How to Write Good Songs and Promote Them

HOW TO WRITE GOOD SONGS

AND PROMOTE THEM

by Gini Graham Scott

Author of 200+ Books and 150+ Lyrics for Songs

HOW TO WRITE GOOD SONGS AND PROMOTE THEM

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Copyright © 2021 by Gini Graham Scott

All rights reserved.  No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: WHAT’S YOUR GOAL IN WRITING YOUR SONG

PART I: WRITING GREAT LYRICS

CHAPTER 2: HOW TO WRITE THE PERFECT SONG IN 10 MINUTES—OR MAYBE A LITTLE MORE

The Basic Formula

An Example of Using the Formula

CHAPTER 3: WHAT MAKES A GREAT SONG

The Main Elements of a Great Song

An Example of Using the Elements in a Song

CHAPTER 4: USING YOUR CREATIVITY TO COME UP WITH IDEAS FOR SONGS

Coming Up with Ideas for Songs

Turning Your Ideas into a Song

An Example of Thinking about a Current Situation

PART II: DIFFERENT TYPES OF SONGS AND THEMES

CHAPTER 5: WHY LOVE SONGS ARE A POPULAR GENRE

The Popularity of Love Songs

An Example of Writing a Popular Love Song

CHAPTER 6: COMING UP WITH NEW IDEAS IN A POPULAR GENRE

Thinking about Resilience in Love

An Example of Writing a Song Based on This Theme

CHAPTER 7: COMMENTING ON EVERYDAY LIFE AND SOCIAL ISSUES

PART III: USING SONGS FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES

CHAPTER 8: USING SONGS TO SHARE IDEAS OR GAIN SUPPORT

How to Share Ideas or Gain Support with a Song

An Example of Sharing Ideas Based on a Song

CHAPTER 9: USING SONGS TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE

An Example of Using Gospel Songs

An Example of Using a Song to Promote Health, Wellness, and Good Living

PART IV: RECORDING AND PROMOTING YOUR SONG

CHAPTER 10: FINDING A SINGER/SONGWRITER AND RECORDING YOUR SONG

Different Types of Arrangements

Using a Collaboration to Create a Better Song

Where to Find Singer/Songwriters

What to Look for in Collaborating with or Hiring a Singer/Songwriter

Getting a Recording for Your Song

CHAPTER 11: REGISTERING YOUR SONG AND FINDING SERVICES TO DISTRIBUTE IT

Registering a Copyright

Registering with a PRO Organization

CHAPTER 12: CREATING A YOUTUBE CHANNEL OR WEBSITE TO PROMOTE YOUR SONGS

Creating a YouTube Channel

Posting Songs on Your Website

CHAPTER 13: PROMOTING YOUR SONGS ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA

Creating a Blog, Article, or Press Release about Your Song

Announcing a Music Channel for Your Songs

Creating Blogs and Articles about Topics of Interest

Posting a Short Blurb to Link to Your Song, Article, Blog, or Press Release

Some Examples of Posts with Short Blurbs

Who Will See Your Post?

Using a Social Media Service

Sending a Post to Your Own Followers

CHAPTER 14: CREATING A VIDEO TO PROMOTE YOUR SONG

Different Platforms to Create Your Video

Deciding on the Photos, Graphics, or Video Clips for Your Video

Setting Up Your Credits and Contact Images

Creating Your Video

An Example of Matching Lines with Images in a Video

An Example of Matching Verses with Images in a Video

An Example of a Single Image for a Song

CHAPTER 15: TURNING YOUR SONGS INTO A BOOK

What to Include in Your Book

Setting Up Images in Your Book

Writing an Introduction for Your Book

Other Copy to Include in Your Book

Setting Up Your Interior for Publication

Creating a Cover for Your Book

Creating the Back Cover Copy

Publishing Your Book

INTRODUCTION

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How to Write Good Songs and Promote Them started as a series of press releases and blogs I wrote to promote my latest songs, after I had written over 100 songs and worked with a singer with a band who composed the music and recorded the songs.  Along the way, he made suggestions on improving the lyrics, such as rewriting lines and tightening up the wording. Then, he posted and monetized our songs on Song Trader, and I learned about other platforms for posting and promoting songs. Also, I began creating videos for each song and posting them on YouTube and on their own website.  Initially, these videos started out with an image for each line of the song; then for each verse, chorus, and bridge; and finally, I used a single image for each song.  Subsequently, I started writing press releases and Medium articles and sending out promotional links for each release or article through Hootsuite to the major social media platforms—Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter.

While I started off writing about my latest songs, I began to write about the writing process, describing what I did to write the lyrics of a song and arrange for the music and recording. Ultimately, these blogs led to writing this book, which is primary for people who write song lyrics, thought singer/songwriters will find this book can help them. The book can also help any songwriters with promoting their songs. 

The book features the step-by-step process of writing good lyrics, followed by a discussion of how to find someone to create the music, sing, and record your song.  It also discusses ways to promote your song, including creating a video, posting it on online song platforms, joining songwriting organizations and groups, and turning one or more songs into a book.  It includes some of my own songs as examples, along with illustrations of different steps involved in creating and promoting your songs.

So now good luck in writing and promoting the songs you write.

CHAPTER 1: WHAT’S YOUR GOAL IN WRITING YOUR SONG

Before you write your song, it helps to know your reasons or goal in writing it.

Say you are interested in writing a commercial song so you can obtain radio airplay, license the song for films and TV shows, ads, and find a music publisher to represent you. You need to be aware of what makes a song more commercial.  For example, you need to take into consideration the genres that are most popular (such as love songs) and the most saleable music styles for your song (such as pop or country).  You also need a more commercial, fully mastered recording.

If you want to use the song in a video, you can use almost any type of recording—from informally singing it on your phone to having a professional recording. But you additionally need to combine one or more images with the recording, so you can create an MP4 or other video file.

If you are seeking a collaborator to compose the music, and sing your song, you just need the lyrics to find a collaborator online or in a local songwriting group or to hire a singer/songwriter to create the music.

Or if you are writing the song for family and friends or a local social or business group, you can just read the lyrics like a poem.

Sometimes your goal for writing the song may change, too.  For example, you might start off writing a love song to express your love for a partner and include it in a love letter or recite it on a romantic get-together.  But then you may decide to find a collaborator or record the song for a YouTube video.  Or perhaps you receive so much encouragement that you think your song could have commercial potential, so you want to create a mastered song, either with a collaborator or as a singer/songwriter yourself.

Typically, your first step in writing a song is writing the lyrics based on your idea for a song or even a first line that suggests a song.  But sometimes you might start with the music, where you write some lyrics suggested by the music.  In that case, you have to break-down the music in order to distinguish the beats, length of the lines, and the breaks between different musical sections, such as the chorus, verses, and bridge.  Also, you have to keep in mind the desired genre and style for the song,