https://liminl.music/journal/ Songwriting craft and music marketing notes from liminl. en-nz Thu, 04 Jun 2026 07:48:22 +0000 https://liminl.music/journal/streaming-sincerity/ https://liminl.music/journal/streaming-sincerity/ Wed, 20 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Streaming didn't kill sincerity in music — it industrialised it. How platform incentives turned genuine vulnerability into content, and why real expression still survives. https://liminl.music/journal/music-publishing/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-publishing/ Mon, 18 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most songwriters register with a PRO without knowing what they're registering for. Here's how publishing rights work, what a publisher does, and when to self-publish. https://liminl.music/journal/co-writing-split-sheet/ https://liminl.music/journal/co-writing-split-sheet/ Sun, 17 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most co-writers skip the split sheet because it feels like distrust. It's the opposite — here's what goes in one and how to bring it up. https://liminl.music/journal/outro/ https://liminl.music/journal/outro/ Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 The outro is the last impression your song makes. Most are either skipped or overextended. Here's what it does, when to use one, and how to write it. https://liminl.music/journal/write-about-furniture/ https://liminl.music/journal/write-about-furniture/ Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most lyrics describe the emotion. The best ones describe the room it lives in — one object doing the work of a paragraph. https://liminl.music/journal/second-verse/ https://liminl.music/journal/second-verse/ Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most second verses repeat the first from a different angle. A second verse that works advances the situation — here's what that means and how to write it. https://liminl.music/journal/how-to-finish-a-song/ https://liminl.music/journal/how-to-finish-a-song/ Sun, 03 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most unfinished songs aren't stuck for lack of inspiration — one section isn't doing its job. Here's how to diagnose which part is broken and fix it. https://liminl.music/journal/chord-progressions/ https://liminl.music/journal/chord-progressions/ Sat, 02 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Chord progressions aren't patterns to copy — they're managing tension. Here's what the most useful progressions are actually doing, and how to choose one that serves the song. https://liminl.music/journal/spotify-verified-badge/ https://liminl.music/journal/spotify-verified-badge/ Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Spotify just launched a "Verified by Spotify" badge. Here's what the criteria reveal about how the platform sees human artists — and what to do about it. https://liminl.music/journal/promote-new-song/ https://liminl.music/journal/promote-new-song/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Promoting a new song isn't announcing it — it's making people want to find it. Here's how the mechanics differ before release, on release day, and after. https://liminl.music/journal/music-release-checklist/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-release-checklist/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most release checklists start at release day. This one starts 8 weeks out — where the decisions that actually determine whether a release builds traction are made. https://liminl.music/journal/music-release-strategy/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-release-strategy/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most indie artists treat a release as a day. It's a campaign with a defined shape. Here's what the timeline looks like — and what actually determines whether it builds traction. https://liminl.music/journal/find-your-sound/ https://liminl.music/journal/find-your-sound/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Your sound isn't invented — it's already present in patterns across your work. Here's how to recognise it, make it consistent, and turn it into identity. https://liminl.music/journal/artist-bio/ https://liminl.music/journal/artist-bio/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Your artist bio isn't a writing problem — it's a positioning problem. Here's what a bio is actually for, the three formats, the three failure modes, and what works. https://liminl.music/journal/artist-identity/ https://liminl.music/journal/artist-identity/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Artist identity isn't genre or aesthetics — it's the emotional territory only you can own. Here's how to define it across sonic, lyrical, and contextual dimensions. https://liminl.music/journal/streaming-royalties/ https://liminl.music/journal/streaming-royalties/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Spotify's royalty pool is zero-sum. Every AI track uploaded shrinks your slice. Here's why streaming pays less each year — and what to do instead. https://liminl.music/journal/chorus/ https://liminl.music/journal/chorus/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most choruses describe the same feeling the verse already showed. A chorus that works pays off the stakes built before it — here's what that means. https://liminl.music/journal/melody/ https://liminl.music/journal/melody/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Melody makes a second emotional argument alongside the words. Here's what that means for contour, top notes, and why rhythm matters more than pitch. https://liminl.music/journal/song-endings/ https://liminl.music/journal/song-endings/ Wed, 22 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most songs don't end — they stop or fade by default. Here's what a real ending does, when each type works, and how to write one that lands. https://liminl.music/journal/sync-licensing-guide/ https://liminl.music/journal/sync-licensing-guide/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 How sync licensing actually works — rights, money, supervisors, and how independent artists get their music into TV, film, and advertising. https://liminl.music/journal/what-is-sync-licensing/ https://liminl.music/journal/what-is-sync-licensing/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Sync licensing explained without the jargon: