Songwriting And Music Software Bits And Bytes Blog

Mar 7, Begin learning guitar with these basic tips, notation and strumming ideas.

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 06:57:41 GMT

Start learning guitar with these essential tips and suggested tools along with a basic description of essential notation, hand positioning and strumming ideas.

Jan 23, Enlist Your Fans To Help Fund Your Songwriting

Sat, 23 Jan 2010 21:17:57 GMT

The innovative artist oriented company ArtistShare has now developed a service focused on songwriters called ArtistShare for Songwriters. It is based on their fan-funded model for making music which has been working for six years and has even resulted in several Grammy nominations and awards. In exchange for supporting your songwriting process ArtistShare allows your fans to closely follow you as you take a song from concept to completed recording. The idea is to give you an appreciative and strong relationship with your fans and let them in on some of your songwriting world. Here is how it works. You choose to write a new song or record a song, and share the creative experience with fans through audio files, videos, and blogs. To start - you set up your project on ArtistShare for Songwriters' website and then use their software to reach out to your fans directly from your own website and through social networking sites like FaceBook and MySpace. In turn, your fans "buy in" at different levels and depending on what level that is, they share more or less of the creation process through your periodic updates. Depending on what level the fans buy in at, they may be eligible for limited edition recordings, possible access to recording sessions, and sometimes even producer credit listing on the final CD. When the recording project is complete, your fans are given the first chance to download it, and the proceeds are paid out to you, minus a 15 commission. ArtistShare has been around since 2003, letting fans show their appreciation for their favorite musicians by actually funding the projects the artist is working on. And hey, even if you're just starting out you've got at least some friends and family as your initial fans, right? At least one? :-) That's all you need. Overall a pretty simple and pretty cool way to financially support and share your muse I thought. Check it out at the link below.

Apr 28, Can You Run Digital Performer 6 or Logic Studio On The New Mac mini?

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:26:06 GMT

In a word, yes. However, it depends on how much you want to do recording-wise as to what kind of performance you'll get. In other words, if you're the typical songwriter who is going to do a basic demo - bass, guitar and or keyboard, drums and vocals you'll do just fine. If however you want to do a lot - like let's say 87 tracks of which several are audio tracks (recordings of live instruments or vocals) then the result might suffer. In any event bear in mind you're going to need an external audio interface fire-wired and or usb-ed into the Mac mini to process your sounds effectively and efficiently so you have to figure that in to your set up if you're going to go with a Mac mini or even an iMac for that matter. Click here to see a blog discussion from mid last year that goes over several choices for audio interfaces you could consider - courtesy of the Logic Studio Blog - as worked into a Mac mini. Also, bear in mind that there are two Mac mini models, both of which are 2.0 GHz but differ in RAM - 1G vs. 2G and 120GB vs. 320 GB hard drives at $599(US) and $799(US) respectively - with the ability of either to go to 4GBs of RAM. You'll get by with the basic set up but should expect better performance with more RAM and you can store a lot more of your songs of course with the 320GB hard drive. If you're going bare-bones budget note that Digital Performer 6 for example will work with the Mac mini basic configuration as DP6's mininmum specs are a 1 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM and OSX 10.4.7. There can be many more angles to this, especially if you tend or want to do more sophisticated recording - so to see more sides to this issue I suggest checking out a couple of threads on this subject by clicking here to Apple's discussion blog and clicking here to macjams.com's forum discussion on the topic. Click the link below to see the two new Mac minis side by side.

Feb 27, Virtual Co-writer ParaMind Now Runs On Vista - And Macs Too

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:13:51 GMT

I have gotten a few questions lately about the virtual co-writer program ParaMind and whether or not it runs on Vista. And as noted in the headline - the answer is yes. The Windows version of ParaMind runs on Windows in general - including XP and Vista. Mas users of course would want the Mac version and each choice is clearly marked on the ParaMind page. Click the link below for more on ParaMind and Windows (Vista too) and Mac versions.

