Ostay Music Publishing is happy to offer you: "Articles and Advice"... bringing you useful information about the intricacies of the music business: survival tips, success stories, expert opinion and detailed discussion about the sparks that invariably fly when the creative process collides with the bottom line.
WHAT PUBLISHERS REALLY WANT
Wanted: Young, yet mature, male or female writer/performer; prolific in lyrics & melody; able to produce & pitch own demos; requires little financial support from publisher; has some track record; lives next door to office.
The above listing might be the typical Want Ad you would expect a publisher to post (if publishers did, indeed, do such things) when searching to find and sign a new songwriter.
Yet, according to a recent Murphy's Laws survey, the reality is somewhat different. Mark Ford (without whose scrupulous editing and input the Murphy's Laws column would be a tough read) helped me assemble an informal survey that polled 14 Nashville music publishers. Each publisher, within the past twelve months, had placed a hit song on the charts and had signed a new staff writer. The publishers ranked each of the following attributes from 1 to 10 (with 1 being least important and 10 being most important) based on the last writer they signed, not on any particular "wish list." [Note: averages for each question appear in brackets.]
What least motivates a publisher to put out the Welcome Mat
According to our survey, the following were of minimal importance to publishers:
20. Marital status [1.0] 19. Gender [1.5] 18. Living in or near another major music center (such as New York or Los Angeles) [1.6] 17. Being a producer [1.9] 16. Being recommended by non-publishers (such as lawyers, managers, A&R) [2.7] 15. Already writing with a recording artist [2.9] 14. Age [3.0] (good news for older songwriters!) 14. Being pursued by other publishers [3.0] 14. Already writing with the publisher's staff writers [3.0]
(I was quite surprised to find that being a producer, writing with an artist and being able to pitch one's own songs ranked so low.)
What somewhat influences a publisher
The mid-range results of our survey bore these responses:
13. Being recommended by other songwriters [4.0] 12. Appearance [4.5] 11. Demo quality [4.6] 10. Track record [4.9] 9. Persistence pursuing the deal [5.1] 8. Living in or near Nashville [5.3] 7. Record deal/artist potential [6.0] 6. Ability to co-write [6.2] 6. Ability to perform songs live [6.2] 5. Affordability (amount of draw) [6.3]
(I was surprised that track record, affordability and record deal did not score higher.)
The Big Four
According to our survey, the following four were the top deal-maker qualities:
4. Ability to write alone [7.5] 3. Ability to write great melodies [8.7] 2. Personality/compatibility with the company [9.0] 1. Ability to write great lyrics [9.6]
The Nutshell Having examined all of the information in depth, I would like to point out that most of the publishers who responded (all who were asked did so) were not actively looking for writers to sign, and -- with the one exception of lyrical ability being the across-the-board, most-desired quality -- there were qualities that were a must-have to some that were of no consideration to others.
So, in summation: work particularly on your lyrics, hone the rest of your skills, and pray that there will always be room for the odd frog amongst royalty.
KNOW YOUR OWN STRENGTHS
One of the top ten questions I get asked by newcomers to the industry is, "How do I get heard in the music business?" Before I can answer that, I have to know exactly what they want to be "heard." When I ask them about their goals -- whether they want to be songwriters or recording artists -- the most common response is, "Both."
Listen to the truth
The unfortunate truth of the matter is that, while many of thenewcomers I counsel may be gifted as songwriters or as singers, very, very few are equally blessed with both talents. While one ability may come rather naturally, the other often needs significant honing.
The problem is, not everyone wants to hear the truth. Some great singers (who are average songwriters) can make the really average songs they've written shine through the sheer power of their vocal ability. They make the phrase "I love you" sound so good that you almost believe they invented it. In equal numbers come the great songwriters (who are average singers) who have been told by family, friends, lovers, and late-night adoring coffeehouse/honky-tonk buffoons that, despite the fact that their tempo, pitch and teeth are bad, they have star quality. And no matter how badly they sing, their songs are still strong enough to survive a mediocre vocal performance and sound like hits. (This is the only reason karaokemanufacturers are not hunted for sport!)
Check your ego at the door
The bottom line is: lose your ego. It's called "absenting of self." The person most likely to come between you and your career goal is you. Don't make the best of your talent a donkey for the least of your talent. Get some unbiased feedback from industry pros (available through a variety of NSAI programs), and if you are indeed weaker in one area, focus on your strength.
If you're a great singer -- but an average writer -- don't be upset if someone loves your voice but wants you to sing someone else's songs. Go find those great songs while you learn to become a better writer. By the same token, if you're a great songwriter -- but an average singer -- don't be upset if someone wants to record your songs but passes on you as an artist. Remember, this is called the music "business," and the business end of our industry knows that the majority of the G.A.P. (Great American Public) just wants to hear great records. They don't lie awake nights wondering who wrote and/or sang the songs they like on the radio.
