Some songwriters seem to have all the tools needed to perform their own creations at a very high level: instrumental prowess, vocal chops, and industry connections. I’m happy for them – but I realize I will probably never be one of those blessed in ALL the ways!
I’m content, but to quote my good friend Greg Blake (one of those wonderfully blessed songwriters/artists), “There are roles that EVERYONE can fill in this industry, much like the ‘body’ analogy in Paul’s writings in Corinthians. It would behoove ALL of us to recognize and respect those roles and do our best to diligently report for duty!” So how do I get my meaningful songs out there for others to enjoy when it seems the only part I can do well enough is WRITE them?
Songwriter Singles
One new avenue I’ve begun to explore is the creation of “Songwriter Singles”. I was first made aware of this option when preparing for my weekly radio program “The Woodshed” (on www.TheBluegrassJamboree.com).
I noticed an album called “Gonna Sing, Gonna Shout,” credited to Rick Lang, but every song featured other artists singing and a stellar band performance. Rick has since become my close friend and frequent collaborator, and I’ve had the opportunity to examine this approach more closely. What I found is a fantastic opportunity for songwriters that I had never recognized before – but now I can’t wait to begin!
Self-producing and Releasing Your Songs
Did you realize you can easily produce and self-release a song utilizing 100% “hired guns” to perform without surrendering any of your ownership rights? What’s more, a pool of successful artists is already ready to step in and record your project so you can quickly release it to radio and streaming. Who knew?
And we aren’t talking about unknown artists, either; the stable of successful professionals who’ve already committed to this approach through BDT is quite impressive and still growing. These artists would make it a hit if they requested a license to cut your song for themselves. Why not have them make it YOUR hit?
This approach is unique to BDT, and it’s brilliant. Through negotiated agreements with the artists in the stable, songwriters can pay a small fee to buy the remainder of the rights to the released work and claim it as their project, collecting full songwriter royalties (and the publishing share if you’re self-published).
BDT distributes this fee among the performing artists following their specific agreements. From a radio perspective, the song becomes “Joe Songwriter, featuring Sally Artist, performing ‘Songname’” when introduced or displayed during playback. Pretty cool! The recording quality is on par with every song we play on the radio (well, better than some). If you select meaningful songs to release through this process, they will get airplay on the radio.
When you browse the stable of artists at www.buydemotracks.com, you’ll quickly realize the power of having BDT connect your song with them on your behalf. Additionally, if you have a song that sounds perfect for a specific artist who is not currently in the stable, you can request them, and BDT will make every effort to convince them to record your track with that artist. Realistically, not every household name will agree, but some might! Our stable of artists is growing daily as new agreements are reached.
Think of all the possibilities!
Use Songwriter Singles
For example, I am a songwriter who isn’t blessed with a marketable singing voice; regardless, some of my better works are written for a female lead vocalist. In the past, those songs would go unheard until I could score a cut from an artist. Using Songwriter Singles, I can get those songs professionally recorded by my selected female artist from the stable (while selecting notable musicians to play on the track as well), then release it to radio – all at a very reasonable investment.
Not only does this get the song heard, but it also builds my portfolio as a songwriter; getting my best songs heard on the radio gets my future pitches considered more seriously by touring artists. Success breeds success.
A Songwriter Single is just one more tool for breaking through the barriers – but it’s only available to subscribers at www.buydemotracks.com.
Keep writing!
Jim Grubbs