In part 2 of our interview with game composer Aaron Marks, Aaron shares his insights on a typical day as a game composer, how songwriters can break into the game industry, how they get paid, and the skills they need to be competitive. If you haven’t already, be sure to check out part 1. Learn more about Aaron Marks at OnYourMarkMusic.com.

Do songwriters need to understand how to write full midi orchestrations to be competitive?

It doesn’t hurt, but it’s not a deal breaker. If you plan to create a believable orchestral score, that’s one thing but who’s to say your ‘uneducated’ orchestration methods wouldn’t be fresh and unique? There are rules in music but you can’t be confined by them and you shouldn’t be afraid of trying because you don’t feel you have the right background. There are several games with orchestral scores written by composers using heavy rock influences – God of War for example.

The good news is that orchestral music only makes up a portion of music in games so skilled composers in other genres are also needed. Composers who are proficient in many different styles are probably the most competitive, since games often cover a variety of time and places – ancient to the future and every continent or planet.

Please describe a typical day in the life of a game composer.

Ha! If you ever come across one, you have to let me know what it looks like!

Really, it all depends on the project, your work habits and the deadline. If you’re lucky enough to have casual milestones, you can compose and record at a leisurely pace. But most of the time the established deadlines aren’t as realistic as we’d like so it’s a bit more frantic with less sleep and more coffee to get you there.

I typically take the first couple of days on a project to plan my attack – how much music needs to be created and how much time do I have? Once I see it on paper, I know how long I’ve got to work on each cue and I stick to it. Sometimes it takes a little longer to get organized, find samples and get everything set up. But after the initial housekeeping, it’s nice to be able to focus on the music.

For me, a ‘normal’ day starts in the studio about 10am where I make the daily plan, write emails, make phone calls and do ‘non-creative’ tasks such as reviewing past work or mixing the previous day’s tracks. I’ll break for lunch around 2pm and then head back in around 3pm for a big creative push. Depending on family needs or dinner, that could be an hour or several hours. If there is a looming deadline, I’ll break for dinner when I get hungry then work until it becomes unproductive, usually around midnight.

If not, I’ll noodle around a little in the evening, get some ideas floating around in my head to sleep on and come in the next day with them more developed. Of course, some days are spent entirely in front of an instrument composing when I’m on a roll, other times I get as far from the studio as I can to clear any lingering writer’s block – but most of the time it’s a fairly predictable schedule for me.

Is there a specific formula to success as a game music composer?

Be passionate about your craft, first and foremost. Potential clients feed off your enthusiasm and will want to be around it. Be passionate about games, specifically the game the potential client is creating. Network, network, network – not only with the folks you want to work for but with fellow composers. I’ve gotten a surprising number of jobs from my own competition either because they were busy, on vacation or needed a hand with a large project.

Market yourself every chance you get.  By simply tapping into your friends and family network, chances are somebody knows someone who works at a game company. Start local and with smaller companies, then work further out to larger developers. Don’t expect to get a AAA game title right out of the gate. Get the experience and work your way up to it. Learn everything you can about the industry, how a game development company is structured and how a game is developed, the role of the composer, how music is implemented into a game – anything that will make a potential client feel comfortable so they won’t have to hold your hand through the process.

Really, anything goes and the more you have ‘skin in the game’, the better your chances are of getting work and making a career out of it.

How do you get paid? Is there a standard deal between a game developer and a music composer?

For the most part, creating music for a game is done as a ‘work for hire’ – you compose it and they own it once the check clears. Composers can charge either on a ‘per finished minute’ basis or set a fee for the entire project. Fees can vary depending on your experience, their budget and the project scope. Obviously, if you’re composing for and recording a full orchestra, the fees would be higher than if you were in your home studio using samples.

More and more composers are able to negotiate other revenue streams from a single project’s music. Work for Hire agreements don’t have to be so short-sided that the composer sells the music and loses total ownership of it. If a game’s music appears in a film or on television or is released as a soundtrack, it’s fair to request appropriate compensation. A game which will be released as multiple SKUs (stock keeping unit – a unique identifier for each distinct product) and in multiple languages, there is no reason why the composer can’t also be compensated for that. Royalties can be also negotiated if you anticipate the game could be a huge success – why shouldn’t the composer share in the success since their work helped get it there? Remember, if you don’t ask for it, you’re not going to get it.

How do you juggle outside responsibilities along with your music career?

I’ve always just done what I’ve needed to do. If I have an upcoming deadline, I put my head down and work until it’s done. If one of my animals needs to go to the vet, I toss them in the car and go. Sometimes it’s as simple as that.

I’m really big on keeping schedules, making a plan and getting it done. I’ve got checklists for each project, whether it’s yard work or an audio contract. I use the calendar feature on my smartphone religiously, one on the wall for the family to see my firm commitments, detailed checklists in the studio for the complex tasks and sticky notes for priorities. Somehow it all seems to work, even if it comes down to just trying to keep several balloons in the air at the same time – the one about to hit the ground gets the attention!

And it doesn’t hurt that I have the support of my family, friends and neighbors when things really get crazy!

What’s the best advice you can pass along to songwriters who want to break into the industry?

If it’s what you want to do – then do it! You can read about it, study it, make connections but if you don’t ever decide to do anything with the knowledge, then it’s not going to happen. Breaking into games is just like any other business endeavor – it’s going to take some focused effort, a little luck and the persistence to make it happen.

I know a composer who got a game job with his very first phone call and I know composers who after a couple years are still hopeful, so there’s no magic bullet. Love what you do, let people feel your enthusiasm and stay positive. There are plenty of opportunities out there.

For self-taught musicians without any formal music training, what’s the best way to learn how to compose orchestral music?

Not having formal training composing orchestral music isn’t an excuse to not do it. Originality is huge in any musical endeavor and who’s to say what you do with an orchestra or orchestral samples can’t be unique and fresh.

For me, the ability to listen and learn has been my greatest asset. I learned chords and fingering initially but that all went out the window pretty quick. It wasn’t until I realized that I could take what I was hearing and duplicate notes and chords on my instrument that it started making sense.

I’ve never learned how to read or write music so my ability to recall what I’ve heard before and my muscle memory have contributed to how I process and compose. Am I limited by that? Some would argue that I break a lot of ‘rules’ and I’m occasionally frustrated by my lack of knowledge of a particular style but for the most part, I’m OK with that and ‘cope’ accordingly.

If you are really interested in composing orchestral music, critically listen to a variety of orchestral pieces from classical symphonies to movie soundtracks and get to know them. Pay attention to the types of instruments and how they are utilized, get a feel for how melodies, counter-melodies, dynamics and percussion all evoke a certain mood – then start writing short pieces of your own to test out your theories and ideas.

Chat with other composers, read books, ‘listen’ to movies, go to concerts – anything to get the exposure you’ll need to do it justice when the time comes. Practice is a big part of self teaching, so be prepared to write a lot of ‘trash can’ music – the stuff you expect to throw away until you get a solid grasp on it. And after that, continuously improve your skills and understanding of articulations, musician and instrument capabilities, song construction and other subtleties which will make you sound like an expert.

Is scoring music for game trailers a good way to break into the biz?

It wouldn’t be a bad thing but it’s not a definite ‘foot in the door’. Unless it’s the actual game developer you’re working with to score the trailer, the publisher or advertising agency who is creating it might not have any influence with the developer per se, plus they’re not really looking outside of their needs.

Trailers, as far as structure, are linear and scoring one is a different skill set than say, creating adaptive or interactive music for a game. If you are lucky enough to be working with a developer and they like your work, it’s possible it could turn into a fruitful relationship. But, most of the time, music for a game is well underway or completed by the time a trailer is considered and the games composer is usually their first call for music.

Was this post helpful? Do you plan to write music for games? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Aaron Marks is a professional game composer and author of The Complete Guide to Game Audio, Second Edition: For Composers, Musicians, Sound Designers, Game Developers (Gama Network Series). Aaron’s music can be heard on dozens of game titles, including  the ESPN MSL Extra Time Playstation 2 soccer title and online casino/arcade game sound effects and music for several Universal/Vivendi casino websites . His most recent project is music and sound effects for the game bittosHD for Xbox, PS3 and iPhone/iPad. In the following two-part interview, Aaron shares his insights on the current state of the game industry and how songwriters can break into the action. Learn more about Aaron Marks at On Your Mark Music.

How did you get your start in music?

