|
Log in to post
|
Print Thread |
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547 |
I don't show them to my friends, because the lyrics are kinda personal ... I'd nevertheless like to find a way to give my songs a little wider audience.
With that in mind ... anyone have any ideas on how to do that? I've been scouring the Web for promotion websites, etc. ... I haven't yet found anything that isn't either a scam, exhorbitantly priced, or both. It doesn't help that I think I'm a better songwriter than a performer, but perhaps that's another matter. I guess I just want to get my songs heard a little more - any clues on how? Any thoughts at all would be immensely appreciated ... if it's at all relevant, I'm from the United Kingdom.
It's kinda discouraging, that's all, to keep writing and writing, and (apart from this amazing forum, of course), to essentially have just myself who knows the songs, so ... thanks for any and all comments!!!
Last edited by musician17; 02/19/23 03:10 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,701
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 10,701 |
That, my friend, is the question to which we'd all love to have the answer.
You can find my music at: www.herbhartley.comAdd 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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,196
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 24,196 |
The only thing that I can come up with would be to post your songs on as many sites as you can. Sites like soundcloud, soundclick, youtube, etc.
Good luck.
My boss calls me "the computer".
Nothing to do with intelligence. I go to sleep if left unattended for 15 minutes.
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 216
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 216 |
I read you're from the UK and it made me think of Mary Spender. She's a songwriter and performer that has been able to create an audience, I know of her from youtube. She talks often about her journey which should be relevant to your question. Jacob Collier, who's from some other planet in that he has otherworld talent, he did it with youtube also. Both of them have did on there own, i.e. no record company help. Here's a clever way Mary got 650k views (and she now has 685k subscribers): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0iXupQUjWU
Last edited by Frankp; 02/19/23 07:10 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547 |
Thanks, everybody. The reason I asked is: I'd usually show this kind of things to friends, etc., and pick it up from there. I CAN'T show these to friends, because (like I said) some of the lyrics are too "close to the bone", haha. So I was wondering if there WAS a way to find listeners, whilst bypassing the obvious routes of "friends and family". Frank, I will definitely have a look at what you suggested, tomorrow, therefore. Thanks so much!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39 |
Is your goal to get heard for feedback, or are the songs finished products you want to reach a wider audience? For feedback, and also just getting music out there, Reddit has some good subreddits for that: r/Songwriting r/Songwriters For finding an audience, putting your music up on Spotify, getting on playlists, engaging with people on Instagram, playing live shows and creating an email list, are some good starting points.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 459
Journeyman
|
|
Journeyman
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 459 |
These are all FREE
Reverbnation.com
Soundcloud.com
Soundclick.com
Singsnap.com
Looking forward to hearing your songs.
Kajun Jeaux
Louisiana's BlackWater Studio
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547 |
Thanks, QuestionAsker. In answer to your question: both!  I need feedback, of course. As for the finished product: no, because my voice is not good enough - but I'd love some artist to hear them and want to record a song or even two of mine, themselves. That's the dream, at least, no? Thanks for your kind answer! Kajun Jeaux: I didn't know about SingSnap. I'll check it out now. Thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 20
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 20 |
Getting songs out to artists is a challenge. Music business contacts - people actually active in the industry - are essential. Contacting artists’ lawyers is another way but most are unlikely to accept unsolicited submissions. The OP (or any songwriter in the UK) could join The Ivors which holds events useful to writers: https://ivorsacademy.com/membership/A way to get songs heard is via songwriting contests. Vocals need to be good enough to put a song over, but for those who feel their vocals aren’t up to it they could use a software voice such as Synthesizer V. There’s a whole thread on Synthesizer V at VI-Control: https://bit.ly/3JoLleT Or pay someone on Fiverr to sing for them. https://bit.ly/3L6Ssd1Here are some song contests worth considering, they’re generally international: https://bit.ly/3T26Q8f
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 282
Apprentice
|
|
Apprentice
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 282 |
1. Google AdWords
2. YouTube Ads
3. Facebook Ads
4. Pornhub Ads
5. Twitter Ads
6. Reddit Ads
7. TikTok Ads
If you have limited budget, consider option 4 and 6, which are cheaper to reach more audiences/listeners.
