| By now you've probably read a myriad of articles with | | | | services as well to further your career. Just visit us at |
| individuals who claim to have all of the answers and | | | | for any help you might need and don't hesitate to email |
| secrets to getting your songs heard and cut - for a | | | | or call us. |
| price of course. I will not claim to have all of the | | | | In terms of your marketing abilities or lack there of, let's |
| answers and neither will I promise you fame and | | | | look at some real possibilities and venture out into the |
| fortune, but I will give you some solid advice as to how | | | | real world of pitching your material and how you will go |
| to get your songs heard. As a former talent booking | | | | about doing that. First off, how are you sending your |
| agent with the William Morris Agency, I can attest to | | | | material and to whom and what exactly are you |
| the number of individuals out there who really don't | | | | sending? I will tell you that if your image and look to |
| have a clue as to how to not only write and produce | | | | your material is not polished, then you will not be taken |
| their song demos, but how to market their songs and | | | | seriously. You can't be doing the hard to read, hand |
| themselves as viable acts. Let's look at some key | | | | written letter to "whom this may concern" gig - You |
| ideas that I'm sure will help you and hopefully further | | | | have to look and act professional! You may want to |
| your writing career. | | | | invest in some inexpensive software to create |
| As we say at ReelMusician.com, a song worth hearing | | | | professional and custom looking CD labels, letters, etc |
| is a song worth hearing. Is your song that you are | | | | if you haven't already. What is in your package that |
| pitching worth hearing? I can't answer that, but you | | | | you are sending off? Realize that everyone's time is |
| can. It's the obvious and we won't say any more other | | | | limited, so only send what is relevant to this particular |
| than that - Make sure your song is worth hearing. Is | | | | pitch. Sending all kinds of material usually gets you |
| your song that you want to get heard and ultimately | | | | nowhere. How are you finding names to send your |
| cut, have marketing viability? Does your song have too | | | | material off to? Are you unsolicited, sending this to a |
| narrow a niche where you are shorting yourself on | | | | warm lead, or is this an individual waiting for your |
| possible acts and artists that can cut it? Don't adjust a | | | | demo? Of course the later is best, but who can get an |
| great song just for pure marketing, but the odds are | | | | invitation these days? I tell you what though, that is |
| greatly increased with a more broad range of appeal. | | | | what you ought to be aiming for. Have you contacted |
| Are all of your songs starting to sound the same? Do | | | | the road managers of the acts that you are sending |
| you need a writing partner to broaden your song | | | | your material to? Road managers, lighting individuals |
| writing horizons? I am asking all of these questions to | | | | and other ancillary staff can really help get your songs |
| get you thinking and then I am going to head into the | | | | listened to. A&R is a difficult road to go down. |
| marketing department for a minute to see where you | | | | A&R directors are swamped number one and |
| are at. You see, I can't possibly answer any of the | | | | number two, they usually have a college intern sifting |
| above questions, because I haven't heard your | | | | through the first round of material to minimize their |
| material, but if you're honest you can and will. | | | | wasted time. |
| Answering these questions is your first assignment. | | | | So where do you pitch your material? As I've just |
| Before I go on, you should know that as founder of | | | | mentioned, it is easier to go through ancillary staff to |
| ReelMusician.com, that we get an incredible amount of | | | | the artists such as road managers, lighting and sound |
| artist material. One of the biggest negatives, and | | | | crew members and of course the artist managers |
| believe me were out there to help you, but what many | | | | than it is to go through A&R. What you need to |
| young artists do is submit a demo reel or press kit that | | | | know is that it is difficult to get a cut nowadays to |
| is less than what I would ever recommend submitting. | | | | begin with. Who usually gets the cuts? - The artist, |
| You can't submit fairly good or even pretty good | | | | artist's friends and/or the producers. Go ahead and |
| material; it just has to sound like you've arrived. In | | | | look at album covers and see if this isn't true. Your job |
| today's music economy, where there is a computer, | | | | is not an easy one. Going through valid tip sheets and |
| keyboard and mic in virtually any songwriters home, | | | | not just companies on the web looking to make |
| you have got to know and recognize that not only is it | | | | money for their "artist tip sheets" is not a bad way to |
| more difficult to get a song cut because of pure | | | | go, but you will have to find relevant and up to date tip |
| volume of writers, but affordable recording has made it | | | | sheets. These are not that easy to get a hold of. You |
| so that the number of and quality of song demos has | | | | will want to write with writers who have these |
| increased dramatically. Now while I say that, you should | | | | connections or other musicians who do. You will want |
| also note that most writers aren't in the ballpark of | | | | to spend a good deal of time researching and |
| creating master quality demos, but because of the | | | | connecting the dots to folks who can help you without |
| mere numbers factor alone, there are more quality | | | | them feeling like they're being used - so be careful and |
| demos and writers than before. | | | | be authentic in your relationships with others in the |
| Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate | | | | music field. |
| to call us at As a side note, we know that many of | | | | I wish we had more time in this article, but don't |
| you are quite accomplished, while there are still most | | | | hesitate to drop us an email or call us should you have |
| likely even more of you who could utilize our master | | | | any questions about your songs or artist career. |
| quality song demos services and press kit writing | | | | |