Recently, I shared an old video with a friend, just for a bit of fun and nostalgia. His reaction?
“I still hate it!”
He continued, “I’m genuinely happy for your success and the company’s, but I still don’t like the song. To say otherwise would be a lie.”
This kind of straightforwardness is invaluable! In a world often filled with polite fiction, these “straight shooters” are essential. My colleague Clay and I often joke that SongTown’s entire business model goes against conventional wisdom. The typical approach is to tell customers what they want to hear, to flatter and encourage without critique.
At SongTown, we’ve chosen a different path: we prioritize truth, even when it’s the last thing aspiring songwriters want to hear. This approach might not win us everyone over, but it’s a commitment we stand by.
We often hear from our members about pitch events where publishers supposedly “raved” about every song, eager to get copies of them all. However, in our own extensive experience with pitch meetings, neither Clay nor I have ever encountered such a scenario. And realistically, if all five, eight, or even ten songs were truly exceptional, wouldn’t they already be getting noticed and recorded?
Personally, I find far more value in feedback like, “This one song shows promise, but the others just aren’t there yet.” This is a much more accurate reflection of the real music industry. A publisher who can offer this kind of honest assessment is truly your best friend in the music business.
The standard for getting songs recorded by major artists is incredibly high. The same principle applies if you’re aiming to secure a publishing deal. To genuinely improve and break through, you need people around you who are willing to give you the unvarnished truth. So, when we suggest, “Perhaps these songs aren’t quite ready,” consider it a compliment. It means we care about your growth and want to help you reach your full potential. We could easily tell everyone their songs are amazing and probably make more money in the short term. But eventually, you’d realize you were misled when those “amazing” songs went nowhere.
We sleep soundly knowing we consistently offer honest feedback. It’s the cornerstone of how we operate and how we believe we can best serve songwriters.
Marty Dodson