I came from a musical family and was ‘encouraged’ at a young age to play a respectable instrument like the organ… so, in retaliation, I learned the guitar instead! And because any protest should be enthusiastic, I took advantage of my brother’s set and learned the drums too. During my college years, I added piano and bass guitar to the repertoire and eventually moved into engineering and recording. For many years, I was quite content dabbling in different musical styles, learning everything I could about music, composing and recording with no particular direction. I considered scoring for film or television but didn’t really think about it seriously. Essentially it was an overgrown hobby and I was content just doing it for myself.

What made you decide to focus on music for games?

As we all know, ‘gear lust’ is expensive and my little hobby was no exception. It took an ultimatum from my wife to finally stop the insanity, start making some money and have the hobby support itself. I had always wanted to compose for television and film so I headed off in that direction. Along the way I worked in radio, public service announcements and pretty much any ‘music’ job I could find to gain the experience and earn some income.

It actually took a chance meeting with a neighbor to redirect my efforts into games, since it was something I had never really considered on my own. He had just started his own game development company, and coincidentally, had just let his audio guy go. We got to talking and next thing I know I was composing for my first game – it was literally 2 days from the first meeting to working on the first track!

When did you compose your first game soundtrack?

“I, of the Enemy” was the first game I started working on in 1996 for an independent developer. Smaller companies typically have a much slower development cycle, so it wasn’t until 2001 that I wrapped up my efforts and the game was released. Now, that’s not to say that I took 5 straight years to compose the music but I did have plenty of time to get it the way I wanted it. I was also doing sound effects and recording and editing the extensive dialog for the project as well on top of working on other projects during that time.

What is the current state of the game industry? Is it still growing despite the economic slowdown?

Historically, the game industry has done quite well during downturns. People tend to look for distractions from reality and immerse themselves in all forms of entertainment. This time definitely feels different as the slowdown lingers on and works its way into every business, including games. Game companies are like any other business in a recession and do whatever it takes to stay solvent. Streamlining their staffs, sticking with proven franchises and keeping an eye on their bottom line are solid business practices that get them through the hard times. It’s hard to say from my perspective whether the industry is growing but I’m personally feeling the effects and have had to shift gears as well.

Is there still a strong demand for original music?

You bet! Even if a game is utilizing licensed music from established artists, it will still need original music for the opening sequence and front end, menu screens and cinematics. Most games rely on original music from start to finish to establish a unique brand identity, provide the appropriate mood and pacing and help propel the story, for example. So, there is most definitely a strong demand.

Do game soundtracks use full songs?

Certainly. Opening and credit sequences and gameplay are typical areas in a game that can use fully crafted songs. These longer sequences often benefit from the journey a full song can provide. A lot of it though, depends on the needs of the game and how much physical storage space is available for the entire project. One of the ‘tricks’ to save space is to create loops which provide the illusion of a longer piece of music without being too repetitive – so there is often a good amount of loops as well.

How can songwriters break into the game industry?

Believe it or not, getting into the games industry as a creative entity is pretty much like getting into any other industry. You need to have knowledge of the industry, be proficient with your craft, have appropriate business, marketing and networking skills and the absolute will to succeed.

Speaking specifically about the game industry, there are books like my two, “The Complete Guide to Game Audio” and “Game Audio Development”, which go into the industry in great detail. Check out websites like Gamasutra.com, GameAudioForum.com and GameAudioPros on Yahoo! Groups for industry news and specialized forum discussions.

Spend some time in retail stores to see what types of games are popular on the market. Play as many as you can and study their use of music and sound as part of the experience. Attend industry events such as the Game Developers Conferences, SIGGRAPH and E3 (Electronic Entertainment Expo). Get involved with organizations such as The Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) and the Interactive Audio Special Interest Group (IASIG) not only for industry information but great networking opportunities. Network with peers and other game development folks, artists, programmers, producers, anyone related to the game industry. Tell EVERYONE about your intentions and market, market, market – make everything a opportunity to market your talents.

I read in your book that you have to love games to write music for them. With that said, does it make sense for non-gamers to even try?

Well, yes and no. Composers and sound designers who are avid gamers have a much better chance understanding how audio enhances a game experience and the intricacies of the process to do it correctly. Anyone who’s played a game knows when the music is working and when it’s not and that’s the kind of knowledge game lovers bring to the creative table.

That’s not to say non-gamers couldn’t do a good job but most developers don’t want to, or have time, to hold their hands. It’s difficult to explain their needs sometimes and having the experience will really be a plus for them and make the composers life less frustrating.

Consider this for a moment. An experienced ‘film’ composer decides to take a leap into games. They’ve got the talent to create top-notch music with many years of film work under their belts. They’re confident and able and may even have a shelf full of awards. But, what happens if the game they have been hired to score is utilizing interactive or adaptive audio? Films are linear in format and their predictability makes scoring for them more straight forward. Game players create their own experience – they can explore as long as they’d like, fight bad guys or run, for example. Most games are never played the exact same way twice. An ‘interactive’ score is designed to be able to keep up with the unpredictable twists and turns and if a developer has to explain all of that, it could spell game over. This common knowledge is a benefit of being a ‘gamer’.

Do you have to have a home recording studio to write music for games? If so, what sort of gear is needed to be competitive?

It’s certainly not a ‘must’ but, unless you’re writing for a live orchestra, it’ll definitely keep the costs of renting recording space down and more money in your pocket! Most game composers have a home studio setup and that can always be augmented by renting studio time when necessary.

As for gear – that all depends on the type of music you compose and record and whatever special talents you bring to the table. I scored a game a couple of months back completely on a laptop using Reason and an Axiom 25 keyboard – and for ‘electro-pop’, that was more than enough gear. Last month, we worked on a project using live drums, percussion, trumpet and guitar as well as sampled instruments. That took a full complement of real instruments, microphones, a mixing board, multi-track software, samples and a wide assortment of plug ins to do – so, you can see that it can run to both extremes as far as equipment is concerned. A typical setup is a decent computer with a capable multi-track program, a sequencer, a sampler and array of instrument samples, plug ins, an audio editor and a midi capable keyboard to compose and perform with. Anything beyond that will depend on your specific talents as a composer/musician and what you can add to be unique.

In part 2 of our interview with Aaron Marks, Aaron talks about the skills you need to be competitive, how to get jobs, and how to get paid. Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

In this final installment of my conversation with veteran songwriting consultant John Braheny, John gives advice about making a living as a solo singer-songwriter, how to maximize your songwriting output even if you have outside responsibilities such as a job and family, and the best ways to seek out and secure publishing deals. I’d like to thank John for sharing his decades of music industry experience with Serve The Song. We really appreciate your insights! – Mary Shaw

11. Is it possible for a solo singer-songwriter to make a living completely online, or is it still necessary to tour and get as much publicity as possible?

Big question and a good one. It is possible for a singer-songwriter to make a living completely online, but the odds aren’t as good and it takes a lot of work and creative marketing. You need to be able to drive potential fans to your website or wherever you’re selling your music.

Touring is one of the best ways to generate fans. There’s nothing quite as powerful as connecting with your audience in person. If they like what they experience they’ll want to take home your CD as a memory. You want them to go to your site, get on your mailing list and you want to create as much contact with them as possible. That means blogging, using Facebook, Twitter and other social media networks frequently, coming up with special deals for fans, like bonus tracks, works in progress they can have input on, discounts on merchandise and concerts etc. Even if you are touring, it’s still tough to “make a living completely.” It helps if you can find compatible sponsors for the tour.

If you’re not touring it means you have to generate income and publicity about yourself in other ways. One of those ways is to get your songs and instrumental tracks into films and TV shows, video games, commercials or for other uses that pay licensing fees and royalties. Another is to gain expertise in production and write for/with other artists.

12. Let’s talk about output for a minute. Obviously the more you write, the better you’ll get. But given the other responsibilities faced by many singer-songwriters such as day jobs, families, etc., what is a reasonable amount of output that an aspiring singer-songwriter can expect to make without going crazy? Should they aim to write one song a week, one a day, two-three a month? What’s reasonable?

What’s reasonable varies widely. All those factors you mention have variables. How supportive is your spouse? Will he/she support time for you to spend a couple of hours a night by yourself without making you feel guilty? Are you willing to allow your spouse the same consideration?

You also have to make quality time for your spouse and kids – share what you create with them so they can see/hear what that creative space you request has produced. You’ll model for them that they deserve to have their own private time to create.

As for the numbers, I’ve known people with day jobs and families who can still create a song a week and produce at least a rough demo. Others just take a whole lot longer. There’s no getting around the fact that it’s always a difficult juggle. But don’t use your family and job obligations as excuses for not writing. You can write while you’re in line at the bank, commuting, and in any number of common circumstances. Keep a digital recorder and notepad with you. I did a seminar recently and a 13-yr-old was in the front row taking quick notes on her iPhone. (Or was she texting her friends??)

