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In the Nashville music industry there is one position that is
arguably the most crucial to the success of the business as a
whole: the songplugger. Most songwriters and publishers depend on
the plugger to pitch their songs, and the artists and record
labels look to the plugger to bring them the hits they need for
their projects. Of the songs not written by the artist, the
songplugger is said to be responsible for the majority of the
cuts released on commercial country recordings, and that
translates into much of the revenue generated for copyright
owners. For the artists and labels that depend on hit songs to
launch careers and drive sales, the songplugger is undeniably an
indispensable ally. There are two types of songpluggers: the "in-house" plugger who
works as an employee of a publishing company, and the
"independent" plugger who works on a contractual basis for
various clients. And how they go about pitching songs can be
broken down into five key steps:
1. Networking
2. Finding Great Songs to Pitch
3. Finding Out Who's Recording
4. Making the Pitch,
5. Getting paid. If you've ever wondered how the pros do what they do, this is it
in a nutshell. Networking: The first step in songplugging is to develop a
personal and professional network of contacts. I cover networking
first, because if you are an indie plugger, you will need
established contacts to attract clients, but in the real world,
the first two steps are probably happening simultaneously. Networking itself can be broken down into two categories:
researching contacts, and making the connection. When it comes to
researching, there are various ways of finding out who the movers
and shakers are on Music Row. Two of the most effective are
reading the local publications, and attending industry events. As
you read articles on artists or other industry insiders, make a
note of their names, then use the internet to research as much
information as you can about who they are, what positions they
hold, company names, and who they work with. As you attend
industry events, such as writers nights, showcases and other
industry related events and seminars, don't be afraid to
introduce yourself. Create a list of people you want to develop a
relationship with. Like all social situations the way you handle
yourself is extremely important. Everything counts, especially
the way you engage the people you meet. In Nashville, there is a
basic networking etiquette, and you would do well to learn what
is acceptable and what is not. Of all the do's and don'ts on
proper behavior, there is one "don't" in particular that you
should be mindful of - don't gherm. A "gherm" is someone who
latches on to someone of importance with the agenda of promoting
their own careers. Instead of coming across as someone on a
mission, one of the do's of networking etiquette is … do be
genuine. People can tell if you are being sincere. So make every
interaction casual, and real. Finding Great Songs to Pitch: For an in-house songplugger who
works exclusively for a publishing company, it means being
familiar with their catalog and meeting with the current writers.
For indie pluggers, it usually means finding pro writers and
publishers who are looking to outsource or increase their catalog
representation. As an in-house songplugger, you will probably be assigned as the
"point person" for a group of writers. These are usually the
active songwriters who are not only signed to the publishing
company, but are consistently turning in new material. You will
find your songs among the CDs they turn in, but you may also need
to work the back catalog. A catalog often has songs that were
acquired through mergers or acquisitions. One hallmark of an
in-house plugger is their exclusivity to a single publisher, and
as such, they are limited to pitching only those songs that are
in their employer's catalog. For the independent songplugger, finding great songs to represent
can be much more challenging at times, and their ability to do so
hinges primarily on their reputation. The less established indie
plugger may have trouble convincing potential clients that they
have the connections to get the job done, namely, to get their
songs cut. So the more connections you have, and the stronger
those connections are, the more clients you will be able to
attract. Indie pluggers find most of their songs through writers
who have an established name and available catalog, or smaller
publishers who either don't have the means to hire an in-house
plugger, or simply choose to outsource their pitching needs. The
up side to being an indie plugger is you aren't exclusive, and
can work with several writers and publishers. This way you can
represent catalogs that you're excited about and that cover from
the very traditional to the very contemporary. Finding Out Who's Recording: Once you have songs to represent,
you will need to know who is recording and the type of songs
they're looking for. One of the easiest ways to find out who's looking for songs is to
subscribe to industry tip sheets. These are weekly or monthly
publications that list some basic information on artists and
their current projects, including the artist's label, producer,
contact person, the type of songs they are looking for and the
month or specific date they are set to record. Perhaps the most
popular tip sheet known is the Music Row Fax. This is a
subscription service that offers a weekly tip sheet via email,
and access to an online contact directory. You can find out more
about this service at www.musicrow.com. Another great resource for finding out who's recording is from
your personal network. If you've done your homework and made your
connections, you have a list of people you can call to get the
inside scoop on current projects. It's important to develop your
personal references, so it's a good idea to not only keep a
record of your contacts, but also be familiar with your contacts'
contacts. If you are good friends with a rep from your PRO, you
might be surprised to learn that back in college they were
roommates with someone who has just started in A&R. It's like
MySpace; find out who is in your "extended" network.
