I'd suggest you go to songtown.com and do some reading. I have no affiliation there but the two guys who own and run the site are bonafide top tier hit songwriters in country and pop. And they have recent enough credits to be up to snuff on what's going on in the industry today. There's also Taxi and Songtradr but they seem to cater more toward tv/film music.
My experience pitching is outdated. The music industry is much different than it was 30 or 40 years ago. So the few modest successes I had were in a different world. I'm proud of my Billboard Recommended Single and my #84 on the Cashbox Hot Country Chart but it was so long ago the way I did it is not going to help today.
I've been writing professionally in Nashville since 1985. With due respect to the above poster, I would forego Songtown and go to NSAI instead. The two guys who run it are peers of mine who I've known a long time (I've written a good deal with Marty Dodson). It's nothing against them personally, but NSAI is a not-for-profit organization, and their website is for-profit.
They absolutely have some good advice, and the above distinction may not matter to you or others, but it would matter (and does) to me, for whatever that's worth. I'm also not trying to slam them behind their backs, as I have expressed the same concerns to them personally.
One last comment, that is purely a semantics correction. You don't "sell" songs. They can be published, recorded, licensed, etc. and that's all good stuff....if you "sell" a song, you relinquish all rights to the song, and any and all future royalties, in perpetuity. You need to be careful as to the language you use, because sometimes songs are in fact "sold", and I would highly, highly advise against EVER doing that.
A book I would highly recommend getting as a source of information on such stuff is "All I Need To Know About The Music Business" by Donald Passman. The current edition (the 10th) came out a few months ago. It is not a "How To" book - think of it like a music business encyclopedia. Passman does a great job of explaining how all this stuff works, in a very conversational way.
Good info Roger. FWIW, I've only read their free stuff and blogs. I thought they had some good advice for beginners especially. I haven't checked out NSAI in ages so just didn't think of them. I also like to watch Taxi tv when somebody I find interesting is a guest. (it's free) And I sometimes read Robin Frederick's free newsletter. Probably others I'm forgetting. And there's a lot of worthless crap online as well.
I'm just in this for the love these days so I don't spend money on profit or non-profit information if I can help it - already been there and done that. Equipment, BIAB, and fun is my primary interest. (The only current musical non-profit I'm supporting is me.) That's a joke cause I ain't seen no profit after expenses in a real long time. LOL!
So I didn't mean to imply anyone should spend money with anyone for information that's available free - my point is to get good current information from reliable sources. There's always gonna be a sales pitch to join, buy this or that or support this or that regardless. I'd hope most people have learned to ignore those unless it's truly something they need or want and can afford.
Great to see you. Thanks for sharing.
Last edited by Sundance; 12/29/1906:05 PM. Reason: spelling
Indeed, Roger nailed it. You don't actually sell the song ( or at least you shouldn't ) .... you license the song and "sell" the rights. You retain the writer's share and collect the royalties.... if any.
I have several songs in movies and TV shows. None of them are "sold", they are signed to music libraries and publishers.
So... my suggestion on how to get started is to get educated first because there are a lot of scumbags in the business who will absolutely take advantage of you if you don't know any better. Start searching for music libraries and publishers that have a track record of placing songs into the hands of the people and companies you are trying to get your music too. Yes, you can do it yourself, but they already have the connections and will save you years of time. Submit a few songs.... read what they are looking for and follow it exactly. If they say 2 songs max in MP3 320bps ..... don't send them 3 songs in 128bps Wait on them to reply. They will tell you if they want your music or not. If not, look elsewhere because there are a ton of companies out there placing music. Film and TV have high standards. The music has to be "broadcast ready" and professional in all aspects. They don't generally want something that sounds like a bedroom recording or unpolished demo. And it has to be of the genre they deal with or are asking for.
They will sign your music one of two ways. Exclusive or non-exclusive. Exclusive means no one.... not even you, can use it without their permission. Non-exclusive means you can place it with a bunch of publishers and libraries who will "re-title" it. At this point, you are out of the picture with the music unless it's N-E and then you can continue to place it with other companies. I have music that falls into one of both categories.
Google search the internet to find these libraries and publishers as they are all online these days and submitting music to them is also done on line vs sending them cassettes and CDs like the old days.
Doing this puts you into business, so treat it like one and act professional as well. Register, if you have not yet done so, as a writer, with one of the PROs and get your ID numbers as the publishers and libraries will be asking you for those numbers so they can assign the writers share to you and to assure that you get your royalty checks.
Writing for artists.... that's a different area and arguably, a more challenging goal to achieve. It really helps to be in the center of the action and have friends in the places you want to go. It is highly competitive and with limited cuts available on a new CD project by an artist it can be extremely difficult to get into the 10 to 12 slots available. Until you get a hit song under your belt, no one wants to talk to you.
But again..... write the songs, improve your skills, learn more and continue to..... write, submit, repeat....write, submit, repeat.....
and...... there's no guarantees. So, have fun and enjoy the process.
Last edited by Guitarhacker; 12/31/1905:52 AM.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.com Add nothing that adds nothing to the music. You can make excuses or you can make progress but not both.
The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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Another exciting new addition is the amazing new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. View the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to transcribe an entire track or transcribe specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 Mac Special Offers Extended Until May 31st!
Good news- we've extended our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® special offers until May 31, 2026!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 is packed with major new features, enhancements, and an incredible lineup of new content! The program now sports a sleek, modern GUI redesign across the entire interface, including updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, a new dark mode option, and more. The brand-new side toolbar provides quicker access to key windows, while the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, creating a flexible, clutter-free workspace. We have an amazing new “AI-Notes” feature. This transcribes polyphonic audio into MIDI so you can view it in notation or play it back as MIDI. You can transcribe an entire track (all pitched instruments and drums) or focus on individual parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's an amazing collection of new content too, including 202 RealTracks, new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two RealDrums Stems sets, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®.
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Today's the Last Day of the Band-in-a-Box 2026® for Mac Special!
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Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac - Special Offers End at 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th, 2026!
Order before 11:59pm PDT on Friday, May 15th and SAVE up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® version 2026 for Mac Upgrade packages... and that's not all! With your version 2026 for Mac purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons FREE! Upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks... that's 222 NEW RealTracks available with version Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac!
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Learn more about the Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK here.
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac®!
With your version 2026 for Mac Pro, MegaPAK, UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition or PlusPAK purchase, we'll include a Bonus PAK full of great new Add-ons for FREE! Or upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for only $49 to receive even more NEW Add-ons including 20 additional RealTracks!
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This Free Bonus PAK includes:
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-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
RealDrums Stems Set 9: Cool Brushes
SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
iOS Android Band-in-a-Box® App
Looking for more great add-ons, then upgrade to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49 and you'll get:
20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums with 20 RealStyle.
FLAC Files (lossless audio files) for the 20 Bonus Unreleased RealTracks and RealDrums
MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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That's a joke cause I ain't seen no profit after expenses in a real long time. LOL!
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