Stop Writing ‘Transactional’ Songs and Start Making Legacy Hits

Dear Songwriters,

I’m sending out this open letter to address something I’ve been observing and hearing a lot lately.

In the words of one of my creative publishing mentors, Steve Lindsey: “Hate me now and love me later.” Alternatively, “Love me now and hate me later.” This means I’m going to say what I think is important—even if you don’t like it. You’ll appreciate my candor later when you’re cashing meaningful Billboard Hot 100 checks with meaningful songs (including the ones that get you on the dance floor).

In my opinion, we’re getting far too many of what I call “transactional” songs. Simply put, a “transactional” song is one that’s clearly written to make money.

It may or may not be counterintuitive – because you’re a “professional” songwriter after all, right?

But to quote Quincy Jones, “God walks out of the room when you do music for money.”

“God walks out of the room when you do music for money.” – Quincy Jones

Now, surely when Quincy and Michael Jackson were making the “Thriller” album—yes, I’m sure they were probably hearing dollar signs knocking on their bank accounts. However, every song on that album was also what I would call “song art” and high-pop “songcraft.”

I’ll put it another way: if you’re starting to write a song—or you’re in a session—and it’s coming from a place of “writing to make money,” especially if it sounds as though AI could have written it (e.g., Suno or Udio), please stop immediately and start over.

Write a song that means something to you, whether it’s a “get on the dance floor” record or about a broken heart. A question you should ask yourself is – do I have a real connection to what I’m writing right now – or could I care less and I really just want some money for rent. And look – I get it, there’s a necessity for that as well. However that’s not the mindset of how the biggest hit makers are showing up in their sessions – they’re going for home runs and “song art.”

 

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This mindset is critical because soon, anyone—literally anyone—will be able to pump out these “transactional” songs using AI. In fact, I’m sure that’s happening now.

I want to emphasize the seriousness of this. Looking ahead a few years, traditional “professional songwriting” jobs are already gone in this lane. In fact, I just pulled a publishing offer I was working on because the songs were just coming in too “transactional.”

You’re going to shine and make seven figures a year by writing songs that AI can’t make (for now).

Yes, now, I know it’s possible that your publisher or manager can place and secure recordings for some of these “transactional” songs. However, even if these songs are released (and featured on a “New Music Something” playlist), it’s very likely that no one will truly care about them in 6 to 18 months.

In other words – most writers and artists are making songs for the proverbial DSP wasteland.

In fact, I’m just coming back from China, and the “TikTok” platform there, Douyin, has music artists whose “smash hits” don’t even last more than a month!

Also, as reminder, if you’re aiming for the US market (which you should), you need to please skew more toward culturally standing for something that cool, alternative, Afrobeat, edgier music, meaningful lyrics, hip hop, R&B, and new classics of high level of song art. Including songs that sound different, where you can ideally also create a new narrative for a key artist and make the A&R person look like a genius. In my opinion.

Also, how about this: write the kinds of songs that got you hooked on songwriting in the first place!

It’s crucial to remember and this is a key part of my open letter: there is NO LEGACY in writing “transactional” songs, and these generally will never become copyrights, which is the game we’re in.

To clarify with another example: “Toxic” by Britney Spears is what I consider both song art and songcraft. It also happens to have earned a ton of royalties because the song is just so damn good. In fact, there are probably 1,000+ solid covers of this song (despite “Toxic” apparently not even being considered for Britney’s album at one point).

In other words, it’s a modern copyrighted work.

On the other hand, anyone (and I mean anyone) these days can write a “transactional” song (there are literally thousands being pumped out every day by your colleagues).

Songs uploaded daily to the DSPs

Only you, if you choose to, can create the next piece of songcraft or song art—the perennial song, the lasting copyright.

Whatever that means to you.

I probably haven’t said this before—perhaps I just assumed it—so I’m saying it here now.

While I like royalties and recouping deals, I am NOT interested in “transactional” songs. I can’t have passive royalty income (nor can you) in 5, 10 and ideally 20 years plus, based on “transactional” writing (or what our friend Jesse Thomas calls “fluff” songs).

To be clear, writing ‘transactional’ songs is not your job, and it also won’t work for you in the future.

Our collective interest is in creating song art and songcraft—songs that should consequently become hits, copyrights, masterpieces, legacies.

I need more songs written solely for the LOVE OF WRITING SONGS (or pop music, etc.) rather than for the LOVE OF MONEY or PAYING RENT (and I get it to – the rent is too damn high and it does need to get paid somehow).

But I want to be clear. There’s a huge deception at play when it comes to these types of songs i.e., the “let’s-write-a-song-so-I-can-pay-my-rent” type. I need to be crystal clear that these types of songs are NOT your targets. Because a) they won’t be able to pay your rent in one to two years (especially with AI), and b) they certainly won’t be worth anything in five years.

We need more songs right now where the target is writing the Grammy Song of the Year—not something “transactional.”

Grammy Song of the Year winners – even though no one’s ever heard that Bonnie Raitt song. What?

So, even if you’re writing something and thinking of big artists that are selling huge and doing major streams but might be considered “transient,” the song still needs to have the highest level of songcraft, song art, and excitement possible.

In summary, please:

Target the highest song art and songcraft you can and tap into that vibrant, exciting part of you that got you into this business in the first place—whatever that is.

There’s no future (now or in the coming years) in making “transactional” songs.

Lastly, here are some additional supportive articles to set you up for the right inspiration:

The world is your oyster when you do the opposite.

Yours,

Benjamin

Photo credits:
Vanguard Audio Labs, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Los Angeles Times, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons