The process of shopping, or marketing, your songs differs depending on whether you intend to be just a songwriter or a performer as well as a songwriter:
- If you’re just a songwriter: Aim to sell the rights to your songs with the assistance of a music publisher, as explained below.
- If you’re a songwriter and performer: Seek a record deal (recording contract) with a record company either on your own or with the help of a music publisher. Otherwise, publish and market your songs yourself.
How to Sell the Rights to Your Songs
If you’re a songwriter looking to sell your songs to other performers, the easiest—and often the most effective—approach is to work with a music publisher. In exchange for a significant cut of any royalties that your songs earn (usually 50%), your publisher:
- Markets your songs to artists and record companies interested in licensing the rights to your songs (for performance, recording, or inclusion on soundtracks or in ads)
- Oversees administration of copyrights for your songs
- Collects and distributes royalties your songs generate
For more information on music publishers and to find publishers that might suit your needs, visit the websites of the Music Publishers’ Association (www.mpa.org) and the National Music Publishers’ Association (www.nmpa.org).
Contact Artists Directly
A more direct way to sell your songs is to pitch them directly to another musician or performer who may want to record or perform them. If you can win over an established artist, you’ll save time and money. The main challenge to this approach is actually getting your music to the artist.
- Start locally: Attend live performances and pitch your songs to local artists, who are generally more accessible than high-profile artists. Wait until after the show and deliver your demo by hand to the artist. Include a note that explains why you think he or she might want to record or perform your songs.
- Contact artists’ managers: If you’d like to reach out to more established artists, try sending demos to their managers. Some managers screen demos, while others pass demos on to the artist. Magazines, such as Billboard’s International Talent and Touring Guide, often list the contact info of the managers of established artists.
How to Get a Record Deal
For songwriters who are also performers, a record deal is the traditional means of getting exposure and money for their music. With a record deal, also called a recording contract, a record company agrees to pay for the musician’s major expenses (recording, marketing, touring, and so on) in exchange for:
- Exclusive rights to sell the musician’s music
- A cut of the royalties that the musician’s songs earn
- The copyright on the musician’s songs and recordings
- The master tapes of the musician’s recordings
Record labels sometimes make distribution deals, in which the record company pays for promotion and distribution but the musician retains some or all of the rights to the music. Most musicians prefer this type of arrangement because they can retain an ownership stake and control how their music is used, such as whether the music can be licensed for advertising, films, and so on.
How to Seek a Record Deal
If you’re working with a music publisher, one of your publisher’s tasks should be to seek out potential record deals for you. If you’re on your own, you’ll need to contact key people at record companies who sign deals with musicians directly. The best people to contact are:
- A&R (artists and repertoire) representatives: These people oversee song selection for artists who already have record deals. They receive many submissions from publishers and songwriters and may not accept unsolicited songs. Before sending a demo to an A&R representative, call the company and ask about their policy. Never send a demo addressed “Attn: A&R Department.” Instead, call and ask the A&R assistant for the name of the person to whom you should direct your submission.
- Producers: In addition to overseeing the process of making records, producers are responsible for finding hit songs for their artists to record. There’s no guarantee a producer will listen to an unsolicited demo, but it’s another approach to research and try. Producers’ names are listed in the liner notes of the albums they produce.
How to Send in Your Demo
Once you have a demo and the contact info for A&R representatives or producers you’d like to approach, mail a demo submission package that includes a:
- Cover letter: Address your letter to a specific person at the company, state your purpose for sending in the demo, mention your significant musical credits or accomplishments, and list the song titles in the order in which they appear on the recording.
- CD of your demo: Include only three songs at most, unless your contact requests more than three.
- Lyric sheet for each song: Include a copyright notice (© 2007 [Your Name], All Rights Reserved) at the bottom of each lyric sheet.
How to Market Your Songs On Your Own
Seeking and landing a traditional record deal is very much a long shot. These days many songwriters find that the best way to reach an audience and sell songs is by publishing their music online. Among the most popular and effective ways to market music online is through Soundcloud.