Last time, I mentioned that the music industry might not actually exist as a separate industry, at least for the purposes of creating a business model that you can use to market your music.

Sometimes, however, it seems like there is a sort of music industry—one that has as its customer base all the musicians, songwriters, composers, and other creative people. Based on the pitches in my inbox, it is akin to the once growing vanity publishing business that made “pay to publish” a terrible phrase (although it came from a noble tradition). And we don’t even have to look as far as “pay to play” to see the demon rear its ugly head.

A quick history (optional)

Actually it has been around for a long time. It’s roots are found in ads in the back of magazines where you could find advertising for “song poems” that could be made into greatest hits, if only you were smart enough to hire this company to put your words to music and create a record that they would then “promote.” (If you aren’t familiar with printed magazines, don’t worry about it. Just bear with me.) Your professionally recorded song would be sent to all the radio stations (which is how it was done). Of course, your song would stand heads and shoulders above the others on the air, because the song would be crafted by a professional songwriter (obviously otherwise currently unemployed for unknown reasons) and professionally recorded.  Well, of course they were professionals—you paid them, which made them professional (i.e., earning money from music).

Back to current events

These folks, because they preyed on songwriters, were called song sharks, and although the magazine ads are mostly gone, and the disguises have changed, the fact that they prey on the desire of creative people to get their music heard hasn’t changed in the least. The internet not only makes it easier for music to get to people, it also makes it easier for the sharks to pitch their latest revolutionary way of getting your music heard.

Unfortunately, it is hard to separate the sharks (some of which seem to have morphed into vampires, in keeping with entertainment trends; so let’s use the term song vampire for them from now on) from legitimate toilers in the vineyards of music. Music is not a single product, nor simple. There are not any canned ways of doing things that produce more than canned results. So there is a great deal of room for hardworking agents, music pitching companies, music libraries, and so on. But there are few rules to help distinguish the revolutionary new idea (excuse me, we call them “platforms” now) from the same old con in new clothing.

It’s all very tiresome. And to add to the confusion, some things work for a while, then succumb to their own popularity.

Conventional wisbits

There are two competing bits of conventional wisdom out there. The first, the older, is that you shouldn’t pay for anything. That was the advice offered in the song shark era. If your music is any good, then people will pay you for it. If there is money to be made from your music, then plenty of talented people will be willing to work with you to get it in the right hands. This seems dated now, but there is a kernel of truth in it still. But it conflicts with conventional wisdom bit #2: If you won’t invest in your career, why should anyone else?

The problem I have with this wisbit (i.e., wisdom bit—it is the moral duty of journalists to corrupt the language with more meaningless jargon) is that first, it doesn’t provide any guide for where to invest. I have untold thousands of dollars invested in musical instruments, training, computers, software, microphones, sheet music, more instruments… I will stop here, having made that point. None of this is what the song vampires are talking about. What they mean is that my not giving them money is proof that I lack confidence in my own ability, music and career. To that I say (along with many things probably left unsaid): “Bullshit!” What I lack, often times, is confidence in their ability to help me in any way. The fact that they got some punk rock group into a club in Des Moines doesn’t mean a thing about what they can do in getting my music to recording artists, placed in films, or even get me more money when I play the local coffee shop (Yankee Creek, every other Sunday morning, 9:30-11:30—hope to see you there) or a regional festival. In fact, many of the “services” make my life harder because it seems to revolve around my running my life in a way they understand.

That isn’t how it works in the corporate world. In that universe (world is too small a word) the PR person goes to the client (hat in hand, dressed up real nice) and gets a spiel on “what we do and how we do it” and then goes back to the office to devise a program that does what the client wants.

But the point here is not to rant about the ineffectiveness of much music marketing; rather I simply want to point out that when it comes to song vampires, you not only don’t necessarily get what you want or need, but that it might soak up time better spent doing something frivolous, say making music.

Soft sell ending

So if you have some ideas of how to tell opportunities apart from the invitations of song vampires, share them. But bear in mind that everyone seeking money from you is not a vampire, unless they work for a government.

In my last blog I suggested that this start of a new year is an excellent time for refocusing. You can stop, take a breath, get some perspective on what you are doing and where you are going, and decide where you need to put your best effort right now. To complement that idea I am going to suggest that you learn to narrow your focus. You need to pick one, manageable thing. Success in music is not a focus. Improving your skills at getting bookings, learning to play Thelonius Monk, or finding a way of marketing your songs, are all things that can be focused on. And yes, these can, and probably should be, broken down into even more manageable chunks.

