Category Archives: P4P

P4P, Write Like A Pro

When You Confuse The Listener, You Lose The Listener!

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If you CONFUSE the listener, you LOSE the listener.  And the scary thing is… your songs might be confusing and losing your listeners without you even knowing it.

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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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First off, does it really matter if the listener gets a little lost and confused by your song?  If it’s hooky and has some cool lines, isn’t that enough?

NO.

If you’re a successful signed artist or writing with that artist, you might have more wiggle room.  Or if you’re an artist in a different genre.  But if  – especially if – you’re a country songwriter, you need to communicate CLEARLY in your songs. I’ve had an A&R rep turn off songs and “pass” because they “got a little confused in the 1st verse.” Getting a song on an album is hugely competitive.  And having your song be a “little confusing” may be just enough reason for the artist or label to turn down your song.

Don’t give the artist or label a reason to turn down your song.

Also, if the song somehow makes it through the gatekeepers and hits the listeners’ ears, it’s not going to be as successful as it could’ve been.  It won’t connect with listeners’ emotions as deeply as it should. If I have to decode what’s going on in your song or ask myself what just happened or what you’re singing about, I end up “in my head.”  But that’s not where my emotions are.  You want the listener to be “in the heart” NOT “in the head.”

So why would you write, record and pitch a confusing song?  Well, that’s the scary thing.  You might not even know your song is confusing.  You might listen to it and it makes perfect sense- to you.  You read the lyrics, and they make perfect sense- to you.  But your listener may cock their head to the side and say, “huh?”  If that’s the case, your songs may suffer from…

The Curse Of Knowledge

This is when you know what happens in the story, or you know what the song is about, but that knowledge doesn’t end up on the page.  Since you know all the details, you can fill in any lyrical blanks in your own mind.  But your listener can’t.

The listener only knows what you actually write into the song.

The curse of knowledge is kind of like making your listener listen to one half of a phone call.  You know the whole conversation but the listener doesn’t.  They’re just confused and frustrated, waiting for you to hang up so you can tell them why you were so excited, sad or whatever.

Basically, you’re leaving out vital pieces of information that your listener needs in order to connect with and understand your song.

So how do you overcome the curse of knowledge in your songwriting?

Sometimes it helps to put the song away for a while before coming back to it with fresh eyes and ears.  Practice helps.  Write more and more songs and keep asking yourself, “Is all the necessary information ON THE PAGE?”

But it can still be tricky to catch the curse of knowledge.  Even playing it for friends and family may not be good enough.  Maybe, since they know you, they’ll know what you’re talking about.  Or they’ll understand the basic point of your song without pointing out the “small confusions” which are “cut-killers” on a professional level.

Sometimes you need to play your songs for a professional.

And if you’re ready to take a shot- to play your song for a pro, I have  a cool opportunity coming up for you. I’m hosting Songwriting Pro’s Play For A Publisher event in September.  Our guest will be Dan Hodges, who publishes hits such as “Good Directions” for Billy Currington and “Dibs” for Kelsea Ballerini.

CLICK HERE to learn more and submit your song.

Dan Hodges will be joining us for our next Play For A Publisher event in September!  He’s a successful publisher and owner of Dan Hodges Music in Nashville, Tennessee.  Tickets are on sale now, and space is limited.  CLICK HERE to check out all the details and submit YOUR song for Dan!

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

Congratulations! You already have a music publisher!

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“How do I get a publisher?”

“Do I need a publisher?”

“How do I connect with a publisher?”

Those are common questions that songwriters ask me on a regular basis.  And I’ve worked to answer those questions.

Maybe you’re asking the same questions right now. And we’ll get to that. But first, I want to remind you of one very important fact… You ALREADY have a music publisher.. .

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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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“Uh…” you might be thinking… “I don’t remember signing a publishing deal. And I know for sure that the check for my advance hasn’t shown up in my mailbox.” True enough. But it doesn’t change the truth.

Your current music publisher is… YOU.

