Listening to her energetic and addictive melodies, Hit Song Science isn’t the only one predicting sweeping success for young singer/songwriter Sarah Solovay.
Solovay fell in love with music at the age of six and in over a decade she has built an impressive resume for herself in the New York music scene. Solovay’s “Gone” won the 2008 New York Songwriters Circle’s “Young Songwriters Award” and is a finalist in the International Songwriters Competition.
Solovay has also been interviewed and featured on and TeenVogue.com and even the Tinder-like adult app Fuck Local.
Solovay’s “Hearts Collide” was featured in a March 2010 episode of a major prime-time drama on the CW, 90210, was highlighted at the end of the episode as a spotlighted song, and was placed on the season’s soundtrack alongside major acts like Owl City, JET and OK Go.
The drama typically averages between 1.5 – 2 million viewers, and its premier in 2008 broke the CW’s record for being the highest-rated scripted debut in the network’s history with 4.7 million viewers.
uPlaya.com: Tell us about the moment you decided you wanted to become a musician.
Sarah Solovay: There was never an epiphany moment for me, when I knew I had to be a singer/songwriter. In a sense, it’s something I’ve known all along.
uPlaya.com: I see that one of your songs, “Hearts Collide”, was placed on the soundtrack for a major drama on the CW, can you tell us a little more about that experience?
Sarah Solovay: I was so excited when I heard that they wanted to use the song because I have been watching the show from the start. It’s my guilty pleasure show. When they wanted to use it, they flew me out to L.A. and I got to go to the set and meet some of the actors. It was a total out-of-body experience. Even just watching the show while my song was on it was crazy. They used it perfectly, and I’m so grateful that they wanted it.
uPlaya.com: Has your music been licensed for other opportunities?
Sarah Solovay: I have been! My song is going to be in an upcoming film, “The Hole” directed by Joe Dante (Gremlins, The ‘burbs, Twilight Zone: The Movie). I also wrote the theme song for the Web TV Show, BFF. My song, “Gone,” is going to be used in an upcoming show starring Rob Corddry (Old School, Failure to Launch, The Heartbreak Kid, W., Hot Tub Time Machine). Conde Nast’s Teen Vogue used “All She Could Be” for photo shoot of Dakota Fanning, which was really cool too … It was thrilling … since I’m a big fan of her work. I’m always looking for ways to put my music out there into the world, so things like the teen.com and teenvogue.com pieces are magic to me.
uPlaya.com: Why did you decide to use uPlaya.com?
Sarah Solovay: I read about uPlaya from someone’s blog and loved the idea of uploading my songs and finding out how uPlaya’s Hit Song Science analysis would rate them. I think it’s a unique and cool concept to be able to have scientific analysis to back up the idea of how a hit song might sound. I also love to check out the contests that are offered! So glad that I found you guys
uPlaya.com: What can we expect in the future?
Sarah Solovay: In the future, you can expect lots of new music from me. I plan on putting out a full-length album sometime in the next year or two, and I really want to go on tour to support that album. I have lots of plans and lots of dreams, and I won’t stop until I make them happen. It’s that or death.
uPlaya.com: Anything else you would like to share with fans?
Sarah Solovay: The only other thing I’d like to share with the fans is my thanks. I am so truly grateful for anybody who supports me in any way. The love and support I get from the people who listen to my music make my day/week/month/world/etc.
Stats show crowd-funding site Kickstarteradded $13+ million to the music economy in the past two years. Music was one of the most funded categories, second only to film.
uPlaya recently partnered with Microgiving, a crowd-funding tool that’s now directly on your uPlaya Press Kit. Microgiving goes a step further than most other crowd-funding tools by encouraging project owners to donate a portion of their gains to a charity of their choice.
This means you not only get the perfect opportunity to give back, but your fans will also feel good about the fact that they are donating to your band and an important cause the band supports.
We understand a crowd-funding project can be intimidating, so we’d like to help with a series of how-to posts on the uPlaya Blog.
