Category Archives: Know The Row

Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

You’re Invisible To Publishers Without THIS (and it’s not a good song)

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Most songwriters can’t seem to get a music publisher’s attention.  They’re simply invisible, or at least it feels that way.  And maybe your songs are good.  Maybe they’re really good.  But that doesn’t matter much if you’re missing the other key things you need to get on a publisher’s radar.

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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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You see, publishers are surrounded by songs and songwriters.  They find them at writers nights, they meet them at workshops, they often meet with new writers sent to them from PROs, other publishers, and friends.  Basically, they listen to songs and meet with songwriters. All. Freaking. Day.

Publishers are drowning in songs and songwriters.  And you’re offering them a cup of water.

So, how do you get publishers to notice YOU and YOUR SONGS?

REACH & FREQUENCY.

Before a publisher can even form an opinion of you as a songwriter, he or she must know you exist.  And they’ll never know you exist if you don’t reach them.

There are several ways to reach a publisher.  You can ping them on social media with something kind or helpful.  (Don’t be a taker.)  You might meet them at a workshop or event such as Songwriting Pro’s Play For A Publisher event.  Maybe they hear your name from another songwriter or see it on a lyric sheet as they listen to one of your songs.  Maybe they’ll see you at a writers night or shake your hand at an industry function.

You’ve reached the publisher and you’ve gotten their attention for a second, a minute, or even an hour.  But it’s not enough.

Even if they like you.  Even if they like your songs.  You walk out of that room, and “poof” – you’re invisible again.  They’ll have another meeting, go to another writers round or hear another batch of good songs.

You need frequency.  So get your frequency on.

You need your name, face and/or songs to reach that publisher again.  And again.  And again.  You need to reach that publisher with enough frequency that they go from “I’m sorry… have we met?” to “What’s your name again?” to “Yeah, you wrote that song about blah blah blah” to “Hey, Joe!  Great to see you again!  How ya been?”

You have to be patient.  But don’t be so patient that you only reach out to them every other year.

You have to be persistent.  But don’t be so persistent that you call them every other day.

So, what’s the right frequency?  I can’t tell you that.  It’s going to be different for each songwriter and each publisher.  But I do know this:  If your songs are really great or really horrible, it won’t take nearly as long for the publisher to remember and form an opinion of you.  So if you’re really, really bad, you should probably focus on your craft before worrying about finding a publisher.

But if you ARE ready to reach a publisher in a friendly setting- on a personal level- without your songs being judged- I have a great opportunity for you.

On Tuesday, July11, 2017, I’m hosting an online “Know The Row” event with Senior Creative Director of Daywind Music, Chad Green.  This is YOUR chance to connect with a music publisher and to ask him YOUR questions.  With it being online, you can join us from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.  If you want details, just CLICK HERE.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited!

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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Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

Music Publishing Isn’t About Just Pitching Songs

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Music publishing isn’t just about slinging songs all over town.  It isn’t just about finding great songs and pitching those songs until they get cut.  If publishing was ever about that, it certainly isn’t anymore.

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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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When I first moved to Nashville from Arkansas in 2002, my understanding of music publishing was that they sign songs and songwriters, pitch those songs, get cuts, and collect and pass along royalties.  I was excited about the possibility that a publisher might hook me up with some other songwriters, pay for my demos and provide a place where I could write.  And I felt blessed when all that finally started to happen.

But it wasn’t enough.  The business model was changing.

That first publishing deal WAS a blessing.  The guys at Major Bob took a chance on signing a young songwriter.  I’m really thankful for them.  I was learning to write better and better songs.  And the guys at Major Bob hooked me up with some good cowriters.  And they would give me some feedback.  But at the end of the day…

I spent a lot of time trying to create great songs, but not enough time trying to create great opportunities.

Heck, I was a newbie.  I had moved to Nashville to write songs, and that’s what I was finally getting to do.  And I was LOVING it.  But while I basically understood how the music business works (royalties, publishing, licensing, etc.), I didn’t understand how the RELATIONSHIP business worked.  Not really.  And it cost me.