The Multitasking Trap

The fastest path to frustration is to try doing everything at once. One of the shocking truths (for some) is that multitasking does not generally produce very good results. It might produce a lot of results, but little of it is worth much. There is no focus, little ability to follow through, and you come across as distracted—not a good image in business, playing on the bandstand, or listening to a loved one. Success and focus go together. The best negotiators are patient people; some of the best players know when to lay back.

Being focused isn’t easy in a world full of distractions, but I frequently see people fall by the wayside because they don’t understand the need. Here is a case in point. A talented singer I know moved to a town and starting putting a band together, jamming with everyone who would let her join in, and booking gigs, all at once. Because she had a compelling personality and a fine voice, she got several gigs. Unfortunately, her talents did not extend to band management and, as the gigs approached, she was unable to keep her band together. Although they rehearsed a fair amount, progress was slower than she wanted, and tempers flared. The band was fired or quit, depending on the person telling the story, and the gigs were ultimately either cancelled (bad for your reputation) or played with a pickup band, which couldn’t provide the showcase she really wanted. Her intentions were fine—she wanted to take the local musical scene by storm, but she didn’t determine what needed to be done, prioritize, and then focus. Impatience shot down an energized effort.

Although it can seem intolerable to put things we want on hold, it is only sensible to present new material or a performance when it is ready, and not a moment before. The big acts rehearse for a long time, and often use coaches to get the performance to the desired level. Even Michael Jackson worked with dance professionals to hone his skills, back at his peak.
If success is your goal, then hard work should be your mantra. And the focus should be on the thing that is most important to do next. It might be something to do with business, it might be art, it might be personal.

Know What Needs To Be Done

A very good course I took years ago suggested that we should all have a short “to do” list. This list should be of only the things that qualify for the heading “If this was the only thing I got done today, I would have accomplished something important.” You put the most important at the top and do it. You don’t think about #2 until #1 is done, or you find that for some external reason it can’t be done today.

That is one way to learn focus. It is how I got this blog done today, rather than at some future time. It is the way I will finally learn to play Thelonius Monk tunes (or anything else).

So you focus, narrowly, on something to be accomplished, then give it your best shot. Then you move on. You can’t make a mistake by focusing and giving it your best effort. It’s only when your thoughts on unfocused (as in multitasking) that you give less than your best.

Now it is time to find your focus, and go for it. It promise that it will make 2010 the best possible year it can be for you. And who deserves that success more?

You can read a lot about new business models that come from the use of the Internet. Many of the discussions reflect good ideas—thoughtful examinations of the implications of new ways of delivering products to consumers and ways of promoting music through the new media, such as ringtones. But some of it is, to be frank—crap!

One of the highly controversial ideas is that of giving your music away. The concept makes sense at a superficial level. By giving your music away, the consumer, the fan, decides they like what you do, and go to concerts, buy merchandise and otherwise (sometimes in vague ways that are left unclear in the hope that the future will provide new ones) support the musicians.

THE PROBLEM

So what is the problem?  Simply put—the market becomes flooded with music, and the music becomes devalued. If you have a touring band, the logic of the business model, at least, might hold, but it makes no sense at all for songwriters whose income is based on selling recordings, airplay and use in television and movies. And are you in music because of a love or music or simply as a business? Bands hungry for attention will allow their music to be used in movies and television for little or nothing, completely undermining the efforts of nonperforming musicians and composers to earn a living at their craft.

I’ve been told that this is simply a sign of the times—that nonperforming musicians and composers better get with it. That is nothing but foolishness. Times have changed for certain—music supervisors, who are rightfully as cost conscious as the next business person, are getting seduced into using clones of hits and mediocre music (due to its low prices) rather than opting to have truly original music of the highest quality. That might be fine for some productions, but this lowers the bar and reflects the economics of our culture rather than it richness and diversity. This does not bode well for musicians or film and television.

Jennifer Yeko runs True Talent Management in Beverly Hills, and does artist management, music licensing, and music publicity. In a recent email, she mentioned people offering their music for free, saying: “we just want to be able to brag to our friends that some big movie producer is using our songs in their movies/shows.” If you are a professional musician, that is the face of the future you are dealing with. With the exciting musical tools available, people who want to impress their friends are creating tracks that, in some cases, are “good enough.”

