Study success to be successfulĪll successful songwriters listen to and study songs that are currently successful to find out what today’s listeners like.

If you’re interested being an artist yourself, you’re going to be looking for exactly the same type of strong hit singles as they are-songs that have lots of radio appeal, strong contemporary melodies, and vivid lyrics that grab the listener’s attention. Some of these artists write or co-write their own hit songs while others, like Tim McGraw, actively look for songs that will help them climb up the music charts. IIf you listen to the songs on the music charts at -and you should if you want to be a successful songwriter-then you know that today’s hits include songs recorded by a wide range of artists, like Katy Perry, Dierks Bentley, Justin Bieber, Maroon 5, Marshmello, Tim McGraw, Sara Bareilles, P!nk, and OneRepublic among others. Let’s start by figuring out who might want to sing your song. I’m going to focus on the Pop genre in this article, but you can apply all of these ideas to Country and Rock styles. Be sure to consult a music business attorney before signing any contract.

Any contract you sign with them should include language that ensures you will receive the writer’s share of royalties of all kinds and participation in any fees received, plus other safeguards. Sometimes a publisher will use the words “work for hire.” This means that they will own your song copyright. When you make a deal with a publisher, record label, or artist to record your song, it’s usually in the form of a contract or license.

If you’re thinking about becoming a recording artist yourself, remember that many of today’s top artists and producers started out as songwriters with publishing deals, so it’s a great first step.

Now what do I do? Do I need a demo? Should I copyright it? Should I join ASCAP or BMI? Where do I send it? How do I sell my songs?Ī: If you’ve written a song that sounds like it could appeal to today’s listeners-one that has a memorable chorus, a focused lyric with a fresh approach, and a contemporary, radio-friendly melody-then you can start thinking about how to pitch your song to music publishers, record labels, music libraries, and recording artists. My friends and family all say it’s as good as anything on the radio.

Send it on song