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P4P, Write Like A Pro

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

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

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

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

Want more?  Read on below.

_______________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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

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

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

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

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

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

A lot of artists like good, positive message songs.

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

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up, and our guest is John Ozier of Ole’ Music!  John has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!  Play for a publisher.  Get his professional feedback.  Make a connection.  Overcome your fear.

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

P4P, Write Like A Pro

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

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

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

Is it fear of failure?

Maybe.  Maybe not.  Read on below.

_______________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!  Play for a publisher.  Get his professional feedback.  Make a connection.  Overcome your fear.  But the deadline to send in your song is THIS WEEK.

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

P4P, Write Like A Pro

2 rhyming mistakes that can ruin your song

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

Wrong.

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

Read on if you want to write better songs.

_______________________________

To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

1. Boring Rhymes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Chasing Rhymes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

If YOU would like to play your song for a legit music publisher, our next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

P4P, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

5 Ways To Ruin A Publisher Meeting

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

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

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

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Okay, let’s dive in!

1. Don’t be an ask-hole.

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

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

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

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

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

4. Don’t be arrogant or argumentative.

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

5. Don’t be a total fanboy (or girl).

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

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

If YOU would like to play your song for a legit music publisher, our next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our next guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.SWP 4

P4P, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Writing A Hit Song Without Living In A Music Town

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

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

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To BE a pro, you need to THINK like a pro, and this FREE ebook will help transform your thinking, your songwriting, and your success.  Get it today!

Click Here For The Book

_________________________________

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

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

…grow where you’re planted.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It all went according to plan.  Kind of.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest is Tim Hunze of Parallel Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Tim has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US, a #1 in Canada and a top 10 in Texas… so far.SWP 4

P4P, Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Great Advice From Our March “Play For Publisher” Event!

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Here are some great lessons from our March Play For A Publisher Event!

We recently had another great “Play For A Publisher” event. Our guest publisher was Courtney Allen of BMG Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Today, I’d like to share some of the best takeaways from the evening.  These aren’t direct quotes, but you get the idea. _______________________________

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

_________________________________

Be cautious with your use of vocal effects.  They can be cool, but they can sometimes be distracting.

You don’t want your “sexy” images to be too in-your-face.  Sexy is great, but too sexual can be too much for an artist to want to sing.  “Sangria” by Blake Shelton is a great example of sexy but not going too far.

Some songs need full demos, and some don’t.  Craft your song, then get as much feedback as possible before spending money on it.

When looking to sign a writer, publishers are looking for “pieces of gold” – a great line, interesting perspective, etc.  It isn’t just about you walking in the door with a hit song.  They’re looking for hit songwriters.

Find great ideas!  Ideas have to be really strong in order to cut through all the other songs out there.  Go for unique ideas.

A dated-sounding recording hurts your chances of getting a cut.

It’s impressive if you can write a good song all by yourself.  That being said, it’s important to be able to cowrite.

It’s important that the demo matches the sentiment of the song.

The song is more important than the track.  Make sure the song is killer, not just the track.

Film/tv placements: they always need positive and uplifting songs.

Some producers like having some “space” in the demo so they can “hear” what they’d add for their particular artist. Over-producing can hurt your pitch.

A lot of writers get overly concerned with who’s looking for songs right now.  Who cares who’s looking?  Write something great!

A play on words has to be true, not just clever.

I hope you found these pearls as helpful as I did!  If you were there or watched the replay, what takeaways did YOU get from the session?  What are your thoughts on these pieces of advice?  Please leave your thoughts in the comments!

I want to give another shout-out to all of the writers who joined us for the event. Ya’ll really represented the Songwriting Pro community well!

