Writing songs is a tricky business. It’s not like writing an article, where you can take your time with it. A song must tell a story!

Most people who want to be professional musicians will start out playing other types of music – anything from jazz to classical to country to hip hop. If you’re able to write in those styles, then translating into songwriting won’t be too difficult.

But even after years as a musician, most people don’t actually do much songwriting. Why? Because songwriters are a rare breed!

We’re mostly one or two people per company, if that. And we work hard at our craft, but we also need to market ourselves outside of the studio.

That means networking, putting yourself out there, and engaging in creative activities to promote your music.

Create a website

After you have written your song, it is time to get into marketing mode! The first step in selling your songs is creating an online presence or a web site where people can access your music and work tools to help you promote yourself as a musician.

This means setting up a YouTube channel, having a good LinkedIn profile, and sharing your music on all of the major streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Google Play.

You should also register with Amazon, Discogs, and other sites that allow you to list and sell your music. By doing this, you are opening up your music to more opportunities for exposure and sales.

And don’t forget about social media- most musicians these days have at least one on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Instagram.

Find a manager

As with any career, being a singer or songwriter means you will need to have someone work for you. This person is your manager!

Your manager should help you grow as an artist by creating a supportive environment that encourages you to pursue your dreams and gives you guidance towards success.

He/she can also help you develop your artistic skills and knowledge of music business- this includes things like recording, marketing yourself, etc.

By having a manager, you are giving up some control over your art but in return, you’ll be given professional support and expertise so that when you do show your talent, you are ready.

And really, what good is mastery if it doesn’t get you somewhere? A well managed musician has a chance to succeed beyond their wildest dreams.

Work with a producer

As mentioned before, writing songs is not an easy task! Even more difficult is trying to get people to listen to your music and enjoy it! Therefore, most songwriters have someone helping them bring their songs to life.

This person is called a record producer. A record producer works with the artist in many different ways; from recording the song, producing the album, and marketing for the artists’s career.

A lot of times, musicians will ask me how I got my start being able to sell a song to another musician or to a publisher. My answer? By working with a great record producer.

I would tell anyone that wants to write a song but doesn’t know where to begin that they must work with a professional. There are plenty of opportunities out there for you if you look hard enough! I recommend starting off by looking at online forums and reading through some success stories. You can also visit your local studio to see what types of projects they are offering and determining which ones seem interesting to you.

Once you find a project you want to contribute to, send yourself an email using a pre-made template we made here at The Music Factory. Include all the necessary information such as who you will be sending the file to, why you feel this song is worth investing time into, and when you would like to have it back to you.

The hardest part about selling a song to a producer is knowing how to market it.

Use social media

Social media is an easy way to sell your songs. You will probably have to do this yourself, but there are many ways you can leverage these sites to promote your music and connect with others in the songwriting community.

You can start by creating accounts on the most popular social networking websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Then, use those resources to advertise your music!

Post pictures and videos of you performing or singing your songs. Include links to your soundcloud, bandcamp, or Spotify profile pages so people can listen to more of your work. Post comments about your craft and let other writers inspire you.

And don’t forget to stay active! Maintain relationships with other musicians by leaving comments and messages. Plus, keep up-to-date lists of artists and bands you admire so you can share their work.

Connect with other songwriters

As a singer/songwriter, you will need to connect with other writers in some way for your career to survive. Your success will depend on it!

Making connections with successful songwriters is the best way to learn new skills and get inspired for your own songs.

Connecting with others can be done at singing events or via social media platforms like Facebook and YouTube.

Many event organizers have groups where they invite all of the performers to participate so that people can watch you perform and form opinions about you.

On social media sites, you can meet and talk with different artists and music professionals.

Offer to do recording sessions

As of this writing, there is an ever-growing need for songwriters in our industry. That means more people looking to collaborate or hire professional writers.

There are many ways to approach selling yourself as a writer. Some focus exclusively on their music while others promote themselves through other areas of creativity like writing or designing.

Whatever area you’re most passionate about, go into it with conviction! Selling your skills as a writer can be tricky at times if you don’t believe in what you write.

That won’t hinder your sales though, because we all know how hard it is to convince someone else that something is good.

So instead of wasting your energy trying to prove that your songs are great, you can hone your talent sale by offering to record new material or take over another artist’s tracks.

Here’s some more information to help you get started…

Offer to do live shows

Being a songwriter is a tough business, which can sometimes feel like an uphill battle to succeed. But one of the best ways to get exposure for your music is by offering to perform it for other people!

As a writer, you would need to have at least some songs that you own the copyright to in order to offer yourself as a performer. That’s where this article comes into play!

In this article I will go over all the things you should be aware of when selling a song as a singer. I will also talk about how to pick your first performance venue and what types of venues are best to approach with your song.

Offer to do promotional campaigns

As we mentioned before, being able to market your songs is an important part of songwriting. But how you go about marketing a song depends largely on what kind of music it is and who wants to listen to it. If this isn’t clear yet, that’s okay! We can talk more about that in another section!

This article will talk mostly about selling a song as a writer, not a musician. Whether you are already a professional singer or have always wanted to be, this article has tips for those who want to sell their own songs.