Be smart
If you have a sneaking suspicion that the preceding law even remotely applies to you, then do yourself this favor: picture the music industry as a large building with an entrance for singers on one side, and an entrance for songwriters on the other. Maybe you can't go through both doors at the same time, but you can concentrate on getting inside through the door that opens the most easily for you. Who knows? Once you're inside, you can end up just about anywhere.
Overcoming "Writer's Assumption "
I've noticed a recurring problem among some of the writers that I've been critiquing and teaching lately. I call it "Writer's Assumption." Mr. Webster calls it "anything taken for granted; supposition," and believe me, it can be terminal for any song infected with it.
Listeners Aren't Mindreaders
If a stranger walked up to you on a busy street and said, "He left her," would you care? The answer, of course, is no. Well, that's exactly what happens when you write a lyric that assumes the listener knows all about the people who populate your mind. When you come up with a song idea, characters and situations immediately spring to life in your head. So when your pen hits the page, your tendency may be to describe the RESULT of the situation you've just invented in your brain-- i.e., "He left her." Your listeners, however, won't care about the result because you haven't created any characters to care about.
Avoid the "Living Room" Syndrome
There's a reason why there are so many "living room" hits. When you sing a song to your friends and family about Uncle Fred joining the Navy, you don't have to explain to them that Fred, who was bitten by a dog, lost his job, and had his foot nailed to the floor by Aunt Martha, who subsequently ran off with an encyclopedia salesman. Because your listeners already know the background of the story, they are prepared to laugh when you sing "Uncle Fred has a hammock for a bed and makes gravy for the Navy." Any stranger stumbling upon a family laughing hysterically at this ditty would probably consider commitment papers, not publishing contracts.
Your First Verse May Not Be the First Verse
Remember, all songs have a beginning, a middle and an end. Some great old writers beat that into my head 30 years ago. It was the rule then, and it's the rule now. At least 50 percent of the time, when I sit down to write an idea, I mindlessly write the second verse first. Just as I smile in smug satisfaction at a verse well done, the ghost of one of my old mentors jabs me in the brain with a sharp stick and asks, "Well, Shakespeare, just who are these people, and why are they doing this?" Of course, the ghost is right, so I'll write another verse that answers those questions, and I'll make it my new first verse.
A lot of things change in 30 years: vocabulary, idioms, situations and attitudes. The craft does not. Making a living from what you love doing is a wonderful thing. Half of love, however is respect. You'll earn respect by doing your job properly, and your job is to communicate the WHOLE story...besides, you'll hate that sharp stick.
Drawing Maximum Attention To Your Hook
As you go through your song's story and the verses, check your rhyme scheme. Whatever it is -- change it in your chorus. For instance, change an A B A B rhyme scheme to A B C B .
The reason you do this is to subtly alert listeners that something important is coming. A change in rhyme scheme combined with the change in melody going into the chorus should have them ready for the hook.
A couple of effective ways to get the most out of your hook (90 percent of the time, your title is the final line or hook) are to:
1. Put an internal rhyme immediately preceding the hook line
For an example,
"I love you, you love me too, But we can't make it"
or
"I hate your dog, he ate my frog, And now I hate you."
"And now I hate you" and "But we can't make it" are the lines you intended to emphasize (i.e your hooks).
2. Don't rhyme your hook with anything
A great example of this can be found in Larry Henley's and Jeff Silbar's "Wind Beneath My Wings." In their chorus, except for a very subtle implied rhyme with the word "everything," which is tucked in the middle of the second line ("and everything I'd like to be"), the title stands alone. It's also, on examination, made very singable by the use of alliteration. The W's in "Wind Beneath My Wings" really make it soar. (I hope "soar" is spelled right!)road to try to write again. If you repeat the process, and it still doesn't work, you may be better off as good friends than frustrated co-writers.
The songwriter/publisher income chart below shows some of the many ways a songwriter, artist or publisher can generate income. A songwriter makes money when a CD or cassette containing one of his or her songs is sold, when the songs are played on the radio, in a TV show, or performed in a concert hall or broadcast in a foreign country. Royalties can also be generated from the sale of sheet music or from the use of a song in a commercial or a motion picture. Since each source of income has its own distinct payment structure, figuring out exactly how a songwriter, artist or music publisher makes money and where that money comes from can be a major challenge. But it's not that difficult! The money that can be made is yours if you know what you are doing, have the talent, have good representation, are willing to work, and have the requisite amount of luck necessary for success in any endeavor in life.