Yeko makes four significant points, which I will quote (with her kind permission):

Of these, I find point #2 the most significant. The reality is that we are not talking about exposure, but respect for the work and creative effort that good music takes. Giving away your tracks indicates that you don’t value your music. And what do you really want to be known for: Wild tee shirts and other merchandise, or great music?

Note that this doesn’t mean you should stick it to anyone wanting music. As Yeko advises: “Educate yourself.  Know when you’re being taken advantage of in terms of fees – and when you should be happy to get *any* money – i.e. a festival license for an indie film.”

Yes, it is okay to share in the risk of a project if you are reaping some benefit. I have done music for free for filmmakers under two circumstances:

1)   For a worthwhile charitable cause — I happily wrote and performed music for the video “A Will to Live, a Dream to Dive” produced by Ocean Opportunity which is a documentary of the amazing story of Mathew Johnston who became the world’s first ventilator dependent diver. As a a scuba diver and a fan of heroes, this was a no brainer for me. I wanted the word out and I wanted to be associated with this great project. (Later the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation agreed and provided funding for distribution—but otherwise the video was a labor of love).

2)      Working with someone you respect who is bootstrapping their production; working together, sharing the risk, might produce an interesting future. This one is not unlike cowriting with another unknown. It’s a gamble, but also a learning experience and you have the opportunity to get noticed.

But a funded, for profit operation shouldn’t be the beneficiary of your work without paying for it.

THE PRICE

So what should you charge? What does it mean to value your music fairly?  The fascinating thing about licensing is the lack of standards. Unlike union gigs, there aren’t pay scales. Even script writers have a standard fee schedule that sets a minimum.  Yenko suggests that is why you need professional help in negotiating these things. And that is true to a large extent. A professional has a better handle on what current budgets and going rates are. There are ways to find these things out of course, but how much effort you want to put into that depends a lot on how the rest of your career is structured. If you are a movie composer, or trying to be, some networking is in order. If you are interested in licensing music, but your focus is getting your band bigger and better gigs, then you are going to need help. The contacts and expertise can be of great value.

Once again, this brings you back to the position of that great jazz musician, Socrates, who said: “Know thyself.” (What is less known is that he also suggested playing the natural minor whenever possible, and always hitting the flat third on the off beat.)

Music licensing is challenging, complex, rewarding, and frustrating. If you have had some good or bad experience with it, or simply want to give your story about how you made millions giving music away, let me hear about it!

In response to my blog A Songwriter’s Marketing Strategy, Muhammed Babajide commented that he had written a number of songs, and then asked: “are these songs good enough, and if they are who would my contact be at the library? What do libraries use them for and when do I get paid?”

There are several important questions here, and the answers might be appropriate for a number of readers, so I thought I would take a break from my planned topics to answer them. In the course of thinking them through, I developed some generic rules that should lead you to your own unique answers, the same way music theory should lead you to creating your own songs. I’ve provided some links to other blogs in this series because together they provide a fuller picture.

1)      Are the songs good enough?
Actually this winds up being two questions, because there is the issue of the quality of the song itself and then one of the quality of the recording. I recently had a track rejected by a very fussy library that told me they thought the track was great but that they didn’t like the playing. Fair enough. Other folks loved it.

As I mentioned in the blog on The Seven Steps to Songwriting Success, you can use critiquing services to determine if your songs meet commercial standards (“good” probably isn’t the issue), as long as you can let the person doing the critique how you envision the song being used. Don’t send in a Hank Williams tune in and ask if the reviewer thinks Alicia Keys will sing it. You need to know your market. (Read the article for more ideas.)

As far as the quality of the recording itself goes, the best thing you can do is listen to the music samples on the sites of the music libraries and compare. Do you measure up? If you lie to yourself, it’s no good. If you don’t like the kind of music they have, I’d skip that library (different strokes for different folks and all that). And don’t be afraid to try songs out to test your judgment of how well they fit. For both parts of this question, the rule is: Get to know your market. That means study the music you are competing with.

2)      Who would my contact be at the library?

Some of this you will find in the blog on music libraries, I wrote a short time ago. If you go to their web sites, the contact information is usually there. If it isn’t clear, there is usually some kind of info@…. email address where you can ask. But the contact will be a catalog manager, or sometimes a music supervisor. The title doesn’t matter. The important part is directing the song to the person they ask you to send them to, in the format they ask for. Some libraries want mp3s (to start with), or they may ask for a CD, or a link to your web site. Here is the rule for this question: However they do business is the right way to do business with them.