13. What is the future of music publishing? Should writers aim to keep their own publishing or look for deals?

Music publishing will continue as long as there is music to be licensed and royalties to be collected. It’s just a question of whether you’re capable of exploiting your own music (finding income generating uses for it) or whether you want help with it.

The royalty collection part is extremely important because over half your income may be generated outside the U.S., which means you will need an administration deal with an experienced international administration company to collect on your behalf. In this situation you’d keep your publishing and hire an admin company for typically about 15% of what they collect.

My general advice (much more detail in the book) is to hold on to your publishing rights unless you get something very valuable in return. That might include financing and shopping master recordings, giving you advances to live on while you’re writing songs, and giving up limited publishing income (but not ownership) for someone to do film/TV placement.

Generally speaking, if you’re a writer/artist/band actively looking for a record deal, keep your publishing. You may need it as part of the deal. If you’re a songwriter only, finding a good publisher may be a good situation for you.

14. Are services like TAXI and Pump Audio still viable in light of all the recent changes in the music business?

Very much so, especially if they’re as trusted by the industry as TAXI to pre-screen the material so it’s high quality and appropriate for the requests. There are always producers and record company A&R people looking for songs and artists, managers looking for artists, film/TV music supervisors and music libraries looking for songs and instrumental tracks, and publishers looking for songs and writers. Those services can really help indie writers exploit their songs and keep the publishing in most cases.

15. What do you think about selling songs to royalty-free music providers like AudioJungle.net?

AudioJungle is an Australian company and I believe you receive a 40-70% commission from the music that they sell to users on your behalf. Generally speaking, royalty-free music means that a user pays a one-time fee and can either sell unlimited units of the same work or, depending on the contract, may use up to, say, 5000 units without additional fees.

A better deal for you is that the end user has to file a cue sheet with your Performing Rights Organization (PRO) – ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC (in the U.S.) so you’ll get paid a royalty for its continued use. One factor that will shape your decision is how valuable that piece of music is to you. If it’s an instrumental track that you don’t think you’d have another use for and you need the cash, you might go for it. If it’s a song that’s dear to your heart, you’ll probably want to maintain ownership and license it so you get an up front sync fee and “back end” payments from your PRO. This is a time when these services are evolving with varieties of new business models. As a copyright owner you can make any kind of deal you want. My advice is to read the contract very carefully, though.

In case you missed them, check out part 1 and part 2 of this interview and leave your thoughts in the comments.

This is a guest post from Cliff Goldmacher, a songwriter/engineer/producer/author and owner of recording studios in Nashville and New York City. Cliff’s articles have been published in EQ, Recording and ProSound News magazines and his eBook “The Songwriter’s Guide To Recording Professional Demos” is available as a free download from his site http://www.cliffgoldmacher.com/ebook.

For most songwriters in the early stages of their careers, the idea of being hired as a staff songwriter for a publishing company is close to the Holy Grail. It represents that most coveted prize of industry recognition and validation of your talent along with a gateway to cuts, movie placements and any one of a number of other exciting possibilities. However, keep in mind that wanting or entering into a relationship with a publisher in order to simply validate your talent is probably not the best approach. As with any business relationship, it’s essential that you, as the songwriter, understand what you’re giving up as well as what you stand to gain by signing over partial (or complete) ownership of your copyrights to a music publisher.

What is a Publishing Deal?

Let’s start at the top, in general terms, a typical publishing deal involves the assignment of some part of the ownership of your songs to a publishing company in exchange for a monthly payment known as a draw. The publisher can also provide co-writing opportunities based on their industry relationships and pitching opportunities by members of the publishing company’s staff called song pluggers. I’m aware that there are many variations on this arrangement such as no draw in exchange for giving up less ownership of your copyrights to the publisher but for the sake of this article, I’m going to paint in broad strokes.

The Pros

Listing the advantages of a publishing deal is easy as most songwriters have heard (or dreamed) of these.

1. A Draw – For a songwriter getting started in the business, it’s extremely difficult to write full time without having money to live on. The monthly draw provided by a publisher can help ease that burden. While some draws are enough to allow the writer to write full time, most are enough to, at least, make it so the writer only has to have a part-time job leaving more time for songwriting.

2. Demo Budget – Making high quality recordings of your songs is not cheap and having a publisher to put up the money for these recordings can help out quite a bit.

3. Song Pluggers – These are employees of the publishing company who are specifically charged with finding opportunities for your songs. They pitch your songs relying on their relationships with record labels, producers and artists as well as a variety of other music business decision-makers.

4. Networking/Connections – The credibility that comes from signing with established music publisher is a powerful thing. It can open doors to meetings, co-writes and countless other relationships in the industry. Also, publishers have industry-wide relationships that can provide great opportunities for a songwriter who hasn’t had the opportunity to network much on their own.

5. Validation – The validation that comes from a publishing deal is what most beginning songwriters long for. In the early stages of most songwriters’ careers, they’ve most likely written songs in obscurity and with the exception of friends and family they’ve never received praise and recognition from anyone in the industry. It can even act as a motivator to improve a writer’s work ethic and even inspiration.

The Cons

This is where I’d recommend paying close attention. I know the idea of being able to write songs and have your publisher take care of all the details is an appealing thought…but the reality is a bit less simple. Don’t kill the messenger here, but as a friend of mine once said, “They don’t call it the music ‘friend’ or the music ‘nice.’” This is a business and it helps to remember that a publisher is giving you something in order to get something.

1. Your draw & demo budget are essentially loans – The money that makes up your draw and your demo budget is money that the publisher will take back from your share as soon as your songs start generating income. More importantly, unlike a loan paid back to a bank, even after you’ve made back the money to pay the publisher for the money they’ve invested in you, they will continue to own the publishing on your song and make income from it. In most cases, this is an arrangement that lasts for the rest of your life and then some. Also, in most cases that recording that the publisher split with you or loaned you money to make is their property entirely. This translates into no master fee payment for you, the songwriter, if that recording ends up in a film or on TV.

2. You and your songs aren’t always the priority – Even though the idea of a song plugger getting your songs heard is comforting, the reality is that in most publishing companies, there are many more signed writers than there are pluggers. In other words, your songs, while the most important songs to you, are among the hundreds (actually thousands if you count the back catalogs of most publishing companies) that the overworked song pluggers have to consider for every pitch opportunity.

3. Validation is NOT enough – As a songwriter, I understand how good it feels when someone in the industry tells you they love your songs. In and of itself, this is not enough of a reason to give away your publishing. To me, the analogy would be of a guy going up to a girl in a bar and saying “You’re beautiful and you should sleep with me.” In other words, as a writer, you should work every day until you’re confident your songs are good. Use resources like song critiques, songwriting organizations and your songwriting peers to get good, constructive feedback on your material. Don’t just sign with a publisher because they tell you you’re good.

Your Options

My intention is not to discourage but rather to empower you. By not looking at a publishing deal as the only answer to your songwriting prayers, you’ll put yourself in a position to do for yourself which, ultimately, will be the most consistent and rewarding way of having a sustainable career as a songwriter. In other words, you don’t have to have a publishing deal in order to act like you have a publishing deal every single day. Here’s what I mean…

1. Be your own publisher - You don’t need an established publisher to publish your songs. It’s a relatively simple proposition to start your own publishing company through one of the performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI and SESAC). A simple phone call to one of these three organizations can get you started.

2. Put yourself on a regular writing schedule – If you want to be a professional songwriter, act like one. Set aside regular times to write and treat it like a job. Folks in the working world don’t skip work because they “don’t feel like it” and neither should you.

3. Demo your songs – Develop a relationship with a professional recording studio and when you’re absolutely certain you’ve got a song that’s ready for prime time, spend the money to make a broadcast-quality version suitable for a variety of uses from pitching to artists to placement in film and TV. And speaking of pitching…

4. Pitch your songs – Actively look for opportunities for your songs. It’s one thing to write a good song and have a great demo but if no one hears it, then it can’t possibly generate any income for you. This isn’t the glamorous, romantic part of the business but I promise you, the overwhelming majority of successful songwriters – even those with publishing deals and song pluggers – spend a lot of time pitching their own material. It’s tough out there and you need to do everything in your power to get your songs heard. Also, as I mentioned above, no one will make your songs a priority more than you will.

