Contributed by Penny Dionne & Troy McConnell
Authors of “Songplugger: The Cuts and The Bruises”

In the Nashville music industry there is one position that is arguably the most crucial to the success of the business as a whole: the songplugger. Most songwriters and publishers depend on the plugger to pitch their songs, and the artists and record labels look to the plugger to bring them the hits they need for their artists. Of the songs not written by the artist, the songplugger is said to be responsible for the majority of the cuts released on commercial country projects, and that translates into much of the revenue generated for copyright owners. For the artists and labels that depend on hit songs to launch careers and drive sales, the songplugger is undeniably an indispensible ally.

There are two types of songpluggers: the “in-house” plugger who works as an employee of a publishing company, and the “independent” plugger who works on a contractual basis for various clients. And how they go about pitching songs can be broken down into five key steps:

1. Networking
2. Finding Great Songs to Pitch
3. Finding Out Who’s Recording
4. Making the Pitch
5. Getting paid.

If you’ve ever wondered how the pros do what they do, this is it in a nutshell.

Networking: The first step in songplugging is to develop a personal and professional network of contacts. I cover networking first, because if you are an indie plugger, you will need established contacts to attract clients, but in the real world, the first two steps are probably happening simultaneously.

Networking itself can be broken down into two categories: researching contacts, and making the connection. When it comes to researching, there are various ways of finding out who the movers and shakers are on Music Row. Two of the most effective are reading the local publications, and attending industry events. As you read articles on artists or other industry insiders, make a note of their names, then use the internet to research as much information as you can about who they are, what positions they hold, company names, and who they work with. As you attend industry events, such as writers nights, showcases and other industry related events and seminars, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. Create a list of people you want to develop a relationship with. Like all social situations the way you handle yourself is extremely important. Everything counts, especially the way you engage the people you meet. In Nashville, there is a basic networking etiquette, and you would do well to learn what is acceptable and what is not. Of all the do’s and don’ts on proper behavior, there is one “don’t” in particular that you should be mindful of – don’t gherm. A “gherm” is someone who latches on to someone of importance with the agenda of promoting their own careers. Instead of coming across as someone on a mission, one of the do’s of networking etiquette is … do be genuine. People can tell if you are being sincere. So make every interaction casual, and real.

Finding Great Songs to Pitch: For an in-house songplugger who works exclusively for a publishing company, it means being familiar with their catalog and meeting with the current writers. For indie pluggers, it usually means finding pro writers and publishers who are looking to outsource or increase their catalog representation.

As an in-house songplugger, you will probably be assigned as the “point person” for a group of writers. These are usually the active songwriters who are not only signed to the publishing company, but are consistently turning in new material. You will find your songs among the CDs they turn in, but you may also need to work the back catalog. A catalog often has songs that were acquired through mergers or acquisitions. One hallmark of an in-house plugger is their exclusivity to a single publisher, and as such, they are limited to pitching only those songs that are in their employer’s catalog.

For the independent songplugger, finding great songs to represent can be much more challenging at times, and their ability to do so hinges primarily on their reputation. The less established indie plugger may have trouble convincing potential clients that they have the connections to get the job done. Namely, to get their songs cut. So the more connections you have, and the stronger those connections are, the more clients you will be able to attract. Indie pluggers find most of their songs through writers who have an established name and available catalog, or smaller publishers who either don’t have the means to hire an in-house plugger, or simply choose to outsource their pitching needs. The up side to being an indie plugger is you aren’t exclusive, and can work with several writers and publishers. This way you can represent catalogs that you’re excited about and that cover from the very traditional to the very contemporary.

Finding Out Who’s Recording: Once you have songs to represent, you will need to know who is recording and the type of songs they’re looking for.

One of the easiest ways to find out who’s looking for songs is to subscribe to industry tip sheets. These are weekly or monthly publications that list some basic information on artist and their current projects, including the artist’s label, producer, contact person, the type of songs they are looking for and the month or specific date they are set to record. Perhaps the most popular tip sheet known is the Music Row Fax. This is a subscription service that offers a weekly tip sheet via email, and access to an online contact directory. You can find out more about this service at www.musicrow.com.

Another great resource for finding out who’s recording is from your personal network. If you’ve done your homework and made your connections, you have a list of people you can call to get the inside scoop on current projects. It’s important to develop your personal references, so it’s a good idea to not only keep a record of your contacts, but also be familiar with your contacts’ contacts. If you are good friends with a rep from your PRO, you might be surprised to learn that back in college they were roommates with someone who has just started in A&R. It’s like MySpace; find out who is in your “extended” network.

Making the Pitch: This usually involves getting your songs to the artist or someone in the artist’s camp by email, uploaded link, drop-off or face-to-face meeting.

Just as songplugging itself has five basic steps, there are also five basic steps to making the pitch:

1. Choosing the Song and Making the Comp
2. Setting Up the Meeting or Drop-off
3. Making the Drop-off or Having the Meeting
4. Following Up on the Pitch
5. Creating the Pitch Report

Choosing the right song for a pitch isn’t always as straight forward as you might think. As I mentioned earlier, tip sheets sometimes include the type of songs the artist is looking for, but if they’ve already found that type of song, sometimes by the time you make your pitch they may be looking for something else entirely. So use your contacts to make sure your pitch is still on target. The other aspect to choosing the right song for an artist is to research what they’ve cut in the past. Learn their vocal range and the topics they tend to sing about. If they’ve just gotten married, maybe pitching a breakup song wouldn’t be such a great idea.

Making the comp is pretty straight forward. Once you’ve made your song selection, burn a CD and make sure your contact information is printed on the label. Having a company logo isn’t required, but it does make you look more professional.