3)      What do libraries use them for?

The real answer to this question is that libraries don’t use them at all. Libraries, like music publishers, find homes for songs. They are the connection between you and television, movie, video game, and video producers who need music. Some libraries come out of one of those industries, have good connections, and know exactly what their clients want. These tend to be very picky, and if you haven’t worked in those industries, you have a lot to learn before you will consistently connect.

Some libraries are more generic. They look for what they consider good music, and try to promote themselves as a source for it. Their success is less consistent, they probably generate less income (for you as well as themselves) than the higher end libraries, and both their catalog and client list is broader. This translates into more opportunities for composers and songwriters trying to break in. The rule that applies here is: Start with libraries that deal with the same kinds of clients you could deal with yourself if you had the contacts.

4)      When do I get paid?

Unfortunately, the answer here is complicated and best summarized as “it depends.” Libraries collect license fees for the use of your music and split that with you. A 50/50 split is common, but there are other ratios as well. Some libraries register your song under another name (see the article on retitling) and collect the publisher share of the performance money as well. There is no standard practice here, and what passes for standard changes constantly as libraries, like publishers and record labels, try to sort out the rapidly changing music business.

In general, you will paid your share of the license fee shortly after the library gets paid. How long that is after a deal is made depends to an extent on the accounting practices of the client. Get a big movie deal and they might string you out a bit to use your money for a little longer before they pay up.

The performance money payments depend on when the client files the cue sheet, when the video is aired or sold, and the reporting cycles of your PRO. In other words, until you have a lot of music in that pipeline, don’t hold your breath or run up your credit card.

So our last rule is: Don’t spend it until the check clears.

Be Among The Willing

Talking to other musicians and composers I am often reminded what a contrary lot we can be. Putting a band together and keeping it together is often compared to trying to herd cats. It can soak up a lot of effort without getting any useful results. Sure you get some grand experiences, but results?

Of course sometimes it works. And that is because you have lucked into working with a group that can best be described as the willing. When I lived and worked in the Los Angeles area, I was impressed to find that the studio musicians, the ones really making money, were accessible, eager to share their knowledge and experience and just downright friendly. The loved what they did and it showed. As players, they were willing to learn, to try new things, or do old things one more time when it was called for. In addition to their skills, that attitude was what got them work.

MUSIC AND REALITY

In the current market, with music even being treated as free (google “giving your music away” and see how much reading there is), lowering the price you charge won’t make you more successful. It might even make you less successful—after all, if you don’t value your music, why should a customer? Some libraries even wave licensing fees, hoping to make money on the back end, from performance royalties. That can work, but it is a slog and a big gamble. It all depends on who licenses it and how they use it.

If that doesn’t appeal to you, there are marketing tricks galore that you can try, if you have the time. There must be more music sites than there are musicians trying to sell music. And, if you don’t have time, there are people willing to do the tricks for you– if you have the money. But the noise level is so high that it is hard to get heard no matter who does the shouting.

So what is a kid to do?

REVISIT NETWORKING

Networking was all the rage long before Facebook. In fact, it was all the rage before anyone called it networking. Business to business work (as opposed to retail) has always been to a large extent about relationships. Good sales people build rapport with their customers. No matter what the business is, networking is an important set of skills (it isn’t just one thing!).

Successful companies understand this and have built their success on responsiveness to their customer’s needs. When the customer needs something, they show their willingness to be part of the solution. And there is that word again—willingness. A willingness to provide support, ideas, effort, whatever it takes, is a significant quality of a successful person in any field.

So what does that mean to a musician/composer/songwriter? Basically it means that your job is, in addition to creating the best music you can, to help your customer solve their business problems. If your customer is a music library, paying attention to the kinds of music that they like to work with is a start. But what about those difficult calls?  Can you come through with Nigerian music, or a hip hop Christmas tune? If your client is a music supervisor, the same applies. And the other side of it is respecting them. Don’t send them something that isn’t quite right, but might be close. Or something not done well. Act professional to get treated professionally.

Now of course there are more ways to serve your clients well. But it is up to you to get to know the client. If a singer has a certain image, give her songs that enhance that image…don’t create a new one unless you are asked to.