No pain, no gain. Or should I say: no pay, no gain.
A Canadian music producer, singer songwriter, composer, and professional guitarist.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,080
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 8,080 |
In answer to your question: both! I need feedback, of course. As for the finished product: no, because my voice is not good enough - but I'd love some artist to hear them and want to record a song or even two of mine, themselves. I'm not a pro, so take this with an appropriately large grain of salt. But... Before you invest a lot of time and effort into this, it might be good to have reasonable expectations of success. If your hope is truly that you'd like a song or two of yours to be recorded by an artist, I think there are two questions that need to be answered. First, is your music commercial? Does it have broad appeal in a way that a large number of people will want to buy the song? Music is a commercial venture, and the bottom line is that an artist will only pick a song if they feel it will be commercially successful. It costs money to make music, and people spend that money in the hopes that music sells and makes them a profit. It's one thing to be writing deeply personal songs. It's quite another to write a song that will commercially successful. You'll be competing against people who have spent years honing their craft and studying the market. Second, is posting your song publicly likely to get your song heard by an artist? From what I've read, that might have worked once, but it's generally how things work now. On top of that, there are many people competing in that space. So even if there were an artist looking for a song, how would they find you in the glut of other songwriters? The demos that you post are going to have to convince someone of the commercial potential of the song. That's why people who are serious about trying to crack the commercial market will hire a professional singer on their demos. If the demo isn't top-notch, who's going to listen to it? And I'm not saying to spend more money on the creating a demo - unless you're sure it's got commercial potential, and you've got an effective way to market that demo. I just don't see this route as likely to get you where you want to be. Feel free to disagree, but I'd give a bit more thought about any likelihood of success before going down this path.
-- David Cuny My virtual singer development blogVocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?BiaB 2025 | Windows 11 | Reaper | Way too many VSTis.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39 |
Thanks, QuestionAsker. In answer to your question: both! I need feedback, of course. As for the finished product: no, because my voice is not good enough - but I'd love some artist to hear them and want to record a song or even two of mine, themselves. That's the dream, at least, no? Thanks for your kind answer! Kajun Jeaux: I didn't know about SingSnap. I'll check it out now. Thank you! I plan on doing this as well in the future. I took a class with songwritingacademy.co.uk, they have bootcamps for this sort of thing. If they still do it, the 555 bootcamp ($5) is great, and their next level week bootcamp is also very good. The things they stressed most is to have a good, clean, demo (melodyne might help your voice get to the level you need), and: Once you have a good demo, determine what artist it would fit (or write for that specific artist. Or if writing for sync - the TV series or type of movie you want your song to be in. A good book I've seen for this is "Hey that's my song" by Tracey Marino which was recently released.) When you know what artist would be a good fit for cutting the song, you can contact their manager or someone on their team, and send them the demo. Though note, they usually give you one chance, if it's not good, all future submissions will not be listened to, so you gotta make sure it's good and usually not longer than 3 minutes. That songwriting course will give much more in-depth information, but that's what I remember off the top of my head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,858
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2012
Posts: 3,858 |
When you know what artist would be a good fit for cutting the song, you can contact their manager or someone on their team, and send them the demo. Though note, they usually give you one chance, if it's not good, all future submissions will not be listened to This is wishful thinking. Your odds of getting anyone in the business to listen to an unsolicited song are pretty close to zero!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,998
Veteran
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,998 |
What are you trying to accomplish? Just to get your songs a "wider" audience or earn living from it? Big difference The only people I know/knew who actually made money, from music enough to support themselves, were performing musicians. And there are only two main "kinds" that I know of: Either be very (very!) good and versatile player that can play anything from classical, folk, pop, live. Solo or with different bands/orchestras at concerts. Or a popular cover band musician (got to be a good performer) that can travel far distances to various minor clubs, small festivals, weddings etc. Whoever pays. ------------------------------------------ But if you are just looking for "wider" audience with modest expectancy, to just get your stuff to more "ears", I believe that's very doable. I would try this: If you have, lets say 100 tunes, pick the best 5. Polish them. Upload to several major sites: Youtube, Soundcloud and a few others. Hide your other tracks, as people don't have time to "dig" in. Use keyword tags that describe genre, style etc. And throw some money for advertising (~$50/50euro a month). No guarantees, but likely you will pick up some new listeners / new feedback... if that is what you are up to. P.S. Just remembered. I do know a some people who make living from music in a slightly different manner. Teaching/instruction and music for advertisement, but that is probably not what you are trying to achieve.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Feb 2023
Posts: 39 |
When you know what artist would be a good fit for cutting the song, you can contact their manager or someone on their team, and send them the demo. Though note, they usually give you one chance, if it's not good, all future submissions will not be listened to This is wishful thinking. Your odds of getting anyone in the business to listen to an unsolicited song are pretty close to zero! I know people who have done it. If you have a good product you have a shot. I forgot to mention it is worthwhile to try to foster a relationship first somehow, even if it's just messaging them online that you like their work, doing something for them, etc.
