Everybody has a favorite band or singer. We grow up listening to their music and waiting for their latest releases. For those of us who play music, we may take inspiration from, look up to and perhaps even emulate these people. Then you hear another song on another artists album that you really like, you come to find out that that very song was written by the singer or band that you like the most. Now you’re scratching your head and wondering why one of your favorite singers are selling their songs, and more importantly why they didn’t just use the song on their own record.
So why do singers or bands write and give away their songs to other singers? If the artist has recorded an album and there is unused material leftover it behooves that artist to maximize any potential earnings. A secondary instance may be that the artist in addition to a singer is also a functioning songwriter, writing a prolific amount of material intended for shopping to specific artists.
Imagine, the singer goes into the studio to record a new album and spends a few weeks writing twenty odd songs, not every song will make it to the record some may even be really good. Having those songs already built and having already recorded them to demo certainly stand as a potential for untapped income.
In this post we’ll explore these motivators for singers selling their songs and discuss some benefits for you as a song writer to write for another artist even while having your own band or solo act.
We’ll start with how writing a song in another style helps the writer to stretch themselves…
Artistic Expression
Sometimes your favorite singer or band will write something that doesn’t quite suit the stylistic theme of the current record they are recording.
That isn’t to say that that particular song is subpar it may be a formidable piece of writing, so why throw it away.
The singer may inherently know it would much better suit another singer. They may even have an inkling of whom it would suit.
From there they would either reach out or have their publishing company reach out on their behalf.
The idea would be to let the other artist, band or singer know that they have a song that they feel may fit whatever the other artist may currently be working on. This is how it comes to being that singers begin selling songs.
Business Sense
Some arrangements would be made to have the track delivered for consideration. If the other singer / band is interested in including the song for their next album then all of the necessary arrangements would be made.
The singer you like would now be set to earn a percentage of sales and airplay of that song once it has been recorded and released.
Everything is business and business is everything. Builders build houses, songwriter’s write songs. It’s ok. Everyone needs to eat.
There is a lot of cost that goes into writing producing recording and releasing a song, so why shouldn’t you recover that cost. For a great breakdown on the expense that goes into the production of song; Read This!
The Job of Songcraft
Now that all of the magic has been worn away. Doesn’t it make sense?
That singer that you like so much is really just doing a job. Like most jobs, the more connected and networked into the professional community you are the better. As they say, “it’s who you know.”
Being meticulous and accurate, consistent and professional, the singer/songwriter eventually becomes a seasoned industry insider.
If that singer’s time in the spotlight should trend out they will have already established themselves a lucrative career as a songwriter that doesn’t require them to depend on their popularity in order to pay the bills.
It starts to make sense that singers would try selling songs. We should all diversify are potential for income wherever possible, right?
So strategically, if you are a writer in a band or if you are the singer/songwriter type and you climb your way out of obscurity you have certainly earned and deserve any income you’re receiving.
Sowing Seeds
We’ve all seen it before, the interview with the artist who has just written a song for another singer who has taken that song to extraordinary heights.
The interviewer leans in for emphasized dramatic effect, takes a deep breath then raises the question on everyone’s mind.
Doesn’t that artist wish that they had kept the song for themselves?
The thing about the magic of popularity is that it always strikes at just the right place and at just the right time.
The perfect recipe for magically popularity as it relates to a song is this:
- one part cool song,
- one part perfect singer for that cool song
- one part perfect timing for that cool songs release
Writing In Another Voice
Maybe a song is written specifically for some certain artist whose career has just been taking off.
The song matches the brand and bravado of that up-and-comer so well it thrusts them the rest of the way up into the spotlight.
On the other hand another song is written targeting an artist who hasn’t really been in the direct limelight for a few years now.
Your favorite singer is a huge fan of this artist and gives an A+ effort at writing in their voice.
Because the song speaks to the core of who it is written for, it suddenly throws them back into the mix for anther round of popular relevance.
It is improbable to expect that either song would have been driven to the heights they had had they been kept and performed by the original singer who wrote them.
Makes sense, right?
So to my songwriting friends out there;
Write and Write More
Why not write for as many artists as you can, share splits and earn on Spotify. You are certainly responsible for your own time and I’m sure that you would better like to provide for yourself.
When you plant songs with various artists you have increased your odds of getting paid this year and next.
You have also increased your skill level and network as well as padded your resume with an ever growing list of credits on respectable recordings. So good on you.
You should increase your income streams whenever possible. But while you take stab at writing for others don’t sleep on promoting your own music. And certainly don’t forget about moving your own band’s merch. For a great guide to print on demand merchandise that you can sell from your own website; Click here!
Getting Ready to Write for Others
Now where do you start?
Well, gather up some of that artists albums and schedule yourself some quiet time to sit down, relax and really listen to the recordings.
The more time you spend becoming familiar, the deeper understanding you’ll have about what it is that makes them shine.
Think about what kind of stories work for them. What range the singer is most competent singing in. Once you’ve answered a couple of questions like these. It will probably start to get easier to think and write in a way you feel that they would naturally.
It’s a good exercise.
If songs were movies it would be like writing lines for your favorite actress or actor.
Work on dialing the expression into the song that your imagining them delivering back.
Keep it up, make a practice of it, get your songs out there.
I spoke to great lengths in another article about publishing and splits if you’d need a refresher of what you need to know to get your money Ill include a link.
Working in this way is a constructive excericise for any singer/songwriter.
It will help you to stretch and think out of the box. Add it to your regular routine and you may just find that you take away a lot of unexpected gains from the practice.
It may help you to write more on demand or precisely.
You’ll likely develop more skills and competency with expressiveness and intricacies.
Any excuse to practice your craft is a good one. This one allows you to build a storehouse of product that you could potentially monetize now or sometime down the road.
The Motivation For Other Singer/Songwriters To Sing Another Person’s Song
Sometimes its just something of an opportunity to collaborate with a pier.
Being a singer/songwriters on a professional level can be something of an isolating experience. So from time to they may be listening to what ever new music and they may be admiring something you’re doing from a far.
Maybe its just something to break the boredom and humdrum of do in do out or maybe they are looking for a way to stretch their own imagination.
Sort of like a breath of fresh air.
Whatever the reasons that get singers to start selling songs isn’t really so important. What is however is that you start making the appropriate steps and practices to put yourself in position for the opportunities as they arrive.
Time waits for no one.
So go and get to it!
Good luck