Category Archives: Write Like A Pro

Building A Hit, Write Like A Pro

Building A Hit: Billboard Country Chart Breakdown

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Want to land one of YOUR songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart?  Then an important step is to study what kind of songs already DO land on the chart.  If you want to hit a target, you gotta know where the target is.

Today, let’s dive into the top of the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for the week of May 25, 2019.  We’re going to look at some of the important qualities of those songs- qualities that can help YOUR song get on this chart someday.

If you want to write hits… read on!

________________________________

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

_________________________________

I focused on the top 15 country songs on the chart.  I looked the writers, the tempos, the overall vibe, point-of-view, and a few other aspects of these songs.  Here are my biggest takeaways.

1. Keep It Positive!

Of the top 15 country songs, not a single one was a “downer.”  There were a couple of lost-love or breakup songs: “Whiskey Glasses,” “Beer Never Broke My Heart” and “Miss Me More.”  But even those songs felt really good or were empowering.  None of them was a cry-in-your-beer song.

So that’s the biggest takeaway: keep it positive.  Even if it’s a breakup song, it doesn’t have to feel sad or make you wanna cry.  True, some downer songs can still be hits, no doubt.  But look at the math.  Most hits – and EVERY SINGLE ONE of these 15 songs are feel-good or positive songs.

 2. Write Tempo!

Of the top 15 country songs, 11 were mid-tempo or up-tempo.  This means they have a good groove to them or have a beat you can rock out or dance to.  Energy!

Even looking at the 4 songs I listed as “slow,” they aren’t all sloooow ballads.  “Beautiful Crazy” is the most ballad of them.  After that, “Good As You” “Speechless” and “Talk You Out Of It” each have some R&B elements to them.  They don’t just sit there.  They have groove and make you want to move, even if they aren’t true tempos.  And they’re sexy, makeout songs.  That’s different than a slow, contemplative ballad about the singer’s grandpa or how the singer’s girl left him.

Bottom line: Radio loves tempo, so it’s hard to beat a good beat.

3. Write With The Artist.

Yeah, this one is the most painful.  But I’m not doing you any favors by hiding the truth.  Of the top 15 country songs, 9 were cowritten by the artist.

Let that sink in for a moment.

The hard truth is that it’s hard to get a cut of any kind.  And it’s REALLY, REALLY hard to get a hit single without writing with the artist.

Does this mean you should quit?  Give up right now and go back to that cubicle?  No.  But you do have to be honest with yourself about reality.  For one thing, some songs still become hits without the artist in the writing room.  But you do yourself no favors by ignoring that your odds go up dramatically when an artist IS in the room.

So, as you build your songwriting career, it’s wise to 1) start cowriting if you don’t already.  It’s gonna be extra hard to write with an artist if you don’t write with anyone.  2) Try to identify and write with future stars- while they’re fairly unknown and still accessible.  3) Build your music business network.  The more people you know who also know you, the better chance they’ll connect you to an artist someday.

However, one of the best ways to eventually attract an artist cowrite is by writing songs that are hit-worthy.  It IS so much about relationships, but relationships are a whole lot easier to make if you’re writing commercial, compelling, hit-worthy songs.

Great commercial songs will solve so many of your problems.

So, there you go.  These are some of my biggest takeaways from a recent hit country singles chart.  If YOU want to discover even more of the elements of building a hit song, I have an awesome opportunity for you.

In the month of July, I’m hosting a transformative online songwriting event called, “Building A Hit: From Blank Page To Finished Lyric.” In this powerful 4-week online workshop, I reveal:

How to find great song ideas. Kill writers block and fill up that blank page again and again.

How to focus your ideas for maximum impact. Don’t waste any more great ideas by leaving them under-developed or confusing.

How to frame your idea for maximum commercial appeal. Having a great, compelling idea isn’t enough. You have to build your song in a way that an artist will want to sing it and an audience will want to hear it.

