Fast Facts: Songwriting

Popular cities for songwriting careers:

Nashville, TN
Los Angeles, CA
New York, NY
Chicago, IL

Typical income sources:

Royalties on published songs
Commercial soundtrack creation
Arranging songs for live performances

Standard songwriting license fee: 9.1 cents per song, per album sold
Typical songwriting royalty check for a single song on a certified gold album: $40,000
Alternative jobs for graduates of songwriting certificate courses:

Music journalist
Record producer
Creative director

Songwriting Tips

To build rapport with artists and to add value to their companies, a growing number of music industry professionals are enrolling in songwriting courses. Online songwriting courses offer the same benefits as traditional classroom instruction, with the added convenience of anytime/anywhere learning.

Though most songwriting professionals earn money from publishing and airplay royalties, many songwriters now supplement their incomes with a variety of freelance gigs. In addition to live performances, songwriters can host collaborative circles, offer critical analysis, and act as consultants for recording projects and music festivals.

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Songwriting Courses

Even the most experienced songwriters acknowledge that the biggest challenge of their careers involves staying open to new ideas and maintaining a consistent songwriting routine. Online songwriting courses help musicians hone their composition and arranging skills by developing an understanding of classic songwriting techniques. At the same time, students can explore new ideas that extend the tradition of groundbreaking songwriting.

Online Songwriting Courses

Beginning songwriters can take advantage of online songwriting courses to start the process of turning a hobby into a lucrative career. Meanwhile, many advanced songwriters enroll in online songwriting courses to try out new techniques. Regardless of their experience, songwriters who enroll in online courses benefit from the external motivation of shared deadlines and the critical feedback from unbiased instructors and peers.

Berklee College of Music

Study songwriting with the top music school in the country

Study the subtle art of hit songwriting and get college credit!

These songwriting courses are offered entirely online with Berklee's renowned faculty.

Express yourself more effectively with words and music. You will learn the proven lyric and songwriting techniques that successful writers use to create meaningful verses, progressions, and choruses.

Choose from individual courses or three levels of certificate programs. We also have a complete list of all courses in song writing.

Music Theory 101

Get the musical foundation you need to take your skills to an even higher level. Learn to read, write, listen deeply . and put theory into practice every day! After more than 40 years at Berklee, Professor Emeritus Paul Schmeling has helped countless students build a solid base of musical knowledge.

Paul Schmeling (12 weeks) 3 Credits

Berklee Keyboard Method

Learn the Berklee approach to keyboard / piano in this 12-week course. Master the basics of technique and chord voicings, plus gain an understanding of more advanced concepts such as interpretation of lead sheets and improvisation.

Paul Schmeling (12 weeks) 3 Credits

Songwriting Workshop: Hit Song Forms

Move your listeners and express yourself more effectively by crafting your songs the way hit writers do. Whether you're a relative beginner or an experienced songwriter, you'll learn how to brainstorm ideas, overcome writer's block, and express yourself more effectively in words and music.

Jimmy Kachulis (6 weeks) 2 Credits

Songwriting Workshop: Harmony

Learn how harmony can help you to articulate the essential meaning of a song, and the best ways to adapt chords and progressions to suit your unique songwriting style and ideas.

Jimmy Kachulis (12 weeks) 3 Credits

Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies

Whether you're a beginner or seasoned writer, sharpen your lyric writing skills under the expert guidance of author and teacher Pat Pattison, and discover the techniques that have helped his students win Grammys and write number one songs. You'll learn how to generate better ideas, find the right words, and organize rhythms and rhymes into compelling verses, choruses and bridges.

Pat Pattison (12 weeks) 3 Credits

Songwriting Techniques of John Lennon: The Beatles Years

In six years, John Lennon changed music forever. After six weeks, you'll understand how. Get inside his best songs from 1964-69, learn why they work so brilliantly, and apply the lessons to your own music.

John Stevens (6 weeks) 2 Credits

Style Writing for Performers and Arrangers

Learn to create your own original grooves by analyzing, writing, sequencing and recording the rhythms and styles that have influenced western contemporary music.

Daniel Moretti (12 weeks) 3 Credits

The Songwriter's Seminar

Become a better songwriter through feedback, personal testimony, guidance, detailed analysis, and example; all initiated by your own works and the discussions about them between you, your classmates, and your professor.

Sarah Brindell (6 weeks) 3 Credits