As a fellow songwriter, I’m sure you’ve shared some of your songs with your family and friends. No doubt you’ve also heard them say that your song is better than any of the songs they’re hearing on the radio. And you know what? They are probably right.

Just because you’re an unpublished composer doesn’t mean you’re not good, or even excellent, at your craft. But, even if your song is destined to be a hit, it may not get cut or even released.

Because? I’m glad you asked. This question weighed heavily on me for years. I was writing songs that I knew were good, friends and family told me they were good, and professional songwriters and testers even validated that they were good. So why wasn’t he getting a cut?

I wasn’t getting a cut because I didn’t know anything about the music industry. I didn’t know who to talk to or how to present my package. I didn’t know that the music industry is a business, I just thought they were in the business of recording hit songs!

The reason I didn’t know anything about the industry is because it’s a closed-door industry. The reason no one told me the things you will learn in my book is because no one wanted me to know! That’s how it is. The shakers and their people don’t want you to know what it takes to write a hit song and record it, because if they tell you…

So you become competitive.

Did you get it? Let me explain. There are thousands and thousands of songs just waiting to find a home on someone’s album. But, there is only room for a handful of them. Those spots will generally be awarded to:

1. The singer/songwriter who is the recording artist. Then they will receive the composer’s royalties in addition to their own!

2. Proven songwriters who have had huge hits. The label invests heavily in each song – they don’t want to mess with a high-risk unknown songwriter!

3. Your friends and relatives or anyone else you owe a favor to.

It’s sad, but it’s true. Your song could be better than any of those other songs, and it already has three strikes against it.

What can you do to change those tables? How can you get your foot in the door and be recognized for your talents?

Writing more and more, networking with everyone you can meet and learning about the music industry.

Behind the smoke and mirrors of the music industry is a world full of corporate executives, managers, producers, and A&R staff who want hit songs. Your job depends on finding hit songs, but the odds are stacked against you. So what do they do?

They look for what’s wrong in a song, not what’s right.

Confused? don’t be. It really makes a lot of sense. Reps A and R listen to hundreds of demos a week. Any one of them could be a hit song. But making sure they actually find that hit song is vital to their job. So, they remove the songs that have something wrong with them. It doesn’t matter if it’s just a small part of the song, if they can find something wrong with it, it’s gone.

How do you increase your odds? Make sure your song is perfect before you release it. Get feedback and ratings on your song and rewrite it until it’s perfect. Learn to write what record labels are looking for.

Another knock against unknown composers is that they are high risk. Record labels spend millions upon thousands, even as much as a million, of dollars on a song. That is a great investment. They need to make sure that you can recoup those costs in royalties. Therefore, they prefer to stick with proven and successful songwriters who have already had hits, because they have a good track record and are lower risk.

Does that mean you don’t have a chance? Of course not. You just need to know how to write a better song, you know, a song that they can’t ignore and reject. That’s where I come in.

I’ve been there – done that. I have paid my debt. In the music industry, this translates to five years, five years of writing songs without a cut, five years of rejection and frustration, five years of doing things the wrong way, instead of the right way. Then I got my first publishing deal.

Why is it five years? Well, there are reasons why you don’t know the music industry. They are removing you. They’re making it so hard to get a cut that songwriters eventually give up. The same minute you give up is the same minute you need to move on! Five years of perseverance and persistence help you hone your craft. It makes you a stronger person. Above all, eliminate the fans. Only serious composers survive.

The music industry makes you prove you’re serious about songwriting by paying your fair share. If they’re going to make a big investment in your song, they want to make sure that investing in you will pay off for years to come. They want someone who can and will continue to produce hits, not a one-off wonder. Therefore, only serious needs apply.

All of that works, but only if you actually have a hit song. While paying what was due, I learned a lot about songwriting, what works and what doesn’t. I’ve learned that I can write sweet love ballads, but if I want a cut, I’ll have to write what Music Row is looking for right now. Today it’s up-tempo music – tomorrow, who knows?

