Category Archives: P4P

Great advice from our March 2019 “Play For A Publisher” event!

April 29, 2019 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

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

We had a great “Play For A Publisher” event in March with Scot Sherrod of Rare Spark Media in Nashville. The Songwriting Pro community brought some strong songs, and Scot brought some great advice. Let’s dive into some of his advice (paraphrased)!

It’s not a publisher’s job to tell you exactly HOW to “fix” or change your song. That’s up to you- you’re the creative one. But part of their job is to raise red flags when necessary.

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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When you want to be a songwriter in a corporate environment, it’s hard not to me married to each song you write. After all, you have to be close to a song to write a life-changer. But you also have to have perspective to see the song for what it really is.

I don’t listen to a lot of outside songs (songs that my staff writers didn’t write). I try to have a well-rounded roster of writers, and I go to their stuff first. With outside songs, it’s all about who’s looking RIGHT NOW.

Think about how to demo a song where it’s a wide pitch- where it can be presented to many different artists. The more “specific” a demo is (when it sounds so much like a particular artist), the less places you can pitch it.

Make sure your lyric, melody and demo all match as far as mood.

These days, the ability to make tracks is a plus. That can expand who a publisher can put you in a writing room with.

Don’t be afraid to write an alternate version of your song to see if a different direction can make it better. You can always go back to the original version.

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up, and our guest is Joe Dan Cornett, Creative Director of Daywind Music Publishing & Billy Blue Publishing! Joe Dan works in the Country, Southern Gospel, Bluegrass and CCM/Worship markets. 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 Single of the Year in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far. He also co-hosts a 5-star podcast, “The C.L.I.M.B.” on iTunes, Stitcher & HERE.

P4P, Uncategorized

Congrats To Our March 2019 “Play For A Publisher” Winners!

March 19, 2019 Brent Baxter 6 Comments

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 Scot Sherrod of Rare Spark Media. Ya’ll are just plain awesome.

Out of about 250 songs, it took a while to whittle it down to just 10. We have country, pop & gospel songs, solo writes and co-writes!

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.

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 Scot’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):

“Be Your Bartender” by Brittany Brant, Selby Copeland, Susan Simonson

“Gonna Stay With Me” by Kevan Kirk

“Blocked” by Mikalyn Hay, Chris Graham

“Musical Beds” by Blaine Younger, Emily Kroll, Jonathan Olivares

“Coming Clean” by Brooke McBride

“Behind My Back” by Claire Bunnik, Carrie DeMaeyer

“Whiskey In My Eyes” by Zebb Rogers, Clay M., Mathew P.

“Got That Fire” by Stacy Clearman

“Mind Of It’s Own” by David Hill, Jeffrey East, Shelby Lee Lowe

“Tractor Time” by Dave Quirk, Chris Garner

(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! Scot and I look forward to hanging out with you on March 28. (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…

“Boomerang” by Zebb Rogers, Ceri Usmar, Steve Smentek

“Tattoos And Scars” by Troy Castellano, Andrew Rollins

“Cocktails And Beach Chairs” by Penelope Lane, Buck Wild

“24/7 365” by Tim Svedlund

“Still Shine” by Colleen Francis, Nigel Wheeler, Ryan Lorensen

“Slow Down And Live” by Mark Skinner, Aaron Clafton

“Something About Me” by Erinn Bates

“Dying Within” by Colin Clyne, Terry McDermott

“Kill Switch” by Sandra DeVault, Keesy Timmer

“Life Is Good” by Jason Street, J. Spears

These songs, along with others, were in there battling it out with the top 10, so be encouraged!

If you want to enter a song in the next round of “Play For A Publisher,” the best way to stay in the loop is to join the Songwriting Pro Insider’s List. You can do this by downloading my FREE ebook, “Think Like A Pro Songwriter.” Not only is this ebook full of helpful information, you’ll stay up to date on future opportunities like this one. Here’s the link:

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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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God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

How To Win Your Next Publisher Meeting… After It’s Over

February 25, 2019 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

Let’s assume you’ve just walked out of a meeting with a music publisher. Congratulations! But don’t go thinking the meeting is over just because it’s over. Today, I want to help you keep winning the meeting even after it ends.