“Tupelo Trippin'” by Todd Dickinson, Kevin Rowe
“Furniture” by John Watts
“I Can’t Blame Her” by Doug Folkins & Keesy Timmer
“What’s It Gonna Hurt” by Janine de Souza & Russell Fogg
“Cake” by Ashley Taylor
“Vintage” by Dave Quirk, Troy Castellano, Victoria Banks
“Up” by Mikalyn Hay, Maddy Rodriquez, Johnny Simmen
“You’re Not Gonna Hurt Me Anymore” by Mary Hartman
“Fireball” by Davis Weir, Gabe Marshall, Justin Lilley, Ronnie Stanley
“Just Friends” by Joe Slyzelia, Donna King

If YOU would like to play your song for a legit music publisher, our next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!  Our guest will be Tim Hunze of Parallel Music.  Tim has worked closely with several #1 hit songwriters, and he’s been getting songs recorded by major artists for years.  If YOU have the songs, HE knows what to do with them!

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.SWP 4

P4P

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

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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 Courtney Allen of BMG 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, full demos and a worktape!

There were a lot of worthy songs sent in, and I felt bad about leaving so many out.  If your song wasn’t chosen this time, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t a good song.

By the way, here’s a little about how I pick these songs.  Brave, awesome songwriters like you sent in your song or songs.  I downloaded them and listened – BEFORE I looked at who the writers are.  I picked the Top 10 and On Hold songs, THEN I looked up who wrote them.

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.

You know, one time I turned a song in to my publisher, and they didn’t know what to do with it, so they didn’t want to do anything with it.  My cowriters wanted to demo it, and the publisher said they wouldn’t pay for a demo.

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

joe-nichols-crickets

That’s right.  The song my publisher wouldn’t even pay to demo got cut anyway.  (My cowriters did an out-of-pocket guitar/vocal, and we pitched it ourselves.)

Welcome to Nashville.  So while I listened to each and every song and did my best to pick the ones that have the best chance of catching Courtney’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):

“Furniture” by John Watts

“I Can’t Blame Her” by Doug Folkins & Keesy Timmer

“What’s It Gonna Hurt?” by Janine de Souza & Russell Fogg

“Cake” by Ashley Taylor

“Vintage” by Dave Quirk, Troy Castellano, Victoria Banks

“Up” by Mikalyn Hay, Maddy Rodriguez, Johnny Simmen

“You’re Not Gonna Hurt Me Anymore” by Mary Hartman

“Fireball” by Davis Weir

“Just Friends” by Donna King & Joe Slyzelia

“Tupelo Trippin'” by Todd Dickinson & Kevin Rowe

 

(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!  Courtney and I look forward to hanging out with you on March 19.  (In the days before the event, I’ll email the winners the instructions about the online meeting.)

Like I said, the 10 songs above aren’t the only good ones I had the pleasure of hearing.  There are several more that were put “on hold” for the top 10 songs.  This list could be quite a bit longer, but I’d like to spotlight a few of them, too.  (Ya’ll feel free to link up your songs in the comments or in the Facebook group, too!)

“ON HOLD” songs…

“Like That” by Betsy Walter, Adam Doleac, Steve Mitchell

“Pictures Of Us” by Davis Weir, Russell Sutton, Kyle Coulahan, Elvie Shane

“Float” by Davis Weir, Elvie Shane, Russ Sutton, Drew Green

“Short Enough” by Ibby Hausman

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

“Closer To Home” by Kerry Meacham & Christen Cooper

“The Devil Talks” by Chelsey Stallings, Cody Robbins

“Like A Rose” by Eugene Hanes & Wendell Hanes

“Vibe” by Todd Dickinson & CT Robinson

“All You Do Is Take” by Joe Slyzelia, Mary Beth Stone.

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

_________________________________

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, P4P

What Really Happens In A Music Publisher Meeting

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So what REALLY happens in a meeting with a music publisher?  How many songs do they want to hear?  Do they try to make you rich and famous?  Or do they try to make you quit songwriting?

Well…the answer is a little complicated.  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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It can be a real mystery, what happens in a meeting with a music publisher.

I remember living back in Arkansas, just starting to learn about publishing, and wondering if I’d ever get a meeting with a publisher.  And if I did… what would it be like?

Would I need to wear a suit and ride an elevator up to some corner office?

