Songwriter Soup is a frank discussion about how to make it in the music industry as a songwriter. It takes grit and a lot of patience, but also sound financial advice. Laura Veltz is a Four-time Grammy-nominated songwriter and is teaming up with Tracy Hackney, a seasoned financial advisor for musicians, to bring you the tips and tricks of the industry. Joined by host and producer, Kevin Sokolnicki, the trio has interviews with some of the most prominent and up-and-coming songwriters and arti ...
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Jesse Frasure: Addiction To The Game & The Pursuit of “Just One More Hit”
1:30:51
1:30:51
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1:30:51Two time BMI songwriter of the year, Jesse Frasure (“Halfway To Hell” Jelly Roll, “Dirt On My Boots” Jon Pardi, “Marry Me” Thomas Rhett) closes out the spring season, as always, joined by the Songwriter Soup trio. This episode includes a candid conversation about the highs, the lows, the ease, the difficulty, and the jealousy that come standard wit…
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Rob Ragosta: Community, The Grind and Surfing The Success Wave
1:11:42
1:11:42
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1:11:42You might recognize today’s Songwriter Soup guest’s name and voice—Rob Ragosta (“Need A Favor” & “Winning Streak” Jelly Roll) is the brother of previous SS guest, Joe Ragosta! On this episode the group talks about family, community and how important the maintenance of both can help keep your head on straight through the ups, downs, highs and lows o…
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Trent Willmon: Production, Vocals & The Outside Songs Keeping The Songwriting Community Alive
1:09:14
1:09:14
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1:09:14This week on Songwriter Soup, the trio is joined by Nashville producer and songwriter, Trent Willmon. This episode covers a wealth of information about production, vocals, and why Trent is open (and even excited!) to record outside songs with his frequent collaborator, Cody Johnson. For those of you who don’t know, an outside song is a song that an…
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Connie Harrington: The Yoda Of Music Row
1:08:41
1:08:41
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1:08:41This week, the Songwriter Soup trio is joined by the incredible Connie Harrington (“I Drive Your Truck” Lee Brice, “Mine Would Be You” Blake Shelton, “No Caller ID” & “Bless Your Heart” Megan Moroney). No shortage of wisdom, truth bombs and tears on this episode, y’all. Connie has seen it all and managed to stay, not just relevant, but bar-setting …
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But... How TF Does Music Actually Make Money? Erica Rosa Explains It All - Part 1
1:14:05
1:14:05
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1:14:05The Songwriter Soup crew sits down with FBMM’s own, Erica Rosa, lovingly and accurately known as the “royalty guru", to explore how money flows through the music industry. While originally set to focus on publishing royalties (this is a songwriter podcast after all), things naturally veered right to the actual beginning. How does music make money f…
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Seth Ennis (“The Boys Back Home” Dylan Marlowe & Dylan Scott, “She Drives Away” Jon Pardi, “Hooked” Dylan Scott, “Tough To Tie Down” Jordan Davis) joins The Soup gang to discuss the challenges of going from an artist who writes great songs to a full time hit songwriter and the importance of friendship as you make your way up the ranks. Seth and Lau…
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REPLAY: Kelly Archer: Canadian Nice With An Excellent Bluff
1:34:27
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1:34:27To celebrate Kelly Archer’s recent two-week country number one, “I’m Gonna Love You” (Cody Johnson & Carrie Underwood), we thought we’d re-release our interview with our girl, Kelly! Enjoy one of our favorite episodes of Songwriter Soup. Kelly Archer (“Sleep Without You” Brett Young, “Wild As Her” Corey Kent, “Somebody Else Will” Justin Moore) expl…
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Steph Jones: Scents and Sensibility - Knowing What You Can (and Can’t) Control
1:20:18
1:20:18
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1:20:18Steph Jones (“Espresso” & “Nonsense” Sabrina Carpenter, “hole in the bottle” Kelsea Ballerini, “People You Know” Selena Gomez) might actually be the songwriting community’s most easiest to love songwriter. The Soup Crew learns all about Steph’s interest in scents and how it finds it’s way into her songwriting career, and the path she took through t…
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REPLAY: How To Break Up With A Co-Writer
1:05:47
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1:05:47Replay, baby! Nashville's on Spring Break this week, so enjoy this oldie-but-goodie. It's full of great nuggets. We'll see you next week with a new episode! Break-ups are never easy, especially when it comes to co-writing. This week, our hosts examine the reasons it may be necessary to say goodbye to a collaborator and how to do it with care. The t…
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Devin Dawson: Cockiness, Pivoting & Song Nerdery
1:18:04
