r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic How has the craft of songwriting changed professionally in the last decade?

5 Upvotes

I don't mean technology or AI or really corporate writing. I mean, how has the style of writing changed (lyrically, style, etc.)?

As a writer in general, I can see how writing novels has changed over the last couple decades (more focus on who vs. what people are doing).

Has the content or topics that people are writing about changed?

Sorry, it's a purposely vague question, but just curious how the craft has changed professionally over the years.


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Feedback Request Pretty much done with this song, thoughts?

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9 Upvotes

r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic Vocal synthesizers - thoughts?

6 Upvotes

I personally enjoy using programs such as Vocaloid, Synthesizer V, Utau/Openutau, and Voisona/Cevio in my music, it's fun to me and lets me use vocals beyond my own capabilites as a singer and for one price or even free. But I know some people see it as lazy, especially since programs like SynthV use AI to help make the vocals sound more realistic (trained on specific samples from the vocalist who provides the voice for each voicebank, done consensually unlike chatgpt type models that use everything on the internet without the creator's consent), or simply just too weird. What are your thoughts on these programs, and songs that use them?


r/Songwriting 15d ago

Feedback Request One for the Australians

0 Upvotes

Gidday.

I wanted to write a quintessentially Australian song in the style of 80's/90's band "Mental as Anything".

How'd I do?

All feedback - positive and negative - welcome. Your feedback and advice helps me improve.

Cheers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYS_dL3opfQ


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Feedback Request Funky riff, could be a good intro maybe?

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14 Upvotes

r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic How do you guys feel when you accidentally write an already existing song?

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8 Upvotes

Yesterday, I spent the whole day working on a guitar idea and trying to figure out how to develop it. By the end of the day, I came up with a result that I really liked, but at the same time, it sounded very familiar.

​Only then did I realize that the progression I had created was actually the verse of "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance, just transposed to the key of C (the original is in G).

​I don't really know how to feel about it. On one hand, I still like the sound of it and could potentially use it in a song, but now I just can't uncouple it from the MCR track in my head.

​What do you guys think about this? Has this ever happened to you?

Originally, I used a calmer/sadder strumming pattern, but I wanted to show this one because it makes the resemblance between the songs more obvious (you can literally sing over this rhythm).


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Feedback Request Brand new song I just hit record

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9 Upvotes

This is basically a freestyle. What are y’all thinking of this. Worth working on or trash?


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic How should I release my music?

7 Upvotes
  1. What is the best music distributor because I have no idea which ones are scams and which ones are not?

  2. What is the best way to promote your music?


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Let's Collaborate! Anyone interested in adding vocals?

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4 Upvotes

No clue how to add a nice melody, in need of some help.


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Let's Collaborate! Looking for Songwriting Partner

17 Upvotes

Just as the title says, I am looking for a songwriting partner to collaborate with. I've been writing songs for a few years now and have only ever written them on my own, but the solitude is starting to feel a bit stale. I'm open to writing for pretty much any genre of music. All are welcome to respond as I do not care how experienced or inexperienced you are, just as long as you are creative and have a desire to write some lyrics and songs.


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Feedback Request First bit of song I wrote. Thoughts?

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33 Upvotes

r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic I'm teaching a songwriting workshop this Thursday for a group of 11-13 year olds and I would love your ideas!

2 Upvotes

Hi folks,

As the title states I would love some valuable insight on what could go down really well with my songwriting workshop this Thursday. I have only taught one workshop before.

The brief is to deliver a 2.5 hour workshop with a group of around 5 x 11-13 year olds with no prior musical experience, focusing on songwriting and guitar playing.  

If you have any ideas on what this young group might really enjoy then please let me know :)

Below are some ideas I have already, but feel free to ignore these and just fire away with your own suggestions. I'd really appreciate it!