Here in the United States (I can’t speak for other countries), the copyright law is clear. You own the copyright of your song as soon as you put it in a fixed form. In other words, as soon as you write it down, sing it into your phone, or YouTube yourself singing it, you (and your cowriters) own the copyright.

Owning the copyright makes you the publisher.

You’re the publisher, even if you don’t have a company name registered with your PRO. Even if you haven’t registered your copyright with the Copyright Office. Even if you’ve never gotten a cut. Even if you’re not pitching your songs.

You are your own publisher. Even if you don’t act like it.

Now, am I saying that you need to run out, hire a songplugger and sign some writers? Of course not. I realize you’re probably not in that position. We’re each at different points along the journey. Maybe your journey includes landing a publishing deal. Maybe not. But I do know that if you want to be a pro songwriter, you need to treat it like what it is – a business. You need to own that fact.

The sooner you “own” your success, the sooner you will earn your success.

If you own your success – if you take responsibility for it – you might not need an outside publisher to “make it happen” for you. On the other hand, if you never own your success, there’s probably not a publisher out there who CAN “make it happen” for you.

So, what’s the next step for YOU in your success? Is it registering your personal publishing company with a PRO? Is it writing that next song (even though you’re crazy busy)? Or is it connecting with a publisher?

If you ARE ready to connect with a publisher, then… I’m happy to offer a potential path for YOU and YOUR song to get to a real, successful music publisher.

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

Here’s are 10 ways you can get a music publisher’s attention!

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There are a lot of things standing in between you and a legit music publisher.  Gatekeepers and distance are just a few.

But I have good news!  Here are 10 ways to connect to a music publisher.

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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. The unsolicited request.

This is the only easy path on the list- and it’s the one I don’t really recommend. This is where you just put in a cold call or email to a publisher and ask for a meeting. It has a very low success rate (you’re lucky to get a response at all), and there are better strategies available.

2. The professional recommendation.

Publishers listen to people in their peer group. If you can get recommended by another publisher, an A&R rep, a professional songwriter, etc., it will go a long way toward getting you in the room. Your best bet for a recommendation from an industry pro is making a fan of someone at NSAI, Global Songwriters Connection (GSC), or another songwriting organization.

3. The personal relationship.

Do you have a relative or friend anywhere in the music biz? Leverage your personal contacts. It isn’t cheating- nobody gets here alone.

4. The business relationship.

When I first got to Nashville, I got a part-time job at a publishing company. As I got to know our administrative clients- patiently, over time- I was able to approach them about listening to my songs.

5. The PRO recommendation.

A PRO is a Performing Rights Organization. In the US, we have ASCAP, SESAC, and BMI. Each PRO has writers reps who spend part of their time meeting with writers. If, over the course of several meetings, you can make a rep a believer in your music, they might hook you up with some publishers. They can’t do that for everyone, so don’t expect it. Every time they recommend a writer, they risk some of their professional credibility.

6. The Play-For-Publisher event.

Organizations like NSAI and GSC have events where their members can play one (I repeat- one) song for a Music Row publisher. If you or your song knock their socks off, it might open a door. You don’t always have to be in Nashville to participate in these events, so check their websites for details.  Oh, yeah.  We have a Play-For-A-Publisher event every quarter here at Songwriting Pro, too.  We have one coming up soon, and you can find out more with a CLICK HERE.

www.nashvillesongwriters.com      www.globalsongwriters.com

7. The staffwriter cowrite.

It’s not easy to get a cowrite with a pro writer, obviously. However, if you write a killer song with a staffwriter, their publisher is likely to ask who you are. If they love what you write with their writer, they will probably be open to hearing more of your stuff.

8. The industry function.

If you meet a publisher out at a writers night, workshop, etc., be patient. Don’t get all excited and shove a CD in his face or beg her for a meeting. Try to connect in a real way on a personal level. Make a connection, not just a contact. There are a lot of crazies out there, and a publisher will usually need to sniff you out a few times before they’re up for a meeting.

