Levels of commercial success - who's here?

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mrx

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The generally 'mature' nature of the discussions in this forum got me wondering about the level of commercial success achieved by members.

Is anyone here a 'pro' writer? If so, to what level? (By that I mean, have you written songs that any of us may have heard on the radio?, have you written album tracks for commercial artists?, do you write for a signed band that hasn't broken through yet?, do you sell a fair number of CD's at gigs?, etc.)
 
um, well i personally havent done any of those things..




as of yet;)


jamal
 
Hey MRX,

I am a published writer but have not as yet gotten any "cuts". of my songs. I have a couple of songs that are being "shopped" to publishers and one song that will be "pitched" in Nashville shortly. I am also working on a co-write with a writer in Ontario who makes regular "pitches" in Nashville himself.

Limoguy
 
Have you written songs that any of us may have heard on the radio? No.
Have you written album tracks for commercial artists? No.
Do you write for a signed band that hasn't broken through yet? No.
Do you sell a fair number of CD's at gigs? No. It has been five years since I have been on stage and I feel the urge growing but I am not yet sure how and where to perform my songs live. I doubt I will offer CD’s for sale when I do.

-b
 
My partner and I have released an Indie project that has gotten fairly good airplay on Radio6 in Europe. We are a jazz/fusion writing team that Americans just don't seem to appreciate at the same level. We have 4 songs nominated at this point for 2003 record of the year on Radio6 with a few months to go.

We're not getting rich, but it does feed the ego a bit.
 
nada

nothin' for me, but if it's ok I'm gonna pretend like I was involved in all of the afforementioned "mature" conversations.
-okobd
 
I'm published, but nothing that's making me money - church choral piece published with GIA, and a number of churches are using various pieces of mine - I'm not charging them.

I'll agree I have seen some phenomenal writing here on the board...

Daf
 
Me?.....no.....not yet....

Two of my online writing partners just had a tune released on the new Cris LeDoux album last week....really good tune too...
"The Buffolo Grass".....Willie McCulloch and Andrea Crimmins...
Both top notch writers....both with their first cut...

It can happen...
and it couldn't have happened to two nicer people...

Me?.....no.....not yet....maybe someday...
 
I've never quite figured out what constitutes a "pro" songwriter since I hear and read people with less success describe themselves as pros and know people who have had greater success who say they haven't reached the "pro" level yet.

I pretty much work at writing full-time, but have rarely made enough money at it to sustain myself. Almost all my songwriting income comes from licensing material for live performance and some television and documentary movie work. My meager income is supplemented by doing some "song doctoring" for indie recording artists who wannabe songwriters, but are having some problems.

Been published? Yes

Had songs played on the radio? Yes, but probably not in the contest you mean, such as having a song on a popular commercial recording.

The people who do my songs are usually unsigned and none have recorded my songs in anything, but demo form, and none have ever had major label deals.

I was a staff writer for a medium-sized publisher in Nashville for 18 months many years ago and was fired for not writing enough commercial material.

I'm constantly pitching and trying to get demos made, but I'm pretty well restricted by health problems which keep me from traveling much anymore, so almost all my work is done with local or regional performers.
 
I did music for an indy movie - which in turn has done well at festivals. Big whoop. Although,...I sent the tunes to NPR and they ended up using a bit of it on All Things Considered....no money, but a nice thrill.

I also lucked into having 3 minutes of material included in a Robert Altman film and THAT still pays a nice royalty.

...nothing on regular FM, nothing since the film stuff...but I get revved every 3 months when the BMI envelope comes.

Like limoguy, I'm still shopping stuff to Nashville.

Good luck to all!
 
(these artists are all christian artists)
song: No Fear
artist: Clay Crosse
album: A Different Man + "Left Behind the Movie" soundtrack
Label: Reunion, Provident
url: www.claycrosse.com

song: Serious
artist: Joy Williams
album: Joy Williams + WOW2002
label: Reunion, EMI/Word/Provident
url: www.joywilliams.net

song: Rushing In
artist: Sonic Flood
album: Cry Holy
label: INO
url: www.sonicflood.com

song: Masquerade
artist: Across The Sky
album: Across The Sky
label: Word
url: www.acrossthesky.com

This band is a mainstream "christian" band (lifehouse, switchfoot,etc..)
that my production partner and i produced the first 2 songs as well as wrote, also wrote another song on the album.

songs: Free, If I (produced and wrote), Rise (wrote)
artist: Strange Celebrity
album: Remedy
label: Squint/ Curb/ Warner Bros.
url: www.strangecelebrity.com

hopefully theres more in the pipeline ;)
I write for Brentwood-Benson/Zomba/BMG (and whoever buys us next week) music publishing in nashville.

the goal is to produce and write on the projects we produce as well as get other outside cuts.
of course we are ALL waiting to get the big coubtry hit :)

thats about it!
 
