Everything You Need to Know About Songwriting

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Today the music world has no rules.

Artists have the freedom to create and mix any form of music they can imagine. Music has reached the point where artists have the independence to create new categories of music by mixing rhythms and genres.

However, creating music still comes with its stages, dos and don'ts. In order to make good music that people will enjoy listening to, you still need to follow stages of music production that have been perfected over the years by professionals.

Like a chef in the kitchen, just because you have unlimited ingredients and tools to play with does not mean you should. There are some things when you mix and match that just don’t taste good.

On that note, check out Jony Studios’ mixing and mastering services that will help you elevate your sound and bring your song to life!

When it comes to creating good music, the first step is always songwriting.



WHAT IS SONGWRITING?


Songwriting like the word suggests means writing a song. It is the process of musical ideas coming together to form a melody that is harmonious and rhythmic.

The finished product results in a beginning, middle and end.



WHAT IS A GOOD SONG?


Although this is highly debatable and subjective, a good song usually has all the elements: melody, harmony, rhythm, beginning, middle, and end.

In terms of lyrics, a good song has both the lyrics and music working together and supporting each other. It is important for the lyrics to sound musical while singing to develop a pleasant sounding, successful song.

Repetition in a song is also very integral in order to get the listener used to the chord progression before transitioning to the next section. The motive behind any song is to always get the listener to tap their foot with the groove regardless of there being drums in the song.



HOW TO WRITE A SONG?


Each writer and musician has a different way of songwriting. 

Some tend to use the tracking process to write a song. They start with a drum loop and go on from there. As they progress along, new ideas form until a finished song is created.

Some sit with their guitars and take notes to sketch out a tune that results in a song.

And so on..

However, no matter the method, the criteria for examining the quality of the song in terms of its lyrics and music should always be the same. Are the melody and harmony catchy? Do the chords capture the attention of the listeners? Does it groove?



Conclusion

Want your music to sound up to the industry's golden standards? Jony Studios’ offers music production services that will help you elevate your sound and bring your song to life!

Contact us here to get started.

Which songwriting method do you use? Let us know below in the comments!

- By Neha Agarwala


Curious about the other stages of music production?

Check out these blogs to learn more:

Arranging

Tracking

Editing

Mixing and Mastering

 

Best Royalty Free Music Sources for Your Podcast

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Music and sounds are an essential part of a great podcast. Royalty-free music is an easy, stress-free way to include music into your creation. Are you looking for music or sounds to use on your podcast but don’t know where to find any? These resources are all available for you to use.


Shutterstock

 
 

Shutterstock is a great resource for royalty-free music and sounds. You can purchase a subscription for $199/year, and can use the sounds for multiple purposes.


PremiumBeat

 
 

This site has a large collection of different music and sounds, great for different purposes on your podcast! They also have collections of music that would suit different genres of podcasts!



Free Music Archive

 
 

This archive has content from artists all over the world. You can browse through hundreds of songs to find ones that will best suit your podcast.


Pond5

 
 

Many YouTubers use this site for their videos. It has a large collection of royalty-free music, as well as videos and motion graphics.



Silverman Sound Studios

 
 

This site has a large collection of royalty-free music and sounds, all for free with credit. You can easily look through different categories and genres of music to find the ones that will best suit your podcast.


Conclusion

All of these websites and archives have a great collection of royalty-free music that will be great for your podcast!

If you need extra help creating a podcast or music for your podcast, contact us here.

We look forward to adding massive value to your brand.

So which resource was your favourite? Did you find any songs you like? Let us know!

- By Julianna Martinek

 
 

Create A Back Book Blurb That Sells

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Check out Jony Studios’ blog What Is A Back Book Cover Blurb And Why You Need It to know everything you need to know about a back book cover blurb.

The above-linked blog talks about how a back book cover blurb is specifically for the reader. It’s essentially a marketing tool used to convince the reader to buy your book.

And because of that your blurb needs to be clear and should meet the readers needs and expectations. Below are few rules to keep in mind for writing a successful back book cover blurb:

WRITE IT NICE AND SHORT

Keep your blurb within 250 words.

Readers read your blurb in a passing glance while deciding to buy a book. Anything more than 250 words will be off-putting and is probably a red flag for you.

If you need more words to convince a reader to buy, it’s a bad sign. Marketing relies on creating intrigue by saying only a few words. 

REEL THEM IN THE FIRST LINE

Just like any written media, the first line is always the thing that reels in a reader after the heading. 

If your first line or two are generic and boring, the reader will lose interest.

A few suggestions on what your first line could be are:

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  • Ask the reader a question that will be answered in the book

  • Set a scene that might provide a character’s characteristics, describes the place the book is set in, etc.

  • State the reader’s problem directly. Similar to asking a question, speaking to the reader’s problem will give them an overview in one line of what the book will do for them.

  • Make the reader a promise. Guarantee the reader what they’ll be receiving from the book.


DESIGN A COVER ACCORDING TO YOUR READERS’ EXPECTATIONS

Finding a niche or creating something that stands out is usually what we wish to accomplish.

However, when it comes to a back book cover blurb, it is a good practice to give the readers what they want.

Consider a movie trailer. If you choose all the comedic scenes from a movie to put in your trailer but the actual genre is that of a thriller, it will confuse the heck out of viewers. The same applies to your blurb.

When writing your blurb, try remembering that book you bought based on the back cover and take influence from what attracted you to buy it. Incorporating these similarities will increase the chance of readers buying your book drastically.


TRY TO THINK FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A READER


As a creator, sometimes we lose focus on who the work is for. It is very easy to get lost in the story or idea.

While writing a blurb, always keep in mind who will be reading your book. It needs to be enticing, informative and should present a solution to a problem in some cases.

Remember: 

Fiction readers look for entertainment. 

Non-fiction readers look for solutions/information.


FOLLOW THE STANDARD FORMAT


Try using bullet points that convey the solution/information provided in your book, reviews and endorsements for non-fiction books. It gives the book the certainty it needs to convince the reader to buy it.

Use paragraphs that describe the book, as a movie’s trailer would, for fiction. This gives the reader enough information to know the genre and theme of the book. It entices them to want to read further.

DON’T REVEAL EVERYTHING


A back book cover blurb is a synopsis. It should only be giving the reader a peek inside what your book is about.

Similar to a movie trailer, only reveal enough to entice them into reading further. If you give away the goodies before they even open the book, what will they need to buy it for?

WRITE A REUSABLE BLURB


Today, books are available in almost every format. From print, ebooks to audiobooks, books today are accessible to every type of reader.

Always make sure to write a blurb that can be easily copied for every format. This means that your blurb should be scannable and easy to implement on a digital platform. 

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Conclusion

These are the tips you will need to write the best possible back book blurb.

A blurb is one of the most effective marketing tool writers need to help sell their books. These tips will help you achieve that milestone.

Happy writing!

- By Neha Agarwala


If you need help turning your book into an audiobook, we offer audiobook production services that will help you reach a wider audience and increase your book sales. 

Learn more here and listen to some of our audiobook samples.