SongTown on Songwriting Podcast

By Clay Mills & Marty Dodson

Music

What's SongTown on Songwriting Podcast about?

SongTown on Songwriting is an honest look at what it takes to write a great song and navigate the music industry. This podcast is a celebration of songs and songwriters. Real pros who teach, entertain and inspire.

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

How 21-Hit Songwriter, Sam ...

02.07.2023

Host Clay Mills chats with 21-time hit songwriter, Sam Hollander, about his unbelievable journey. If you want to know what it takes to be a pro songwriter, this episode is a must listen. Sam is a funny but also an ...

SongTown on Songwriting Podcast episodes:

02.07.2023 How 21-Hit Songwriter, Sam Hollander, Flopped His Way To The Top Of The Charts Host Clay Mills chats with 21-time hit songwriter, Sam Hollander, about his unbelievable journey. If you want to know what it takes to be a pro songwriter, this episode is a must listen. Sam is a funny but also an ...
01.31.2023 Dirty Tricks Publishers Pull Hit songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson drop some truth bombs about the music business and give you insider advice on avoiding bad song publishing deals.
01.24.2023 Is the Music Business Trying To Keep YOU Out? Is the music business trying to keep you out? Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson give their insight on this hot topic and share practical advice to help improve your chances of breaking into the music industry.
01.17.2023 Why You Shouldn't Pitch Songs To Publishers Pitching your songs to publishers may not be the best way to break into the music business. Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills give advice on a better way to interact with publishers and how to present yourself as ...
01.10.2023 Can You Teach Songwriting? - With Jud Friedman and Jameel "JProof" Roberts Songwriters Giving Back - Multi #1 Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson sits down with Jud Friedman an Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe nominated songwriter and Jameel "JProof" Roberts a multi-talented platinum-selling producer, songwriter, and composer/arranger to answer the question, can you ...
01.03.2023 Good News For Songwriters Heading Into 2023? Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share some exciting news for songwriters in 2023! Knowing this will help you to know what to focus on in the New Year! Listen now to find out this exciting news and how ...
12.27.2022 How To Talk Your Way Out Of Working With A Pro Do you want to work with pros in the music business? Too many people talk their way out of opportunities to work with pros by saying the wrong things. Learn what NOT to say to a pro! Hit Songwriters Marty ...
12.20.2022 Biggest Song Mistakes of 2022 Improve your songwriting in 2023 by learning from other’s mistakes. Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson take a look back over 2022 and highlight the most common songwriting mistakes they encountered throughout the year.
12.13.2022 The Best Ways To Blow Your Songwriting Budget Don't waste your songwriting $$$. Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills have been there/done that. In this episode, they help you prioritize where to spend your songwriting dollars to get maximum return on your investment.
12.06.2022 The Worst Songwriting Advice We've Ever Been Given Have you ever gotten bad songwriting advice?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share some of the worst songwriting advice they have ever received, as well as some of the best songwriting advice that helped them grow as professional ...
11.29.2022 The Biggest Challenges To Long-Term Songwriting Success The time to learn how to be successful is when you are not successful… Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about long term challenges that songwriters face and what you need to do to stay successful in the ...
11.22.2022 When And Why Should I Join A PRO (ASCAP/SESAC/BMI)? Why should you be a member of a PRO and when should you join? Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills answer this frequently asked question and explain the role of a PRO and how they can help you as ...
11.15.2022 STOP Doing These Things!! STOP doing these things that can hurt you as a songwriter. Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about some common mistakes budding songwriters make and how to fix them.
11.08.2022 Don't Write Generic Songs! Don’t fall into the trap of writing generic songs! Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills talk about why generic songs won’t get you noticed in the music industry and why you should be thinking outside the box when writing ...
11.01.2022 How To Make Publishers Fall In Love With You What do publishers look for in songwriters? Hit Songwriter/Publisher Marty Dodson shares a list of traits that he and fellow publishers look for in songwriters. If you want to increase your chances of catching a publisher's ear, this episode is ...