5. Network – Another less-than-pleasant reality for the gifted, introverted songwriter is that there is no substitute for the relationships you make in the industry. Get out there and meet people. This doesn’t mean you have to be fake or stay up until 3am drinking every night (unless you like that kind of thing). It does mean, however, that you have to find opportunities to interact with the decision-makers in the music industry. A few suggestions of ways to do this might be attending music conferences, songwriter festivals and some of the events sponsored by organizations like the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) or the Songwriter’s Guild of America (SGA).

6. Sign an admin deal – If you’re starting to get some cuts and placements for your songs and the subtleties of copyright law, royalty statements and licensing feel like too much to keep track of or negotiate, then consider signing with a publisher to administer your copyrights. In other words, instead of giving away ownership of 50%-100% of your copyright, give a copyright administrator 15%-25% to “mind the store” while you’re taking care of the other stuff. I promise you, if you’re making money from your songs, you’ll have no trouble at all finding an experienced publisher to administer your copyrights.

Conclusion

For the sake of simplicity, I’ve kept this article and the terms of a publishing deal very general. There are all manner of publishing deals from copyright administration all the way to full ownership of your publishing and there are reasons for and against all of these. Music publishers provide a valuable service in our industry but I think it’s important to realize that signing a publishing deal isn’t always your best option. Be absolutely certain you understand what you stand to gain (beyond the simple validation of your talent) and what you’re giving up to get it. In the world of professional songwriting, there is no one way to achieve success and, no matter what, the more you understand and can do on your own, the better off you’ll be. Good luck!

In Part 1 of our exclusive interview with TAXI founder and CEO Michael Laskow, Michael shared his insights about current opportunities for songwriters and the best way to get your music heard by the right people. In Part 2 Michael gives advice on how to work with TAXI and the work ethic needed to compete in today’s marketplace.

Do songwriters need to be well-versed in music theory and audio production? In other words, these days is it possible to sell a tune with a simple guitar/vocal demo?

First and foremost, they need to just be great songwriters. Not good, but great! They really need to know their craft. And the answer is “yes” for some genres. Country, A/C… maybe some types of Pop would accept a piano or guitar vocal demo of an incredible song. I’ve got some examples of hits that came from very simple demos in my office.

For Rock or Katy Perry type of Pop, or for artist demos you really need a full-blown demo to show what the song is all about. If you want to hear some great advice on this very subject, watch this interview I did with Rob Chiarelli not long ago. He’s engineered, mixed or produced more than 70 gold and Platinum records, and he’s got what I would characterize as the typical advice I most frequently hear on this very topic. There’s also a bunch of other incredible advice that comes out in that interview. It’s well worth watching.

For those who don’t have solid studio chops or access to producers/engineers, do music libraries and music supervisors accept tracks created with Band in a Box or similar programs?

Practically never. When it comes from a box, it really stands out as such, especially to experienced ears.

Has the role of a traditional music publisher changed over the last 10 years?

Yes, a lot! They don’t sign nearly as many staff writers as they used to, and the deals are often much skinnier. They’re more likely to spend their time working to pair their writers with artists who need a co-writer rather than plugging a catalog of material from their stable of writers.

Is it possible for songwriters to pitch to industry people on their own?

It’s not impossible, but I don’t know many unknown songwriters who have the arsenal of contacts to pitch often enough to have a really good shot. I know most songwriters think their music is top notch and all it would take would be just one listen by the right person and they’d be on their way. That’s an extremely rare event. Actually, it’s wishful thinking! To put it in perspective, it took Diane Warren 12 years to get her first song cut and she was relentless in her efforts, and she lived in Los Angeles. You need to have a huge network of people. You need to make plugging your music your full time job to get the same results as the other pro writers.

If you think you can write a few songs a year, make a few pitches a year and hit it big, you might as well buy a lottery ticket. It takes consistent effort over a period of years and your songs need to be competitive with Diane Warren’s, Jeffrey Steele’s, Kara DioGuardi’s and a few dozen other writers at that level. Once you get on the desk, that’s exactly who you’ll be competing against. By the way, did you know that all totaled, Nashville has more than 800 songwriters living there who’ve already had Number One hits and more than 20,000 professional songwriters?

They’re doing it full time. To be competitive with them, you need to know who and what they know. Writing great songs is a given. I created TAXI for the people who don’t know who and what the pros know, but just might have the killer songs.

How is TAXI different from the other song pitching services out there?

I hope you don’t mind if I give you a list.

• TAXI has been in business since 1992. None of the other companies can say that.
• TAXI offers a money-back guarantee that we will deliver what we promise. None of the other companies offer that.
• TAXI gives detailed feedback from incredibly well qualified industry experts with amazing resumes. None of the other companies offer that.
• TAXI has 18 years of high-level contacts and connections that our competitors don’t.
• TAXI gives every member two FREE tickets to what is widely considered to be the best convention out there for songwriters, artist and composers – the Road Rally. At best, other companies only sponsor events that cost as much or more for just one ticket, when a TAXI membership includes a year of our service and two free tickets.

Want more?

• TAXI has had thousands more of our customers sign deals than ANY other company out there. The deals have included Major label record deals, Indie label deals, staff writer deals, songs cuts that have gone to Number One, and countless Film & TV publishing deals and placements that have happened because those TAXI members decided to invest three hundred bucks in themselves rather than spend it on designer coffee. No other company even comes close to those stats.

Want me to keep going? Okay…

• TAXI has an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau and not one of our competitors even belongs to the BBB. TAXI has people on the ground in Nashville, Los Angeles and now New York. Some of our competitors are headquartered in Wisconsin and Massachusetts.
• TAXI’s V.P. of A&R’s last job was Sr. Director of Creative at Universal Music.
• TAXI’s Director of A&R’s last job was Creative Director at Windswept Music Publishing.
• TAXI screens the requests for music that come in, and we only take the very best opportunities for our members. Other companies seemingly take anything so their customers never know what they might be hooked up with.

Anyway… you get the idea. There are a ton of companies that have tried to copy us to varying degrees, but not one of them can claim ANY of the things I’ve just listed, let alone all of them. Sorry to get so carried away, but as you can probably see, I’m pretty passionate about TAXI.

Besides copyrighting their songs, should a writer join a PRO and clear their songs before submitting to services like TAXI?

Their music will need to be with a PRO when they start to get cuts or placements so they can collect their performance royalties. As long as they own or control their masters and their publishing, they should have no problem clearing their music if someone wants to license it.

Will a songwriter do better by focusing more on industry trends or pitching the songs from his or her latest CD?

Hopefully their CD is already in the ballpark of what the industry needs. That’s the perfect storm. If your music isn’t in that ballpark, your chances of success are tremendously reduced. If you sold shoes and a customer asked for a men’s size ten Oxford, what would you have them try on?

The music industry’s buyers are the music supervisors, A&R people, publishers, video game producers and ad agencies. They have needs. You need to fill them. You could go the DIY route, but that takes years of constant work to really get off the ground, and how do you eat while you’re doing it? My hat is off to those full time musicians who have the time and talent to pull it off.

In other interviews and your own marketing materials you stress the importance of building relationships and being easy to work with. Can you elaborate on that more for our readers?

Sure, and I don’t mean to be trite here, but would you rather go to a doctor who you perceive to be professional, friendly, helpful, concerned about your needs and reliable, or one who is none of those things? The music industry is really no different. Don’t be an obnoxious, unreliable, or arrogant jerk. Be a good person who makes other people’s jobs easier for them and they will be more inclined to give you work. It’s pretty simple.

Finally, in terms of overall career development, can you talk a little bit about the 5-year plan you recommend to TAXI members?

One of our long-time members, Matt Hirt, actually came up with the five-year plan, so he should get the credit. Write and produce as many Film and TV cues as possible every week, pitch them as often as you can, don’t sit by the phone waiting for it to ring, keep writing and pitching more stuff, and after five years of doing that religiously, you should have enough material with enough Film and TV publishers that the placements and payments will really begin to add up.

I know it has worked exceedingly well for Matt. He’s been at it for eleven or twelve years now, and if he stopped writing today, my educated guess is that he would have an enviable income for years to come. He’s done it all right, and he’s been generous with what he’s learned along the way. Matt and many other members of our Forum are exactly who I came up with the concept of TAXI for. They make me very proud. They’ve proved that TAXI works if you work at it. The people who haven’t become successful using TAXI are using exactly the same service as the successful members. So what are the variables if they’re responding to the same opportunities and getting screened by the same A&R team at TAXI?

Their pitches, their music and their work ethic are the variables. When they follow Matt’s plan and make great music, they should get similar results from TAXI.

Do you think TAXI can help you with your music? Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

Michael Laskow interviewing American Idol judge and Hit Songwriter Kara DioGuardi at TAXI's free convention, the Road Rally. Photo by James DiModica.

