Selling songs

[ama]

My Husband has written hundreds of songs, Most of them are very good (he's in an indie band and they use a lot of his songs) He'd now like to try and sell some of his songs and we have no idea where to start. We've seen several websites where you can upload your songs (for a fee of course) and record companies will supposedly look at them. Any idea's where the best place to start would be anyone?

[mcmikeymike]

Firstly, ensure they are covered by copyright so that he is known as the composer.

 

Does the band not an ambition to record them themselves ?

 

Don't do anything that involves a fee, you are most likely being conned.

 

Get the band to make demo versions of the songs, put them onto cds (easily done with a computer from home) print out lyric sheets then post to record companies, producers, etc.

 

Most importantly, take the first cd, seal it with all the writing credits, lyrics, date recorded, etc.

 

Seal the envelope, then post it back to yourself.

 

NEVER OPEN the envelope as if there is ever a query about who wrote the song and when the unopened envelope will have a postmark which makes it obvious it was written before a certain date.

[mcmikeymike]

Before you ask about getting the tracks recorded.

 

I once produced a couple of demos for my friends son using the easiest of techniques.

 

All we had were a drum machine (which was on his keyboard anyway), keyboard, guitar, mixer and 2 cassette players.

 

We recorded the drums and bassline onto cassette.

 

Played back the tape through the mixer and placed the keyboards track in (recording on the 2nd cassette machine).

 

Then played back that track as he added the guitar, then the vocals.

 

A really basic way of doing it, but it sounded good enough for a demo with just one musician.

 

Then

[amandaindie]

thanks mcmikeymike.

 

My husbands band do use quite a few of the songs, about 40 or so at the moment and quite a lot of them have been recorded and are on their website as MP3's and the local radio stations often play them. He has copywrighted most of his songs, but he has over 400!! He has sent a lot of them to himseld recorded delivery and he has them in secure storage.

They've sent hundreds of demo's out to record companies, but rarely get any replies. One of his contacts reckon CD's just get thrown in the bin. Would he send written songs to the same address at the record companies? if so would these just get thrown away too?

[dirtyharriet]

I am a moderator on a website that is for songwriters, you can upload them FREE. The guy who runs the site has affiliation with TAXI and Sony.

My partner too is a musician and if you join the site and mention that you met me here, I'll send you a list of links that may be of use to you.
Not easy being unsigned is it?

[dirtyharriet]

OOPS

Website is

www.merseybeat.net