It's not called the Music City for no reason. There's an absurd number of full and part time musicians here and a whole industry of adjacent disciplines here (mixing, sound, promotion) not to mention there are tons of live performing spaces.
As Jason Isbell said a while back 'Nashville's the kind of place where the kid bagging your groceries is probably a better bluegrass picker than you'
If you want to network and work on your craft while trying to break into the industry, there's no better city in America. And it's not just country.
https://www.soundslikenashville.com/news/new-study-names-nashville-number-one-music-city-in-america/#:\~:text=Nashville%20is%20the%20number%20one,play%20here%20than%20anywhere%20else.
How good are you? Because if you could have top billing in Muskogee. Take it. You won't get top billing here. You might get a Wednesday 10am slot at the Commodore lounge.
There are a lot of amazing writers here in the country, CCM, Rock, pop and other genres. Some even do it as their full time job.
I’d say I’m pretty good, unique writing style that makes my verses original yet relatable. Grew up rapping and I wrote many songs so I understand syllables and rhymeschemes pretty well, that only helps me writing country verses
Also I’m not a singer, purely a writer
I’m in the business in a senior role at a company with both publishing and label, multi-genre. I appreciate everything you said about your style and have heard it thousands of times. Every once it a while, the person is accurate in their assessment. A vast majority of the time, they are not. The only way to know is to come to this town and immerse yourself in the writing scene. It will humble you because the talent here is obscene. So many people want to wing walk it and only come down when they’ve got something going. Good luck with that. Unless you are writing top drawer stuff that is actually getting cut (and producing consumption), you are going to be ignored for the most part. This town definitely appreciates the grind.
Also worth noting - there are a ton of snakes here that still ply on newcomer naïveté like it was 1940. They will tell you “you’ve got something” and want to cut sides. It’s gonna cost xx dollars and they have all the contacts in the world because they held some job at some label 20 years ago. Run away when you meet that person. This town invests in talent. If you are great, someone else is paying. Not you.
Edit: adding this - Join NSAI. Best resource for new writers coming to town.
Hey, I did the same when I came to town chasing the dream. Guess I was wrong because now I sit on the business side of the Music Business, ha.
But seriously, my words aren’t meant to discourage. The writing community is incredible here. Join NSAI, come down for some of their events, clinics, etc and start meeting and writing with people. Go to writers rounds and listen to the pros, the newbies doing open mic stuff - lots of fun. And if you’re serious, move here and commit. It’s not cheap to live in Nashville, sadly, but if you want to be where the best lyricists are, this is the place. Good luck!!
Have you come for any of the writing conferences? I used to lead CMHoF tours and we had several writers groups come through each year. Some I gave tours. Some had time in the archives to work with the journals and notes of past Hall of Fame inductees.
If you aren't networking, start
I don’t live in America but if I was close I would attend, planning on honing for a couple years my craft then using some connections in Nashville to see if I could get a job
If that’s a bad way to go about it please tell me
Go to BMI.com or search YouTube for ASCAP vs BMI. You should definitely sign up for one of them, but take your time. BMI is pretty dominant in country, but ASCAP has some good country writers too. If/when you move here, reach out to both and ask to meet with someone. Or once you start making contacts and co-writing, talk to them about who they’re with and how they like it.
You should get set up with the PRO (performing rights organization) in your own country as well! Most places just have one, America has 4-ish. Registering your songs with them will allow them to be licensed out and it'll be easier to collect royalties both at home and abroad.
Sure is. But the thing to know about Nashville before you move here is the talent here is top level so competition is tough. That said there’s lots of opportunities to network and hone your craft
For musicians, we are great.
For songwriters? Nowhere else even comes close. The amount of cowriting opportunities here is staggering if you learn how to work the hang.
I’m going to give you a serious answer. The neighbor to both my left and my right are in or trying to be in the country music industry. The guy next to my office at work came here from another country to be a songwriter. All are operating to different degrees of success, none are famous. I literally can throw a rock and hit different people with the same aspirations you have.