Here are 5 things you MUST do if you want to really get the most out of every publisher meeting. Read on.

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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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Last week, I discussed 6 Ways Rock Your Publisher Meeting. You can read that with a CLICK HERE. Today, let’s talk about how to turn that meeting into an even bigger win- after it’s over. And away we go…

1. Don’t freak out.

Chances are, you’re feeling a little kicked around. Don’t worry- we’ve all been kicked around. This is an opportunity to build your “getting-back-on-the-horse” muscles. Believe me, you’ll need them over the years to come. It’s important not to swing too far in either direction- “I’ve arrived” or “I’ll never get there.”

Just because the publisher didn’t do backflips doesn’t mean it’s time to feed your guitar to a woodchipper. And just because your publisher DID to backflips doesn’t mean it’s time to give your boss the ‘ol Johnny Paycheck. Just take a deep breath.

2. Thoughtfully consider any feedback you received.

Put away the voice of pride which says, “they don’t know what they’re talking about- just ignore ‘em.” Also put away the voice of fear and laziness that doesn’t want to admit you may have a lot of work ahead of you.

Honestly, did the publisher make some valid points? Maybe you brought in a rodeo song and your publisher told you rodeo songs aren’t in demand right now. Well, get on iTunes or Billboard and do the research. It’s not about seeing the world as you want it to be. See the world as it is.

3. Seek out additional educated feedback.

Nobody’s opinion is gospel. Nobody has perfect understanding. If you disagreed with everything the publisher said, get another opinion. If you agreed with everything the publisher said, get additional opinions. If you hear the same point made by two or more music business professionals, really give it a lot of consideration.

And there’s another reason to seek additional opinions- it will help you grow your network and increase the chance that you’ll find your champion. Just because one publisher has taken some time with you, don’t act like they’re the only game in town. It’s important to reach out to others.

4. Express appreciation.

Let the publisher know you appreciate his or her time. A quick email or (even more noticeable) a handwritten thank-you card gets your name in front of the publisher in a positive way. Even if they didn’t like your songs, everyone likes being appreciated, so this is a good way to put a positive spin on the meeting. And, of course, if they loved your songs, it’s also a good reminder of that.

5. Follow up.

Don’t expect the publisher to keep thinking about you and call you up out of the blue a month later like “Hey, man… how ya been? I miss you…” Not gonna happen. There’s no need for a meeting one week later (unless THEY ask YOU back that soon). But in another couple months, after you’ve applied some of their advice to your newest songs, you can reach out to them again. This is a relationship business, and it takes time to build them. So reach back out.

Okay, those are 5 ways you win after your publisher meeting. You may want to bookmark this page or print it out for future reference.

But what if you’re not sure how to get that publisher meeting in the first place?

Let me introduce you to a legit music publisher.

If you’re ready to connect with a publisher, I have a path for YOU and your great song to get to a real, legit, successful music publisher.

On Thursday, March 28, I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher.” Our guest is Scot Sherrod of Rare Spark Media. Scot has had his hand in a bunch of hits, but the deadline to submit your song is coming up quickly! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

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 10 in Texas, a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

how to Rock Your Next Publisher Meeting

February 18, 2019 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

Let’s assume you’ve finally landed a meeting with a music publisher. Woo-hoo! I’m proud of you! Now, PLEASE don’t mess up this opportunity. Today, I want to help you make the most of your meeting.

Here are 6 things you can do to maximize your next publisher meeting. Read on.

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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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Last week, I discussed 5 Ways To Prepare For Your Publisher Meeting. You can read that with a CLICK HERE. Today, let’s talk about how to slay your next publisher meeting while you’re IN the room. And away we go…

1. Be on time or early.

In a world where writers and creative types are habitually late, it’s refreshing to have someone show up on time or (gasp) a few minutes early. Seriously, this is a simple way to show respect for the publisher and his or her time. It matters. Be professional.

