[Alan Starkie]

Just been sat in front of the PC searching out and emailing about 50 publishers for permission to submit work. Email's sent. Now the wait. The positive is - I'm only looking for one publisher to give me a cut. One out of fifty is do-able.

Anyone else doing the do?

[terrysains]

Good luck Alan, just the one will do! Terry.

[Alan Starkie]

No one else submitting to publishers? On a songwriter forum?

This is very surprising. I wasn't expecting that.

[Neil C]

Alan,

I'm intending to, but currently using my time to build a body of songs whilst I'm between jobs..

When you e-mail what approach works best? I presume you either include an MP3 or link to soundcloud and ask for a meeting??

And compared to the paying for a service such as Xraymusic? I'm a bit cynical and prefer the shared risk and reward of the published approach....   

Neil 

[Sing4me88]

Hi Alan,
              I aim to pitch to labels and publishers etc too. Problem in that I'm only a lyricist and that many of the demos from my collabs are rough 'bare bone demos' that lack a full production. I have pitched one completed track to publishers that I accessed via the GISC song search ads in their magazine but nothing came of it.

Like Neil I tend t stay away from Xray and Taxi and pay for pitch sites. I'd rather know a publisher is going to try to get a placement so they can earn rather than pay them money to stick a track in an on-line catalogue they rarely promote or tend to.

[Alan Starkie]

Hi Neil,

You'll never get a meeting so don't bother asking.

Don't attach mp3's unless specifically asked. They don't like that.

Have a look at the MPA Online. Go through and send links and a short bio to the pubs accepting unsolicited emails first. Then go through all the others in your genre sending an email asking for permission to submit.

There's a lot and they only let you submit 5 emails an hour so it's going to take a while.

I've used most submission sites with varying degrees of success.

MusicXray is the only one ive not had any success with but ill just persevere with it.

Alan.

[S.T.C]

I will.but only with a co-writer.......me and Flossie have a song that`s strong enough,,in fact she has touted it and it got some favourable response.....

Soon i will be working with a guitarist hoping to develop a song or two...and if they produce well ..i will show them.......i have a contact in the music industry,,,,who could do a whole lot of good at the right time..but it`s finding the right material that turns that key..

I have a single goal and that`s to be a one hit wonder ..seriously ,to write.compose a well known song...i`m not greedy!!

[NicBDA]

I have a single goal and that`s to be a one hit wonder ..seriously ,to write.compose a well known song...i`m not greedy!!

In an interview Don McClean was asked "What does American Pie mean?" he replied "It means that I don't ever have to work again if I don't want to" so I think you have a plan there

[Sing4me88]

I have a single goal and that`s to be a one hit wonder ..seriously ,to write.compose a well known song...i`m not greedy!!

A HUGE plus 1 to that!!! Just one song that brings in the dough would suffice for me, although I'd imagine that once you get the 'hit' all of your other work would automatically go up in the estimation of the industry and it could be a case that some less well written stuff suddenly becomes 'better' and cuts the mustard! Like everything though it is about getting that first foot in through the door which at the min seems nigh on impossible for me and probably will be for the foreseeable future

[S.T.C]

Yes ,i was at work today stuffing red peppers
And was thinking about this..cos it is my main thing and i do forget it...anyway,it struck me that maybe the era of the `classic` song is over?

I mean whens the last time you heard a new song and thought wow..that`s a future classic..maybe some of Adeles stuff might go down that way..i don`t know!!

The one hit wonder for example as to be a particular type of song......it doesn`t have to be well written ,,just right for the moment..
Can`t think of a better one than these two.

and

Anyway just keep plugging away and see what occurs.

[Sing4me88]

Yes ,i was at work today stuffing red peppers
And was thinking about this..cos it is my main thing and i do forget it...anyway,it struck me that maybe the era of the `classic` song is over?

I mean whens the last time you heard a new song and though wow..that`s a future classic..maybe some of Adeles stuff might go down that way..i don`t know!!

The one hit wonder for example as to be a particular type of song......it doesn`t have to be well written ,,just right for the moment..
Can`t think of a better one than these two.

and

Anyway just keep plugging away and see what occurs.

I think you'll struggle to find any classic song in todays charts. IMO the days of well written songs by guys like Dylan, Simon etc are gone and now its all about cursing each other and silly catchy crap (kinda like the dross i WRITE ONLY INFINITELY BETTER!!!!). i THINK GUYS LIKE jAKE bUGG ETC ARE MORE ATTUNED TO THE CLASSIC STYLE AND WHILE THEIR MUSIC IS GREAT IT DOESN'T GET ANYWHERE NEAR THE AIRING OF cALL ME mAYBE, hOW YA dOIN, gANGNUM sTYLE, oNE pOUND FISH ETC!!!!!

[S.T.C]

Yes there`s only a few good songwriters about capable of  writing stuff that stops you dead in your tracks....even the songs that get temporary fame..aren't all that good..the one hit wonders these days like Gangnam style.....don`t really linger enough in the mind...

[Sing4me88]

One that I think is lyrically quite good at the minute is 'True Love' by P!nk. Lyrical genius. Also Avicis new song 'Wake me up' is also lyrically very strong and clever. They also have dance Pop feel to them which makes them catchy but probably detracts somewhat from the lyrical strength of the two songs.

[Jess]

Call me maybe is amazing! It's quite well written and is like the catchiest thing EVER! I think people like Bruno Mars, Katy Perry, P!nk, etc aren't recognised enough for their songwriting talent, they can be overshadowed by all the crap club music...like everyone hated 'summertime sadness' by lana del rey but now that some dj has made a remix version it's storming the charts! Also feel slightly for country artists like Kacey Musgraves (I recently discovered her and she is one of the most amazing songwriters!) because they are constantly outshone by Taylor swift who seems to be the only country star the charts will accept.
What is my generation doing to music!? (My deepest apologies)

[S.T.C]

I like summer time sadness like it is..i heard the remix..thought it was junk..but this is the trouble......the bars getting lowered in the mainstream....bit like Hollywood looking to comic books as their main pool of inspiration to the next big movie....dumb it down