The Life of the Aspiring Singer-Songwriter

The life of a would-be singer-songwriter can be exciting at times and frustrating at others.  It can be filled with both possibilities and disappointments, hope and heartache.  But, one thing is for sure—the career of a singer-songwriter is seldom dull.

You may be wondering how difficult it is to take your place in the music world as a singer-songwriter.  The fact is, your success depends on a number of factors:  your own innate talent, the quality of your training, the expertise of the production staff who work with you in the studio, your own determination, and the marketability of your music.

The music business is filled with talented individuals who have made their mark in both singing and songwriting.  Artists such as Dolly Parton, Barry Manilow, the late Johnny Cash, and Tracy Chapman readily come to mind.  It is therefore entirely possible to achieve success as a singer-songwriter, if you keep a few key things in mind.

First of all, it is important to recognize the fact that, as a singer-songwriter, you must be equally dedicated to your singing and your writing.  That often means intensive study, both with a vocal coach and with a songwriting coach.  You may find just the help you need through a vigorous online musical instruction program.  Such a program will give you important feedback—the feedback you need to progress as an artist.

In addition, you should be aware that, as a songwriter, you can make additional income.  That’s because the lion’s share of money to be made by songwriters comes from having your work performed on television and in concerts.  For instance, according to ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, if you write a song for a successful television show, you could earn as much as $100,000 annually.   This is why it is so critically important to have your work copyrighted to ensure that it is not stolen by another artist.  You can find out more about copyright law from the copyright office at the Library of Congress in Washington.

There’s often no predicting whether an artist will succeed first as a singer or as a songwriter.  Sometimes, even the artist himself or herself is surprised by the twists and turns in a given musical career.  However, a number of individuals who have combined singing with songwriting have said the same thing:  it takes a great deal of dedication to both crafts in order to achieve long-term success. 

The trend in the music business seems to be to allow established singers the freedom and flexibility to write their own songs for their CDs.  This can be both an advantage and a disadvantage for a singer with songwriting talent.  It means that, if you score well as a singer, you may have a number of opportunities to put your songwriting skills to the test.  However, it also means that there may be less demand for songwriters industry-wide, as singers take on a chore that was once reserved for established composers and lyricists.