One thing above all needs to be reminded here.

One song does NOT a career make. Careers are made from dozens and hundreds of songs written alone and with dozens and hundreds of people. It is an overall approach to music that makes a career, not just getting opinions, paid or otherwise, on just a song or even a couple of them. In the real world you might have a great song but the doors are simply not open to you. By exploring relationships and building a network, primarily by co-writing your way into those networks, you write other songs that possibly get you in the back doors. That might bring all your existing material into play. It is about the order of getting your songs in the doors.

I recently had a dinner party with several writers. We ate and then everyone played songs. Three of the guys sitting right next to each other, who had never met, played their songs. Not only did they have the same subject, they had almost the same title and the same LINES! That is what much of this is about.

Getting comments and opionions from people in the industry in any form, TAXI, NSAI, workshops, seminars, paid and non paid critiques, are all part of evaluating not only the song but other elements of the song. Sometimes a song on it's own might be just fine. But there might have been a recent hit on a similar song. That doesn't devalue the song, but does make it inneffective as a pitch because we "just had one."
Elements of people involved in the industry are that they hear more songs. Period. We often hear things that will be coming out a year from now. We get a sense of timing in addition to simply the song.

Examples right now could be songs on the economy. Everyone is writing them because everyone is going through economic problems. Right now in the country market, there are two out, "Closing Detroit Down" by John Rich, and "Red White and Pink Slip Blues" by Hank Williams Jr. There will be about two more major artists that take this on and do well with them. From there, interest in the subject will wane in the public eye. Everybody will still be writing, pitching and recording these types of songs for a couple of years. But as far as impact with the public, chances for success,etc. if you are not in the forefront of any movement, you are a day late and a dollar short.
The public is very fickle, and gathers a "Been there, done that".. type attitude. Then moves on to something else.Also economies have ways of turning around or someone finds another way of approaching that subject, say the "I've made it through the bad times, now am back on track." And then everyone will be writing that kind of song.

Now, I do song critiques, both paid and free almost every day. I do them online, through my "songwriter "tours" of Nashville, workshops, seminars, my involvement with NSAI and others. And yes, many people from here contact me. Now people have been bringing these songs in continuously. They do this not only to get a more educated opinion than they might have themselves, but to find out what they should invest money and time in, and for a great deal of what they should focus their efforts on publishers, pluggers, other co-writers etc. I tell them all the exact same thing:

You write first and foremost for yourself. If this is a statement that you feel strongly about and means everything for you, by all means, do it. If you want to put it on your web site, sell it on your CD, promote it for your own purposes, great. Make it sound wonderful and go with it. But if you are doing it with the intention of pitching the song to the current music market as it relates to Nashville, you are going to get it turned off at the title, no matter how well it is written because while we all may be feeling that way, it is now a "Oh no, ANOTHER save the world, it is all terrible" song! Great, just what we need." (Roll the eyes here)
Now I am an overall career coach when it comes to people's musical careers. I am responsible on helping them make wise decisions as it relates to their money. If it is a choice between spending $500-$1000 on a single demo, and taking that same money, spending $100-$200 for a very nice smaller production demo, and the remainder of that to spend on a trip to Nashville to meet and write with other people, take one of my tours, go to a Barbara Cloyd event, NSAI, meeting with Rand Bishop, etc. I am going to pitch the trip every time.

So that is part of the paid evaluations that I do. It is about more than the song. It is about a lifetime of writing, promoting and marketing songs. It is about a lifestyle and choices that make for an overall career instead of just one song.

That is my perspective.

MAB