I'm a songwriter, not a singer.......

[vferney]

I just joined TAXI yesterday and have been perusing the opportunities. It seems that most of them want singer/songwriters, as they discuss what they are seeking in a vocalist. I am interested in selling my songs to someone who would re-record them, not play the song using the rendition I recorded with the singer I paid. My question is, should I just submit my songs to places seeking certain vocal styles anyway, or should I see the field as narrow with few select opportunities to submit my songs? Thanks!

[Casey H]

I just joined TAXI yesterday and have been perusing the opportunities. It seems that most of them want singer/songwriters, as they discuss what they are seeking in a vocalist. I am interested in selling my songs to someone who would re-record them, not play the song using the rendition I recorded with the singer I paid. My question is, should I just submit my songs to places seeking certain vocal styles anyway, or should I see the field as narrow with few select opportunities to submit my songs? Thanks!

The way things work in the music biz is even if you are pitching your SONG for other artists, you need a solid demo. Usually that means hiring a professional demo service if you are a non-performer. Another alternative is collab with someone who is better on the performance and/or production side. With home recording having become so readily available and affordable, the bar has been raised tremendously on song demos. You are competing with some top notch demos and need to be in the game.

If your home studio skills are at the point where you can make a broadcast quality backing track but can't sing well enough, you can just hire a vocalist.

If you tell us more about what you are doing, what skills you have at this point, maybe post a sample, etc. we can help more. And don't forget-- people acquire new skills every day.

Best,
Casey

[vferney]

I have been writing songs for years but never did anything with them until now. I hired a singer and recorded a three song demo, and now I am trying to sell the songs. I'm not yet sure of my TAXI address but you can hear samples at www.reverbnation.com/vanessaferney. Thanks for your posting!

[guitarhacker]

Vanessa,

Good move joining TAXI. Now get involved and hook up with some others and do some co-writing. You get better by hanging with people and working with people who are also trying to get better. Read, learn, study, write, record, and stay focused.

Attend the Road Rally in LA in November.

It is critical to have a good recording of the song. If it's acoustic with a vocalist, the guitarist AND the vocalist need to be on their game. Hiring the lady that sings in the church choir on Sunday doesn't get it. If you look, you will find the people you need on this site and on other musician sites on line. If the song requires a band, the producer expects to hear that in your version. The days of sending a half baked demo and hoping they'll hear the gem of the song.... nope.... that ain't happening.

A simple guitar / vocal version of a well written song will get signed. So it can be simple, but it must be good on all other counts as well.

Hope this helps you a bit. The main thing to understand is that by being here and a member of TAXI, you have the resources available to you to help you attain the goals you want. It is a process of learning and improving, honing and sharpening your existing songwriting and recording skills. You can do it if you stick with it and move forward. The people here also want to help you. If you have problems, questions, want to bounce a song idea off someone, that's what we do. Pick brains, ask questions, meet people....... but most of all, enjoy what you do here and have fun.

[mojobone]

My opinion, your songs are probably viable, but the presentation is demo-quality; cleanly recorded, understandable, but lacking a smidge of polish. (also star-quality, which a great vocalist/performer might provide) Could do for an artist pitch, where the song would be re-recorded, but maybe not compelling enough to be used 'as is' in a TV or film production. I'd say your odds of getting somewhere with your music are pretty good, if you can accept and use constructive criticism to your advantage. If you honestly feel that you need and want that, you've come to the right place.