Let’s examine the opening lines of two songs - first, Elliott Smith’s “Between the Bars” and, second, Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools (Drank)”. Both songs are about alcohol addiction. However, notice that they take two different approaches to the same topic, Smith opting for an indirect, referential approach and Lamar for a more direct one. Both successfully paint powerful emotional pictures. Between the Bars: Drink up, baby, stay up all night/With the things you could do, you won’t but you might/The potential you’ll be that you’ll never see/The promises you’ll only make Swimming Pools (Drank): Now I done grew up round some people living their life in bottles/Granddaddy had the golden flask backstroke every day in Chicago/Some people like the way it feels/Some people wanna kill their sorrows/Some people wanna fit in with the popular/That was my problem
Songs’ instrumental parts range in volume and intensity - some are overpowering “walls of sound”, while others are so sparse that they’re barely audible by comparison. For example, compare My Bloody Valentine’s “Only Shallow” to Nirvana’s “Polly”. These two alternative rock songs were released within just months of each other, but their instrumentation couldn’t be more different. “Only Shallow” is a massive, swirling juggernaut of distortion, while “Polly” is a dark, hushed composition, featuring just an acoustic guitar, Kurt Cobain’s voice, a short bass interlude, and a few drum hits.
It’s certainly not impossible to become successful writing and selling a cappella songs (songs with only vocals and no instruments) or purely instrumental recordings. For instance, Shai’s version of “If I Ever Fall in Love” is an a cappella song that spent time at #2 on the US charts. Similarly, the recent explosion in popularity of electronic dance music has made hits out of songs with few (if any) lyrics. However, the vast majority of popular music has both instrumentals and lyrics, so writing these types of songs may give you more mass appeal. Note that, if you’re writing rap songs, you generally won’t have to worry about vocal melodies, as “pure” rap vocals are delivered tonelessly. However, many hip-hop artists incorporate tonality into their songs in the form of sung refrains or half-sung, half-rapped verses. See Chance the Rapper’s “Juice” for an example of this technique.
It’s certainly not impossible to become successful writing and selling a cappella songs (songs with only vocals and no instruments) or purely instrumental recordings. For instance, Shai’s version of “If I Ever Fall in Love” is an a cappella song that spent time at #2 on the US charts. Similarly, the recent explosion in popularity of electronic dance music has made hits out of songs with few (if any) lyrics. However, the vast majority of popular music has both instrumentals and lyrics, so writing these types of songs may give you more mass appeal. Note that, if you’re writing rap songs, you generally won’t have to worry about vocal melodies, as “pure” rap vocals are delivered tonelessly. However, many hip-hop artists incorporate tonality into their songs in the form of sung refrains or half-sung, half-rapped verses. See Chance the Rapper’s “Juice” for an example of this technique.
Don’t be afraid to start small - all but the luckiest musicians paid their dues as local acts before making it big. One semi-recent example is Lady Gaga, who become a fixture of several NYC bars and nightclubs for several years in the mid-00’s before getting her shot at the spotlight.
Meticulously practice your songs before you step into the studio. Studio time can be quite expensive, so you’ll want to be able to record each song in as few takes as possible. The costs associated with lengthy studio sessions can quickly add up, so try to get to the point where you can play all of your songs in your sleep before you attempt to record them. For the same reason as you’ll want to have your songs down pat before you enter the studio, you’ll also want to avoid excessive experimentation in the studio. For instance, don’t let a producer convince you to waste time trying out countless effects pedals. The place for experimentation and improvisation is in the practice room.
Of course, perhaps the best way to get noticed by a record company is to generate attention for yourself through groundbreaking music innovation, noteworthy live performances, and/or a unique image. In other words, if you’re able to generate fame (or notoriety) without a record label, record labels may come to you.
One oft-overlooked opportunity for artists to create original music for profit is in the world of jingle-writing. Advertising agencies regularly employ musicians to compose and perform songs for commercials. In fact, several music production houses (called “jingle houses”) specialize in the process, using in-house musicians to create jingles for their clients. [6] X Research source Especially when starting out, musicians may not have the luxury of being able to be picky with their employers. Don’t worry too much about “selling out” - in some respects, it’s part of the process of making your name as a musician. In fact, many now-famous performers with anti-authority bents originally took part in more “commercially friendly” music endeavors. Case in point: Tupac Shakur was originally a member of the light-hearted hip-hop group Digital Underground (of “Humpty Dance” fame).
This advice extends to your music itself as well as to the way you perform. Take pride in the flourishes and idiosyncrasies that are unique to your performance. Many successful musicians, like Prince, Michael Jackson, Freddie Mercury, and countless others, had and/or have performance styles that are unforgettably indelible. The clothes you wear, the way you carry yourself onstage, and the way you play your songs all combine to create your image as a performer, so take time to develop these aspects of yourself as an artist.
The humble flyer is a well-worn method by which musicians self-promote. These can be easily massed-produced for relatively cheap with nothing more than a basic computer and a printer. Be sure your flyer includes any information your audience will need to attend your upcoming event - time, place, date, and admission price are essential. Also ensure your flyer is somewhere it will be noticed, such as a live music venue, bar, coffee shop, or college campus.
The internet offers plenty of exciting opportunities for musicians to share and sell their music. Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter let musicians keep in touch with their fans and notify them of new songs and live performances. Also, sites such as GarageBand and Soundcloud offer the opportunity for artists to host and even sell their actual music online. Some recent artists have actually managed to become breakout successes primarily through the internet. For instance, Justin Bieber’s path to stardom began when a record industry executive accidentally clicked one of Bieber’s online videos by accident.
Some musicians have the experience and know-how to produce their own music - Kanye West and some of his peers in the world of hip-hop, for instance, produce many of their own songs. However, many musicians don’t know how to “work the boards”, so to speak. If you fall into this group, consider paying for studio time with a professional producer, who will be able to help you record and mix your music as professionally as possible.
Contracts are a must. Oral agreements, even with people you’re close with, aren’t easily enforced. Always get any agreement you make in writing. If you’re being asked to sign a significant binding agreement (like, for instance, a record deal), get the counsel of an experienced lawyer before signing.