It’s great that I was working to create great songs.  But I should’ve been wiser about creating great relationships at labels, with other publishers, producers, and artists.

(Maybe Major Bob was working hard on that for me – but my songs just weren’t good enough to open those doors.  But in either case, I myself wasn’t focused on it enough.)

The smart publishers these days are focused on creating great opportunities for their writers.  That’s why so many publishers sign writer/artists and writer/producers these days.  Those MIGHT become in-house opportunities for cuts and cowriters.  Publishers are partnering with labels (and labels are starting publishing companies).  Publishers are also actively working to get their writers in the room with producers and artists.

Heck, Ole’ Music even has a tour bus that will take their writers on the road to write with artists.  They’re serious about creating opportunities for their writers.

All this is in an effort to put their staffwriters in a position to win with a great song.  (Yes, publishers still do the traditional “find a great songwriter and pitch their best songs” thing.  That model just isn’t having as much success anymore, so they’re having to be more aggressive in creating opportunities.)

But what if you don’t have a publisher?

Well, you’re not off the hook.  If you want cuts and hits, you need to focus on creating BOTH great music AND great opportunities.  Don’t expect a publisher to come riding in on a white horse and save the day.  Get started now.  Start identifying potential opportunities- now.  Start forging relationships- now.

After all, if you don’t HAVE a publisher, you ARE your publisher!

If you’re ready to learn more about how publishing works – or if you’re ready to start making your own relationships with music publishers, I have a great first step for you.

I’m hosting an online “Know The Row” event in July with Senior Creative Director of Daywind Music, Chad Green.  This is YOUR chance to connect with a music publisher and to ask him YOUR questions.  With it being online, you can join us from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.  If you want details, just CLICK HERE.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited!

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

Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

How One Relationship Can Open Doors All Over The Music Biz

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The music business is a relationship business. Yes, it takes great music. But it also takes great relationships. And it’s amazing how just ONE relationship can open up MANY doors of opportunity.

One believer- one champion- can change your career.

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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’m friends with Chad Green. I’ve been thinking a lot about Chad lately because I have a “Know The Row” event coming up with him next month. He’s currently the Senior Creative Director at Daywind Music Publishing.

But back in 2004, Chad was a membership representative with ASCAP, my Performing Rights Organization, or PRO.

In our first meeting, he picked up the phone and called Major Bob Music for me. I’d dropped off a comp for them and never heard anything back. This time, after Chad’s call, they listened. That call led to a meeting and eventually led to my first publishing deal.  Thanks, Chad.

Chad also invited me to join ASCAP’s Country Workshop, where I met hit songwriter Byron Hill. Byron’s written “Fool Hearted Memory” for George Strait, “Politics Religion And More” for Sammy Kershaw, “Born Country” for Alabama and more. Byron and I eventually started writing together, and that has led to a few cuts, including “When Your Lips Are So Close,” a #1 Canadian country single and 2014 CCMA Single Of The Year for Gord Bamford. Thanks, Chad.

After Chad left ASCAP, he was Creative Director for Word Music Publishing. He called me up about some cowrites. That’s when I met Brian Hitt and Jay Speight. Together, we’ve had a song called “God Amazing” cut by Charles Billingsley in the Christian market. We also landed a few songs on a Christian children’s album called “K-Tunez Praise.” Side note- it’s fun when I hear my kids spinning that album in their room. Thanks, Chad.

Now Chad is Senior Creative Director at Daywind Music Publishing. So far, he’s introduced me to one of my favorite cowriters, a guy named Jason Wilkes. And Chad is currently working on getting me in the room with a successful country artist for an upcoming project on Daywind. I can’t say who the artist is, but I have a few of his country records, and I’m super pumped for the opportunity.

One industry contact has turned into a friendship and – over time – has led to a lot of good things.  And that’s the lesson for YOU SongPros out there.

Relationships matter. Relationships open doors.

And it’s a two-way street. Chad calls me 1) because we’re friends and 2) he believes in my songwriting chops. He’s not going to bring me in with one of his writers or one of his artists if he thinks I’m going to blow it. After all, he has his own family to feed. He has his own professional reputation to consider.

