Four Ways To Avoid Music Submission Mistakes Written by: Cliff Goldmacher (www !

ducatedSon"writer com# $ntroduction First of all% $ want to con"ratulate you for takin" a bi" ste& forward in your career as a son"writer $f you're considerin" submittin" one (or several# of your son"s for a music business o&&ortunity% then you've "one to the ne(t level beyond )ust writin" son"s and ho&in" the world will come to you This bein" the case% there are a cou&le of classic mistakes you should be careful to avoid so that you can &resent yourself as the &rofessional you undoubtedly are * +ever attach an m&, to an email without &ermission First of all% submittin" a son" either via email or on a C- without havin" a contact who is e(&ectin" it is the same thin" as not submittin" at all .nless there has been some kind of e(chan"e where an industry &erson is e(&ectin" your music% there isn't a &itch o&&ortunity there $ know what you're thinkin" /All music industry &eo&le say 0no unsolicited material' so how can $ "et &ermission12 We'll "et back to that in a moment but here's the most im&ortant &oint .nder no circumstances should you email an m&, to someone in the industry without e(&ress &ermission to do so Those files take u& a lot of s&ace and if every son"writer submitted unsolicited m&,s to the same music bi3 &erson's inbo( it would fill u&4crash their email &ro"ram The last thin" you want is to have someone in the industry irritated with you before they've even heard your music 5etter still% if you can learn how to enclose a link to your son" in the body of your email% you're way ahead of the "ame +ow% in reference to fi"urin" out how to "et &ast the /no unsolicited material2 "ateway% the music business is a relationshi& business $f you live in +ashville% +6C or 7os An"eles% start "ettin" out to industry functions% conferences and events and meetin" &eo&le -on't e(&ect immediate results% but the results will come $f you don't live in a music city% usin" re&utable &ro(y or"ani3ations like Ta(i com is a "reat start 8 Avoid writin" lon" emails4letters with your submission 7ike in any business% &ublishers% A9: e(ecs and music su&ervisors are busy &eo&le While $ understand that your history and reasons for writin" your son"s are im&ortant% that is a discussion for another time and &lace ;nce you've received &ermission to submit your son" you should kee& your email or letter very short and to the &oint A sim&le reference as to how you heard about the o&&ortunity (mentionin" a mutual ac<uaintance for e(am&le#% the artist or &ro)ect your &itchin" to (if that's what you're doin"# and your contact information is really all that's necessary :eally This means not enclosin" lyrics% &hotos% a bio% etc $f someone in the industry wants more information% they'll reach out =romise

Four Ways To Avoid Music Submission Mistakes

, -on't send more son"s than the o&&ortunity re<uires ;nce you've been "iven &ermission to submit for a &ro)ect% it's im&ortant to use some restraint and not over>submit For e(am&le% if a listin" is askin" for son"s for a &articular &ro)ect% this means that you should only submit the son" > or in very rare instances% two son"s > that fit the descri&tion of what is re<uested This is not an o&&ortunity to show the de&th and breadth of your catalo" $f you're &itchin" to a &ublisher then two or three son"s will do it As $ mentioned above% if the individuals lookin" for son"s want more from you% they'll ask The rationale is sim&le $f you &ut yourself in their &osition% you'll a&&reciate that these folks have to "o throu"h a mountain of submissions and sendin" too many son"s mi"ht "et your &itch &ushed to the bottom of the &ile because it seems like too much work to "o throu"h ? -on't for"et to follow u& For the record% it is never safe to assume that one email% voicemail or Csubmission is enou"h $n fact% it $S safe to assume that it isn't While your son" mi"ht be the most im&ortant thin" to you% it will be one of many% many submissions for a "iven &ro)ect or &ublisher $t's safe to say that submittin" a son" and not followin" u& one to two weeks later is% a"ain% like not submittin" at all $'m not sayin" this is "ood or ri"ht but my e(&erience has been that unless you &ut it on your calendar to follow u&% then% most likely% your son" will be overlooked And% by the way% followin" u& is not a one>time thin" 6ou can &olitely (and concisely# follow u& every two weeks after your first follow u& until you either hear somethin" back or decide there are sim&ly better ways to s&end your time Conclusion Submittin" your son"s is an e(citin" &art of the &rocess of bein" a son"writer 5y rememberin" to treat this &art of your career as &rofessionally as &ossible% you'll avoid the risk of losin" credibility in the eyes of the industry When in doubt% &ut yourself in the shoes of the &erson you're submittin" to and think about what they would most a&&reciate Good luck@ 5io Cliff Goldmacher is a son"writer% &roducer% session musician% en"ineer% author and owner of recordin" studios in +ashville% T+ and Sonoma% CA Cliff's site% htt&:44www !ducatedSon"writer com% is full of resources for the as&irin" son"writer includin" monthly online webinars Go to htt&:44www educatedson"writer com4webinar4 for the latest schedule Cliff's com&any% htt&:44www +ashvilleStudio7ive com% &rovides son"writers outside of +ashville with virtual access to +ashville's best session musicians

Four Ways To Avoid Music Submission Mistakes and sin"ers for their son"writin" demos 6ou can download a F:!! sam&le of Cliff's e5ook /The Son"writer's Guide To :ecordin" =rofessional -emos2 by "oin" to htt&:44www !ducatedSon"writer com4ebook Facebook: www facebook com4!ducatedSon"writer Twitter: eduson"writer