Songwriting Tips From a Mentor at ASCAP Expo 2018

I recently mentored some writers at the 2018 ASCAP Expo in Los Angeles. It was a fun experience and it’s always great to see what up-and-coming writers and artists are working on. Most of my sessions were geared toward writing music that would be appealing for licensing within media. During my sessions, a few things seemed to come up often so I thought I’d share them here in a post. 

If licensing your songs is your true goal, you’ll need to come to terms with the fact that your music will almost always be secondary, the visual medium is primary. Your music is supporting something else, and you are not the main focus, unlike when you’re performing on stage.

A great way to increase your chances of getting your music licensed is to always supply instrumental versions as well as TV mixes (main vox muted, but oohs and aahs remain) in addition to the main version. This way the editor can weave your music in and around dialogue. 

Another item that popped up when I was chatting with writers is who you direct your music to when submitting for licensing. You probably know by now that your main target is the music supervisor. But something to keep in mind is that the editor is the one who will actually be cutting your music into the show, trailer, ad etc. Often times editors are looking for songs with clear dynamics, and some great cut points in the song. So you may want to think about writing an obvious, distinct pre-chorus, chorus and bridge. Really change it up in the song, make it memorable, and perhaps don’t stay in the same groove for the entire song.  

 Some of the writers I spoke with knew they didn’t have the right voice to pull off a demo and felt limited in creating a serviceable demo because they couldn’t find the right local talent to pull it off. So I mentioned that one shouldn’t feel limited by their local pool of talent, instead harness the power of the internet and check out useful websites like www.vocalizr.com where you can find extremely talented domestic and international singers who are excited to sing on your project for a reasonable fee and/or share in the song.

If you want to learn more about the basics of how to prepare and pitch your music, check out the video course I made for LinkedIn Learning called: “Learning Music Licensing”  

- Jake Versluis