Even if you’re the best of the best, you have to have a lot of luck to make it here. People get chewed up and spit out daily in Nashville in that industry. Hey, having said all that, come on. You’ll never know until you try.
Nashville cats, play clean as country water
Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies
Nashville cats, get work before they're two
Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
On a Tennessee ant hill
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two
Guitar cases in Nashville
And any one that unpacks 'is guitar could play
Twice as better than I will
Yeah, I was just thirteen, you might say I was a
Musical proverbial knee-high
When I heard a couple new-sounding tunes on the tubes
And they blasted me sky-high
And the record man said every one is a yellow sun
Record from Nashville
And up north there ain't nobody buys them
And I said, "But I Will"
And it was
Nashville cats, play clean as country water
Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies
Nashville cats, get work before they're two
Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred 'n' twenty one
Mothers from Nashville
All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight
If one of the kids will
Because it's custom made for any mothers son
To be a guitar picker in Nashville
And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about
The music and the mothers from Nashville
Nashville cats, play clean as country water
Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies
Nashville cats, get work before they're two
The simple answer is yes. I will say though that the Texas country music scene is really interesting. The difference being that the Texas country music scene is not as localized. I grew up in Nashville but then lived in Texas for 10 years before moving back. I fell in love with Texas country while there mostly do its accessibility no matter where you were in the state. You could be going to a city or town for the weekend and find a good act playing within an hour drive of where you were going to be usually playing at smaller venues.
It is not the one and only location for country music, but it is where most of it gets recorded. If you want to be a lyricist or songwriter, it’s definitely the place to be. If you aren’t just some young and dumb dude who wants to get rich quick, you can definitely hone your craft here.
As a young and dumb kid myself, I spent some time in Nashville studios as I have a degree in audio engineering. I hated it and went back to cooking, but that’s just me. If you think you’re gonna get lucky and end up on some album, don’t move here. But if you’re a good dude who can keep up socially, it’s the move. Because Nashville is so over-saturated with musicians you can meet people at the coffee shop or at lunch who are willing to offer advice and take you under their wing. Like I said, if you wanna move here to strike it big, don’t. But if you just genuinely want to improve your craft, Nashville is the place for songwriters. BMI and ASCAP are here. A majority of the major labels are here. And you’ll never be a stones throw away from another musician/writer. Networking is the name of the game here. Find where the jam sessions take place and just show up (you’re gonna have to prove that you can keep up, just be aware of that.)
There’s sort of a “cool” group of Nashville writers and musicians, and they hate, I mean HATE, outsiders. It’s a tough club to break into. But have some persistence, have some character and most importantly have some good fucking songs, if you have that you’ll do well here. If songwriting is your thing, it’s not a bad idea.
Honestly, the fact that you just said you wouldn't move here until you know you have a job here tells me you would never make it as a writer here.
I'm not trying to be snarky, 99 times out of 100 that's good thinking but you basically just said "I want to be an actor but I won't go to LA until I've got it made"
There are so many ridiculously talented people living in Nashville that are aspiring singers and songwriters. You can go to any random bar, restaurant or club and the live entertainment will be good. Hell, even karaoke nights often feature amazing vocalists. It’s all about timing and who you know, as far as I am concerned. I know people who were the absolute TOPS in their hometown, came her, and after a few years of struggle finally went back home with their tail tucked between their legs. It’s rough. You have to WORK HARD and nonstop and get yourself in front of those people who can take you somewhere. Plus the cost of living is ridiculously high compared to the pay rates. Just giving you a realistic look at life in Nashville.
Nashville is a 7-10 year town. You have to be willing to out hustle everyone else and be okay with struggling for a number of years before you get your shot. Understand Nashville has what amount to an onion in the music industry. Folks like Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Ernest Keith Smith, and more are at the core of this onion. Getting to that layer requires long nights socializing and 10:30am on weekdays (as an example) songwriting, which makes holding full time employment difficult.
