Did you hear about this? YouTube has reached agreements with some of the big music publishers to share some revenue for online streams. This is, I hope, the beginning of songs making more money for not just big artists…..but more importantly…US, the little guys who may have music being streamed out there. I am sure we are a long way out, but someone will work it out.
See the latest here: http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=1049816&c=1
The other day as I was driving down the freeway, it hit me. I thought, how cool would it be to become a staff songwriter for a publishing company. Then I started thinking about songwriters like Diane Warren. She has her own publishing company. One writer. Her. I have also heard she is writing constantly. So that means she is a staff writer for herself. That thought was an “a hah!” moment for me. I can be my own staff writer for my own publishing company. That is what we all are anyways, right? Some of us get lucky enough to actually get on a payroll for writing songs, but the vast majority are just writing songs to make what we can make. That means we are really our own publishing company. We have songs, and we try to get them placed, and make money for those placements. That is a publishing company.
All of this makes me think of all the thousands of songwriters that are waiting for someone to come along and “discover” them. Sorry, it just doesn’t happen. The squirrel that never leaves the tree, never finds the nuts. If you don’t know how to get your songs used, you need to do research and learn. It isn’t magic, and other people are doing it right now. Why aren’t you? Start being a staff writer for yourself…if you can’t find the time for just you, how do you expect to write for someone else. Some thangs to ponder….then GO WRITE!
- Chad
C-Sharp Productions
Song Demo Production
If you want to grow as a songwriter, you have to exercise your writing muscles. You can do that by writing a lot of songs….even bad songs. You will get better the more you write.
- Chad Sharp
Record a demo for your song here.
I am excited to let you know that C-Sharp Productions and I now offer professional song critiques. Having your song critiqued is a great way to get an unbiased opinion of the strengths and weaknesses of you songs. All songwriters should know how their songs are coming across.
If you are planning to send your songs to publishers or labels, you really should have your song critiqued. It will give you some idea of how other people are hearing your songs. Friends and family members listening will be biased, since they know and love you. Someone in the music industry, like a publisher, will be very direct and can sometimes tear your work apart.
If you want to have my professional opinion of your work you can vist my professional song critique page. For $20 I listen to your song and give you a detailed critique of your work. It is a small investment to find out if you are the right track to making your music career better.
- Chad
I wanted to share some info about a great group that I am a part of here in Minnesota. It is the Minnesota Association of Songwriters. It is a group of songwriters that meet to help each other write better songs and get published.
MAS meets the last Wednesday of every month from 7 to 9pm at the McNally Smith Music School in Saint Paul, MN.
At each meeting there are songwriting educational lectures and song critiques. The critiques are a great way get comments on your songs. Once you get the comments you can work on making yourself a better songwriter.
You can attend as a guest twice before becoming a member….but being a member is only $25 per year. So it is very affordable.
Check out the Minnesota Association of Songwriters. —- CHAD SHARP
