SONGQUARTERS - Worth It?

[FINgers]

Hey People,

 

Happy new year to one and all.

 

Was looking through various emails etc over the holidays and found one from Songquaters.

 

It seems taht it is a "tip sheet", claiming to have leads on top world artists looking for songs to use.

 

On first look it appears to be quite good but it is quite a large amount of csh to stump up if it turns out to be useless - does anyone here use it, is it worth the money.

 

My immediate thought woud be to keep going for the publishing deal and then let the publisher do the leg work in getting the song recorded by a reputible artist but I'm not sure if SongQuaters is worth the effort also.

 

Any thoughts on this?

 

Cheers

 

FIN:thu:

[daveski]

IMO, any agency that asks for money up front for services to be rendered, especially in this business, is a huge rip-off.

They are relying on the desparation and frustration of unknowns to do whatever it takes to get their music 'heard'.

Just send me the $225 and probably you will get the same results as sending it to them. At least if I like it, I will share my opinions with the people on the forums and maybe somebody there will listen to the songs.

 

Their usual scam goes something like this...

 

Join and send in $225 and some songs.

You get a reply indicating that x number of your songs have 'potential' but they will need editing/polishing/professional services to make them 'presentable to their ever growing list of important clients in the music industry.

They can provide these 'professionalization sevices' for x dollars.

Without you agreeing to these 'services' they can do no more for your portfolio............

 

Your best hope is that they don't see any posibilities for your music and you are only out the $225.

[ido1957]

 

Originally posted by daveski IMO, any agency that asks for money up front for services to be rendered, especially in this business, is a huge rip-off. They are relying on the desparation and frustration of unknowns to do whatever it takes to get their music 'heard'. Just send me the $225 and probably you will get the same results as sending it to them. At least if I like it, I will share my opinions with the people on the forums and maybe somebody there will listen to the songs. Their usual scam goes something like this... Join and send in $225 and some songs. You get a reply indicating that x number of your songs have 'potential' but they will need editing/polishing/professional services to make them 'presentable to their ever growing list of important clients in the music industry. They can provide these 'professionalization sevices' for x dollars. Without you agreeing to these 'services' they can do no more for your portfolio............ Your best hope is that they don't see any posibilities for your music and you are only out the $225.

 

 

I think it's a scam too

 

daveski is 100% correct

 

+ 1 Billion a la Austin Powers guy Dr Evil

[ido1957]

My email to them is at the bottom - their response speaks for itself....they won't do you any good.....it's a mailing list

Hi,

 

Thanks for your mail.

 

SongQuarters is a song pitching service for publishers (including all

the majors) and songwriters. It provides them with information about

which of the world

[FINgers]

Thanks for the replies so far.

 

I'm glad that I didn't part with my cash. Being fairly desperate (as many of us are) to get my music out there and heard by the publishers I was considersing it.

 

From what I understand is that they just send out an email saying "here's an address for So-And-So Publishers, send them a demo because they might be interested in someones songs".

 

IMHO I think with a little time and effort a lot of the information that they provide could probably be found yourself - although they must (surly) have more contacts and "insider tips".

 

I was wondering of anyone had actually had any success using tips from one of the "tip sheets" that they send out.

 

FIN

[HogTownDave]

"The SongQuarters subscriber can then contact the A&Rs and managers for these artists on their own behalf and present their music. In that way they will build their own network of contacts and can get their songs to other artists more efficiently."

 

Sounds like, in the end, they make you do all the work anyway.

 

Seems to me like you'd be better off spending that money on some kind of industry directory (they have 'em for the film business, so maybe they have 'em for the music business as well) and contact the A&R guys for your favorite artists directly.

[barhab]

So your logic is that "if it's free, it's probably good" ?

 

In my book "free" would indicate that the product is either stolen or of poor quality.

 

Songquarters provides important info on artists looking for songs and all contact info for that artist's management, A&R people, you name it (you can send your CD to all of these people if you like - not only one). It takes a lot of effort to retrieve and constantly update this kind of info so naturally Songquarters can't do it for free/fun. And your bonus is that by knowing which artists are looking for songs, you know what record companies want to hear. Meaning it's solicited material. Record companies probably DON'T want to hear your "original" rendition of Engelbert Humperdinck. That's the truth .. sadly.

 

If you wanna call every single company in the world, and start your own database like this one, then go ahead. It's free, but you need to start working, cause it will take months, and needs constant updating, because A&Rs switch companies frequently.

