Your Weekly Guide to Artist and Business Development

One Songwriting Tip...

Finding time for songwriting between school and work can be challenging. We found an article from renowned songwriter and Berklee professor, Andrea Stolpe, where she shares practical, realistic strategies for weaving creativity into a busy life so writing becomes something you return to consistently instead of something you keep postponing.

One Marketing Idea...

An email newsletter can be more than an announcement board. It can be a rehearsal room. Your email list is a space to experiment, to share unfinished lyrics, alternate verses, rough demos, or the story behind a song before it is polished. It is where you invite your audience into the process, not just the final product. Social media is where you perform. Email is where you build.

Try it out: Explore free newsletter platforms like Substack or Kit and set up a simple sign up form with a short welcome email. You don’t need to commit to a schedule yet. Focus first on building your list and adding the link to your bio across socials, then start small with a monthly note and treat it as a creative space rather than another content obligation.

One Business Tip...

Registering your songs is one of the simplest ways to protect your work and get paid for it. The moment you write and record a song, it has value, but if it is not properly registered, you could miss out on royalties from streams, radio play, live performances, or placements. Make sure you affiliate with a performing rights organization like ASCAP or BMI and register each song so you can collect performance royalties. It may feel administrative, but treating your music like a business ensures you are credited, protected, and paid for the work you create.

Try it out: Block off 30 minutes this week to audit your catalog. Make a simple spreadsheet of every song you have released or plan to release, and check whether each one is registered with your performing rights organization and logged under the correct writer and publisher information.

See you next week!