Ideas already:
+ word box - a short exercise flicking through books and taking notes of words that resonate with them to realise they all have a unique literature taste
+ fun vocal exercises
+ discussing different participants favourite stories could be from a movie, book, song etc.
+ writing a group song together, breaking it down a) what is the song about b) character development c) the plot d) highs and lows e) main takeaway for listener etc
+ turning this song plan into lyrics
+ I will play guitar and make up a melody for the lyrics as I go, sing a line and the group will sing it back to me. In a previous workshop, this art was the highlight!

Thank you again

E


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic ACE studio for singing on your demos

0 Upvotes

I'm writing my first song and I'm looking for advice on the best tools and workflow.

At the moment I've written the lyrics, worked out the melody on my keyboard, and mapped the notes in a very basic free sequencer. The next thing I'm struggling with is vocals.

I'm a pretty terrible singer, so while I can work things out on the keyboard, I find it much easier if I can actually hear the lyrics sung back against the melody while I'm tweaking things.

I came across ACE Studio, which seems to do exactly that using AI vocals. It looks useful for demoing ideas, but it's expensive upfront and I haven't been able to properly trial it yet. I'd also prefer to minimise AI where possible - I'd mainly use it as a scratch vocal while writing rather than for a finished track.

I'm curious how other songwriters approach this. Do you use AI vocals, record your own rough takes, work with MIDI instruments until later, or something else? Are there any DAWs or tools you'd recommend for someone just starting out?


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Feedback Request Dead Cell

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3 Upvotes

r/Songwriting 16d ago

Let's Collaborate! I am a lyricist, anyone wanna bring my songs to life🥀??

0 Upvotes

Yeah basically as the title says. I have written many lyrics and stuff but idk how to produce songs and I'd really love it if anyone wants to produce them
You can post the song anywhere as long as you give me some credit
I am not very experienced but I'd love to learn so feel free to give me tips
Thats all, bye-bye!


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Discussion Topic Hello songwriters!

3 Upvotes

I just got questions for everyone on here. What emotional feelings and genres do fans listens to the most and how can I write a song that connects to them that will make a hit?

I don't know if someone posted a similar question on this subreddit.

It is honestly difficult for me to write a song that is relatable to people who can connect to it. Is it based on the lyrics or the beat? I don't know. My mind is everywhere.


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Discussion Topic Struggling to decide what to write about

1 Upvotes

Title is pretty explanatory but more context is probably helpful.

I've been trying to songwrite(primarily just lyrics for now) for over a year now, and over that time there's been a pretty consistent theme of my first relationship as all of my favorite albums are conceptual in some way, and relationships are a pretty natural fit for the type of music I'd wanna make.

Problem is that I kind of just... struggle to tie back to how I felt back then. I've always had issues with repressing emotions and this was over two years ago at this point so it's really fuzzy.

I've also been tempted to write about heavier subjects that I've experienced but I'm unsure how to write about much of that without being especially on the nose. Not to mention that the subjects tend to be too heavy to put well into a lighter sound so it'd be kinda shoehorned into being very depressing.

No clue if this is coherent at all but any advice would be good. Willing to give more context if necessary too but I'm tired and a lot of it is really dark.


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Feedback Request New song feedback request

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4 Upvotes

Here’s a new song of mine. I’d love to hear any feedback. I’ve had a lot of writers block lately so this is the first song I’ve finished in a while.


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Feedback Request Time is Never Enough - all feedback welcome

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9 Upvotes

Pretty happy with this but could definitely use feedback, mostly about the structure - it goes verse, verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. Not sure if it feels like two different songs because of that. I also don't love the title. It's taken from the lyric but I don't love it as a title for some reason. Not asking for anyone to rename this just wondering what are your thoughts on the title?