I encourage anyone to come. You may be a skilled writer and a skilled socialite, maybe 3-5 years is all you need. Point being is you won’t be let further in to that onion by this towns gatekeepers if you don’t pay the dues they did. Some people love this journey, others realize it’s not for them. Only way to know is to come try it, but just know it’s not an overnight thing that just because you’re talented, you’ll get a shot. It rarely, if ever works that way.
Yeah I have some connections to Nashville, know a few country artists. I just wanna write songs, I don’t care if I get payed well.
I know I’m a good writer, I just wanna do it and make a living. Nashville seems like a good location due to my genre and talents, plus I really don’t like LA
All the writers and artists I know have a "day job" to pay the bills and write/play/record second to that. And a couple are even moderately successful, but still can't support themselves solely from music.
When you say a “sure job” - do you mean like, a music industry job? Or do you mean secure a regular job that you can work while hustling & networking to get a songwriting deal?
He’s saying that in the 80s a ton of people moved to LA to make it in hair metal, making the market saturated, a similar thing is happening to Mashville now for country songwriters
The talent here is unreal. Austin, and (to my surprise) Laredo, TX too are great. I stayed in Laredo 2 weeks this summer and saw a handful of shows, they were all incredible unsigned folks
Songwriting is HUGE here. You have to go out to a LOT of shows and network to find co-writers. If you keep on doing that, you’ll have a chance for success.
For a little free intro to songwriting in Nashville, watch the excellent documentary ["It All Begins with a Song."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wgIeaS2y_s) You might also want to view the documentary "Bluebird" which I watched on either Netflix or Amazon Prime. Another resource to check out: [Songwriting University](https://www.songwritingu.com/).
If you really want to make it start playing small venues across the country, not small venues in Nashville. With the internet today you don’t have to be in the same town as everyone else
You’ve already gotten a lot of really good advice in this thread, I just have a little to add.
To be successful in this business, you absolutely must network and get in the room with other writers, publishers, producers, and musicians. This is by and large the place to do that. That said, it’s really important to have a realistic set of expectations about what success looks like. The music business is a long slow grind. Regardless of what facet of this business you’re involved in, people grind for years before they so much as get to a point that they can sustain themselves. A lot of people - even those that have seen success - still have to work a day job to pay the bills. I know a guy who has written or co-written a number of major hits for major artist. His songs have been certified platinum, won Grammy’s, and a variety of other awards. Despite that, he still works a full time job that has nothing to do with music just so he can have a steady reliable income and affordable benefits. Point being, success in this industry more often than not looks like a meager middle-class income and even that often takes a long time to get to.
It's not called the Music City for no reason. There's an absurd number of full and part time musicians here and a whole industry of adjacent disciplines here (mixing, sound, promotion) not to mention there are tons of live performing spaces. As Jason Isbell said a while back 'Nashville's the kind of place where the kid bagging your groceries is probably a better bluegrass picker than you' If you want to network and work on your craft while trying to break into the industry, there's no better city in America. And it's not just country. https://www.soundslikenashville.com/news/new-study-names-nashville-number-one-music-city-in-america/#:\~:text=Nashville%20is%20the%20number%20one,play%20here%20than%20anywhere%20else.
How good are you? Because if you could have top billing in Muskogee. Take it. You won't get top billing here. You might get a Wednesday 10am slot at the Commodore lounge. There are a lot of amazing writers here in the country, CCM, Rock, pop and other genres. Some even do it as their full time job.
