Great Songs From An Independent Band Will Make Money

The only way to make money with anything as an independent band is supply and demand. If they're equal you'll make decent cash. If there's more demand your independent band need more supply and vice versa. Many of you would like a record deal. That's understandable, but how many of you would your independent band to have a record deal just for the money? Fame you could care less about? Well, you wouldn't need a record deal then. This is where the supply and demand takes place though. Think about it like this, supply would be the deals and the independent artists would be the ones demanding them. Of course, deals aren't that easy to obtain but it's possible as long as you know what you're doing or what you need to be doing.

Here's where your independent band come in. Instead of chasing a deal for money, make money from those who are chasing the same thing as you! Of all the things needed to get a deal, great songs is the perfect way to help and make you a lot of money while helping them. Many people want deals but many lack great material.
Basically, you have the demand now supply it. Now you'll need amazing songs

in order to have people really spending money to get them. How do you achieve this? Not music theory or composition. Those will help but there's one thing you'll need to really prosper...a trained musical ear. Seriously! You can start writing amazing songs without even knowing how to sight read. You can base it off of what sounds good. From there you could learn all the theory you'd need but the fact is, great songs are great songs whether you can read music or not. Do lots of research and you'll find out the many of the most successful artists never took a music class let alone learned music notation. If it sounds good it sounds good. From there lyrics and song structure will be easy. Just listen to some great song writers in all genres to figure out what's the average structure per genre. Those songs will make you plenty of money because many people don't have trained ears. You can write a song in your head without an instrument being within a mile with a trained music ear. I do it all the time, infact I never enter the recording studio 'cold,' ie. With no idea of what I'm hoping to achieve. Once you train that ear and get the songwriting to that same level, you'll never be broke again.

So how exactly do you make that cash in 6 months? Spend two months working on your songwriting. While doing that train you ear. There is plenty of information on it if you just Google" music ear training." In my opinion though, I'd use software. It's faster to learn and it will track your progress for you. Okay, month three and four should be used to find those people looking for the songs. Use the internet and network where there is anything music related. Be sure to have some songs prepared for them too. If you cant sing, find someone who can and create a demo with four of your best songs on it. The last two months is where you work pays off. This is when you negotiate fees and start counting that money! What are you waiting for?!? TRAIN YOUR EAR! You won't regret it. Master that songwriting and in six months, you may be counting your cash for another six months!

I discovered Bandcamp some months ago and now use it as my primary distributor. Why? It's a no-frills site where you can upload on pretty-well any sound-file format....all high quality. Likewise, if fans choose to stream the album "Mean Business," for example, to your left as often as they like. Fans can also download singles in any file format that they choose. Again, all of the highest quality AND they download quickly. In the instance of "Mean Business" if you enter the codeword thistle at the checkout you receive a 50% discount. To view the discount doesn't leave you obliged to purchase it. On top of all of this, the artist keeps 100% of profits, thus encouraging us independent artists to drastically reduce our prices in comparison with the 'big guns.' I've always believed that transparency & honesty are the two most useful tools that independent bands should utilize to the hilt.

Getting back to perfect pitch, it  is almost essential when it comes to making money with your songwriting. Once at least relative pitch is achieved, it could do wonders for your music career. Don't wait until it's too late. Start ear training today and start counting cash tomorrow.

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Write Your Own Songs

In this entry I'll be discussing how songwriting fits into the 'big picture' as opposed to
specific songwriting techniques, which shall be addressed in a future publication. Let's
face it, a song is a story put to music. Say this to most songwriters & they'll babble on
to the point of tedium. I'll cut to the chase.


Most people who listen to music and have no connection with musicians don't give any
thought as to how a song actually comes to fruition.


• People don't care how long you took, just tell them the story.


Write a brief synopsis about each song IMMEDIATELY on completion. Save this, along
with the song lyrics, to the relevant folder & print AT LEAST two hard copies. Add your description to EVERY site that you submit the track to. This gives each track an identity of its' own to the listener & to the all-important search engines before it has even been heard. 


Song genre' (not everyone has heard of you...yet!) & tempo should be included wherever you are able.


• Let the song introduce itself.


Liner notes for albums, let alone individual songs, are grossly overlooked by most musicians these days. Give the public the credit they deserve. Liner notes work for you & FOR you. That's right. They're a win-win option that should not be passed up. You are PERSONALISING the song before its' even heard! You are drawing the prospective buyer inadvertently closer to a sale and you're giving a glimpse of what the song is about to YOUR way of thinking.


• Listeners rarely get the same meaning from your songs as you do. This is a HUGE positive!


How cool is it to have your own lyrics and music analysed

so closely as to have them
mean something totally different to someone you have never met? A great mistake
many songwriters make is to become 'precious' about the interpretation of their songs.


• Let people to enjoy your music as THEY want to.


By providing the aforementioned liner notes you are keeping your inbox clear of
lengthy descriptions of your own material. Whilst initially flattering, it becomes tedious.


Lyrically, people tend to enjoy exaggeration in a song. This can be problematic at times
but many years ago I found a couple of marvellous ways of doing this without any
effort at all. Swap from singing in the first person to singing in the second person.
Become “...the hollow guy at the bar...” If this isn't enough, swap gender!


• Don't sing about YOU & try role-reversal!!!


Each songwriter has their strengths & weaknesses. Well prior to utilising these to hilt,
one must be FULLY aware of them.


There is only one way to do this and it's the long way. Have one of your recorded
songs listened to by as many people that you know and have them honestly appraise
it. Ask them to actually WRITE their opinion down for you. Ask people from as many
different walks of life as you can. That's the easy part.

• Involve people before a song is even released!


Most people will initially laugh but believe me, secretly they'll be quite taken that you
have asked them. They'll be telling a lot of THEIR friends about it too! It's the most
congenial form of advertising that there is.


Now for the difficult part; sifting through your feedback. It will vary in every possible
manner that you can think of. Don't get bogged down. Look for consistencies, good
and bad. Keep firmly focussed on the fact that it is your SONGWRITING that is being
analysed and nothing more.


• So the guitar isn't loud enough. Who cares?


It is, of course, common courtesy to thank those kind enough to appraise your
songwriting skills by way of a finished product.
Once you have sifted through all of your opinions you should have a pretty definite
idea of where the general public see your strengths & weaknesses as a songwriter.
Now the fun really starts.


• Who are you really writing for?


Ask the vast majority of independent songwriters if we write because we enjoy it &
we'll say “Yes.” It's a pretty solid & stock-standard answer, otherwise we wouldn't be
independent. Ask the vast majority of independent songwriters if we write for the money, most jump up & down saying “No! Never!” Ask the vast majority of independent songwriters if we're writing for listeners, most will say, “Yes,” almost as an afterthought.


Truth be told, we write songs for all of the above reasons in varying degrees.


Get you 50% discount for "Mean Business" by entering the codeword: thistle

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