I’ve made it easy for him to open those doors for me by 1) being a writer he respects and 2) being a friend.

Another lesson: people don’t stay in the same jobs forever. Chad was an ASCAP rep. At that job, he was able to hook me up with a publisher. Later, at a publishing company, he was able to hook me up with cowrites. Now, he also has contacts with a label, and he’s working on hooking me up with an artist.

Think long-term.

They say to make friends BEFORE you need them. I hope you’ll be mindful of making long-term contacts in the music business. And it all starts with a first step.

I have a great first step for you. If you’d like a chance to hang out with Chad Green yourself, we’re doing an online Know The Row event in July.  With it being online, you can join us from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.  If you want details, just CLICK HERE.  Tickets are on sale now!

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

Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

If you don’t communicate well in these areas, you’re wasting your songwriting money!

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As songwriters, we know the value of communication.  We write our songs to communicate some specific truth or emotion.  If our songs don’t communicate, our songs don’t resonate.

But did you know that songwriters have to communicate well in some other areas if we hope to get cuts and make it in the music biz?____________________

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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You must communicate well with your cowriters.

If you sit down to cowrite with another songwriter, communication is key.  If you bring in an idea, you want to share your vision of the song with your cowriter in a way that is clear and compelling.  Otherwise, you may end up kinda writing two songs at once – you’re trying to write the song in your head, and your cowriter is trying to write the song he thinks is in your head.  That’s frustrating and unproductive.  You’ll either have to “reset” to get on the same page and start over (wasted time), or your song will be a muddy mess (wasted idea).

You must communicate well with your musicians.

If you want to go into the studio with any hope of coming out with a killer demo or record, you have to be able to communicate well with the musicians.  What’s the vibe of the song?  Are there changes from the work tape you want them to make?  What if you hear a cool guitar rhythm thing in your head in the middle of the session – can you explain it to the guitar player?  At the very least, can you sit down with the band leader and explain things to him so he can “translate” it for his guys?

I’ll be honest.  I’m not good at speaking musician.  So I make sure my cowriter can, and I make sure he or she is in the studio with me.  So that’s one way to get around this hurdle- finding a cowriter who can communicate with musicians.

You must communicate well with your demo singer.

If you or your cowriter don’t sing your demo (and it might be a big mistake to sing your own demo- read more about that HERE), you’ll need a demo singer.  Demo singers won’t turn bad songs into great songs, but they can sure help great songs sound great.

But if the vocal doesn’t turn out well, it can make a great song sound “blah.”  Do you micromanage your singer from the very first pass so he or she locks up and never just “feels it?”  Or do you give them zero feedback because you don’t really know what you want- or you’re scared of sounding stupid? (I feel your pain, brother.)

Not knowing how to communicate with your demo singer is costly – in a few ways.  First of all, it’ll take longer to get the vocal the way you want it.  That means you’ll pay more for studio time.  But sometimes the vocal never quite gets right, and it’ll hurt the quality of your demo.  A “blah” demo can waste $700 to $900.  I don’t know about you, but I don’t have that kind of money to flush down the toilet.

So, what’s the solution?

Knowledge, really.  If you know how to communicate with your demo singer, you and the singer can both be more comfortable, confident, and productive in the studio.  And your demo will sound a lot better.  I want you to have that knowledge, so I’m hooking you up with one of the top demo singers on Music Row for an exclusive private online event.

On Tuesday, February 28, I’m hosting a live, online videoconference with top Nashville demo singer, Matt Dame.  If you want to ask your questions and learn from one of the top singers in the game… if you want to learn how to get the best performance possible from a demo singer (or how not to screw up a demo vocal) this is your chance! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.  Oh, and there are only a few spots available (so we can keep things personal and “face to face,”) so don’t wait- check it out now!

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.

Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

Do Labels And Producers ONLY Want To Hear Fully-Produced Demos?

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So, you finally did it!  You have an opportunity to pitch a song to a label or producer for one of their artists.  Awesome!

You’re excited, pumping your fists in the air and wondering how many bottles of champagne you can fit on a yacht, when all of a sudden, it hits you…

“Should I play a full demo, a guitar/vocal, or a work tape?”

