ION INDIE MAGAZINE November 2016, Volume 30 | Page 75

Even one of those commercial placements could have potentially netted an indie songwriter a check in the tens of
thousands per year…not to mention performance royalties. Now the labels are freezing out the little guy for even these
previously taboo opportunities. All of that to say, song placement for indies may actually be harder than ever. That means
you’re going to have to work harder than ever to overcome.
Putting your songs in the hands of major artists, record labels, music supervisors and such can be a monumental task.
Even a mega-hit songwriter like Diane Warren was quoted as saying she spends half of her work week on the phone
making pitches. “Easy for her,” you say, “she actually has names and phone numbers.” True, but it’s clear that even for
someone with her amazing catalog, it’s a never-ending struggle to stay connected.
So what about regular people like us? How do we get those connections? To start with, you MUST know the key rules of
the music industry.
Rule #1: It’s who you know.
Let’s start by confirming that old stereotype is true: it’s not what you know, it’s WHO you know. Let’s face it, Tori Spelling
does NOT have an acting career because of her raw talent! For us, it means you never know to whom your immediate
contacts are connected. Often, your best connection will come from an unlikely source.
Start with people in your immediate circle. That means friends, friends of friends, relatives, current and former work
colleagues, and all of their friends. Somebody’s father, brother, sister, or third cousin twice removed may be the
connection that makes the difference.
If you’re in a major music city like LA or Nashville, don’t forget your landlord, mailman, paperboy or pool guy. And it’s time
to use your kids, too! Namely, their teachers, classmates’ parents, maybe the janitor? PTA meetings, Boy and Girl Scout
troops, and so on--maybe even the cashier at the grocery store--can become key sources to getting your foot in the door.
Mining your own connections is a good start, and has one unrealized side benefit. It alerts your inner circle that you are
serious about your career, and are aggressively pursuing it. Many times, your friends will start to help you by keeping their
eyes and ears open, even asking questions on your behalf. This writer can honestly say that EVERY SINGLE job he landed
in a 12-year career in Sin City came as a direct result of a friend, relative or co-worker.
Rule #2: Pay for the connections.
Unless you’re amazingly well-connected, these first steps will probably just get wheels moving. Fact is, you’re probably
gonna need more help than that. So the next step is, get connected with people who already have those connections. If
you don’t have access, there’s always a way to pay for it--and it usually doesn’t come cheap. Here’s just a few examples:
1. Managers and Attorneys. Again, you’re looking for someone who already has connections--and that’s a huge part of
why you hire a manager or attorney in the first place. In many cases, the attorney made the connections and brokered
the deal that launched their career.
2. Music libraries. Prolific writers can often land an opportunity to place their works in a music library. These libraries
are used by advertising agencies, TV production companies, documentary filmmakers, and independent businesses
among many others. There are literally hundreds of different music libraries, and you may find a few that are
interested in your work.