Category Archives: Biz

These posts focus on the business side of songwriting.

Biz, C4X, Live Event

The Best 1st Impression A Songwriter Can Make

6 Comments

 

A few weeks back, I met the owner of a publishing company for the first time. Within ten minutes, he said he was interested in talking about a publishing deal with me. How did this happen?

I made a great first impression before we ever met.

Here’s the story:

I was at a lunch party at a cowriter’s publishing company. The owner, whom I’d never met before, was chatting in the kitchen with me and James Dupre’. He was telling James how much he loved a certain song that he had written with one of their writers. James smiled, motioned to me and said, “Thanks. Brent’s on that one, too.” The owner, let’s call him Mr. J, lit up, and the tone of the conversation changed. Within a few minutes, he asked each of us who we wrote for. When we said we’re independent, he nodded and said, “we should talk.”

Now, I’m not saying he’ll end up making an offer or not. This isn’t about what might happen next. It’s about the power of songs and connections to pave the way for you. Mr. J had never laid eyes on me. We’ve never communicated directly, either over the phone or via email. But he’d heard several of my songs. And his staff writer, my cowriter, has mentioned me to him a number of times. He’s told him I’m a good songwriter who should have a deal. (Thanks, bud!)

My songs and my cowriter made my first impression for me.

1st Impression

So when I finally met Mr. J at an industry function, I didn’t have to manufacture some “wow” first impression, hoping to be memorable. I simply had to act in a way that confirmed his already-favorable idea of me.

There are a few lessons I think we can draw from this.

1. Your cowriters will be your PR team.

This is great if you’re in town, but it’s also great if you’re out of town. If you only make a few trips to Nashville (or New York or LA) per year, try to connect with local writers. Write together both in-the-room and over Skype or Google Hangouts. Before your next Nashville trip, ask them who you should meet with and if they can put in a good word for you. If your writing is worthy, they should be happy to.

2. Good songs solve a lot of problems.

If I want to get a meeting with Mr. J, I’m coming from a position of strength. I don’t have to say, “Mr. J, we met at a party the other day. I’m the tall guy…” That’s not a terrible starting place, but it’s not as good as, “Hi, Mr. J. I’m Joe Songwriter, a writer on ‘Song X’ that you love. We met at the party the other day…” Even if he’s totally forgotten meeting me, he knows he likes that song. My odds of getting a meeting go way up.

3. It’s good to get out there and get social.

Even though he likes some of my songs and my cowriter told him about me, Mr. J hadn’t reached out yet. But we “happen” to bump into each other at a function, and he gets to put a face with my name. That’s worth another year of him just hearing ABOUT me. (Disclosure: I didn’t meet him by accident. I knew he’d be there, and that’s a big reason why I went.)

What about you? Have you had an experience where your music has made a great first impression for you that helped you get ahead? Or did it make a negative one that you had to overcome? I’d love to hear from you!

And if you’re ready for your songs to make a good (or better) first impression, I have a cool opportunity for you. It’s called The C4 Experience, or C4X. It’s a series of workshops in January and February in 2016. What does “C4” stand for?

Creative
Commercial
Coaching
Community

The C4 Experience is about celebrating your creative spirit and sharpening your commercial songwriting, guided by expert coaching and encouraged by a supportive community.

Click on the image below or CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!

c4x

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.

1st Impression

Biz, C4X, Craft, Live Event

Songwriting Coaches Don’t Make You Do Push-Ups

8 Comments

 

First of all, what is a coach?

A coach is an experienced and trusted advisor. A songwriting coach could be a more seasoned, experienced cowriter. It could also be a publisher or PRO representative (ASCAP, SESAC, BMI, SOCAN, etc.) who takes time to meet with you. It could also be a pro-songwriter coach from NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International) or GSC (Global Songwriters Connection), or Songwriting And Music Business. There are several good independent coaches out there, too.

A quality coach can help you get where you want to go more effectively and efficiently- if you’re willing to learn. Here are five specific ways songwriters can benefit from a coaching relationship.

1. Your coach knows things you don’t.

He may or may not have some #1s to his credit. He may or may not have a song on the charts this week. But the important thing is that he has been down the road ahead of you and can point the way. He’s seen more, learned more, and accomplished more than you have (yet). He can help accelerate your learning curve and avoid some of the pitfalls.

2. Your coach is not your mom.

A coach doesn’t have to see you at Thanksgiving or worry about the quality of the nursing home you’ll choose for her. Therefore, while a quality coach will not be mean, she has the freedom to be honest about your writing- as she sees it. She also doesn’t know your backstory. This means your writing has to stand on it’s own- singing about Jenny you dated in high school means ONLY what the song says. Your coach can’t fill in the gaps from your shared experience- your coach won’t know that Jenny was Prom Queen unless your song tells her.

3. It’s good practice.

If you want to get songs recorded on a professional level, you’re going to have to get comfortable throwing your babies into the real world. It can be scary and frustrating, but it’s something you need to get used to. A quality coach is a safe place to get that professional feedback. It’s a step into the music business where you’ll be challenged and have to toughen up. But it’s also safe because being “just okay” or even “bad” doesn’t close the door to them in the future. Your coach doesn’t expect you to be professional-level, and it’s not about, “Well, did you bring me a hit today?”

