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bigtim
New member
what do i need to do?? not really interested in being a recording artist, but i have written several songs and i would like to cash in on some of them.. anybody know what i should do?
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strat0tele
New member
Find someone that wants to buy them.
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frankieballsss
New member
strat0tele said:
That was pretty unhelpful, yet uneventfully true.
You should buy yourself some type of musicians business book. Asking such a sparse and uninformative question on a forum won't get you any results. Read up, then come back with more info.
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BJW
New member
I've often wondered about this, too. I would agree with the post above and read up on it in some books. Personally, I'd take a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and go to Barnes and Noble or something and just skim through 3 or 4 books on the subject (they've got tons of them).
Personally, I think most of these books are written to cash in on a pipe dream, but I would imagine there's some usefull info in them.
I understand that you need to register with BMI or ASCAP (I think those are the organizations) as a songwriter. I believe its free to do so. That way you will be able to recieve royalties in the event that a song you write is used and makes money.
Honestly, I think for people like us (i.e. not in a band that you hear on the radio everyday), making money through songwriting is the most feasible way to make money in the music business. I have no fantasies of signing a huge record contract with Sony or Columbia Records, but I do think that, if I worked hard enough at it and had the knowledge about how to do it, I could make some money by pitching my songs.
Like you, I don't really know how to start, though.
Personally, I think most of these books are written to cash in on a pipe dream, but I would imagine there's some usefull info in them.
I understand that you need to register with BMI or ASCAP (I think those are the organizations) as a songwriter. I believe its free to do so. That way you will be able to recieve royalties in the event that a song you write is used and makes money.
Honestly, I think for people like us (i.e. not in a band that you hear on the radio everyday), making money through songwriting is the most feasible way to make money in the music business. I have no fantasies of signing a huge record contract with Sony or Columbia Records, but I do think that, if I worked hard enough at it and had the knowledge about how to do it, I could make some money by pitching my songs.
Like you, I don't really know how to start, though.
LfO
New member
My impression (and it is nothing more - just an impression) - is that making money as a songwriter would be far more difficult than as a performer. At least performers can do local gigs, and many do. As a songwriter, you HAVE to "make it" to some degree to make ANY money. And, most performers/bands write their own songs - sugar-pop seems to be the only genre where that is currently untrue.
What DOES seem relatively (and I do mean relatively - music is not a way to live comfortably) lucrative is advertising/sound design stuff. There's a market for it anywhere there's business, and they're aren't tons of people who want to do it.
My 2 cents.
What DOES seem relatively (and I do mean relatively - music is not a way to live comfortably) lucrative is advertising/sound design stuff. There's a market for it anywhere there's business, and they're aren't tons of people who want to do it.
My 2 cents.
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Dani Pace
New member
The hardest thing about selling songs is getting the prospective buyers to listen to them. Most artists have the oppinion that they can write too, some of them can and some lack that creative element so nessassary for writing. It seems like everyone thinks they can write (haha, yeah and anybody can be a singer too) and some think that anything they write is hit materal. Writing is one of the most competative areas of the music industry.
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mikeh
New member
There are two basic ways to market songs 1) directly to an artist and/or artist representitive (managers, producers, etc) - or - 2) through a publisher.
Since it is very, very difficult to get a line into an artist (unless you have management or access to an entertainment attorney) a publisher make the most logical approach for most writers.
However, publishers look for specific types of material (ie: formula writing) and the competition is very serious (every writer is competing with other writers) - and some of those other writers are very established, respected writers.
There are books such as the Songwriter's Market and organizxations such as Taxi that can provide some possible "leads" but make sure you are positive your material can cut it. If you've writen 20 to 50 songs and honestly can say you have 1 or 2 good songs, then maybe that 1 or 2 songs can cut it. But those songs better be relatively "commercial" in a defined genre (say country or pop) and the demp better be high quality with a great singer presenting the lyrics.
It is indeed easier to make money as a performing musician (I've made maybe $300,000 - $400,000 as a performer - over many years and maybe less than 2% of that as a writer). However, the marketing/sound design field has much more competition that you may think.There are many very talented musicians that have discovered these fileds and local competition in any major business area (New York, Chicago, etc) is fierce.
Since it is very, very difficult to get a line into an artist (unless you have management or access to an entertainment attorney) a publisher make the most logical approach for most writers.