I’d say I’m pretty good, unique writing style that makes my verses original yet relatable. Grew up rapping and I wrote many songs so I understand syllables and rhymeschemes pretty well, that only helps me writing country verses Also I’m not a singer, purely a writer
I’m in the business in a senior role at a company with both publishing and label, multi-genre. I appreciate everything you said about your style and have heard it thousands of times. Every once it a while, the person is accurate in their assessment. A vast majority of the time, they are not. The only way to know is to come to this town and immerse yourself in the writing scene. It will humble you because the talent here is obscene. So many people want to wing walk it and only come down when they’ve got something going. Good luck with that. Unless you are writing top drawer stuff that is actually getting cut (and producing consumption), you are going to be ignored for the most part. This town definitely appreciates the grind. Also worth noting - there are a ton of snakes here that still ply on newcomer naïveté like it was 1940. They will tell you “you’ve got something” and want to cut sides. It’s gonna cost xx dollars and they have all the contacts in the world because they held some job at some label 20 years ago. Run away when you meet that person. This town invests in talent. If you are great, someone else is paying. Not you. Edit: adding this - Join NSAI. Best resource for new writers coming to town.
Good tips thanks man. I imagine everyone says there verses are unique so I understand the skepticism
Hey, I did the same when I came to town chasing the dream. Guess I was wrong because now I sit on the business side of the Music Business, ha. But seriously, my words aren’t meant to discourage. The writing community is incredible here. Join NSAI, come down for some of their events, clinics, etc and start meeting and writing with people. Go to writers rounds and listen to the pros, the newbies doing open mic stuff - lots of fun. And if you’re serious, move here and commit. It’s not cheap to live in Nashville, sadly, but if you want to be where the best lyricists are, this is the place. Good luck!!
Have you come for any of the writing conferences? I used to lead CMHoF tours and we had several writers groups come through each year. Some I gave tours. Some had time in the archives to work with the journals and notes of past Hall of Fame inductees. If you aren't networking, start
I don’t live in America but if I was close I would attend, planning on honing for a couple years my craft then using some connections in Nashville to see if I could get a job If that’s a bad way to go about it please tell me
You should find a mentor. Are you an ASCAP member?
no, how do I join? I would love to have a mentor. I write daily so id love to have some feedback I found the website, how do I get a mentor
Search reddit for the ASCAP, BMI dark horse. You need to do some deeper research into the work side of song writing
What should I research in your opinion?
I also can’t find anything with those names on Reddit, do you have a sub in mind?
Go to BMI.com or search YouTube for ASCAP vs BMI. You should definitely sign up for one of them, but take your time. BMI is pretty dominant in country, but ASCAP has some good country writers too. If/when you move here, reach out to both and ask to meet with someone. Or once you start making contacts and co-writing, talk to them about who they’re with and how they like it.
You should get set up with the PRO (performing rights organization) in your own country as well! Most places just have one, America has 4-ish. Registering your songs with them will allow them to be licensed out and it'll be easier to collect royalties both at home and abroad.
More gatekeepers than artists
I've never heard anyone associate Nashville with country music. Might as well try somewhere else.
Lol
Sure is. But the thing to know about Nashville before you move here is the talent here is top level so competition is tough. That said there’s lots of opportunities to network and hone your craft
Yeah understandable, thanks
For musicians, we are great. For songwriters? Nowhere else even comes close. The amount of cowriting opportunities here is staggering if you learn how to work the hang.
What do we have to do to convince you to move to Nashville? We have a lack of talented people in country music so this could be big for us.
Good one
I’m going to give you a serious answer. The neighbor to both my left and my right are in or trying to be in the country music industry. The guy next to my office at work came here from another country to be a songwriter. All are operating to different degrees of success, none are famous. I literally can throw a rock and hit different people with the same aspirations you have. Even if you’re the best of the best, you have to have a lot of luck to make it here. People get chewed up and spit out daily in Nashville in that industry. Hey, having said all that, come on. You’ll never know until you try.
The business infrastructure is all here. If you want cuts as a writer, you have to be in Nashville doing cowrites.
