by Don Hildenbrand

Created on: January 19, 2009

So you're a songwriter! Cool! So am I, so let's talk about how to actually make some money from your labors of love.

Myself, I've been writing songs since I was 13 years old, and I'm pushing 50 now. I've had a successful solo singing career, had some songs picked up by other artists and recorded, and generally enjoy the process of writing, performing and recording songs. No, I haven't gotten rich from it, and I don't expect I ever will. If that's what you're looking for, you probably should look for a job on Madison Avenue or Wall Street.

However, if you're a songwriter who can actually turn out some decent songs, and can either record them yourself or hire someone else to record them for you, there are some ways of making some money from your craft.

First, a word of caution; do not ever, ever, ever "sell" your songs! Again, in case you didn't get that, NEVER "sell" your songs! If you want to be marked as a rank amateur, either approach someone to sell your songs outright, or answer an ad asking you to do so. Unless someone is willing to offer you a million dollars outright for the full rights to your song, don't! And even if someone were willing to do so, it would mean that they believed the song had the potential to make much more!

So we're not talking about "selling your songs." We are talking about selling the rights to use your songs, to record your songs, or, yes, even to listen to your songs. We're talking about selling either a physical or "virtual" medium, such as CDs or MP3 files of your music. That's the focus of this article.

Let's assume that you've written some amazing songs. Well, at least some songs that your friends have honestly complimented you on. You think that others may enjoy these songs, as well.

Let's also assume that you've been able to produce quality recordings of these songs, or had someone else do it for you. We're not talking about a cassette recording of you and your guitar. We're talking about, at the least, a decent home studio using at least good PC or MAC recording software, and a decent sounding background track. Oh, and let's not forget vocals. If you're a fine songwriter, but a not so fine singer, have someone else record the vocals! A great song with a horrible singer just isn't going to see, no matter how much you "spice it up"!

So, you have a decent recording of a decent song with some decent vocals. What now?

It's a wonderful thing that independent artists and songwriters now have viable options when it comes to independently

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