 

In this case I think you've bashed the wrong company. There are scams out there allright .. but there are lots of credible companies like Songquarters too. I think it's important not to become bitter because you haven't got any cuts yet. Maybe you really need to start polishing those songs. Nobody gets succes easily.

 

The idea that everything in the music business should be free, is crap. Free service is only concerning publishers wanting to sign your songs.

 

If you want a cheap alternative to Songquarters, then join Hitquarters instead ( www.hitquarters.com ) - it doesn't say which artists are looking for songs, but it has all contact info regarding specific artists.

[mount trashmore]

So your logic is that "if it's free, it's probably good" ? In my book "free" would indicate that the product is either stolen or of poor quality. Songquarters provides important info on artists looking for songs and all contact info for that artist's management, A&R people, you name it (you can send your CD to all of these people if you like - not only one). It takes a lot of effort to retrieve and constantly update this kind of info so naturally Songquarters can't do it for free/fun. And your bonus is that by knowing which artists are looking for songs, you know what record companies want to hear. Meaning it's solicited material. Record companies probably DON'T want to hear your "original" rendition of Engelbert Humperdinck. That's the truth .. sadly. If you wanna call every single company in the world, and start your own database like this one, then go ahead. It's free, but you need to start working, cause it will take months, and needs constant updating, because A&Rs switch companies frequently. In this case I think you've bashed the wrong company. There are scams out there allright .. but there are lots of credible companies like Songquarters too. I think it's important not to become bitter because you haven't got any cuts yet. Maybe you really need to start polishing those songs. Nobody gets succes easily. The idea that everything in the music business should be free, is crap. Free service is only concerning publishers wanting to sign your songs. If you want a cheap alternative to Songquarters, then join Hitquarters instead ( www.hitquarters.com ) - it doesn't say which artists are looking for songs, but it has all contact info regarding specific artists.

 

This is nice and smug, but you don't really address the question of the thread. Sure, free stuff often sucks, but it does not follow from this fact no pay service does not suck. Instead of calling skeptics bitter, perhaps a better idea would be to tell us about specific songquarters success stories...if you know of any.

 

Also, if you are a representative of songquarters, perhaps you can explain specifically what obligation songquarter takes up on a songwriter's behalf when the fee is paid. Is songquarters obligated to DO anything for its customer other than send out a newletter with contact info?

[barhab]

I believe there are many succes stories on their site.

 

However, Songquarters only informs their customers of which artists are currently looking for songs and provides the contact info to the artists' management, record company or similar. Songquarters doesn't pitch the songs.

 

Other than that Songquarters/Hitquarters has an extensive database on most credible record companies, publishing companies, managements etc. in the world. So you are of course free to pitch your music to these too. Though it's unsolicited material in that case.

 

I'd say that Songquarters is an invaluable ressource to have in addition to your Taxi, Broadjam, Garageband (or whichever) memberships. And of course it won't get you anywhere unless you start calling and e-mailing the various companies youself. Basically be your own publisher.

[rtilryarms]

The money is supposed to flow toward the Artist.

Any success in a pay-for market could have been acheived in a get-paid first market.

[biddybop]

My take on this is...we live in a do-it-yourself world and the music business is a perfect example of DIY. Being pro-active is typically the only way to success in any business and the music biz is no exception to this. A tip sheet gives you the info that you otherwise wouldn't have.

 

I've used many tip sheets and songquarters is one of them. I can say that it does have solid leads. But whatever tip sheet you're using, if you want an artist to use your songs, your song has got to be good.

 

Most tip sheets that I know of will let you try them out for free and even if they don't, then just ask.

[JohnnyX]

If u want to try your hand at writting for others i would subscribe to taxi which cost 299-300 a yr but they have real contacts. There is another one too unfortunately until they email me again i cant remember the name of it it costs 5 bucks per song to send to real people that are looking for songs for up and coming artists... next time i get one i will give u the url and u can check it all out yourself... Other wise do as much on your own as u can to try to get people interested in your music/lyrics there are prolly millions of sites do a search and good luck in your travels!

[JohnnyX]

I would suggest only this... go to your local book store and they have a book called "The Songwriters Handbook" it might run about 25-35 bucks (gotta be better than 225. ya think?) and in this book, (which is updated every yr as some businesses go out of business or move or numbers change,) they give u names numbers and tell you exactly what they are looking for (genres) and how to do it (cass... cds.. gtr and vocal, piano and vocal, etc...) and the only costs are buying the book.. It's loaded with many many companies (big ones too!)