One of the things you’ll learn in my book, How to Become a Successful Songwriter, is that any song can be recorded. There is space for fillers, also known as album cuts, on each artist’s album. But there’s a difference between writing an album cut and a hit song. A hit song has to address many areas:

1. Genre – Yes, some genres make more money than others.

2. Audience: who will the artist sing this song to? If it matters.

3. Lyrics: The all-powerful lyrics are more important in some genres than others. I’ll tell you when it should be strong and when it should be minimized.

4. Theme: Some songs need to be written because they have a message, but they are more difficult to record than others.

5. Melody: Melody really is more than just chords to words.

to dance.

6. Structure – There are different ways to write your song, and my book will tell you the most common structures used in hit songs.

Those are just some of the things you need to consider if you want to be a successful songwriter. Each of them and more are covered in detail in my book, How to Become a Successful Songwriter. I wrote it for you and I encourage you to read it and pay attention. I paid my five years due so you don’t have to pay yours.

Did you know that there really is a list of the most important qualities of a composer? There is, and that list was developed by publishers. He even goes so far as to list them in order of importance. With the Internet, it’s not as important as it used to be for songwriters to live in a musical city. It helps if they’re singer-songwriters, but that’s not even the most important trait. How to Become a Successful Songwriter gives you the full list and tells you the number one quality publishers look for in a songwriter. If you want to write a hit, that’s the quality you need to work on the most.

Once your song is perfected, do you know how to release it? If not, you better learn fast, because releasing your song the wrong way can be expensive and will surely get rejected before it gets heard.

Rejection is part of the game. Rejection is what also makes songwriters turn to outfits that hold big promises of instant stardom. Beware: there are no guarantees in this industry and if someone tries to tell you there are, he runs, runs as fast as you can. Take your money with you, because any publisher that asks a songwriter for money is a song shark. How to Become a Successful Songwriter tells you how to avoid getting bitten.

Look for reputable publishers; there are many out there. Once you find them, use the lessons I’ve learned to professionally present you and your song. Publishers know how to spot an amateur songwriter. How to Become a Successful Songwriter will tell you how to market your song so they can’t figure out that you are. If you can get past this hurdle, you can get your foot in the door!

That’s only half the game. The music industry is a business. Songwriting is a business too, and the sooner you understand that and the business side of your craft, the sooner you’ll be accepted. There are many things to consider: timing, self-publishing or finding a publisher, and packaging and presentation. You will need to know the terminology used in the industry and how to protect your copyright property. You should also know the legal aspects of contracts, as well as how a songwriter gets paid for their songs. Tip: Never, ever use the words “sell a song” or ask someone to “buy your song.” That will raise red flags with every respectable person in the industry. It’s like a billboard screaming, “I’m an amateur!” Songwriters don’t sell songs, they write and own songs. These tips and more are included in my book.

As a composer, you are one among millions. The competition is fierce and the door is hard to open. You need to level the playing field if you want to get into the game. Many successful songwriters are actually no better than you. They just learned how to beat the competition and open the door. Just like them, you can become the next songwriter to land a publishing or recording contract.

That’s why I wrote How to Become a Successful Songwriter. I succumbed to song sharks, faced rejection, and made mistakes. I wrote great songs that never got a chance, and I learned and listened and kept until I finally made it. Many times I thought it was unfair; Many times I felt like giving up. But I’m glad I didn’t. I don’t want you to give up either. Learn how to become a successful songwriter today so you can hear your song on the radio tomorrow! Music is really the universal language; How to become a successful songwriter is your crash course in understanding it. The sooner you read it, the sooner you’ll know the secret to becoming a successful songwriter!

The best of success

corey ledbetter

Author, How to Become a Successful Songwriter

www.howtobecomeahitsongwriter.com [http://www.howtobecomeahitsongwriter.com]