Another item to note is that many businesses grow each other. The supplier becomes successful helping their customer become successful. A fledgling Disney Corporation and a garage operation called Hewlett-Packard did a lot for each other. Be willing (that word again) to work with fledgling film makers—you won’t make money on that project, perhaps, but your work can get heard. And if the film maker hits the big time, he or she will remember the willing workers that propelled that success, who made it a little easier.

One of the difficulties of working in any artistic discipline is finding a balance between the art and business portions of your efforts. It isn’t so much the right brain versus left brain problem that we read so much about—both art and business efforts should combine both of these. After all, you want logic in your art and some creativity in your business to get the most out of ALL of your talents.

Typically, when making art, you want your creative side to have uncensored rein over your efforts and then be able to apply some intelligent editing and formatting to give it polish and coherency. In business, although it can be a step by step process, you want to be able to unleash your considerable creative talents to finding new approaches to business problems or obstacles. That is where your strength lies. You should be using all your resources for any problem you encounter in life.

The Balancing Act

The balancing act I am referring now to is much more basic. Simply put: both art and music require a great deal of energy and time. The balance is how and where you spend it.

Consider the simple idea of dealing with your marketing plan. We’ve done a couple of blogs to get you started with that effort. I suggested marketing strategies for songwriters and Kavit wrote an excellent piece on business plans .
Done correctly, these don’t take an enormous amount of time. But they do take some thoughtful effort and should be reviewed regularly (daily review of your goals helps you stay on track), and don’t replace your record keeping and bookkeeping. These aren’t the same, by the way. Record keeping involves maintaining a current list of your songs, contracts with music libraries and publishers, submissions wherever, registrations with your PRO, following up on cue sheet submissions, and anything else relevant. Bookkeeping is the accounting—where your money goes and comes from. Without maintaining your accounts you will dislike tax time even more than if you keep them.

On the other side, if you aren’t spending an enormous amount of time working on new music, studying your craft, and trying new things, how can you hope to do anything worth marketing?

Divide and Conquer?

One approach I’ve heard from successful folks is that they divide their time (however much it is) into studio (aka art) time and office time. They never mix the two. They mentally put on a suit and go to the office, and shut off the phone and all outside communication when they go in the studio.

That doesn’t work for me. I find myself working on a tune, and an opportunity pops up and I stop what I’m doing to evaluate it. My natural way of working is to be what computer folks call, interrupt driven. To that end, I have a music computer and music computer in the same workspace—both on. I often listen to tracks I am working on while doing the record keeping, or work on the bridge for a tune while waiting for a response to come back from an email to a music super or library.

Part of this approach has been a reaction to the way my life has developed. But I am used to it. My way might drive you nuts. The point is finding a strategy that works for you.

Einstein said that one definition of insanity was repeating your actions and expecting a different outcome. In short, the sane thing is to try different approaches and see what works. If something doesn’t work the first time, evaluate what you did to see if you gave it a fair shake. Remember that some parts of this songwriting business are not fun, but need doing.

Like writing music, experimentation should be the heart of your approach to this crazy career. Be flexible.

Prioritize Your Efforts

One technique that is taught in many business courses on efficient time management says that you should:

1. Make a list of all the things that need doing (not what you want to do, although some of the things better be things you want to do, or you are in the wrong business). These should be tasks, not goals—things that you need to do in the short term.
2. Prioritize your list. Not all of it, but go through it and pick the three most important.
3. Do the first one. The idea is that because the top job is the most important one, if you spend all day on it, that’s okay, because it is important. If you do nothing else, you have still done the most important thing (to you).
4. Do the next one.

Based on the results of your daily effort, you should make a new list every day. Ideally, do it at the end of your day so that the list waits for you the next morning.

I’ve used this approach and have been amazed at how much I can get done, and how it minimizes the time I waste. Let me know how you handle your balancing act.

Ever find yourself working on a new song but feeling like it was too much like one you did recently? It happens all the time. And, in fact, it might not be at all similar, but the writing process, or the vibe is getting into a rut.

Well ruts aren’t all bad. They show you’ve been working. But you do need ways to get out of them. Now there are hundreds, if not more, techniques for getting fresh ideas and we will explore some of them another time. But at a point like this, one thing to consider is getting a completely new perspective. Not a fresh idea, but a fresh way of looking at everything that goes into your songwriting.

ADDING BODIES

One solution is to deal another player into the game. Yes, a collaborator. A collaboration can help get your head turned around, and who knows what can happen then?