Plus, a publisher’s day is FULL. If you don’t show up on time, you’re either going to get a shorter meeting, or you’re messing up their schedule for the day. Being the reason for a scheduling logjam is NOT the impression you want to make on a publisher.

2. Dress like you care.

Seriously. If you’re meeting in person, you want to appear professional. No, you don’t have to wear kakis, but you want to be presentable. No, it doesn’t make your song sound better.

However, if you hope to build a relationship with this publisher and hopefully get some cowrites or eventually land a staff deal, you want to make the publisher feel like you know what you’re doing and won’t embarrass him later. No, you don’t have to be handsome or beautiful, just don’t let your outfit be a negative.

3. Seek to get better, not just to get discovered.

Maybe your songs are impressive. Maybe they’re not. But a humble, teachable attitude is always impressive. You want the publisher to be a fan of YOU, not just your songs.

If they get the sense that a songwriter is not there to learn and connect but just wants to be told how great they are (and they aren’t great), they’re just going to try and get through the session with as little headache as possible. Because if you’re not willing to learn or connect, you’re probably just waisting their time.

4. Take notes.

Or record the session (but ask before you hit the red button). First of all, if you have a memory like mine, you won’t remember everything you want to. Secondly, if you look like you’re taking it seriously and are fired up about the opportunity, it encourages the publisher to give even better info.

Also, a publisher might be a little less likely to suggest a potential cowriter or industry contact if you look like you don’t have a pen within five miles.

5. Don’t argue.

It’s okay to ask clarifying questions and explore a topic more. But it should be to learn, not to win. Again, if a publisher doesn’t think they CAN work with you, they WON’T work with you. If the publisher is wrong on a point, it’s your job to go out and PROVE them wrong. If you irritate them with your attitude, you can lose the relationship. And relationships in this business are HUGE.

6. Express gratitude.

You’re not doing them a favor by gracing them with your presence. They’re doing YOU the favor. So act like it. Be thankful, and let them know you are. Everyone likes to be appreciated, and publishers are no different. Don’t overdo it, but let them know you value their time and attention.

Okay, those are 6 ways you can get the most out of your publisher meeting. You may want to bookmark this page or print it out for when the big day comes.

Next time, I’ll discuss what to do AFTER the publisher meeting. Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss it. In the meantime…

Let me introduce you to a legit music publisher.

If you’re ready to connect with a publisher, I have a path for YOU and YOUR great song to get to a real, legit, successful music publisher.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

how to prepare for your meeting with a music publisher

February 11, 2019 Brent Baxter 3 Comments

Alright, you’ve tracked down a music publisher, and you’ve finally gotten that meeting you’ve been hoping for. But now what? How do you make it a success? How do you avoid blowing this opportunity?

Here are five things you should do to effectively prepare for your publisher meeting. Good luck!

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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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1. Define your goal(s) for the meeting and beyond.

Do you want to write hits for other artists or for yourself as an artist? Do you want a publishing deal or to get cowrites with the publisher’s writers? Or both? Are you writing for yourself or for the radio? How can a publisher help you get where you want to go if you don’t know where that is?

2. Write down a list of questions and/or topics you want to cover.

Don’t just make a mental note- write it down. By the way, write it down- and have it in front of you during the meeting. When you get into it, when you get nervous or happy or frustrated or whatever, you’re likely to forget something you wanted to talk about. Prioritize the list to make sure it’s as easy as possible to get to the important ones. Did I mention you should write it down?

3. Choose your songs.

Decide on your songs based on which are most relevant to your goals. If your goal is to be a hit country songwriter, but you bring in a novelty gospel song to show your range, it’s kind of a waste of time. Bring songs that are aiming in the direction of your goals. Order your songs in order of importance. You might not get to them all, so play your “must-play” song first.

Burn a CD, even if you plan on playing live. What if you break a string or a finger in the middle of your first song? What if the publisher wants to play the song for an artist later that day? Be prepared. Also, have the labeling on the CD clear and professional with all your contact info on it.