4. A coach is a potential entry point into the music business.

If you want to be a professional writer, you won’t get there alone. You need a network of relationships in the business, and a coach is a great start. A coach might recommend potential cowriters or publishers. He or she can be your champion- especially at places like NSAI or GSC. A coach might even write with you. Eventually. (But you should never be the one to mention it first.)  None of this is guaranteed, and when you sign up with a coach, do not expect it.  But if you EARN it, it MIGHT happen.

5. A songwriting coach won’t make you do push-ups.

I hate push-ups, and thankfully… no matter how bad my songs were… I’ve never had one of my songwriting coaches say, “drop and give me 20.”  So, there’s that.

Coaching has had a profound impact on my songwriting. There were coaches I only met with now and then (and sometimes only once). These included guys like Chad Green and Ralph Murphy at ASCAP. It also includes publisher Clay Myers, who gave such blunt, honest and challenging feedback that I wanted to throat-punch him 10 minutes into our first meeting… and wanted to write for him 30 minutes later.

It includes my songpluggers- Mike Doyle, Jesse Frasure and Scot Sherrod at Major Bob Music, Sam Ramage at RPM Music, and Paul Compton at Writers Infinity. These guys wouldn’t just pitch my songs. They encouraged me when I was down, they celebrated our victories, and they challenged me to write better.

Are there songwriting (or other) coaches who have made an impact in your life or on your writing? Give them some love in the comments!

Coaching can make a big positive difference in your songwriting. But let’s face it, even the best, most knowledgable songwriting coach in the world won’t do you any good if you’re not willing to do the work it takes to implement their suggestions and rise to their challenges. Seeking out a coach and then ignoring their advice only annoys the coach and wastes your time. Don’t do that, okay?

But, if you ARE ready to get some coaching, and you ARE ready to do the work, I have a cool opportunity for you. It’s called The C4 Experience, or C4X. It’s a series of workshops in January and February in 2016. What does “C4” stand for?

Creative
Commercial
Coaching
Community

The C4 Experience is about celebrating your creative spirit and sharpening your commercial songwriting, guided by expert coaching and encouraged by a supportive community.

Click on the image below or CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE!

c4x

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.

Biz

The Power Of Community

1 Comment

Man vs Row 

Even LeBron has a coach and a team.

Even Springsteen has The E Street Band. Even Han Solo (yep, a guy with the last name “Solo”) has Chewy.  Scooby Doo has Shaggy and the gang. Heck, Kool has The Gang.  And I have too many examples.

Here’s the deal.  There’s a romantic notion about being a creative island- of being an artistic hermit  who produces great art and sets the world on fire while never leaving their cabin in the mountains.

That might be fine if you just want to create for yourself or for the sake of creating.  That’s great.  But if you want your art, your songs, to connect with a larger audience… if you want your songs to get on the radio… you can’t be a lone wolf.

You need a community.  Just like I do.

Community

Over the years, my community (friends, cowriters, and music biz peeps) have introduced me to great cowriters that have become close friends.  They’ve opened doors for me to get jobs and publishing deals.  They’ve gotten record deals and have recorded my songs.

And, perhaps most importantly, my community has challenged me to become a better songwriter, and they’ve encouraged me when I felt like a lousy one.

There’s Mike Doyle, my first ASCAP writer’s rep, who told me that I had talent but also said I needed to keep working on the craft.  There’s Neal Coty, who has continued to write with me and tell me, “I’m gonna get us a cut,” even when I’m frustrated.  There’s Lisa Shaffer, who told Paul Compton he should consider me for a publishing deal when I was without one.  And there’s Paul himself, who sent me back to the writer’s room on many occasions to dig deeper- to rewrite even when I didn’t want to.  There’s Tim Meitzen, my first cowriter, who gave me the thrill of hearing my song played for an audience for the first time.  There’s Sheree Spoltore at NSAI who introduced me to Ruthie Collins, who ended up becoming a friend, cowriter, and an artist on Curb Records.  There’s Matt Cline, who has never failed to tell me I’m good enough- even when I’ve doubted it.

And there’s more.  There are many friends and cowriters who have prayed for me and opened their hearts, guitar cases and hook books for me.  They’ve made me a better songwriter, and they’ve made me a better person.

Do you have a community? If so, give them a shout-out in the comments or share this post with them and say “thanks.”

It can be hard to find a community sometimes- a group that understands the struggles of an aspiring songwriter.  Folks who don’t just nod and say, “sorry, bro…” when you share a wall you’ve hit- folks that can really relate because they have bruises from those same walls.  It can be difficult to find those people- especially when you live outside of a major music city like New York, LA or Nashville.  I know- I lived in Arkansas in the days before social media.

I want to help you form a community.  I’m putting together a small group to meet through a series of live, online, interactive video workshops called, “The C4 Experience.”  We’ll meet (from anywhere in the world) online for a total of 8 hours over two months.  I’ll lead our discussions, but everyone will be encouraged to participate- to share your struggles and victories, and to ask your questions.  We’ll spotlight each of the 8 group members of the course of the C4 Experience, and we’ll work together to help each other grow as songwriters.  It’s my hope that once the C4 Experience is over, you’ll stay in touch with each other, either as cowriters or as fellow travelers on the songwriting journey.

