| The Record Producer may be thought of as the "Ring
Leader" of the music production chain. Producers have a lot of control over the
entire recording project including creative decision making based on the experience of the
producer. The selection of songs used in a project as well as the responsibility of the
final product belongs to the producer. Creating a close liaison with producers may
prove beneficial to the song writer. An aware producer is always on the lookout for new
and appropriate material for their clients. Careful networking and perseverance will play
heavily into the song writers success. Many producers are artists themselves and
understand the total business from both sides. Soliciting your
material through a producer may be the best way to get your material into the right hands.
If your material has already been published, the producer is still
invaluable. Some producers are also publishers that creates a different situation. The
material you have published needs to get into the hands of the producers that will
actively work to find the act or project to use your material. If a producers focus was
only to find the act or project for your material, your material sometimes will be produce
more quickly. If the producer is also a publisher, the focus may be to have a commission
on your material for someone else to produce. You want to get your material in the hands
of a producer that won't sit back and let someone else produce your music while they
receive income on the publishing. This may happen in the situation of a
publisher/producer. The publisher/producer has two difficult jobs. If your material is
already published, and you submit your material to a publisher/producer who seems very
excited about your work, you may have made a valuable contact to find an act or project
for your material.
Many say there is a balance between the smaller production agencies and the
larger agencies. The smaller agency may have more time and less material to focus to the
acts, but usually this advantage is more than made up by the larger exposure to artists to
follow up with your material. Most important is the excitement a producer will express
about your material upon submission. Keep the material quality and keep
creating new ideas for new songs.
Timing is of the utmost importance. A right material in the hands of the right
producer who knows the perfect act or project for your songs is difficult. Create new,
quality material and submit to several sources. Don't expect immediate results from your
first submissions. Don't wait, keep expanding your ideas in music and keep submitting
material. There are many songwriters who look back and laugh at a song they wrote years
back when they thought is was really good at the time.
Most Producers and Production Agencies do not wish to receive unsolicited
material. Call and ask about their policies of submission first. Most desire a cassette
with about three well recorded songs and a lyric sheet with a self addressed stamped
envelope with the package. Long bios are not what they are looking for. They are looking
for material to suit the artists whom they are in contact with to perform the music.
Results usually are generated in about a month.
Use the Musicsource
at Grandcentralmusic to provide you with listings of many record agents and producers.
Check the list frequently as it grows daily through the open submission policy. |
Record
Producers