This is the narrative of my songwriter, Oscar Geovanny Euceda, also known as Geo. You will discover all the details you need to launch your music industry career as a songwriter, get paid, and, most importantly, generate money in this tutorial.
For the past seven years, I have been a working songwriter in New York City. That does not imply, though, that I have been creating songs for a living for the past seven years.
Though I’ve been creating music for a lot longer than that, my first cheque as a songwriter wasn’t received until seven years ago.
Table of Contents
In music, a lot of people chase after unfulfilled ambitions. While most songwriters never get the chance to collaborate with Chris Brown or Drake, they will relentlessly pursue the cultural glory of getting placements for big musicians.
It takes a lot of energy, resources, and mental and emotional strain to be an independent songwriter. Never trust anything you see on Instagram.
If you’re serious about making your ambitions come true, you will have to give up most areas of everyday life, including friends, family, romantic relationships, vacations, and parties.
Extremely Important Note: Being in the music industry does not automatically entitle you to compensation. You should give up while you’re ahead if you find it difficult to understand the idea of working for value exchanges.
Although other North American “hubs” for songwriters exist, such as Los Angeles, Nashville, Atlanta, and Toronto, this indispensable resource is written from the viewpoint of a NYC grinder.
TEN WAYS TO GET PAYED TO WRITE SONGS
- Obtain Sync Licensing Song Placements
- Receive Performance Royalties
- Receive Mechanical Royalties
- Earn from Digital Song/Album Sales
- Place Your Songs With “Major” Performers
- Get a Label Advance (Publishing Deal)
- Earn Money By “Demoing” Songs
- Compose Music for Future Performers
- Vocal Develop Future Performers
- “For Hire” Positions
The top ten ways for songwriters to get paid are listed here.
All of these strategies will be discussed in this article, but we’ll focus especially on the several kinds of composer royalties that are available as passive income streams.
ON AVERAGE, SONGWRITERS GET ABOUT $65,000
- Professional composers can make up to $65,000 a year, according to Glassdoor.
- For several reasons, I would advise against using this data point. I personally don’t know of any songwriters who make over $65,000 a year.
- If you write commercial jingles for a corporation, it might be feasible.
- Certainly, if you’ve secured a few significant placements or sync deals, it’s feasible.
- However, if you’re just starting out as an independent songwriter, I don’t think it’s feasible.
- You’ll discover why it’s nearly hard to make $65,000 a year from streaming money as you read through this course.
- The sync licensing game offers songwriters the most earning opportunity. Soon, you’ll find out more about that.
SUMMARY OF HOW TO INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL SONGWRITING
I began by providing free songwriting services to vocalists. I requested them to record demos of my own songs in exchange.
At the time, I was unable to sing, therefore, I relied on vocalists to record song references.
I eventually improved my singing skills to the point where I could record my own reference vocals, but I soon realized that’s all you actually need.
From there, I started giving emerging musicians free access to my recording studio in exchange for my songwriter services.
This is how it all operates:
Give aspiring musicians free songwriting advice.
Attend their recording sessions and offer songwriting assistance.
They would offer me additional recording hours out of their budget in return.
In essence, at the conclusion of their sessions, they would cover the cost of my extra few hours in the studio. Win-win. I realized in the beginning that developing my talents and making contacts would be more beneficial for my career than focusing on making quick money.
My “stock price” eventually rose as I became a more accomplished, better songwriter.
WHAT A SONGWRITER’S CARTE IS APPROPRIATE?
In a nutshell, it depends on your experience and career stage.
I used to charge the following, nevertheless, for my songwriting services, just to give you an idea:
- $240 for the hooks
- $500 for all songs
- $50 for writing assistance each hour.
- After that, I gained more experience and started writing songs for “work for hire,” charging $1,200 per song.
Why Songwriters and Music Producers Should Collaborate
Music producers frequently look to collaborate with lyricists and singer-songwriters to turn their beats into creative songs. Otherwise, all they do is sell beats digitally through platforms like BeatStars and others.
That’s all well and good, but a lot of producers wish to do more than merely sell beats. Their aim is to realize their music as a final product, such as a fully realised record.
Conversely, lyricists require instrumentals in order to compose to. Can you see where this is going?
At the beginning of your songwriting career, you should strategically align yourself with producers. If you can cultivate solid relationships with skilled music producers, you have a tremendous opportunity to play the long game and expand your collection of songs.
Never forget that a song always consists of two primary parts:
- 50% of the lyrics
- 50% are in music.
