How do I find a publisher?

[funsongs]

Specifically - for the music-BUSINESS-challenged:
I'm wondering about how to find the person or company who works with songwriters, for song and/or artists'-sake that is NOT only/primarily for film & TV.
In advance, thanks.

[annayarbrough]

Hey Peter! I feel like there are a hundred different answers to this - so I'm just gonna recommend a book instead?!
Check out "This Business of Songwriting" by Jason Blume. It's a seriously in-depth look at all things music business - publishers/record labels included. It's quite a read, but invaluable advice. The entire first part is dedicated to "Understanding Music Publishing". Hope it helps!

[waveheavy]

Sounds like you mean a record label. If you were in Nashville, you'd go down Music Row and start knocking on doors. That is actually how LA composer and Berklee instructor Ben Newhouse got his start in LA, by knocking on doors and introducing himself.

[funsongs]

Sounds like you mean a record label. If you were in Nashville, you'd go down Music Row and start knocking on doors. That is actually how LA composer and Berklee instructor Ben Newhouse got his start in LA, by knocking on doors and introducing himself.

Well - maybe not, since I'm not promoting myself as the performer/artist...?

[waveheavy]

Exactly my point. This is what a lot of artists come to Nashville for. There are artists that mostly write and sell their songs to the record labels which act as publisher. Those songs then are picked for the label's signed artists to record. Singer/songwriter Skip Ewing is one such case. He came to Nashville looking for a record deal, performed at Nashville's various outlets, knocked on doors, but it didn't happen. When his songs got picked up by Kenny Rodgers that's when Skip's career as a songwriter took off.

Sounds like you mean a record label. If you were in Nashville, you'd go down Music Row and start knocking on doors. That is actually how LA composer and Berklee instructor Ben Newhouse got his start in LA, by knocking on doors and introducing himself.

Well - maybe not, since I'm not promoting myself as the performer/artist...?

[Kolstad]

Haha, and you are asking that in the Taxi forums? The listings have a few opportunities in the country and pop section, but maybe you are looking for other publishers for a particular style or type of music?

[funsongs]

Haha, and you are asking that in the Taxi forums? The listings have a few opportunities in the country and pop section, but maybe you are looking for other publishers for a particular style or type of music?

Yes - indeed - how terribly tacky of me; right?!
I would describe funsongs as mostly "novelty"... and there's also quite a bit of hybrid "Country/Gospel"... neither would likely be called mainstream.
Having stated that - recently I've been testing other genre-types that are NOT my "wheelhouse"... like Crooner/Swing (for which I've solicited & gotten proper Composer help).
Thanks for asking and taking time to reply.

[Kolstad]

I don't think it is a tacky question, it more like a very big question and the whole of Taxi is like an answer to it. Many have tried cold calling publishers and sent them unsolicited material, and it can be a terribly time consuming thing with few or no results. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to shop your material, but you'd have much bigger chances if you can find a request for that particular type of music, or a publisher you know specializes in those styles.

One approach to research this could be to identify artists in these styles, and then google who publishes them. That way you can approach those publishers with the confidence that they actually represent the styles you offer.

Great resources for this are:
http://repertoire.bmi.com/StartPage.aspx
https://www.ascap.com/repertory

Search for a song in a style like yours (say a crooner song), and then find the publisher in the results. Do it untill you have a satisfying list to call.

[funsongs]

I don't think it is a tacky question, it more like a very big question and the whole of Taxi is like an answer to it. Many have tried cold calling publishers and sent them unsolicited material, and it can be a terribly time consuming thing with few or no results. Doesn't mean you shouldn't try to shop your material, but you'd have much bigger chances if you can find a request for that particular type of music, or a publisher you know specializes in those styles.

One approach to research this could be to identify artists in these styles, and then google who publishes them. That way you can approach those publishers with the confidence that they actually represent the styles you offer.

Great resources for this are:
http://repertoire.bmi.com/StartPage.aspx
https://www.ascap.com/repertory

Search for a song in a style like yours (say a crooner song), and then find the publisher in the results. Do it untill you have a satisfying list to call.

Good stuff.

[admin]

I would describe funsongs as mostly "novelty"... and there's also quite a bit of hybrid "Country/Gospel"... neither would likely be called mainstream.
Having stated that - recently I've been testing other genre-types that are NOT my "wheelhouse"... like Crooner/Swing (for which I've solicited & gotten proper Composer help).
Thanks for asking and taking time to reply.

Hi Peter,

A publisher's job is to exploit (in the best sense of the word) a songwriter's work for the purpose of creating income for the writer and publisher. Working in the novelty niche means that there are so many less opportunities than there would be in the pop, urban, or country genres, that publishers tend to ignore it for the most part because it's extremely difficult to get a cut. And when they do get a cut, the income from it will be very, very small compared to what they could make from a pop, urban, or country hit.

Much more effort and time expended for much less return isn't a business strategy most publishers would employ.

Maybe the smartest thing would be to identify who USES novelty songs... especially the people who don't write them as well. Ray Stevens is an example of somebody who writes AND performs his own music (for the most part). Are there acts like The Smothers Brothers still out there working? Do they have songs on radio? No, but maybe they perform in places like Branson or casinos in general. Do they need material? Possibly!

It's like fishing. If you want to catch fish, you need to go where the fish are!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category: ... performers

Hope this helps,
Michael