9. The major cut.

I wasn’t getting much publisher love till I got (and owned the publishing on) my Alan Jackson cut. Suddenly, I had a skeleton key to just about every publisher’s door on Music Row.

10. The artist buzz.

The value of the writer/artist has skyrocketed over the past few years. If you’re getting buzz around town as a potential artist, that goes a long way toward getting a publisher’s attention. Even if you aren’t a great writer, they know they can always hook you up with great writers.

I know at this point, you might be more frustrated than you were five minutes ago.  It’s just not easy to get to a music publisher.  However, I am happy to offer a potential path for YOU and YOUR song to get to a real, successful music publisher.

I host Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher.”  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and I probably have one coming soon!  CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

God Bless and Enjoy the Journey,

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, P4P

There’s one thing better for songwriters than being “discovered!”

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I’ve felt it.  Maybe you have, too.  It’s that rush of nerves and adrenaline as you sit across from a publisher, producer, or A&R rep as they listen to your song.

You’re on the edge of your seat with each line of your song, trying to read every little expression on their face for some clue of what might be coming next.  “The bridge!” you think, “If you just listen through the bridge, you’re gonna love it!”

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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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Then the song ends… or they hit “stop.”  Moment of truth.  Do they love it?  Do they hate it?  Are you about to be discovered as a songwriter?  Is your life about to change?

It’s awesome if you get discovered.  What what if you don’t?

It’s frustrating.  I know it is.  (There’s a long list of publishers who didn’t “discover” me before “Monday Morning Church” went top 5.)  It’s easy to think of those meetings as missed opportunities.  But they aren’t.  There’s a hidden opportunity every time you play a song for a pro- even if they pass on it.

Don’t miss the opportunities that come with disappointments.

You have the opportunity to close your ears and your mind to anything the pro says.

You’re free to assume that just because they don’t love your song, they obviously don’t know what they’re talking about.  You also have the opportunity to become bitter, blaming your lack of success on “politics” or “tone deaf music executives.”  Obviously, I don’t recommend you take either of these opportunities.

You have the opportunity to learn where the songwriting bar is set.

You thought your song was there, but now you know you have to elevate your craft.  Just knowing you have to get better is a HUGE gift.  Don’t miss it.

You have the opportunity to display professionalism.

Don’t turn “I don’t love your song” into “I’m never meeting with you again.”  Don’t get angry or defensive or try to talk the pro into liking your song.  They’ll just end up disliking your song AND you.  Instead, be courteous, respectful, and thankful.  Accept any feedback with grace and humility.  That will go a long way towards making you likable.  And if the pro likes you, you have a better chance of getting another meeting.

You have the opportunity to learn and get better.

Too many songwriters are so focused on getting discovered that they miss the chance to get better.  It’s a mistake to tune out once you realize the pro doesn’t love your song.  Sometimes, they’ll give you little reasons why they’re passing on your song.  Or they’ll tell you something they like about it.  Or maybe, they’ll go in depth with their feedback.

But how do you connect with a legitimate music publisher and take advantage of these opportunities?  Well, you’re in luck!

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

5 Reasons You Might Not Need A Music Publisher

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With the number of available publishing deals shrinking (along with royalty income), with more and more artists writing their own songs in “camps,” and with home recording getting better and cheaper… do songwriters still need publishers?

Well… the short answer is… it depends.

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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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Here’s why you DON’T need a publisher.

1. You aren’t trying to get other artists to record your songs.

You write for yourself, family and friends.  You aren’t actively pursuing commercial success.  If it somehow happens… whatever.  But you aren’t chasing it.  Or you’re the artist and record your own songs.

2. You have your own pitch relationships.

You can get meetings with artists, A&R reps, and/or music producers.  Even if you can’t get meetings, you can at least email them songs- and you KNOW they’ll listen.  Or you are your own (signed) artist and write for yourself.  The point is, you can get your songs to someone who can say “yes.”

3. You’re self-funded.

You can cover your own demo expenses.  And you are in a financial situation that allows you the flexibility to write a lot.  In other words, you don’t need an advance (or draw) from a publisher.

