Songwriting Tips: 6 Secrets to Making a Living Songwriting

Are you a talented songwriter working a day job, trying to escape the nine to five so that you can start making a living songwriting, doing what you love. Maybe you’re not sure if your songs are good enough. Perhaps you’re tired of expensive studio costs when you don’t even know if the song is going to turn out good or not. Maybe you have great songs, but you just don’t know what to do with them or how to make money from them.

Hi, I’m Randy Kalsi, and I was in the same position that you were in three years ago. So I know exactly how you feel right now. And today, I’m a full-time songwriter making a living doing what I love, from the comfort of my own home studio. I want that for you as well. So in today’s free training, I’m going to share with you my six secrets to making a living songwriting. This is the exact same blueprint that I use to become a full-time songwriter. So let’s get straight into it.

Research. How to make sure that every song you write can make you money. So why bother researching if you already know how to write songs? Reason number one. You can find out which songs are currently being licensed to TV shows, movies, and artists for a lot of money.

Reason number two. You can confirm that there is a demand for the types of songs in your specific genre.

Reason number three. By researching successful songs that are already crushing it, you’re eliminating any and all guesswork. There are already successful songs out there. You know what the industry wants. So you just need to make similar sounding yet original songs. Pro tip. My favorite website for researching songs that have recently been licensed is tunefind.com.

Secret number two. Songwriting. Why referencing is not copying and how you can create songs that sell and still be original. So why reference other songs? Reason number one. A song can be written in many ways. There is, however, a formula for writing songs that sell. Until you have memorized the formula that works, just borrow it from someone else who knows.

Reason number two. There is no need to try and reinvent the wheel. There is already an ocean of successful songwriters and songs in every genre. All you need to do is follow their process and know how to take on their ideas without copying them.

Reason number three. The reference song you are following can be used for when it comes to producing the song too. It helps guide whoever’s producing the song as to how your song should sound, removing any risk that you will end up with a song that you either hate or can’t make money from.

Secret number three. Production. Why demos aren’t accepted anymore and how to make sure your songs are high quality. So why are demos no longer accepted? Reason number one. Nobody is investing in songwriters or artists anymore. Not even major labels. Even though you can still get a major label deal, they will only join up with you if you already have a large following and they just act as a worldwide distribution channel. Even then, the deals are not in favor of the artist or the songwriter.

Reason number two. In sync licensing, or song licensing, songs need to be ready and all legal paperwork in place within 24 hours. They work with extremely short turnaround times. And if you don’t have everything in place, you can lose the opportunity for a sync placement. Again, for this reason, they do not accept songs that are not finished.

Pro tip number one. Songs need to be fully mixed and mastered in order for you to have a chance at earning money from them. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a simple acoustic song or a full-blown production. If you can’t afford a full production, start by creating acoustic versions. And as long as they are high quality, you have a chance of making money from them.

Pro tip number two. Use your reference song every time you have your own song produced. This way, you can guarantee the results and that by the time the song is ready, it matches similar songs in the industry that have already been licensed for lots of money.

Secret number four. Recording. How to save yourself a lot of money by doing it yourself. I’ve heard so many myths and incorrect information about home recording. Here are some truths. Truth number one. You do not need expensive recording equipment to record professional vocals at home. What you do need are the right techniques and process.

Truth number two. You do not need a specially treated room. You can record professional vocals at home in your bedroom. Again, there are some best practices to make sure that your results are high quality and professional.

Truth number three. You can buy all the gear you need for under $350. This is the price of one session in a pro recording studio, an expense you will never have to pay for again.

Truth number four. In fact, not only will you never have to pay for studio time again, you will be in a position to charge other professionals, like producers, and earn a full-time income as a session vocalist and songwriter.

Secret number five. Pitching. Licensing your songs to TV and film. First of all, for those of you who don’t know, let me explain what sync licensing is. Sync licensing is an industry term used for when a TV show, movie, or ad, even a YouTube video, obtains a license to use a song to be played in their video. It is short for synchronization license. So why pursue sync licensing? Reason number one. Sync licensing is one of the only real opportunities now to make a living songwriting as an independent songwriter. It is a long-term strategy in the sense that it’s not a daily income stream, but the payouts are usually big so it compensates for that. You can get anywhere from $2,000 a song all the way up to $100,000 for something like a McDonald’s ad. Not only that, you also make money in the back end with royalties being the owner of the song.

Reason number two. It doesn’t matter if you’re famous, or how many YouTube views you have, or how much of a following you have. All they care about is whether your song fits their show and the story they are trying to tell.

Reason number three. Here’s a typical example of how the sync industry is really helping us independent songwriters. A show has 20 songs to license per episode, per season. Not only is that a lot of songs, which is great for our songwriters, they also have a specific budget to pay for all of these songs. For that reason, they would much rather pay an independent songwriter $10,000 to license a song than $100,000 or $200,000 to a major label artist. And again, this is another great reason why you should be researching and referencing successful songs.

Pro tip. Once you know you have high quality songs ready, search music licensing agencies on Google. Visit their sites and check if they work with the songs in your genre. Don’t waste your time contacting them if they don’t. The ones that do usually have an online submission process on their actual website. Following their strict submission guidelines, start sending out your songs to as many as you can find. Now, the trick here is to be patient and persistent. If your song is high quality mixed and mastered and all your legal paperwork is in order, it’s only a matter of time before your song is licensed.

Secret number six. Monetizing. How to find paying producers who are begging to pay you for your skills. Here are some reasons why monetizing your skills is a great way to keep you in the game. Reason number one. As you may well know, having songs produced can be expensive. Taking work as a session songwriter and vocalist can offset these costs. You can even make a deal with your producer to do some free session work for him in exchange for free production. What would be even better if you can’t produce the songs yourself is to find a producer who is willing to team up with you and share the licensing fees and royalties.

Reason number two. You can earn a considerable amount of money, if not a full-time income, just from freelancing. Recording your vocals on someone’s track can earn you at least $300 per song, and a lot more as a songwriter, not to include a percentage of the royalties for the song, depending on the deal.

Reason number three. There is an ocean of producers out there looking to hire professional songwriters and vocalists who can provide them with a high quality product. Songwriting is an amazing sought after talent, and combined with being able to sing and record yourself is a great way to make a living songwriting.

Here’s a free organic marketing tip. Turn your personal Facebook profile page into more of a business page showcasing your talents, along with some samples of your work. Join some Facebook groups where producers are hanging out. Get involved in conversations. Help people out. And when the time comes, offer your services to them.

So those are the six secrets to making a living songwriting, the exact system that I’ve used to become a full-time songwriter and the same system that has helped my clients get results, too. I hope you enjoyed the training. Keep a look out for more free training videos from me. And if you want to access more free training right now, just check out my site, syncsongwriting.com. Thanks for watching. Have an awesome day.