JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum STOP! First: WRITE A GOOD SONG

Beginning songwriters are eager for validation and to get recordings of songs they've written, especially non performing lyricists.

Many of us lose objectivity with our latest songs.

With our eagerness we make decisions to spend money on demos. I've demoed many songs in the past that I wouldn't demo today.
I hired demo producers I wouldn't hire now.
I've cowritten with songwriters who I wouldn't write with again.

If you're writing to get cuts, your songs have to compete and beat the best songs by pro writers. Infact if you've never gotten a major label cut, if your song gets heard, put on hold and makes an artist's short list, it has to be way way better than the other songs on the short list and especially similar songs, songs in the same category, like uptempo love song, because artists and labels would rather cut a song by a proven hit writer than an unknown.

Many songwriters are unaware of how great songs are by prowriters and where their songs stack up against them.

The points are: until you have a good/great song you don't need to spend much money and you don't need to bother with pitching.

don't get songwriting advice from people who love you or people you might hire to make demos. You want feedback from peers, pros and people who don't know you and don't care about you.

Don't hire a song plugger until you have a few good/great songs with awesome demos.


What should you do:

+ write write write

+ cowrite cowrite cowrite

+ study study study

+ join groups

+ get and give peer critiques, get pro critiques

+ go to workshops

+ join legit organizations like NSAI or http://SongU.com/ifs and participate

+ work work work and wait till your songs get stronger.


Don't quit your day job