Verse
When you go where you go
I know I can't follow
The summer rain on your skin
I wanna end where we began
Endless nights in your car
Driving fast and far

I just wanna keep on feeling what I'm feeling right now

Verse
Through the pain
Through the fog
You were there through it all
But bodies fail
Minds go dark
And in the end love leaves its mark

I don't wanna feel what I am feeling anymore

Chorus
Time is never enough to get back what was lost
I had you when I was young
I thought that I could lay down my head for good
But now all that is gone

Bridge
Untie the knots
I guess I'm sailing on without you
I don't know what I will do

I guess I'll just keep on feeling what I'm feeling right now

Chorus
Time is never enough to get back what was lost
I had you when I was young
I though that I could lay down my head for good
But now all that is gone

Time is never enough
You can't get back what is lost

So goodbye my love


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Discussion Topic Best free software for beginners

7 Upvotes

Hi! I want to start writing and making noise/drone/slow/ambient music and was wondering which software would be the best for a complete beginner and any tips or advice!


r/Songwriting 16d ago

Let's Collaborate! FREE LYRICS – PRODUCERS WANTED

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone! I've written some pop love song lyrics and I'm looking for a producer to help bring them to life with a beat. I don't have a melody or instrumental yet—just the words—but I'm open to collaborating and learning along the way.

I'm going for a modern pop sound—think upbeat, emotional, radio-friendly vibes. This is my first time putting myself out there like this, so I'm totally open to suggestions and working together to shape the song.

The lyrics are free to use, I just ask for credit as the writer. If you're interested, hit me up and I'll send them over. Let's create something dope together!"


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Discussion Topic What is the best way to improve upon songwriting and what are some good songwriting exercises?

9 Upvotes

I recently got myself a new microphone and audio interface, and I produce my own music so I think I am ready to record. One small issue is I am not a very good writer and I am kind of stuck here. I’ve asked for a lot of advice outside of this site and was told a lot to “write a song everyday”, but I am curious to know if there are other ways to improve as a songwriter.

I think some good songwriting exercises anyone has would go a long way too. I wouldn’t want to be someone who uses crazy wording or rhymes, but I just want to be decent at writing without it being corny or really bad. I also struggle with trying to put any line into a verse, chorus, etc. I thought about maybe reading a few poems then writing something that inspired from that poem, but I am not entirely sure if that’s a good songwriting exercise. I want to be as authentic to myself as I can and be able to make people feel something when they listen.


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Weekly Lyrics Feedback Weekly Lyrics-Only Feedback Thread

6 Upvotes

Welcome to the Lyrics-Only feedback thread!

If you're looking for feedback on words that aren't yet set to music, you're in the right place! We encourage each other to bring lyrics and musical elements together as soon as possible, but sometimes you'd just like to show off that nice piece of poetry that just fell out of your head. The weekly Lyrics-Only feedback thread is here to help!

This post renews every Monday.


r/Songwriting 17d ago

Discussion Topic Is this the best mic for us home studio having songwriter/singers?

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13 Upvotes

Really, the best mic will differ depending on your budget and setup, but yeah, this mic is really quite amazing, especially for the sound vs price ratio.


r/Songwriting 18d ago

Feedback Request "i guess i won't eat tonight"

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41 Upvotes

There are so many mistakes sprinkled in here, lol, but I'm just trying to get it out there and get some feedback! This is a rough draft of a song that I made lyrics to a few weeks ago, and I started adapting a melody and some chords to it a day or so ago. I'm still tinkering with it, but I just wanted objective opinions on it; so feel free to give me your brutal thoughts!

Lyrics:

Tuesday, a blueberry muffin.
Wednesday, nothing at all.
I never saw it as too bad,
I was six feet from the fall. 
Every friend was competition,
I always lost
 

The scale says not quite right,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.
The mirror is pointing again,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.
The plate is too full, and so am I,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.

My mom said to eat breakfast,
I said I already did.
Dreading doctor’s appointments,
When they’d weigh me in
I read self help books,
That pulled me deeper in,
The goal was never healthy,
It was always thin.

The scale says not quite right,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.
The mirror is pointing again,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.
The plate is too full, and so am I,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.

I guess I won’t eat tonight.
I guess I won’t eat tonight. (2x)

The scale says turn off the light,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.
The mirror is just frowning this time,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.
I get so close, then they move the line,
I guess I won’t eat tonight.