Would I hand him (or her) a bunch of songs, and he’d just skip from one song to the next after 10 seconds each?

Would he expect me to play a song live, or would it be okay to bring a CD?

Well, I’ve had the pleasure (and sometimes pain) of many publisher meetings in my 15+ years of living in Nashville.  And while they vary quite a bit, here are some things I’ve found.

Forget the business suits.

This is the music business, after all.  You want to be presentable, but (at least in Nashville) it’s a casual-dressing business.  The publisher might be dressed in anything from shorts and flip flops to business-casual.  As for you, you’re not there interviewing to be the VP of Accounting.  You’re there as a creative.  Be yourself.  But take a shower first.

Some publishers are more chatty than others.

On a first meeting, some publishers will want to dive right into your music.  I’m guessing this helps them figure out quickly if they want to get to know you more.  If your music isn’t any good, it doesn’t matter much how charming you are.

Other publishers like to chat quite a bit.  They want to know your story- where you’re from, who you’re writing with, how you got to Nashville, etc.  They may be trying to see if they like you as a person before they listen to your songs.  If you’re a jerk, they probably don’t want to work with you, regardless of how good your songs are.

Just relax and focus on the conversation.  If you’re too anxious to play your music, it could be annoying or off-putting to the publisher.  Be patient.  Be a good hang.

Maybe one song, maybe several.

Each meeting will most likely get to the music at some point.  So the publisher will ask if you brought any songs.  Even if you plan on playing your songs live, it’s best to bring a CD of material just in case.

Most publishers will NOT listen through the whole song.  They’ll get the gist of it- figure out what they think.  Some will hold their thoughts until they’ve listened to all the songs they want to hear.  Others will discuss each song with you one at a time, giving you their thoughts and possibly offering some songwriting advice.  Others will simply say something brief and noncommittal like “cool” or “nice” as they flip from one song to the next.

Rarely will they stare you down as they listen to your babies.  They might turn to the side, staring out a window or off into space.  Or they’ll reference the lyric sheet you wisely brought.

Don’t read too much into them staring off like this.  Don’t let it get in your head.  It’s just what they do.

What about the dream-crushing?

I have yet to meet a publisher who’s interested in crushing our songwriting dreams.  So even if they have zero interest in your songwriting, they’ll usually be kind.  Some are more blunt than others, but just because your feelings get hurt, it doesn’t mean they’re telling you to catch the next Uber to the airport.  It’s nothing personal.

Some will try to find something good to say about your songwriting.  To be kind.  Or to be encouraging.  If you really knock their socks off, though, you’ll probably know it.  They’ll get excited.  They’ll want to listen more and talk more.

The closed or open door.

At the end of the meeting, the publisher may simply thank you for stopping by and wish you well as they usher you out.  In this case, it probably means your music isn’t ready to solve any of their current problems.  Don’t let this response get you too low.  You’re not a failure.  But you still a have a lot more work in front of you.

However, the publisher MAY ask you to send them more stuff, stay in touch, or come back by in a few weeks.  If they say this, you should do it.  Don’t just assume they’re being nice but disingenuous.  They’re a pro, and they made the offer.  Take them up on it.  Don’t drop the ball by disappearing after one meeting.  And don’t let this response get you too high.  You haven’t arrived.  You still have a lot more work in front of you.

So, as you can see, not every publisher or publisher meeting is exactly alike.  But they all WANT to hear wonderful songs.  They all WANT you to be the answer to their prayers.  But no matter what happens in the meeting, keep working.  Keep writing.

So what about YOU? Have you had a publisher meeting?  What was it like? I’d love to hear your comments!

Also, if you’re ready to meet with a publisher, our next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up- but the deadline to enter a song is THIS WEDNESDAY THE 28TH!  (It’s an online event, so you can join us from anywhere in the world.)

Our next guest is Courtney Allen of BMG Nashville.  Courtney works closely with hit songwriters Travis Meadows, Wynn Varble, Lucie Silvas, and more.  If YOU have the country or pop song, SHE knows what to do with it!

