“I’ve always been asked throughout my career, how do you write a hit song? How do you break into the music industry? And I've always wanted to write a book about it..."
Ever wondered what it takes to write a hit song? Or wanted to understand more about how the music industry actually works?
In It's Not Just A Song, GRAMMY and BRIT-nominated Irish singer-songwriter RuthAnne Cunningham pulls back the curtain on the coveted world of songwriting, and provides a practical guide to writing hit songs and navigating the music industry.
With over 12 billion streams to her name having written songs for artists including Diana Ross, One Direction, Niall Horan, John Legend, Britney Spears, and many more, RuthAnne has written this book as the guide she wished she had when she first broke into the industry aged 17.
Discover what actually goes into writing a hit song, from what happens in a writing room and how to navigate it, to how songs develop from an initial idea to a fully-formed track. Learn about how musicians and songwriters are paid through easy-to-understand explanations of royalties, contracts, deals, and revenue streams. Set out in clear chapters for easy reference, It's Not Just A Song guides you through topics like choosing the best manager, finding collaborators and building and maintaining relationships in the industry.
It's Not Just A Song offers unprecedented access to the inner workings of professional songwriting, including some of the pitfalls and challenges songwriters can face. As RuthAnne emphasises in her introduction, "There is nothing without the song. Songwriters are the foundation upon which the entire music industry is built. Without songwriters, there is just silence." This book arrives at a crucial moment for the songwriting community, following the Ivors Academy's recent successful campaign securing per diems and vital rights protections for songwriters.
Yet despite its candid examination of the industry’s challenges, the book's greatest strength lies in RuthAnne's infectious passion for songwriting. Her obsession with the craft since she was 7 years old, the joy and fulfilment she derives from it, and the incredible places it has taken her shine through on every page. With its mix of honest advice and practical tips you can try out straight away, this book is guaranteed to motivate readers to start their next creative project as soon as they put it down.
The book is not just from RuthAnne's perspective. She draws on the wisdom of her peers who include some of the biggest names in songwriting today, and shares their advice through exclusive interviews. Interviewees include Amy Allen (Sabrina Carpenter, Harry Styles, Tate McRae, Selena Gomez, Halsey) Steph Jones (Sabrina Carpenter, Selena Gomez, Blackpink) Dan Wilson (Adele, Dixie Chicks), John Ryan (Olivia Dean, Sabrina Carpenter, One Direction), Amy Wadge (Ed Sheeran, Camila Cabello) Jon Shave (Charli XCX, Iggy Azalea, Lili Peep) and Emily Warren (Dua Lipa, The Chainsmokers). Through these interviews, RuthAnne shares the unheard stories behind some of the biggest hit songs of the 21st century, from Adele's anthemic 'Someone Like You', to Ed Sheeran's 'Thinking Out Loud'.
It's Not Just A Song is an empowering companion for any aspiring artist and a must-read for anyone wanting to break into the music industry.
“I’ve always been asked throughout my career, how do you write a hit song? How do you break into the music industry? And I’ve always wanted to write a book about it because there’s just so much I have learned over the last twenty years being a professional songwriter. It’s truly the book I wish I had. I had a global hit at 19yrs old, and was thrust into a very complex industry with absolutely no knowledge. I realised when writing this book how much I’d taken in, experienced and learned, and I want to pass that down. No matter what level of songwriting you’re at, this book is for you. It has all the insights and wisdom not just from me, but from the biggest and best songwriter/producer/artists in the world today, and will really give you all the best tools and advice to make a long successful career in music. It really is not JUST a song."
– RuthAnne
What's inside?
Chapter 1: The 10,000 Hours
Chapter 2: Songwriter Speed Dating
Chapter 3: Top 10 'Rules' of Hitmaking
Chapter 4: Breaking the Rules: The Exceptions'
Chapter 5: The Psychology of a Writing Room
Chapter 6: The Art of Staying Inspired
Chapter 7: Production
Chapter 8: Sampling
Chapter 9: The Boys' Club
Chapter 10: Bad Deals vs Good Deals
Chapter 11: How Do We Get Paid? Music Royalties Explained
Chapter 12: The Best Piece of Advice I Ever Got...
Chapter 13: What's Next? 10 Steps to Success
Chapter 14: Inspirational Quotes
Plus extra songwriter stories and a glossary of industry terms at the back.
It's Not Just A Song is out now in Paperback, with audiobook and eBook coming soon.