Songwriting Demos

Have some songwriting demos made if you'd like to get your songs recorded. These demos usually have to be close to the quality you hear on CDs; so called broadcast quality recordings. These days this level is easier to achieve than ever.

There are several ways to make great songwriting demos:

1. Build a home studio.

Building a home recording studio can be a little expensive but today it's a fraction of what it used to be. And if you're serious about songwriting, sooner or later you'll want to invest in a home studio and learning how to work with it.

In the long run, this is the cheapest and best solution to make songwriting demos.

2. Hire a demo service record your song.

If you don't have a home recording studio, you can have a demo service record your song(s). They will hire you some musicians, singers and a producer and make it from start to finish for you.

If you choose this way, first ensure that your song is something that's really worth recording. If it's not a finished product yet, you'll just waste money.

First, make a thorough song evaluation. Then you might want to ask some friends, musicians and even better - music industry professionals to review your song.

Professional recording is quite expensive so once your song is ready, be careful to choose a demo service that has been recommended to you or has a good reputation.

3. Have a friend or songwriting partner who has a home studio :)

Many songwriters go this way. Look for collaborators who can complement what you can offer.

For example, if you can sing and write good lyrics, your partner could compose music and make a good quality demo in his/her home studio.

Another benefit of this method is that you can put your creativity together and might be able to write even better songs than on your own. The majority of hit songs have been written by two or more songwriters, sometimes more than 5!

4. Become a staff songwriter.

Before they are offered a staff writer deal, songwriters usually have had some success and proven their abilities.

Who are staff songwriters? Publishing companies and record labels hire them to write songs. They submit their songs to the publisher and often they are sat down in a room with some other songwriters and asked to write songs for a specific artist for a specific purpose. They usually get a weekly salary, which is a recoupable advance on the songwriters' future royalties. They might also "work for hire", which means that their work will be owned by the employer.

Although there is fierce competition for these positions, they solve the problem of making demos, because the employer will pay for them or recoup the fee from future earnings.

Once you have your songwriting demos, don't forget to protect them! To copyright your songs, you'll need to submit two copyright applications in case of songwriting demos. One for the song, the second one for the recording. Fortunately, it's relatively cheap to copyright your songs.



More Songwriting Tips 

Free Songwriting Tips

These free songwriting tips might seem small to you but they are powerful. Little changes in your writing habits can make a huge difference in your results.

First of all, it's very important what kind of tools you use. Songwriting tools can rage from a pen and a sheet of paper to the most sophisticated software and filing system money can buy.

Think about your working style.

• Are you the kind of person who likes everything in order to start working productively?
• Are you the type who needs clutter to get creative?
• Do you like working in your home?
• Do you sometimes start scribbling down or recording ideas in the middle of the day?
• Have you written so many songs that it's difficult for you to remember them?
• Do you prefer old-school or modern equipment?

These are some of the questions you'll need to answer. This way it's easier to find out what tools you'll need to make your songwriting process as smooth as possible.

There are plenty of ways to improve your songwriting. Some of the ideas to improve your songs aren't for you. Since we have different personalities, obviously, not all of the tips for songwriting are useful for you. Choose the ones that you feel the closest to you. You could, for example, start one of them today, and a second one next month.

Think about it, if you stay with this schedule, you improve your craft 12 different ways in a year. That's something less than 1% of songwriters do.
And once your song is finally finished and you're sure it's a potential hit, you should make a songwriting demo. These days it's simpler and cheaper to do than ever. Not cheap but cheaper :)

You may feel overwhelmed at first. It's sometimes difficult to decide how to start implementing these free songwriting tips. I suggest starting with reading a book or two about songwriting. Books are easy to get, easy to read, easy to enjoy. Have fun!

Write Your Own Sheet Music

If you'd like to learn how to write your own sheet music then you'll need to learn how to read music notes and have some understanding of music theory first. But don't worry, it's easy.

So here is a guide to show you how to write your own sheet music:


• You'll need some obvious tools: paper and music score paper or some kind of notation software.

• Decide what kind of music you'd like to write. What style, what genre? Happy or sad?

• What is the tempo going to be like? Is this song going to be a ballad, a mid-tempo or an up-tempo song? It's important to decide in advance because you probably won't use many eighth or sixteenth notes in a ballad, for example.

• Decide about the key of the song and choose the bass or treble clef accordingly.

• Decide which octaves you'll use.

• Decide if your song is going to be in the 4/4 time (which is the most common) or something else.

