Notes for Songwriters | Songwriters’ Groups
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1. Our Suggested Reading List has several titles on songwriting.
2. The songwriting groups and associations listed below are an excellent way to learn and share information.
3. Area nightclubs and open mic nights are excellent for trying out your material before a live audience.
4. You may want to join one of the Texas Music Associations and Unions.
5. Familiarize yourself with our Copyrights, Trademarks and General Music Business Information, as well as the music publishing sections of our Getting Started in the Music Business guide.
6. Contact a CD manufacturer to produce professional quality copies of your demos; familiarize yourself with how to upload digital copies of your songs on your website, your MySpace page, and your Facebook page.
7. Build up a "resume" of at least 40 original songs.
8. Make sure all songs are registered with the US Copyright Office.
9. If you own the SR part of your copyright and / or release records on your own label, register your recordings with Sound Exchange to help collect your royalties for non-interactive digital transmissions, including satellite and Internet radio.
10. Register with EnjoyTexasMusic.com's Texas Talent Register so that you'll be eligible for referrals.
11. Create "promo pack" with: (1) song titles and years of copyright; (2) lyric sheets of three best lyrical songs; and (3) list of all song titles previously recorded by others, artist's name and album name. Include all co-writers and their publishing company names.
12. Make a compilation CD (5 of your songs recorded by others; 5 or more songs with just vocals and guitar or piano).
13. Make business cards with your publishing company name on them.
14. Update your contact list; pursue current contacts that are established recording artists so that they might cover your songs.
15. Make a top ten "wish list" of artists you would like to cover your songs and then contact their management (Texas Music Office has this information). Be realistic about whether your song would fit into their repertoire.
16. Broaden exposure to national audience by establishing a YouTube channel containing high quality video performances of your songs.
17. Make sure all of your songs are available to be purchased on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, etc. Companies like Tunecore, Reverbnation and CDBaby can help facilitate distribution to those digital stores for a fee.
18. Create awareness among your fans for music streaming sites like LastFM, Pandora, iLike, Slacker, etc. that pay digital royalties to featured recording artists and sound recording copyright owners (usually a record label, unless you self-release your music) through Sound Exchange. If you have a Facebook page, add the iLike and LastFM applications.
19. Reach out to film, television and video game music supervisors that accept unsolicited material.
20. Make sure the music on your MySpace page and your Facebook page is the best you've got. Music supervisors often comb MySpace to select fresh artists (that will not demand standard licensing fees) for televisions show soundtracks and other visual mediums.
Songwriting Groups and
Associations
Sorted by city Austin
Songwriters Group
P.O. Box 2578, Austin, TX 78768
(512) 442-8863
Ande Rasmussen, President
Dallas
Songwriters Association
Sammons Center for the Arts • 3630
Harry Hines Blvd. • Box 20, Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 750-0916; (972)
878-3507; Fax (214) 692-1392
Ron Grimes, President
Spanish Songwriters
Association • Asociacíon de Autores i Compositores Latinos
346 Park Forest Shopping Center, Dallas, TX 75229
(214) 418-2483; Fax (214)
348-3191
José Volante, President
Fort
Worth Songwriters Association
P.O. Box 162443, Fort Worth, TX 76161
(817) 654-5400; (817) 625-4450; Fax (817) 626-7458
Rob Owen, President
The
Kingwood College Songwriters
3700 Kingwood Drive, No. 3527, Kingwood,
TX 77339
(713) 392-2316
Kristin Gamboa
Nashville
Songwriters Association International • Houston, TX Workshop
3135 Waters Lake Bend, Missouri City, TX 77459
(979) 732-1621
Leanne
Timura
Houston
Songwriters Association
P.O. Box 1273, Richmond, TX 77406-1273
(281) 578-5318
Songwriters On Note Group (SONG)
215 East Nakoma,
San Antonio, TX 78216
(210) 349-8891 ext. 104; (210) 349-2700; Fax (210)
349-8891 ext. 110
Richard D. Slaughter
North
Texas Songwriters Association
95 Hopper Road, Whitewright, TX 75491-5970
(903) 546-6511
Jimmy Wallace, Coordinator