Having a collaborator forces a number of changes in the way you do things. Just having to consider the ideas someone else has about your song is one factor. The way they work is another. Are you used to sitting down and strumming a few chords on a guitar and developing them into a song? Working with someone who starts with melodies or rhythms might help you get new life into your music. Or perhaps your new colleague likes to develop a riff first. If nothing else happens, you’ve just experience another great starting point for songs that you haven’t been using.

Another body in the equation also can mean a shift in your role. What if you wrote just the music or just the lyrics? Certainly that would produce a different song than if you did the whole thing. The results might be better or worse, but remember that songwriting is a learning process. And another songwriter, even one not as experienced as you, can teach you things. New eyes equal new images; new ears means new sounds. All grist for the mill.

CHANGING ROLES

This aspect was brought home to me recently when a composer asked me to create lyrics and vocals to two tracks he had already finished. One was a fairly standard song format and the other was intended as a replacement tune for a 60s hit. Now I have worked as a lyricist before, but I’ve always written lyrics and handed them to the composer. And I had never written lyrics before where I was trying hard to capture the essence of someone else’s song. In this case, I watch the original group on youtube about 15 times and tried to get the phrasing, tone of the lyric, and emphasis into my head. I printed out the lyrics and analyzed the words. Are they long words? Short words? Slang? Is there a story being told? An emotion being vented?

This was a great deal of fun. Subsequently, I was reading Robin Frederick’s great new book, Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting (from Taxi Music Books) and saw that one of the techniques she proposes for learning to write hits is to take this approach to existing songs. She calls the target song a ghost song.

At any rate, the experience of becoming strictly a lyricist for an existing composition was helpful; the exercise of developing lyrics to existing structures was a bit like writing a sonnet (I used to write a lot of poetry so that part was familiar ground).

THE BUSINESS ANGLE

Although I’m not going to go deeply into all the various ways you can organize the business of songwriting with a collaborator, I want to mention two points: First, in most cases, agree to a 50/50 split before you start. Don’t worry about who did the most writing work or whether it is harder to be the composer or lyricist. Having been on both sides of the fence, my own thought is that are equally hard to do well. But whatever you decide, agree up front and put squabbles behind you.

Second, determine the publishing. Will one or the other have it, or a third party, or will it be divided. Again it doesn’t really much matter. But anyone who is getting a share of the publishing must be someone who is going to actively promote the song. Publishing is not a place to put someone along for the ride. If you are an aggressive publisher and your partner just wants to write, then you need to handle the publishing.

Finally, I think there is only one significant rule in songwriting, and it applies to collaborations as much as any other aspect of the art and craft–if it isn’t fun, don’t do it. Collaborating is probably not for everyone. Neither is writing the book for a musical, or writing ballads or heavy metal, for that matter. But collaborating is probably worth a try if the right partner comes along (work with the willing!). It won’t change your life, probably, but it well could change your songwriting for the better, making the process (and maybe even the songs) richer and more robust. Besides, there is the secret benefit–your collaborator is required by law to laugh at the stupid jokes you come up with at 3am.

A cynic finds it easy to dismiss the plethora of songwriting competitions with the idea that art isn’t a competitive sport.

Unfortunately, that isn’t true. It might not be a sport, but art is very competitive.

On the other hand, it is easy to see competitions as a fast track to recognition. Your great song is sure to rise to the top and attract the attention of industry insiders who will do great things for you. And the big competitions are better, because the judges are industry pros, and just getting them to listen to your track is worth the price of entry.

Unfortunately, the odds of anyone important hearing your song are no greater than through any other way of getting your songs out there. In many contests, although they might list Sir Elton John as a judge, your song has to get through a series of screeners first. It’s likely that Sir Elton won’t do much more than listen to a handful of the finalists.

With entry fees skyrocketing and contests getting bigger, my personal skepticism about these contests grows. I admit to not liking competitions in the first place. And when it comes to judging songs, I’d rather know the criteria the songs are being judged by than the names of famous people doing some of the judging.

What’s on Offer?

The nature of the prizes gives some indication of the value that I would personally place on the competition. It answers the question: “Is this for songwriters, or about getting money from them?” When I read that World’s Best Songs gives one Grand Prize winner $1000 cash,, 1 Year Membership to Taxi, Broadjam and Sonicbids, and 1000 digipack cds from Discmakers, $1000 in gift certificates for Musician’s Friend and announce the winner in American Songwriter magazine, I start to think that they might have a clue what makes songwriters tick.

SongDoor lets you win before the competition is over. They provide all entrants with a free self-paced songwriting course from SongU.com and free melody-writing software. The Grand Award winner receives a private-session, full band demo, produced on Music Row in Nashville, as well as a single-song publishing deal, a one-year Platinum Membership to SongU.com and many other great songwriters’ tools. Not only that, the entry fee is only $10.

Getting Some Feedback

Another criteria is feedback. There is nothing worse than paying money, then sending in a song that you have sweated blood over, to learn nothing more than the names of the winners a year later. There are many of these.

Because some contests are what I would call “songwriter sensitive” there is a growing trend to provide critiques of your submission, which, if nothing else lets you see your song as they saw it. For example, the Annual Great American Song Contest (in its 11th year) provides written evaluations to all entrants. Many other contests offer similar benefits, and I think that for what they charge, they all should.

Staying Plugged In

Now understand that I am citing some examples, and showing ways you might evaluate competitions—I am not recommending or saying avoid any specific competition. You need to do the research to see what works for you. Many specialist competitions off better odds of winning. There are protest song competitions like Doing Dylan and, for the Tipperary (Ireland) International Song of Peace Contest “compositions should be of peace, love and harmony; about people, places or things; in fact anything that one feels constitutes a ‘Sense of Peace.’”

So there is literally something for everyone.

One way to track the numerous possibilities is with the songwriting contest link at musesmuse.com, which also provides great articles on songwriting and tons of other useful information. (You’ll also find my book reviews there). Check in regularly and click on the links to the competitions to learn what they are all about.

But as I said, I am not a fan of the competitions. I am not sure how they fit into the mix of strategies in your business plan. I would like to be shown the error of my ways, however, so if you have won a competition, let us know how it benefited your songwriting career.

If you had to pick two important qualities for songwriters who want to succeed in the contemporary music industry, what two would you pick? Many people would focus on things like originality in their approach to music, or the ability to anticipate new trends. But let’s take a look at those.

While originality can be a great thing, it isn’t really essential. Okay, I hear those cries of anguish. But if you listen carefully to the music that is finding its way into television and movies, you’ll probably agree that most of it is not highly original. And the commercial opportunities to place your music that you’ll see do not typically ask for something original. More often that not, what music supervisors wanted is something exactly like, but not a copy of, something already popular or that was popular at some specific time in the past. Sort of a known unknown. Sounds contradictory, but true. A movie looking for a Sinatra style song, was in one recent tip sheet. Another asks for traditional Middle Eastern music. Another wants “southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd and dance club music like Black Eyed Peas. And yet, another, well you should get the point here. If you want more examples, get the free Taxi listings or go to the public listings at New On The Charts .

Being able to work accurately within existing styles is going to go a long way toward getting placements—much further than originality, which can actually be a hard sell. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be innovative, just that you can’t expect to sell your work simply because it is different and original. Good is more important than original.

As a side issue here, you need to be sure you understand what music supervisors mean when they say “like.” If the call ifs for a replacement for Satisfaction, by the Rolling Stones, don’t send a Reggae styled version of that song or something you think the Stones will want to record if they ever hear it. What is wanted is a very similar song. The vibe you hear, the tempo, the feel of it, is what is wanted. Of course your riff is better than Keith Richards’ (you’ve been able to learn from him after all), but what you are being told is that they want Satisfaction but can’t afford it. Don’t send in curry chicken when they send out for Chinese. You won’t satisfy anyone.

Okay, back to our main theme.

Anticipating trends can be important when you are pitching songs to artists. But you better be right. You cannot expect to set the trends—see the discussion of originality above. If, like me, you scratch you head at the latest and greatest, you won’t be successful in trying to outguess the market. If you are part of the movement, however, go for it. But again, don’t expect a big career in movie and television placements.

So what qualities would I pick?

1. Patience, and

2. Be Among The Willing

Patience is important because, typically, everything in this business takes a long time. (Until someone needs something yesterday, of course. But we are talking about breaking in, here.) It takes people a long time to make up there mind—and they might not tell you their decision at all if you are not the chosen one. It takes time for cue sheets to be filed. It takes a long time for royalties to come in. It takes a long time for CDs with your songs on them to be released. If you are not patience you will go nuts. Cultivate patience, and like a good fisherman you will eventually manage to be in the right time and place to make a great catch.