How to finish your song. Stop leaving your best ideas unfinished. Nobody loves a song they never hear, and a song that’s only 99% finished will never get recorded, never get on the radio, and never change your life.

If you want to join me on a journey that will help you think and write like a pro songwriter, click on the link below. Spots are limited for this event, and I only host it twice a year. Miss out, and it’s gone for another 6 months. Don’t delay. Transform your songwriting today..

DON’T MISS OUT- CLICK HERE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF 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, a #1 in Canada & a top 10 in Texas… 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.

The C.L.I.M.B., Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Song Title Challenge #41: God And My Mama

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CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Get into a pro songwriter’s mind!

Johnny takes a title submitted by a CLIMBer like you, and he springs it on me live!  Then I have to figure out how to make it a hit… yikes!  Watch me blow up or flame out.

If you want to submit a title, send it to Johnny at info@daredevilproduction.com.

It’s not a cowrite.  You keep 100% ownership of whatever you write, and you’re free to use any ideas I throw out.  I am NOT a cowriter on this.  Any ideas are simply my gift to you!

If you’re a singer, songwriter or indie artist who wants to grow your career, THIS is the podcast for you!

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast is proud to partner with Disc Makers- who have been supporting indie musicians before indie music was even a thing.

When you’re ready to make CDs, DVDs, vinyl- or distribute your music and videos with customized USBs- www.discmakers.com is the only place you need to go.

And while you’re there, click the “Guides and Resources” tab and download some of their excellent free guides.  They’ve just revised and expanded their Home Studio Handbook, which has got a ton of great advice and information for newbies and studio veterans.

Find them online at www.discmakers.com or give them a call at 800-468-9353.

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

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 top 10 in Texas, and a #1 in Canada… 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.

P4P, Write Like A Pro

Songwriting: If You Can’t W.R.A.P. It, You Should SCRAP It.

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Sometimes, the best thing you can do for your songwriting career is to NOT write.  Sometimes, writing a song actually hurts your chances for songwriting success more than it helps.  

Wanna know why?  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

_________________________________

There are only so many hours in the day, and you’re chasing a BIG dream with a ton of competition and a low chance of success.  So you sure better be spending your time on the right things.  But are you?  How do you know?

Here’s what I used to focus my time wisely:  “W.R.A.P.”

You know how I like acronyms, and it just so happens that the four cornerstones of professional songwriting success happen to fall neatly into “W.R.A.P.”  This makes my heart so happy.  Let’s dive in.

1. Writing

This one’s pretty obvious. We’re songwriters, aren’t we? If you’re a writer… write. If you don’t write, there’s nothing to get recorded. And it’s not enough to just write every once in a while. Write hard, write consistently.

Of course, that’s easier said than done.  There are so many distractions and doubts that want to creep in.  But you MUST protect your writing time if you ever want it to be your profession.  Schedule it, then show up.  Hold yourself accountable.

“But wait a second,” you might be thinking. “Didn’t this blog post start out by warning me that writing songs might be HURTING my chances of success?  What’s the deal?”

That’s true.  While the actual writing is an unconditional part of songwriting success, it’s not the ONLY part of that success.  You must also do the other parts of W.R.A.P.  Writing is the fun part. (That’s why we got into this thing, right?)  But it can also become a hiding place where we avoid the more uncertain, less fun parts of turning pro.

So that’s what I mean.  Writing is a very important part of songwriting success, but it’s not the only part of it.

2. Recording

It’s not enough to have scratchy worktapes if you want someone else to cut and release your song. You have to get a good recording of your song- one that presents it in a good light. This could be a guitar/vocal, a full demo, or something in between.

And it’s worth noting that not every song is worth demoing.  Some songs only serve to get you to the next song.  Be honest with yourself.  Will this song really take you closer to your goals?  If not, be thankful for it as practice, and move on.  Don’t hide in the studio because it’s more comfortable than doing other, more scary or uncomfortable elements of W.R.A.P.

3. Accessing

A great song and demo does you no good if you can’t get it into the hands of someone who can do something with it. Accessing is building relationships and otherwise gaining access to singers, publishers, labels, producers, etc.