Last edited by QuestionAsker; 03/10/23 05:18 AM.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2009
Posts: 3,110 |
I found a promoter who almost fell off the floor
He said "I never engaged in this kind of thing before"
"But yes, I think it can be very easily done"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547
Veteran
|
|
OP
Veteran
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 2,547 |
Thanks everybody! It's really helpful, for me, to read your kind suggestions.
Just wanted to clarify that I'm not looking to make a living out of it. What I would dearly love is for a couple of my songs, at least, to be properly recorded (i.e. by an artist with a better voice than mine) ... and then, of course, if there are ways of getting them to a wider audience (i.e. not just personal friends and family), that would of course be great. But no more than this.
David Cuny: you make a point about a song having to be commercial to succeed. To an extent, I take your point; but there has, in my view, to be a balance. That is to say: yes, a song can't be so personal that it's unsellable; but I'm not interested in writing the latest pop craze, either, with no personal meaning attached. I do believe that audiences love "deeper" songs, too - despite what those who feed us cultural garbage would like us to think. So yes, I see your point, and it's good to write things that people can relate to (and will therefore buy); but I'm not going to go any further than that, in my writing, even if it means it goes nowhere :-) Just to clarify, that's all - but thank you for your kind and genuine thoughts on this, it's good to know where I stand on things, vis-a-vis the recording industry!
Everyone: I've been off, taking care of a sick relative, for a while. So many of you have given me amazing advice - I will try to reply to, and thank, each one of you in due course. For now, know I read it all and appreciate every word - thank you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 20
Enthusiast
|
|
Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2018
Posts: 20 |
Well explained Musician17 For anyone wishing to hear Musician17’s songs/performances, there is a link to his website at the end of each of his posts. The site features 20 of his compositions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,998
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 6,998 |
Musician17...
There are two very reasonable ways / affordable ways to record good vocalist.
Hire one from fivvr. I have heard several tunes in Showcase where creators hired vocalists from fivvr and most sounded very professional.
A few people on the forum use vocal synths, which became very powerful these days. Surprisingly, you can get very, very close to original idea. Extremely realistic. Both male and female robo singers. So... Some leave it as robo tune, some use it as a guide for real singer.
P.S. I used fivvr couple of times myself for specific types of instruments not found in BIAB, and people I met there were nice and fair. Turnaround took 5 days on average.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Songwriting
|
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,185
Veteran
|
|
Veteran
Joined: Apr 2016
Posts: 7,185 |
Joining & participating in forums like this one helps a little. There's a FaceBook page called Reinventing the Wheel - the Music Barn... https://www.facebook.com/groups/483326849098435/that is similar to the Showcase but requires one to listen & comment to three songs per one's own song posts. There are squillions of other songwriter forums each is, essentially, the same in that you listen & comment then others do likewise. Many folk post songs on Spotify etc via mobs like Distrokid. I've not come across one that seems reasonable to me but, then again, I don't use paid streaming platforms. YouTube is a great place to post songs because you can have a decent audio quality with a place holder, lyric or specially made video. It's a platform that is very popular. I get more listens through that looking glass than on the three listen/respond forums I am a member of combined. Though that's most often "through traffic" from me posting a link on FaceBook. As Misha says: Fivvr is quite popular and quite good, by all accounts I've heard, and the synth voices are incredible these days. As you know, I struggle to sing and am, slowly, learning to use tuning effectively & less obtrusively...no quick fix down that road.