About all you can do to keep your sanity is submit things and forget about them. If you hear back, great. If not, you should be busy with the next project.

Being among the willing is based on the idea that successful people get that way by choosing to work with the willing. So you put yourself in that path. This is a bit of a variation on “the customer is always right,” in that it includes they idea that you are going to do whatever you can to help them get what they want. Even if it means referring them to someone else. Don’t promise what you can’t deliver, and always deliver what you promise. That is what the willing do.

Of course, that isn’t the end all of the music business, but it will help a great deal. And it might keep you on an even keel while you work at it. Those of us who are ex sailors like to be on an even keel, because the alternative is not fun.

So keep doing what you are doing, but all the while being patient and placing yourself squarely among the willing—the helpful.

Another way to look at this came from Dale Carnegie, I believe it was, who said: “Be nice to people on the way up, because you meet the same people on the way down.”

If you write songs in the hope that you will get them recorded by artists who might actually sell some CDs or downloads, or get airplay (all of which can make you money), then the first step you need to take is to do some market research. This is the business of songwriting we are dealing with, not songwriting itself. I am going to give you some tips for beginning to develop your understanding of the market you are trying to break into it.

Bear in mind that, because you are pitching your songs to industry pros, it doesn’t matter much what the listeners think of your songs. That might sound weird, since they are the ultimate consumers, but you are once removed from them. You need to impress and wow the trend setters, not the trend followers. Doesn’t matter if you write country or hip hop, you can’t be writing songs that should have been on the radio last year and sell them this year.

Let’s assume you know what genre your songs fit into. Unhappily (for songwriters) genres are moving targets these days, so even that step means staying in touch with the current labels. For instance, the reality is that Motown R&B hits don’t have much in common with what is currently called R&B. But if you’ve got that base covered, let’s move to the next step.

• Look at the charts. Pitching songs requires knowing what songs and what kind of songs within the genre are getting airplay. In pop, ballads work for some artists but typically the hits tend to be uptempo. Does that still hold? And what tempo is uptempo?

• What vibes are popular? Are the songs within that genre downbeat or positive? What values do they promote—street rioting or family values?

• Are the newer artists following the trends or breaking new ground?

• Identify the singers who sings songs that you like. Do they cover a variety of styles or promote one style? Are the lyrics in your face or subtle? Are the themes personal or universal.

The intent here is to find out how you will fit into something that is alive and ongoing. The music business is alive and vital. It might not be as profitable as it was, and there are certainly new business models, but it has always been in flux. Think of it as a merry go round. You have to watch it a bit before you successfully jump on board.

That is step one. Once you’ve got this information, the next step is going to be pitching it. We’ve talked before about tip sheets and collecting this sort of information, but the key point is getting the information. If you don’t have the money for tip sheets or to join up with organizations that can help with placements, you are not up the proverbial creek without a paddle. Google is your friend. With a little creative effort you can find ways to get songs to artists you’ve identified in step one. So pick an artist and:

• Find their producers

• Find their management company

• Find their record label

These are the key players in determining what gets on a CD. So go to the web sites. Often you will find songwriter friendly submission links, or instructions on how to get your material to them. You might find an email address or mailing address. Now is the time to move slowly, however. Don’t email a gigabyte of mp3s. Don’t just mail a CD. Use the contact information to send a short note about yourself and ask for permission to submit material for a specific artist. Keep the note concise—no one cares where you went to school—and friendly. Make sure the language is good English. This isn’t time for text messaging. You are supposed to be a lyricist and that means understanding that while “Yo” might work well in a hip hop tune, it still is not English. No, that doesn’t mean that good English produces good songs—just good impressions. And initially, that is the entire point. The rule here: Make it easy for them to say yes.

If you are invited to submit music, you will need your demo and a typed lyric sheet. Make sure your contact information is everywhere—in your email, on your lyric sheet, on the CD… Folks don’t mean to be careless with your email address, but they are busy and you are not that important yet. Make things easy for them. So this rule is: Make it hard for them to lose you in the shuffle.

Even if you’ve done your homework and gotten permission, odds are you will never hear anything back. That isn’t necessary a reflection on your music or your research. It might be bad timing, the person is no longer connected with the act, or any number of things. In this industry, few people bother to say no—they just ignore you.

So you move on to the next one. And that is probably always a good rule. Move on to the next one and work with the willing.