Songwriting: Writing, Performing, Publishing

Do you remember the first song you ever wrote? Can you still play it? For some of us songwriters, that first song is hidden away and never talked about again. It was, however, the first of many to be written and it's what got us started down the path of songwriting.

Everyone has their own way of going about writing a song. No one way is better than any other. However, there a lot of resources and tips to help make you a more productive songwriter.

One of my favorite tips for being a more productive songwriter is to set aside 10 - 15 minutes a day for free writing. Free writing, for clarification, is just writing non-stop about anything at all for the allotted time period. You could do this first thing in the morning, afternoon, or late at night. Whenever you want. Do this everyday and stick with it! Then you can go back through your writings and pick out those great lines, those unfinished ideas, those arresting written images and put them into a song form.

There are also quite a few books out about songwriting and how to improve. My favorite is "Writing Better Lyrics" by Pat Patinson. Pat offers all sorts of great advice from metaphors, to cliches, to verse development and meter. This is one book that every songwriting should read and keep around for reference.

Other books that you should have in your arsenal are a rhyming dictionary and a thesaurus. There are different thoughts about the type of each you should have, but just get one that you like and works for you. It's also not a bad idea to have a group of writers that you can network and share songs with.

Once you've finished a song or have a great catalog of songs, you want to do something with them! Most songwriters perform their own songs as individuals or with bands. But a lot of songwriters may never perform their songs live. They use publishers to license their songs for others to record and perform or to be synchronized with film, television or other multimedia endeavors.

Even if you perform your own songs as an individual or with a band, it's definitely worth exploring some of these other options, as some of them can be quite lucrative. Songwriters can make money from a variety of avenues aside from performing and selling their own music.

Licensing is probably one of the most lucrative endeavors for songwriters. Licensing your music for use in TV, films, other multimedia or to other artists provides you with a steady royalty income without much work on your part.

There are plenty of online music libraries that offer you non-exclusive licensing options. Some of the big ones are Taxi and Pump Audio. Taxi requires a membership fee and it's quite high ($299.95 per year) plus a $5-15 for each submission. Pump Audio doesn't require a membership fee, but you do have to submit your music for approval. Once your music is approved, it will be listed in their library for searching. There are plenty of other online music libraries to use for licensing opportunities. Some are better than others. Make sure you read the agreement!

Publishers can also help with licensing your music for film and television. Music publishers give licenses to other companies to use, perform, copy and sell music. They work on your behalf but they get a portion of the income brought in. Typically money brought in is split 50/50 between you and the publisher. This does not include writer's royalties! Those are paid directly to the songwriter by their affiliated Performing Right Organization.

A Performing Rights Organization (PRO) is an organization that collects and distributes royalties directly to the songwriter. The three PRO's in the U.S are ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. ASCAP and BMI are the largest of the three. ASCAP charges a one-time $35 processing fee. There is no fee to join BMI. SESAC has a selective process to become an affiliate. You can only be a member on one PRO at a time.

Each PRO has a process by which they figure out what to pay their members in royalties and how often they pay. However, before you can get paid, you must create your catalog in your member area. If none of your music is listed in their database, then of course, you won't get paid.

All three PRO's have reciprocal agreements to collect royalties from foreign societies on behalf of their members. However, BMI and ASCAP deduct a commission for collecting these royalties. BMI charges 5% and ASCAP charges 3.5%. There can also be a lag between the time the foreign societies submit these royalties and when they are paid out.

For more on pitching your music and getting it out there, I suggest the Songwriter's Market books. This book "provides the most complete and up-to-date information songwriters need to place their songs with music publishers, record companies, record producers, managers, booking agents, music firms and more."