arguably the most crucial to the success of the business as a
whole: the songplugger. Most songwriters and publishers depend on
the plugger to pitch their songs, and the artists and record
labels look to the plugger to bring them the hits they need for
their projects. Of the songs not written by the artist, the
songplugger is said to be responsible for the majority of the
cuts released on commercial country recordings, and that
translates into much of the revenue generated for copyright
owners. For the artists and labels that depend on hit songs to
launch careers and drive sales, the songplugger is undeniably an
indispensable ally. There are two types of songpluggers: the "in-house" plugger who
works as an employee of a publishing company, and the
"independent" plugger who works on a contractual basis for
various clients. And how they go about pitching songs can be
broken down into five key steps:
1. Networking
2. Finding Great Songs to Pitch
3. Finding Out Who's Recording
4. Making the Pitch,
5. Getting paid. If you've ever wondered how the pros do what they do, this is it
in a nutshell. Networking: The first step in songplugging is to develop a
personal and professional network of contacts. I cover networking
first, because if you are an indie plugger, you will need
established contacts to attract clients, but in the real world,
the first two steps are probably happening simultaneously. Networking itself can be broken down into two categories:
researching contacts, and making the connection. When it comes to
researching, there are various ways of finding out who the movers
and shakers are on Music Row. Two of the most effective are
reading the local publications, and attending industry events. As
you read articles on artists or other industry insiders, make a
note of their names, then use the internet to research as much
information as you can about who they are, what positions they
hold, company names, and who they work with. As you attend
industry events, such as writers nights, showcases and other
industry related events and seminars, don't be afraid to
introduce yourself. Create a list of people you want to develop a
relationship with. Like all social situations the way you handle
yourself is extremely important. Everything counts, especially
the way you engage the people you meet. In Nashville, there is a
basic networking etiquette, and you would do well to learn what
is acceptable and what is not. Of all the do's and don'ts on
proper behavior, there is one "don't" in particular that you
should be mindful of - don't gherm. A "gherm" is someone who
latches on to someone of importance with the agenda of promoting
their own careers. Instead of coming across as someone on a
mission, one of the do's of networking etiquette is … do be
genuine. People can tell if you are being sincere. So make every
interaction casual, and real. Finding Great Songs to Pitch: For an in-house songplugger who
works exclusively for a publishing company, it means being
familiar with their catalog and meeting with the current writers.
For indie pluggers, it usually means finding pro writers and
publishers who are looking to outsource or increase their catalog
representation. As an in-house songplugger, you will probably be assigned as the
"point person" for a group of writers. These are usually the
active songwriters who are not only signed to the publishing
company, but are consistently turning in new material. You will
find your songs among the CDs they turn in, but you may also need
to work the back catalog. A catalog often has songs that were
acquired through mergers or acquisitions. One hallmark of an
in-house plugger is their exclusivity to a single publisher, and
as such, they are limited to pitching only those songs that are
in their employer's catalog. For the independent songplugger, finding great songs to represent
can be much more challenging at times, and their ability to do so
hinges primarily on their reputation. The less established indie
plugger may have trouble convincing potential clients that they
have the connections to get the job done, namely, to get their
songs cut. So the more connections you have, and the stronger
those connections are, the more clients you will be able to
attract. Indie pluggers find most of their songs through writers
who have an established name and available catalog, or smaller
publishers who either don't have the means to hire an in-house
plugger, or simply choose to outsource their pitching needs. The
up side to being an indie plugger is you aren't exclusive, and
can work with several writers and publishers. This way you can
represent catalogs that you're excited about and that cover from
the very traditional to the very contemporary. Finding Out Who's Recording: Once you have songs to represent,
you will need to know who is recording and the type of songs
they're looking for. One of the easiest ways to find out who's looking for songs is to
subscribe to industry tip sheets. These are weekly or monthly
publications that list some basic information on artists and
their current projects, including the artist's label, producer,
contact person, the type of songs they are looking for and the
month or specific date they are set to record. Perhaps the most
popular tip sheet known is the Music Row Fax. This is a
subscription service that offers a weekly tip sheet via email,
and access to an online contact directory. You can find out more
about this service at www.musicrow.com. Another great resource for finding out who's recording is from
your personal network. If you've done your homework and made your
connections, you have a list of people you can call to get the
inside scoop on current projects. It's important to develop your
personal references, so it's a good idea to not only keep a
record of your contacts, but also be familiar with your contacts'
contacts. If you are good friends with a rep from your PRO, you
might be surprised to learn that back in college they were
roommates with someone who has just started in A&R. It's like
MySpace; find out who is in your "extended" network.
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