MusikPitch.com offers  a new online marketplace for custom songwriting. The Nashville, Tenn. startup gives songwriters a market for their songwriting and music-making talents, and serves as a resource for clients searching for music to use on their next projects.

Based on the success of other crowdsourcing sites like 99Designs, the MusikPitch process is straightforward. Clients state exactly what type of song they need and how much they are willing to pay.

Some of the most common errors songwriters make, are copyright related. Many a time an individual has asked me for help after discovering his song had been used in a movie, commercial or someone’s CD without his permission.

My initial response is to ask if he has at least received a written credit on the CD, movie etc.

“No,” he says, shaking his head.

“Okay, did you register the song through a performing right society?”

“Ah, yes, ASCAP,” he ventures at length.

At last, I think, we’re getting somewhere! So, we go online to the ASCAP site checking their “ACE Title” search and find the title with the same writer credits, and surprise, surprise, his name is absent!

Indie artist, Pete Francis, has launched his new Web site featuring tour dates, lyrics and music. On his site, Pete offers the first single “Glue” for free download.

The New York City based singer-songwriter is set to release his new album The Movie We Are In on May 18. Pete decided that a new approach was key for his next record. Instead of his usual self-produced style of album making, he uprooted his life and assembled an entirely new crew with in Los Angeles with producer Jeff Trott (right hand man to Sheryl Crow as writer and guitarist).

Francis said, “I wanted to bring a modern element into my music. When first speaking with Jeff Trott, I quickly realized he had great musical instincts and that he was getting me and he brought ideas to the table that I hadn’t imagined.”

Connie Lansberg is a singer/songwriter who performs original Pop-Jazz and Smooth Jazz on her latest release, High Expectations.

She is a vocal interpreter of the wonderful stories told by the American Song Book and beyond.

The indie artist uses her voice in such a way as to reveal and tease out even the most subtle of nuances that define these beautiful songs.

Reminiscent of Blossom Dearie and June Christy, but with the modern edge of Sade and Sting, Connie Lansberg creates light and shade and sings with an unselfconscious joy that is truly infectious and enfolds the listener within the melody so that each performance is a shared experience that leaves no one out.

Gabe Hizer is a Nashville, TN-based singer-songwriter, originally from Long Island, NY. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA, played in various rock and pop cover bands in the 70s, and more recently led a blues band for a couple of years. He is now performing as a solo artist, featuring his complex guitar arrangements, well-crafted songs, and wide vocal range.

He is clearly influenced by the singer-songwriters of the ’60s and ’70s, such as James Taylor (especially in his guitar parts), Joni Mitchell (especially his use of high falsetto notes), Jackson Browne, etc.

A born musician, Gabe Hizer was already playing the accordion at the age of 6, the ukulele by the time he was 8 and the guitar by age 9. Known for his amazing guitar skills and his ability to incorporate blues, jazz, soul and pop into his original songs, Gabe has come a long way since his ukulele-days.

Songwriters can have a difficult time showcasing their talent and getting feedback about their work. With ClownBasket.com, they now have the forum to expose their projects worldwide.

“ClownBasket is the place for original songwriters and musicians to share their own music with the world,” the founders state on the Web site. “It is the place for music lovers who appreciate original music.”

The Web site differentiates itself from other sites, because it allows artists to enhance their music.

“Some bands will use ClownBasket to push their music in order to drive traffic to their live music performances,” they add on the site. “Some songwriters will use ClownBasket to test and enhance their music.”

” And some of us members are washed up musicians who are no longer “living the dream” and yet still have music that we want to share.”

The Web site makes it simple for users to start uploading their music right way.  An artist just needs to create a band profile and will then have the option to upload their original music.

The creators also made the site guest friendly. A person does not have to be a member of Clown Basket in order for them to listen to music. Furthermore, you would need to login in order to upload, download, and leave comments for artists.

They emphasis on the site, “Upload your original songs and let the rest of us get exposed to what you have created!”