In short, we’ll start building a community.  And you know how I feel about those.

Here are the details of the “C4X.”

c4x

“C4” stands for:

Creative
Commercial
Coaching
Community

The C4 Experience is about celebrating your creative spirit and sharpening your commercial songwriting, guided by expert coaching and encouraged by a supportive community.

Let’s look at each part of this:

Creative:
I want to celebrate you because I’m a fan of you! I love dreamers and doers. And while I take the craft of songwriting very seriously, I believe it should be fun. If you’ve ever been to one of my workshops or live events, you know I like to have fun while I’m teaching- so you can have fun while you’re learning. And I also believe you can be creative while being commercial, which brings me to the next “C.”

Commercial:
This workshop series is for songwriters that want to write commercially successful songs- either for yourself or for others to sing. By the end of this workshop, my goal is for your songwriting to be a lot more commercial.

Coaching:
Each two-hour session will begin with 30 minutes of teaching and a lesson review. Each lesson will be based on one of the four sections of “Cut/able.” You’ll do the reading and exercises before each workshop, and we’ll meet online to discuss the lesson and answer any questions. Each student will also receive 45 minutes of “spotlight coaching.” This is a time for us to focus on YOU- your situation, your challenges, and your songs. I’ll lead, but the other students can also give their advice.

Community:
The C4 Experience is limited to just 8 students, so there will be time to get to know everyone else in the group over our 8 hours together over 4 nights. You’ll encourage each other and probably find out that your challenges aren’t that different from anyone else’s. Successful commercial songwriting is a team sport, and this just may help you build that team.

HOW DOES C4 WORK?

The C4 Experience is an online event, so you can join in from anywhere there’s an internet connection. You do NOT have to be in Nashville. You can join us from anywhere in the world. We’ll meet via Fuze, an online videoconferencing platform. Basically, I’ll send you a link before each session, and you just click to join in. If you have questions, you can find out more about Fuze, here:
System requirements
Join Fuze meeting through an internet browser

We’ll meet 4 times:

     Tuesday, January 12, 7:30pm to 9:30pm (Central time)
     Tuesday, January 25, 7:30pm to 9:30pm (Central time)
     Tuesday, February 9, 7:30pm to 9:30pm (Central time)
     Tuesday, February 23, 7:30pm to 9:30pm (Central time)

Each night will begin with a 30-minute lesson from “Cut/able.” We’ll work through the workbook in order:

*Session 1- W.I.L.L.power: Proving Personality & Emotions Through Your Lyrics (Connect on a deeper level with the artist and listener through effective use of imagery.)

*Session 2- PUL’D To Success: The Value of Positive, Uptempo, Love/Depth Songs (Give the artists what they need, give radio what it wants, and give the fans what they like by learning the importance of writing positive, uptempo, love/depth songs.) Read more here.

*Session 3- Neighborhoods: Where Will You Build A Home For Your Songs? (Develop skills to identify an artist’s “brand” so you can write songs that fit that brand and speak to the artist’s core audience.) Read more here.

*Session 4- Fill The G.A.P.S.: Growth, Achievement, Preaching/Positioning, Songwriting (Pinpoint areas of opportunity within an artist’s catalog- slots you can fill with your songs, songs that fit the artist’s brand without being just like what they’ve already done.) Read more here.

After the lesson/Q&A, we’ll do two 45-minute spotlight coaching sessions. We’ll focus on one of the group members each session (two per night). Each of the eight community members will get his or her own spotlight over the course of the event.

The cost of the entire C4 Experience is $250, which is a great deal. It works out to $31.25 an hour (for 8 hours). I usually charge $150 for just one hour of coaching. But with C4, you get 4 30-minute lessons with Q&A and a personalized 45-minute spotlight coaching session. PLUS, you get to participate in the spotlight sessions of the 7 other songwriters. Believe me, there will be plenty you can learn from their sessions, too!

An average demo in Nashville currently costs anywhere from $500 to $1000. That’s just for ONE SONG. That’s a fine investment if your song is commercially strong. If it isn’t… you just wasted a lot of your money. Wouldn’t it be better to spend $250 to keep from wasting $1000 or more (again and again)? For less than the price of demoing one song, you can learn how to write song after song after song that’s worth demoing!  And the friends you stand to make- the allies and traveling companions?  What are they worth?  You can’t even put a price on that.

BONUS!

Since we’ll be learning from my workbook, “Cut/able,” it only makes sense to give you a copy when you join C4. It sells for $25, but I’ll throw it in for free. (If you already own “Cut/able,” there’s a discount code in the back of the workbook. Use it at checkout, and it’ll knock $25 off the price, so it’s like you get it for free!)  Click here to find out more about “Cut/able.”

Tickets for this event are on sale NOW. There are only 8 spots open, and I expect them to go fast- so don’t wait too long and miss your chance to take your songwriting to the next level!

I look forward to seeing you in January- CLICK HERE or on the image below to reserve your spot now!

c4x

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.