However, publishers look for specific types of material (ie: formula writing) and the competition is very serious (every writer is competing with other writers) - and some of those other writers are very established, respected writers.
There are books such as the Songwriter's Market and organizxations such as Taxi that can provide some possible "leads" but make sure you are positive your material can cut it. If you've writen 20 to 50 songs and honestly can say you have 1 or 2 good songs, then maybe that 1 or 2 songs can cut it. But those songs better be relatively "commercial" in a defined genre (say country or pop) and the demp better be high quality with a great singer presenting the lyrics.
It is indeed easier to make money as a performing musician (I've made maybe $300,000 - $400,000 as a performer - over many years and maybe less than 2% of that as a writer). However, the marketing/sound design field has much more competition that you may think.There are many very talented musicians that have discovered these fileds and local competition in any major business area (New York, Chicago, etc) is fierce.
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HomeMadeHitShow
Member
Many artists won't even listen to songs you send them for fear of being accused of stealing something.
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Rockdan
New member
You always need a good demo of the songs you want to plug, that means good quality and overall presentation. It is also a good idea to get as much exposure as you can. Send the song in to online (or offline) competitions, get it included in catalogs without giving away your rights etc.bigtim said:
I always look for no cure, no pay possibilities myself. I am quite a fan of Songservice.com. Whenever I have recorded a new track (with or without my band) I send it in for a free review. If they like it they will include it in their catalog, but if nothing comes out of that you still have a pretty good review.
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Murdock Jones
New member
They are several ways of getting your stuff heard. After of course you have taken the proper steps to protect yourself. I don't know if you have your songs demoed out or not, but once you've got a good demo, find a manager who is connected, and believes in you, but not one who's too loaded down with other songwritters. That will help your process, also see if you can get some airplay on your local radio station. Most stations have a new music day where people can bring in their demos for the djs to review, and possibly play your music. If your able to sucessfully breakthrough in that venue your phone won't stop ringing.
grn
Well-known member
radio won't do much
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bpr103
New member
the title of this thread is depressing...
If you want to sell them so badly, what makes you think someone would want to pay for them?
Well, to find out, here's what you do:
1. Make a demo, 2-3 songs. If you can't do it yourself , use a reputable service, should cost $200-500, depending on how many instruments, location, all kinds of variables.
2. Do your homework (Songwriters' Market is one source, there are other directories of publishers). Call publishers, ask for someone in the creative department by name, ask for permission to send your work for consideration. Anticipate a "No," that way you'll be surprised by the one who says okay.
3. Send a professional package, including a cover letter and your demo.
4. Wait.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 ad infinitum.
Incidentally, it is bad policy to "sell" a song outright. Generally everything happens via a publishing contract.
The publisher gets:
1. the exclusive right to pitch a song for commercial purposes for a set amount of time
2. a percentage of future royalties on a song
The songwriter gets:
1. the publisher's services as a pitching tool
2. the remainder of the song's royalties
To "sell" a song implies that all rights are transferred over a set fee. It's not good policy, as any single song without any marketing push behind it is worthless and could be bought for a cough; the same song feverishly pitched in the right environment could be worth millions over the course of decades.
If you want to sell them so badly, what makes you think someone would want to pay for them?
Well, to find out, here's what you do:
1. Make a demo, 2-3 songs. If you can't do it yourself , use a reputable service, should cost $200-500, depending on how many instruments, location, all kinds of variables.
2. Do your homework (Songwriters' Market is one source, there are other directories of publishers). Call publishers, ask for someone in the creative department by name, ask for permission to send your work for consideration. Anticipate a "No," that way you'll be surprised by the one who says okay.
3. Send a professional package, including a cover letter and your demo.
4. Wait.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 ad infinitum.
Incidentally, it is bad policy to "sell" a song outright. Generally everything happens via a publishing contract.
The publisher gets:
1. the exclusive right to pitch a song for commercial purposes for a set amount of time
2. a percentage of future royalties on a song
The songwriter gets:
1. the publisher's services as a pitching tool
2. the remainder of the song's royalties
To "sell" a song implies that all rights are transferred over a set fee. It's not good policy, as any single song without any marketing push behind it is worthless and could be bought for a cough; the same song feverishly pitched in the right environment could be worth millions over the course of decades.