As the year begins to wind down (all the weasels are packing their bags and running for the airport– probably trying to avoid the blizzard of oncoming pink slips flying around the office), it’s a good time for songwriters to take a day or two and assess where they are in their career, where they’re going, and what it will take to get them there. As to the last point, I’ve already got one good suggestion to consider:

Songwriters– You need a publisher.

Some of you probably already know this. Some of you might already have a publishing deal. Undoubtedly, some of you are probably asking the obvious question: “Why? Why would I need a publisher?”

In order to answer that, we actually have to circle back to the first two topics of consideration: where are you in your career, and where do you want to go? If you’re a songwriter, I’ll assume that you probably have some songs. Most songwriters don’t have a shortage in that area. What most songwriters lack are songs that generate income– that make money. If that’s where you are, and you’d like to get to a point where your songs can be the basis of a business, then a publisher is exactly what you need. Because that’s what publishers do.

Songwriting itself is not a business. It’s a sort of avocation. It’s just something you do. You create songs. This would explain why most of the time songwriters have a closet full of demos, and not a lot in the way of income.

Music Publishing, on the other hand, is indeed a business. That’s all it is. It is the business of deriving income from songs. When I wrote my book on music publishing, I called it “Making Music Make Money”. Songwriters create songs. Music publishers take those songs and figure out how to turn them into money, by getting the songs on records or the radio, in films or television shows, in advertisements or onto sheet music.

Sound good? I thought so. The goal then for 2008 is to find a publisher. There’s only one drawback. If your songs aren’t generating much in the way of income at the moment, it will be almost impossible to find a publisher who will be interested in representing you. Music publishers are primarily interested in representing writers who have already demonstrated at least the potential for commercial success. Bummer.

But don’t despair. The good news is that you already have a publisher. This person has been with you since you completed your first song. This person knows your catalogue note by note, and is unwavering in his or her belief in your talent. Before you go searching around the studio to find this person, and start yelling at them about why you’re not getting more cuts, let me clue you in:

You’re it. YOU are your publisher. The minute you complete a song, you are not only the writer of it, but you are also the publisher of it– and you remain the publisher until you assign those rights to someone else. The problem with most songwriters is not that they don’t have a publisher– the problem is that they’re not very good publishers. They’re doing the job as songwriters, but they haven’t learned how to take that work, and turn into into something that creates income. The real resolution for 2008 is not to find a publisher. It’s to learn to become a good publisher.

It’s not as easy as it sounds, nor as hard as you might fear. It does mean gathering a certain amount of technical knowledge about how royalties are computed, how money is collected and distributed, and how licenses are negotiated. It means learning to research projects, develop contacts, and pitch your songs. In order to be effective, it requires learning to listen to your own music critically, and making judgments about which songs are commercially viable, and which ones need work. If that sounds like a dirty job, then here’s the reality check:

Someone’s gotta do it. And you’re the only one who will. Until you can begin to work your songs into situations that at least have the potential to generate money, no publisher will suddenly be dropping by your apartment, wondering if you have any tunes that he or she can exploit. It’s up to you to get the ball rolling, and until you do, nothing will happen. Songwriting without publishing is a hobby.

The goal then for 2008 is to foster your inner music publisher. How do you do it? Study. Read “Making Music Make Money: An Insider’s Guide to Becoming Your Own Music Publisher” if you want a place to start. Check out Music Publishing 101 at Berkleemusic.com. The whole course is designed to walk you through the set-up of your own music publishing business.

Then while you’re studying, start doing. Pick up Billboard and start figuring out where your music fits into the market. Pick up tipsheets like “New On The Charts” to figure out who’s looking for songs. Pick up the phone, and start dialing for dollars.

The good news and the bad news is the same: it’s all in your hands. No one is going to turn your music into money– you have to show that it can be done. Trust me, once you do, there will be no shortage of large and small music publishers who will be happy to partner with you. But your first, and best publisher, will always be you. If you’re looking for one thing that can change your life as a songwriter, then this year’s goal is well-within reach. You need a publisher. And you’re it.

For more education on careers in the music industry, check out: http://www.music-career-guide.com

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