Community

Biz, Cowriting, Money, Songplugging

A Pro Songwriter’s Team

4 Comments

Man vs Row

Songwriting is a team sport. I’ve said that a thousand times if I’ve said it once. But, until now, I don’t guess I’ve written about who makes up a pro songwriter’s team. Well, here ya go. Not all of these members are necessary for every songwriter at every career stage. Some are only needed when money is being generated from your songs. So don’t get overwhelmed- you don’t have to find all these folks today.  

Also, this list is for pro songwriters or those who want to make money. If you just want to write good songs, pick and choose accordingly.

1. The Cowriters.

There are very, very few songwriters who turn pro (and stay that way) who are exclusively solo writers. Your cowriters help keep you fresh and break you out of creative ruts and stale habits. They also provide song ideas so you don’t have to come up with all your own ideas. Cowriters provide creative strengths to compliment your weaknesses (lyrics for your melodies, etc.) They share valuable information (who’s cutting, what they want, who’s about to get a record deal, etc.). They (and their publishers) help pitch your songs. They provide political advantages- writing with the artist, the producer, or with someone in a powerful publishing company.

Rise

2. The Songpluggers.

If you want cuts, somebody has to be out there actively pitching your songs and getting them heard by folks who can say “yes.” Oftentimes, this is done by a music publisher, who has at least one songplugger on staff. Many pros also pitch their songs themselves. I’m an “all hands on deck” kinda guy, so I like to have both when I can. People who might plug your songs: you, your publisher, a (legit) independent songplugger, your cowriters, your cowriters’ songpluggers. If nobody is plugging your songs, nobody will hear them. If nobody hears your songs, nobody will cut them.

3. The PROs.

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) are basically companies who collect and distribute airplay royalties for publishers and songwriters. There are three PROs in the United States- ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Every other country / territory has only one. If you’re blessed to get some airplay, you and your song won’t get a dime of airplay money if you (and your song) aren’t registered with a PRO. That’s the big service they offer. Other benefits include networking and educational opportunities. EVERY money-making pro must have a PRO.

4. The Recorders.

All the songplugging in the world isn’t gonna do you much good if all your demos / recordings sound terrible. There’s just too much competition and too many quality demos out there for an A&R person to do the work to hear through a bad recording. They just don’t have to. Unless you’re an established hit songwriter with a good track record, they’ll just trash it and move on to a recording that sounds like it was done by a pro. It’s great if you have the musician and production chops to get good sound on your own. But most songwriters don’t have that, so it needs to be outsourced. Maybe your cowriters can perform this function, or maybe you hire a track guy or some studio musicians. I hesitated to list them as part of your team since they’re hired guns… but getting quality recordings is so important, I couldn’t keep them off the list.

Team Sport

5. The Administrators.

Somebody better be watching the money. Your administrators are the folks that make sure your songs are registered with a PRO, licensed properly by the record labels, the copyright forms are sent in and that your royalties make it (properly and promptly) from the record labels to the songwriters. This function is usually done by the publisher, but you can also hire an admin firm for a percentage of what they collect on your behalf. For example, my Major Bob Music catalog is partly administered in-house and partly by The Harry Fox Agency. My personal publishing company, Cowboy Chords Music, outsources my admin to Bluewater Music. They handle my licensing and royalty collections for a percentage of the money they collect.

6. The Sharpeners.

These are the folks who help you sharpen your skills, both on the artistic and business sides of songwriting. This may include cowriters who inspire and challenge you to do your best, it may include NSAI, Global Songwriters Connection, Man vs. Row, Frettie, song evaluators, and coaches. It may be your publisher or songplugger. It may be a writer’s rep at a PRO or a publisher who will listen to your songs and give feedback. The Sharpeners are hugely important for amateurs turning pro and for seasoned pros trying to keep current and to adapt as the commercial market changes. These are the folks who will tell us the truth and challenge us, even when it’s unpleasant.

7. The Believers.

Who’s going to pick you up when the biz knocks you down? When you’re lost in doubt? You’ll find The Believers in several of the other categories- The Cowriters, The Pluggers, and sometimes The PROS and The Sharpeners. The Believers may also include folks outside of music- your family and friends. This isn’t just for the aspiring songwriter. We ALL need The Believers. But the most important believer will always be one person. Yourself.

There ya go. A pro songwriter’s team. Like I said earlier, you may not need all these folks right now, depending on where you are in your career. But as you climb that mountain, you’ll add more and more of them.

What about you?  Would you add anyone else to “a pro songwriter’s team?” How’s your team-building coming along?  Leave a comment- I’d love to hear from you.

Pro songwriters know they need a team.  And if YOU want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro, too.  In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

  1. How to get on a music publisher’s radar
  2. How the pros know who is looking for songs
  3. Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
  4. And more!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

think like a pro songwriter 3D

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.

Man vs Row

Biz

The Do’s And Don’ts Of Songwriter Emails

5 Comments

Man vs Row

My last couple of posts have been about email. Why biz pros aren’t emailing you back and the email that helped me get a Joe Nichols cut. Today, I want to break it down even more simply into some “do” and “don’t” guidelines.  

This is mainly for when a songwriter wants to get a meeting with a publisher, a PRO, or some other pro in the business.  These are only guidelines, so certain situations may call for different tactics.

DON’T: Whine about the music biz. We all know it’s hard.

