The Professional Songwriters Bottom Line Goal
In a recent browse on the net, I ran across Blogging Muse’s, The Reason Behind Songwriting. A concise explanation of the songwriters job description. It is a little impersonal, but to the point. I have a few other thoughts on this subject. Here goes.
Many songwriters start out with visions of grandeur. Masses of people listening to songs from the heart. Songs about personal strife and accomplishment. While a nice vision, not really a money making concept. The aspiring songwriter needs to look within him/herself, and find a way to tell their own story in a way the average person can relate. I, as a publisher, have heard several well written songs that were so personal, there is just no market for them. Great tunes for listening, but they have no meaning in most other lives.
Songwriters have long been the message writers for generations. They have put into words the trials and tribulations of today’s governments and how they affect the people. After 9-11, tons of songs were written about personal loss, and national pride. All good elements for hit songs, but the only ones that have survived the test of time, are the ones that relate to the masses.
I guess that what I am saying here, is don’t just be commercial for commercial sake. Rather, try to mix the reasons you started writing (entertaining others, expressing your own creativity and feelings) with the elements that reach the bottom line, selling records. These elements are what will get you the MBM (Mail Box Money) you need to have the time and resources to devote yourself to writing for all the other reasons out there.
Good Writing
Thank you for reading this post. You can now Read Comments (4) or Leave A Trackback.
Post Info
This entry was posted on Monday, November 27th, 2006 and is filed under Selling Your Songs, Songwriting.You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comments Feed. You can Leave A Comment, or A Trackback.
Previous Post: Someone Who Loves You - Lyrics »
Next Post: Tunesmith - A Review »
November 27th, 2006 23:33
Good advice. I went to a seminar last night in Auckland, New Zealand called Songwriter Speaks and one of the speakers known as P Money, a very successful Kiwi Rapper and Recording Company owner was talking about the same thing. He said that Kiwi Hip Hop artists who pretend to be LA Gangsters lose it, but those who are true to their roots and tell stories from their own hearts and experiences are the ones that make it. The pretenders sound like pretenders.
November 30th, 2006 20:48
That is great advice. I’ve experienced that in certain ways. I know there have been songs that come so easily, like gifts. Those songs are imbedded on your soul. Then there have been songs that I will work and work on to get a point across and seems I can never get it right because I’ll get lost in trying to make since to someone else or relate to something i’ve got no knowledge of, “pretenders”. Then there are those songs that are imbedded in the soul, take work, and they speak to others. Wow that is magic. Those are the songs that people try to immitate. They come along a couple of times a year and it sets the tone for all the industry. Usually Brooks and Dunn have the rights to those songs. Ha! Man I would love to be blessed with a song of that making someday.
December 5th, 2006 16:24
[…] The Professional Songwriters Bottom Line Goal […]
July 3rd, 2008 01:26
[…] of the Gaming Music WorldSongwriting Contests Independent and Major Label Artist Music Promotion Sydney Skyler Music | The Professional Songwriters Bottom Line Goal Tags not found server dll not found This product is also listed in Marketing & Ads How […]