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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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Like so many questions in the music biz, there’s no one right answer.  Personally, I’ve gotten cuts in a few different ways.  “Monday Morning Church” (Alan Jackson) and “Every Head Bowed” (Randy Travis) were pitched with full demos.  “Last Night Last” was written with Lady Antebellum, and they demoed it themselves before they cut it.  “Crickets” was pitched as a guitar/vocal for Joe Nichols.  And “When Your Lips Are So Close” was a cowrite with the artist, Gord Bamford, and cut from the work tape.

So, apparently, your songs don’t HAVE to be demoed to get cut.  But, honestly…

A great demo gives your song a better chance to get cut.

“Well, any producer or A&R rep worth anything should be able to hear a great song even if it’s not demoed!”  I agree.  But it isn’t that simple.

First of all, your song may not even get to the A&R or producer.

What if an intern or low-level A&R person listens to the “other” songs (the ones that don’t come in from already-established writers or publishers), and your song ends up on their desk?  Can THAT person hear your hit song through a work tape or simple guitar/vocal?  Maybe.  Maybe not.

Don’t forget to consider the competition.

You’re not the only songwriter trying to land on an album, ya know.  The producer or A&R rep will be listening to hundreds if not thousands of other songs by a bunch of other songwriters – and many of those demos will sound amazing.  That’s your competition.

Pros don’t pitch from hissy cassette tapes these days.

If your song doesn’t sound, at the very least, clean and easy to listen to, the producer / A&R will probably immediately assume you’re a newbie.  Then your song has to be even better to get out of the hole that your recording put it in.

A poor recording puts your pitch at a disadvantage.

At the end of the day, you want your songs to sound professional and competitive.  That may mean full production with a killer demo singer.  Or it may mean guitar, some loops, and a good cowriter vocal.

Maybe you want to start demoing a few songs, or maybe you want to take your demos to the next level.  If so, I have a cool event coming up.

On Tuesday, February 28, I’m hosting a live, online videoconference with top Nashville demo singer, Matt Dame.  If you want to ask your questions and learn from one of the top singers in the game… if you want to learn how to get the best performance possible from a demo singer (or how not to screw up a demo vocal) this is your chance! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.  Oh, and there are only a few spots available (so we can keep things personal and “face to face,”) so don’t wait- check it out now!

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.

Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

The guitar/vocal that changed the sound of Music Row

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The song wasn’t that good. I mean, it was alright. I’ve heard worse. Heck, I’ve written worse. But this guitar/vocal set in motion a chain of events that literally changed the sound of Music Row for over a decade now.

It was probably 2002 or 2003, and I was sitting in a small upstairs writing room at Famous Music, then on 16th Avenue in the heart of Nashville’s Music Row. Across from me? Hit songwriter, Bob Regan. Were we writing a song? Heck, no! I hadn’t earned that privilege yet. No, Bob was giving me some of his time as a favor to our mutual friend, Laura McLeod (thanks, Laura Lou). Bob was listening to a few of my songs and giving me some feedback.

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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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About three songs in, I played the guitar/vocal of a song I’d written back in Arkansas with a buddy of mine.  Like I mentioned before, the song wasn’t that great.  I was still a fairly green writer, and it was one of the first songs my friend had ever written.  And the production was simple- just my cowriter playing and singing into a mic.  (Recorded at my friend, Darian Stibling’s Blue Chair Recording Studio in Austin, Arkansas.)

Bob looked up about halfway through the song and asked me, “who’s singing this?”  I told him, and his response was, “does he look like an artist?”

My friend, the singer?  Matt Dame.

Matt was still living in Little Rock, Arkansas at the time, but Bob started bringing Matt to Nashville to sing demos for him.  That was all the foot-in-the-door that Matt needed.  His name popped up more and more as people would hear one of Bob’s demos and would want to know the singer’s name.  Word got around, and Matt got more and more work.  Soon, his talent, work ethic and personality opened enough doors that he was able to make the move to Nashville.