Feb 19, Psystar Mac Clone Maker Goes To Court With Apple November 9, 2009 As German Mac Clone Maker Jumps Into The Ring

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 06:19:10 GMT

Well, we probably will not know the outcome of the Mac clone maker Psystar's fate perhaps until November 9, 2009 at the earliest unless a settlement is reached beforehand. (See the previous post on Psystar's production of a Mac clone that is much cheaper than Mac's own line of computers.) Psystar did lose out on its bid to sue Apple with an anti-trust claim last November but the judge has ruled that Psystar can proceed with a claim against Apple based on copyright grounds. As it stands now little may change until each party meets again in court in November. And to add another twist to this ongoing saga - a German company has now jumped in with an effort to make and market Mac Clones. Stay tuned.

Jul 19, Free Video - Dramatically Improve Your Songwriting

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:36:28 GMT

Dramatically improve your songwriting in seven days with this simple yet powerful technique developed by a leading researcher in creativity. Get all the details in this 18 minute clip. Check it out - click the link below.

Jul 19, Newsletter To Be Back Soon

Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:29:07 GMT

Sorry if you've missed the last couple of issues of our newsletter. Due to technical difficulties the mailings have been curtailed - but all should be up and running again soon - fingers crossed. Thanks.

Apr 10, Lyricist Now Works On Vista

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:31:51 GMT

Our number one selling lyric and lead sheet writing program Lyricist now works on the new Microsoft operating system Vista. All new Microsoft based PCs now ship with Vista and of course currently in use PCs can be upgraded to Vista. One cautionary note though; if you're considering buying a new computer and or upgrading check with your software vendors about whether all the programs you use will work in the Vista environment. For a look at the Lyricist Vista instructional click on the link below.

Nov 8, Acoustica's Mixcraft Compared To Garage Band

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 18:57:55 GMT

More kudos for the Window's based Acoustica's Mixcraft music recording software - it was recently featured on the Windows to Apples blog as, in short, having the look, feel and much of the functionality of GarageBand. See more of the write up in the following quote. "The primary application that I would find difficult to do without is GarageBand. Much to my relief, I have recently discovered an excellent Windows program with the look, feel and much of the functionality of GarageBand - it's Mixcraft. Mixcraft, produced by Acoustica, ships with an impressive library of sounds, effects, loops as well as the ability to import and play my favorite import GarageBand AIF files. The user interface and program design make it easy to transition from GarageBand. I am impressed. Microsoft claims it is on an a mission to acquire technologies and companies. If they have not begun development of a competitor for GarageBand perhaps they should take a peek at Mixcraft. Buy and bundle Mixcraft with Vista and throw in a dozen or so impressive effects and transitions to Windows Movie Maker." Check out more about music recording software choices and further reference to Mixcraft on our Music Recording Software page linked below.

Jul 16, Band-in-a-Box 2007 Upgrade Now Here - It's So Big It's Been Renamed Band-in-a-Box 2007.5

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:30:00 GMT

Numerous upgrades have been made to the most recent version of Band-in-a-Box, the chord based program great for songwriters. If you're not familiar, this program is great in creating full band arrangements from just the entering of the chords to your song - you simply just pick the style and it creates essentially a demo arrangement for you - just add your vocal. To review all the main and new features I advise simply clicking to PG Music's main page (see link) and if you can take the time to watch the one hour demonstration video that walks you through the nuts and bolts of the program's primary features. The biggest enhancement to the program is definitely the Real Drums feature. It utilizes actual recordings of pro players in all the styles of Band-in-a-Box and it's tempo sensitive too - to the tempo you set initially or may change it too - as you edit and fine-tune your song. The Real Drums sound very impressive to my ears and I was taken right away on a quick listen, just through my laptop, from their online demo video. You can elaborate on a Band-in-a-Box arrangement too by simply dumping the tracks into its sister sequencing program Power Tracks or your own sequencer. Get all the nitty gritty details by clicking on the link.

May 31, Music Writing Program Workable On Macs And Windows For Under $100 US.

Thu, 31 May 2007 05:17:06 GMT

Our best selling music writing program is Play Music but it does not as yet work on Macs. For those of you looking for a very good music writing program that's on the easier end of user operating and can work on a Mac as well as in Windows check out Ars Nova's Songworks II. Also for a decent music writing program it's relatively cheap at under $100 - find a good buy on this at midiguy.com (see the link).