TAXI has been giving artists, bands, and songwriters access to the people in the music business with the power to sign deals since 1992. For an annual subscription fee, songwriters can pitch their material to TAXI industry listings in a broad range of categories. Many TAXI members have achieved chart success and TV/Film music placements using the service. In this exclusive two-part interview, TAXI CEO Michael Laskow shares his insights on the music business with Serve The Song and offers readers candid advice on the best way to get their music heard.

Besides joining TAXI, what is the best thing a songwriter can do right now to break into the music business?

As we say in our brochure and on our website:
“If you’re trying to land a record deal, nothing works better than hitting the road, playing hundreds of gigs, and selling thousands of CDs from the trunk of your car. If you’re a songwriter, moving to Los Angeles, New York, or Nashville and ‘paying your dues’ is often the best way to go.

But, can you just walk away from your life, your job, your family, and your mortgage payment? Okay, that might be tempting, but let’s get real! You need a vehicle to help you get your music to the right people. TAXI will help you do that no matter where you live.”

That’s pretty great advice. If you can devote eight hours a day or more to making connections and developing relationships on your own, that’s clearly the way to go. But if you’re like most people, that’s not really possible because of other responsibilities. If you treat your music career like a hobby — only doing it in your spare time — then you’ll get the results a hobbyist will get.

I created TAXI to bridge the gap for people who don’t have time to do all the research or can’t move to one of the music centers.

TAXI gets some criticism because only 6% of members get deals. Why is it that so few members make real progress while a small minority does really well?

Why is it that so few golfers make the Tour or so few high school or college football players make the NFL? In any discipline, there are always those who will do the hard work and invest themselves to the point of achieving real success. TAXI and the music business are no different.

It’s always the people who create music that the industry wants and needs that are successful. The folks who say, “I don’t like the crap I hear on the radio. I’ve created my own genre—folk-space-pop—don’t stand a chance because nobody needs that “genre” to attract a radio audience or for film and TV placements.

TAXI’s mission is to take C-level songwriters, artists and composers and move them up to Bs, then to As, then get them deals. The people who realize that and use our A&R feedback to the fullest extent often rise to occasion and become successful.

Look at the people on our Success Stories Forum… ask them why they are successful and others aren’t. They all give you the same answer—they learned to write and produce what the people in industry truly needed. They can still make “folk-space-pop” for fun, but they can also make what the industry needs and make money doing it!

Another observation about the people who are successful using TAXI and those who are not; they’re all using exactly the same company, getting the same opportunities through TAXI, and being heard by the same screeners. TAXI is the constant. Their music and their ability to pitch it at the right opportunities are what make the difference. That’s the variable in the equation, not TAXI.

Are record deals a thing of the past?

Not so much. There are just fewer of them to get. But, how many artists can you name that have become Rock Star wealthy on their own, doing it the DIY way? There have been some blips, but nothing substantial without a label behind them. Even Radiohead’s success with their Indie release was totally dependent on their mailing list that was built with more than a decade of major label money backing them. I don’t see any new artists having success like that yet… at least not to any great extent.

Is writing for other artists a thing of the past?

No, it’s just different in that many of those cuts happen as a result of co-writes with the artist. Now it’s writing WITH other artists, not FOR them. The hard part is getting to the point where they know you exist. That takes networking and introductions. TAXI member Chuck Schlacter calls what TAXI does, “Favorable introductions.”

It seems like everyone is going after film & TV licensing deals now. Is the market for production music getting too crowded?

There’s no question that there are tons of newer, small-ish music libraries out there that have only non-exclusive tracks and songs that are the same songs and tracks that appear in many other libraries under other titles as well. Those libraries have really lowered the quality bar by accepting almost anything that comes in. No skin off their tush to add a song or track to their catalog… it didn’t cost them anything to get it. The problem is that all those new little libraries are inundating the music supervisors with tracks. At least they’re trying too!

Music supervisors are now avoiding music that comes from non-exclusive libraries for the most part. They can’t risk the same piece of music coming from several different sources for the same project. Which one got used? Who gets paid? It’s been a train wreck waiting to happen, and as quickly as everybody jumped on getting their music in as many non-exclusive libraries as possible, the top music supervisors are running away from situations that could cause a lawsuit. They’re now going back to working with a few trusted resources that provide them with exclusive music.

And while TAXI will continue to connect our members with some of the top libraries who do exclusive deals, we are seeing an increase in the number of music supervisors coming straight to us because they know they can license the music directly from the songwriters, artists and composers themselves.

The great part about those deals is that the musicians can keep 100% of the income and they don’t have to split it 50/50 with a publisher or music library. It’s nice to see more income going to our members.

By the way, one big misconception that I’d like to clear up about Film and TV music in general is that they’re always looking for big, orchestral pieces. Not so! About 25% of what they need is songs from bands and singer/songwriters.

What other markets are available for songwriters to pitch their music?

Because we saw the Film and TV markets getting flooded, we began to turn our attention to Video Games and Advertising. Those are smaller markets with fewer opportunities, but the income that can go to the creators of the music can be much larger. For instance —and I’m talking about musicians who aren’t famous— a background placement on a network TV show might earn the composer or songwriter $500-$2,500, depending on the length of the piece used, if it has vocals, did it play on cable or network, and some other mitigating factors. But that’s a decent estimate of the range.

The top, and I’m talking about maybe twenty composers here… but the top people composing for video games are making $250,000 to $1,000,000 a year. Those figures were given to me by the leading agent for video game composers, who is a good friend of mine. I’ve also had it confirmed by a couple of the top composers who I know personally. But, like I said, there are probably twenty or so composers who earn at that level.

The interesting part is there are second and third tier games that also require music. I’ve been told that there are larger numbers of composers who make $50,000 to $250,000 a year, not just the twenty top guys. I suspect there are plenty of musicians out there who would love to make an extra $10,000 a year from their music. Maybe they could get some songs placed in video games and pick up some extra income that way. The opportunities are out there for people with the best music. That’s what we do at TAXI. We find the best music, and we help the rest of our members get their music up to that level when they’re willing to invest themselves in that process.

Getting music placed in advertising, mainly TV ads, can be extremely lucrative. We all know that the Rolling Stones can get upwards of a million bucks to license one of their hits to a top of the line ad for a big product or company. I just got back from a week of meetings in New York with some of the top advertising executives at some of the biggest ad agencies on Madison Avenue, and frankly, even I was surprised at how much money agencies pay for music.

Of course it depends on if the spot is national, how long it runs, and some other factors, but I was told by one creative director that he pays, “… a hundred to a hundred-fifty thousand dollars for music,” and I was given several other examples where agencies paid as much as $300,000 or more, and for acts that aren’t the huge Rolling Stone level types. Again, it isn’t raining those deals, but if you’ve got enough of the right connections, you’ve got a shot at some pretty life-changing opportunities for both songs and instrumental music.

The back end money comes in on top of that, so if you’ve got music in something like a long-running Toyota spot that airs nationally, you could make more money with one thirty-second spot than some people make in a decade. It’s pretty mind blowing when you think about it. And somebody’s gonna get that gig!

I just hired a gentleman who was Sr. Vice President of Music at a top N.Y. agency for 17 years to bring those opportunities to TAXI’s members. He knows a ton of the right people in the right places, so I think we’ll be able to leverage those opportunities for our members and bring some fresh new music to Madison Avenue.

Learn more about TAXI’s role in the music business in Part 2 of our interview with Michael Laskow and feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments.

Jeff Greenleaf teaches blind children how to read and write Braille music notation by day and works nights and weekends as a successful film/TV composer from his home studio in Malibu, CA. To date, Jeff has signed over 300 songs to several publishers, one of which places music on the most popular daytime talk shows. Jeff’s music can be heard on many television programs, including “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” on the E! network and MTV’s “Styl’D” and “Nitro Circus”.

Besides successful TV music placements, Jeff has also recorded four studio albums. Jeff talks about his success and the hard work behind it in the interview below. Learn more about Jeff Greenleaf at jeffgreenleaf.com

How did you get your start in music?

I was always involved in music groups as a child. I played the trombone throughout elementary school, middle school, and part of high school. However, it wasn’t until I picked up the guitar (when I was 15) that I really got excited about music. Shortly after that, I took weekly harmonica lessons for about two years. When I was in college, I bought a synthesizer and a 4-track recorder. While everyone else was out partying, I was in my room writing and recording songs night after night.

What is your primary instrument?

I’m definitely a multi-instrumentalist as I play a little of everything, but I consider myself primarily a keyboard player. With all the great sounding sample libraries, I feel I can expressively play nearly any instrument with just a keyboard controller.

