Tips for Songwriters: Prepare your songs to show to artists

Cliff Goldmacher is a songwriter/engineer/producer/author and owner of recording studios in Nashville and New York City.  Download Cliff's free e-book, “The Songwriter’s Guide To Recording Professional Demos”

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As a result of recording and producing hundreds of demos, I've learned that it is always better to "prepare and prevent" than to "repair and repent." Here are a few steps you can take to help make your demo recording experience more successful.

Song Preparation

It may sound obvious but make sure your song is FINISHED. I can't tell you the number of times I've had clients come into the studio only to start rewriting a part of the lyric or melody. It is significantly less stressful (and quite a bit less expensive) to write a song when you're not paying the studio an hourly fee.

You can also benefit from trying a few rough recordings at home before you get to the studio. The simple act of listening back to a song instead of performing it will reveal any weaknesses or issues that need to be dealt with before the studio clock is running. The last of these rough home recordings will become the definitive work tape.

The Rough Recording

This is any simple, inexpensive recording that you do on a hand-held recorder, mp3 recorder, or computer program etc. Generally a piano or guitar plus a scratch vocal will do the trick. The key here is not a perfect recording but rather an accurate representation of the song structure. In other words, it doesn't have to sound great as long as the chords, melody and lyrics are correct. The purpose of this work tape is to provide the demo vocalist and session musicians with a final version of your song that they can learn from.

To hear an example of a rough recording click below
Does She Make You Laugh - Rough

The Players

Let's start with the demo vocalist. It's always a good policy to get a copy of the work tape and the lyrics to the singer a week or so before the session. There are several reasons for this. First of all, the singer can let you know what key the song should be in to best suit their voice. This way, if you end up recording instrument parts before the singer does their part, you'll know the correct key. Secondly, the more time the singer has to learn the song, the less time he or she will take to sing the song when the studio clock is running.

When you get to the session, it's wise to have printed lyric sheets for the engineer, musicians and vocalist. The lyrics should be typewritten and have each chorus written out in full. The reason for this is that you'll be using these lyric sheets to mark spots that need fixing (or spots on certain takes that you like) and having "Repeat Chorus" written for the second and third choruses won't allow you to take good notes. The better the notes you take on the lyric sheet while the vocalist is recording, the easier it will be to tell the vocalist what works and what needs to be fixed.

The session musicians do not need a work tape in advance. They will be learning the song from your work tape when they get to the session. You can save a little time by writing a chord chart of the song if it's something you're comfortable doing. If not, the session musicians should have no trouble doing it for you quickly using the work tape you bring to the session.

Conclusion

After that, it's up to the singers and musicians to bring your song to the next level. There's nothing more fun than listening to world-class musicians and vocalists record a song you've written. The more you prepare in advance, the more you'll enjoy your studio experience.

To hear an the same rough recording from above as a finished demo, click below
Does She Make You Laugh - Demo

Good luck!

Comments

[dylan nicole martin]

im dylanicole martin and i write songs which's got an effect just like justin bieber's songs...help me out

[ffxiv gil]

Just be honest/big enough to accept that
a) (on occassion) your music simply isnt ready for market - ie it sucks. Yes my friends, I speak from experience!!
b) Its a graft. If you worked in the music biz as an industry vet, and wanted to get into your day job occupation IT, accounts, health whatever. How would you do it? Who in your industry would you engage? Now apply those to your efforts to tackle the music industry.
c) often you will be playing the long game, so relax, remember why you started making music in the first place and learn your craft, hone your skills, master your technology - if/when you do come accross you come accross less "full on". The journey is the experience as they say.

d) take positives from everythng you read and dont be soooooooo negative

[M. J. Calhoun]

Oh yea and CO-WRITE. There is nothing wrong with co-writing. Surround yourself with industry heads, learn their language and all. Last but not least, you might not believe me but even grammy award winning writers have a hard time getting songs cut. I've seen it happened. Keeping fighting and use the word "No" as a step in your step ladder to get to the top.

M. J. Calhoun 'L8 Nite'

[M. J. Calhoun]

I go by L8 Nite and I am a producer/song writer. I am 27 yrs old. I quit a great electronic job just to go to school and learn about the industry. I will be graduating in Spring 2011, and interning. I intern now for the hell of it because Im not gaining credits but I am gaining knowledge and experience. Cmon guys you have to have passion and drive to make it in the industry. Why do you think that its so secluded? Sure its about who you know, but the ones who have the talent and passion are the ones with longevity. Family, friends, and co-workers told me that I was stupid for my transition, and said that I will never make it but I took it and smile because that's the kind of drive that I need to never give up or look back, and to get from point A to my final destination. Go intern, kiss ass, network or what ever you think will work. Life is what you make of it, you choose your own destiny. I grew up poor and in a hip hop background but now I am interning and working with a world famous country group. Being open minded takes you beyond imagination. Feel free to contact me anytime or keep tabs on my progression. Thanks and remember. ITS ALL ABOUT NETWORKING!!!!

