A Conversation with Marty, Co-CEO of SongTown
In this blog interview, we have the privilege of speaking with Marty, the Co-CEO of SongTown. Marty emphasizes the importance of prioritizing people and service above financial considerations, drawing inspiration from the remarkable success story of SongTown. He sheds light on a prevalent pitfall in the business world, where companies tend to solely concentrate on their bottom line, inadvertently overlooking the potential for authentic support and customer satisfaction. In stark contrast, Marty highlights SongTown's unwavering dedication to surpassing expectations and wholeheartedly serving their loyal customer base.
Chris: Hey, Marty. Nice to meet you. Thank you for your time. I'm the editor of Articles, a newsletter that shares industry news, entrepreneurial strategies, and founder stories with our subscribers who are also entrepreneurs. That's what we do. And I discovered that you are a renowned music composer.
Marty: Well, I don't know about being renowned, but yes, I have been a songwriter for about 25 years.
Chris: Did you happen to work on the song called "Bounce"? It's my mom's favorite. I'm originally from South Korea. "Bounce" was a big hit there, especially among my mom's generation.
Marty: That's interesting because most people in the US aren't very familiar with that song if they know it at all.
Chris: Yeah, it was surprising to see. I was searching for your name on Google, and I thought, "Oh my gosh, that's cool."
Marty: I'm glad she likes my song.
Chris: Yeah, it was very popular. Even though I was in the US, everybody in Korea was singing it. It's awesome.
Marty: That's wonderful to hear. Thank you.
Chris: My first question would be, could you provide us with an introduction to yourself? Can you share the story behind your brand, its history, mission, and values?
Marty: Absolutely. Here's a condensed version of my story. I grew up in Nashville and felt intimidated by all the aspiring musicians trying to break into the industry. Despite secretly harboring a dream of my own, I gave it up because it seemed like a daunting path. Instead, I pursued a degree, worked another job for about ten years, and eventually had an early midlife crisis. It made me realize that I had been working solely for a paycheck, rather than something I was passionate about. I read a book called "What Color Is Your Parachute?" and it helped me discover that songwriting was my true calling.
That's what I really wanted to do. So I started pursuing it, which took about two years to get my foot in the door and another four years to finally have a major song on the radio and gain momentum in my career. Fast forward several years, and Clay Mills and I became co-writers through our publishers' connection. One morning, while having coffee, we discussed a woman we had encountered who had been scammed in Nashville. A fraudulent publisher had charged her $5,000 for two terrible demos and claimed all the publishing rights to her songs. This made us question why such scams existed and the lack of reliable resources for aspiring songwriters who wanted guidance from successful individuals.
As a joke, we proposed the idea of starting a site that would provide honest feedback instead of false praise, offering guidance on how to improve songs. We realized it might be the worst model ever for a business, but we decided to give it a try. We began by writing a daily blog on Facebook, sharing insights on the inner workings of the music industry, tips for enhancing songwriting skills, and why certain opportunities may elude aspiring songwriters. Our goal was to protect people from scams by providing them with knowledge about publishing and when to persevere or let go.
Additionally, we aimed to bring more satisfaction to songwriters by helping them create better songs that truly resonate with listeners. After two years of consistent blogging, people suggested we start teaching classes, acknowledging our ability to impart knowledge effectively. That's when we ventured into online classes, retreats, and various events. Our Facebook following grew, and we realized the need for a website to establish a central hub for our community. It all evolved organically as we discovered our passion for teaching and witnessing our students' progress in achieving their goals. Today, many of our members have written number-one songs on the Texas charts and in Australia.
One of our students was actually nominated for a Grammy last year for Song of the Year with "ABCDEFU." It has been a fantastic experience. We've also had around 16 individuals secure staff writing deals, enabling them to pursue songwriting as a full-time profession. We cater to people at various stages of their songwriting journey. Some simply want to improve as a hobby, while others aspire to build a successful career. We aim to assist individuals with any aspect of their songwriting aspirations.
Chris: That's incredible! So you're providing people with the opportunity to become better professionals.
Marty: Absolutely. We help them understand the workings of the music business and guide them in crafting songs that meet the quality standards for radio play. In the beginning, many of us tend to believe our songs are superior to those on the radio. However, through our guidance, we can help songwriters see areas for improvement. It may involve clearer communication in their lyrics or selecting topics that resonate with listeners. Helping individuals grasp what works and what doesn't work is a significant part of our mission.
Chris: When did you establish SongTown.com? Were there any challenges you faced during its launch, and how did you overcome them?
Marty: Yeah, so we launched the website in 2014.
Chris: Wow.
Marty: Prior to that, we were doing daily blogs from 2012 for a span of two years. Clay, my partner, actually taught himself how to build the initial website since we were songwriters and not tech or business professionals. As we grew, we sought assistance from professionals in those areas. It has been a learning process for us, especially in terms of running a business. We now have around 30 part-time employees, which is a new experience for me since I have just been a songwriter for so long. We have intentionally kept the growth of SongTown relatively small and haven't heavily advertised because we wanted to ensure we could genuinely help people without compromising quality. Our focus has been on serving our members effectively.
Chris: I understand. Could you provide more details about the number of people currently using your services and attending lectures? What strategies have you employed to attract these individuals? You mentioned other platforms, but were there any specific strategies that worked well?
