[Alan Starkie]

Are you signed to a publisher/publishers?

What's your experience?

[Boydie]

I have been working with a UK publisher for a few months

It has been an incredibly useful experience and I have learnt so much

The biggies are...

 - Seeing "real life" pitches (for some major artists and smaller/emerging artists) is a really eye opening experience. Having been given well over 50 pitches in the last 3 months there are definite trends in what record labels are asking publishers for - e.g. all labels seem to be lining up the next Justin Bieber at the moment and are looking for tracks to suit! (this thought might make you shudder bit it is da truth!)

 - If you are writing "album tracks" you are wasting your time trying to get interest from publishers - all they are after is hits, hits, hits

 - Forget deep and meaningful songwriting - go with the current trends, keep it simple, repetitive lyrics, catchy melodies, repetitive lyrics, top notch production, and repetitive lyrics

 - the production of a demo not only needs to be "broadcast quality" (ie "radio ready") it needs to contain all of the "sonic hooks" - swooshes, sound fx, etc.

In this day and age this is all now part of the songwriting/demo process - you can no longer submit a "guitar and vocal" recording expecting the publisher/label to imagine the full production


For me the experience has made me completely re-evaluate my songwriting techniques/approach

I have invested in a new laptop and upgraded my DAW to improve production

I have purchased new soft-synths and samples to "modernise" my sound

And most importantly I have been LEARNING - reading books on writing hit songs, looking at videos/tutorials on production, listening to the current hits of the day, listen to the sounds being used, talking to the pop "target market" to find out the issues they are talking about, listening to conversations etc. etc.

I am also much more considered in my writing - ie before writing or developing a song I am trying to identify an artist that I think could release it tomorrow

I can then pitch it to this artist - or at the very least pitch it to this kind of artist

I am a little way off posting my tracks using this new gear and approach but I am very encouraged by my efforts so far...

[S.T.C]

@Boydie, one thing worth mentioning is, the best selling artists arn`t all making trash music..i refer to people like Adele, Emile Sandi,Mumford and sons....so when you say `hits` they can be adult pieces in music...as opposed to the stuff ,say Beyonce puts out....

The crazy thing is theres so much good work made on ``amateur ` sites like this....but all the industry barriers and hurdles...closed mindedness ...laziness...means it won`t see the light of day by the the very artists who might actually see some value in it.

[Boydie]

@Boydie, one thing worth mentioning is, the best selling artists arn`t all making trash music..i refer to people like Adele, Emile Sandi,Mumford and sons....so when you say `hits` they can be adult pieces in music...as opposed to the stuff ,say Beyonce puts out....

Good point - and this is kinda the crux of what I am saying

The artists you have mentioned probably write, or co-write, much of their own material

The "credible" artists often do, which is often what makes them credible - the can actually write, play an instrument and sing (shock horror!) - some even look pretty as well!

To have a song picked up by a publisher means that a label is looking for a particular track for a particular artist - often new artists

The chances are (for better or worse) that the artist they are about to launch (which can't write their own songs) is going to be a super pretty girl or boy that may (or may not!) be able to hold a tune

This is the market I am talking about where the slim chance of getting a song cut are probably strongest so it is where I will be putting my rod & line hoping for a bite

[S.T.C]

Tomorrow i will write something that any wanna be would want to sing....

[Alan Starkie]

Tomorrow i will write something that any wanna be would want to sing....

Aren't you doing that already? You should be if you're looking for success. Also, music that you personally don't like isn't automatically viewed as 'trash' by everyone else. Mumford and sons aren't loved by all and Beyonce is loved by many. And vice versa.

My original point has been missed really. I was asking if anyone was signed to publishers and what their experience had been with the specific publishers they were signed to.

[Boydie]

Sorry mate, misunderstood

My experience of the publisher went like this...

I submitted some songs through a "solicited" lead to the publisher

The publisher liked my tracks and allowed me to pitch for specific leads

I then get sent the leads on a regular basis via email and pitched for the ones I felt were most suitable

I got feedback directly from the publisher on the quality of the song, production etc.

This feedback was invaluable and helped me understand exactly what publishers (or at least this publisher) was looking for

The leads that were sent were mostly a "forward" of the actual request from the label/record company

e.g. "we are launching a new artist in the US and looking for tracks in the vein of..."

