Song Pluggers Essay

Before a time of instant downloads and ¬¬internet ads to promote new music, record labels and song promoters had to find a way to expose their music to the public in order to make a profit. Tin Pan Alley was a street in Manhattan, New York, that was home to songwriters and publishers whose pianos playing through open windows sounded like tin pans ringing out. In the Tin Alley sheet music industry, song pluggers were hired by publishers to spread their sheet music to potential performers. In those days, multiple people held the jobs listed above. However, today, it is not uncommon today for an individual person to be in charge of them all.
Song pluggers, individuals who were musicians and hired by publishers or independent artists, were used in the early 20th century. They were hired to promote new music to potential clients. The song pluggers, also referred to as ‘contact men’, were usually vocalists or pianists (or sometimes both) and received work through
Today, it is not uncommon for the songwriter and performer to be the same person. Well-known musicians in today’s industry, such as Ben Howard and Ed Sheeran, have had great success in writing and performing their own music. They have not had to split the jobs of singing and songwriting; rather, they have embraced both. While the songwriter/performer and publisher can be the same person, typically the songwriter today will work with a publishing company to promote their music. The Internet has also made it easier for an independent artist to promote their own music themselves without the need of an outside publishing company. Websites like YouTube and Twitter make promoting an independent artist’s work much easier. Since the independent artist does not receive as much attention from listeners as a mainstream artist, they can self-promote their