The real work on a song starts AFTER it has been written. Up to that point, it has been just a creative bit of endeavor. But once the song has been completed, it has a choice of remaining a work of creative art and staying on your shelf, or being sold as a commercial item.
A song is a commercial product, and its sale can be likened to an item on the shelf in a grocery store; either it can remain on the shelf or it can be sold.
Every songwriter must be a songplugger. That goes for the professional songwriter as well as the new songwriter.
There are mighty few professional writers who aren't out there doing their best to get their songs played and recorded. The fact that it has been published, and the publisher has a staff of songpluggers, means little to the writer. He knows from experience that whatever he can do will help his song -- and thereby help himself.
It is that psychology and understanding that is vital to all writers, and that is the first lesson in promoting a song; whether it is published or not, you, the writer, must do everything you can to build that song.
Why? Because the publisher is apt to have several songs and will forget about yours unless you promote action -- which will lead him to forget the other songs and work on yours. Because for every dollar you bring to the publisher, you will get your share. Because for every copy of sheet music and records sold, your song will be more valuable to everyone -- and yourself included. It will help you with your future songs, and it will help you with your affiliation with an organization such as ASCAP.
The music business today is concentrated on the record industry and any efforts made to promote your songs should be in the direction of record companies and record artists.
Any song of importance gets to its position in the song world through records. The publisher will not be in a position to plug a song unless he has a commercial record of it. The same goes for the songwriter. The ultimate aim is to get your song on commercial wax. This means that a trip to Nashville to contact music publishers can be a pretty hopeless journey unless you have something to sell these publishers. There are definite things that you can do in your home city before contacting any publishers.
The first thing you want to do is to have some copies of your song printed. This could be in leadsheet or professional type copyform. The latter looks better and will make a better impression. Then have a demonstration record made of your song. Don't spend a lot of money on it. A guitar and voice record will do the trick. Have some duplicates made, and don't play the master disc. Keep that master for special appointments.
Now you have some equipment and you are ready to go to work. Look over the territory you live in.
Are there any small record companies?
Are there any radio stations?
Are there friends who know radio and record artists and who can get you proper introductions? Are there jukebox distributors you know who can help you reach the record companies? Each group can be of value to you. Lay out a regular promotion campaign. Go to your local radio stations, within a 50-mile area, and get them to put your record on the air along with a personal interview with you. They may not want to play a demo record, but may do so because you are local-born. If the station has musicians and singers, go after them. Get your song on the air where people can hear it and demand it.
Contact all record companies in your area. If you have friends who know the right people, make use of these contacts. They will help open the doors for you. In contacting the record companies and artists make full use of your demonstration records. That is the best way to show off a song. They all have good record machines, and if you have a good demo record, you have a good chance of getting your songs accepted. These small disc outfits are very receptive to new songs -- because they can compete with the big publishers only with new and outstanding songs. These small companies must sell their records on the basis of the songs, because all the big artists are signed with big disc companies.
Once you make some headway with the record companies, the radio stations, etc. you are in a position to talk business with publishers. When your song has been commercially recorded, any publisher in his right mind will take your song, just in case the record clicks. He is taking no gamble -- but you are, if the publisher is going to sit around and wait for the song to click by itself. The basis of this promotion gets down to this fact: You, the songwriter, must do the preliminary work in getting your songs started. If you walk in on a publisher cold, you will get a cold reception. But if you walk in on him and show him definite results -- then he's interested and wants your song.
If is not necessary to do this in person. It can be done by mail. A letter to a dozen publishers, outlining what has happened to your song, and the records acquired, will bring your requests from publishers for copies of the song. Once that step has been taken, you are in a driver's seat because you can pick your publisher and get the best terms. You can send out demo records by mail to record companies and publishers. It is expensive, as some of your records will not be returned to you despite your enclosing postage for their safe return. It is best to try to contact the record companies in person. That is your very big hurdle once over it , the publishing company will come naturally.
Record artists also should be contacted personally wherever possible. They are constantly on the move. You might come across a good prospect at a local theater or nightclub. You could hear about an artist appearing 50 miles away and do your best to reach that person. One thing to remember is that contacts are extremely important. It could be that record artist or disc jockey. It could be a publisher or a recording company official. You are going to write more and more songs -- so even if a contact fails to take your present song, you have a person you know to show your next song. Over a period of years, these contacts will bear fruit, because you are going to have a song sometime for every one of your contacts.
Don't force an issue and create an enemy. Think in terms of the long pull -- the songs you are going to write a few years from now and the contacts who will be logical sources for you. A songplugger is as valuable as his contacts. The number and quality of your contacts -- for you are a songplugger of your own songs -- will determine your success in promoting songs.
There are many smaller methods and sources for plugging your songs. The local music store can sell copies of your songs. This is not a very good method, because songs today don't sell unless there are records backing them up and creating public interest and demand. Local artists can start the song rolling. Many songs have been started by local units, and eventually came to the attention of the proper persons. There are singers and musicians from just about every city who have made good in the "big time." Find out about those who came from your city, and get to know them with the local angle. Originality of ideas counts too. Bring your song to the attention of the right people and in the right way. Make sure that you have something to sell these people, then use whatever original methods you can think of to gain your point.
When you believe that everything has failed, and no one has accepted or seems to want our song, you should not count yourself out. There still are things to do. It is like going to a printer and telling him to print a thousand copies of your song. In this case, you go to a record company that specializes in such work and order 250 or 1,000 records. Then you go out and promote those records through disc jockeys, distributors, music stores, etc. That is the final outlet for you.
If everything fails, then you'll know that at least you will have done your best. You then can turn to your next song -- and return to your old song a few years later and give it another whirl. Promotion is at the core of everything. You need to start to work on your song a few years later and give it another whirl. Promotion is at the core of everything. You need to start to work on your song as soon as it is completed, and what you do, how you do it, and what happens -- will determine the ultimate fate of your song. Keep in mind the general picture of the industry. If we are in a "record period" then just concentrate on companies and artists; do not concentrate on music publishers. Should this period reverse itself, then the emphasis will be on the music publishers. Save yourself a lot of money, headaches, and time by developing a planned program that will encompass all phases of the business and give your song a proper hearing. Don't just dash off a song, send it to a publisher, and then rant and rave at publishers because it comes back to you either refused or unopened or turned down. Publishers can get all the songs they want. A music publisher has only to open the window and yell out that he needs songs -- and he will be snowed under. So when your song comes to him, it must contain a special reason for his looking at it and listening to it. you must creat a situation where he feels he WILL BE LOSING SOMETHING unless he takes your song.
You must WANT HIM TO WANT YOUR SONG. You can do this only by plugging your own song to the point where it has created a commercial interest and demand. Once people hear of your song and want it, then publishers and recording companies are going to want to use your song.