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1:18:04Devin Dawson (“God’s Country” Blake Shelton, “The Difference” Tyler Rich, “All On Me” Devin Dawson) is our second songwriter artist guest on Songwriter Soup. Devin walks the crew through how cockiness (hmmm... confidence) helped him boldly switch lifestyles throughout his music career, jumping from garage death metal band to Belmont University stud…
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Buckets Continued... Let’s Get Sexy And Talk About Insurance
1:06:16
1:06:16
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1:06:16Insurance is about the most boring topic on the planet. But! It’s also crucial that small business owners understand how it works, and how to make it work for you as you barrel into the future. In this episode, Tracy finishes out his financial planning strategy by putting a solid floor under those buckets with various types of insurance. The crew a…
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Driver Williams: Heavy Metal, Eric Church & Having A Freakin GREAT Dad
1:09:45
1:09:45
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1:09:45Driver Williams (“Smoke A Little Smoke” Eric Church, “Days That End In Why” Morgan Wallen, “Back 40 Back” Luke Combs), son of publisher & former head of BMI, Jody Williams, has always known exactly what a songwriter is. This week on Songwriter Soup, the trio talks to Driver about what it was like to grow up in the thick of the Nashville songwriter …
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Financial Planning Made Easy: Tracy’s Buckets & Faucets
1:18:08
1:18:08
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1:18:08This episode is undoubtedly one of the pillars of Songwriter Soup so, please do not miss it. Tracy takes the wheel this week as he explains the system through which he organizes, manages and grows other people’s wealth. The trio discusses Tracy’s famous buckets (short, mid and long term savings), as well as conventional wisdom most people use that,…
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Don’t Crush The Butterfly: A Deep Dive Into Artist/Songwriter/All Relationships
55:41
55:41
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55:41Trio de Songwriter Soup delve into art/business relationships and more on today’s episode. When it comes to a songwriter’s relationship with an artist, what is loyalty exactly? Is it a good thing? Is it a bad thing? Man, it sure can get tricky as people come and go (and come and go again). Holding too tightly and/or getting one’s feelings hurt can …
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Andrew DeRoberts: Zen & The Art Of Loving Music Too Much
1:12:00
1:12:00
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1:12:00Songwriter and producer, Andrew DeRoberts (“Somebody To Love” One Republic, “All Night” Brothers Osborne, “The Weekend” Brantley Gilbert) joins the trio to share his signature brand of calm with us all. This episode deep dives into staying comfortable in the uncomfortable moments in a writing room, which everyday parts of this weird job are actuall…
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DEATH HAPPENS! Let’s Talk About Wills & Estate Planning
1:13:47
1:13:47
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1:13:47The Soup Trio has a special guest on today - Dr. Death himself, and one of Nashville’s most esteemed estate planning gurus, Jeff Mobley. Why so morbid, you ask? Well, people with intellectual property (songwriters and art makers) should have a particular interest in making sure all of your creations, and the income they generate or could generate o…
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Josh Osborne: The Brilliance Of Staying Enchanted & Confused
1:21:08
1:21:08
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1:21:08Josh Osborne (“Sand In My Boots” Morgan Wallen, “Body Like A Back Road” Sam Hunt, “Merry Go Round” Kacey Musgraves) joins the Songwriter Soup crew this week reminding us all of how to keep it stellar as a writer and keep it simple as a human. This episode was recorded the day and maybe even the moment he was nominated for yet another Grammy for “Th…
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Tom Douglas Part 2: A Songwriter’s Manifesto
1:05:15
1:05:15
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1:05:15Tom Douglas is back! The trio is thrilled to have Tom on Songwriter Soup for a second time. As if the world’s problems weren’t solved on part 1, the crew manages to cover some new concepts that with undoubtedly assist the new and established songwriter in their journey through this privileged world of songwriting. What does the mountain top look li…
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Trannie Anderson: Mentors, Lainey Wilson & Golf
1:02:59
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1:02:59Tracy is absent today, but Laura and Kevin are soupin’ it, chatting with hit songwriter Trannie Anderson (“Heart Like A Truck”, “Wildflowers and Wild Horses” & “Whirlwind” Lainey Wilson, “3 Feet Tall” Cole Swindell). The three talk first publishing deals, the importance of mentors, and balancing hobbies with work. They also delve into some insights…
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Add Love & Stir… An Approach On What To Write About And Other Life Hacks