DON’T: Tell your life story in the first email. Or probably ever. We just want great music. If it’s not great, the story behind it doesn’t matter. If it IS great, the story behind it doesn’t matter.

DON’T: Beg. It just makes you look unprofessional.

DON’T: Flood them. Don’t send an email every day or two. Relax. Be patient.

DON’T: Talk trash about others in the biz- or their songs. They might be our friends.

DON’T: Ask for a cowrite or pub deal right off the bat. You’re not trying to get to third base here- you’re just asking for a dance.

DON’T: Ask for too much. Not “come to my show” “listen to my album and tell me your favorite.” Don’t make yourself look like needy work. Just attach ONE song. Or ask if you can send them a song.

DO: Warm up the email if possible. Meet us out somewhere at a show or industry event. Have a mutual contact introduce us, etc. It’s not always possible, but it helps.

DO: Keep it short and to the point. Make it easy to read your email quickly. We don’t have all day.

DO: Provide contact information. Make yourself easy to find.

DO: Provide brief credentials (if you have some). Briefly list any pro cowrites, cuts, major contest wins, etc. Did a pro recommend you?

DO: Ask for a meeting or a listen. Be clear about what you want from this email.

DO: Follow up in about a week. Not the same afternoon. We’re busy. Don’t become a problem.

DO: Respect the professional’s time. If you ask for a meeting, only ask for 15 minutes. And mean it!

Here’s a sample of a solid email:

SUBJECT:

We met at Lance’s show

BODY:

Hi, Bill! We met at Lance Carpenter’s show at The Listening Room last night. I’m Emily’s friend (with the glasses).

I’m a songwriter, and I’ve had two songs featured at NSAI’s Pitch-To-Publisher Luncheon. I’ve also been writing with Sally Makeahit at Sony ATV.

I’ll be in Nashville the week of July 12, and I’d appreciate 15 minutes of your time. I’d just like to say “hi” and maybe play one song for you. I know you’re busy, and I promise to respect your time. Thanks.

Sincerely,

Johnny Songwriter

555-555-5555

johnnysongwriter@email.com

www.johnnysongwriter.com

What about you?  Any additions to this list of do’s and don’ts?

Pro songwriters know how to act professionally.  And if YOU want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro, too.  In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

  1. How to get on a music publisher’s radar
  2. How the pros know who is looking for songs
  3. Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
  4. And more!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

think like a pro songwriter 3D

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.

Man vs Row

Biz, Songplugging

The Email That Helped Me Get A Joe Nichols Cut

18 Comments

Man vs Row

Recently, I posted a lesson called, “Here’s Why Music Biz Professionals Aren’t Emailing You Back” (read it here).  Today, I want to look at an email that resulted in a phone call, a hold, and eventually a Joe Nichols cut.

A few years back, I wanted to get my song, “Crickets,” to Joe Nichols.  I just thought it’d be perfect for him. But how do I get it to him?  I didn’t have a personal connection with anyone in his camp.  However, I did happen to get the email address of the owner of Joe’s label (thanks to a sungplugger friend of mine).  I decided it was worth a cold email.

(Note: Normally, I wouldn’t send a song to a label owner.  But I know this particular owner actively listens to songs through email and has a say in what end up on his artists’ albums.  See my post “The Big Yes.”)

Not knowing the owner, this is how I worded my email:

Subject:

Song for Joe Nichols: “Crickets” (Baxter, Shaffer, Whyte)

Message:

Mr. Brown,

I’m a songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson (“Monday Morning Church”), Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, and others.  Here’s a song for Joe.  Thanks for listening!

“Crickets”

(Brent Baxter, Lisa Shaffer, Bill Whyte)

Lyric and mp3 attached.

God Bless,

Brent Baxter

615-000-0000

—-@email.com

Sometime later (maybe a day or two, maybe weeks), I got a call from the owner.  He said he loved the song and wanted to hold it for Joe.  Eventually, they cut it and it became the title track to Joe’s debut album on Red Bow Records.

joe-nichols-crickets

Okay, let’s break down the email and see what we can learn.

I was proactive and pitched my own song.

I didn’t wait for someone else to make my dreams come true.  See my post, “10 Reasons Songwriters Should Pitch Their Own Songs.”

I used an appropriate communication channel.

This was an email address that the owner regularly uses to listen to songs.  It wasn’t his wife’s personal email or some other inappropriate email.  I was conducting business through a business email address.

The subject line is very clear and professional.

No hype.  No bull.

I kept the message very brief and to the point.

One quick glance at the message isn’t a turn-off.  He could read it very quickly, so he was more likely to actually read it.  Long emails are intimidating and look like too much work.

I presented pro credentials briefly and in the beginning.

I opened with a few choice cuts to set myself as a pro in his mind.  It increased the chance that he’d take my email seriously and expect a good song.  If you don’t have these, just get to who the song is for.  It’s better to skip this completely than say how you won a local talent show.  Your song may be killer, but if you’ve only has small success (so far), they might think you only have small talent.

I provided contact info both in the email and on the lyric sheet.

He called be back partly because I made it easy for him to find me.

I provided both the mp3 and the lyrics.

