Songwriter’s Pitch-a-Thon: A Mix of Past and Present

The process of pitching songs has changed a lot over the years. In the days of Tin Pan Alley, song pluggers would talk their way into agents’ and labels’ offices with briefcases filled with sheet music. Today, digital marketplaces are springing up for songwriters looking to place their songs wherever they can – in performers’ hands, in advertisements, video games, film and TV, and more. And if you live in New York City, the Songwriter’s Pitch-a-Thon of New York, or SPONY, offers something in between.

Founded by longtime songwriter Joy Novie in 2007, SPONY gives songwriters a monthly opportunity to put their songs in front of A&R executives, music supervisors at advertising agencies, publishers, and more. Past SPONY events have been hosted by ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC, and Novie’s managed to assemble a very impressive array of panelists to evaluate the songs submitted by songwriters.

The actual pitching, a surreal process that’s part Gong Show, part peer workshop, and part auction, consists of playing the submitted songs on a stereo for the panelists as well as the songwriters. At the front of the room, the panelists are seated at a table, and each has a bell that they can ring when they’ve heard enough of a song to decide whether they can use it or not. Once all three panelists have rung their bells, the song is stopped, and the panelists indicate whether they are interested in using the song.

The process can seem slightly cruel (seeing all three panelists mash down their bells within seconds is never fun), but the upshot of this process is two-fold. Songwriters can hear the work of their peers, and if they’re intrigued, they can literally reach out to them afterward about collaborating. “I’m very proud of how many songwriting teams have been formed from the networking done at the event,” Novie says.

If SPONY is limited to New York-based songwriters (though Novie, who once held a similar event in Los Angeles, is considering taking the show on the road), the face time each participant has with his peers gives it a distinct advantage over digital competitors like Taxi and Broadjam. “My research has shown that the songwriters who attend SPONY like the idea of meeting the panelists and each other,” Novie says. “I bring the personal interaction element into the picture.”

This allows songwriters to get advice and insights into particular kinds of songs. Often, the panelists attend SPONY events looking out for specific kinds of songs that they have in mind for particular campaigns or projects. And though these are never disclosed, it becomes apparent fairly quickly what they are in the market for.

Shamita Carriman, an entertainment attorney that also scouts music for licensing in film, television, and advertisement who served as a panelist at the most recent SPONY event, said, “the first thing I look for is the production quality of the song, and whether it was properly mastered. Next I gauge the lyrics, and if they start early on in the song. Finally, I try to see whether or not  the song would be a good fit for different needs.

“For film and television, I try to find songs that speak to unique situations and emotions either in sound or lyrics, or both. For advertisement, I generally look for songs that are upbeat with a good energy.”

At Carriman’s event in particular, of the 12 songs that received interest from the panelists, all of them were poppy. They spanned multiple genres – club rap to country music, mall punk to electro – but none of them were unusual, and none of them were slow. A look at the long list of success stories (i.e. placements) bears Carriman’s words out, too.

The next SPONY event is scheduled to take place in late July, and Novie says she’s considering holding an online version in the fall. Click here to RSVP for July’s event, and check out the highlights of their past online events below.

Tagged as: events, pitching, SPONY