1:03:25
1:03:25
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1:03:25The trio delves into a few songwriting practices that can help you feel your feelings and unlock your creativity. Tracy also helps unpack why he doesn’t get investment antsy during big shifts like elections, and how you too can stay chill about your investments no matter what is going on in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megapho…
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Tom Douglas: The House That Build Me, I Run To You
1:20:26
1:20:26
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1:20:26Tom Douglas (“The House That Built Me” Miranda Lambert, “Meanwhile Back At Mamas” Tim McGraw, “I Run To You” Lady A) does what he does best on Songwriter Soup. With his signature eloquence and vulnerability, the patriarch of music row explains what held him back from pursuing his natural calling until his forties. We talk about the powerful effect …
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Brett James: Jesus Take The Wheel & Mr Know It All
1:13:05
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1:13:05The trio is joined this week by hit songwriter, Brett James (“Jesus Take The Wheel” Carrie Underwood, “Mr. Know It All” Kelly Clarkson, “Out Last Night” Kenny Chesney). Brett takes us through his on again, off again relationship with medical school interwoven between record deals and publishing deals, culminating in a surprise season of hits. The c…
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Expense Coverage, Fees, Master Sharing & More: What To (Gently) Ask for, Even If You Don’t Get it
1:20:49
1:20:49
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1:20:49This week, Laura, Tracy & Kevin are joined by Laura’s songwriter manager, Hannah Babitt on Songwriter Soup. The crew attempts to breakdown the multitude of ways that the industry at large might consider compensating songwriters in the streaming era. They delve into the contrasts between Nashville and LA systems, the significance of transparent comm…
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Amy Wadge: Pond Hopping, Getting Sued & Resilience
1:15:53
1:15:53
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1:15:53This week, hit songwriter Amy Wadge (“Thinking Out Loud” Ed Sheeran, “Consequences” Camila Cabello, “Wonder Woman” Kacey Musgraves) brought her signature eloquence and lovable nature to the Soup. She shares her perspectives on being a woman in the songwriting world, how important it is to have people around you who believe in you, and her long dist…
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We're back! After taking the summer off, Laura, Tracy and Kevin are getting back in the saddle with an episode dedicated to you, the listener, answering questions straight out of Laura's DMs. We're talking pay-to-play publishing, coveting that perfect song idea, and whether or not Nashville is the right place for your songs. Learn more about your a…
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Liz Rose: Starting Late, Stamina & Nurturing Taylor Swift
1:07:29
1:07:29
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1:07:29One of Music City’s matriarchs, Liz Rose (“You Belong With Me” Taylor Swift, “Girl Crush” Little Big Town, “Burn It Down” Parker McCullum) is here for the long haul. Her tips and tricks for how to hang in there and focus on the love of the job are evergreen, just like her hits. Liz's Songwriter Playlist on Apple Music Written By Liz Rose Playlist o…
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Chris DeStefano: Berklee, Blackjack and the Art of Tension and Release
1:06:23
1:06:23
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1:06:23Chris DeStefano brings a rare set of skills to the writer's room. Trained in film scoring at Berklee, Chris's knowledge of musical mechanics allows him to break out of ruts in writing sessions and infuse his songs with depth and gravitas. From singing in a boys choir in Austria, to session work in LA, to playing in a Salsa band in Las Vegas, to wri…
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Are you still with us? If you've made it this far into our Catalog Sale deep dive, congratulations, you're a superstar. In the third installment of this series, Tracy's back to give his take on Mike Molinar's master class, we dig further into multiples and admin rights, and wax poetic on the game of commodifying art. Learn more about your ad choice…
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Jonathan Singleton: Persistence, Adaptation & Master Sharing
1:34:43
1:34:43
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1:34:43Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesAf Songwriter Soup
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Catalog Sales: Part 2 with Mike Molinar
1:06:50
1:06:50
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1:06:50The catalog sale saga continues! This week we're joined by Mike Molinar (Big Machine Music president and Laura's publisher) to give a publisher's perspective on catalog sales in 2024. Mike walks us through the terminology used in these negotiations and shares insights into some of the stress-inducing misinformation that permeates songwriter circles…
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Daniel Tashian: Music Catching Up To You