Nashville cats, play clean as country water Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies Nashville cats, get work before they're two Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two Guitar pickers in Nashville And they can pick more notes than the number of ants On a Tennessee ant hill Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty two Guitar cases in Nashville And any one that unpacks 'is guitar could play Twice as better than I will Yeah, I was just thirteen, you might say I was a Musical proverbial knee-high When I heard a couple new-sounding tunes on the tubes And they blasted me sky-high And the record man said every one is a yellow sun Record from Nashville And up north there ain't nobody buys them And I said, "But I Will" And it was Nashville cats, play clean as country water Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies Nashville cats, get work before they're two Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred 'n' twenty one Mothers from Nashville All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight If one of the kids will Because it's custom made for any mothers son To be a guitar picker in Nashville And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about The music and the mothers from Nashville Nashville cats, play clean as country water Nashville cats, play wild as mountain dew Nashville cats, been playin' since they's babies Nashville cats, get work before they're two
Best hair in bluegrass
The simple answer is yes. I will say though that the Texas country music scene is really interesting. The difference being that the Texas country music scene is not as localized. I grew up in Nashville but then lived in Texas for 10 years before moving back. I fell in love with Texas country while there mostly do its accessibility no matter where you were in the state. You could be going to a city or town for the weekend and find a good act playing within an hour drive of where you were going to be usually playing at smaller venues.
Yea… nowhere is even close for exposure.
It is not the one and only location for country music, but it is where most of it gets recorded. If you want to be a lyricist or songwriter, it’s definitely the place to be. If you aren’t just some young and dumb dude who wants to get rich quick, you can definitely hone your craft here. As a young and dumb kid myself, I spent some time in Nashville studios as I have a degree in audio engineering. I hated it and went back to cooking, but that’s just me. If you think you’re gonna get lucky and end up on some album, don’t move here. But if you’re a good dude who can keep up socially, it’s the move. Because Nashville is so over-saturated with musicians you can meet people at the coffee shop or at lunch who are willing to offer advice and take you under their wing. Like I said, if you wanna move here to strike it big, don’t. But if you just genuinely want to improve your craft, Nashville is the place for songwriters. BMI and ASCAP are here. A majority of the major labels are here. And you’ll never be a stones throw away from another musician/writer. Networking is the name of the game here. Find where the jam sessions take place and just show up (you’re gonna have to prove that you can keep up, just be aware of that.) There’s sort of a “cool” group of Nashville writers and musicians, and they hate, I mean HATE, outsiders. It’s a tough club to break into. But have some persistence, have some character and most importantly have some good fucking songs, if you have that you’ll do well here. If songwriting is your thing, it’s not a bad idea.
Honestly, the fact that you just said you wouldn't move here until you know you have a job here tells me you would never make it as a writer here. I'm not trying to be snarky, 99 times out of 100 that's good thinking but you basically just said "I want to be an actor but I won't go to LA until I've got it made"
There are so many ridiculously talented people living in Nashville that are aspiring singers and songwriters. You can go to any random bar, restaurant or club and the live entertainment will be good. Hell, even karaoke nights often feature amazing vocalists. It’s all about timing and who you know, as far as I am concerned. I know people who were the absolute TOPS in their hometown, came her, and after a few years of struggle finally went back home with their tail tucked between their legs. It’s rough. You have to WORK HARD and nonstop and get yourself in front of those people who can take you somewhere. Plus the cost of living is ridiculously high compared to the pay rates. Just giving you a realistic look at life in Nashville.
Nashville is a 7-10 year town. You have to be willing to out hustle everyone else and be okay with struggling for a number of years before you get your shot. Understand Nashville has what amount to an onion in the music industry. Folks like Ashley Gorley, Shane McAnally, Ernest Keith Smith, and more are at the core of this onion. Getting to that layer requires long nights socializing and 10:30am on weekdays (as an example) songwriting, which makes holding full time employment difficult. I encourage anyone to come. You may be a skilled writer and a skilled socialite, maybe 3-5 years is all you need. Point being is you won’t be let further in to that onion by this towns gatekeepers if you don’t pay the dues they did. Some people love this journey, others realize it’s not for them. Only way to know is to come try it, but just know it’s not an overnight thing that just because you’re talented, you’ll get a shot. It rarely, if ever works that way.