If you want cuts, you MUST gain access.  This may be through gaining access to a publisher who can take your song further than you can, or it may be building direct pitch relationships.  Or both.  And don’t leave Accessing to chance.  Make a plan to connect with others.  Schedule it.  Hold yourself accountable.

4. Pitching

Having access doesn’t mean anything if you don’t actually pitch your song.  You have to ask for the cut, as simple as that. You have to give publishers, artists, etc. the opportunity to say “yes” to your song.  This and Accessing are usually the scariest, most uncomfortable parts of W.R.A.P., but they are vital.  Again, you have to hold yourself accountable to pitching your best songs.  If you don’t, you know what’ll happen?  Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  And when nothing happens, nothing changes.  You’ll stay right where you are now.  Do you want that?

Note that each of these are cornerstones – you won’t have a stable, well-functioning career if you neglect one or more of them. I’m not saying you should spend equal hours on each of these areas, but you should give them the proper amount of time based on your particular situation.

W.R.A.P. is good for helping you focus on what’s important. If an opportunity comes up, compare it to W.R.A.P. If that activity doesn’t fall into one of those categories, it might not be a wise use of your time.  Perhaps you should replace that activity with W.R.A.P.

If it’s not W.R.A.P., maybe you should scrap it.

Hey, if you’re ready to work on Accessing, I have a great opportunity coming up.

Songwriting Pro’s next “Play For A Publisher” event is accepting songs NOW, 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.SWP 4

P4P, Write Like A Pro

10 Reasons Songwriters Should Pitch Their Own Songs

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When I signed my first publishing deal with Major Bob Music, I thought, “This is great!  I can just sit in my writer’s room, write every day, and let our three songpluggers pitch my songs and get ‘em cut.”  This was a big mistake. 

Wanna know why?  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

_________________________________

My mistake didn’t have to do with my songpluggers.  Scot, Mike, and Jesse were all smart, hardworking guys who wanted me to succeed.  Those guys worked busted their backsides for all of their writers.  It was a mistake because I spent the first couple years of that deal missing out on the benefits of pitching my own songs.

Here are ten benefits of pitching your own songs.

1. Your odds improve.

It’s HARD to get cuts, so you want all hands on deck.  Simply put, the more songs of yours that are getting pitched, the better the chance of the right song hitting the right ears at the right time.

2. Your back catalog stays active.

When you leave a publishing deal, it’s natural for your pluggers to back-burner your old songs and focus on their current writers and their newest songs.  Pitching your own songs helps keep your best old songs in circulation.

3. You hear your songs more honestly.

Sitting across the desk from a producer or A&R rep makes you hear your songs differently.  Little flaws which you might’ve ignored before become more obvious, especially if they pass on the song.  Over time, this kind of listening makes your “flaw-detector” more sensitive when you’re writing.

4. You demo songs more wisely.

On a related note, the experience and feedback you get from pitching helps you demo only your best-chance songs.  Your flaw-detector is more sensitive, and you ask yourself important questions like, “Do I ever pitch this type of song?  Does this type of song ever get kept or cut?  Is this song going to replace one of the songs I’m currently pitching?  Am I excited about playing this song for so-and-so?”

5. Nobody knows your catalog better than you do.

Sometimes, a song may sit around for years before the right pitch comes along.  A plugger probably won’t remember it if it’s not in the regular pitching rotation.  But you might.  For example, when I heard that comedy legend, Ray Stevens, was doing a political album, I dusted off an old, never-before-pitched song called “Fly Over Country,” which had reverted back to me from my Major Bob deal.  I pitched it myself, and Ray cut it.

6. It builds your personal brand.

An A&R rep may hear five of your songs in a day from five different sources.  That’s great, but they might never know those are YOUR songs.  They might associate the songs with your cowriters or the publishers who brought them.  If it’s YOU in the room, though, the rep hears several of your songs in a row and get to put your face to the name on the CD.  And you get to do the same, which is handy if you see them out at an industry function.  Oh,and you hopefully get them to like you as a person, which never hurts.