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1:12:15Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist & producer, Daniel Tashian (Kacey Musgraves Albums Golden Hour, Star Crossed & Deeper Well) took the long way around to massive success. Like many of us, his musicality was simply way ahead of its time. On purpose or by accident, Daniel managed to stick it out long enough to witness his own Golden Hour and we are a…
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Strap in, y'all. We're diving into the intricate world of the Catalog Sale. While it's tempting to dream about cashing out and buying an island at 27, it's really important to know how these agreements happen, how much they're worth and when you may *actually* be ready for one in the first place. In the first part of our Catalog Sale mini-series, L…
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Jaren Johnston: Commercial Songwriter, But Keep It Dirty
1:18:26
1:18:26
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1:18:26Songwriter & lead singer of The Cadillac Three, Jaren Johnston ("5 Foot 9" Tyler Hubbard, "Raise Em Up" Keith Urban feat. Eric Church, "Meanwhile Back At Mama's" Tim McGraw) knows how to pull a heartstring but can not help but put his southern rock energy into his songs. With a rock essence you can clearly sense from his contribution to the country…
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REPLAY: You Don’t Suck, It Just Takes A Minute
1:10:42
1:10:42
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1:10:42Big Machine Music general manager (and Laura’s publisher) Mike Molinar joins the podcast to talk about his philosophy on songwriter-publisher relationships. Mike shares his advice to young songwriters, the nitty-gritty of publishing deals, and how understanding the structure of those deals is the vital to your success. Mike Molinar brings over twen…
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Mike Elizondo: What Hospitality, Humility & Curiosity Looks Like
1:26:18
1:26:18
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1:26:18Songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Mike Elizondo ("In da Club" 50 Cent, "The Real Slim Shady" Eminem, "Cowboy Casanova" Carrie Underwood, The Encanto Soundtrack with Lin-Manuel Miranda) is simply synonymous with modern music. The trio sits down with Mike to discuss his studio environment and energy, and how it puts his co-creators at …
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(Song)writer's Block, Suffering for Your Art & Where Ideas Might Be Hiding
1:11:00
1:11:00
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1:11:00What’s blocking you? This week, the trio discusses this ironic possibility: it might be that you’re taking this dream job a little too seriously. We all do it! At all stages, in fact. Take breaks, change the subject, nerd out on other people’s hits, or do songwriter exercises— Laura discussed many of her favorite ways to shake her brain loose. This…
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Jessie Jo Dillon: Fomo, Envy & The Joy of Writing Songs
1:12:13
1:12:13
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1:12:13On this week’s episode, Laura, Tracy & Kevin sit down with one of Laura’s best friends, critically acclaimed hit songwriter, Jessie Jo Dillon (“10,000 Hours” Dan & Shay, Justin Beiber, “Halfway To Hell” Jelly Roll, “Lies, Lies, Lies” Morgan Wallen). The group gets candid about shaking off the resistance to following in her legendary dad’s songwrite…
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Millions Of Ways A Perfect Song Can Die (That Have Nothing To Do With The Songwriter)
1:21:14
1:21:14
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1:21:14Songwriters always blame themselves (or the song) when something stops the process of it becoming a hit. But does it have anything to do with the song? Most of the time, IT DOES NOT. On this week’s episode, the trio discusses how many people and entities cause those interruptions and all of the millions of ways a perfect song can end up in a prover…
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Allison Veltz Cruz: Sisters, Dusty Prayers & Why Nashville
1:12:20
1:12:20
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1:12:20Laura’s sister and fellow hit songwriter, Allison Veltz Cruz (“Prayed For You” Matt Stell, “Somebody Like That” Tenille Arts, “Let Your Boys Be Country” Jason Aldean) joins the trio for a candid conversation about the sisters’ unique childhood and what lead them to songwriting after their family band broke up. They discuss Allison’s particular bran…
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Season Three-ever begins! Let's Talk Commerciality: Taking Your Songs From Your Bedroom To Billboard
1:03:46
1:03:46
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1:03:46Kevin, Laura and Tracy delve into the initial humility that it takes to learn the craft of commercial songwriting by unlearning how you did it before. Ouch! It takes a minute and it feels weird for a bit, but it gets better! After the craft settles in, your uniqueness returns to you and THAT is when the magic happens. The trio discuss the intricate…
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Ashley Gorley: In A League Of His Own
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1:14:05
