Notes for Songwriters and Songwriters’ Groups
1. The songwriting groups and associations listed below are an excellent way to learn and share information.
2. Area nightclubs and open mic nights are excellent for trying out your material before a live audience.
3. You may want to join one of the Texas Music Associations and Unions.
4. Familiarize yourself with our Copyrights, Trademarks and General Music Business Information, as well as the music publishing sections of our Getting Started in the Music Business guide.
5. Contact a CD manufacturer to produce professional quality copies of your demos; familiarize yourself with how to upload digital copies of your songs on your website and social media.
6. Build up a "resume" of at least 40 original songs.
7. Make sure all songs are registered with the US Copyright Office.
8. If you own the SR part of your copyright and / or release records on your own label, register your recordings with Sound Exchange to help collect your royalties for non-interactive digital transmissions, including satellite and Internet radio.
9. Register with EnjoyTexasMusic.com's Texas Talent Register so that you'll be eligible for referrals.
10. Create "promo pack" with: (1) song titles and years of copyright; (2) lyric sheets of three best lyrical songs; and (3) list of all song titles previously recorded by others, artist's name and album name. Include all co-writers and their publishing company names.
11. Make a compilation CD (5 of your songs recorded by others; 5 or more songs with just vocals and guitar or piano).
12. Make business cards with your publishing company name on them.
13. Update your contact list; pursue current contacts that are established recording artists so that they might cover your songs.
14. Make a top ten "wish list" of artists you would like to cover your songs and then contact their management (Texas Music Office has this information). Be realistic about whether your song would fit into their repertoire.
15. Broaden exposure to national audience by establishing a YouTube channel containing high quality video performances of your songs.
16. Make sure all of your songs are available to be purchased on iTunes, Amazon, eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, etc. Companies like Tunecore, Reverbnation and CDBaby can help facilitate distribution to those digital stores for a fee.
17. Create awareness among your fans for music streaming sites like LastFM, Pandora, Spotify, Slacker, etc. that pay digital royalties to featured recording artists and sound recording copyright owners (usually a record label, unless you self-release your music) through Sound Exchange. Most of these sites have an app that you can add to your social media pages.
18. Reach out to film, television and video game music supervisors that accept unsolicited material.
19. Make sure the music on your social media is the best you've got. Music supervisors often comb the internet to select fresh artists (that will not demand standard licensing fees) for televisions show soundtracks and other visual mediums.
Songwriting Groups and Associations
(Sorted by city)
Austin Songwriters Group
P.O. Box 17786, Austin, TX 78760
(512) 698-4237
Lee Duffy, Executive Director
Nashville Songwriters Association International • College Station, TX
College Station, TX
Regular Chapter Monthly Zoom Meetings are on the 2nd Monday of each month from 6:30-8:30pm (CST)
Songwriter Hangouts are on the 1st Monday of each month for local and nearby Central TX members. This is an additional monthly networking opportunity to meet, share and brainstorm with each other about what's going on and get to know other songwriters. Topics covered often include new and helpful ideas related to our personal experiences and skills in songwriting, production, live performance and other aspects of the music business. Hangouts are held at Billy's Grille & Bar - 100 S. Main Street, in downtown Bryan, TX from 6:30-8:30pm (CST) Visitors are Welcome!
Corpus Christi Songwriters
Corpus Christi, TX
Garrett Wieland, President
Dallas Songwriters Association
Sammons Center for the Arts, 3630 Harry Hines Blvd #20, Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 750-0916
Michael Brandenberger, President
Nashville Songwriters Association International • Dallas
Dallas, TX
Meetings consist of reviewing a lesson on the craft of songwriting or a music business related subject. We then host a feedback session where participants share a song with the group. Members should bring a song to share and lyric sheets for the group.
Denton Songwriters Guild
Denton, TX
(940) 535-4709
Matt Grigsby, President
Nashville Songwriters Association International • Fort Worth
Fort Worth, TX
Meetings alternate between virtual and live, in-person. Meetings consist of reviewing a lesson on the craft of songwriting or a music business related subject. We then host a feedback session where participants share a song with the group. Members should bring a song to share and lyric sheets for the group.
Fort Worth Songwriters Association
P.O. Box 330233, Fort Worth, TX 76163
(972) 322-4359
Rick Tate, President
Nashville Songwriters Association International • Houston, TX
The Woodlands, TX
We have live, local "Hang-Out" meetings every 3rd Tuesday of the month at the Dosey Doe Whiskey Bar in The Woodlands where members and guests congregate to eat, drink, and take turns playing songs through Dosey Doe's premium sound system. We also have special guests (you never know who's going to show up) and group discussions related to the business and craft of songwriting.
Chapter Zoom meetings are every 4th Tuesday. Zoom meetings are formatted like our live Hang-Outs except we play recordings rather than live. One of the best things about Zoom meetings is that they are not geographically restricted - anyone from any chapter can attend, plus, it broadens opportunities to bring in special guests (again, you never know who's going to show up).
Houston Songwriters Association
Houston, TX
Mark Winters, President
Rockport Songwriter Association
P.O. Box 2309, Rockport, TX 78381
(361) 450-1743
John Macy, Founder
Texas Songwriter Association
Monty Dawson, President