Some folks don’t look at the lyric when they listen.  Some do.  I don’t take chances.  I want them to have everything they might need.

The song was well-written and a good fit for the artist.

The email was written to get the song heard.  But getting the song heard doesn’t help if the song itself isn’t good or isn’t a good fit for the artist.

What about you?  Have you had any success with cold emails?  How did you word them?

Pro songwriters know how to act professionally.  And if YOU want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro, too.  In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

  1. How to get on a music publisher’s radar
  2. How the pros know who is looking for songs
  3. Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
  4. And more!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

think like a pro songwriter 3D

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.

Man vs Row

Biz

Here’s Why Music Biz Professionals Aren’t Emailing You Back

2 Comments

Man vs Row

Okay, you know the drill.  You email a music biz professional, and you wait for a reply.  And you wait.  And you wait.  And then you say bad words and wait some more.  Man, I’ve been there, too- and it just stinks.

You’re left to wonder why Publisher X isn’t getting back to you, and your imagination goes to work.  And songwriters can have some pretty active imaginations!

     “She hates me.”

     “He’s a blankety-blank-blank jerk!”

     “The world is against me.”

     “They stole my song and deleted my email!!!”

Honestly, the truth is probably nowhere near that nefarious.  Let’s take a look at some of the more likely culprits:

They never opened your email.

Maybe they have a “no unsolicited email” policy for legal and time-waste reasons, so they don’t open any email from unknown writers.  Or maybe they have an assistant who cleans out any emails that don’t look legit.  Or maybe he’s just so busy that he just never has time to get to emails from unknown senders.  That’s why cold emails have such a low response rate.

You’re unprofessional.

An unknown sender putting “HERE’S A #$%ING HIT FOR KEITH URBAN” or “Million Dollar Idea!” or “I have lots of hits for you!” just screams “unprofessional.”  Or maybe you tell your whole life story in the body of the email.  Why would a busy pro want to waste his or her time?  Even if the song is good, why deal with an unprofessional when you can get plenty of great songs from trusted professionals?

You’re creepy or scary.

If your email somehow gets opened, but you come across as creepy or scary, forget it.  If you complain about how other folks have stolen your songs, you look like a lawsuit waiting to happen.  Delete.  If you ask him how his 3-year-old’s birthday party went at Chucky Cheese- AND HE DOESN’T KNOW YOU- he’s filing you in the “Read this in case I disappear” folder.  If you tell her you’re about to lose your house if you don’t “sell a song” right now, she doesn’t want to be the one to send you over the edge.  Remember:

You want to be the solution to an industry pro’s problems- you don’t want to add to them.

Your song just wasn’t that good.

Maybe your song is awful, but they don’t want to tell you that. (Who likes to say that?  Especially when you might show up in their parking lot with a van and a bottle of chloroform?)  But they also don’t want to give you false hope and invite more awful songs (which will make them want to use the chloroform on themselves.)  Or maybe it wasn’t bad, but it just isn’t great or great for the album/artist in question, and they’re just busy.

They forgot.

It happens.  Maybe they wanted to take a second listen later and forgot.  Or maybe they did listen and just forgot to respond.  Or maybe they forwarded it for someone else’s opinion, and it got lost in the inbox.  Hey, humanity happens.

 

I hope that helps set your mind at ease- at least a little bit.  In a future post, I’ll share an email success story or two.  Hang in there!

Pro songwriters know how to act professionally.  And if YOU want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro, too.  In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

  1. How to get on a music publisher’s radar
  2. How the pros know who is looking for songs
  3. Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
  4. And more!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

think like a pro songwriter 3D

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.

Biz, Craft

Replay Wednesday: Bullseye

6 Comments

Replay Wednesday

(Here’s a Man vs. Row post from back in the archives.)

You walk into a room called “Country Music” and Mr. Music Row hands you darts.  He says, “These darts are your songs.  Hit a bullseye with a dart, and that song gets cut.”  You look at the wall on the far side of the room, and you notice that there are bullseyes of all different sizes.  Some are fairly large, and some are small.  Some are so small, you’re not sure they’re really even there.  It’s up to you to pick your darts and start throwing.

The room is also full of other songwriters.  Some are just lobbing darts in the air.  They don’t aim at anything, they just throw.  They figure if they throw enough darts, something is bound to land eventually.  Some songwriters throw dart after dart after the smallest bullseyes on the wall.  Some throw darts at blank spots on the wall, where they would like a bullseye to be.  Some are so busy aiming, that the dart never leaves their hand.

If your goal is to get a song recorded by major artist, your best bet is usually by throwing at “the big bullseye.”

Well, how do we do that?

We make choices as songwriters.  And the better we are at our craft, the more options are available to us.  For example, you can choose to write an idea as a slow ballad, or you can choose to write it as an uptempo (fast song).  The uptempo song is the bigger bullseye.  You can choose an idea that makes your singer look good (bullseye) or look bad (small bullseye).  You can write the song from the point of view of an 85 year old woman (small bullseye) or as a 21 year old girl (bigger bullseye).

How do you know what the big bullseye is?  Well, size of the bullseye is simply a measure of how much demand there is for a certain type of song.  This changes over time, so you need to be aware of the market.  Trends shift.  What was a big bullseye in the 1990’s might not be a big bullseye anymore.