The song’s ½ is represented by the producer, who also writes the music. What about the other 50% now? That’s you, the songwriter/lyricist, who gives the record its life with the melodies and lyrics. It’s merely a beat if not.
Lacking producers to collaborate with?
You have to start messaging producers on social media sites like SoundCloud, YouTube, Instagram, and so forth. I promise that someone will be open to working with you if you send 30 deliberate and intentional cold emails or direct messages every day.
Would you like to write some songs using some free beats?
If you need somewhere to start quickly, my friends at Legion Beats are giving FREE BEATS for songwriters.
IS A PROFESSIONAL MUSIC STUDIO NEEDED?
It is anticipated that you provide original songs for licensing, sync, and significant placements along with a properly produced record that has “radio ready” mixing and mastering.
However, a home studio will work just fine for capturing most of your ideas and drafts. You can even use GarageBand to record straight into your iPhone if you want to be extremely frugal.
Think about the difference between Jimi Hendrix’s $200 and $2,000 guitars. He has such extraordinary natural talent that nobody could possibly see the difference.
Lyricists and singer-songwriters are no different. Instead of obsessing about the idea that you need a lavish setup to succeed, concentrate on honing your craft.
WHAT IS THE PERIOD NEEDED TO SUCCESS AS A SONGWRITER?
After doing the same thing again for more than seven years, and counting, I have developed a loyal clientele of people who like my work and are willing to pay for my services.
This is a technique that, in my opinion, you can replicate to succeed in any field, be it marketing, software, real estate, or financial services.
But please be aware that when you tell people you’re seeking a profession in songwriting, the majority of them will react negatively.
Most likely, they won’t offer any support. Friends and family are included in this. They will tell you to “get a real job” and roll their eyes.
Pay no attention to them. Failure is inevitable if you are unable to combat negativity and maintain your mental toughness.
You will obtain traction and begin to advance in your profession if you put in a lot of effort, are reliable, and develop your network through value exchanges over an extended length of time.
On the other hand, you must be pragmatic: are you pursuing a career in music? or a costly, time-consuming pastime?
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU CAN’T SING? ARE YOU ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GROW AS A SONGWRITER?
- Beyoncé is not a prerequisite for winning a Grammy!
- Even while it helps, knowledge of chord progressions and music theory is not required.
- All you have to do is learn song structure, connect with your listeners, and use music to evoke strong feelings.
- Don’t let your inability to sing deter you. Workarounds are always available. But if you’re a singer-songwriter as well, that gives you a distinct advantage.
To be a great songwriter, you must possess these qualities:
Vision!
understanding “what’s trending” in the markets in which you operate.
profound awareness of the target audiences you are attempting to reach.
network of contacts in the fields of law, publicity, and creatives.
tenacity, steadiness, and naturally, a small amount of good fortune.
But the music business operates differently from the corporate grind.
Using tech sales as an illustration
Imagine hitting your sales quota and busting your ass every month.
You were the top-performing sales representative because you made the most sales.
You thus received the largest commission payout.
Writing songs is not like that. No ladder needs to be climbed. The road to prosperity is not straight!
If you’re not ready to work hard, this company isn’t for you. 💯
SONGWRITING PORTFOLIO EXAMPLES
- I didn’t write for Drake, sorry.
- Let’s address this directly at this moment.
Why aren’t names like Rihanna, Tory Lanez, Jason DeRulo, Drake, Nikki Minaj, and Natti Natasha listed among my accomplishments?
Because writing for those artists isn’t enough! Gaining acceptance into those circles is quite difficult.
If you’re the world’s greatest songwriter/lyricist and have a back history of hits on your hard drive, no matter how good your songs are, they won’t be heard until you can get them in front of the big performers.
Yes, you are welcome to take part in the “chasements” rat race. Wishing you luck!
Alternatively, you might put money into fostering up-and-coming talent and build your own successful business from the bottom up. This is how I prefer to go.
Read Also: Chrisley Knows Best Daughter Dies: A Sad Farewell
CAN YOU ADVANCE YOUR SONGWRITING CAREER WITH CONNECTIONS?
Let’s face it: unless you can help them, nobody is truly going to be able to assist you.
Relying on a record label representative or a high-end music publicist to miraculously transform your life is unrealistic.
It is nearly tough to get entry into the highly guarded major hit songwriter circle. Few have succeeded despite millions of attempts.
Why? Since more songwriters entering the inner sanctum is something that the gatekeepers at the top would really prefer. Less money would be available for the best sharks as a result.
Leave a Reply