• Now write out the melody and draw the line to the end of the measures.

• Then label the different sections of the song and put repeat, first and second endings, etc. signs in it.


It doesn't matter if you're a beginner or an advanced composer, I think the best, fastest, easiest and most reliable way to write your own sheet music these days if you use notation software.

Don't Burn Bridges in the Music Industry

Some people are more difficult to deal with than others. That's a fact. There will always be a…holes who try to ruin your life. That's another fact. But there is nothing you can do to change this so you should give up trying to avoid such people.


What you can do is this:

Try to be as tolerant as you can (only to a reasonable degree of course). Why? Because that stubborn assistant of an A&R person might just become the president of a record company in a couple of years. And if you insult them, they'll remember you for all the wrong reasons.

However, if you're nice to such people, they might be happy to take your call one day when they are on the top. I'm not saying it's easy to do though… :)

How to Write Songs for a Specific Artist

Sometimes it's inspiring to write songs with a specific artist in mind. It often makes our creations even better and different from our usual style. How do you do it?


✓ Decide which artist would record your song in your wildest fantasies (an artist whose career you've followed closely so you know a lot about them: their life, taste and style…).

✓ Close your eyes and imagine the artist perform your song. Listen to the crowd's loud cheer when they hear the first chords and recognize what song it is.

✓ Visualize the details of the performance: the mood, what the artist is wearing, the colors, the moves, etc.

✓ Listen to the artist perform the song (in your mind). Try not to think and analyze. Just write down whatever comes to you, whatever your hear.


This exercise comes handy

• when you really want to write for a certain artist
• when you're stuck, when you want to write something "different"
• or when you just feel like daydreaming.


Try it and let me know about the results!

TV vs. Songwriting

Most people spend every evening (or every day) staring at the TV. It's one of my guilty pleasures too. I used to watch TV a couple of hours every day. But one day I started thinking about this habit: is it really worth it? 90% of what I watched were shows that I didn't like but there wasn't anything better on that night.

So I made a list of things that I could do instead of watching TV. Stuff that is more useful now and/or in the long run. Things that will help me make my life better in some way and especially make me a better songwriter. Here is the list I came up with:


✓ Reading books. They can be about songwriting, creativity or anything that I can learn from.


✓ Writing songs. I suppose it's easy to see the advantages of it.


✓ Learning new vocabulary. The English language has the highest number of words among all languages. And there are so many beautiful and interesting words to know.


✓ Learning a new language. Spending only 5 minutes a day with language learning can take you far. And speaking a foreign language is a little bit like having a brand new, improved, more open-minded and tolerant personality.


✓ Practicing an instrument. Songwriters need to be able to play at least one instrument. There is no doubt about it. I recommend learning how to play the guitar or the piano.


✓ Learning music theory. You can live without knowing music theory but learning it will help you a lot along the road.


✓ Listening to music. Discover new music and new genres. It makes your songs even more unique.


✓ Watching concert DVDs. Watching artists performs songs inspires me. I guess it might inspire you too then.


✓ Networking. There are great songwriting forums for that. You can also use Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for this purpose.


✓ Working out. I don't think I have to stress its importance for your body and mind.


Most of these things are easy and fun to do. If not, you can make them easier and more fun. Just think about how much you will accomplish if you substitute some silly TV shows with some of these activities. And I'm not saying that you shouldn't watch TV at all. I'm just saying that there are several programs that are simply a waste of time. Turn on the TV only when there is a specific show you really don't want to miss. Like Dexter. Otherwise, keep it turned off.

10 Things You Can Do To Become a Professional Songwriter

All the successful songwriters have one thing in common: they live and breathe music. If becoming a professional songwriter is your dream, it's not a sacrifice and you're probably already doing it one way or another. So all you have to do now it keep on with it. How? Here is a list to give you some ideas:


1. Write songs every day. You don't have to complete them in a day but write at least a little. Only 15 minutes a day is much better than 5 hours once a week. Even Lady Gaga said: "Some artists take years; I don’t. I write music every day.” If you write only when you feel like it, it'll be much more difficult to make yourself sit down and do it. However, if it's part of your daily routine, it's much easier to get down to work.


2. Read articles and books about songwriting and artists. Keep up to date with events and who the movers and shakers are in the music industry. Read about other songwriters' creative process.


3. Collaborate. Almost all the songs on the charts were written by two or more people. If you have a co-writer, you double your chances. So find a songwriting partner or partners.