However, one type of song always seems to be a big bullseye.  This is the “first-person uptempo positive love song.”  That’s not exactly shocking news, if you pay much attention to the radio.  This type of song is probably your best bet to get a cut.  I’m not saying, however, to never write a small bullseye.  Those can be hit from time to time- it’s just harder to do.  What I’m saying is to be aware of the realities.

Be intentional.  Be aware of the choices you make.

God Bless,

Brent

Brent is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ray Stevens, and more.  He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Man vs Row

Biz

9 Things You Must Sacrifice For A Songwriting Career

16 Comments

Man vs Row

Songwriting is an extremely tough and competitive business, and nobody builds a pro career without sacrifice and struggle. So if you want to be a pro, just accept that fact now. If you don’t want to sacrifice, that’s cool. Just don’t expect to ever be a pro songwriter.

But if you’re willing to sacrifice, I wanna help you out with my thoughts on the matter. Here’s my list of things you should be willing to sacrifice for your songwriting dream. Not that you MUST give up 100% of each of these things, but it may come close to that. Personally, I’ve sacrificed in each of these areas for years.

1. Vegging out.

Working toward your dream takes time, and the first thing that time should come out of is TV / gaming / net surfing. You DO need to relax from time to time. But if you’re hustling for your dream around a full-time job or school, you simply can’t afford to watch 2 – 3 hours of TV a day. I just almost never watch TV. If it’s on in my house, it’s because my wife or kids are watching something. Or my wife and I are spending a little time together “couch dating.” Even during football season, if I watch a game, I try to multi-task with something that doesn’t require my full attention, like working out, paperwork, folding laundry, etc.

Songs TV

2. Status symbols.

Let the Joneses keep up with themselves. You have more important things to worry about than “who has the newest car” or “who has the nicest clothes” and “who has the biggest house.” You have to be about impressing your listeners, not your neighbors. That car payment? That could be demo money. And I don’t know about you, but a platinum record hanging on the wall is a lot prettier than a shiny stack of car payments sitting in the driveway.

Awards Wall

3. 100% spending.

You gotta learn to live on less than you earn. You gotta save money. Putting money back is going to help you survive the financial (possible) ups and (definite) downs of the music biz. Get on a written budget and stick to it. Otherwise, the money that could feed you in 5 years when you’re between publishing deals will slowly be spent on beer, movie tickets, 3-star verses 2-star restaurants, trips to Gatlinburg or Tunica, etc.

4. Entitlement mentality.

There are no participation trophies given out on Music Row. There’s no such thing as a “consolation cut,” either. Nothing will be given to you based on how bad you want it. Yes, there is some luck (or divine providence) involved, but luck is a horrible strategy. No, you will mostly earn success or failure based on the value that you add to others in the biz. That value may come in the form of great songs, genuine friendships, or something else. But you have to put to death the notion that if you show up and “kinda” work hard that the universe owes you success. ‘Cuz it doesn’t.

5. Ego.

Are you willing to wait tables at Cracker Barrel even though you have a master’s degree? That’s what I did when I moved to Nashville. And I won’t lie- sometimes it stung to know I’d spent 6 years in college to get a degree plus my MBA. Yet there I was, refilling coffee and slinging hashbrown casserole. But it helped me survive my first year in Nashville, and I’m thankful for it. But that’s not the only way you might need to sacrifice your ego. Are you willing to take criticism? Are you so intent on getting better that you look for the lesson in a negative song review instead of protecting your pride and not learning anything? Are you willing to admit that your writing needs to get better? Are you open to the possibility that the folks getting songs on the radio might know something or have skills that you don’t?

6. Hobby work ethic.

If you want songwriting to be your business, you can’t treat it like a hobby. Pros don’t wait to feel inspired before they write. They write to invite inspiration. You have to be willing to do the hard, uncomfortable things. If you want songwriting to be a hobby, that’s awesome. Songwriting is a great hobby, just don’t expect to treat it like a hobby and get cuts.

Love The Grind

7. Your hometown.

If you wanna go pro- if you REALLY want to go pro, you should seriously consider moving to a major music center. Not that you 100% HAVE to move, but being in a town like Nashville seriously increases your chances of success. Why? It’s a lot easier to learn and improve your craft when you’re in a community of songwriters. It’s easier to make music biz connectors when you eat at the same places, know the same people, etc. It also forces you to make a very real commitment to your songwriting goals. If you’re serious about this, you might have to break your mama’s heart.

8. Counterproductive friendships.

Choose friends you can rise with, not friends you have to rise above. Seek out friends who inspire you, challenge you to raise your game and encourage you to be your best. As you gravitate to these people, you’ll find you have less time and energy for friends who bring you down, discourage you, or cause too much drama. It sounds harsh, but if you wanna run with the stallions, you gotta stop rolling in the slop with the pigs.

Rise

9. Years.

Finding a songwriter who builds even a short-term career in music is rare. Finding one who does it without years of struggle is even more rare. If you’re only going to give it a year before you quit, you might as well quit now. This is not a get-rich-quick business. You most likely will NEVER get rich, and definitely not quickly. It takes a long-term commitment.

