Getting a singer/group to record your song?

[mjr]

If you had a song that you wanted to pitch to a particular singer/group, how would you do it? Is that even possible? What if you didn't want to pitch it to any particular singer/group, you just wanted someone (besides you or your band) to record it? How would you do that, if it's even possible?

I recently joined BMI, and I've got a song that I might record myself. I'm going to secure the copyright on it soon.

If I decide that I don't want to record it, but I want to license it out and keep all the rights to it, how could I do that, also? Do I need an agent or something?

Has anyone on this board ever done anything like this?

 

[mikeh]

Presenting a song directly to an artist is very hard unless you have an inside contact. Normally, outside material gets into the hands of an artist via one of a few sources: 1) a publisher, 2) a producer, 3) a manager, 4) an entertainment attorney, 5) some other contact (which could anything from a friend of the artist to his hairdresser).

If you have an artist in mind, read the CD packet, you can find the name of the producer, the publisher, the management company, the studio, etc. etc. - although you still need to get an in with one of those sources.

For most people going through a publisher is the "best way" to pitch songs. You still have to find a publisher that is accepting material (with copywrite lawsuits - most are hesitant to accept unsolicited material) and it has to be a publisher who works in the musical genre you write.

Be prepared for a lot of rejection (I've got boxes of rejection letters). If you really want to succeed as a writer, you have to keep at it and if you have talen you can eventually have some success (success is a relevant term).

There are many different contractual options which dictate if a writer maintains ownershiop of the song, the publishing rights, etc. etc. When I started I signed away rights to some songs - simply because that was the cost of getting my foot in the door (I'd rather get paid x amount and sign away a song then have the song sitting on my comperter making $0.) Now that I have an in with a couple of publishers, I don't have to give up songs any more.

If you are really serious about selling songs and if you really know your song is "great" (if it ain't great you're wasting your time, cause there are many gifted writers going after that pot of gold) - start doing some research (rather than taking the easty way of asking a question on a web site). There are dozens if not hundreds of books on songwriting/publishing.

 

[robbyrobmusik]

thanks for breaking this down.. I had a similar question..

 

[up-fiddler]

Exactly. And if you're not willing to work REALLY hard at it then consider something else in the field. (Like performing, sound, etc.) That being said, we wish you the best of luck. It's a heckofalotof fun.