what a sync fee is, who collects it, and how your music ends up in TV, film, advertising, and games. https://liminl.music/journal/sync-ready-music/ https://liminl.music/journal/sync-ready-music/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Music supervisors reject most submissions for craft reasons, not business ones. Here's what makes a track hold a scene — and what kills a placement before it starts. https://liminl.music/journal/music-supervisor-pitch/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-supervisor-pitch/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most pitches to music supervisors are ignored for preventable reasons. Here's what supervisors actually need — and how to get a track in front of the right person. https://liminl.music/journal/music-distribution/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-distribution/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Choosing a distributor is the easy part. Metadata, pre-saves, and release timing are where most indie releases lose traction before they start. https://liminl.music/journal/music-social-media/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-social-media/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube Shorts each work differently. Here's what actually drives growth on each platform — and how to build a posting rhythm you can sustain. https://liminl.music/journal/how-to-write-a-song/ https://liminl.music/journal/how-to-write-a-song/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most first songs fail not because the writer lacks talent, but because they start in the wrong place. Here's what to do first — and in what order. https://liminl.music/journal/spotify-playlist-pitch/ https://liminl.music/journal/spotify-playlist-pitch/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most artists treat playlist pitching as a numbers game. Here's how the two systems — editorial and independent — actually work, and what makes a pitch land. https://liminl.music/journal/why-nobody-cares-about-your-music/ https://liminl.music/journal/why-nobody-cares-about-your-music/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 People don't ignore your music because it's bad — they ignore it because it lacks signal, context, and a reason to care. Here's the real problem. https://liminl.music/journal/ai-music-flood/ https://liminl.music/journal/ai-music-flood/ Sun, 19 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 AI won't kill music — it will drown it in average. Here's what the coming flood means for independent artists and why taste, identity, and signal are the new advantages. https://liminl.music/journal/parts-of-a-song/ https://liminl.music/journal/parts-of-a-song/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Verse, chorus, pre-chorus, bridge — most writers know the names. Here's what each section is actually for, and the specific job it has in making a song move. https://liminl.music/journal/tiktok-music-promotion/ https://liminl.music/journal/tiktok-music-promotion/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 TikTok is still the only platform where follower count is irrelevant — a new account can reach 100k people with the right video. Here's how to do it without going cringe. https://liminl.music/journal/spotify-streams-organically/ https://liminl.music/journal/spotify-streams-organically/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most Spotify growth advice is built around fake numbers. Here's how the algorithm actually works — and what drives real, organic stream growth. https://liminl.music/journal/promote-your-music/ https://liminl.music/journal/promote-your-music/ Fri, 17 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most indie artists don’t have a promotion problem — they have a clarity problem. A step-by-step map of what actually moves the needle. https://liminl.music/journal/music-marketing/ https://liminl.music/journal/music-marketing/ Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most indie artists skip strategy and go straight to tactics. This guide covers brand, fanbase, sync, and analytics — in the order they actually matter. https://liminl.music/journal/bridge/ https://liminl.music/journal/bridge/ Tue, 14 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most bridges are just a break from the chorus. A bridge that works shifts what the final chorus means when it returns — here’s what that requires. https://liminl.music/journal/verse/ https://liminl.music/journal/verse/ Wed, 08 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A verse's only job is to build stakes the chorus can pay off. Here's why most verses stay flat — and what to build into them instead. https://liminl.music/journal/co-writing/ https://liminl.music/journal/co-writing/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most co-writing advice is about logistics. Here’s what actually determines whether a session works — and what to do when it isn’t. https://liminl.music/journal/pre-chorus/ https://liminl.music/journal/pre-chorus/ Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most songs don’t fail in the chorus — they fail right before it. Here’s what a pre-chorus actually does, and how to write one that makes the chorus unavoidable. https://liminl.music/journal/what-makes-a-hook/ https://liminl.music/journal/what-makes-a-hook/ Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 A hook isn’t a clever line — it’s a line that compresses the whole song into one moment. Here’s what that compression actually looks like in practice. https://liminl.music/journal/generic-lyrics/ https://liminl.music/journal/generic-lyrics/ Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most generic lyrics fail the same way: they describe the feeling instead of the scene. Here's how to write lines that feel specific to one person. https://liminl.music/journal/song-moments/ https://liminl.music/journal/song-moments/ Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 Most songs loop well but go nowhere. What separates movement from repetition — and the specific decisions that give a song direction. https://liminl.music/journal/scene-test/ https://liminl.music/journal/scene-test/ Sun, 22 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000 If a listener can't picture where your song is happening, you're writing atmosphere, not story. The scene test reveals whether your lyric earns its feeling.