4. Listen to music whenever you can. Always be aware of what's on the charts. You might not be the biggest fan of the artists who sell the most records these days but to be commercial, you should steal a trick or two from them. It doesn't mean giving up your individuality.


5. Learn to play an instrument. Some songwriters write lyrics only and think they don't need to be able to play an instrument. Wrong. Being able to play a musical instrument makes it much easier for you to communicate with other songwriters and come up with lyric ideas that will work well with the music. The Learn and Master Guitar and Learn and Master Piano courses are great for this purpose.

6. Learn music theory. Learning music theory might not be the most exciting thing to do but it will help you a lot in your songwriter career. You'll be able to write much more sophisticated and complex music if you know "what it's made up of".


7. Learn to sing. You might hate your voice now but believe me, everybody can learn to sing. The famous singers' instrument is no different from yours. It's just a question of technique. Try Brett Manning's Singing Success, it has helped me tremendously. You might need to sing on demos or showcase your songs at songwriting events.


8. Learn new words. I saw an interview with Eminem about a year ago. We all know that he is famous for his incredibly witty lyrics and rhymes. In this interview he shared his secret: he used to read the dictionary. Literally. He loved words and wanted to know all of them so that when he writes lyrics, he'd have hundreds of thousands of words at this disposal.


9. Learn to record music. If you're a serious songwriter, you'll need to make demos. You probably won't be able to afford to make it in a professional studio at the beginning of your career. But don't worry, these days you can create professional quality recordings in your bedroom.


10. Go out and experience life. That way you'll always have something to write about.

Songwriting Tools

The following songwriting tools are used by most writers. Nobody uses all of them though. But most songwriters use almost all of them at one time or another.

Some of these songwriting tools are not "tools" in a physical sense. However, they are still indispensable in the songwriters' tool-box.

Computer

• What kind of computer do you have?
• Is it a Mac or a PC?
• Is it a desktop computer or a laptop?
• How much memory and space on your hard drive do you have?

These are all important questions for a songwriter. First of all, you have to decide if you prefer Mac or PC. Macintosh computers are usually more expensive but more stable too. I'm a Mac fan but others swear by Windows so it's your call.

To use songwriting software, especially multi track recording software, you'll need a pretty strong computer. You'll find the system requirements for each program on its website but they usually write the minimum there. If they say, for instance, that you'll need at least 2GB RAM, consider getting 4GB. With only 2GB the software will be slow and might crash sometimes. You may even lose your work!

I have a laptop because I like sitting on the couch while I'm working. It's not the healthiest position though. If you know you won't move around much and there's a good place for your desktop computer, you shouldn't buy a laptop. Desktop computers are usually stronger too.

Software

There are so many songwriting software programs out there that it might seem to be a daunting task to decide which one to get.

There is software for recording. Some songwriters like to record as soon as the muse strikes. Others use recording software to make a demo of their songs. Since home recording software comes in all shapes and sizes, you're sure to find one that fits all your needs.

There is also the kind of music writing software which is called a scorewriter. I recommend these if you can read music. For those who don't, it's useful to get familiar with chords at least. They are logical, fast and quite easy to learn.

Some software makes complete background music for your chord progressions. But this music needs a little editing and creativity so that it doesn't sound too predictable.There is also software for lyric writing which makes it easy to come up with rhymes, synonyms, phrases, etc.

Word Processor or Paper

This one is quite obvious. You'll need something to write your lyrics or musical ideas on. If you only write on paper or only in a word processor, try the other one. It might sound simple but sometimes this switch can bring some pretty unexpected things to surface.

MIDI Instrument

A MIDI instrument can be a simple and cheap electronic keyboard. You'll need this if you're not planning to record live instruments only. And if you have a good recording program with several software instruments, you can get REALLY creative with MIDI.

Microphone

I'm not a microphone expert. I know that there are dynamic and condenser microphones. And that for home studios a condenser microphone is better but I forgot why. :) I have a simple but great USB microphone. It's a great songwriting tool, it's great quality for demos, I don't need anything more complex. But you'll need a microphone only in case you record vocals or live instruments.

Headphones

Again, you'll need good headphones only if you record vocals or live instruments. Because while you're recording, you need to hear the singer, yourself or the instrument, obviously.

