It would be hard to look at a list of current hit songs without noticing a trend: the growing use of featured artists. A featured artist is one who makes a guest appearance on another artist’s recording to create a collaboration. What’s the difference between a duet and a song with…
BMI Salutes its Top Songwriters for the 2021 BMI Country Awards
Jesse Frasure named Songwriter of the Year; “One of Them Girls” by Dallas Davidson and Ben Johnson receives Song of the Year; Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music tie for Publisher of the Year; 50 most-performed Country songs of the previous year also celebrated
“Bring Me Something New”—What Song Publishers Really Mean
I recently forwarded three songs to a list of publishers who have agreed to listen to songs that I screen. One of the publishers responded, “This song is very well written and commercial. But I’ve already got this kind of stuff by the dozens. Seems that most writers are all caught…
BMI Celebrates the 2021 Pop Awards
Maren Morris, Laura Veltz, Halsey and Sony Music Publishing Receive Top Honors
Songwriters, Publishers and Administrators of the Top 50 Songs Also Celebrated
BMI Salutes its Top Songwriters for the 2020 BMI Country Awards
Ross Copperman named Songwriter of the Year; “Whiskey Glasses” by Ben Burgess received Song of the Year; Warner-Chappell Music Publishing awarded Publisher of the Year
The 50 Most-Performed Country Songs of the Previous Year Were Also Celebrated
BMI Songwriters Take Center Stage at 2020 Billboard Music Awards
BMI is once again exceptionally proud of its songwriters who were recognized for their creative work at last night’s 2020 Billboard Music Awards. Held without an audience due to COVID-19 restrictions at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles, the ceremony was nonetheless a star-studded event filled with stirring moments and unforgettable…
Using Chords and Modulations as Musical Hooks in Your Songs
The chords we choose to accompany our melodies not only contribute to the flavor of our songs, they can provide some of those magical musical moments that make our songs hooky, exceptional, and unforgettable. To keep our listeners’ attention we need to include hooks, elements that are catchy and memorable, not…
BMI Congratulates its 2020 CMA Nominees
The CMA nods are out with BMI affiliates taking center stage in nearly every category. Miranda Lambert leads the pack with an incredible seven nominations, including her fourth for Entertainer of the Year. Carrie Underwood, who is up for two awards, was also nominated for Entertainer of the Year, making it…
When it Comes to Song Titles, Don’t Hit the Nail Too Squarely on the Head
Most of the writers who attend my songwriting workshops already know how to write perfectly crafted songs. My job is to help them write the kinds of songs that a music publisher, record label executive, record producer, or recording artist will feel compelled to choose over the competition. One of the…
BMI Congratulates its 2020 ACM Nominees
The nods are out for the 55th annual ACM Awards with BMI songwriters poised to win big again this year. Leading the pack are Maren Morris and Thomas Rhett, who each received a resounding five nominations. Blake Shelton and Luke Combs were also awarded four and three nods, respectively, with Miranda…