Thinking about sending a song to a publisher or a record company? Then you’ll want to make sure that you do everything possible to increase your chances of landing a placement. The following 10 tips will help by making sure that you have the best shot possible at being successful.
- Mix it right, without mastering
You may believe that showing your mastering skills will help you stay ahead of the competition, but is it really so? In reality, you don’t necessarily have to do any mastering. Just make sure your song is mixed right. Why? This leaves the door open to the possibility of the client adding additional tracks. The song can always be mastered down the road.
- Don’t forget about contact details
Your track should include metadata with your contact information. Add your phone number next to the “Produced By” tag. If you use iTunes to edit your metadata, include e-mail and social network info.
- Put a label on the key
If you really want to be thorough and make yourself easy to contact, label the key following your phone number. Example: Troll Paradise (Produced By Hot Spoons Productions) (415) 841-7670 (Am).
- Include the Performing Rights Organization
This should be included in the metadata summary in iTunes, BMI, SESAC, or ASCAP.
5. Hook references for the songs
For songs with reference hooks, include the contact info for the singer, include an instrumental version, and include a written copy of the hook.
- Offer a professional DJ pack
What’s a DJ pak? It should include a clean and a dirty version of the song, an a cappella version, the instrumental version and (if needed) a “DJ Intro” (8 bars) for both the clean and dirty tracks.
- Make sure your songs have titles
Never send a song titled “track 1” or “track 2”. Find a strong title that conveys the message of your song. This will help the artist gain more insight into your vision of the song. It also shows that you care about your work.
- Pay attention to song structure
The intro, hook, verse, bridge, and outro, should all be distinct sections with easily countable bars––8, 16 and 32.
- Start the track with a tag
Your tag should appear at the beginning of the track. It’s not necessary to remind the listener of who owns the copyright.
- Include the contact of the studio
If you recorded the song in a studio, include their contact info. They may need to be contacted regarding stems. It may also give the studio additional business, which they’ll appreciate––and it will make you look good.