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1:14:05Ashley Gorley has a literal bajillion hits. He’s also got a thriving publishing company in Tape Room Music. With so much success it’s easy to overlook the fact that it took Ashley eleven years to score his first hit. But thanks to his deep connection to the community and the key investment from mentors, Ashley was prepared to ride it out. It also h…
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STEALING! How To Fix A Small Problem Before It Becomes A Big Ass Problem
1:06:52
1:06:52
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1:06:52What is stealing anyway? In the songwriting world, there are a million ways it can happen. Sometimes (but rarely) it’s quite blatant, and sometimes it’s as innocent as forgetting you wrote the same concept in a different room two years ago. The fact is, it happens. There can be big consequences that can tank your reputation and your finances, but a…
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Emily Weisband: Breaking Up With Your Soul Sucking Artist Dream
1:31:52
1:31:52
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1:31:52Emily Weisband (“Thy Will” Hillary Scott, “Boy With Luv” BTS, “Can’t Break Up Now” Old Dominion & Megan Moroney) is one of those people who just billows talent. Even though she moved to Nashville to become a songwriter, it didn’t take any time at all before people started trying to convince her that she should do “the artist thing.” This episode co…
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The Money Episode: To Spend Or Not To Spend (More Specifically, How Not To Spend)
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57:28
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57:28So, you just scored your first hit song! Time to buy a boat, a big house and that Rolex you’ve been eyeing, right? Not so fast. You can still have fun, but it might be a minute before the next big one comes around so let’s breathe and do some future planning. This week the gang breaks down what a “hit” actually means, how much it might be worth and…
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Joe Ragosta: You Know, Elvis Didn’t Write That
1:12:14
1:12:14
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1:12:14Joe Ragosta scored his first big hit (“Need A Favor” Jellyroll) just a few weeks before this episode was recorded. Joe brings big energy to the writing room and any other room he walks into. It’s that energy that has propelled Joe through years of slogging it out on the road with bands, commuting to Nashville from Long Island, and securing writes w…
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Habits Scale Up! The Basics of Managing Money As A Small Business Owner
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56:13
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56:13Laura, Tracy and Kevin expand on the idea that even if you have a publishing deal, you're still very much the sole proprietor of your own business. Tracy gives a tutorial on how to divide up your income so that when tax day comes, you have all your bases covered. He also lays out some best practices for avoiding debt, systematic saving and maintain…
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Kelly Archer: Canadian Nice With An Excellent Bluff
1:34:27
1:34:27
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1:34:27Kelly Archer (“Sleep Without You” Brett Young, “Wild As Her” Corey Kent, “Somebody Else Will” Justin Moore) explains what it’s like to write songs in Nashville before and after becoming a U.S. Citizen. Tricky! Kelly's story is a wild one with high stakes and time limits, making her one of Nashville’s most steadfast and determined songwriters. This …
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Award Show Ashmord Shmow… Let's Talk About Expectations!
1:04:36
1:04:36
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1:04:36This episode highlights one of the easiest ways to ruin what could otherwise be a really fun and fulfilling career choice: expectations. The trio talk awards and the impact they can have on your career, finances and mental health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesAf Songwriter Soup
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Jordan Schmidt: From Salad Boy to Nashville Heavy Hitter
1:01:53
1:01:53
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1:01:53Jordan Schmidt ("wait in the truck" HARDY & Lainey Wilson, "God's Country" Blake Shelton, "What Ifs” Kane Brown) talks to Laura and Tracy about his journey from producing rock bands in Minnesota, to getting in on the ground floor of Florida Georgia Line’s publishing company, Tree Vibez Music, all the way to writing smashes for Jason Aldean, Blake S…
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We're Back! Let's Get Into Publishing Deals
54:41
54:41
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54:41Laura, Tracy and Kevin kick off Season 2 by diving head first where we left off in season one: publishing deals. Specifically, the gang gets into what a publishing deal actually is and the relationship between publisher and songwriter. They break down why a draw feels like a salary (but isn't!), the subtle art of calendar management, and how money …
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