There would then usually be some links to the type of stuff they are looking for - e.g. Kelly Clarkson etc.

The publisher would then add on their own bit of info - e.g. "we have worked with this artist before so we have a great shot at getting placed"

It is probably also worth noting here that getting a song picked up by a publisher is the FIRST step (although an important first step)

The publisher then needs to compete with all of the other publishers to get the song heard and ultimately "cut" by the artist

[Alan Starkie]

Thanks Boydie. What do you mean by solicited lead? I'm signed to two production houses on Europe and the US and another US pub/record company in the US. I'm targeting pubs who supply artists now and  always looking for new leads (as you are no doubt). I've also got songs being pushed to artists in Nashville so I'm heading in the right direction...ish.......BIG ish....

[S.T.C]

My lyric writing is varied ...i can be `high church` to a ` small  chapel` so to speak....

I don`t go out and out, to write very popular themes..just what comes in to my head at the time...

As to being signed up to a publisher....i`m not , but .. this year i might look more into it..iv`e been advised to do it...

I`m concentrating on forming writing partnerships first....self publishing is also attractive to me....i do have a lead directly into the heart of the beast.....a recording artist...who swims with bigger fish...is also a writer and values my work rate...not saying they value all my work.

[Neil C]

Hi,
I just wondered what's peoples experiences of the new breed of publishing intermediary has been eg Broadjam and musicxray, some of whom seem to charge for a service?
 
Neil

[Sing4me88]

I've been reading this with interest as I'm in a weird position being only a ltricist with no vocal or musical talent yet someone who believes I can write stuff good enough for labels, publishers etc... the thing is when I write lyrics and have a rough melody in my head I can 'hear' it and know why it works, others however can only 'read' the lyrics and they are, after all, just words on a screen!!! I tend to write what others might consider thrashy type lyrics but hey that's what sells... I look at the likes of Bruno Mars/Olly Murs and more recently Katy Perry, Kesha etc and think 'what kinda thing would they sing' and then write that way... problem is with the type of lyrics those reading' only see a few catch phrases or buzz word cliches written down and repeated quite a bit yet for what I have in my head this works.... maybe if I could play a damn instrument I would be able to write nice meaningful songs but I can't so I have to write cathcy lyrics with good hook etc and hope someone will like them, unfortunately this is what many consider thrashy lyrics!!!.... still got a pipe dream that some producer will connect with my lyrics and that I'll finally get something together that can lead to a publishing deal... until then I'm left with some 'outside the box' lyrics that look good on paper and sound good in my head but offer nothing in substance or reality.. bu hey I might as well plug it here and say if anyone wants to collab in making some cathcy yet very thrashy songs fit for commercial consumption hit me up on private message

[Alan Starkie]

Hi,
I just wondered what's peoples experiences of the new breed of publishing intermediary has been eg Broadjam and musicxray, some of whom seem to charge for a service?
 
Neil

I have used all of them Neil.

I currently have a song with musicxray but have never signed a contract through them.

I've had a lot of publishing offers through musicclout and audiorokit and have signed 3 out of the approx 10 offers.

I'm now emailing publishers directly.

Get your demos to the best standard you possibly can but don't take any old deal offered.

If it's good enough to attract the attention of one publisher, there'll be others.

Don't rush into anything.

[Mackofficial]

Thanks for posting this perseverence, I was going to ask exactly the same thing and have found the posts so far really informative.

Please forgive me for asking what may seem a basic question, but how did those of you with publishers initially connect with them? Was it through MusicXray etc, did they find you (bit of an optimistic one!), or did you contact them directly? And if so, how? Where did you find contact details of legit publishers, did you call / email?

Sorry that's actually a LOT of questions, but I'm planning on shopping a couple of my tracks around and would value any advice you can offer!!

Sorry, one more....if you sent a demo was it one track, four or an album?

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mack

[Alan Starkie]

Try AudioRokit and MusicClout Mack.

You'll have to subscribe to submit but that's the way it is these days. I asked why the fees and the answer was : how much is airmail? Are you guaranteed a listen at the other end?

I've had lots of offers/interest from publishers/record companies/radio stations/magazines through these companies. You just need to be choosey.

Try this list of publishers :

http://www.mpaonline.org.uk/directory

A tip - email them to first ask permission to submit.

Hope this helps.

Alan.