7. It can lead to cowrites.

When an A&R or producer associates your amazing songs with you- an amazing person – and you happen to be in the room with them… they might just decide to hook you up for a cowrite with another writer they dig or (even better) one of their artists.  It’s a beautiful thing.

8. You get the inside scoop.

The A&R/producer  can tell you what they need, and you can ask followup questions.  That may bring to mind another song from your catalog (from any publisher you’ve had) which you can play right then or send later.  And this info won’t have the chance of getting mis-relayed or not relayed at all to you by your plugger.

9. Your songs are the focus of the pitch meeting.

Your plugger goes into meetings representing several writers, all of whom are really good.  So while you might land a couple of songs in the meeting, there are others that won’t be yours.  But in your meetings, you’re on all the songs.  More pitches, more chances to win.

10. You develop your own contacts.

What happens if your songplugger gets hit by a bus?  Or if you lose your publishing deal?  If you’re only relying on your plugger’s contacts and don’t have any of your own, your songs aren’t gonna get heard as often.  I’ve been between deals, and it felt good knowing (and not just hoping) that my songs were still getting pitched.

So, there you go.  My top ten reasons songwriters should pitch their own songs.  But, like I said in point #1, I’m an all-hands-on-deck kind of guy.  So I like working with publishers when it makes sense.  If you’re interesting in working with a publisher, too, I have a great opportunity coming up.

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.SWP 4

The C.L.I.M.B., Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Song Title Challenge #40: Out Of Order

Leave a comment

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Get into a pro songwriter’s mind!

Johnny takes a title submitted by a CLIMBer like you, and he springs it on me live!  Then I have to figure out how to make it a hit… yikes!  Watch me blow up or flame out.

If you want to submit a title, send it to Johnny at info@daredevilproduction.com.

It’s not a cowrite.  You keep 100% ownership of whatever you write, and you’re free to use any ideas I throw out.  I am NOT a cowriter on this.  Any ideas are simply my gift to you!

If you’re a singer, songwriter or indie artist who wants to grow your career, THIS is the podcast for you!

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast is proud to partner with Disc Makers- who have been supporting indie musicians before indie music was even a thing.

When you’re ready to make CDs, DVDs, vinyl- or distribute your music and videos with customized USBs- www.discmakers.com is the only place you need to go.

And while you’re there, click the “Guides and Resources” tab and download some of their excellent free guides.  They’ve just revised and expanded their Home Studio Handbook, which has got a ton of great advice and information for newbies and studio veterans.

Find them online at www.discmakers.com or give them a call at 800-468-9353.

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

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 top 10 in Texas, and a #1 in Canada… so far.

P4P, Write Like A Pro

Here’s Why YOu Don’t 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?

The answer is “NO… IF…”

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

_________________________________

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 somehow someone gets ahold of your song and records it… 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 that doesn’t sound like you, I have a great opportunity coming up!

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.SWP 4

P4P, Write Like A Pro

Great advice from our September 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 September with John Ozier of Ole’ Music in Nashville.  The Songwriting Pro community brought some strong songs, and John brought some great advice.  Let’s dive into some of his advice (paraphrased)!

You can never have a bad meeting if you play great songs.  John tries not to “cast” his songs too much- he just takes in his best songs.

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

_________________________________

Write honesty.  Don’t cast your songs so much (thinking “who can cut this? I’m going to write it like I think Artist X will like”) that you end up faking it.  There’s no cookie-cutter way of writing a good song.  Figure out what makes you different as a songwriter and do more of that.

Go for interesting, hooky phrasing.  Phrasing seems to be what’s separating good songs from great songs right now.

Small publishers can’t sign 5 writers who all do the same thing.  They want specific skillsets.  They can’t be redundant.  Build a body of work that the publisher loves.  They’ll take work ethic over talent.  You can’t control your talent, but you can control your work ethic.  It’s 10% talent and 90% hustle.