And if you aren’t quite ready to step into this meeting, you can still win big.  Everyone who purchases a song-submission spot will get to watch the video replay of the event.  That means you’ll be a fly on the wall in a real publisher meeting.  You’ll get to see how a real publisher actually acts in a meeting.  It’ll make YOUR first publisher meeting a lot less scary!

CLICK HERE TO GET ALL THE DETAILS AND SEND IN YOUR SONG BY THE DEADLINE 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, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.SWP 4

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

Smart Songwriters Are Nice To The Nobodies

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Smart songwriters- the ones who are both good at life and good at the long game of the music business, are nice to the “nobodies” they meet.

Because nobody is a nobody.  And someday that nobody just might be somebody you wish you knew.  Let me give you some examples.

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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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A lot of songwriters are really focused on “writing up” – cowriting with a big name (or at least bigger name than them) songwriter.  They also focus on getting in contact with a current popular artist.

And there’s nothing wrong with that… as long you don’t ignore the “nobodies” around you in the process.  These might be the interns at the publishing company, record label, PRO or NSAI.  It might be the tape copy guy at the publishing company where you’re starting to get meetings.  It might be a songwriter who has some good chops but doesn’t have anything going yet.

Some of these “nobodies” will climb the music biz ladder and come into positions of power and influence.  But by then you might’ve missed your chance to forge a connection with them.  Or worse, they might remember you as the songwriter who treated them like dirt because you had no use for them.  Don’t be that songwriter, because…

Nobody is a nobody.

Did you know that country music star, Faith Hill, was once a secretary for a music publisher?  I bet there were some songwriters around town kicking themselves in the 1990’s for not being a little more chatty with that blonde nobody behind the desk.

There are a lot of hit songwriters and major publishers who started off in the tape copy room of a publishing company.  How many songwriters who are now looking for a deal wish they’d been nicer to the nobody in the tape copy room?

The people you meet on the way up are the same people you’ll meet on the way down.  So be nice.

Back when I was writing for Major Bob Music (2005-2007), there was a young sungplugger there named Jesse Frasure.  You know what Jesse’s doing now?  He’s producing and writing hits for Florida Georgia Line, Rascal Flatts, Jon Pardi, Meghan Trainor, TobyMac, Billy Currington, Lauren Alaina and more.  Thankfully, I wasn’t a jerk to Jesse.

Be nice to that young sungplugger.

A few years ago, I was doing some work for NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association International), and I met an awesome young lady named Tali Giles (now Tali Canterbury).  I was already a pro songwriter, so I didn’t really “need” Tali for much in her role as Membership Director at NSAI.  Guess where she is now.  She’s currently at Big Machine Label Group as the Director of A&R Project Management.

Tali’s gonna run this town, and I’m glad I was nice to her.

Here’s another one.  I first met Courtney Allen at NSAI.  Heck, I can’t even remember what her job was there.  Again, I was just hanging out before I’d teach a workshop or special event.  She was super-nice, and we’d usually chat for a few minutes.

Courtney is now a creative director at BMG Music, one of the top music publishers in Nashville.

The lesson here is just to be nice.  Don’t be so busy looking up the ladder that you forget the CLIMBers next to or below you.  This is a people business as much as it is a music business. Did I know those people would ascend to these positions?  Is that why I was nice to them?  No.  I’m not that strategic.  I can’t see the future and know who’s going to be in a position of influence 5 or 6 years down the line.

You probably can’t either.  So it’s good to get in the habit of just being kind and friendly to everyone.  Not only is does it make good sense for your future in the music business, it makes good sense for your life in general.  Remember: nobody is a nobody.

So what about YOU? Do you need to be more aware of the “nobodies” around you?  What if you don’t even know any “nobodies” yet?  Did someone treat YOU like a nobody, only to come knocking on your door after you had some success?

Let me help you meet a somebody who’s already a somebody!