Your ability to set up a meeting or drop-off has everything to do with the strength of your reputation, and your relationships. As you make your phone calls, if you represent well known writers or catalogs, then it will probably be easier to get a face-to-face meeting. If you haven’t established a good reputation, and you’re working with an unproven catalog, you may have to start with drop-offs, and through the quality of your songs, earn the right to meet in person. Just remember that when you make the call, speak in a confident and professional manor. And don’t take it personal if you are asked to drop something off.

If you are dropping something off, it’s best to do so quickly. Walk in and say, “I’m dropping this off for so-and-so.” Say thank you, and then make your exit. Be sure to smile and be friendly, but don’t initially strike up a conversation unless the person initiates it. Treat everyone like they are somebody, because they are, and because the person at the front desk today, could be in A&R a couple years down the road. So be courteous and professional.

If you are having a face-to-face meeting, be on time, and be prepared. Research both the person you’re meeting with and the artist you’re pitching for. Dress appropriately and act professionally. If it’s a new contact, make the first meeting about one thing, and one thing only: getting a second meeting which means focusing on them – not you. Don’t approach it like, “Are you going to cut my songs are not?” That initial meeting should always be about forming a lasting relationship – be it personal or simply professional. If it’s an established relationship, be mindful of their pitching preferences. If they like a little small talk up front, take the time to chat. If they like to just get down to business, say your hellos and hand them the CD.

When you follow up on drop-offs, give them a week or so to listen to the CD. If they really like a song, they will call you. When you’re following up on a “hold” and you’re wanting to see if the artist has heard it yet or to make sure it’s still in the running; two weeks is generally the acceptable follow-up time for holds, just make sure you do follow up.

As a plugger you will of course want to let your employer or client know how things are going. The in-house plugger will enter in the status of pitches into the company computer. The indie plugger will need to present their clients with a pitch report. This report basically shows what songs were pitched, who they were pitched to, for which artists, and the status of the pitch; whether they’re on hold, have been kept, or were passed on. This keeps your client in-the-loop, and lets them know you’re working hard to get them a cut.

Getting Paid: If you are an in-house plugger, you are already on salary, but you may also receive a bonus for the songs you get cut. As an independent plugger, you will probably be working on a monthly retainer with some sort of bonus structure on the back end, or some other individualized business agreement.

How in-house pluggers get paid is pretty straight forward. They get a steady paycheck and a bonus on the songs they get cut. But there seems to be a good deal of mystery with regard to exactly how indie songpluggers earn their money. This is probably due to the fact that no two songplugger agreements are the same. There is no set standard or governing body which is the same case for publishers. On top of that, pitching agreement, or contracts, can be very simple or extremely complex, depending on what level you are at. But there are certain elements that are common to all are agreements. For brevity’s sake, I will only elaborate on two: the retainer and the back-end bonus.

Indie songpluggers usually work on some form of retainer; which is basically a monthly allowance toward expenses. The amount of retainer depends on certain factors, like how well the plugger is established, and their track record for songs they’ve gotten cut. Once a song has been release on a commercial project, the indie plugger then receives a back-end bonus based on various factors, which include whether the song is released as a single, how high it goes on the charts, length of time on the charts, and the number of units sold.

There are other types of agreements by which a songplugger can earn income, such as partial publishing compensation, co-publishing agreements and some even do single song agreements by switching over to a publisher role. But the monthly retainer and back-end bonus are by far the most widely used.

A Final Word
There are nuances to pitching songs that go beyond the scope of this article, and though each of the steps mentioned are conceptually simple there are subtleties to making them work in the real world that would take much longer to explain. Consider this a primer on a much more interesting and complex subject.

About The Authors

Penny Dionne
With over 35 years of combined music business experience, this dynamic duo has seen its share of success. Penny is a respected publisher, owner of Little Vixen Music, and a pro songplugger currently representing catalogs from such notable songwriters as Chris Wallin, Steven McClintock, Thom Shepherd, Mary Ann Kennedy, Moke Cameron, Troy McConnell, Jai Josefs and, previously, Bluewater Music. She was profiled in the publisher edition of Music Row magazine’s “Row File,” November 2005. Her professional memberships include CMA, CCMA, SOLID, WMBA, NSAI, WCS, NARAS, ASCAP and SOCAN. Beyond her many music business successes, she volunteers on the events committee of the Nashville Humane Association and was instrumental in putting together the hugely successful 2006 Ryman concert that featured Emmylou Harris (accompanied by Mary Ann Kennedy and Pam Rose), Paula Cole, Mindy Smith and Patty Griffin — to raise needed funds for a community outreach spay and neuter program called ROVER. Penny is also a frequent speaker at music industry workshops and seminars, and lives and works in Nashville.

Visit her website at: www.LittleVixenMusic.com

Troy McConnell
Troy is a twenty-one-year Nashville veteran and has seen success as a songwriter and producer, as well as running a very successful multimedia company. Having been a staff writer in his early years in Nashville, he has written with such luminary Nashville writers as Craig Wiseman, Tommy Lee James and Chuck Cannon, and has shared the songwriting stage with such artists as Tim McGraw, Lari White and Garth Brooks. Among Troy’s producing credits was a 1995 artist development project that landed the young artist a major recording contract. Troy continues to write and produce, but his talents have taken him beyond the country music scene and into the world of multimedia, having written a national jingle for Bridgestone/Firestone tires and winning a video award for his work with the corporation that owns Denny’s restaurants.

Currently, Troy is in the process of launching a new copyright protection organization called SOCP International.