4. You can do your own publishing administration.

You either outsource your publishing admin, or you’re able to do the business side yourself.  You know how to copyright, register, and license your songs that do get cut.

5. You have your own cowriter relationships.

Publishers often help hook their writers up with high-level cowriters- or even artists.  If your networking and people skills are strong enough, you can do this yourself.

So there you go.  Five reasons you might not need a publisher.  Sound like you?  Awesome!  But if not…

You might need a publisher… when your songs are good enough.

But how do you connect with a legitimate music publisher?  Well, you’re in luck- I have a great opportunity coming up for you.

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

Do Music Publishers ONLY Want To Hear Fully-Produced Demos?

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When trying to get a music publisher’s attention for cowrites or a publishing deal, how produced should my songs be?

Can I play a worktape (imperfections and all), a clean guitar/vocal or piano/vocal, or does it need to have a full band?

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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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Well, like most things in the music biz, there’s no one right answer.  Think about your goal for the meeting.  If it’s just to get feedback to make your song better, a work tape is preferable.  The publisher will feel more free to make suggestions.  If you have a full demo, it’s more uncomfortable to suggest changes that might mean dropping another $800 on a new demo.

But if your goal is to be seen as a pro and treated as a pro, you want everything about you to be professional.  And that includes your song’s production.  So you want to play the most pro-sounding recordings you have, whether that’s a guitar/vocal, or just your best “one-take” iPhone worktape.

Even though I’m already seen as a pro in the biz, I only play demos or high-quality guitar/vocals for publishers when I’m first getting to know them.  Over time, I may feel more comfortable playing work tapes- but not at first.  At first I always want to put my best foot forward.

That being said, it’s important to start playing work tapes for a publisher as your relationship deepens and you’re talking about signing a deal.  I don’t want to write for a publisher who has to hear a full demo before he knows if the song is any good or not.  I want to be able to run into his office and play that day’s work tape and have him do backflips and yell, “we gotta demo that!”

Now, I’m not saying that you should stop trying to make publisher relationships until you’ve dropped a few grand on demos.  I’m not saying that.  Get feedback through other sources first (Songwriter Pro Coaching, NSAI, etc.).  That way you can figure out if your song is worth demoing.

Playing the demo of a bad song just tells the publisher that you don’t have the judgement to know NOT to demo a bad song – so you probably don’t know it’s even a bad song.  So save your money (and your reputation) till it’s ready.

So to break down playing a full demo for a publisher:

**If the song is amazing, the publisher can run right out the door and pitch it immediately.

**If the song is good, you look like that much more of a professional.

**If the song needs work, the publisher is less likely to suggest many changes.

**If the song is bad, you look like that much more of an amateur.

If your song- work tape or demo- is ready for a publisher… if you’re ready to get some honest, helpful feedback… or if you’re ready to knock a publisher’s socks off, I have a great opportunity coming up for you.

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

Do Business Like A Pro, P4P

You Might Not Believe This About Music Publishers, But…

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SWP 4

I wanna let you in on a Music Row secret.  No, it’s not Carrie Underwood’s phone number.  It’s a secret that can help your songwriting career get started.  Ready?  Okay, here it is:

Publishers actually WANT to like your songs. (It’s just that most songs aren’t good enough.)

I know it may not seem like it.  Playing your songs for a publisher for the first time can be terrifying.  Maybe you’ve heard horror stories about how they’ve said mean things to songwriters or how they never like anything.  Like… never ever.

Or maybe you’ve had your own song-babies called ugly to your face. Or your emails have gone seemingly ignored.  It can be easy to feel like publishers take some perverse joy in crushing songwriters’ dreams.

But I don’t think that’s really the case.

I think publishers are disappointed when they don’t like your song.  Why?  Here are a few reasons:

1. Great songs and songwriters help publishers keep their jobs.

A publisher earns his or her paycheck by getting songs cut.  And that is HARD.  So the more great songs and songwriters they can find and sign, the more their odds of getting hits increase.  They want your songs to be great so they can keep their jobs.

