Introduction 8
How Did I Learn What I Know? - Songwriting Principles - Can Songwriting Be Taught? - What's New in This Edition? - Find Ongoing Updates to This Book at www.johnbraheny.com

Part 1: THE CRAFT
1 Creativity and Inspiration 14
Creativity: What Is It and Do You Have It? - Developing Your Creativity - Motivation: Overcoming the Barriers - Craft vs. Inspiration - Developing a Songwriter's Consciousness - Finding Your Own Creative Process - Breaking Writer's Block - Stream of Consciousness - Problem Solving - Developing Good Work Habits
2 Subject Matter 28
Finding Ideas - The Commerciality of Subject Matter: Mass Appeal - Writing From Emotion - Message Songs - Novelty Songs - Lifestyle Songs – Christmas Songs
3 The Media and Listeners 42
The Media
A Poem Is Not a Lyric - A Song Is Not a Record - Writing for Radio - Song Length - Singles, Albums, Live Performances, Video - The Listener: Know Your Audience
4 Writing Lyrics 60
Simplicity - Focus - Attitude - Titles - First Lines - Second Verse Curse (a.k.a. Second Verse Hell) - Rhyme - Poetic Devices - Pronouns - Prosody and Meter - Lyric Context - Clichés
5 Constructing a Song 81
Basic Principles of Commercial Songwriting - Words and Music Together - Hooks - Chorus Construction - Repetition - Song Dynamics - Rewriting
6 Writing Music (by Cat Cohen) 114
Melody - Completing Songs - Range - Scale Context - Harmony - Groove
7 Collaboration 132
Why Two (Or More) Heads Can Be Better Than One - Finding Your Match - Can This Marriage Work? - Collaboration Business - Preliminary Business Meeting - Writing As a Band; Working It Out

Part 2: THE BUSINESS
8 Protecting Your Songs 153
The Importance of Taking Care of Business - Your Song Is Your Property - Copyright Registration - Copyright Infringement - Public Domain - Online Resources - Avoiding the Songsharks
9 Where Your Money Comes From 169
Methods of Payment - Split Publishing or Co-Publishing - Mechanical Royalties - The Compulsory License - Controlled Composition Clauses - Samples - Performance Royalties: BMI, ASCAP, AND SESAC - Synchronization Royalties - Music in Print - Researching Print Music Deals - Income From Digital Sources and the Home Recording Act - SoundExchange - Royalty Logic - Royalties From the Home Recording Act of 1992 - AFM & AFTRA Intellectual Property Rights Distribution Fund
10 Publishing 191
What Publishers Do - Exploring the Possibilities - Finding a Publisher - Getting Feedback From Publishers - Uncontracted Songplugging - Single Song Contracts - Your Chances For Advances - Exclusive Staff Writing Positions - Writing on Assignment
11 Self-Publishing 217
Why Publish Your Own Songs? - How to Start Your Own Publishing Company - Business Expenses and the IRS - Casting: The Right Song for the Right Artist - Successful Pitching Strategies - Negotiating - Holds - Foreign Sub-Publishing - Administration Deals - Independent Songpluggers
12 Demos 238
Why You Need Demos - Types of Demos - Who Gets What and How Elaborate Does It Need to Be? - What You Can Do at Home - Choosing a Studio € The Recording Process - Arrangements - Demo Production Services - CDs vs. Digital Audio Files vs. Cassettes - Presenting Your Demo - Using the Internet:- Your Demo As Audio File
13 Marketing Yourself and Your Songs 269
Where Do You Start? - Writers, Writer/Artists, and Writer/Producers in the Marketplace - Reading Your Road Map: Researching the Music Industry - Getting Ready to Face the Industry - Dealing With Rejection - In-Person Interviews - Getting Heard in a 'No Unsolicited Material' World - Getting Through the Doors - Making the Calls - Survival - The Options of an Out-of-Towner - Marketing Your Lyrics - Organize Your Song Shopping - Showcasing - Contests - Your Home on the Web - Blogs - Legal Questions About Podcasts - Free Music Marketing Advice and Newsletters
14 Additional Markets 322
Writing for Audio-Visual Media - Production Music Libraries- Children's Music - Music for Video Games - Cell Phone Ringtones and Master Tones - Music for Commercials - Musical Theater - Organizations
15 Getting a Record Deal 364
The Artist vs. The Writer/Artist - How Record Companies Listen to your Music - Marketability - The Professional Team - The Campaign - Your Web Site Is a Critical Factor - Why a Major Label Deal May Not Be Best for You – Should You Do It Yourself? - The Future of the Music Revolution
Appendix: Songwriter's Resources 384
For Industry Contacts - For Getting Your Demos Directly to Music Industry Pros No Matter Where You Live - Online Pitch Services - Local Organizations - National Organizations - Local Newsletters - Performing Rights Organizations: BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC - Online Songwriters Resources - Music Industry Information Sites - Tipsheets - The Trade Magazines - Songwriters - Print Periodicals - Film and TV Trades - Audio-Visual Media Tip Sheets
Bibliography 392
Additional Recommended Books
Index 396

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