Also, prepare for the fact that the publisher may not have a CD player on their computer. (Sounds crazy, I know.) It may be wise to have your songs and lyrics in an email folder where you can send them over from your phone right in their office. Or to have them somewhere online where you can pull them up. Be prepared.

4. Type your lyrics.

Make two copies of your typed lyrics- one for you (in case you get nervous and forget them in the middle of your song) and one for the publisher. Some publishers don’t look at lyrics, but others do. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

And I don’t care how much you like your own handwriting- a typed lyric is more professional and makes a better impression. Also, put all your contact info on every page of every lyric. It doesn’t matter how awesome your song is if the publisher can’t find you later or remember who wrote it.

5. Research your publisher.

I’m not talking about hiding in the bushes outside their office. But who is going to be sitting across the desk from you? Have they published a hit? Who are their current staff songwriters?

Knowing some of their cuts and writers 1) makes you look more prepared and professional 2) can spur relevant, helpful conversation (“How did you get ‘Happy In Love’ to George Urban?”). Also, nothing is worse than badmouthing an artist, song or songwriter to your publisher and then seeing that artist’s album hanging on the publisher’s wall. Oops.

Okay, those are 5 ways you can prepare for your publisher meeting. You may want to bookmark this page or print it out for when the big day comes.

Next time, I’ll discuss how to handle the publisher meeting itself. Stay tuned, you don’t want to miss it. In the meantime…

Let me introduce you to a legit music publisher.

If you’re ready to connect with a publisher, I have a path for YOU and YOUR great song to get to a real, legit, successful music publisher.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

WHY A Music Publisher Won’t Meet With You… And 1 Thing You Can Do About It

February 4, 2019 Brent Baxter 2 Comments

For many songwriters (and possibly you), trying to get a publisher meeting is like trying to get a date with a supermodel. You know they exist, you cyber-stalk them as best you can… but you can’t find one who will give you the time of day.

Why is it so dang hard to get a publisher meeting?

Here are 4 reasons a publisher won’t meet with you- and one thing you can do to change 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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1. Knock, knock… Math.

Publishers simply don’t have enough time to meet with every songwriter who wants some of their time. Math just dictates that there aren’t enough hours in the workday for every “quick 15 minute meeting” that is asked of them.

Unfortunately, publishers just can’t get to everyone.

Oh, and math also says that the vast majority of songwriters just aren’t good enough to solve the publisher’s problems. The odds are actually better that you’ll either be needy or crazy and add to their problems.

2. You made a bad (personal) 1st impression.

Maybe the publisher met you out at an event… or the grocery store… and you gave off a creepy vibe when you shoved your CD into her cart alongside her avocados. Or maybe you reached out through social media and she saw that post where you ranted about how much radio sucks and the songs suck and the artists suck. Now the publisher has no desire to give you a 2nd chance to make a worse impression.

Yes, unpleasant people might still have a great song. But a publisher is looking for something more valuable than just one great song. She’s looking for a great songwriter she can have hits with for years to come.

If the publisher doesn’t like being around you for 5 minutes, she’s sure not excited about being around you for 5 years.

3. You made a bad (musical) 1st impression.

Let’s say a publisher was out at the Bluebird Cafe or The Listening Room to hear one of his writers, and you were in the early round. If your songs just aren’t exciting to him (too slow, too cliche, too boring, whatever), he’s not going to be in a hurry to sit down with you for a half-hour.

There’s just not a compelling business interest for him to NOT meet with someone else so he CAN meet with you. After all, publishers know writers tend to play their best stuff out. So if that’s your best, he doesn’t need to hear any more- at least not until after you’ve worked on your craft for a few more years.

4. The publisher doesn’t know you exist.

Literally. How can a publisher agree to meet with you if you’ve never stepped into her awareness? If you and your songs never leave your bedroom in Boise, that publisher meeting is simply NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. You have to get over your fear or whatever and DO SOMETHING.