[matt]

You have to find an bonafide entertainment lawyer or a manager(meaning they work with record labels or producers regularly), but most likely it will be an entertainment lawyer and have him try and shop the songs around for you, or you can go to local clubs and find a talented young band that plays well and maybe doesn't quite write the best songs and give them some of your tracks and see if they like any of your songs.

[Glenn Waters]

Greetings, I am contacting you because I have a song that I wrote and have recorded. Who do I send it to,so it can be heard?

[jesus espinoza]

so if i write a song who do i email it too. jespinoza003@yahoo.com 347-421-6806

[Olayinka Oladeji]

It's good reading this, i'm a singer/songwriter, based in Nigeria. I'm presently making plans to go do a diploma in audio engineering or sound and music recording so as to have the right kind of knowledge to record my songs just the way i would love it while writing them. But all the same i love the steps you gave.
But would still love to ask if you can recommend any good institute to study good sound engineering course.
Thanks.

Olayinka Oladeji.

[mama chill]

you just have to keep on keepin on, that's life, the music bizz is about who you know and circumatance but most of us knew that anyway but are still optimistic enough to keep trying, after all, circumstance and chance might just come our way some day.

The usual rejection line is "sorry we have our own in house team" the second rejection line is sorry but X is a proficient songwriter in their own right and doesn't sing anyone elses material. Three months later they release a track written by a well known artist so what they really mean is " bog off no mark, you're not famous and X only sings stuff by famous artists/songwriters"

But like i said 99% of the time is spent hitting your head against a brick wall so you have to be passionate, strong and love what you do, regardless otherwise, go work in Mcdonalds. :) xxx

[Roman]

Yea. The hardest thing to make them hear your song. Is there anybody who can give an advise about best way to reach artist or a&r?

Roman
producer, songwriter

[Michael J. hundley]

There's an old adage:"chance and circumstance happen to us all". Researching who to contact or paying someone who has and specilizes in getting the finished product to the right people doesn't hurt. The days of just sending your recording to the A&R guy are over. Hiring someone who has the right connctions seems to be what's going on.

[Ray]

I believe we should all start with one understanding. The music business can be a frustrating business more often than not. Now before all the 'damn right its frustrating' statements start, I have one more thing to say. "So what". If you thought it would be easy and you'd get to sleep in every morning, all I can say is "I'm sorry you picked the wrong profession". The people that make it in music are the ones that never hear the word no as a 'no', they hear it as 'no not now.' I am fortunate to work with an artist that works 358 days a year. I don't mean 358 days plus weekends off. I mean 358 days a year of work on their career and allowing themselves one 7 day vacation. They are always looking for ways around or over or through the frustrations. My advice would be get over thinking its going to come easy and see if you have enough passion and energy to make it work in spite of the obstacles. Excuses never got anyone anywhere. Now if that seems 'hard ass', so be it. Because you will run into many no's and you are just going to have to brush them off and do better next time. Those that get what I am saying will push forward, those that don't will blast me and make excuses. Best of luck to all.

[john doe]

Yes, some of you guys seem slightly bitter, cynical and wanting "out of the box" solutions(maybe its the fault of an internet fuelled "the answer's gotta be 1 click away" mentality.

Errr no-one owes you anything and sorry to burst bubbles, but with the advent of internet marketting tools (FB, Myspace, Youtube etc) and cheaper, higher quality home recording technology there's music on these platforms that quite frankly should have stayed on the hard drive.

But....if you have stubborn determination, self belief, faith and a little lady luck, then go for it. Who am I to knock you?

Just be honest/big enough to accept that
a) (on occassion) your music simply isnt ready for market - ie it sucks. Yes my friends, I speak from experience!!
b) Its a graft. If you worked in the music biz as an industry vet, and wanted to get into your day job occupation IT, accounts, health whatever. How would you do it? Who in your industry would you engage? Now apply those to your efforts to tackle the music industry.
c) often you will be playing the long game, so relax, remember why you started making music in the first place and learn your craft, hone your skills, master your technology - if/when you do come accross you come accross less "full on". The journey is the experience as they say.

d) take positives from everythng you read and dont be soooooooo negative
e)

[Geoff Casino]

Any little snippet of information is a good thing as far as I'm concerned. No need to sound so jaded and hard done by people, maybe it's time these people with their negativity give up in music all together - after all, if noone is going to give it all to you on a plate then surely it's all a bit too much like hard work, isn't it???

[Albert Prien]

Why do we always want "to be Discovered",or have a Artist do your song.Why do we write? Folks its a gift,so take it to the "People".You never know what kind of an effect it may have on someone.Music is a powerful medium.Go play in the park,coffee house,open mike's etc.Try fulfillment not fame.Remember when this was fun?I've done the recording,the road thing,lots of good experiences.Upload some stuff on tunecore internet radio, or a song at a time.I did in Dec.2009.Have some fun!