Songwriting Pro’s next Play For A Publisher event is coming up, and our next guest is none other than my former “nobody” contact, Courtney Allen of BMG Nashville.  Courtney works closely with hit songwriters Travis Meadows, Wynn Varble, Lucie Silvas, and more.  If YOU have the country or pop song, SHE knows what to do with it!

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, and a top 10 in Texas.  His songs appear on 5 industry-certified gold & platinum albums & singles… so far.  He also hosts a top-rated songwriting and music business podcast called, “The C.L.I.M.B.” which can be found on iTunes or your favorite podcast app.
SWP 4

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

Working IN Your Songwriting Business Is NOT Enough

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Sometimes, I get so busy working IN my songwriting business that I forget to work ON my songwriting business.  And it hurts my songwriting career.

Let me give you an example.

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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

_________________________________

When I signed my publishing deal with Major Bob Music in early 2005 (my first publishing deal), I was an unknown songwriter who had an Alan Jackson single climbing the charts. “Monday Morning Church” would eventually land in the Top 5, I would be nominated for the Music Row Breakthrough Writer of the Year, the song would be one of only 12 voted that year by NSAI’s pro writer members as a “Song I Wish I’d Written,” and it would also win an ASCAP Award. 2005 was an incredible year.

How did I respond to this blessing? I wrote my backside off!

I dove headlong into writing full-time. That year, I finished 102 songs. I wrote like crazy. That’s pretty much all I did. Write, write, write, rewrite, and occasionally demo.

And it was a mistake.

I spent too much time working IN my business and not enough time working ON my business. Working IN my business included scheduling cowrites, songwriting, rewriting, and demoing. And I did plenty of all of that. And those aren’t bad things. After all, nobody else can write my songs for me. And without songs, I have no business.  Still, though…

I wish I had worked ON my business more.

I work ON my business when I’m doing the higher-level strategic thinking and planning that make sure that my activities are the right activities.  Working ON my business is doing those activities which will give my songs a better chance to succeed. And I had every chance to succeed.

Like I said, 2005 was an awesome year, and it opened a lot of doors for me. Additionally, the guys at Major Bob asked who I’d like to write with, and they helped book some cowrites for me. They also pitched my songs and set up some demo sessions. All good things. But if I had it to do over, I would’ve spent more time:

1. …having Major Bob introduce me to A&R reps and producers around the Row so I could start building relationships with them, and pitching my own songs.

2. …investing in my craft and business knowledge. Sure, I learned by writing a lot and writing with a lot of better writers, but I should have sought out some great, high-level mentors to accelerate my learning curve on both the craft and biz sides of songwriting. I should have asked a lot more questions over a lot more lunches.

3. …seeking out strategic cowriting relationships. I mostly jumped at every cowrite that came my way without much consideration. That kept me so busy that I didn’t spend as much time SEEKING OUT my best cowriters.

4. …building the “Baxter Brand.” While the Major Bob crew flew my flag around the Row, I should’ve done a lot more flag waving myself.

Working ON my business more would’ve helped me write songs that were more well-written, more marketable, and heard by more decision-makers, sooner.

Yes, my songs got better because I wrote a ton (and, yes, they needed to get better, so writing a lot was a good thing). My network slowly expanded organically. And I eventually started pitching my songs. And these are things that have brought my best results.

Working ON my business would’ve gotten me there faster.

So what about YOU? Do you need to spend more time working ON your music business? What activities are the ones which will accelerate your success? And what are the activities that are fun, but are working IN your business? I’d love to hear your comments!

Also, if YOU are ready to work ON your business by playing your best songs for a legit music publisher, our next Play For A Publisher event is coming right up!

Our next guest is Courtney Allen of BMG Nashville.  Courtney works closely with hit songwriters Travis Meadows, Wynn Varble, Lucie Silvas, and more.  If YOU have the country or pop song, SHE knows what to do with it!

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

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

Brent

Brent Baxter is a hit songwriter with cuts by Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lady Antebellum, Joe Nichols, Gord Bamford, Ruthie Collins, Ray Stevens, and more. He’s written a top 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far. SWP 4