Cheers
rayc
"What's so funny about peace, love & understanding?" - N.Lowe
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ask sales and support questions about Band-in-a-Box using natural language.
ChatPG's knowledge base includes the full Band-in-a-Box User Manual and sales information from the website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Band-in-a-Box 2026 for Windows Special Offers End Tomorrow (January 15th, 2026) at 11:59 PM PST!
Time really is running out! Save up to 50% on Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® upgrades and receive a FREE Bonus PAK—only when you order by 11:59 PM PST on Thursday, January 15, 2026!
We've added many major new features and new content in a redesigned Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
Version 2026 introduces a modernized GUI redesign across the program, with updated toolbars, refreshed windows, smoother workflows, and a new Dark Mode option. There’s also a new side toolbar for quicker access to commonly used windows, and the new Multi-View feature lets you arrange multiple windows as layered panels without overlap, making it easier to customize your workspace.
Another exciting new addition is the new AI-Notes feature, which can transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI. You can view the results in notation or play them back as MIDI, and choose whether to process an entire track or focus on specific parts like drums, bass, guitars/piano, or vocals. There's over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Upgrade your Band-in-a-Box for Windows to save up to 50% on most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade packages!
Plus, when you order your Band-in-a-Box® 2026 upgrade during our special, you'll receive a Free Bonus PAK of exciting new add-ons.
If you need any help deciding which package is the best option for you, just let us know. We are here to help!
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® Special Offers Extended Until January 15, 2026!
Good news! You still have time to upgrade to the latest version of Band-in-a-Box® for Windows® and save. Our Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® special now runs through January 15, 2025!
We've packed Band-in-a-Box® 2026 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 process 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, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
There are over 100 new features in Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®.
When you order purchase Band-in-a-Box® 2026 before 11:59 PM PST on January 15th, you'll also receive a Free Bonus PAK packed with exciting new add-ons.
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows® today! Check out the Band-in-a-Box® packages page for all the purchase options available.
Happy New Year!
Thank you for being part of the Band-in-a-Box® community.
Wishing you and yours a very happy 2026—Happy New Year from all of us at PG Music!
Season's Greetings!
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy holiday season—thanks for being part of our community!
The office will be closed for Christmas Day, but we will be back on Boxing Day (Dec 26th) at 6:00am PST.
Team PG
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: The Newly Designed Piano Roll Window
In this video, we explore the updated Piano Roll, complete with a modernized look and exciting new features. You’ll see new filtering options that make it easy to focus on specific note groups, smoother and more intuitive note entry and editing, and enhanced options for zooming, looping, and more.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Band-in-a-Box 2026 Video: AI Stems & Notes - split polyphonic audio into instruments and transcribe
This video demonstrates how to use the new AI-Notes feature together with the AI-Stems splitter, allowing you to select an audio file and have it separated into individual stems while transcribing each one to its own MIDI track. AI-Notes converts polyphonic audio—either full mixes or individual instruments—into MIDI that you can view in notation or play back instantly.
Watch the video.
You can see all the 2026 videos on our forum!
Bonus PAK and 49-PAK for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®
With your version 2026 for Windows 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!
These PAKs are loaded with additional add-ons to supercharge your Band-in-a-Box®!
This Free Bonus PAK includes:
- The 2026 RealCombos Booster PAK:
-For Pro customers, this includes 27 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For MegaPAK customers, this includes 25 new RealTracks and 23 new RealStyles.
-For UltraPAK customers, this includes 12 new RealStyles.
- 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)
- Android Band-in-a-Box® App (included)
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)
Learn more about the Bonus PAKs for Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Windows®!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Forums57
Topics85,582
Posts793,608
Members39,918
| |
Most Online25,754
Jan 24th, 2025
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
There are no members with birthdays on this day. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean