Songwriter outside with guitar

What AI (Might) Mean For Songwriting

How the role of computers in the creative arts has changed! It wasn’t very long ago that using a computer in music practically always meant using it in some aspect of sound synthesis. So you’d use a computer, or computerized device to generate a particular kind of sound. And at those times, a big challenge […]

Guitars

When Art Turns to Craft: Songs That Are Too Similar to Every Other One

As a songwriter, being unique is a vital part of your success. If you’re not giving the world something that’s singular and distinctive — in some way different from all the other songs out there — then you’re simply copying someone else’s success. Songwriters are very familiar with the chorus hook, but there are other kinds […]

Abstract music

The Pros and Cons of Predictability in Songwriting

One of the biggest challenges for songwriters is to write something that’s unique and innovative, but not so unique that it turns your target audience away. At the same time, if it’s not unique enough — if it’s too predictable — you’ll also turn audiences away because they’re bored: they can hear what’s coming before you […]

Beyoncé - Break My Soul

Putting a Songwriter’s Eye on Beyoncé’s “Break My Soul”

Beyoncé’s latest hit single, “Break My Soul” (written by Beyoncé, Tricky Stewart, The-Dream, et al) is currently at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. Every hit song balances standard fundamentals of songwriting with something unique and innovative. So let’s take a look at three songwriting innovations that set “Break My Soul” apart and make […]

Piano and microphone

Craft Versus Art, and What That Means to Songwriting

Whenever you make something — whether you’re building a chest of drawers, sewing a dress, painting a picture or composing a song, you’re bringing together two important aspects of human endeavour: craft and art. Craft refers to the technical skills involved in actually constructing something. If you’re painting a picture, craft would refer to one’s […]

Muse - Uprising

Unique Song Topics are Hard to Find, So Stop Worrying About That

For any songwriter, uniqueness is a crucial pursuit. Why would you want to write something that sounds like some other song out there, no matter how good it is? In every song you write, you need to hope that there’s something unique about it so that your fans can tell that it’s you they’re listening to, […]