How do you become an established singer-songwriter?

Answer 1

Answer DISCUSSSED BY JOHN- I totally agree with Simon- but most things are easier said than done,&its also true what Simon Cowell said about the A&R (the one who listen to the music &decide if its good/marketable or not)that they are an arrogant bunch of tossers ,that's the words he used!Anyone can write a song,The Beatles are the most important band in the history of music,yet the Beatles wrote songs about the place where they got their hair cut,Penny Lane!what you have to realise is that theirs no relaity theirs just perception,whether a song is good or if apersons talented or not is a matter of opinion.You may send a 100 demos in &get no reply!Some of the time the A&R don,t even bother,listening to it.Alot of people once they get famous become aloof /arrogant not all of them&when they get a deal they write their own songs /convey is themselvesor vice-versa.Peter Andre, s Mang. Can Associates told me to write.send do this &that never heard from them again,as did Yusuf Islam Charity,they did,NT even have the decency to reply i had to keep pursueing/phoning then to find out if they got my stuff &even then they were rude &put phone down!They advertise on their sites E-mail,Fax,us/them&when you do they tell you to F**,like PWL did to me-or the crony at the reception who threatened me, at his Studios on The South Bank &the security had to intervene(the team behind Kylie Minuogh,Jason Donavon famous in the 80,s)Sir Cliff Richards Organistion replied,his producer,Bruce Walsh with complaints.IN THE MUSIC BUSINESS SOMETIMES IT HELPS IF YOU KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE&in the end you just have to perserve.JOHN

I'm not too sure on the singer part but all you have to do to be an established song writer is write a good song and type it out and send it to a publisher... its that easy... i think ill try it... good luck!

EDITED BY SIMON: The above person has no idea what they're talking about! You have to record a demo (either at home or in a studio that you've rented), and send it to a RECORD LABEL (eg. BMG or SONY). If they like it, you may get a phone call saying that you should come into their studio and they'll see if you're as good as your demo. If you are, then they might sign you up. The contributor above made it seem easy, and it's not. Lots of TALENTED people try to get signed up, and tear apart families and have to move away from home in the hopes of persuing a career. It is hard, but if you do make it, it's worth it.

This chosen path of career is definitely a hard one...It sounds very simple when you explain it in your description but the reality is that alot of songwriter's don't even get a call back and don't get to see the record company at all the fact is that record companies have an idea of what they are looking for nowadays which I think is stupid...the artist nowadays has no creative input into their songs and the record company's word is final...George Michael commented that he and Andrew Rigdeley used to con their way into seeing record executives and even they had help because Andrew's next door neighbour was a record company exec...and he convinced his label to give them a try.Persistence however probably is the key to this exercise never give up and keep hounding the record companies another good way is to get in a band and do loads of touring and build up a following of fans and then a record company scout may catch up with you

Answer below provided by EDITED BY HARMONY25

The key to getting established is by playing lots of shows, honing your writing skills, and making sure the right people hear your stuff. Contrary to popular belief, you can't send unsolicited demos to major labels- they go directly to the trash heap. They have a & r representatives that are hired to scout talent and then present it to the label. Also, these reps will come to more than one of your shows and you may not even be aware that they are there. They will not approach you until they perceive that you are "ready" so keep the faith and keep gigging a lot!

Another way to get your songs heard by the majors is by working with a connected producer. Plenty of major label producers do freelance jobs outside of label work. Find out who's who in your city and approach them about working together- these people aren't as expensive or unapproachable as you may think. They will want to hear a demo (1-3 songs) of your stuff before they consider it so have one ready. You can find a local home studio that is really affordable to serve that purpose. Always have a few copies with you in case you meet that certain someone...you never know when opportunity or fate might knock.

Also, if you want to get anywhere professionally in the music biz then you need to live in a major city. New York, Toronto, Los Angeles or Nashville are the centres in North America. If you are unsure of where to relocate, visit first and try to assess how your "sound" would sell at venues in that city. For example, LA tends to have a poppier, lighter sound whereas you will find more arthouse music in NY...but that's a major generalization so go judge for yourself. If you live in a smaller city then it can be helpful to get noticed there first- get some good press and build your confidence- before jumping into the big pond. It can be competitive out there so make sure that, wherever you are, you develop a strong network with other artists in the area...it will come in handy when you're climbing all over each other's backs:)

Keep a positive attitude, don't talk poorly about other singer/songwriters, and keep believing in your big dream.

Listen to Harmony25 who knows what they're talking about, whereas Simon doesn't. It's true that major record companies rarely, if ever listen to demos sent in through the post. I found this out the hard way!! Live gigs and networking in the industry are the way to go. It's a sales job just like any other, you sell yourself and then the music. All successful artists understand this. Hope this helps.

I agree with you, but I just have to say that not all the singers are talented singers. Go check on you tube how Rihanna, Katy Perry or Kesha sing, and they make milions of dollars because their unique, and their songwrighting is unique, producers saw something in them (maybe $) and gave them a contract.