Pub Home Keep Job

2. Publishers don’t want to hurt your feelings.

Unless the publisher is a sociopath (or you’re an arrogant jerk and have it coming),  he takes no joy in leaving a boot-print on your heart.  Publishers know a ton of songwriters, and they know how much this stuff means to them.  Why would they enjoy hurting you?

3. Bad songs create unpleasant work for the publisher.

If they don’t listen in front of you, the publisher may just not respond if it’s a bad song.  But if you’re sitting across the desk or in a room full of other people, they have to think of something to say.  In a hurry.  And we’ve already established that they don’t want to hurt your feelings.  That means they have to go through verbal acrobatics to be kind but honest without giving you false hope.  That’s stressful.  And NOT fun.

4. Average songs waste a publisher’s time.

As I’ve said, getting songs cut is hard.  And spending part of your day listening to un-cutable songs doesn’t make it any easier.  Finding a great song is 3:00 well spent.  Sitting through anything less than a great song is 3 minutes the publisher will never get back.

Pub Hope Waste Time

5. Publishers are people.  And people like to be liked.

Publishers know the fastest way to your heart is to tell you your song is awesome.  They also know the quickest way to offend you is to say that you made an ugly song-baby.  Publishers are people, too- and they’d rather be on your Christmas card list than your “I’ll-see-you-in-the-parking-lot-later” list.

Sure, some publishers believe in tough love and will be brutally honest.  Others may just be having a bad day and aren’t inclined to like anything on that day.  And most publishers probably expect that songs from unknown songwriters won’t be great, so you must overcome their expectations.  But I don’t see why a bunch of publishers would hear something great, know it’s great, but tell you it’s bad or just ignore it.  Why would a publisher do that?  How does that benefit them?  Sure, it may be great, and they’re just mistaken to think it isn’t… but why purposefully tell you it stinks when it doesn’t?

Yes, a good publisher has a very high standard for songs.  But they WANT to find great songs.

Do YOU have a song that a publisher should hear?  If so, I have an opportunity for you…

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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P4P, Write Like A Pro

Is your songwriting bar set high enough?

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SWP 4

I used to think my songs were pretty dang good.  Then I played them for a pro. 

Back when I was in Arkansas, writing songs and dreaming of getting cuts and hits, I thought I was a pretty good songwriter.  After all, my main cowriter, Tim Meitzen, liked our songs, and so did many of the people who came out to Tim’s gigs.  Tim just finished an album, and the studio owner / producer had good things to say about the songs – most of which I cowrote.  So I was feeling pretty good about myself.  (The phrase “as good as the stuff on the radio” might’ve been said once or twice.)

Then I played my songs for a pro.

I knew Danny Tate (a little) from back home.  His dad was the minister of music at my church.  Danny was a pro singer/songwriter who’d spent time in both Nashville and LA.  He’d gotten several cuts, his biggest being “Affair Of The Heart” for Rick Springfield in the ’80’s.  He’d also had a record deal and landed at least one video, “Dreaming'” on VH1 during my college days.  So he was no rookie.

Rick Springfield

I sent him some songs, and he was kind enough to listen.  He was also kind enough to be honest.  He gave me some valuable feedback, basically saying that “there’s a whole ‘nother level of songwriting” in Nashville.  Be told me my stuff was okay, but it didn’t meet professional standards.

Ouch.

By Little Rock, Arkansas, standards, Tim and I were doing strong work.  But by Nashville standards, we had a long way to go.  A later trip to meet Mike Doyle at ASCAP confirmed this.  I left that meeting encouraged but  reminded that the bar was set higher than I was reaching.

Those moments were NOT fun, but they were NECESSARY.

I appreciate Danny and Mike.  Their feedback was sometimes frustrating, but it helped me to reach higher.  Their feedback helped me turn pro.