Apr 30, Guitar chord chart.

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 00:06:10 GMT

Guitar chord chart that is handier than any book or software program for guitar chords.

Mar 9, Robert Curtis, Songwriter In Residence and Your Personal Site Guide.

Fri, 09 Mar 2007 20:31:27 GMT

A brief introduction and biography of your site host and songwriter in residence Robert Curtis.

Jan 31, Band-in-a-Box 2007 Now Creates Chords For Your Melody

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 05:26:28 GMT

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is: "Is there a program that will put chords to my melody?" And now I can say yes there is. PG Music has created a feature in the latest release of their Band-in-a-Box program (2007) that does just that called the Reharmonist feature. Not only will it create a chord progression for you but if you don't like it you can re-create it or have it do or redo just part of your song, like your chorus, and keep the verse chord progression for example. Also it can take an existing chord progression and enhance it - again it can be re-worked until you get the harmonic part (the chords) you like. Check it out further at the PG Music site at the link below.

Nov 30, MasterWriter software to supercharge your songwriting.

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 03:48:07 GMT

MasterWriter songwriting software stimulates creativity lyrically and musically in your songwriting with supercharged songwriting tools.

Nov 2, Sell Your Songs Directly With SafeSell - Now Includes iPod Downloads

Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:43:20 GMT

In the October issue of Songwriting Software Express I told you about a service that allows you to sell your songs as downloads directly from your site - via SafeSell. At that time the files were Microsoft PC based and allowed iPod usage as well via a few hoops you had to jump through. However, SafeSell has just informed me that when a customer purchases a file they'll now be able to also get an iPod file as well of the purchased song beginning this month - November. Essentially any songs that you may want to sell directly can now be played on most types of devices - mp3 players, PDAs, cell phones and the like and an iPod (see the SafeSell site link below for more specifics).

Oct 12, Proceed Cautiously With New Intel Macs - Re. Plugins

Thu, 12 Oct 2006 21:03:13 GMT

The new Intel chipped Macs may be great and the digital audio workstations (DAWs) like the commonly used Digital Performer and Logic have versions that work on the new Macs but there is one thing many may be overlooking - plugin adaptability to the new Macs. Okay your DAW may work on the new Macs but what about your favorite plugins? For example a commonly used plugin is Atmosphere and as of this writing it can not work on the new Macs and when that will be is unclear. The point is is that if you're considering upgrading to a new Intel based Mac make sure your favorite plugins will work or will have versions out shortly enough and affordably enough to your liking. Happy recording.

May 8, New Product From Cakewalk - Dimension Pro Software Synth

Mon, 08 May 2006 06:31:35 GMT

I just had the pleasure of a live demonstration from Cakewalk's West Coast representative here in California of their new product Dimension Pro. I must say I was very, very impressed. If you're in the market for a software synth that has over 1500 incredibly sounding sound samples including the best concert grand I've ever heard (is it live or is it Memorex?) then you'll quite likely be very happy spending the $249 (average online sales price) for this program. And the strings sounded like the LA Philharmonic at the Walt Disney Concert Hall - so sweet and real. It's packed with 7 GBs of sound samples (yes 7 gigs) yet runs very little cpu power usage - so it sounds great and puts very little drain on the average computer system. And it works for PCs and Macs. The 7 gigs come on a couple of dvds and take about a half hour plus to load on the initial installation. The sounds are incredible though - so as the rep. put it to me, pour and enjoy some coffee while these puppies load into your system. I know I'll be getting a copy soon.

May 8, Chord guitar for songwriters.

Mon, 08 May 2006 00:49:10 GMT

Chord guitar playing, or chord style guitar playing, is a fast way to learn and play guitar for songwriting and playing.

Jan 28, Writing a musical.

Sat, 28 Jan 2006 07:26:14 GMT

Get the basics on writing songs for musicals and other important aspects like the book.

Dec 23, Computer considerations for music and song writing.

Fri, 23 Dec 2005 23:13:11 GMT

Things to consider as you look to upgrade or buy computer systems for your music and song writing.

Dec 8, Lyricist savings for the essential songwriting software.

