The rise of the home recording studio has had a huge impact on the way we produce music. These days songwriters have become do-it-yourself recordists with an affordable DAW, a few mics and a pair of monitor speakers. I’d like to share a simple tip for getting the most out of your performance on a recording when you’re playing the roles of artist, engineer, producer and studio assistant all at the same time.

Songwriters and bands embrace social networking sites to promote their music and gigs, reach out to fans, and create their web presence. For musicians, Myspace has long been the go-to resource, but the massive popularity of Facebook certainly makes it a community not to be ignored.
Each site has it’s advantages and disadvantages. I’ll break them down here based on the needs of songwriters and bands.

Often times the best addition to a song is a subtraction. Keeping things simple and straightforward can serve your song quite well. By stripping away the clutter you can focus your audience’s attention on the core concept of the song.

Until the royalty checks, label deals, and world tours take flight, we need to find a balance between keeping afloat financially and turning our passion into our profession. Don’t let the nine-to-five drain your enthusiasm! Here are some ways to use your day-job to your advantage and work its benefits into your goals as a songwriter.