1. WE WORK THE PEOPLE...that's why they call it ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS!!! Quincy Jones says, "Ignorance in the name of art is NEVER justified!!!" Its pointless to sit at home and write songs that only YOU like, and expect to make a living. Either you're writing songs to shop for other artists, or you're an artist trying to get a deal, or work you're building your career from a grassroots approach. EITHER WAY, consider your demographic (or the demographic of the artist) when writing your song. What do THEY wanna hear?? What will they sing along too?? In writing for other artists, consider the colors of the artists voice!! Are they famous for a certain subject matter or theme in their other songs?? Even consider how they phrase their words, or the rhythmic flow of previous songs!! Your song should sound like, THEY wrote it...otherwise it will be difficult for that artist to sell your song in their vocal performance!!!!!!!!!
2. CLEVER CONCEPTS cause MEMORABLE SONGS!!! We all know presentation is EVERYTHING!!! So if you send a song with a titles or concepts that are OVERLY used, you have a higher risk of your song being passed over. However, song titles like I Kissed a Girl or Thriller automatically make you turn your head, and wanna hear more. Don't be afraid to play on a persons curiosity. Think like an A&R. Whats a clever concept that stir up enough attention for people to wanna hear about it in an interview?? What song title would "LOOK" cool in the limelight?? If its a female artist with a large female demographic, what could be the next "anthem" like Beyonce's "Irreplaceable" or Jill Scott's Golden ?? Or if its a male sex symbol, what do the ladies wanna hear??
3. COME OUT THE BOOTH AND GET YOUR SONGS HEARD!!! Here's the hardest part of the game. Some writers have make it by doing the grassroots thing as an artist, and eventually linking with a camp or a famous producer. Others have gone after publishing deals, etc. The reality is, if you're not connected with someone that matters, its gonna be a long hard road. Even Dian Warren, started with a publishing deal...however, once you get that FIRST LOOK, the rest of the way is determined by YOU!!! And the more hits (not just placements), but radio singles you have, the more say you'll have on how your career goes from that point. So, go to the industry parties and network. Don't be afraid to get your feet wet with another indie artist. It's possible someone may hear that song, and wanna rerecord it.
Because you don't need credentials to get in the music business, the possibilities of success are WIDE OPEN!!!!!!!