When did you start playing gigs? Were you a solo artist or in a band?

I started playing in rock bands when I was 15. We would just play at school events. In college, I played in a couple groups but I was already establishing myself as a solo artist. My performances were few and far between, as I was never fully comfortable as a vocalist, much less a frontman. In any case, I did secure a small but loyal following. Looking back on it, those early days were crucial building blocks in my musical development. That small, but strong fan base truly believed in me (more so than myself) and encouraged me to follow my dreams.

What made you decide to pursue TV/Film music opportunities?

While I was in high school, my harmonica teacher made a living with TV placements on popular sitcoms. I never knew how to get my foot in the door with this side of the business. I just figured if I practiced enough I would be prepared if the opportunity came along. So, my harmonica playing really did excel because of this.

I recorded a couple of CDs of my singer-songwriter material and pitched a few of the songs through TAXI A&R. I got some great feedback, but I quickly realized that the music industry wasn’t necessarily looking for my type of music.

I started looking at TAXI’s Instrumental listings and got excited by the opportunities. Somebody needed Fun, Quirky music for a TV show and someone else needed Chinese music for cooking shows. So, I dived right in and wrote for every type of Instrumental listing available. I was really getting it down and TAXI kept forwarding my music to different publishers and music supervisors.

Was TAXI the only A&R-type company you submit your music to? Have you tried other outlets such as Pump Audio and YouLicense.com?

I’ve tried all the other companies, but TAXI is the only one that has given me results.

Have you ever worked with a manager or promoter?

When I was at the TAXI Road Rally conference, I was introduced to a publisher who supplies most of the music to a very popular daytime talk show. After reviewing my CD, he asked me to become a staff composer for the show. In turn, I signed a management contract with him. It has been a great experience and I have learned so much about creating production music as part of a team.

When did you sign your first Film/TV deal?

I was offered a contract in October 2008 after TAXI forwarded my music to a publisher who works with popular reality shows.

What kind of music got signed?

The first piece of music that got signed was an “80’s New Wave/Electronica” cue. Since then, the company has asked for instrumental music in all styles.

What were the terms? Were you OK with them?

The contract I signed was very standard. It basically said that I would receive 100% of the writer’s share and the company would receive 100% of the publishing. In other words, it was a 50-50 deal. The terms made complete sense to me and I figured the company deserved at least 50% of all royalties for getting my songs on the air. Also, the contract was non-exclusive which meant I could still pitch the same songs or use them on CDs. However, I’ve learned to treat every non-exclusive song as if it were part of an exclusive deal. This way, music supervisors won’t get the same song over and over again from multiple production companies.

How long was it between the time you signed your first deal and when you got paid?

It took one year, between signing my first deal and hearing my first song on TV. Then I started hearing my songs more frequently on different shows. It takes roughly 9 months to receive payment after the first time a music cue is aired. So, my first royalty check will actually be this summer.

Have you ever received multiple payments for the same piece of music?

Fortunately, the shows I’ve heard my music on replay week after week, sometimes day after day. Because of this, I will be getting royalties for some time ahead.

What is your current studio setup?

I’m currently using Logic Pro 9 on a new iMac. I use an old Roland synth as a controller. I have the Apogee Duet for an audio interface. My favorite hardware synth is the Access Virus TI. I use Ultrasone headphones, which are so comfortable my ears never fatigue. For microphones, I have a Rode NT2 Large Diaphragm and a Shaker harmonica mic. I have always used Lee Oscar harmonicas, which I highly recommend for anyone starting out. My guitars are pretty basic, nothing too special, other than my Beard Gold Tone Dobro.

I’m using sample libraries more and more these days. Some of my favorites are Sample Logic Morphestra, Kontakt 4, Plectrum, Best Service Accordians, and lots of plugs in Logic 9. Probably the most expensive piece of equipment I own is my studio chair. I got it at a specialty store for people who have back problems. Thankfully, I don’t suffer from back problems, so my chair is more preventative than anything.

Was it hard to learn how to use Logic? Was it trial and error or pretty straightforward?

It took me years to finally switch over to a computer based system. I had always used a standalone multi-track digital recorder. People were always surprised that I could get broadcast quality tracks out of my setup. As my needs changed and my demands increased, I was looking for greater flexibility. I started using Logic in September 2009 and found it to be very user friendly. I did need a lot of help for the first few weeks, but things are moving along quite well now. It has really sped up my workflow as well.

Do you write any songs with lyrics for Film/TV or is it all instrumental?

I only write Instrumental music.

How else do you promote your music?

I try to develop and maintain a “web presence” by having my music available on as many digital distribution sites as possible. CDbaby has been great from the very beginning and they helped get my CDs selling on iTunes. I used a service called Music Submit which has gotten my CDs on several different sites.

You have 300 signed titles in circulation. Why so many? What drives you to keep producing music?

I have production music deals with 5 different companies and they all request music somewhat regularly. The amount of material I have is dependent on what is being asked of me. However, when I was just starting out, 300 songs was a goal I had. I had heard that to make a living off of production music you had to have about 300 songs working for you at all times.

I think writing music for TV is very motivating for a number of reasons. The most important reason is the sheer joy you experience when you hear your music on a popular TV show. Imagine how it feels to be emotionally involved in a television program and, out of nowhere, your song plays. It plays with purpose, to make the scene better…and it always does. There really is nothing quite like it.

Of those 300, how many have produced income?

Based on watching some of the shows I’m writing for, I know I’ve had at least 10 music placements since November 2009. That number could be higher, considering I haven’t watched many of the shows. I will certainly find out this summer on my PRO (Performing Rights Organization) statement.

How do you handle copyright/PRO registration with the songs you turn around so quickly?

Normally, I register the songs online to be copyrighted after they have been approved by the publishers. The publisher will register them with my PRO. Sometimes they do it right after they sign the song, other times they wait until they send it to a show. Some publishers may wait until it has been licensed by a show before registering it.

You also mentioned that you are keeping your day job for now. Isn’t it possible for you to do music full-time with so many deals?

I think it will take me a few more years to really see a substantial increase to my income through music placements. It’s a bit slow moving, but it eventually pays off if you keep producing great cues. I’m definitely on the right path and I’ve got my foot firmly in the door of this part of the music business. I have a pretty great career teaching blind children Braille literacy skills. I’ve been doing it for 15 years. If writing music for TV doubles (or triples) my income, I suppose I could be looking at an early retirement.

What’s the average licensing fee you receive per song?

For TV, it’s generally pretty small (or nothing at all) unless the company wants to exclusively own the copyright to your songs, which is also known as a buyout deal. I was recently offered $200 per song, plus royalty payments for several of my songs for a new show. From what I understand, that’s pretty good.

What’s the average PRO back-end payment per song?

There are many variables for royalty payments and the amount can depend on things like the time of day it airs, the network, the duration, the type of use (background/feature/vocal), the number of times and markets it plays in, etc. I’ve had songs air on a very large cable station that pays roughly $30 per minute and I’ve had songs on a smaller station that pays about $2 per minute.

I’m currently writing for a big network station that pays nearly $200 per minute for instrumental music. If your song has vocals in it, the rate is actually much higher. The key is to have as many songs in as many different shows as possible. That’s the most fun way to do it, too. That way, you’re associated with those shows as well, which is cool.

What’s the best piece of advice you could pass along to readers who want to get started in film/TV music?

If you are capable of producing broadcast quality tracks in your own home studio, use TAXI’s instrumental listings to hone your craft. It’s very educational, you will get detailed feedback from screeners, and your tracks may get forwarded to production music libraries for film/TV placement. Also, use TAXI’s online community/forum to learn more about this business and develop relationships with other composers.

What are your future plans?

I plan on recording as much new music as possible and target one or two genres to really excel in. I want to continue learning about engineering and hopefully take some classes so I can stay competitive in the field. More importantly, I will work to become a better musician and composer.

John Braheny is a consultant for songwriters and the author of “The Craft and Business of Songwriting”.  Learn more about him at www.johnbraheny.com.

In Part 1 of our interview with John Braheny, he talks about the importance of mental preparation, current opportunities and demo production strategies.

In Part 2 below, John gives some great tips on getting the most out of your songwriting sessions, the value of re-writing, and learning how to communicate better with your audience.

6. What are some common mistakes you see songwriters make?

A. Assuming the first thing they think of will be their best idea.

B. Settling too soon just to get it finished. Have a check list you go through on each song you write so you keep up your own standards.

