Everything you do is both useful and a waste of time . Itunes/Spotify can make you look good , but make no money and has way too many songs ,to be a platform to get noticed. The freebie sites you can host your material ,again swamped with people/talent and so getting heard is difficult. ...Selling physical music..like CD's Albums is hard to do ,listener lethargie is rampant...like Noel Gallagher says , they will pay £10 for 2 poncey coffees , but not for a CD that will last a lifetime.
For songwriter recognition, i'm afraid it's a long road of , competitions , social networking , grass roots type stuff....most music fans are ignorant of the more successful writers for very good reasons..they operate as a sort of a sub culture , if that's the world you want , you need to become like them i suppose.
And something i mentioned in the Musicxray post and Boydie mentions with Facebook , is spending money and forcing the issue...you pay a professional to take the time too analyze your work.....of course this all open to abuse.
Really , there's one simple truth , you need to be sure what you offer is top drawer , they pass on nearly everything , i'm of the opinion now, if you have Vinyl of CD sell it directly , even door to door if you have to. For a songwriter job , make a friend or two online or in person, offer your services free, prove yourself and maybe it will give you a result.....find an up and coming artist, become a writer for them...again maybe as a freebie...if they rise , you might with them....
We have to remember there is and always has been an industry that smiles to your face as it picks your pockets.