Where to Focus Energy as a pop Songwriter
Many of my readers want to be pop songwriters. That profession entails co-writing regularly, pitching songs to artists, and trying to secure cuts. Profit is generated from streaming, radio play, and synchronization licenses. Money is dolled out in proportion to the amount of publishing you own. That’s the long skinny of it! The question for these writers is where to spend their time and energy outside of developing your craft.
First and foremost, pop songwriters should spend their time cultivating writing relationships with artists. Artists - more often than not these days - are writing in smaller and smaller camps. You’ll see the same writers and producers pop up in the credits of artist’s discography. Victoria Money is all over Ariana Grande’s work. The first three Shawn Mendes albums feature Teddy Gieger again and again and again. Find artists who inspire you and who are inspired by you. Then, push down on the pedal and go.
Pop songwriters - especially those who produce - should also seek out sessions with producers. A songwriter and producer duo is a great relationship to have. If you meet a producer who’s beats you like and who appreciates your writing in kind, you can begin to develop talent together. Writers can leverage their producer relationships to secure writes with artists who, let’s be honest, are very wowed by the bells and whistles that producers bring to the table.
Outside of these essential creative relationships, pop songwriters should secure an entertainment lawyer. Trust me when I say this: your lawyer is the most important person on your team. They will help ensure you get paid and avoid signing contracts that might mess with your bank account. Unless you have a law degree, you are wading into dangerous territory if you attempt to wade through the legalese of music contracts.
As you’re developing these relationships and writing songs, spend some time getting to know music publishers. Take them out for tea and pick their brains. Have meetings with them in their offices and show them some of your work. Hell, go to a local show with them and chat over beers. These are the folks - for better or worse - who have the power to offer you publishing deals. Its part of your job to wow them, especially if you are seeking out publishing deals in advance of a major smash.
Lastly, pop songwriters should spend time posting to Tik Tok. I know that sounds counterintuitive since you might not want to pursue an artist path. But, you never know…maybe your work will connect as an artist! More importantly, a lot of digital connections are being made through TikTok. Use the platform to leverage the quality of your work to garner interest from up and coming artists.
Well, that should give you guys a lot to focus on. In summation: artists, producers, lawyers, publishers, and TikTok are your friends. And these are all connections to foster while working on your craft! Whew Lord.