But even if you don't record live sounds, sometimes it feels better, a little more intimate to listen to your creations through headphones. At least I like it. :)

Templates

When you've written a song or two, you'll notice that there are some things in your songwriting process that are always the same. It is sometimes tedious to write down or prepare all these things again and again. So one of the greatest and most time-saving songwriting tools is a template.I have a template for lyric writing. I have a file in which I write:

• Title
• What is this song about? (I answer the question.)
• Intro
• Verse 1
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Verse 2
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Bridge
• Pre-Chorus
• Chorus
• Outro

I don't have to (and I never do) use all of the sections but when I make a sketch of the song, it feels good to be organized. Sometimes not having to think about such small things can be great.

You can also do such a thing with music sections, chords or anything you like.

Dictionary

A good dictionary is an indispensable songwriting tool. But it's probably not enough. You'll also need a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus.

But dictionaries have disadvantages. They are huge. They are heavy. They take up a lot of space. It's quite slow to look up something in them. Instead of keeping some dictionaries, I like to use a lyric writing program which incorporates all the dictionaries and word/phrase resources I'll ever need for songwriting.

Ideas

Your ideas may not be the most obvious songwriting tools. However, they are the most important ones. And by ideas I don't just mean "inspiration". Inspiration is something that is not worth waiting for. If you start working, it comes soon. By itself.How do you get ideas? If you really can't think of anything, sit down and:

• read a magazine (tabloids are usually the best for this purpose)
• read a book
• read a dictionary (I'm not kidding)
• go through some book titles on the internet or in your home. These titles are usually not copyrighted.
• you can even watch an episode of a series or go and see a film

If you do one of these things, and you're consciously looking for song ideas, I can guarantee you they'll come.

Idea Box

Sometimes inspiration hits when you least expect it. That's when a little notebook, a cellphone or a dictaphone comes handy. If you have a song idea, don't wait even for a minute. It's the best if you keep one of these songwriting tools next to your bed too. Although during the night it might feel like you'll remember an idea next day, most people can never bring it back. That's a possible hit song lost.

At home you should keep your ideas in one place. You can do it in a simple text file or you can get more sophisticated than that. I even have some categories, like "quotes from films".

Database

When you've written 5 or 10 songs, you'll notice that it gets more and more difficult to keep track of them. That's why you'll need some kind of a database or filing system for your songs. In this database you should be able to record several things about your songs:

• title
• if it has been completed or not
• genre
• key
• beats per minute
• loops used
• date of creation
• lyrics
• audio file
• others versions of your song
• chords or sheet music
• what happened or what is happening to the song?
• other notes

If you write down all this data about your songs, it'll be easier to find one if somebody asks for a ballad for example.

Dictaphone

Not everybody uses a dictaphone but it's nonetheless useful. Especially when the idea of a great melody comes to you on the street. But you can also record audio with your cellphone or mp3 player these days. So this songwriting tool is not the most indispensable one.


That was quite a list of songwriting tools! I hope I didn't forget anything. I'll add some more later if I learn something new!

More Songwriting Tips 

Improve Your Songwriting

You can easily improve your songwriting skills if you apply some little but significant techniques. There are plenty of these, here I will list the ones that I found to be the most powerful.

Listen To and Analyze Songs Currently On The Charts

I've heard so many songwriters say that they hate everything that's on the charts. And if you're one of them, I don't believe you. I'm sure your like at least some of the current hit songs. And if you really don't, and you're stuck in the 70s or 80s, you can try writing that style for film and TV. But it probably won't get on the charts. To keep current with the trends, I check the Billboard chart every week. I look at the first 20 songs and listen to the ones I might like. I even analyze the best ones to find techniques I may not be familiar with. If you do this "exercise" a lot, and apply the stylistic devices that songs on the charts use, I'm sure you will improve your songwriting in no time.

There are people who are worried that if they write songs that have a potential to be commercially successful, they might lose their artistic freedom. Or something like that. But the reality is that if you don't use song structures and styles that the current market likes, you have very little chance of succeeding. Just think of Shakespeare. In his time, everybody wrote sonnets. And we never think of Shakespeare as somebody who sold out or lost his artistic integrity because of this. He stuck to the popular format and followed his creativity through that. And he got better and better, then became the best at that…

Stick To A Genre

If you want to make your songs marketable, you'll want to stick to a genre. What I mean is that you can write pop, country, rock, or whatever you like. But don't write a song that is pop/country/rock at the same time. It's easier for people (and music executives) to digest and categorize your songs if it's clear what genre they belong to. There have been musicians who managed to pull off the mixed genre stuff but most of them don't.

Use A Checklist

After you finish writing a song, it's useful if you have some kind of a checklist. You song doesn't have to fulfill everything on your list but the more it does, the better its chances to become a hit. It's one of the most powerful things you can do to improve your songwriting.

Here is the checklist I use:

• Are you using proper song structure?
• Is your song dynamic, interesting?
• Are there a lot of contrasts in your lyrics and melody?
• Is it clear which genre the song belongs to?
• Is your title strong? (Would it make your listeners ask the question: "what is this song about?"
• Is it about ONE single idea? (If there are 2 ideas in it, write two songs…)
• Will the audience understand what it's about? (E.g. what he/she refers to…)
• Is your lyric developing throughout the song? (Do your listeners find out more and more about the story?)
• Is there a hook in your song? (melodic or lyric or both)
• Is the content of your song fresh, inventive?
• Are you using some unusual expressions and action verbs to make it more interesting?
• Is there enough repetition in your song? (Check some hit songs to see how much there should be.)

Get Reviews From Professionals

You might have shown you music to your friends and relatives. They were amazed by your talent. They may be right! But to make sure your song really has potential, you should have it reviewed by a professional. You can do it online, or if you know someone in the industry, that's fine too.

What the point is that your friends and relatives love you. They don't want to hurt you with negative criticism. But even if they truly like your song, they can't tell you if it's marketable, dynamic enough, etc. or how to improve your songwriting. So get your songs reviewed by professionals.

Read Songwriting Books

I heard somewhere, that if you read 3 books about a topic, you know more about it than 99% of the people on earth. And it's probably true. But that remaining 1% is still a lot of people. If you want to be the best or just great at what you do, you should read all the songwriting books available on the market. Some of the most successful people admittedly read more than 300 or even a 1000 books in their field. Not in one year of course. :) And reading IS fun. It's relaxing. It inspires you. It gives you ideas. It makes your vocabulary richer. There is really no reason why you shouldn't improve your songwriting this easy way.

Go To Songwriting Seminars

Songwriting conferences and seminars are really fun. They are usually held once a year, most often in big cities. Some of them are even free. They give you a great chance to network with songwriters, producers, A&R people and music executives. You could never meet most of them otherwise. You can also have your songs reviewed and take part in workshops at these events. They can be life-changing!

Join Songwriting Forums

There are some very popular songwriting forums on the internet. It's worth joining one or two. Why? It's free. You can "meet" other songwriters you can potentially co-write with. You can ask for advice. You can give others advice. Other songwriters may be kind enough to review your songs. And it's fun!
Some of the most popular forums:

TAXI Forum
Just Plain Folks Forum
Muse's Muse Forum

Try Something New Every Now And Then

If you write songs every day or every week, you will start forming some habits. There will be some things you will do the same way every time you write a song. Soon it will get boring for you, and your songs will not be as strong as they used to be. What can you do to improve your songwriting if this happens?

You can always try something new. It can be a new song structure, a new instrument, a new topic, a new tempo, a new key, new chords, a new place to write, new tools for writing, etc. Anything that changes the way you work will improve your songwriting.

Watch TV and Films To Learn

Some films and TV shows have some amazing music. And this music is usually there to emphasize the emotions that actresses and actors feel. To improve your songwriting skills, study how the songs do this. What makes them heighten the emotional level? You can apply the techniques you notice - in you own songs too. The best songs are the ones that are unique but still universal in the sense that they move masses of people. And music directors are really good at choosing songs that do this.

These are just some of the things you can do to improve your songwriting abilities. Every now and then I will add more tips, when I come across new ones. And I will, because I write songs and read songwriting books every day :)

More Songwriting Tips

New Year's Resolutions for Songwriters

Here is a list of New Year's Resolutions you might wanna consider in connection with songwriting:


1. Read all songwriting books (that are worth reading) on the market (There are about 40 of them in my opinion)
2. Learn to play an instrument (especially piano or guitar)
3. Learn to record demos of your songs
4. Enrich your vocabulary to be able to write even better lyrics
5. Learn music theory
6. Listen to a couple of songs by an artist you didn't know before every day
7. Read an article in connection with songwriting and songwriters every day
8. Socialize more with songwriters on songwriting forums, Facebook, Twitter
9. Enter songwriting contests
10. Learn everything you can about the music business


These are just some of the things you can do to take your songwriting to a higher level.

What's your New Year's Resolution?