Many websites offer pro song critiques, with prices varying from £10 ($20) up to £50 ($100). Should you get one?
The debate is rife on songwriters forums and mostly, songwriters do not agree. In fact, this article was inspired by a thread on the subject over at Just Plain Folks.
Like many of these decisions, it depends on your personal circumstances, so here’s a quick list of pros and cons to help you decide.
Why you should pay for a pro critique of your song
- someone you pay, as opposed to a fellow songwriter you know through a songwriting forum or a songwriter group, will be more inclined to tell you the truth as he/she will have no friendship to lose
- you are helping a pro or semi-pro songwriter to earn a bit of money in between two royalties meagre payments
- even if the critique is disappointing in terms of its helpfulness, you’ve only lost £20 ($40), which isn’t worse than having a disappointing meal at a restaurant
- you want to market your song to a specific market and the advice from a songwriter who has broken into that market would be useful
- you feel something isn’t quite right but you can’t put your finger on it
Why you should not pay for a pro critique of your song
- a live audience is the best test for a song (so if you’re a performing songwriter, get yourself out there and test your song - there’s nothing like a real audience to make or break a song)
- if they really knew how to write a hit song, why aren’t they doing it and living off the royalties?
- a pro songwriter would never want a semi-pro songwriter to get better as she/he then becomes direct competition, so can you trust their advice, or is that “pro” songwriter really a pro songwriter
- you don’t want someone to judge your song based on their rules
- you know you are the next John Lennon/Tori Amos and you don’t need anyone’s permission to record your songs
If you want to add something, post a comment :)
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4 responses so far ↓
1 doug // Feb 6, 2008 at 3:00 pm
remeber the old sayinig? opinions are like a**holes, everbodys got one. your money would be better placed in equipment, sound ,recording, and production. opinions are free and people love to be asked for theres. it all comes down to taste and everyone has there own flavour. a “pros” opinion has no more weight than the average listener…unless of course he/she writes you a big fat check and wants to promote you. the best critic is the live audience. funny you should mention tori amos, i just saw a interview with her and she said in the early stage of her carreer she was told countless times, evidently by pros, she wouldnt make it. she obviously has the talent to play whatever was “in” at the time and could have caved but she stuck to her guns. but if anyone feels better about paying for an opinion. i take paypal
2 Natalie M // Feb 6, 2008 at 6:20 pm
I mentionned Tori Amos on purpose, because she was always considered an outsider (which is why she formed a pop band Y Tori Kant in the late 80s and released an album, or maybe only a few singles, under that name - i’ve seen a video and it’s downright awful 80s stuff with a big perm lol). Now, of course, her songwriting (and performing) talent is recognised by all, whether you like her stuff or not (i am a huge fan of hers by the way
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3 Eduard de Ru // Jun 29, 2008 at 5:04 am
I’ve had serval critiques to my songs. some of them are comment with “hit songs” And they all have huge numbers on the critique. like 8, 9’s and 10’s. However i’ve never sold a song. So it makes me wonder if a critique does any good other then make you feel better, but worse if the song isn’t doing anything.
Eduard de Ru
4 Natalie M // Jun 29, 2008 at 10:33 am
Eduard, thanks for highlighting how getting a critique can be a double edged sword for your ego, leaving you confused in the end.
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