All posts by John Pape

Mechanical Licensing Collective Mechanical License Administration

January 23rd, 2021 by
Mechanical Licensing Collective Mechanical License Administration

Mechanical Licensing Collective ( MLC) is a new nonprofit organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office pursuant to the historic Music Modernization Act of 2018. Starting in January 2021, The MLC will administer a new blanket mechanical license available to eligible streaming and download services (digital service providers or DSPs) in the United States.

The MLC will be responsible for collecting the mechanical royalties due under those licenses from the DSPs and then distributing you to music publishers, administrators, and self-administered songwriters, composers, and lyricists.

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Stuck At Home? Enter the John Lennon Songwriting Contest

March 25th, 2020 by
John Lennon songwriting Contest logo

NEW WEEKLY GIVEAWAYS
OF HOME STUDIO GEAR

Over its 23 year history, The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (JLSC) has recognized the talent of entries from several people who have risen to stardom  – Meghan Trainor, American Authors, MAGIC!, Gaby Moreno and more.  Now, in response to the Covid-19 crisis, the Lennon Contest has created weekly ‘Stuck At Home’ opportunities for songwriters to win studio gear to improve your songwriting experiences at home. The first deadline for entries is Sunday, March 29 at midnight EST with the winner announced on Monday, March 30. 

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John Lennon Songwriting Contest Announces Love Songs Contest for Valentine’s Day

February 7th, 2020 by

The John Lennon Songwriting Contest (jlsc.com) announces a special “Love Song” contest to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It’s a short window so go to the website and submit your original compositions before February 13 and the winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day.

Prizes will include products from Audio Technica, Copperpeace, Focusrite, Genelec, K&M, Mackie, Neutrik, OWC, Reason Studios, Sonicbids, and Yamaha.

How to Write a Song Info Graphic

August 21st, 2019 by

How to Write a Song Info Graphic

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How to Finish Your Artistic Project Like a Songwriter

August 1st, 2019 by

artistic creative process silhouette man guitar creative inspiration music song

An Artist’s Guide to Completing a Creative Piece

You are an experienced artist; you know how to start your work, know how to find inspiration, the importance of editing, and all the other things you need to do to create great pieces of art. But sometimes, no amount of experience or knowledge can make it easier to finish your creative works. Stepping away from a project and calling it “done” can be one of the hardest things to accomplish as an artist. In this guide, I will share my three easy steps to completing your creative pieces, using the process of a songwriter as an example. (more…)

More Than Lyrics – Becoming a Songwriter

March 27th, 2019 by
more than lyrics becoming a songwriting

There is more to becoming a songwriter than just writing lyrics. Lyrics are just one of many elements that make a song. A well rounded songwriter needs skills to compose melodies, create chord progressions as well as the ability to write lyrics.

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7 Mindfulness Skills That Will Boost Your Songwriting

January 29th, 2019 by

Mindfulness Skills Boost SongwritingWhen a songwriter wants to write a song, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

  • Is it the words?
  • The melody?
  • The rhythm?

A great songwriter knows that it is none of these things. It all comes down to the spirit of the song. The reason why the songwriter is writing the song in the first place. The purpose or meaning behind it. The message it communicates. The feeling it cultivates. What I hope to present to you today are 7 smart ways to integrate mindfulness into your songwriting

These are the drivers of a great songwriter. He or she knows that everything exists in the mind and heart. Most of the great songs you hear today would not come to existence if they had no meaning or purpose behind them. This is the reason why as a great songwriter, you need to cultivate mindfulness into your songwriting. Cultivating mindfulness means being aware of what is around you. Once you do this, everything about the song just falls into place. (more…)

Best Singers of All TIme

December 1st, 2018 by

We all have a favorite singer, whether it’s from this decade or another. There are a few artists, though, that everyone seems to fall in love with. From Elvis, to Diana, to Whitney there are stand out singers that made entire generations stop and listen.

