Songwriting: The Craft and Business of Selling a Song

It often takes money and connections to achieve success in song writing. As with all forms of writing, there are many different avenues to explore when you're trying to "shop your song." While it may be tough to attract the attention of an established artist (some avoid contact with writers because they don't want any allegations of copyright theft), there are ways to build your credentials and to gain valuable feedback about your music. Consider the resources below:

Taxi: This service lets you submit songs and gives you many different types of opportunities to reach potential clients. In the past, this has been a paid service (you pay in order to upload your material).

Garageband.com: Upload your demos or polished recordings and receive feedback from other artists. You can upload your music free of charge, provided you perform the task of critiquing other artists' songs.

Indie Films: Many directors would love to have some original music for their films. Trying doing some Web searches for opportunities to share your music. The pay may not be great, but you'd be building credentials and gaining "a name" for yourself.

Documentary Films: Documentaries are often shot on tight budgets. Many such filmmakers would love to have you submit a demo (especially if you create instrumental or ambient music). One way to reach documentary film producers who may be looking for music is by using the Doculink listserv.

The Old Fashioned Way of Selling a Song (this method is still alive)
Many songwriters choose to invest in a demo after they've written what they believe is a gem of a song. A common way of getting a demo produced involves contacting a recording studio (there are probably a few in your area), and asking them to recommend a guitarist, a vocalist, or a pianist. Establish a rate with the artist, then spend some time with the musician, working out the best arrangement for your song. If you're happy with the way things have progressed, make a simple recording of the number then use that media to solicit objective feedback from family and friends. If your feedback suggests that your song has commercial value (if that is your goal), then contact the studio and negotiate terms for creating a professional demo.

Having a demo in hand does not guarantee any measure of success. Resources such as AandROnline may be useful, but be careful about any deals you sign with any companies that involve your creations. It is now nearly impossible to get a new song on the radio. Your best chances may lie with local radio programs that sometimes feature home-grown artists. Such programs are sometimes regular segments on community radio stations ("community" is an actual radio format in many markets).