It’s easy to let “the bar” slip down lower than it should.  It’s easy to start judging your work against what your cowriters or other amateurs are writing.  Having your friends and family like your songs and request them can lower the bar.  But “friends and family” is not where the bar is really set.

If you want cuts and hits, you can’t set the bar at “what mama likes.”

Set The Bar

So… how do you “re-set” the bar?  How do you raise your songwriting standards?  Here are a couple ways.

Go to great songwriter rounds.

Open mic nights don’t count.  I’m talking about hitting the later rounds where the pros play.  Yes, it’s fun to hear their cuts and hits.  But pay special attention to their songs that haven’t gotten cut yet.  You’ll hear songs that blow your mind- and it’ll blow your mind that those songs haven’t been recorded yet.  Those great songs?  That’s your competition.

Get professional feedback.

There are some places that offer song evaluations and coaching, and that’s great.  But I’ll be honest- I used to do a bunch of coaching sessions, and it’s easy to start grading on a curve.  A song may sound pretty good when it’s in the middle of a bunch of beginner coaching sessions.  That same song might sound very different if you’ve been listening to pro demos all day.

Your best bet to get an accurate assessment of your song is to get it in the ears of someone who is actively in the trenches.  Play it for someone who has their own songs (or the songs of their writers) judged by the highest standards on a regular basis.

Having a pro re-set your songwriting bar can be uncomfortable.  But it’s worth it.

If you’ve never played your songs for a pro, I encourage you to do it as soon as possible.  If it’s been a while, you’re due for a tune up.

So, how do you get to one of these pros?  Well, there are a few ways… but let me tell you about an event I have coming up.

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

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P4P, Write Like A Pro

Platinum Wisdom From Music Publishers

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Music publishers (the best ones, anyway), do more than just pitch your songs and get you in the room with artists. 

The best publishers are also interested in helping songwriters grow in the craft and business of songwriting.  They’ll give you advice on your songwriting and feedback on your songs.

I’ve been blessed to receive several of these “platinum nuggets” over the years, and I thought I’d share a few with you.  Hopefully, they’ll help you on YOUR songwriting journey!

“Some songwriters get so concerned with what radio will or won’t play that they knock all the cool stuff off their songs while they’re still in the writing room.  Don’t worry about radio while you’re writing- write the best song you can and let ME worry about radio.  If you go too far, I can always reign you in.  But I can’t do much to help you if you’ve already gotten rid of all the cool stuff before I hear it.”

“What I love about this batch of songs is that there are so many places we can go with them- so many artists we can play them for!”

“This first verse tells me how you feel, but I’m floating around with nothing to hang on to.  Give me a few images in that verse.”

“You’re describing the truck (the song’s idea/situation) from the outside… you need to describe it from inside the cab.” (for more on this, READ HERE.)

“Even as a country songwriter – especially as a country songwriter- you need to listen and know what’s going on in pop music.  ‘Cuz that’s what’s going to be influencing this market in a year or two.”

“Don’t ever sing a demo, Brent.  Like… ever.”  (Kidding.  That was always so obvious that it went without saying.)

“How are we doing well these days when it’s all about who’s in what camp?  We’re making our own camps.  We’re signing artists.  We’re signing producers.  We’re signing young artists and getting them record deals.”

Nuggets like these (and many others) have been so helpful to me over the years.  Not only have there been nuggets of correction and challenge and insight, there have been many times a publisher just plain loved a song just when I needed the encouragement.

What about you?  Have you received some platinum nuggets from a publisher?  I’d love for you to share them in the comments!

Maybe you’re just looking for a publisher to listen to one of your songs.  Maybe you live outside of Nashville and have never been able to play your music for a real deal publisher.  Or maybe you’ve had several publisher meetings, but you’re looking to make more contacts in the music biz.  Either way…

I have an opportunity for you.

I’m hosting the next round of Songwriting Pro’s “Play For A Publisher” soon!  We have these awesome events- with legit hit music publishers- every quarter, and 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 5 hit in the US and a #1 in Canada… so far.

SWP 4