Be Patient

Knowing you’ll have to sacrifice- and being willing to do so, is how pro songwriters think.  And if you want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro.  In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

  1. How to get on a music publisher’s radar
  2. How the pros know who is looking for songs
  3. Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
  4. And more!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

think like a pro songwriter 3D

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.

Biz, Cowriting, Money, Songplugging

A Pro Songwriter’s Team

2 Comments

Man vs Row

Songwriting is a team sport. I’ve said that a thousand times if I’ve said it once. But, until now, I don’t guess I’ve written about who makes up a pro songwriter’s team. Well, here ya go.

Not all of these members are necessary for every songwriter at every career stage. Some are only needed when money is being generated from your songs. So don’t get overwhelmed- you don’t have to find all these folks today. Also, this list is for pro songwriters or those who want to make money. If you just want to write good songs, pick and choose accordingly.

1. The Cowriters.

There are very, very few songwriters who turn pro (and stay that way) who are exclusively solo writers. Your cowriters help keep you fresh and break you out of creative ruts and stale habits. They also provide song ideas so you don’t have to come up with all your own ideas. Cowriters provide creative strengths to compliment your weaknesses (lyrics for your melodies, etc.) They share valuable information (who’s cutting, what they want, who’s about to get a record deal, etc.). They (and their publishers) help pitch your songs. They provide political advantages- writing with the artist, the producer, or with someone in a powerful publishing company.

Team Sport

2. The Songpluggers.

If you want cuts, somebody has to be out there actively pitching your songs and getting them heard by folks who can say “yes.” Oftentimes, this is done by a music publisher, who has at least one songplugger on staff. Many pros also pitch their songs themselves. I’m an “all hands on deck” kinda guy, so I like to have both when I can. People who might plug your songs: you, your publisher, a (legit) independent songplugger, your cowriters, your cowriters’ songpluggers. If nobody is plugging your songs, nobody will hear them. If nobody hears your songs, nobody will cut them.

3. The PROs.

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) are basically companies who collect and distribute airplay royalties for publishers and songwriters. There are three PROs in the United States- ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Every other country / territory has one. If you’re blessed to get some airplay, you and your song won’t get a dime of airplay money if you (and it) aren’t a member of a PRO. That’s the big service they offer. Other benefits include networking and educational opportunities. EVERY money-making pro must have a PRO.

4. The Recorders.

All the songplugging in the world isn’t gonna do you much good if all your demos / recordings sound terrible. There’s just too much competition and too many quality demos out there for an A&R person to do the work to hear through a bad recording. They just don’t have to. Unless you’re an established hit songwriter with a good track record, they’ll just trash it and move on to a recording that sounds like it was done by a pro. It’s great if you have the musician and production chops to get good sound on your own. But most songwriters don’t have that, so it needs to be outsourced. Maybe your cowriters can perform this function, or maybe you hire a track guy or some studio musicians. I hesitated to list them as part of your team since they’re hired guns… but getting quality recordings is so important, I couldn’t keep them off the list.

5. The Administrators.

Somebody better be watching the money. Your administrator’s are the folks that make sure your songs are licensed properly by the record labels, the copyright forms are sent in and that your royalties make it (properly and promptly) from the record labels to the songwriters. This function is usually done by the publisher, but you can also hire an admin firm for a percentage of what they collect on your behalf. For example, my Major Bob Music catalog is partly administered in-house and partly by The Harry Fox Agency. My personal publishing company, Cowboy Chords Music, outsources my admin to Bluewater Music. They handle my licensing and royalty collections for a percentage of the money they collect.

6. The Sharpeners.

These are the folks who help you sharpen your skills, both on the artistic and business sides of songwriting. This may include cowriters who inspire and challenge you to do your best, it may include NSAI, Global Songwriters Connection, Man vs. Row, song evaluators, and coaches. It may be your publisher or songplugger. It may be a writer’s rep at a PRO or a publisher who will listen to your songs and give feedback. The Sharpeners are hugely important for amateurs and turning pro and for seasoned pros trying to keep current and to adapt as the commercial market changes. These are the folks who will tell us the truth and challenge us, even when it’s unpleasant.

7. The Believers.

Who’s going to pick you up when the biz knocks you down? When you’re lost in doubt? You’ll find The Believers in several of the other categories- The Cowriters, The Pluggers, and sometimes The PROS and The Sharpeners. The Believers may also include folks outside of music- your family and friends. This isn’t just for the aspiring songwriter. We ALL need The Believers. But the most important believer will always be one person. Yourself.

Rise

There ya go. A pro songwriter’s team. Like I said earlier, you may not need all these folks right now, depending on where you are in your career. But as you climb that mountain, you’ll add more and more of them.

Knowing you need a team (and who is on it) is an important part of being a pro.  If you want to become a pro, you need to think like a pro.  In my FREE e-book, “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” I not only reveal several of the mindsets which separate the pro songwriter from the amateur, but also…

  1. How to get on a music publisher’s radar
  2. How the pros know who is looking for songs
  3. Six simple ways to make your songs more commercial
  4. And more!

To get your FREE, INSTANT download of “THINK LIKE A PRO SONGWRITER,” just click on the image below, or CLICK HERE!

think like a pro songwriter 3D

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.