Do You Write or Perform Songs?

If you’re a songwriter, or if your an artist who is looking for great songs to sing, check out Songnation.com

SongNation™ is dedicated to the promotion of Songs and Songwriters.

In their words:

“Music Publishers, Songwriters, Independent Song Pluggers and Authorized Representatives can all take advantage of our system to upload songs. In addition, Pro and VIP accounts have the ability to "Password Protect" songs so that only the people they choose can view their material. Record Companies, Recording Artists, Music Managers, Advertising Agencies, TV and Film Professionals and Others can search our system to find the perfect song for your project.”

Its a fairly new site, but it is beginning to grow. So if you’re a songwriter, you can get in on the new phenomenon. If you’re an artist looking for the right song to showcase your talent, check it out, and keep an eye on it as it grows and attracts new writers.

TuneCarver Music

So. What's A Songwriter To Do?

I started writing songs when I was 13. Learned to play piano for real in the 10th and 11th grade. Played in bands through high school, college and single life. Kept writing and recording. Got married and lost the band gig. Kept writing. Raised kids, kept writing, even for them for awhile. Started writing professionally. Studied the model. Write. Cowrite. Get a publishing deal. Get cuts. Get airplay. Make boat-loads of money. Retire.

Side stories: Napster, mp3 format, broadband, Clear Channel, Record companies alienate (and criminalize) consumers, Major record company model collapses. Goodbye publisher-paid demo. Hello songwriter-paid demo. Hits don’t pay writers $500K anymore... or at least few and far between.

Bands aren’t discovered anymore. They have to build an audience, and then they can bargain for a deal. Trouble is, the deal they’re bargaining for isn’t such a deal anymore. CD sales are going away and the only way to monetize track sales is online.. which the record companies still haven’t figured out.

So where’s the future? Who the heck knows. If the rate of change continues, the industry will look completely different in 2 years, and then again in a year and a half. NSAI is battling in Washington for songwriter rights, and the record companies are battling for theirs at the expense of the artist and the songwriter.

The model has changed and will continue to change. Music sales may never come back to the levels they were, and because of that the major labels may lose their hold on monopoly and distribution (if they haven’t already).

On the bright side, the promotional playing field is leveling. Satellite radio is broadening the venues to hear cool stuff. Indie musicians seem to be making a living, better than before this all came down. Big stars, not so much. Sure, there’s Coldplay, but they could probably do what they did on the latest release without a label, next time.

So what’s a songwriter to do?

Let’s see... Figure out what’s next? Lobby Washington or champion those that do? Worry? Find cheaper demo studios and/or get more efficient at producing them? Network. (trying to replace all the people we knew who’ve left the industry)

I don’t think so. Sure we may need to spend some times in those areas. For some of us, more than others. For some none at all.

Some of these things might be good. Some of these things might give you an edge. Get you in the door. Break through the noise. Grease the palms.

But all of these things add up to squat, if you aint got at least one thing....

Great songs.

Write on.