Or maybe you’re ready to do something, but you just don’t know the steps to take. How do you approach a real-deal music publisher in a way that gets his or her attention in a positive way? Do you have to belong to some sort of private club? Is there a secret handshake?

Let me introduce you to a legit music publisher.

If you’re ready to connect with a publisher, I have a path for YOU and YOUR great song to get to a real, legit, successful music publisher.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

P4P

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

September 18, 2018 Brent Baxter Leave a comment

Congratulations to our newest “Play For Publisher” Top Ten songs and songwriters!

First of all, BIG thanks and congrats to each of you who took a chance, took positive action, and submitted one or more songs to the “Play For Publisher” event with John Ozier of Ole Music. Ya’ll are just plain awesome.

Out of over 200 songs, it took a while to whittle it down to just 10. We have country songs, pop songs, cowrites, solo writes, male songs, female songs, simple recordings and full demos!

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, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good song.

So these were picked based on the song, not on the songwriter. As a result… some folks got more than one in the Top 10 and On Hold. Congrats to them for doing good, consistent work.

The song was called, “Crickets,” and we got it cut by Joe Nichols. It’s the title track to one of his recent albums.

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 John’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):

“Ain’t That A Beach” by Jonathan Helfand, Lucy LeBlanc, McMellon

“Apple Tree” by Billy Sweeney

“Bulletproof Girl” by Jody Stewart-Regner, Brittany Brant, Selby Copeland

“Chasin’ The Ace” by Lynn Tessari, Mandy McMillan

“Funhouse” by Kris Bradley, Connor Thuotte, Katrina Burgoyne

“Hurt Somebody” by Ethan Bell, Steve Smentek

“Old Oak Tree” by Jenny Leigh, Ryan Sorest, Nick Donley

“Spin” by Marla Rubinstein, Troy Castellano, Jayne Sachs

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

“Zero Latitude” by Troy Castellano, Donna King, Lisa Whitters

(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 or in the Songwriting Pro Facebook Group!)

Congratulations! John and I look forward to hanging out with you on September 25. (In the days before the event, I’ll email the winners the instructions about the online meeting.)

“ON HOLD” songs…

“A Dollar” by Bobby Simpson

“I Am Yours” by Russ Parrish

“Just A Dirt Road” by Marla Rubinstein, Lee Thomas Miller, Fran Beaudet

“Koozie In Your Pocket” by Selby Copeland, Joey Ebach

“Sexy As Hell” by Cody Coggins & Cheryl Jividen

“The Girl I Never Met” by Adam Bahadursingh, Sean Spollen, Jim Logrando

“We Made It” by Selby Copeland, Jeff Roe, Ryan Griffin, Jason Duke

“What Makes Me Want You” by Ava Paige, Patrick Dodge

“Where Cowboys Go To Die” by Blaine Younger, Jonathan Olivares, Ken Matthiessen, Jackson Gulick

“Who Are You Waitin’ For” by Karen Kiley, Brittany Brant

These songs, along with others, were in there battling it out with the top 10, so be encouraged!

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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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God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

P4P, Write Like A Pro

Don’t take “no” from someone who can’t say “yes.”

August 27, 2018 Brent Baxter 1 Comment

If an A&R rep, manager, or whoever doesn’t have the authority to tell you, “Yes, my artist WILL cut your song,” then that person doesn’t have the power to tell you, “No, my artist WON’T cut your song.”

If someone who can’t really say “yes” says “no,” all it means is that you need to find a different person to pitch that song to. Knock on a different door. Or maybe you need to knock on that same person’s door again after some time passes (you never know how the direction of an album- or how someone’s mood- might change).

The point is, don’t quit on a song you believe is right for that artist. Keep going until you’ve exhausted every avenue to get to that artist.

Actually, you don’t quit even then. Why? 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 _________________________________

Let me tell you a story about a song called “Crickets,” which I wrote with Lisa Shaffer and Bill Whyte. The day we wrote it, we thought it was a great Joe Nichols song. The only trouble was… my publisher disagreed.

They didn’t want to demo it. That was the first “no.”

