1) No long Intros
- Avoid long winded boring intros that just seem to drag on and on and on and
never seem to end and just seem and take forever before they finally get to the
point of what it is that you are ultimately trying to say. That last sentence was intentionally a run on
sentence to illustrate a point. Just
like your time is important and you don't want to waste it reading redundant
sentences, supervisors don't want to spend forever waiting for your song to
start. Get to the point. Quick. Also keep in mind that songs that are placed in tv shows and films are
not generally used in their entirety, so your songs have a shorter time frame
to work.
2) Get to The Hook Quickly - This ties into the first parameter. My publisher always says "Don't' Bore Us Get To The Chorus". It's kind of a corny expression, but it's something you should adhere to. Just as you don't want to bore listeners with
long winded intros, you also don't want to wait to long to get to the
hook. Try to get there as quickly as
possible.
3) Make Sure You Have A Hook - Speaking of hooks, make sure your song has one. Generally speaking,
you want to write very catchy, powerful hooks. Sometimes songs start really strong,
have a great verse that builds nicely and then goes... nowhere. Make sure the hook of your song is distinct
and ... well....make sure that it "hooks" the listener. This is kind of hard to articulate, but we
all know when a song has a powerful hook. Make sure your songs have them.
4) Lyrics That Are Universal - When it comes to lyrics, make sure the lyrics you write are universal
enough that they could work in a variety of situations. Themes like love, lost love, overcoming
adversity, looking for love and so on tend to work because so many story lines
are centered around these themes. Unless
you are pitching to a specific project where they are asking for something
different, make sure your lyrics work in a variety of situations. Watch and pay
attention to songs used in TV Shows and Films and how the lyrics relate to the
story line. Usually there is an obvious connection.
5) Well Produced And Mastered Tracks - I've written extensively about the importance
of production in the past in the context of music licensing. The more high profile the placement the more
important the production quality becomes. For your music to make it into a
primetime tv show or a feature film your production needs to be excellent. The more competitive the licensing landscape
becomes, the more this is the case. It's
also important that not only are your tracks well produced, but that they are well
mastered too. I plan on doing a newsletter in the near future just about the
topic of mastering. But for now I'll
just say it's important. So make sure
you don't skip this critical step of the production process.