C. Deciding not to write any more until you get your songs demoed, published etc. That’s a good sign you’re not writing because you love to write. Most successful writers have written hundreds of songs before they get their first cut. That’s certainly not a rule, but as Malcolm Gladwell observes in his great book “Outliers,” most people who are successful at anything have spent at least 10,000 hours practicing their art or trade. In songwriting, it took Diane Warren 10 years to get her first cut after writing several songs a week. I can attest to that work ethic after hearing about 150 of the songs she wrote when she was 15. Check out her site at www.realsongs.com.

D. Listening to friends and relatives who tell them they can’t do it because: “You’ll never make any money,” “It’s a waste of time,” “What makes you think you have talent?” If you let yourself internalize those comments as negative self-talk, it becomes the voice of a destructive inner critic that’s poison to your creativity.

E. Refusing to re-write. Re-writing is how you learn and grow.

F. Not investing in classes, workshops, critique sessions to learn the craft that will better serve your imagination and creativity.

G. Giving up  when other priorities compete for your time. Even with a day gig and a family, if you want to write songs, write songs. Hang in there and make things happen.

H. Not getting help when you need it. For example, if you’re a great guitarist/singer but need help with production, you should seek the help of a knowledgeable producer.

7. What are some simple exercises songwriters can do to immediately improve their craft?

Write for 10 minutes every morning about anything that occurs to you. Julia Cameron, author of “The Artists’ Way”, calls it Morning Pages. Berklee songwriting professor Pat Pattison calls it “object writing” because you start by picking an object then just free associating. Don’t stop to worry about grammar, style and don’t rewrite. Just let it flow. Stop at 10 minutes. It gets so your subconscious knows you’ll be doing it and you find that during your day you’ll make a little mental note of what you’re going to write about. You’ll have a reason to pay attention. You’ll have to think about how you feel about things – how you’d describe things. You’ll write more clearly and deliberately, even when you free associate. Practice describing what you feel in detail in sensory detail.

You might invest in some Jump-starters. My friend Lisa Aschmann has a great book called “1000 Songwriting Ideas” that will give you that little shove to get the ball rolling. Another book like that is Barbara Jordan’s “Songwriters Playground: Innovative Exercises in Creative Songwriting.” Also, Robin Frederick’s “Shortcuts To Hit Songwriting” is full of great tips and exercises. It’s like a companion workbook to my book, “The Craft And Business Of Songwriting”.

On the music side you can do the same thing. Pick up the guitar or get with your keyboard for 10 minutes once a day. Try to just come up with a new chord progression, melody line or guitar riff each time. Record every session. Just sing nonsense. If you’re primarily a lyricist it’s very important to get used to focusing on the melody, otherwise you may have a tendency to get too wordy. Every time you get something started and come up with an actual lyric line, while recording, try out 4 or 5 more variations of the melody line.

8. How often should songwriters re-write?

As often as you need to make it as good as it can be. Although there are songs that come out pretty much finished the first time around, they’re very rare. In Nashville, the pro writers say “You don’t write songs, you re-write songs.” Jon Ims did 32 re-writes for his Songwriters Hall Of Fame hit, “She’s In Love With The Boy.” I asked him to chronicle that process for the “Rewriting” section of my book. It’s a great lesson.

It’s so difficult to come up with a unique idea that you owe it to yourself and your song to make it as good as possible. That’s how it is for Nashville writers and others who write for hit artists. They know those songs will go through a lot of scrutiny before a label will decide to invest a million dollars in producing and marketing a song. On another level, if you’re an artist who writes for yourself, you’ll become known and appreciated for the unique way you express yourself.

You want to take as much time as possible to hone your songs to reach into those listeners, your potential fans, and express their feelings as well as your own. Don’t be pretentious. Tell the truth. They’ll like you and identify with you because they feel they know you. So let them know the real you. Don’t obscure your feelings and attitudes by writing lyrics that are deliberately (or unconsciously) uncommunicative. Consider your songs to be conversations with your listeners. Don’t talk nonsense to them.

There are many creative, unique, poetic, profound and even somewhat abstract ways to express yourself. You rewrite with your imagination, art, and craftsmanship to achieve those goals, to communicate clearly and to entertain your listeners whether you’re delivering a message, expressing your feelings or just making music that makes them shake their butts and forget the world.

9. Truly successful songwriting depends on finding a receptive audience. With that in mind, how important is it for writer-performers to connect with their audiences? What can they do to improve their efforts?

Practice alone and with an audience every chance you get. When you practice alone, visualize an audience. Use a mirror or use a cheap video camera to record yourself and study it. Keep a daily journal of funny stuff you observe or think about in your normal life. Be honest. Work on developing those funny personal stories and sharing them with your audience in a regular blog and between songs at your showcases and gigs. No matter what your personality is, you’ll draw an audience who likes and identifies with it. Don’t forget that you’re not on stage just to express yourself – you’re there to entertain your audience and make them feel good that they invested their precious time coming to see you.

I see way too many artists just get up and stumble through their songs, apologizing, “Sorry I’m out of tune” (Just shut up and tune or learn to tune as you tell them a story.) “Sorry I’m not at my best/ I didn’t get much sleep” (This one better be accompanied by a VERY funny story!) “Hey I just wrote this today and I haven’t quite got it worked out yet.” (Don’t inflict it on them. It’s like saying “You only deserve to see me at my worst.”) They don’t care!! They didn’t come to see you at your worst! Don’t apologize! You don’t exactly have to put on a suit and tie (Unless you’re Michael Buble), but wear something that shows some respect for your audience. Comb your hair. Look like you care – like you’re going to meet your girlfriend/boyfriend’s parents. Well, that might be a little extreme but you know what I mean.

As a singer, make sure you’ve written lyrics that represent your true feelings, convictions, experiences and that you personally connect emotionally with every line you sing. Quantum Physicists are finding that there is an actual transfer of energy that takes place. It’s why you see some American Idol contestants who hear from Simon or Kara “You’re just not inside the song.” when they’re thinking about how they’re singing and how they look etc. and not what they’re singing. There are singers who can fake it and audiences who will buy it. There’s a famous line of David Lee Roth, if I remember correctly when asked by Johnny Carson what was the secret of his success, he said “Sincerity, Johnny, and if you can fake that you’ve got it made.” It’s much better, however, if you are sincere.

10. What can people do to keep their connection to an audience once they establish it?

Get their e-mail address. Make sure they can reach you. If you’re playing a club, persuade the doorman to use a stamp with your website on it so they can go to their iPhone or computer and enter it. Then send them something every week. Tell them about your next gig, video yourself and send them a link. Send them a newsletter, do a blog on your site, let them know with a Facebook message or a Tweet. Try using a site/service like www.Reverbnation.com that will let you post your songs on you fans’ sites so they can promote you. There are lots more of these things. Check Ariel Hiatt’s www.arielpublicity.com and Bob Baker’s www.bob-baker.com for great self-marketing info.

In Part 3 of this interview, John gives advice about making a living as a solo singer-songwriter, how to maximize your songwriting output even if you have outside responsibilities such as a job and family, and the best ways to seek out and secure publishing deals.

John Braheny is a consultant for songwriters and the author of “The Craft and Business of Songwriting”.  Learn more about him at www.johnbraheny.com.

John Braheny is a top consultant for songwriters, performers and industry entrepreneurs. He is a consultant and screener for TAXI, the independent A&R company, and offers valuable feedback on songwriting craft and business and career strategies for performers.

John is one of the most respected people in the music industry, and, more specifically, in the songwriting community. From 1971-1996 he co-founded and directed the legendary Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase (LASS), which BMI sponsored for 18 years.

During that time the organization gave exposure and opportunities to a virtual Who’s Who of up and coming singer-songwriters, including Stevie Nicks and Lindsay Buckingham, Janis Ian, Warren Zevon, Karla Bonoff, Stephen Bishop, and Diane Warren.

John graciously took some time away from his busy schedule to discuss songwriting with Serve The Song over the phone and via email. Below is the first part of our conversation.

1. Most readers of Serve The Song are DIY songwriters and producers. Can you talk a little bit about how they need to think like entrepreneurs to move their careers forward?

Sure. In some way or another we’ve always had to be entrepreneurs, even during the days when everybody aspired to a major label deal. We had to find managers, booking agents, hire or select musicians for our bands, select and book recording and rehearsal studios. We had to handle and budget our money and we had to promote ourselves. If we found a manager, many of those tasks would be taken over by him/her and/or a business manager. If we got a major or indie label deal, the company would often take over the jobs of finding a booking agent, selecting a producer and paying for marketing and record promotion.

One of the most expensive items was marketing/promotion. The record had to be good enough for radio airplay and promoted to radio with a combination of in-house and out-sourced promoters. In the old label deals most of that cost would be recouped by the record companies through record sales. Production costs, tour advances and sometimes promotion costs were recouped from the artists royalties before the artists got their first penny.

Currently, most of those things still have to be done, but DIY artists now have a vast array of services and resources to help them with booking, accounting, and fan-base management. What that does, however, is to put the responsibility of developing your career solely on your own shoulders. It requires self-discipline, good time management skills, networking skills, the willingness to seek feedback on your work (an often under-appreciated service that was provided in the past by music publishers and record companies) and to commit to growing and learning as an artist. So without the record label or a good manager, you can’t blame failure on anyone but yourself.

The bottom line is that even if you do aspire to a major label deal, labels want to sign successful entrepreneurs who have demonstrated a real commitment to their careers. I’ve heard many record execs through the years remind artists that when the deal is signed, that’s when your REAL work begins. These days I’d disagree. Your work as an entrepreneur starts when you decide YOU want to make a living doing what you love.

2. Besides pitching songs to established artists and TV/movie music supervisors, what other opportunities are available to today’s DIY songwriters and producers?

Getting your songs into film/TV is the biggest but there are other opportunities. Video games are using more actual songs aside from scores and more games are getting set up so that the songs can be changed out and new songs used. Songs in greeting cards are getting big, although they’re still dominated by old hits. There are many compilation CDs created for charities that will use songs that focus on their particular interests (medical, animals, armed forces family charities etc.). You won’t see a lot of income from those compilations but it’s a good way to get your songs out there to help people discover you. Sponsorships and endorsement deals can be a good income generator or a way to finance your road tours, equipment, etc.

Some contests offer cash prizes and all offer recognition if you win. Good indie producers are always in demand if you’re willing to work on “spec” until you get real opportunities. It’s also good to attend audio school combined with internships that prepare you and put you in line for those opportunities. Always look toward your classmates and contemporaries as potential partners on projects. Join forces and collaborate wherever possible and jump on any creative opportunity. This is not a time for competition, but for cooperation.

I’ll mention here that one of the best ways I know to connect with new opportunities if you feel you have a viable catalog of songs is to join TAXI. It’s a great opportunity to get constructive critiques to help you grow as a writer and artist.

3. In the old days we used to be able to pitch material with just a simple guitar and vocal demo. Given the current level of competition out there, what is the minimum quality standard songwriters should shoot for when pitching their demos? Does everything need to be slickly produced? Is it possible to get an acceptable level of quality in a home studio environment?

If you learn to use your home studio equipment well – your software and samples, plug-ins and outboard gear as well as old-school microphone placement techniques, you can do very good demos on your own that are comparable to masters costing thousands of dollars in expensive studios not all that long ago. So don’t think you have to get that elaborate. You need clean, undistorted sound. The kinds of demos you present to whom is a topic I cover extensively in my book but I’ll try to be brief here. If the song is for country or a pop ballad, and has a great, unique lyric and melody, you can get away with a well-played guitar or keyboard and vocal. The vocal MUST be very good. If you know anyone who’s a better singer than you, hire them to sing it. If you’re a band, you obviously use your band. If you write rock or R&B, Hip-Hop, etc. you need a great rhythm section and a great singer. This is a generalization and there are a lot more nuances to this question.

4. How important is storytelling when it comes to writing a great song?

What’s most important is engaging and holding the listener’s attention lyrically, melodically and rhythmically. Storytelling is one of the most successful time-tested lyrical approaches. There have always been great story songs in all cultures. Holding a listener’s attention with a well-developed story has been a staple in all genres. The linear narrative like “Coward of The County” or Eminem’s “Stan” or Dan Fogelberg’s “Same Old Lang Syne” is one kind of storytelling but you can also tell a more non-linear, abstract, emotional story that leaves more to the listener’s imagination. Ultimately, it’s a magic combination of lyric, melody, groove, production and arrangement and performance that together tells, and sells, the “story”, regardless of how you define it.

5. How important is an understanding of music theory and various song forms?

What both of those give you is a toolbox. If you only know one chord progression or one melodic mode, you’ll start repeating yourself very soon. Your writing will get stale. Though it’s not necessary to know music theory to write a good song, understanding the theory will help you to know how to analyze your own instinctive artistic choices. Once you know them you know how to control them and expand them.

Song form, or structure, is very important if you’re writing contemporary music that you want to be commercially viable. There are many viable structures to choose from. Although you should have them all available in your toolbox, it’s equally as important that you understand why they work. Song structure serves as a matrix that helps to guide the listener through the song with a combination of predictability and surprise that serves to hold their attention. If you have 5 0r 6 verses in a row with the same melody, it doesn’t hold a listener’s attention as well as a verse/chorus/verse/chorus/bridge/chorus structure that introduces a listener to 3 different melodies to keep it interesting. Note that the bridge (surprise factor) comes after a repeat (predictability factor) of two verse/chorus modules.

You always need at least two of something before you can introduce a surprise. If, say, you had 4 different sections in a row where nothing repeats, though it may be interesting to progressive rock or jazz fans, it’s hard to hold the attention of a mass market audience who likes to “own” a song by learning the chorus and participating.

There are styles of music that don’t need to use the same structures as pop music because the audience doesn’t need these structures to hold their attention on radio while they’re thinking about/doing something else. Dance music is generally built for clubs where the music surrounds the listener and depends on a different mix of ingredients (groove, sounds, etc.) to delight its audience. Musical theater uses songs to move the story along and develop characters and already has the attention of a viewing audience. To some extent, music for film/TV doesn’t always require the same kind of structure and dynamics as radio music because its function is more about supplying a “vibe” or emotional underpinning to what’s happening on-screen or saying lyrically what the characters are thinking. In that case, the screen, not the music should hold your main focus – unless the film is about the music.

Check out Part 2 of “A Songwriting Conversation With John Braheny”, and please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments!

photo by Mister Boboli

These days, it seems searching for potential bandmates is much like looking for a new job.  Or hiring an employee.  Or finding a roommate.

It involves hours of scrolling through craigslist and message boards, searching for someone who shares your musical vision, fits with your style and matches your goals and commitment.  So what do you look for in a potential bandmate?

Here are some things to consider when contacting, auditioning, and working with potential bandmates:

• Find someone who shares your musical influences. It seems this is the number one thing folks are looking for out there on the craigslist scene.  Classified ads list the top five favorite bands of the person or group seeking others to jam with.  This can be a good starting point, but don’t make it the sole criteria.  I have found many people list bands and genres that are far different from the way they actually play or write music.
• Find someone with different musical influence. You want to mix things up a bit.  When it comes to formulating a “new sound”, mixing styles and genres is the name of the game.  Unless of course you’re forming a Guns and Roses tribute band.  Then of course, you better all live and breathe G&R.
• Make sure share your level of commitment. If you’re in it for 2+ weekly rehearsals, constant gigging, touring, and studio recording, then be up front about that in your search.  Make it clear that’s what you’re going for, and only work with folks who are up for it.  If you’re in just for fun, maybe a monthly jam and the occasional house party gig, then don’t seek out players who dream of rock stardom.
• Find players that have as good or better chops than you. If you know you’re a solid player, then you know who’s on your level and who’s not.  Respectfully decline to continue on with guys who just can’t keep up with what you’re doing.  Finding players who are better than you can greatly improve your musical skills.  Welcome this opportunity, and if they’re up for moving forward with you, then it could be a good thing.
• Be sure the logistics work for all parties. If they live 2 hours from you, rehearsals will be difficult.  If someone doesn’t have a car or access to public transport, that can be a hassle.  Figure out the ride-share situation, sharing of equipment, etc.
• Avoid money issues. Lets face it, cash problems can be a tricky issue – especially if your friendship doesn’t go back a long way.  Be clear about everyone’s share of expenses and avoid players who refuse to pay their fair share.
• Personality matters. Just because everything works on all of the above points doesn’t mean you will get along with your potential bandmates on a personal level.  Find someone who gels with your personal sense of humor, or shares your perspective on things you care about.  If there’s no personal chemistry, there won’t be any musical chemistry.
• Age matters. Or should I say, stage-in-life.  If you’re 18 and you’re interested in playing gigs, partying all night, and looking forward to a lifetime of world domination that lays ahead of you… You probably don’t want to commit to a band relationship with an accomplished player in his fifties with a wife and kids, full-time career and a mortgage to pay.  Or you might, but just realize the differences in approach and commitment that will arise based on which stage of life you’re in.

Over to you

What do you look for when considering potential bandmates?