In our first installment, we provide a “musician’s version” of an infographic Zippycart created on how to use Kickstarter to crowd-fund a project.
Step 1: Come up with an idea.
Develop a very specific idea of what you would like to raise money for. Is it a new album? To fund a music tour through the Southeast? Even in the initial stages, it’s important to be as detailed as
Step 2: Create a project page.
There are a lot of useful and effective crowd-funding tools out there, but we recommend uPlaya artists create an account with Microgiving. This way you can use your uPlaya Press Kit, which already showcases positive information about your music, to help you raise money.
Step 3: Set goals.
Determine the amount you would like to raise and also give yourself a deadline to reach those goals. We recommend a lot of research and planning to ensure your goals are realistic. You also need to hold yourself accountable to your donors and be able to tell them precisely how you intend to spend the money.
Step 4: Set Rewards.
It’s important to show appreciation to the donors and fans who believe in you. Come up with a rewards system that will not only excite your fans, but also be something you can live up to. Sample prizes include backstage passes and autographed t-shirts. Make sure the prize matches the donation amount.
Step 5 & 6: Showcase your project.
Put yourself out there and promote your cause. Your uPlaya Press Kit makes this easy – you can display a link to your Microgiving project so fans can find it after seeing your promotional material. Email your uPlaya through e-blasts to fans, friends and family and to potential investors and music professionals who you think should see your work. Do what you can to encourage other donors on Microgiving to check out your project (studies show that more than 10% of donors will give to multiple projects).
Step 7: Keep investors updated.
Throughout the building of the project, you must send updates on your progress. This lets the donors feel like they are involved and also gives you an opportunity to engage with them and keep them excited.
Did you know that some of the greatest songs ever written have never been heard by the vast majority of people?
I have no doubt there are unknown composers, songwriters, and lyricists with enormous talent, creating phenomenal melodies, chord rifts, and wordsmiths that, given the chance, would easily put their successful contemporaries, and their famous songs to shame. Yet, despite being comparable to a 21st Century Schubert, Mozart or Beethoven, many of the most gifted songwriters, and their songs remain in obscurity.
Simply put, a lot of songs get turned down, today because they don’t fit into what some music publishers are looking for at a given time. In short, lacking “commercial potential” when the truth may be the exact opposite – or as is often the case, they never get heard by the “right people”.
Who do I blame? The music industry? Of course not. Like every industry, it’s filled with fallible people working in a crowded market – and in a crowded market, a lot of good and even brilliant product inevitably gets turned down or overlooked.
That’s all nice and interesting, but it doesn’t help the unknown songwriter. Or does it?
The problem often lies with the songwriter him/herself. Not always, of course, but it seems that some of the most talented and creative souls, are themselves, the least “pushy” or inclined to business.
Like creatures of habit, many believe once they have written the song – somehow, somewhere, someday, someone will pick up his “golden gem” and make him a fortune in royalties. I’m not suggesting this never happens.
There are, of course, wonderful stories of how songs get selected and covered by famous artists, or someone who has a number one hit. And there are rags to riches stories we all love. But for most of us sitting around and waiting to get a break, is not a good recipe for success. Like any author – the real work of marketing and promoting begins once his book is written.
The same applies to songwriting. It’s not just about writing a song – the key to success is knowing how to get out and promote and market what you have written – including the right time to go to a music publisher, and on what terms.
If you have talent, don’t wait for your ship to come in – swim out to it!
Can you actually read and write the notes of your songs?
Some of the most successful composers never could – and many today still can’t read a note of music.
So, is there a real disadvantage in not being able to read and write music?
The answer is yes. Let me say straight away, not being able to sight-read will not disqualify you from being a successful songwriter – but it will present you with a handicap over those who can.
Firstly, writing music gives you an immediate advantage in being able to create a top-line or lead sheet which you can use quickly to register the copyright in your song.
Secondly, writing out the music will help you in ways you cannot imagine especially in the layout of your song – rather like reading a road map – fields, signs timing, and direction fall into place in a more convenient way.
