The Art and Business of Songwriting

In this valuable resource guide for both beginners and professionals, veteran songwriter, producer, arranger, vocalist, music director, and educator Larry D. Batiste shares practical advice and tips from his decades of experience in ways that are bound to help all listeners improve their songwriting skills. Through this book, listeners will learn the craft of professional songwriting, including the ins-and-outs of song structure, lyric and melody writing, and the essential elements of a hit song. From the start, Batiste incorporates exercises to help songwriters strike upon ideas for song titles, concepts, and stories that will appeal to their audience. He also discusses critical business aspects of songwriting, such as copyrighting, publishing, royalties, networking, and digital media. In addition to the fundamentals, the listener will learn how to build their songwriting career, generate income, build an online community and fanbase, release music independently, expertly place their songs, and navigate the world of digital music. Throughout the book are interviews with iconic songwriters and producers such as Peter Asher, Lamont Dozier, and Narada Michael Walden, as well as independent recording artists, including Fantastic Negrito, a winner of multiple Grammy Awards, and Meklit Hadero.