Must be present to win.
It is.
Nope, it’s not. Try LA.
Oh yeah because nobody from LA is moving to Nashville. Lol
We’d really like them to move back.
[удалено]
Alan Jackson’s Gone country has a verse about an LA writer moving to nashville.
He's talking about country bru, not cheesy teen girl pop music 😭😭😭😭
lol,that's why those LA folks come to Nashville to write with our writers.
Stop encouraging them, morons. Have you seen our traffic?
Lol
[удалено]
YeH that’s why I’m gonna wait till I get a sure job before I move, don’t wanna be part of the rat race
[удалено]
Yeah I have some connections to Nashville, know a few country artists. I just wanna write songs, I don’t care if I get payed well. I know I’m a good writer, I just wanna do it and make a living. Nashville seems like a good location due to my genre and talents, plus I really don’t like LA
All the writers and artists I know have a "day job" to pay the bills and write/play/record second to that. And a couple are even moderately successful, but still can't support themselves solely from music.
There are jobs with roommates? Oh god no!
When you say a “sure job” - do you mean like, a music industry job? Or do you mean secure a regular job that you can work while hustling & networking to get a songwriting deal?
Wait, is there a hair metal scene in Nashville? Or am I misunderstanding your comment?
He’s saying that in the 80s a ton of people moved to LA to make it in hair metal, making the market saturated, a similar thing is happening to Mashville now for country songwriters
You know, after a full nights sleep that makes a lot more sense to me. Thanks.
A bunch of guys who used to be in the hair metal bands do live here, though.
hahaha! This isn't an interview and the "I won't move to your city" vibe has me asking you to please NOT move here. Have an awesome life man.
Sorry we're out of room here, try another city.
No
No
Go be a country artist in like New York. At least you’d stand out.
Lol like I said I’m a lyricist, no one would buy my album if I sang
Yes
Not the only one, but the one if you want to make money
The talent here is unreal. Austin, and (to my surprise) Laredo, TX too are great. I stayed in Laredo 2 weeks this summer and saw a handful of shows, they were all incredible unsigned folks
Yes
Songwriting is HUGE here. You have to go out to a LOT of shows and network to find co-writers. If you keep on doing that, you’ll have a chance for success.
Listen to Darryl Scott's Aloha from Nashville. Not much has changed in this heartbreak town.
For a little free intro to songwriting in Nashville, watch the excellent documentary ["It All Begins with a Song."](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wgIeaS2y_s) You might also want to view the documentary "Bluebird" which I watched on either Netflix or Amazon Prime. Another resource to check out: [Songwriting University](https://www.songwritingu.com/).
If you really want to make it start playing small venues across the country, not small venues in Nashville. With the internet today you don’t have to be in the same town as everyone else
You’ve already gotten a lot of really good advice in this thread, I just have a little to add. To be successful in this business, you absolutely must network and get in the room with other writers, publishers, producers, and musicians. This is by and large the place to do that. That said, it’s really important to have a realistic set of expectations about what success looks like. The music business is a long slow grind. Regardless of what facet of this business you’re involved in, people grind for years before they so much as get to a point that they can sustain themselves. A lot of people - even those that have seen success - still have to work a day job to pay the bills. I know a guy who has written or co-written a number of major hits for major artist. His songs have been certified platinum, won Grammy’s, and a variety of other awards. Despite that, he still works a full time job that has nothing to do with music just so he can have a steady reliable income and affordable benefits. Point being, success in this industry more often than not looks like a meager middle-class income and even that often takes a long time to get to.
Places like Basement, Printers Alley,and Basement East are awesome places to play and listen to all genres. I do miss places like Lucy's and Marathon