Whether you’re a fan of R&B, country, or rock there are singers on this list you’re bound to love. You might even discover a few that you weren’t familiar with. So take a look and listen to some of the best singers of all time. (more…)

Lyric Writing Tips – Exercises to Improve Your Songwriting

September 1st, 2018 by

lyric writing tipsWriting songs is a creative act. Here are some valuable lyric writing tips you can use when writing songs. As with most creative activities it does require a certain level of skill. In order to write better songs there are certain thing you can do to improve your skill. To improve your skill can try some of these exercises.
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Songwriter Challenges – Putting Thoughts Into Words Into Music

August 11th, 2018 by

Songwriter Challenges Putting Thoughts Into Words Into Music -As a songwriter you probably come up with ideas for songs quite often. These ideas float around in your head until you take the time to start writing. Going from the head to paper can sometimes be a challenge for many songwriters. Some of biggest of songwriter challenges is deciding what to do and when to do it.

Basic Ingredients of a Song

A song consists of two basic elements. These elements are lyrics and music. The music is the melody of the song and the lyrics are words. A good song will take both elements and meld them together into one cohesive unit. (more…)

5 Key Characteristics of a Successful Songwriter

July 5th, 2018 by

successful songwriter Sign Road BeachToday we are going to look at behaviors that create your character. Understanding these elements will help you become a successful songwriter. Your character is essential to who you are and how you act. It is a combination of certain attributes. Even though these things are really about the whole person, nurturing them will increase your level success. (more…)

Using Popular Song Motifs to Write New Songs

June 19th, 2018 by

equalizer song motif music notesOne of our readers asked the following question:

Is it helpful to try to write lyrics for an existing popular song motif?

I really appreciate the chance to answer readers questions. One think I believe is helpful is many questions are never asked. Since that never are asked there is no opportunity to answer them. That is why I like reader questions. Many times the question asked could be the one that will help you with your songwriting efforts. (more…)

What is the best way to start writing lyrics?

June 12th, 2018 by

start writing lyricsOne of our reader’s asked the following question:

What is the best way to start writing lyrics?

I really appreciate the chance to answer readers questions. One think I believe is helpful is many questions are never asked. Since that never are asked there is no opportunity to answer them. That is why I like reader questions. Many times the question asked could be the one that will help you with your songwriting efforts.

There are several ways to start writing lyrics.  I will do my best to explore each one. Hopefully it will inspire you to write many songs. (more…)

What Is Tonality Based Ear Training

June 11th, 2018 by

Tonality Based Ear Training Infographic

Tonality based ear training makes up the core of the approach at Ear Training HQ. It’s the approach I strongly advise every musician to focus their attention on until they’ve mastered it.  I believe every musician should know at least the basics of what tonality based ear training is and how it works.

Like this infographic? Get more ear training lessons from Ear Training HQ.

Songwriter’s Question: Getting the Right Song Emotion

June 5th, 2018 by

Song Emotion Question

Here is a question from the Learn How to Write Songs Facebook Group regarding a problem with the right  song emotion.

I’m having problems creating of a “happy” song. My songs always end up as a ballads and I don’t know, how to change that.  Do you have any ideas, how to combine chords to get a “good mood” song?

This is a great question that plagues many songwriters. The core of this question I believe is how to set the right emotion for a song. Of course there are several factors that the songwriters needs to consider.

To begin, the songwriter needs to start out knowing what mood the song will portray. In simplest terms that are “Sad” or “Happy” songs.

Creating the right emotion in songwriting involves two factors working together. These two factors are the lyrics and the music.  Both elements together can produce powerful emotions.  Now, let’s take a look at how lyrics and music create emotions in a song. (more…)

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  • Songwriter Tip:

    The best way to improve your songwriting ability is to constantly and persistently study what hit songwriters do. Learn from the best. Listen to the radio and take notes on what hit songs have in common. What is their structure like? Do they end verses on major or minor chords? Do they have a bridge? How many bars are in the intro? Try to figure out what the hit songs in your genre have in common.