We recently connected with Brandon Colbein and have shared our conversation below.

Brandon , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

Songwriting is already a behind-the-scenes job. We write songs for or with your favorite pop artists, but rarely do we actually get paid to do it. Ever since the streaming era began, songwriters have lost one of our biggest sources of income: physical sales. The majority of streaming income is controlled by the labels and wrapped up in something called “master royalties.” Traditionally, new artists receive maybe 15% of that, producers get a few percent (at most), and the rest is owned by the label. Songwriters, notoriously, are offered 0% of those royalties.

The music industry is making more money than ever before, but songwriters aren’t seen as entitled to a share of that profit. Funny, considering we write the songs they make money off of. The “publishing royalty” comes from physical sales, syncs, and radio play. However, due to oversaturation, it’s harder than ever to get a song into the top 10 of any genre on the radio. Sync opportunities are few and far between, and when was the last time you bought a physical record? We’ve lost our ability to make a living from what we love to do.

Additionally, songwriters are rarely, if ever, offered a fee to write for pop artists. In my experience, I write five days a week for free, hoping that one of these songs will take off and allow me to make a living. For now, I work multiple jobs on top of writing for free every week. Why? Because I love music. I love the creative process, and it’s my number one passion.

The fix would be simple: labels could start offering session fees for writers to work with their artists. They could offer writers a percentage of the master royalties, and streaming platforms could increase the value of a stream. But because of corporate greed, this has been difficult to achieve. They see us as replaceable, and that’s the hardest part.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Who am I? My name is Brandon Colbein, and I am a singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles. I started pursuing music when I was about 16, sitting in my room recording covers of my favorite songs on YouTube. I joined choir and quickly realized I had a voice. A couple of years later, in 2011, I moved to Los Angeles to follow my dreams of making art my living. I continued covering songs and vlogging for my audience.

In 2016, my covers began reaching millions of people, and hundreds of thousands started following me on social media. I did a cover of “Sorry” by Justin Bieber that went viral, which led songwriter Justin Tranter to reach out to me. At the time, I was pursuing a career as a performing artist and was very new to the idea of songwriters existing. I was naive and believed that all artists wrote their own music. Boy, was I wrong—and I wasn’t mad about it.

Shortly after Justin and I met, I released a song called “So Bad” that attracted millions of listeners and led to an offer for a publishing deal with Warner Chappell and Justin’s company, Facet. Of course, I took the opportunity.

Over the past eight years, I’ve written for artists like Zayn, Hayley Kiyoko, Idina Menzel, Raye, Liam Payne, Bea Miller, Billy Porter, Talk, TXT, Jihyo of Twice, Kehlani, and many more. I specialize in melodies and enjoy working closely with artists. I love helping to shape projects from concept to branding, and, of course, writing the songs with them.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media has been extremely vital to the growth of my songwriting career. I use it to connect with other songwriters, producers, managers, publishers, and label A&Rs. Not to mention, my social media has been a way for me to sustain myself (mostly) financially through brand opportunities, OnlyFans, and my own artist journey. I’m not ashamed to say I’ll do whatever I need to in order to continue writing music most days. I’m proud of myself for sustaining this long in a career where many don’t make it. It’s a tough career, and it takes a long time to “make it.”

I built my audience by being my authentic self. If I’m having a hard day, I’m not afraid to show it, and when I’m winning, I share my strengths. I vlogged my life, from the good to the bad. I cover music that I relate to, and sometimes I just create content that I think is fun—something I would watch myself. It’s as simple as that. The key is to stay consistent and refine along the way.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

There is no better feeling than creating something from nothing. I could be having the worst day of my life, but after writing a song I really love, the world feels balanced again. It’s even better when that song is released, and you see millions of people singing along to it, covering it, or using it as inspiration to pursue their own passions. Ultimately, though, the fulfillment comes from the creation—seeing your emotions and ideas become a beautiful piece of art.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandoncolbein/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@brandon