But you know what? All my publisher could do was refuse to PAY for a demo. They couldn’t stop me from demoing. So my cowriters, Bill and Lisa, went and did a guitar/vocal of the song, anyway. They believed in it.

But then we hit another “no.”

We couldn’t get “Crickets” through Joe’s label, Universal South. I personally pitched the song to the head honcho over there, and he passed. Thankfully, another avenue opened up.

After a while, Joe left Universal South and signed with Red Bow Records. We pitched it to the new label, and they loved it. Joe finally heard it, and he cut it as the title track to his next album.

If you believe in a song, keep pitching it. And never take “no” from someone who can’t say “yes.”

Have you had that experience where you’ve had success after refusing to take “no” from someone who can’t say “yes?” It doesn’t have to just be music: “She’ll never go out with you.” “You’ll never make the team.” etc. Let us know your story in the comments- we’d love to hear from you!

Also, if you’re ready to take another swing (or the first swing) with a song you believe in, 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!

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND SEND IN YOUR SONG- THE DEADLINE IS THIS WEEK!

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.

P4P, Write Like A Pro

The music business is a recommendation business.

August 20, 2018 Brent Baxter 3 Comments

The music biz has often been called a relationship business – and it IS. But how you GET those relationships is often a matter of recommendations.

And I want to help you get more of those recommendations.

First off, let me tell you about a few referrals and how they have really affected my songwriting career. Why? It’s not about me or my story. I’m not bragging. I’m sharing because I want to prove to you that recommendations MATTER.

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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Chad Green, my ASCAP representative at the time, picked up the phone and called Major Bob Music. He recommended that they listen to my songs. I ended up signing my first publishing deal with them. Thanks, Chad.

I used to do some gopher / bookkeeping work for a producer in town named Miles. He recommended I write with a young, unknown Canadian singer/songwriter named Aaron Goodvin. We eventually did, and years later, Aaron helped me land cuts on Canadian artist Drew Gregory and Sony Canada artist, Tristan Horncastle. Aaron himself is currently an artist on Warner Music Canada. Thanks, Miles and Aaron.

Separate recommendations by my cowriters, Lisa Shaffer and Brandon Kinney, led to my third publishing deal – a deal with Writer’s Infinity. Thanks, Lisa & Brandon.

A cowriter, Skip Black, brought me in on a cowrite with singer/songwriter, Benton Blount. (Any time a cowriter brings you in with an artist, it’s a recommendation.) Benton Blount went on to land a spot in the Top 10 of America’s Got Talent Season 10. I’ve had several cowrites and cuts on Benton’s albums so far.

I met radio host and record promoter, Jay Karl, several years ago. He liked my song “Armadillo,” and recommended it to one of his artists, Junior Gordon. Junior evenutally released it as a single in Texas, and “Armadillo” reached the top 10 on the Texas Regional Radio Chart. Thanks, Jay.

Chad Green, at this point a music publisher, recommended I write with an unsigned singer/songwriter from Georgia named Jason Wilkes. Jason has since gone on to sign a publishing deal, have a successful run on NBC’s The Voice, and one of my cowrites with WILKES was just released on his new EP. Thanks (again), Chad.

Again, this is not about bragging or showing off some of my success. This is about proving how recommendations can open doors for you- in some cases, doors you didn’t even know existed.

It’s not enough to JUST have a relationship. Your contact has to do more than just know you or be aware of your existence. They have to have a reason to make a recommendation – either TO you for FOR you. And those reasons usually fall into one of two broad categories.

They want to help themselves.

If a cowriter brings you in to write with an artist because they know you’ll kill it… and you DO kill it… who comes out looking cool? Your cowriter who hooked it up! He or she gets to be the one who “made it all happen.” Plus, he benefits from being part of a better song. He also strengthens his ties with the artist.

If a publisher hooks you up to write with a pro, it’s because she hopes you either already have “the goods” or she can help you develop “the goods.” Why? So she can publish your hits and make money, that’s why!

