Song lyrics are not poems put to music. Lyrics can be poetic and should be interesting, but there’s power in conversational lyrics that sound like something the character in your song would actually say. Read the post.
In the continuing democratization of the music industry, Spotify and other streaming sites are spreading the wealth as more artists are getting their share of the pie every year. Read the post.
On Episode 214 of the CLIMB podcast, Johnny Dwinell makes the argument that, whether you know it or not, you’re in the media business, and you need to invest in that aspect of your music career. Read the post.
A recent “Play For a Publisher” event featured Stacey Willbur, VP of Publishing and A&R for Full Circle Music sharing her feedback about 10 songs that were selected to be showcased. Read the post.
Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter lean on some sage songwriting advice Brent got from veteran songwriter Ralph Murphy: deliver a positive tempo. Read the post.
Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter dig into the pitfalls of social media marketing and not owning your fans’ contact info. You should have alternate and viable means to stay connected and communicate with your fans outside of Facebook. Read the post.
Johnny Dwinell and Brent Baxter interview Salt Lake City-based A-list vocal coach Mindy Pack to discuss vocal health, vocal technique, and various critical topics that relate to improving your vocals. Read the post.
If the market decides your songs are forgettable, then guess what? Your songs are forgettable. If the market, the listeners, decides that your new album is not worth their time… they’re right. They get to decide if your songs are great. Read the post.
Per the Copyright Act of 1976, as soon as your song is in a fixed form, you own the copyright. So usually what people are talking about is registering the copyright when they ask, “Should I copyright my song?” Read the post.
This post is excerpted from The CLIMB podcast, Episode #125, “Seven Things Every Lyricist Should Know.” Realizing these points has really helped me in my songwriting career. This is more mindset stuff, so this will be helpful no matter what you do. Read the post.
How did Jason Wilkes — AKA “Wilkes” — go from a Christian band in Cedartown, Georgia all the way to becoming a fan favorite on The Voice? And what surprising revelation did it take him 17 years to discover? Read the post.
Brent Baxter and Johnny Dwinell discuss strategies on how to behave as a member of Facebook songwriting groups. Excerpted from The CLIMB podcast, “STOP Ruining Facebook and Your Career.” Read More.
If you’re hoping to land a cut, there’s one listener who definitely must connect with your song: the artist you’re pitching to. That’s your first listener, the one who will hear it before the masses. Read More.
Being a performing artist isn’t the only way to make a living in the music business. Landing a cut can be a way to kick off your solo career, or it could be a way to long-term success as a songwriter. Read More.
You may already have the makings of a network that can help you pitch your songs to other artists — maybe even signed artists. Do your homework. You might be sitting on a mountain of contacts who could open doors of opportunity for you to earn some mailbox money. Read More.