Blog
27Mar
27 Mar 2020
Podcast: An Interview with Songwriter Wendy Waldman
She’s the multi-platinum songwriter who co-wrote hits like “Fishin in The Dark” (cut by Nitty Gritty Dirt Band), “Saved The Best for Last” (cut by Vanessa Williams), and “I Owe You One” (cut by Aaron Neville). Wendy grew up in the foothills of Los Angeles, with a dad who wrote songs for TV shows like Star […]
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24Jan
24 Jan 2020
Podcast: An Interview with Songwriter Ed Hill
Our favorite podcast brings you a conversation with one of our favorite songwriters here in Nashville: Ed Hill. You may not know of him, but you DO know the artists who have cut his songs: Luke Bryan, Trisha Yearwood, George Strait, Trace Adkins, Martina McBride, and Reba McEntire (just to name a few). Ed has received […]
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01Jan
1 Jan 2020
Songwriting Contests
Do you think your song has winning potential? Here are a few of the top contests with big prizes and exposure opportunities for songwriters. We ranked them by prize value: International Songwriting Competition Prizes: Over $150,000 in cash and prizes. See prize list. Deadline: TBD – typically in November The USA Songwriting Competition Prizes: Over $100,000 in [...]
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06Nov
6 Nov 2019
Podcast: An interview with Marty Stuart
He’s a five time Grammy award winner and a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Beyond his artist career, he’s the songwriter behind many of your favorite recording artists, like Johnny Cash, George Strait, Patty Loveless, and more. Listen as Marty shares about the album that cost him a record deal, and what motivates him […]
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17Sep
17 Sep 2019
Podcast: An interview with Kendell Marvel (Chris Stapleton, Jake Owen, George Strait)
George Strait, Jake Owen, Darius Rucker, Blake Shelton, Brothers Osbourne, Hank Williams Jr, and Chris Stapleton; These are just a few of the country artists that have recorded the songs that Kendell has written. Kendell started out playing cover songs in a small town bar, and eventually moved to Nashville pursue his love of country music. Hear […]
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28Aug
Can a demo be used commercially (as a master)?
To fully unpack this answer, let’s talk about what a “demo” and a “master” is, and what they each can be used for. What is a Demo? A “demo” is a recording that demonstrates your song idea. It is not the final version of the song that a record label could release. Back in the […]
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07Aug
7 Aug 2019
Podcast: An interview with Shane McAnally
Texas native, Shane McAnally, grew up in a family that loved George Strait, Alabama, and Conway Twitty. At 15 years old, he landed in Branson, performing in a band that briefly included LeAnn Rimes (before she was famous). That was then. Now Shane is a 3-time Grammy award winner that has penned songs for country music […]
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06Aug
What is the difference between dry stems and wet stems?
Stems are the individual pieces that make up the recording. For example, if your demo recording contains 4 instruments or sounds (like a vocal, guitar, drums, and bass), a producer can isolate each individual sound from the recording in order to produce 4 individual files. Now, stems can be created in two different styles: dry or […]
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17May
From Demo to Dive Bar
You probably heard this tune before it was cut. Nestled in our country demo page as a sample of our production work is a song called Dive Bar Saints, featuring the smooth-as-honey voice of Brandon Chase. It’s a stripped down demo that leaves room for the lyrics to shine like a “beacon of hope” in a traditionally […]
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16Apr
16 Apr 2019
An Interview with William “Mickey” Stevenson
Our friends Paul and Scott over at Songcraft sat down with Mickey Stevenson, the songwriter known for building the Motown sound and launching Marvin Gaye’s career. While young Marvin was determined on pursuing a career in Jazz music, Marvin was able to persuade the stubborn artist to record vocals on Gospel and R&B demos so Marvin could hear his […]
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