Steps to Successful Songwriting
Steps to Successful Songwriting
There is a difference between a songwriter and a HIT songwriter. Not every songwriter kisses the sky. It’s not easy! Steps to Successful Songwriting is purely a creative process, but it also involves the mindset and habits of the songwriter. If you want to attain success as a songwriter, you must allow yourself to find inspiration, add your essence, and follow universal guidance. At the end of the day, it comes down to regimen, hard work, and most importantly, passion.
Step 1: Realize the Purpose of Songwriting
If you want to reach somewhere, you must first know where you should go. To follow the steps to successful songwriting, you must start by visualizing your future as a songwriter. While this may seem obvious, many aspiring songwriters neglect this crucial step. Often, I encounter songwriters who are moving forward with the hope that something will happen without a clear direction. To truly succeed, you must define your purpose. Ask yourself: Why am I writing songs? What message do I want to convey? How do I want to impact the world? Establishing your purpose will provide clarity and set a strong foundation for your songwriting journey.
Step 2: Write a lot
If you want to reach somewhere, you must first know where you should go. If you want to be successful in your songwriting journey, you must first start visualizing where you want to be in the future. Yes, this should sound obvious to you. But the truth is that it’s neglected very often. Many times, I come across songwriters who are traveling with the mindset that something will happen to them without knowing what that thing is. So, as a first step, you must define yourself and realize your purpose in Steps to Successful Songwriting. You must ask yourself, why am I writing songs? What do I want to say? How do I want to change the world?
Step 3: Start playing your songs
So, you have ten competitive songs with you. Now, you can start playing your songs for people. In this, I would recommend starting with a public performance organization. If you have subscribed to “The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers,” “Broadcast Music, Inc.,” or “SESAC,” you can start from there. If not, then you need to meet them as soon as possible. I would say that getting a supporter at one of these organizations will be the best thing to do for Steps to Successful Songwriting. So meet them and start your success journey from there. Many of these societies have “writer relation departments” that are connected to top talent and industry players—they can help!
Step 4: Be sure to be single-minded
In following the steps to successful songwriting, it’s essential to understand that not all plans will work out—and that’s okay! Failure is a part of every songwriter’s journey. What truly matters is your persistence and single-minded focus. The difference between those who succeed and those who don’t often lies in their ability to keep going despite setbacks. While adjusting your plans is perfectly fine, giving up too soon is a mistake many make. Stay committed to the steps to successful songwriting, refine your approach, and trust that the path will reveal itself. Keep pushing forward, doing your best each day, and success will follow.
Step 5: Start meeting publishers
Once you can play your songs for the people through any or all public performance organizations, you can start meeting the publishers. Yes, what you are thinking is right! You can even meet song pluggers. Both the publisher and song plugger will want you to have at least ten competitive songs. However, you must also understand that it may take time before you build a strong relationship or secure a deal with them. Here again, your persistence plays a major role. The more material you have to play, the better your chances of success in following the steps to successful songwriting and getting your work noticed!
Step 6: Continue to practice
This step is as important as the above-mentioned steps. A songwriter won’t be any good if he/she doesn’t practice his/her art. If you are a performing songwriter, the practice sessions should include your instruments as well. One can indeed achieve his/her goals only through continuous practice. You might be thinking that only natural talent will take you to kiss success. But I would say that no matter how talented you are, you can reach your success only with constant practice. This would also help to become an expert in your niche. Again, we never know what song will propel us forward or when. Our job is to keep creating the art that we want to share, the art we feel will move people, and the art that moves our hearts.