Being a great songwriter and having great recorded versions of your songs is an admirable goal in and of itself. However, as an independent songwriter, having your songs see the light of day can be challenging. Until the people who can actually do something with your song (i.e. music publishers, music industry professionals, established recording artist) have heard it, it might as well not exist. You would be amazed at how many songwriters out there have great song demos that very few, if any, music industry professionals have ever heard. Creating the songs is one thing but getting your music out in the world requires an entirely different set of skills.

Networking

In the beginning stages of trying to make it into the music industry, getting yourself out there to networking events such as open mics, writer’s nights, and any industry events you can find is important. For those of you in music cities like New York, Atlanta, Nashville and Los Angeles there are an almost endless stream of opportunities. For those of you in small cities and towns, you might have to look a little harder or travel from time to time to one of the bigger cities I just mentioned. I think it’s a universal truth that this kind of stuff isn’t always that much fun but especially when you’re starting out, it’s essential.

Let’s put it this way, all things being equal, if you’ve met someone from a record label or publishing company in a social setting and assuming you’ve had a nice exchange, there’s a much greater likelihood that they’ll not only remember you when you call but will make more of an effort to help you out if they can. The point is that the more you’re out there, the more people you’ll meet and the greater the chance it will pay dividends down the road.

Professionalism

Did I mention we’re talking about the music business? This means it’s in your best interest to be professional about how you approach people in the industry. When reaching out to someone in the music industry, call or email first. Make this first contact short and to the point. In other words, let them know why you’re calling/emailing (i.e. to schedule a meeting, to see if they’re accepting CD’s, to ask whether you can submit an mp3, etc.). This is not the time to have a long discussion. If you’ve been referred by someone they know (see “networking” above) mention this as well.

Also, while it’s great to be excited and even confident about your material, it rarely pays to tell someone that you’ve got a “great” song or you’re an “amazing” songwriter. Let your music speak for itself. Once you’ve gotten approval to do so, then submit your song or bring it to the meeting. It really doesn’t make sense to send out CD’s or mp3’s without first getting approval as they usually end up at the bottom of a pile or even worse, the person who hasn’t asked for it considers it an intrusion.

By the way, if you’ve never seen the office of an A&R rep or music publisher, I’m here to tell you that it’s wall-to-wall CD’s. We’re talking hundreds and hundreds if not thousands of them. Make sure that your CD is clearly labeled with a few simple elements: Your name and contact information (phone and email), the name of the song or songs and possibly - if it’s a song for an artist - the name of the person you’re pitching it to. Also, make certain that every part of the package is labeled. This means put your information on the CD and on the CD sleeve or jewel case. Make sure that if the CD itself gets separated from the case, the information is the CD, too.

Also, if you’re using a jewel case, make sure there’s information on the spine. Remember the part where I said there are thousands of CD’s in these folks’ offices? When your CD ends up on a shelf with all the others, the spine of the CD will be the only way for them to identify it.

Finally, I can think of no good reason why any submission should be more than three songs. If you’re pitching a song to an artist, they’re not hoping for a “bonus track.” If you’re pitching to a publisher, three songs is a good way to show them you’ve got more than one good song without overdoing it. If they want more, believe me, they’ll ask. It all comes down to putting yourself in the position of the industry person. If they’ve got a desk full of CD’s to listen to and have to choose between a CD with two songs on it or one with nineteen songs, which one do you think they’ll pick?

Persistence…Persistence

Let’s say you’re fortunate enough to reach someone by either phone or email and they’ve agreed to let you mail in a CD or email them an mp3. Here’s what you should expect:

Nothing.

In other words, it’s extremely rare that you’ll hear anything back quickly after you submit it. As a matter of fact, you should put in your calendar to follow up two or three weeks after you’ve submitted something. This follow up should be even shorter than your initial contact. Email is probably best for this. A simple email saying you wanted to make sure they’d received your submission is enough.

Resending material is something that you should expect to do. Following up every two to three weeks (unless you’re asked not to) is perfectly acceptable if you’re polite and to the point. I’m not a cynic and I don’t believe that anyone has an agenda to ignore submitted material. I’m a realist and the sheer number of submissions makes it almost impossible for anyone to stay on top of things. Anything you can do to help remind someone is in your best interest and generally appreciated.

Courtesy

You may very well have great songs and it would be in the best interest of the industry professional you’re pursuing to listen to them, but there are a lot of great songs out there and only a limited number of opportunities for them. All this to say, if your song isn’t listened to right away or even if it’s lost or ignored, don’t take it personally. It’s not easy to submit them for judgment and tougher still to wait around hoping someone will actually listen. However, you’ll only do yourself a disservice by being rude or impatient with someone and heaven help you if you get a reputation in the industry for being difficult or unpleasant.

Patience

Given that there are so many artists, songwriters and songs out there for a limited number of spots, it all comes down to patience. Patience with yourself as you improve your musical skills and patience with the industry people you’re soliciting as they make their way through all of the material in line ahead of you.

My recommendation is to have as many irons in the fire as you possibly can at all times so that you’re not waiting for any one thing to happen or not to happen as is so often the case. The more people you get to know, the more opportunities you explore and the more submissions you make, the less likely you are to get discouraged and the more likely you are to start having success.

1. Step 1

   Record a quality MP3, and remember that 192k is almost CD quality. MP3s recorded at a lower rate than this will sound muddy and distorted. Price your MP3 competitively.

2. Step 2

   Secure your MP3 against music piracy. This problem plagues the major labels, as well as independent publishers. Spend wisely to protect your music. MP3Guard is an example of a program that encrypts your MP3 and prevents consumers from copying it. You’ll find MP3Guard at the Exefind website.

3. Research websites where your MP3 can be sold. Not only do you want to find a website that provides a number of good services for musicians, you want one that consumers can find easily. Browse websites like SoundClick, where you can market your MP3, post a video and even sell digital albums.
4. Step 4

   Market MP3 both online and off line. Include websites on your business and personal stationary, press releases and all marketing materials. Brainstorm new ways to reach consumers. Purchase and attach a magnetic sign to your car that displays your website, so you can advertise all over town.

5. Step 5

   Expand your Internet marketing program to non-musical websites. The Lulu website is a good example. Musicians can sell individual MP3, digital albums and CDs there.

It is so important as a independent artist to get your music out to potential fans and consumers. This process can be time consuming but it is well worth it. One of the best ways to do this is to promote and market your music online through social networking sites such as myspace, twitter, facebook, etc.