The Top Five Things Every Singer/Songwriter Is Doing That Need To Be Fixed

There are at least a hundred ways for every singer/songwriter to improve his or her chances of success, but these are the five I already know that need to be addressed without even seeing your show. They are inherent the performance of virtually all aspiring (and sadly many seasoned) singer/songwriters.

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Four Tips To Jumpstart Your Songwriting Routine

If you’re visiting music think tank for the first time or the 50th time, you have something in common, you’re here for the music and your whole life has probably been dedicated to music. Perhaps this craft is basically all you can imagine yourself doing for the next however long. 

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4 Tips For Songwriters Seeking Artists To Record Their Songs

This article originally appeared on Soundfly’s Flypaper

The goal of many a songwriter is to find artists to sing our material. And there are few things more thrilling than when you hear your music come to life. The first time you get to hear an artist’s take on a song you spent hours on, all alone in your writing room, is truly magical. The feeling exists somewhere in between hearing a very personal cover, and the ephemeral act of co-writing or collaborating with someone.

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The Return Of The Song Plugger - The Unsung Heros Behind Songwriting’s Renaissance In The Digital Age

By Thomas Scherer, EVP US publishing and international writer services at BMG

We’re in the middle of a golden age of collaboration in the music industry. The digital age has removed barriers for artists and writers teaming up to work together, contributing parts, ideas, lyrics and so much more. In the past twelve months, some of the biggest hits in our catalogue - such as DJ Snake’s “Let Me Love You” ft. Justin Bieber and Florida Georgia Line’s “H.O.L.Y.” - have been co-created by amazingly talented writing and production teams. Yet all of this creativity is underpinned by an unsung role that has never been more important within the music industry - the song plugger. 

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Learn The Secrets Of Writing A Catchy, Memorable Hook At SongwriterLink’s Webinar On 10/22/16

In this webinar on October 22, 2016 presented by SongwriterLink and Songwriting magazine, Friedemann Findeisen will share the proven formulas and songwriting tools you need to write strong hooks every time.

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Should I Write Original Music Or Music That Sells?

Have you ever noticed that the music you love to write, always ends up being the music people hate? Yet, your worst written songs, the songs you said “I can’t believe I wrote this POS” are somehow, magically, the ones everyone loves? What’s up with that?

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5 Things Songwriters Need To Know About The Consent Decree

What is the Consent Decree, and why are people talking (and so upset!) about it?

While the music industry can seem glamorous, it does have its “unsexy” parts just like any other business sector. For songwriters, one of the least discussed (yet most important topics) is music licensing. But major changes to the consent decree – the federal agreement that governs how ASCAP and BMI operate – is bringing this topic to the surface.

The truth is, these changes could be the biggest in the music industry in 75 years and greatly impact your career.

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Lessons In Nonsensical Songwriting From Elvis – The King

Do you write lyrics that could be considered unintelligible or nonsensical based on the laws of English? If so, you’re certainly not alone. Elvis Presley, who is undoubtedly one of the greatest artists to have ever lived, is famous for spitting lyrics that defied natural language or comprehension, but resonated with millions of fans around the world.

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How The Right Lyric Can Fortify The Listeners' Creative Mind

The lyrics in a song are much more than just content. Constructing well-timed and well-placed lyrics is an art, which can set apart great songwriters from the average.

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4 Ways to Spark Inspiration And Break Through Writer’s Block

When you write for a living, every now and then you will fall into that infuriating slump known as writer’s block. Writer’s block isn’t only for authors or bloggers; musicians can also find themselves lacking words and inspiration.

Inspiration doesn’t always easily fall into your lap, and sometimes you have to seek it or recognize it in different ways. Next time you find yourself lacking the words you’re looking for, try one of these solutions to spark that next song.

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Co-Writing: Two Pens Are Better Than One

There’s sometimes a stigma associated to co-writing – as if there’s a purity to the “solitary creator” in music. We’d like to dispel the bad reputation of co-writing and say, categorically, these lone geniuses are a dime a dozen. All you have to do is look to some of your biggest musical idols like Bowie, who knew that good creation comes from good collaboration.

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10 Reasons Why You Should Not Enter A Musical Reality Competition

Today we’re going to look at a contract to enter a new musical reality competition called Songland, which is being produced by NBC. It’s supposed to be similar to The Voice (even includes Adam Levine), but this time it’s for songwriters of all genres. You can check it all out here: http://songlandcasting.com.

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3 Memorable Tips For Writing A Chorus

In any song, the chorus is often the part most anticipated by the listener. However, it is also one of the most difficult parts of a song to compose for many songwriters, as it has to sound just right to complement the rest of the song, while at the same time leave a lasting effect on the listener.

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Legal Issues With Songwriter Collaborations

Under the US copyright law, an author or creator owns a copyright in his or her work the moment it is “fixed in a tangible medium” (i.e., the moment the expression of an idea is written down or recorded in some manner). When it comes to the recorded music business there are two primary copyrights of interest: one in the musical composition or song; another in the sound recording of that song. A copyright extends for the life of an author plus 70 years, and in the case of collaborators on a copyright it extends for the life of the last surviving collaborator plus 70 years.

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