Marty: We've had approximately 25,000 to 30,000 people engage with our classes and website, interacting with our content in some way. At any given time, we have around 1,200 active members on the site. The growth has predominantly been organic. While we did some initial Facebook ads, our current approach involves having a podcast, an active presence on Clubhouse, and several books we've authored. These avenues serve as advertisements, but we prefer organic growth over traditional advertising methods like magazine ads. We focus on creating valuable and helpful resources that genuinely interest us and resonate with our audience, drawing them to the website.
Chris: Got it. That makes sense.
Marty: Additionally, I would like to emphasize that our strategy has been more about people than marketing. Our goal is to honestly help individuals by understanding their goals and assisting them in creating a plan to achieve those goals. Through this approach and the sense of community, they find within our platform, people become loyal to our brand. We aim to guide individuals, assess their current situation, and help them progress towards their desired outcomes. Many people have found this honest and supportive approach appealing, as opposed to relying on hype and flashy marketing tactics.
Chris: Yeah, I understand. So, what are your best-selling products? I see you offer courses, books, clothing, and accessories. Which ones perform the best?
Marty: Well, our most popular course is called "Writing for Recording Artists." In this course, we bring in three recording artists, and every participant has the opportunity to submit a chorus. We interview the artists, who share their preferences, beliefs, and personal style. Each class member then writes a chorus specifically tailored to that artist. The artist chooses one chorus to co-write into a full song. The winner gets the chance to collaborate with the artist, and we even have a song from that class currently being considered for radio. This course is highly sought-after because it provides access to artists that participants wouldn't normally have a chance to work with. Another popular offering is our "edge groups," where participants collaborate with a publisher once a month and receive assignments. If the publisher likes the songs they write, they can pitch those songs and potentially secure cuts. While we don't disclose exact revenue figures, we aim for 15% to 20% annual growth, which has been manageable for us. We love being creative and developing unique classes and experiences that set us apart, although it does present ongoing challenges in meeting our community's needs.
Chris: I see. We have two more questions for you. First, what do you enjoy most about your job and running this business? What keeps you motivated?
Marty: Teaching is what I love most about my job. It not only challenges me to become a better songwriter, but it also allows me to learn from my student's experiences. When I teach others, I often catch mistakes or weaknesses in my own songs, which helps me grow. Additionally, seeing my students go on to receive Grammy nominations or achieve number-one songs brings me immense fulfillment. Another aspect I value is our commitment to paying our collaborators. In the music industry, it's common to encounter situations where people ask you to perform for exposure without compensation. However, we prioritize paying the songwriters we work with, especially during the challenging times of COVID. As an online business, we were able to retain all our employees and even hire more during the pandemic. It has been incredibly rewarding to provide opportunities and financial support to songwriters who may not receive the recognition or compensation they deserve elsewhere. Witnessing their ability to keep pursuing their passion is truly a blessing for us.
Chris: That sounds great. Can you give us a glimpse of any exciting upcoming projects for your brand? What are your goals for this year and the next five years?
Marty: Absolutely! We're currently working on an exciting new class focused on writing for TV, and we're thrilled about it. We have a sync supervisor joining us as a guest instructor, and he works with some of the biggest shows in the industry, offering prime opportunities for aspiring songwriters. Participants in the class will have the chance to showcase their songs to him and receive valuable feedback. It's a project that has us buzzing with anticipation. Additionally, we have our birthday bash coming up on October 14th in Nashville, where we'll be celebrating SongTown's 9th anniversary. We're expecting attendees from all around the world, and it's a special event where we get to meet face-to-face with members we've only interacted with virtually. We're truly excited about that.
Looking ahead to the next five years, our primary goal is to expand our membership base, allowing us to create more diverse and engaging content. To achieve this, we've recently hired three new team members dedicated to content creation. While Clay and I have been the primary contributors thus far, we believe that having a broader range of educators and perspectives will enhance the learning experience for our community. Our aim is to build a roster of approximately 20 to 25 additional educators who can teach on various topics and offer a wider array of classes. However, achieving this objective relies on growing our membership to generate the necessary resources for creating and delivering such content. Increasing our membership base is the focus as we envision a future with an extensive lineup of exceptional teachers and abundant educational content.
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Chris: Understood. I have another question for you. What advice would you give to someone who is starting their own business?
Marty: I believe the key is to prioritize people and service over finances. While having sufficient funds is necessary to keep things running smoothly, we've found that focusing on the well-being of individuals has led to greater growth and opportunities in SongTown. Sometimes, in my experience working with various businesses at events, it becomes evident that they are solely fixated on the bottom line, disregarding the potential to truly support and serve their people. In contrast, our success stems from going the extra mile to cater to our loyal customer base.
Chris: I see. That's excellent advice. That wraps up my questions for today. Marty Elder and I will collaborate on the graphics. We'll share them with you, and I'll email you after this call to request some pictures of you associated with the company or product. We'll include them in the news article.
Marty: Sounds good.
Chris: Also, I can't wait to tell my mom that I met a renowned songwriter.
Marty: Thank you. That's fantastic. It was a pleasure meeting you, Chris.
Chris: Thank you so much. I truly appreciate it.
Marty: You're welcome. Take care. Goodbye.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Marty's advice on prioritizing people and service over finances when starting a business provides valuable insights for aspiring entrepreneurs. Marty's emphasis on the importance of nurturing relationships and going the extra mile to serve customers resonates with the success story of SongTown. By highlighting the potential pitfalls of solely focusing on the bottom line, Marty encourages a customer-centric approach that fosters growth and loyalty.
To explore more about Songtown, please visit their official website at https://songtown.com. Stay connected with the latest updates,by following Songtown on social media:
