Organization 101 for Songwriters
Creatives are free spirits disinclined toward the business minutia that can be essential to pushing their careers forward. I know it. You know it. In fact, I'm pretty sure that everyone knows it. That said, for those of us lacking publisher or managers, this minutia is unfortunately something you need to prioritize. So, let's go over a few ways that you can stay organized to optimize your chances of success.
Name your voice notes. I'm willing to bet that each and every one of you have untitled voice notes floating around on your phone. Some of you likely have hundreds of them ambiguously titled something like New Recording 475. I want you to get in the habit of giving them specific names. Edit them to either be the title of the song or the date of the session with your co-writers names. This will make them easily accessible if you need to listen back to a song for reference or if there are song split disputes that you'd like to clarify.
Send e-mails confirming publishing splits. An e-mail is a document that can keep you legally protected. After each co-write, send out an e-mail confirming everyone's split of the publishing. Make sure that each co-writer sends an e-mail confirming an agreement to the splits. This can literally be a one or two line e-mail that can keep you safe in the event that one of the co-writers is a bad actor who tries to diminish your cut of the publishing at a later date.
Keep Dates in a Google Calendar. As a phone junkie myself, I like to have all my meetings laid out for me in my Google Calendar. This helps me stay organized and prevents me from missing a session, a consultation, or a business meeting. Whenever you plan a session, make sure to write down when and where it will be so that you can arrive promptly and professionally.
Maintain a "Songs" Folder. Whether it be on your computer desktop or backed up onto a hard drive, you should have a single folder that contains each of your songs. Make sure that each song is titled and includes the names of your co-writers so you do not forget who worked on the song. Within this major folder subdivide the songs into separate folders by date. For instance, name a folder "Jan 4- Jan 11 2024" and include all the songs written in that time frame. This will provide you with easy access to songs if you need to call on them during publishing meetings.
Keep Lists. At the top of each week, you should make a list of To Do's for yourself. You can include things like cutting vocals, sending mix notes to a producer, scheduling three co-writes for next month, or even uploading your song to Spotify. The list will help keep you focused throughout the week. If you don't accomplish everything in your weekly list, add it to the top of the list for the following week. If you maintain weekly lists throughout the year, you'll also have a tangible record of all that you accomplished. This can be very satisfying in December when we often ask ourselves, "What did I accomplish this year?"
Stay organized. Stay on top of it. And stay inspired!