[barhab]

My only problem with Taxi is that you don't decide yourself which record companies you want to listen to your music.

 

Taxi decides if your music is good enough. So it's one more hurdle on a road already full of hurdles.

 

However, I use Taxi as an extra resource. Not the primary.

 

In all fairness I must add that the "Taxi Road Rally" is a cool thing about Taxi. It's a free yearly music convention for Taxi members.

[SongQ]

I would like to invite anyone who is curious about SongQuarters to take a closer look by taking the informational tour at the site.

 

Go to www.songquarters.com take the tour and find out how SongQuarters can help you pitch your music to artists currently accepting submissions. At the end of the tour you have the option of getting a free 24hr trial to try it out for yourself.

 

Regards,

SongQuarters.com

[bluesway]

 

I would like to invite anyone who is curious about SongQuarters to take a closer look by taking the informational tour at the site. Go to www.songquarters.com take the tour and find out how SongQuarters can help you pitch your music to artists currently accepting submissions. At the end of the tour you have the option of getting a free 24hr trial to try it out for yourself. Regards, Steven, SongQuarters.com

 

 

meatball. you are

[HEPNOTIC]

Sorry, but +$200 just to get a list of contacts and see who's looking for what seems steep. If they did pitch the songs for you than I think it would be worth it. a $20 a month suscribtion to the email contacts newsletter would sound much more reasonable.

 

I think if your songs are good enough for major artists to use, sending them yourself to the top 20 labels, or making a myspace music page will give enough exposure for top notch material to be discovered. this seems like its for people who believe their songs are good enough but just need more exposure, when in reality, their songs just suck and nobody is interested in them. its like a musical equivalent of an expensive self help motivation seminar.

[andrewsteinberg]

a tip sheet is simply a research service that lets you know about song placement opportunities out there.

 

songquarters and www.myhitfactory.com are great services, because you can contact A&Rs and artist managers directly. they are both around $400 per year, so ~ $30 per month, which i think is a reasonable amount to invest in a songwriting career.

 

waiting for a publishing deal is nonsense, because publishers don't sign writers without a track record these days. to get a deal these days, you need to be a great songwriter and able to place your songs yourself.

[bilco]

If you can afford it, I guess it's another means to an end. I am a writer and I play bass for one of the best country writers I know of. He has had some cuts over the years. He uses a tip sheet as well as independent songpluggers and pitching songs to Nashville publishers himself. The songplugger got one of the tunes placed on hold, but it did not get cut. I don't think anything has ever come out of the tip sheets, but maybe they work for someone.

 

I have been writing a LONG time and it took me years to understand that as competitive as it is for the writers trying to get songs placed with publishers, it is WAY more competitive for the publishers who are trying to get the cuts. It really comes down to personal relationships between folks who know one another and trust that person X is going to bring them quality songs and not waste their time, whether that person is a writer, publisher or songplugger. If you get them to listen and you have sent them songs that are not solid, well written songs, they will not give you another listen.

 

Friends of mine who got signed as staff writers in Nashville never sat on their laurels and left it only up to the publisher to get the songs placed. They were out there networking and working their hardest every day to get songs placed. In spite of that hard work and the fact that one of them is the best writer I personally know, it is rough out there. The writer I am talking about gave it ten years of putting everything into it and then finally moved back to Texas to teach.

 

If it is your passion and you have some kind of objective feedback from peers or local artists that your songs are ready, use whatever means to an end you have to in order to get the songs heard. If I could afford those tip sheets, I might do it, but it is money I don't have and my time to get submissions together is even scarcer. Music attorneys, tip sheets and songpluggers are all viable means to an end to me. Just never pay a "publisher" to publish a song. Those are song sharks.

 

I am an old guy now and my personal advice to those of you who are young, not tied down to the responsibilities of supporting a family and are very passionate about songwriting is this:

 

Move to a city where the music industry lives like Nashville, New York, LA. Do NOT give up when someone turns you down, go to the next place, keep knocking on doors. DO get objective feedback from pros in the business and don't argue with their feedback. Take it to heart and see if maybe they make sense and you can use the feedback to improve your writing. Keep writing no matter what and if you are really, really good, do NOT give it up for a career that does not use or care about your talent. The world has enough bookkeepers, waiters and waitresses, clerks, retail salespeople, etc.(and there is nothing wrong with any of those professions! I have been in several of them.....) but the world absolutely needs more great art.

 

bilco