Your relationships are definitely NOT gonna hook you up if they think it’ll make them look bad to their friends or bosses. Why should they? Even if you’re friends and he wants to help you, what’s the point? If you don’t have the skills or personality to take advantage of the opportunity, you might feel good in the moment, but all you’ll really accomplish is wasting someone’s time and hurting your reputation.

To help someone else.

Sometimes your contact will hook people up or pass along a song with little or no self-interest. Maybe they think you’ll be a great cowriting team or just good friends. Or he knows Artist X needs a hit, and he believes your song is it. So he passes it along.

Your contact may not have any direct financial stake in that recommendation. But he or she will still benefit from the good will and hero status a successful recommendation can bring. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

I’ll be honest, I would LOVE to reach hero-status as part of YOUR songwriting journey. I want to be part of YOUR success story. And you know what? I also want to be part of the success stories of my publisher friends. I want to help you get your best songs heard, and I want to help my publisher friends find great songs.

Which leads leads me to a cool opportunity…

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

P4P, Write Like A Pro

Are you setting S.M.A.R.T. songwriting goals?

August 12, 2018 Brent Baxter 2 Comments

Do you have songwriting goals, or just songwriting dreams? Your answer matters because goals call us to action while dreams call us to wait.

Just look at the language, and we’ll talk about each.

“I reached my goal.”

“My dream came true.”

We use words like “reached” or “achieved” in association with goals. These are action words, meaning we DID something to achieve our goal.

Dreams “come true” as if it’s something that happens TO you instead of something that YOU do.

You have a much better chance of successfully reaching a goal than you do of having a dream come true.

Why? Read on below.

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Goals are measurable and have a deadline. You know if you’ve reached a goal by the time the deadline has passed. If a goal is vague or has no deadline, it’s just a dream, and you can spend the rest of your life dreaming about “someday.”

Dreams are great. I can’t imagine living without having dreams. I’m a dreamer. But dreams without goals?

Those are just wishes.

Instead of just wishing, you should be setting S.M.A.R.T. goals if you want your best chance to be successful.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are: Specific. Measurable. Actionable. Reasonable. Time-bound.

Specific.

A goal needs to be specific, not vague. For example, “Do more songwriting stuff” is not specific. However, “Finish more songs” is more specific.

Measurable.

Make your goal measurable so you can track your progress and know if and when you reach it. For example, “Finish more songs” is not measurable. “Finish 12 songs” is measurable.

Actionable.

A SMART goal is actionable. This means you have the ability to affect the outcome. You can do something about it. Setting a goal for something you can’t do anything about is like setting a goal for the sun to come up tomorrow or for it not to rain tonight. “I will finish 12 songs” is something you can do something about.

Reasonable.

A goal should be something that requires effort (and is worth the effort), but it shouldn’t be unreasonable. For example, “Finish 12 songs on my lunch break” is just not reasonable. A more reasonable goal might be, “Finish 12 songs over the next 3 months.”

Time-bound.

Your goal should have a deadline. Without one, it’s too easy to keep putting off the work. Without a deadline, it’s easy to tell yourself you’ll get around to it “someday.”

Not only that, without a deadline, how will you know if you’ve actually accomplished your goal? “Finish 12 songs,” could take the rest of your life. “Finish 12 songs in the next 3 months” lets you know in three months if you accomplished your goal. It also gives you a sense of urgency.

Setting SMART goals can take you from a vague non-goal of “Do more songwriting stuff” to the SMART goal of “Finish 12 songs in the next three months.”

Here are some other examples of SMART goals:

“Record 5 new demos this year.”

“Select and join a PRO by the end of August.”

“Book my first cowriting session by the end of the month.”

“Attend one songwriting conference next year.”

“Play one song for a publisher by the end of September.”

When your goals are SMART, you’ll get more done and be more successful. And that’ll make you look REALLY smart.

What do you think? What are YOUR thoughts on goal-setting? What are some of your songwriting goals? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

If one of your goals is to get a song in front of a publisher, I want to help make that happen.

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent