Things every lyricist should know
If you are a lyricist, or if you also write melody but you think your strength is more lyric, this is for you. This is more mindset stuff, so this will be helpful no matter what your thing is. Read the post.
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Writing conversational lyrics: Say it like you say it
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.
How Spotify blew up the “Top 40” and made it the top 43,000
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.
Five things you need more than that new guitar
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.
Songwriting Dos and Don’ts
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.
Songwriting advice: Cry when you write, dance when you produce
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.
Don’t tie all your music marketing to Facebook
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.
What do you want from a vocal coach?
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.
Stop saying your songs are “great”
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.
Should I copyright my song?
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.
Stop failing at music (and be a smart CEO)
As an independent musician, you own a small business — and it’s time you realized it. To stop failing at music, you need to be a smart CEO. Read the post.
How to expand your music audience in three easy steps
Marketing to your fans is essential for your music career, but if you want to expand your music audience, you need a plan for growth. Here are three ideas to make that happen. Read the post.
Being an authentic artist — Jason Wilkes’ journey to find himself
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.
You need to work at being creative (creativity is NOT a talent)
Being creative is not an innate ability that you either have or you don’t. Creativity is not, in and of itself, a talent. Creativity is not related to IQ. Creativity is a way of operating. Read More.
How to make the most of Facebook songwriting groups (or, stop ruining Facebook!)
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.