Frequently Asked Questions

Established in 1967, NSAI is a 501(c) 6 not-for-profit trade association that offers a variety of services to professional and aspiring songwriters. Our founding mission was to operate as a legislative advocacy group on behalf of songwriters, which we still do today. Our organization fights for songwriter’s rights – the right to be paid, to be taxed fairly, to be recognized, and to protect the future of the profession of songwriting. We are also an educational organization. NSAI teaches writers about the craft of writing, providing education and guidance on the songwriting process. We listen to your songs! We also aim to nurture aspiring writers, navigating them through the music industry and how it works, all while providing opportunities to network with and learn from music industry professionals.

We have two options for a membership with NSAI, an annual 12 month membership, and a monthly subscription membership:

An annual NSAI membership costs $225 per year* (12 months from the date you join**). This NSAI membership is includes starter credits for all NSAI services: including 12 song evaluation credits, 2 one-on-one mentoring session credits,2 online pitch credits, and 1 online song feedback credit. Also included: Access to an an expansive video library, in-person song pitch and feedback opportunities, free bookings for our writing rooms, and much more. 

A monthly subscription membership is $17.50/month* (auto-renews each month***) and includes access to book our writing rooms, all online educational resources such as the video library, and access to the member community and contact database. It includes 1 Song Evaluation Credit, and additional service credits can be purchased at a discounted cost to ‘build your own’ experience!

* All first-time membership accounts, whether annual or the monthly subscription, will incur a one-time $25 startup fee. Continued memberships will not incur this fee, and there is a 90 day grace period after membership expiration to renew without incurring a new startup fee. If you are continuing an existing membership, $25 will be discounted for an annual cost of $200. A monthly payment plan is also available with a 1-year commitment at $20/month. 

** All annual memberships purchased, whether paid in full or split into multiple payments, are an annual commitment and are non-refundable.

***To cancel your monthly membership subscription, 30 days notice is required and you must call 800-321-6008 to process your cancellation.

Nearly all NSAI services are available online including pitch and feedback opportunities, song evaluations, mentor sessions, livestreamed workshops, the online video library, etc. If you are a member that lives outside of Nashville where we are located, we do our best to provide as equal access as possible for you. Additionally, NSAI has 100+ regional chapters who meet routinely and can provide a local group of songwriters to learn and develop with!

We have plenty of members who don’t play an instrument but they “play the ballpoint pen.” A membership with NSAI is a great resource to connect with those songwriters for collaborating and co-writing. Searching our Member Community allows you to find collaborators in your area based on search criteria you input. NSAI as an organization does not contribute to song creation in any way, we merely support and guide the makers! We encourage you to find a co-writer to help you with the musical portion of your song.

NSAI does not set up co-writer appointments, however, many NSAI members find co-writers through our various local workshops, the community discussion chats, and our special events. In your own hometown, seek out co-writers from music stores, teachers, music venues, churches, recording studios and your local NSAI chapter. Another great way to find a co-writer is by searching our Member Community. You can search the directory for other members who may be interested in co-writing, as well as their genre and what instruments they play.  A helpful hint in finding a great co-writer is listing what kind of writer you are and what kind of music you write on your Member Profile so other members can seek you out as well!  

NSAI does not operate as a broker for the selling of songs and you technically don’t sell songs. InsteadInstead, songs earn royalties after they are recorded. You can learn this and much more through the “NSAI Certification Program” available online to our members. NSAI membership can be a tool for obtaining legitimate publishing opportunities through networking and various programs and events. Publishing companies are interested in songs that provide an income stream through royalties. Your song will not have a substantial income stream unless it has been recorded by a major artist and has received radio airplay. Once your song is earning an income, a publisher may be interested in your song or perhaps your entire catalog of songs, and then this would require a contractual agreement.

Getting your songs published through a successful publishing company is a process; a series of steps that requires knowledge and preparation. Focus on writing the best songs you can, getting better at your craft, learn all you can about the music business, and plug yourself into the songwriting and music industry community. Due to legal issues, publishers cannot take unsolicited material, material from someone they don’t know or that they didn’t request. Publishers do have their own staff writers and the only other sources that they will take songs from are known or legitimate sources like NSAI. The first steps simplified would be to: 1) Join NSAI 2) Join one of the performing rights organizations (ASCAP/BMI/SESAC/GMR) 3) Invest in music business books that deal with publishing to get acquainted with how it works. Publishers will require complete songs (words and music). Make certain that when you get an opportunity to play your song for a publisher, your song is complete and competitive in the marketplace.

NSAI is not a song pitching company and we cannot get songs to artists, however, many of our members’ songs are presented on a quarterly basis to major publishers and A&R label representatives through our NSAI Song Evaluation service and on our Top 40 Page. The Top 40 Page is made up of songs we hear through our various services and industry representatives are encouraged to listen to those songs for possible placements or familiarity with the writer. Your NSAI membership legally allows us to listen to your song, play your song, and promote your song if your song is ready to go to market. Note: We NEVER own any rights to your music, we simply help share!

NSAI has many artist-writers as members. Some get an artist deal because of the exposure we offer to them and their music. Keep in mind, however, that we are song-focused. Writer development and artist development are two different approaches to the music business. Becoming an artist involves a lot of networking with both industry professionals and other fellow artists. Many of our members are performing artist focused and join to take advantage of our services to help them strengthen their writing. After all, it all begins with a song!