Since then, Matt has become one of the top male “go-to” demo singers in Nashville.  He has literally changed the sound of Music Row, as his voice comes out of speakers all over the place every day.

So, what’s the lesson here?

Matt has undeniable talent when it comes to singing. But he’s also worked hard to hone his craft.  He’s not a “lazy” singer.  Also, he took that boring 350-mile drive from Little Rock to Nashville time after time to sing demos.  That was time away from family and time he could’ve spent doing other things (like watching the Razorbacks play).

He put in the hours, and he put in the miles.

And he used his people skills.  He’s a great, great singer, but there’s not an ounce of ego on him.  He’s a great hang.  He’s professional, but also fun to work with.

Talent.  Hard work.  People skills.

Do you bring those qualities to each show, studio session and songwriting appointment?  If you do, you never know what might happen.  You might be the next one to change the sound of Music Row.

What about you?  Do you use demo singers, or do you usually sing them yourself?  How have those choices worked for you?  Have you used Matt? If so, what’d you think?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments!

Maybe you’re considering hiring a demo singer, but you aren’t sure how the whole process works.  Maybe your demo singers have disappointed you in the past, and you want to know how to get the best performances from them in the future.  Maybe you want to become a demo singer yourself, but you’re unsure how to pursue it.  Well, if any of that sounds like you, I have a cool opportunity coming up for ya!

On Tuesday, February 28, I’m hosting a live, online videoconference with top Nashville demo singer, Matt Dame.  If you want to ask your questions and learn from one of the top singers in the game, this is your chance! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.  Oh, and there are only a few spots available (so we can keep things personal and “face to face,” so don’t wait- check it out now!

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.

Do Business Like A Pro, Know The Row

You might be ruining your demos by making this one mistake!

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Are you ruining your demo without even knowing it?

Every day, amateur and pro songwriters spend thousands and thousands of dollars and hours demoing songs in the hopes of getting it recorded by a major artist.  Many times, the amateurs and pros will both use the same studios, hire the same musicians, and both end up with quality musical tracks.

But amateur songwriters often make a killer mistake that the pros don’t.

The pros usually hire a professional demo singer while the amateur (too often) sings his or her own demo vocal.  The pro knows to put away his pride- and the microphone- and do what’s best for the song.

The pro knows it’s a lot cooler to say “my song got cut” than it is to say “I sang on the demo.”

The pro also knows that a great vocal is worth the investment.  She doesn’t get hung up on the extra $100-$250 for a singer- because she knows that a bad or mediocre vocal can ruin a demo she’s already spent $500 to $700 on.

A great demo singer can be expensive – but not as expensive as a wasted demo.

Yes, some songwriters love great voices and are definitely good enough to sing their own demos.  But sometimes even a GREAT voice isn’t the RIGHT voice.

For example, you may have a beautiful, sweet Allison Krauss voice (lucky you).  But what if you’re demoing a Carrie Underwood power ballad or a Miranda Lambert Texas roadhouse rocker?  Well, your voice- as good as it is- isn’t the right one to sell those demos.  You’ll want to hire the right demo singer if you want your song to stand a fighting chance of getting cut.

I’m not telling you to NEVER sing your own demos.

(Unless you’re me.  If you’re me, never NEVER sing anything!)  What I want you to get from this post is a wakeup call to stop and honestly consider what is best for your song.

What about you?  Do you use demo singers, or do you usually sing them yourself?  How have those choices worked for you?  I’d love to hear from you in the comments!  Also… is there anyone you can recommend as a demo singer?

Maybe you’re considering hiring a demo singer, but you aren’t sure how the whole process works.  Maybe your demo singers have disappointed you in the past, and you want to know how to get the best performances from them in the future.  Maybe you want to become a demo singer yourself, but you’re unsure how to pursue it.  Well, if any of that sounds like you, I have a cool opportunity coming up for ya!

On Tuesday, February 28, I’m hosting a live, online videoconference with top Nashville demo singer, Matt Dame.  If you want to ask your questions and learn from one of the top singers in the game, this is your chance! CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.  Oh, and there are only a few spots available (so we can keep things personal and “face to face,” so don’t wait- check it out now!

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.