I had some "album cuts" back in the 70's but nothing that really charted. A few local/regional jingles (nothing national). Songs placed in two movies that went direct to video and one indy film that got some attention at the film festivals (even Sundance). Music for a couple of local stage productions.

Came close to a contract to score a film that would have been a "Tri-Mark film - (my Mother-In Law sold rights to a play - and I had written music for the stage adaption of the play) but the director got on an ego trip and the project died.

The few checks that have come in sure can't support me, but they have paid for one or two pieces of gear (and provide a good defense if Uncle Sam comes auditing)

I will never be a "pro-writer" but I will keep getting stuff out there and maybe something will make me proud.

Certainly being a Nashville staff writer - or getting a cut in an Altman film qualify in the 2nd degree of sepaeration catagory.
 
how does one go about getting on with a publisher?..is it just a matter of sending in stuff and having them like it??


i know i know ...already probably been answered a THOUSAND times...;)
 
instead of sending stuff in, if i could i would take it personally and try to get meetings w/ different publishers to listen to your stuff. its all too easy to throw something away and never listen to it if its sent in UNLESS they asked for it.
 
recorded a number of cd's and had regional success and airplay in the mid atlantic states.

i still write for myself and others in virginia.

-alex
 
I am not a pro writer.

I have never had a publishing deal

I’ve never had a cut

I’ve never had a hit

I did move to Nashville to pursue songwriting. I love doing it. I came up with a few songs that were good enough for a publisher to suggest I move down here, but not good enough to be offered a publishing deal ;) (actually I was offered one, but in my research I determined, with the help of others in the area that I would be better off walking away).

Once I moved to Nashville, I got caught up with new house, new job, new child and didn’t write a damn thing for 3+ years. Now I’m back. I’ve had the good fortune to hook up with someone here who is an excellent songwriter and we have co-written one song and are working on another. I feel that things are coming together and that I am getting better at crafting a song, but I have much, much, much to yet learn.

My biggest problem right now is that I am not very prolific and I have mostly written ballads. I have probably only written 15 songs at most in my life. From what I hear, most (not all) successful writers have written hundreds before they got the first cut. Plus, a good percentage of what shows up on the tip sheets around here seem to be wanting up tempo only. See…I figure I need to get serious and start writing a lot more and not just ballads.

So in summary:

Yes - I would like to be a pro writer – but I have a lot to learn

Yes - I would like a publishing deal. Scary thought because then I would have to produce.

Yes – I would love to get a cut someday

Yes – I would love to have a hit song someday.

I’m working on it ;) :D

Did that answer your question adequately? :D:D



Oh & Hi Alex…haven’t seen you around in awhile :)
 
chucknkd said:
instead of sending stuff in, if i could i would take it personally and try to get meetings w/ different publishers to listen to your stuff. its all too easy to throw something away and never listen to it if its sent in UNLESS they asked for it.
Click to expand...

That is so true. Most large publishers will not even accept unsolicited material. They will return in unopened. To get it in to someone who is a player, you need to get an "in" somehow and get permission to submit. That's where networking comes to play.

Now, that might be a bit different for the companies that handle Christian music. I don't know, I haven't tested those waters yet.
Yet ;) :D.
 
Jagular said:

Now, that might be a bit different for the companies that handle Christian music. I don't know, I haven't tested those waters yet.
Yet ;) :D.
Click to expand...

dealings in christian music are just as political as any other music. alot of it IS who you know. i mean, you gotta have your talent at a certain level, but aside from that its all political. the good news is though, all it really takes is time(networking) and persistence. ive been in town 6 years and glad to say that each year has been better than the one before. if youre like me, you couldnt make a better living unless you were a doctor(give me a few more years), cause music is all you CAN do right. i know plenty of people that cant write lyrics but are great music and melody guys, and plenty that do nothing but write lyrics. so, just because youre not a good "songwriter"(as in the whole song 100%), theres still totally a way to write good songs and get good cuts. i know my writing has improved 300% by writing w/ better writers, lyricists, or music guys. anyway, i have NO idea where all of that came from but there it is :)
 
I frequently pitch songs in Nashville but have nothing published or recorded yet. I do have artist that have not made it preforming my songs but not takers, yet ;)
 
chucknkd said:
of course we are ALL waiting to get the big coubtry hit :)
Click to expand...

crawdad had a #1 10-12 years ago for Leroy Parnell - I forget the title.

craw's my new idol...:D

Daf
 
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