However, if you want to write a song people will actually buy, then the music you write can’t just be about your own personal expression. It has to take your audience into account, too.

People won’t buy your music just because you’re good at what you do. They will buy it for themselves, because they find something in it that’s relatable to them—a catchy beat, a thoughtful lyric, or just a sound they like. Thus, writing a saleable song starts with writing with your audience in mind. Here are some ways to do that.

INCLUDE A HOOK
One key ingredient to a marketable song is the “hook,” something in the song that causes people to remember it after it stops playing. The hook is usually a small, repeated element in the song, like a catchy melodic line or a clever lyric (or a combination of the two). The most likely place to find a hook is in the first line of the chorus, but it can really be anywhere, as long as it’s memorable enough to make the listener want to hear it again. Rarely will you hear any song on the radio that does not contain a hook. Make sure your song has one.

MAKE A CONNECTION
A hit song and a saleable song are not always synonymous. Hooks create hits, but that might only mean airplay and maybe some listener requests. To make people want to buy it, the song needs to connect on an emotional level. This can be something relatable in the lyric, or something less tangible, like a melodic line or a sound within the music. Whether you’re moving people’s feet or moving their hearts, your song has to move them somehow. The best way to do this is just to write with honesty. If you feel something, chances are others have felt it, too. Convey that feeling in the music and people will want to own it.

KEEP IT BRIEF
Your audience has a short attention span; this is why radio prefers songs under 3.5 minutes. No matter how good your song is, you’ll lose people’s attention on the first listen if it runs too long. There are always exceptions (“Hey Jude” is over 7 minutes), but don’t presume your song is the exception. Keep the opening short, place the hook near the beginning and get to the chorus as quickly as possible. A couple of longer songs are fine on a CD, but the shorter songs are the ones most likely to motivate listeners to buy your CD.

There’s no perfect formula for success here, but following these guidelines will definitely improve your prospects of writing a song people will buy. Be true to yourself, but write with your audience in mind.

1. Almost Famous
Although it was a close call between this movie and #2, I ultimately chose Almost Famous as my top favorite rock ‘n’ roll movie. Maybe it’s because I’m a writer, or because I was a nerd in school, or because I deeply love music but choose to express that love not as a musician, but as a “semi-professional music appreciator.” For whatever reason, I identified with young William Miller (played by Patrick Fugit) and his journey. I love this story. I love that Miller sees his idols stripped bare of their rock star status, but rather than being disillusioned, his life is enriched by the knowledge that they are human beings. I love that he learns through his encounters with his heroes that he is worthy and rocks in his own, unique way. I love that this movie is based on Cameron Crowe’s real story, and that there is out there in the world this person who as a young man worked hard and made his rock dreams come true. And I loved, loved, loved Philip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of rock writer Lester Bangs in this film. He inspired me to go out there and read the rock essays of the real Lester Bangs. They are amazing and I highly recommend them! Here’s one of my favorites, How to be a Rock Critic.

2. This is Spinal Tap
I cannot watch this film without losing it. This mockumentary sends up the rise and fall of a fictitious band, Spinal Tap, touching on every rock ‘n’ roll cliche there is. Christopher Guest is a comedy god. If you haven’t seen this movie, (1) what rock have you been living under? and (2) get yourself to Hollywood Video and rent it right now. Or better yet, buy a copy, because you’re going to want to watch it more than once, and this is one movie worth watching in every mode, in other words, with the various commentaries. They are outrageously entertaining in and of themselves. On a scale of 1-10, this film is an 11! (Yeah, I had to go there.)