First lines are important.  Hook the listener fast.  And if a title looks like a bumper sticker, that’s a good thing.

A&R wants tempo, attitude, and ear candy.  Your song needs to fit sonically between the current hit songs and artists.  Study radio.  Catch the upswing of styles and sonics.

Not every song is for radio.  Synch (film/tv) is a growing business for music publishers.  Plus, synch licensing can help build an artist’s brand.

Want to play YOUR song for a legit music publisher?  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.SWP 4

The C.L.I.M.B., Think Like A Pro, Write Like A Pro

Song Title Challenge #39: “Curves”

Leave a comment

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Get into a pro songwriter’s mind!

Johnny takes a title submitted by a CLIMBer like you, and he springs it on me live!  Then I have to figure out how to make it a hit… yikes!  Watch me blow up or flame out.

If you want to submit a title, send it to Johnny at info@daredevilproduction.com.

It’s not a cowrite.  You keep 100% ownership of whatever you write, and you’re free to use any ideas I throw out.  I am NOT a cowriter on this.  Any ideas are simply my gift to you!

If you’re a singer, songwriter or indie artist who wants to grow your career, THIS is the podcast for you!

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast is proud to partner with Disc Makers- who have been supporting indie musicians before indie music was even a thing.

When you’re ready to make CDs, DVDs, vinyl- or distribute your music and videos with customized USBs- www.discmakers.com is the only place you need to go.

And while you’re there, click the “Guides and Resources” tab and download some of their excellent free guides.  They’ve just revised and expanded their Home Studio Handbook, which has got a ton of great advice and information for newbies and studio veterans.

Find them online at www.discmakers.com or give them a call at 800-468-9353.

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

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 top 10 in Texas, and a #1 in Canada… so far.

P4P, Write Like A Pro

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

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.SWP 4

The C.L.I.M.B., Write Like A Pro

The C.L.I.M.B. #167: Are You A Songwriting Code-Breaker?

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CLICK HERE TO LISTEN!

Every genre has its own hidden language- its own hidden code, if you will.  And for you to be successful as a songwriter, you need to become a code-breaker.

And think just because you’ve cracked the code in one genre that you can use that same code to successfully write a song in a different genre?  Think again.

If you want the world to hear your music, you wanna hear this!  The link to listen is above and below.

The C.L.I.M.B. Podcast is proud to partner with Disc Makers- who have been supporting indie musicians before indie music was even a thing.

When you’re ready to make CDs, DVDs, vinyl- or distribute your music and videos with customized USBs- www.discmakers.com is the only place you need to go.

And while you’re there, click the “Guides and Resources” tab and download some of their excellent free guides.  They’ve just revised and expanded their Home Studio Handbook, which has got a ton of great advice and information for newbies and studio veterans.

Find them online at www.discmakers.com or give them a call at 800-468-9353.

The C.L.I.M.B. stands for “Creating Leverage In The Music Business,” and that’s the goal of this podcast- to help singers, indie artists and songwriters like YOU to create leverage in the music business.  What is leverage?  It’s “strategic advantage; the power to act effectively.”  We want to help YOU make stuff happen in the music biz.

It’s exciting to see how folks are digging the show- and being helped on their CLIMB.  If YOU like it, we’d really appreciate it if you’d subscribe and leave a rating or review on iTunes.  Positive ratings and reviews help us to climb the iTunes rankings so more people become aware of the show and we can help more singers, songwriters, and indie artists like you make The CLIMB!The CLIMB iTunes review 3

CLICK HERE TO LEAVE AN iTUNES REVIEW

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE C.L.I.M.B. ON ITUNES

If you aren’t on iTunes, you can listen to the show at our website:

TheCLIMBshow.com

If you have an Android phone, you can subscribe to the show on:

Stitcher

Thanks for your time. It means a lot to me, and hopefully it’ll be a lot of help for you!

God Bless and keep C.L.I.M.B.ing,

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.