Starting your songwriting business in 2024 is a great idea. Maybe you’ve been writing songs for years and received great feedback from music industry pros.
Is your dream to write songs for Film and TV or even artists. The first thing you must do is decide if you really want to start a songwriting business or purely write for the enjoyment.
Before we get started, some of the links in the post are affiliate links, including Amazon links. That means we earn a commission if you buy through these links. This won’t cost you anything extra.
Did you know that BMI, which is one of several performance rights organizations in the U.S., distributed and administered a record $1.335 billion to its songwriters, composer and publishers ? So, the songwriting business is stronger than ever, even during Covid-19 and going forward.
I will help you answer this question in this post. You’ll know if starting a songwriting business is right for you or not. So let’s get started.
What’s the difference between a songwriting hobby and a songwriting business?
Those of us who grew up writing poetry and songs, know that its like breathing in and out. It’s just something you love to do. The difference between a hobby and a business is simple. It’s the money.
So, if you want to earn passive income or make a full-time living using your songwriting abilities, then that means you want to start a business.
SONGWRITERS, SINGER-SONGWRITERS, MUSICIANS, LYRIC WRITERS!
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How do I know if I’m a good songwriter?
There are hundreds of amazing music and sync licensing groups on Facebook and Clubhouse. When you join these types of communities, not only will you learn the business of songwriting for Film and TV, but you will also have an opportunity to pitch your music for feedback.
Once you’ve received feedback from industry professionals who need the type of music you write and or produce, then you’re ready to pursue songwriting as a business.
A great community to learn about “Sync” or writing for Film and TV is CTRL Camp. This is a great community for Artists and songwriters at all levels who are interested in learning how to get their music into Film and TV.
Although this is a paid option,Taxi is another great online community to join to get feedback and pitch your music.
What do you need to do first to start your songwriting business?
First, educate yourself. Secondly, invest in yourself.
In order to start your business, you’ll need to set up the following:
- IMPORTANT: Learn the music business!!! I’ll share some books below.
- Have 3 to 5 songs ready to share.
- Create a business name.
- I always advise that you talk to a tax professional. I started out as a Sole Proprietor. As you start to make money, then look into changing your tax status to a Limited Liability Company (LLC) which creates a separation between you and your business.
- Set up a bank account under your business name.
- Set up your website. A great website made for musicians and songwriters is Bandzoogle.
- Sign up for a PRO organization (BMI or Ascap). This is how you get paid your royalties. This is not your publisher or sync agency.
- Create your bio.
- Create a social presence (Instagram, Facebook…)
What are some other songwriting tips and tools?
Make sure you research TV Shows, movies, games and commercials that may be good fit for your music. Look for the Music Supervisor of the show and look for their contact information on Google.
Check out these websites below to research TV show, movies, games and commercials.
- IMdb – (TV shows, movies, games)
- Tunefind- (TV shows, movies, games)
- ispot.tv (commercials)
Here are a few more songwriting tips and tools.
- Host your own website and domain name on Bluehost. It’s a great platform that we use along with WordPress.
- We think Constant Contact is a great email marketing platform to set up your Artist, songwriter email. No credit card required. You can start a free trial. Start engaging with your fans. Share your music.
- Distrokid is fantastic. Get your music on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Tidal, Tik Tok, Youtube and more.
- Listen to current sounding music on Spotify. Notice what’s being used in TV shows and movies.
Here are just a few of the books that I’ve read about the music s and songwriting business as well as sync licensing available on Amazon.
- From Sync to Superstar by Tamara Bubble
- Shortcuts to Hit Songwriting by Robin Frederick
- The Musician’s Guide to Licensing Music by Darren Wilsey
- All you Need To Know About The Music Business by Donald S. Passman
- How To Make It In The New Music Business by Ari Herstand
- Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison
Songwriting Journal and Blank Sheet Music Notebook Recommendations
- My Words | My Lyrics | My Songs by Clear Path Publishing. We love this songwriting journal to keep your lyrics in one place.
- Blank Sheet Music Notebook by Clear Path Publishing- We also recommend this book. Great for music composers.
For more songwriting and musicians resources visit The Andream Shop Resources page.
Conclusion
You may have read through this post and decided that you are happy just writing songs for your own enjoyment and the love of creating something from your heart.
However, if what you read resonates with you, then start down this amazing path. As you start your songwriting business, realize this is a marathon not a sprint.
You will definitely experience rejection, but stick with the process. Learn all you can. Continue to create great music and get it out into the world.
I focused mostly on starting your own songwriting business to write songs for Film and TV, but if your dream is to write for artists, then start researching artists.You’ll find your way.
Keep writing great songs! Doesn’t matter if you start a songwriting business or not!
