to get some outside feedback, shouldn’t you get some, too?

2. Is it a wide pitch?

A wide pitch is a song that fits a large number of artists.  A narrow pitch is one that only a very limited number of artists could record.  For example, if you say, “If George Strait doesn’t cut this, I don’t know who will,” that’s a narrow pitch.  If you can say, “Well, if Luke Bryan doesn’t cut this, I can still take it to Old Dominion, Chris Young, Kenny Chesney, etc.” then it’s a wider pitch.

As a general rule, I’m going to demo the wide pitch, because there are more pitch possibilities- there are more paths to victory.  It just puts the math more in my favor.

3. Is it commercially relevant?

Is this a song that a large audience will want to hear?  Will it make the listener laugh, cry, dance, or think?  It’s not about you- it’s about the audience.

You can write a great, well-crafted song, but if only 12-year-old foreign exchange students from Bulgaria will “get it,” an artist is not going to record it.  Why spend money on it?  Or if it’s a moving song about the plight of the orange-billed hoof-footed salamander that only lives in one drainage ditch in California… who’s gonna care, other than a few people?

And don’t be fooled into thinking that just because a type of song used to be commercially popular, that they still are.  For example, what if you write a great rodeo song, but nobody’s recording and releasing rodeo songs?  At least not in numbers big enough to justify the investment?  The pros think about these things, and you should, too.

4. Who could sing this?

A wise artist is really only looking for songs that fit their brand and speak to their audience.  Like the rodeo example, are their enough artists that talk about your song’s subject matter or take on the character in your song?

For example, if your song is from the point of view of a man crying over his daughter having a baby… what artists are willing to sing, “I’m A Grandfather?” Not many.  Not in commercial music.  Who could sing that?  Or who in the current market would sing about being a cheater?  Not many.  There have been some at different points in history, but not many in country music right now.

Also, does this song fit the general branding of the format?  Is it hitting on all sonic cylinders, but it’s an anti-gun, anti-Second Amendment song?  Well, that’s probably not going to fly in today’s country market.  Maybe in another market, but not in country.  Same thing about a pop song that says you need to get your hot booty off the dance floor and into church.  There may  be a few artists who would sing that… but not many.

Also, is the melody one that many artists could sing?  Is it such a small range that your “big-voice” singers won’t be interested?  Or is it such a rangy song that most guys can’t sing it?  That’s worth paying attention to.

Again, we want to get the math in our favor when we can.

5. Does the song have a fresh melody and lyric?

You HAVE to bring something different, especially if you are a new, unknown writer.  YOUR vanilla has no chance.  An artist has no reason to invest in your vanilla when they can get vanilla from friends, established hit songwriters, or just write it themselves.

Let’s face it, none of us were invited to the music business party.  Virtually nobody in the business was invited in.  So if you’re gonna crash it, you better bring something new to the party.

6. Will I pitch it… really?

If you have already demoed ten songs like this one (and they’re not getting cut), and this one isn’t any better… what’s the point?  Will you really pitch it?  Maybe you should spend your time writing a song that you will pitch instead of demoing a song you won’t.

7. Does this song NEED a full demo?

You should do what’s best for your song.  Some need a full demo- rocking uptempo anthems, for example.  Certain ballads and midtempos might be best presented with two guitars, a drum loop, and a great singer.

8. Is it great?

I’ve never had a so-so song get pitched to and cut by a major artist.  I just haven’t.  My cuts are each different- fast, slow, funny, sad – but, to me, each one has something really strong about it.

If you’re an outside writer, and you’re not already one of the “cool kids,” you HAVE to write better songs.  Otherwise, they’ll just record songs from known, trusted sources.  Hey, if a proven hit songwriter pitches a dud now and then, no big deal.  But if you, who doesn’t have a track record, pitches a couple duds, the industry will just assume you’re not a great writer, and they’ll close their doors to you.  They’ll assume you’re a waste of time.

9. Are you serious?

Here’s one more bonus question for you.  Are you serious?  Are you really serious about getting your songs recorded by major artists?  If so, I have a great opportunity for you.  In May, I’m hosting Frettie’s “Know The Row” event with multi-hit songwriter, Jimmy Yeary!

Not only did Jimmy write “I Drive Your Truck,” a CMA & ACM Song Of The Year and a #1 hit for Lee Brice, he’s also written hits for Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen, Rascal Flatts and more.

This is YOUR chance to sit down face-to-face (online) with a real-deal professional, hit songwriter.

You and I both want to learn what Jimmy has to share.

Here’s the deal.  You can join us online from anywhere in the world on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 7pm-8pm Central time.  And this special event is FREE to members of Frettie.com!  (But don’t worry- you can still purchase a ticket even if you don’t want to take advantage of all of Frettie’s membership benefits.)

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS & MEET HIT SONGWRITER JIMMY YEARY.

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.