10.25.2022 Don't Take The First Exit Off The Songwriting Interstate! What is the best way to write a song idea or title? Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills share tips and tricks on how to make the most out of your song ideas/titles and create songs that stand out ...
10.18.2022 What If Publishers Just Don't Get My Music? Did you know it’s not the publisher’s job to “get” your music? Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills share from their own experience how to succeed as songwriters by learning how to work with publishers, create business relationships and ...
10.11.2022 Staying Ahead Of The Curve With Your Writing How do you stay ahead of the songwriting curve and determine what trends are going to be popular in the coming months or year to come? Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share tips and tricks to look for ...
10.04.2022 Lyrics or Melody - Which Is Most Important? What is the most important element in songwriting… lyrics or melody?! Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills hash it out and debate this controversial topic!
09.27.2022 5 Things I'd Tell My Young Songwriting Self Does songwriting sometimes cause you anxiety and stress? Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson has been in your shoes! Marty shares 5 things he wishes he could have told his younger self to help elevate these struggles. Learn from Marty's mistakes and ...
09.20.2022 6 Questions To Help You Critique Your Own Songs Do you ever finish a song and wonder if it’s good enough to pitch to an artist or publisher? Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson shares 6 questions to ask yourself to help you critique your own songs and make them stronger ...
09.13.2022 Multi-Platinum Songwriter/Producer Aaron Scherz Hit Songwriter/Producer Aaron Scherz always knew he was going to do something "different", but he couldn't have imagined that "different" would involve a multi-platinum Songwriting career! Aaron shares his musical journey, songwriting process and the magic of chasing a hit ...
09.06.2022 The Perils Of Writing Up How do you break through in songwriting and how do you “write up”?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson discuss how writing up may not always be the best thing to do and how you can break through in ...
08.30.2022 Is Writer's Block A Thing? Is writer’s block a real thing?! Tune in and listen as Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson discuss this popular subject! Clay and Marty also share tips and tricks to help you get and stay inspired when writing songs.
08.23.2022 Bobby Pinson "The Shave" Inspirational Story After taking a hiatus from his artistry, Grammy nominated, #1 hit songwriter Bobby Pinson shares his inspirational journey back to writing his own songs and releasing his newest single, “The Shave” which was inspired by his late father. Bobby also ...
08.16.2022 Inspirational Songwriter Matt Warren For most people having “overnight success” in the music business is far from the truth. Having success takes time and patience. Hit Songwriter, 2x ASCAP Award Winner, ACM Song Of The Year Nominee Matt Warren shares his inspirational journey of ...
08.09.2022 Business Mistakes Touring Artists Make - Dean Sams/Lonestar Touring with a band can be challenging. With 30+ years of touring experience with the band Lonestar, Hit Songwriter/Artist Dean Sams shares advice on how to avoid early mistakes in touring as well as important business details that can help ...
08.02.2022 Dealing With Songwriting Frustrations Are you frustrated with the ups and downs of songwriting? With a combined 50+ years in the songwriting business, Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills know just how you feel! Listen in as Marty and Clay talk about common ...
07.26.2022 Fight The Hype! Don't Compare Yourself To Someone's Highlight Reel In today’s world it is so hard NOT to compare yourself to others… Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about how feeding the hype can sabotage and take away your creativity. Listen in and find the motivation to ...
07.19.2022 Setting Yourself Up To Fail As A Songwriter Putting a specific time limit on your songwriting success just might set you up for failure. Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk real about the music business and the different factors that come into play to “make it” ...
07.12.2022 Hall of Fame Songwriter Kent Blazy Hall of Fame Songwriter Kent Blazy joins hit songwriter Marty Dodson on the SongTown on Songwriting Podcast to talk about his journey in songwriting, his newest Album and gives advice to all who are pursuing songwriting as a career. Blazy ...
07.05.2022 Mind Your Own Business If you are a songwriter you must know and understand the business side of songwriting if you want to be successful. Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about mechanical licenses, record keeping, negotiating deals with artists and your ...
06.28.2022 What Do You Do If You Catch a Publisher? Are you a songwriter dying to get a publishing deal? It might not be as magical as you think! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson talk about their first publishing deals as well as the pros and cons of ...