Yes, I know you can buy software that will write out the music for you using midi on a keyboard or guitar, but think of the convenience of being able to write out a piece of music straight to the manuscript as soon as an original melody runs through your head.
At any moment a brilliant tune may come to you – and minutes later it may be lost forever.
Interestingly, understanding how to read music is not difficult at all – in fact, it’s as simple as ABC.
If you can read the alphabet, you can read music. Notes appear on five horizontal lines called a “stave” or “staff” Each note falls directly on one of the lines, or in the spaces. Starting with the simplest of keys – C major, the next note above C is D then E-F-G-A-B-C. You’re simply following the alphabet.
Once you get to “G” your next note above is “A” and so on. You see, in music the letters run from A to G only, that’s it.
The only other notes are the “in betweens” sharps or flats (b) which mostly appear in keys other than C major. Sounds easy? It is. Familiarize yourself with all the notes and the keys and you’ll be reading music in no time.
Those who regularly read and write often begin to see amazing possibilities in other areas of music – such as arranging, harmony, chord structure, counterpoint, and even orchestration. You see, if you have creative ability, to begin with, chances are these are areas you were meant to move into. Once you start your mind working the possibilities in creative music are endless.
Hit Song Science™ and the Music Universe™ power the uPlaya Artist Revolution.
“Online services have helped address the ‘availability’ problem for music, but consumers and artists are still frustrated by a lack of ‘visibility’ to easily connect great artists with potential fans,” “Music Intelligence Solutions’ Music Universe™ and Hit Song Science™ can solve the visibility problem better than any other technology that I have seen.” Chuck D, co-founder of Public Enemy, legendary artist, author and Internet entrepreneur.
Do you dream of a world without boundaries — where you can place your work before a huge audience, with no limits and no interference?
Hit Song Science™ provides immediate feedback on your song´s potential for commercial success and instant legitimization in the market for high-scoring music.
Do you want help choosing the best channels and markets for your music and which of your songs have the best chance for success?
The Music Universe™ helps you understand the hit potential of your songs within different markets and niches and includes targeted promotional features to help your music gain visibility with audiences who already like your sound.
Our rating system gives you immediate feedback on the quality of your music, its competitive edge in the music industry, and its reception among professionals and music lovers.
For example, if your song receives a Gold or Platinum Audionaut Award (Auddy™), then the underlying musical patterns are similar to songs that have been hit in the past.
The Music Universe™ includes many languages and all genres from around the world. Ultimately, The Music Universe™ will analyze and catalog all music ever created and digitized.
Robert Lamm, pianist, singer and founding member of the rock band Chicago, … realized the program could give artists a “leg to stand on” when trying to persuade record label executives to promote a particular song.– San Francisco Chronicle
What a great way to get some objective feedback! … Interestingly enough, uPlaya had helped in making some tough decisions as to which tunes out of the 15 would actually make the final cut. It also got me to take a closer to listen to some of the vocals that were questionable … Whether you’re working with a song and want to know how different versions pan out, or making those tough decisions about which songs to include on an album in order to leave them wanting more, uPlaya offers a professional, objective and relevant solution. I love it!– Joe Vecchio, uPlaya Premium ArtistSource: uPlaya Blog
One of the most important decisions for a label usually was which single of an album (with on average of 10 songs) to release first. … Particularly for new artists, the first single was often a make-or-break situation…. Generating significant airplay for a song could easily cost $100,000 in promotion fees alone. … For each label, the few successes covered the losses made on the many failed titles …[Hit Song Science] offered a chance to test songs or albums at some stage during the production process and ‘tweak’ them to maximize their hit potential.– Harvard Business School Case Study
uPlaya fosters creativity.
