Video: The Breakdown – Building a loyal fanbase

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday March 2nd, 2021

Words & Music is pleased to extend its helpful “how-to” series for our members, “The Breakdown,” into the realm of short, question-and-answer videos.

 In this episode, former SOCAN Editor in Chief Howard Druckman talks with grandson (aka Jordan Benjamin), who won the 2019 SOCAN Songwriting Prize for co-writing (and performing) “Blood//Water.” The song, whose hard rock and social comment is typical of grandson’s approach, was also certified Gold in the U.K., and Platinum in the U.S. and Canada. His single “Apologize” reached the Top Five on the Billboard Canadian Rock Chart , while “Dirty” was Top 10, and also reached No. 11 on the Billboard U.S. Alternative Chart. He’s toured with Smashing Pumpkins; worked with his early heroes Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park and Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine; and performed on Late Night with Seth Myers.

Our question for him this time is about building a loyal fanbase.

Photo by courtesy of / courtoisie de Martin Véronneau

Video: The Breakdown – Radio Tracking – The Right Approach

Story by Eric Parazelli | Thursday March 4th, 2021

Words & Music is pleased to extend its helpful “how-to” series for our members, “The Breakdown,” into the realm of short, question-and-answer videos.

Obviously, an emerging artist doesn’t always have the budget to pay a radio tracker to help them conquer the airwaves, but it is possible to directly solicit radio programmers.

With these tips from Martin Véronneau, radio tracker at Local 9, you’ll have more tools to convince them to play your song.

Photo by courtesy of/courtoisie de Martin Véronneau

Video: The Breakdown – “What Is radio tracking? And how much does it cost?”

Story by Eric Parazelli | Monday March 1st, 2021

Words & Music is pleased to extend its run of helpful “how-to” items for our members, with “The Breakdown,” a series of short, question-and-answer videos.

Creating a great song isn’t a goal in and of itself; it’s the beginning of the next stage in that song’s life cycle. The goal, obviously, is for people to hear it. Radio is still a medium of choice to make a song a hit, and a radio tracker can help turn a well-written song into that hit.

When does an artist need a radio tracker? What are the services they offer, and what are the associated costs? Martin Véronneau, a radio tracker for Local9, answers our questions.