Many professional songwriters do not copyright songs until they begin earning income. The reason is both cost and time involved.  Non-professionals often copyright their songs due to fear of infringement (their songs being stolen). Again, this can be expensive, but if it makes you feel comfortable, you can always exercise that option by visiting www.copyright.gov.

The primary role of a Performing Rights Organization (PRO) is to collect and distribute performance royalties on your behalf. Each PRO - ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, GMR, has “membership representatives” that assist songwriters and composers who are trying to become professionals. Once you have competitive songs that may begin earning income, you will want to research the PROs and each of their contracts as they are each a little different. Which one is best for a particular writer is unique. 

There are a lot of great songs out there and songwriting is incredibly competitive. Publishers are looking for types of songs that they don’t already have in their catalog, or songs already earning income. Many top publishers are not looking for songs at all—they are looking for songwriters. The more that you utilize our services such as song evaluations and pitch events, as well as our in-person workshops,  you will be able to get multiple opinions. Making relationships organically will typically be more beneficial to you than setting up one meeting where you have 5 minutes to impress. The more you utilize your NSAI services and stay on our radar and the radar of those music industry members who work with us, the more likely you are to EARN a fruitful publisher meeting. Success in the music industry should be viewed as a marathon, not a sprint.

Contact an entertainment attorney. You should never sign anything without having it examined by an attorney. There are some services that offer reduced rate legal advice when needed.  One example would be the Volunteer Lawyers for Performing Arts (VLPA). 

For anything NSAI related, unless otherwise specified, a clean guitar-vocal or piano-vocal is what we encourage because a writer is more apt to rewrite or tweak a song if they haven’t invested hundreds of dollars into a demo. You should always seek multiple opinions on the song via evaluations, etc. before considering investing in a full-band demo to determine whether the song is competitive enough to warrant the expense. Professional songwriters don’t demo every song they write and the ones they do demo are the ones they know their publishers will want to pitch. Great songs are going to stand out regardless of the demo.

While it would be a great learning experience for you, getting co-writes with professionals is not easy. It takes time, networking, writing at the top of your game and exposure. Most hit writers found their co-writers before any of them had hits. Co-writing is like dating. There has to be some chemistry to really produce a good product. It is important to make relationships with potential co-writers before getting in a room to write. It is important to find people who you click with and write great songs with.

You can update any credit card information by visiting your member profile, locating payment information, and following the steps for adding/updating your payment method.  

Of course if any additional assistance is needed please feel free to call the NSAI office at 615-256-3354. 

WHAT TIME DO WORKSHOPS START?

We open the doors at 5:15 and allow members half an hour to network with each other before the event starts at 5:45. 

CAN I COME LATE OR LEAVE EARLY? 

Yes! We understand that our members have a lot of obligations like work and school. If you can’t be here on time, please still come. If you have to leave early, it’s no problem either. 

WHAT SHOULD I BRING?

Yourself! We can't wait to see you. For Pro Teacher and Guest Speaker nights feel free to bring anything you would like to take notes on. For Song Feedback and Pitch nights, bring your song on your phone to be plugged into the speaker system or on a CD and TWO copies of your lyric sheet. If you do not have a printer, please email your lyrics to [email protected] 

I JUST WANT TO CHECK OUT THE WORKSHOPS AND SIT IN ON A PITCH NIGHT OR SONG FEEDBACK NIGHT, BUT DON'T WANT TO PLAY A SONG. IS THAT OK?

Absolutely! This is a great way to listen to material from other members and find out who could be your next co-writer! 

CAN I BRING A GUEST?

Yes, guests are allowed up to two visits free of charge. 

CAN I GIVE THE SPEAKER/SONGWRITER/PUBLISHER/GUEST A CD?

We always want our guests to feel comfortable and definitely do not want them to feel pressured when they come to NSAI. For these reasons, we do not allow members to give our guests any material unless they are asked for it. 

WHO CAN I CONTACT ABOUT INFORMATION REGARDING WORKSHOPS?

[email protected]

Members receive unlimited attendance to our Weekly Nashville Workshops.  We kick off every Tuesday evening at 5:45pm CT, with doors opening at 5:15pm CT, excluding announced holiday dates.  Workshops take place at NSAI's Headquarters, located at 1710 Roy Acuff Place, Nashville, TN 37203, unless otherwise stated.  The Weekly Nashville workshops are a great place to learn from individuals involved in all aspects of the music industry as well as connect with fellow NSAI members.  

Questions?  Click here for FAQs, give us a call at 800.321.6008, or email [email protected].

WHAT IS GUEST SPEAKER NIGHT?

Our Guest Speaker Nights are presented by Sony Music Publishing and we host guests ranging from songwriters to other music industry professionals to speak.  This is a casual, laid back hour where the guest will talk about their journey in the music industry and allow members to ask questions.  These last 50 minutes and will broadcast live at 5:45pm CT. 

*Workshops will be archived in our video library 2 weeks after broadcast. 

WHAT IS PITCH NIGHT?

Pitch night is our busiest workshop each month.  Members are able to pitch one original song directly to a music industry professional on Music Row.  These events are "pass" or "take a copy" sessions and publishers are not required to give feedback (although many of them will).  We only play a VERSE and a CHORUS of each song unless the publisher asks to hear more.  We limit our pitch nights to 50 members.