The uPlaya Hit Song Science has been a fantastic tool not only to validate my music, but also to allow me to take some risks creatively to push my music to another level.– Claire Clarke, uPlaya Premium ArtistSource: Major Daily News Outlet
University of California at Santa Cruz Professor Emeritus of Music David Cope maintains that technology itself is an extension of human creativity … ‘For me at least, algorithmic creativity demonstrates our understanding of how we create,’ Cope, an expert in the fields of algorithmic musical composition and computer music analysis, said. ‘And understanding something does not demean it, but rather it enhances it.’– Discovery News
This service is really about the song. It’s not just about getting hits. It makes you look at the craft a little harder and makes you a better musician.”– Brett Conti, uPlaya Premium Artist
uPlaya seems to be the one tool Chicago could have used …. Musicians tend to want to constantly move into unchartered waters, so having an idea of what may work – without completely baffling your audience and based upon some science – brings a fresh objectivity to music projects.– Robert Lamm, Co-Founder of the Iconic Band, Chicago
uPlaya promotes the artist and the music.
uPlaya … [has] become the new talent scout for the music industry, finding and promoting promising new artists.– Business Week
Music Intelligence systems that can distinguish hits from misses could change the way music is made and marketed.– The Economist
For new artists willing to try anything to break into the Top 30, Hit Song Science is seen as an added marketing tool.– NBC News Feature
uPlaya bridges an important gap between the sheer volume of music available for sale or stream, a hungry global audience trying to find great new things to hear, and technological innovations that continue to bring the two closer together in innovative and efficient ways.– Greg Scholl, President and CEO of The Orchard
It’s like a FICO credit score for music.– San Francisco Chronicle
For the first time in your songwriting career, you will get immediate feedback on the quality of your music, its competitive edge in the music industry, and its hit potential. Plus, this response includes targeted promotional tools to help you gain exposure and visibility with audiences who already appreciate your sound.– Dennis Sinnott, AuthorSource: Masters of Songwriting
Apparently having similar patterns doesn’t mean you are just following existing trends and fashion. After all, a pleasing melody is a pleasing melody, whatever the style. Norah Jones material was quite different from anything released before. They tested her songs and found they had huge hit potential; this was long before Norah won awards and sold millions of copies.– BBC News Special
This surprisingly accurate technology could profoundly change the way music is created… High music-intelligence scores can help convince notoriously risk-averse and it’s-who-you-know record labels to take a chance on new talent.– The Economist
This new technology that predicts whether a song will be a hit exhibited very high prediction accuracy rate … Popular and independent artists worldwide are using this system to help them predict the hit potential of their new songs.– SBS News Special, one of the four top broadcast networks in South Korea
Above all else I consider Hit Song Science the most innovative music solutions technology today that analyzes your song’s hit potential and commercial success.– Jay Wang , Popular Music BloggerSource: www.bustedkeys.com
I’m in. Thanks for the opportunity. You tell me when, and as the Beatles said, ‘I’ll be there’ … You are changing the world, not only the music. Congratulations!– Hector, uPlaya Premium Artist
The creation and production of music is undergoing a revolution.– Atlantic Magazine names uPlaya as one of the top 5 predictions for the future of music
Hit Song Science, le détecteur des tubes de demain.– Le Monde
Music Intelligence Solutions, Inc. Named to Top Mobile Innovator Global Award Nominee Short List by the GSM Association (GSMA)
uPlaya offers validation.
The hard thing for songwriters is that it’s difficult to get an objective opinion. You love your song and so does your mom, but will anybody else? So that’s why I loaded it up to Hit Song Science. What could be more objective than a computer program? … within a few weeks of getting my results I was engaged in conversations with a major label in the UK.– Ben Novak, Charted Singer/SongwriterSource: San Francisco Chronicle and other Major Daily News Outlet
…the reputation of Hit Song Science™ combined with their reports helped us gain the attention of some major label industry heavyweights. Hit Song Science is a must-have tool for any hit song builder.– Reynolds, Canadian band, Brittlestar
Man is it tough to get those heard by anyone. uPlaya gave “River Common” Platinum status and that was excellent validation for me. I know the term musical genius is used far too freely but … the guy who wrote this software surely is … Nice work. Very cool software (I’ve also created software for Time Warner and my own company so I know the work that goes into that too). – Scott Spinucci, uPlaya Premium ArtistSource: Facebook