06.21.2022 Split Sheets Vs Sht Sheets What do you do when a songwriter split sheet turns into a sht sheet?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson give practical advice on how to handle co-writer splits as well as what an actual split sheet is used ...
06.14.2022 "Stay The Course" With Curb Recording Artist Hannah Ellis Curb Records recording artist and country music singer/songwriter Hannah Ellis joins Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson on the SongTown on Songwriting Podcast. Hannah talks about her journey in the music business, from networking and internships to publishing deals and eventually signing ...
06.07.2022 Sharks In The Water There are sharks in the music waters and Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson want to help protect you from them! Listen in as Clay and Marty talk real about the music business and share advice on how to ...
05.31.2022 How And When To Go "Beth Dutton" On The Music Business Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson talks about when you should go “Beth Dutton” and stand up for yourself when dealing with the business side of songwriting. Songwriters often don’t feel like they have a say in what happens to their songs, ...
05.24.2022 Multi Genre Hit Songwriter Michael Whitworth Hit Songwriter Michael Whitworth joins Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson in the SongTown Zoom Room to talk about his journey in songwriting. Michael shares about his experience writing with Mega Rap Artist Jelly Roll and gives tips and advice on how ...
05.17.2022 Do You HAVE To Write With Artists To Get Songs Recorded? Do you HAVE to write with artists to get songs recorded? Listen in as Hit Songwriters Marty Dodson and Clay Mills discuss two different viewpoints on this topic! Marty and Clay also offer tips and advice on how to write ...
05.10.2022 Cut the Cheese! Cut the cheese! (And we are not talking about the smelly kind!!) Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share the things that can keep you from getting your song cut… sounding cheesy! They share from their experience what makes ...
05.03.2022 Why You Gotta Know How To Write To Tracks Why is it so important to know how to write to music tracks?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson discuss the way that songwriting rooms have changed dramatically over the last few years and what you need to know ...
04.26.2022 #1 Hit Songwriter Shane Stevens - "Fancy Like" #1 Hit Songwriter Shane Stevens joins Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson in the SongTown Studios to talk about his viral, #1 Hit Song with Walker Hayes “Fancy Like”. Shane also talks about his vast success in both the pop and country ...
04.19.2022 Darden Smith : Write Songs. Tell Stories. Move People. Acclaimed singer-songwriter Darden Smith joins Hit Songwriter Marty Dodson in the SongTown Studios to talk about his wildly creative new multi-media project, Western Skies. Darden also gives insight into how he has been able to sustain a 30+ year career ...
04.12.2022 Raw and Real Singer-Songwriter Kalie Shorr Artist/Songwriter Kalie Shorr joins Marty in the SongTown Studio to talk about her journey in the Country Music Market. Kalie has been on multiple tours opening for major artists, has her own Podcast supported by Bobby Bones and has been ...
04.05.2022 Does Writing A Great Song Even Matter Anymore? Does writing a great song even matter anymore? Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson weigh in on the subject and share things you can focus on in your songwriting instead of getting wrapped up in the negative.
03.29.2022 Writing WITH Recording Artists Writing WITH an artist can be a totally different experience than writing for/pitching songs to an artist. Hit songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson share co-writing tips from their combined 25+ years of experience of writing with recording artists. If ...
03.22.2022 Writing To Pitch To Recording Artists How do you write songs that major label or indie artists would want to cut?! Hit Songwriters Clay Mills and Marty Dodson sit down to talk about things you should pay attention to and research you should do when writing ...
03.15.2022 Mizer and Moore - Songs From The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel Emmy-nominated songwriters Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore join Marty in the SongTown Zoom room to talk about their most recent project, creating the music for the hit Amazon Prime Video series, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Mizer and Moore share more ...
03.08.2022 Multi-hit Songwriter Billy Montana Multi-hit songwriter Billy Montana (Garth Brooks, Lee Brice, Jo Dee Messina) stops by the SongTown Studios to chat it up with host Clay Mills about his career, his approach to writing, and drops some killer advice for aspiring songwriters.
03.01.2022 Hall of Fame Songwriter Byron Hill Marty sits down with Hall of Fame Songwriter Byron Hill who has penned hits such as “Fool Hearted Memory” George Strait, “Nothing On But The Radio” Gary Allan, “Born Country” Alabama and many more! Byron shares his journey through the ...

Older episodes