Thu, 08 Dec 2005 03:20:05 GMT

Save on Lyricist - the essential songwriting software.

Oct 1, Songwriting tips to avoid the top ten songwriting blunders.

Sat, 01 Oct 2005 19:59:12 GMT

Songwriting tips for avoiding the top ten blunders so you can make your good songs great.

Sep 18, Music recording software for songwriting.

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 20:29:48 GMT

Music recording software for your home recording studio. Featured songwriting software is simple to operate and includes reverb, compression, distortion, equalization, etc..

Sep 18, Drums - Software, Machines And Kits.

Sun, 18 Sep 2005 19:18:58 GMT

Drum discussion of various types of drum software and kits for creating grooves.

Aug 25, Co-writing and song collaboration.

Thu, 25 Aug 2005 07:02:02 GMT

A discussion of the basic points of co-writing and a sample collaboration agreement for song publishing.

Aug 9, Piano Keyboard Software For Songwriting.

Tue, 09 Aug 2005 05:22:27 GMT

A breakdown of top software for learning, writing and recording piano keyboard parts for your songs.

Jul 8, Sound Cards And Audio Interfaces Simplified

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 04:27:08 GMT

Better understand sound cards and or audio interfaces and how they can improve your sound quality.

Jul 1, Goal setting software for songwriting.

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 06:20:38 GMT

Goal setting software to help you define and achieve your songwriting and life goals. Featured goal setting software includes ability to include pictures, audio and even video for extra motivation!

Jul 1, Guitar Software For Songwriting. From Learning To Burning.

Fri, 01 Jul 2005 04:25:20 GMT

An overview of guitar oriented software for songwriters from learning to burning cds.

Jun 29, Brainstorming software for your songs.

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 07:15:27 GMT

Brainstorming software to help stimulate and expand your song ideas and even your title ideas.

Jun 29, Writing song lyrics made easier. Pop, Rap&Hip Hop, Country, Christian, More!

Wed, 29 Jun 2005 06:38:53 GMT

Writing song lyrics made easier using lyric writing software to stimulate your creativity with a rhyming dictionary, thesaurus and many other lyric and music writing features and benefits.

May 27, Guitar chord chart considerations.

Fri, 27 May 2005 07:49:22 GMT

Guitar chord chart pros and cons, software and wall charts.

May 27, Piano chord chart considerations.

Fri, 27 May 2005 07:42:50 GMT

Piano chord chart considerations. What chart works best for you?

Apr 25, Title goes here

Mon, 25 Apr 2005 12:37:53 GMT

Apr 6, Songwriting software review of Lyricist. The essential songwriting tool.

Wed, 06 Apr 2005 03:31:34 GMT

Songwriting software review of Lyricist by Tom Boyles. Lyricist is an all in one songwriting software package making lyric and song writing easy.

Mar 23, Play Music notation program reviews.

Wed, 23 Mar 2005 01:53:45 GMT

Reviews of Play Music notation program.

Mar 9, Chord piano for songwriters.

Wed, 09 Mar 2005 05:39:40 GMT

Chord piano playing, or chord style piano or keyboard playing, is a great way to learn and play piano or keyboard for songwriting.

Feb 26, Promote Your Songs With Website And Email Videos.

Sat, 26 Feb 2005 01:56:03 GMT

Promote your songs with an easy video system for your web site and in your emails.

Feb 6, Learn to play guitar geared for songwriters.

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 21:55:53 GMT

Learn to play guitar with this easy to learn ebook for songwriters.

Nov 15, About this songwriting site.

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 08:02:08 GMT

The mission of this songwriting site and coming attractions.

Nov 15, Lyricist songwriting software. The essential songwriting tool.

Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:52:15 GMT

Lyricist is an all in one songwriting software package making

Oct 12, Free Songwriting E-Course.

Tue, 12 Oct 2004 16:39:25 GMT

Free songwriting e-course loaded with tips, tools and software to pump up your songs.

Sep 18, TrackNotes review by Tom Boyles.

Sat, 18 Sep 2004 19:18:13 GMT

A review of the music recording track documentation software that makes recording several tracks manageable.