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Finding success as a songwriter can be tough.
It takes time — usually years — to hone your skills, master your craft, establish your reputation, create a catalog, and build essential relationships.
It can be a long, tough road if you try to go at it alone.
It's easy to get discouraged or frustrated. Even if you start out excited and committed, in time, you may be tempted to give up altogether.
That's why it's so important to find a supportive community.
You may have heard the old African proverb, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
When it comes to songwriting, though, you'll find you'll also go faster if you go with a supportive group.
Why Are Songwriting Communities So Important?
Songwriting is a team sport — co-writing is the norm for hit songs.
Most of us can't be an expert in both lyric writing and composition (although pro songwriters definitely do both), and when it comes to hit songwriting, two or three heads are nearly always better than one.
For many songwriters, joining a community is vital to their success. When you join a community, you no longer have to struggle or figure things out on your own.
Positive, supportive songwriting communities help you:
Write more songs in less time
Get the right knowledge to continuously improve your craft
Hone your skills and shorten your learning curve by writing (and co-writing) a lot
Get honest, constructive feedback from professional hit songwriters
Build the connections, friendships, and networks that are so essential to success in the music industry
Learn the business from people who have experience in the trenches
And the good news is you can get started today, because we've done the research for you.
In this article, you'll find 10 online songwriting communities and one excellent source for local communities.
Check them out — you may find the perfect community to help you reach your next level.
10 Online Songwriting Communities to Join Now
Group of happy friends playing guitar and partying at home
You'll find that many of these communities offer similar benefits, but with a twist. See which ones appeal most to you and your particular goals.
1. 100 Days of Songwriting
100 Days of Songwriting is the motivational and inspirational community for songwriters, composers, lyricists, and producers.
Their mission is to get you into a consistent and daily habit of writing, sharing, and continuously learning the craft.
Because, as they ask on their website, what if the single best thing you can do for your songwriting is simply turn it into a daily habit?
100 Days of Songwriting puts on two 100-day songwriting challenges and two EP-writing challenges per year.
Their goal is to inspire and encourage you to finish the songs that you start. You'll finally gather all the song ideas, melodies, and chord progressions that you have scattered over various notebooks and recording devices and turn them into a catalog of completed songs.
Founded in 2017 by Rigel Thurston, a full-time musician from Austin, Texas, 100 Days of Songwriting offers:
A free intro workshop to get you up and running
Monthly open mics, song critiques, and workshops
Weekly Zoom meetings
Daily songwriting prompts to keep you inspired
And maybe most importantly, accountability and structure.
Members say that being part of the community is transformational.
There's a mobile app to help keep you connected to their private network, which is not a Facebook group.
2. I Heart Songwriting Club
The I Heart Songwriting Club is a fun, global, and collaborative community for songwriters of all levels. They aim to help their members become great songwriters.
Since 2014, over 1,000 members from over 23 countries have written over 15,000 songs.
I Heart Songwriting Club's goal is to be a welcoming, supportive, and creative environment. The club was founded in 2014 by Francesca de Valence, an award-winning Australian singer-songwriter, teacher, and speaker.
When you join, you'll write a song a week with your peers, with accountability and feedback.
Their website states, "Songs from The Club have gone on to change the lives and transform the careers of many songwriters around the world from ARIA nominations to international tours, from film placements to amazing collaborations, and much more. "
After 10 weeks, you'll have 10 new songs, including 1 or 2 that you can develop. After 52 weeks, you'll have 52 songs — enough for an amazing album's worth of songs to take to the studio.
In addition to learning by actually writing, you'll get support, tips, mentorship, and learning tools.
The Songwriting Masterclass teaches you to move past your mindset barriers, overcome writer's block, manage your time, and inspire creativity.
The beginner's course covers the basics of songwriting and gives you everything you need to write your first 10 songs, including hands-on support.
You'll make new friendships and get the tools you need to become a prolific songwriter. You'll learn to overcome perfectionism and get into the habit of sharing — because the more you write, the better you get.
The I Heart Songwriting Club will help you remember why you got into music. Members also get creative development workshops, social media shout outs, interviews, showcase opportunities, and guaranteed features for any songs released that were written in the Club.
3. SongTown
SongTown brings the power of community to serious songwriters who want to be the best they can be. Their focus is on community, coaching, and connection.
Writers from all over the world can find co-writers, learn to improve their craft from number-one hit songwriters and publishers, and get mentoring opportunities from successful industry pros.
All SongTown mentors and teachers have written, published, or produced hit songs and succeeded in the music business.
Members get loads of resources, including access to over 1,000 pro lessons, 15 self-paced courses, Monthly Pro song feedback, live Q&A sessions, and a community where you can find co-writers, join local and virtual song circles, and more.
Top members are invited to apply for the SongTown Edge Groups, where you'll work with top music publishers and have your songs pitched directly to top artists, labels, and producers. There are Edge Groups for sync, country, pop, and Christian music genres.
The SongTown Staff Writer group gives you the same opportunities that staff writers at major companies have: to have your songs pitched to major artists. SongTown students have signed with publishers like Big Machine, Warner Chappell, Arthouse, Given Music, 3 Ring Circus, and more. Spots are limited and you must apply.
4. Talent Is Timeless
Talent is Timeless is a U.K.-based, annual songwriting competition with a companion membership site. Their mission is to transform songwriting and music making into an age positive endeavor, connecting and inspiring songwriters ages 50 and older across the globe.
They offer self-paced learning with master classes, monthly challenges, workshops, an annual competition, and local meetups and events. Share your ideas, get feedback on your songs, and participate in challenges that help you to write, record, and release your music.
Celebrate your age, wisdom, experience, and most of all, music. If you've ever dreamed of a career in music or feel that you missed your calling, this community may be for you.
Talent is Timeless focuses on acoustic music makers. They offer incredible prizes (like recording at Abbey Road), world-renowned celebrity judges, major corporate sponsors, and industry opportunities.
They want to counter the age discrimination that's so prominent in the media and encourage you to start a career without feeling that age is a barrier.
Talent is Timeless was founded by folk artist Saskia Griffiths-Moore during the pandemic as a way to connect and inspire her fans. It morphed into a community movement.
Talent is Timeless truly believes you're never too old, and it's a grave error to ignore older artists' contributions.
5. Songsalive!
Songsalive! is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, philanthropic, volunteer-managed organization that connects songwriters globally. With over 4,500 members, they are the number one songwriting social network.
They run on memberships, donations, events, and love.
Their mission for over 20 years has been to advance songwriters and composers globally. They offer social community, connection, support, opportunities and education that help you grow you as a writer.
They also raise awareness on the importance of songwriter rights in the music business, and their nonprofit charity foundation also creates projects to elevate humanity through the power of music and song.
When you join, you'll get unparalleled support and opportunities for songwriters and composers. You can also tap into coaching, resources, programs and workshops to level up your craft including:
Job, gig, and performance opportunities, plus leads and industry networking.
In-person and live online workshops.
The chance to perform at multiple songwriter showcases.
Song feedback, including how to make your songs more commercial.
Valuable industry connections.
In the community, you can collaborate, practice your craft, connect with members, and pitch for film and TV advertising, games, and more.
Their mobile app lets you connect wherever you are.
6. Writing Worship
Writing Worship wants to see healthy songwriting cultures in 10,000 churches around the world. Their mission is to empower Christian songwriters to craft heartfelt worship songs.
Writing Worship equips songwriters with songwriting resources as well as a thriving and encouraging online community.
Take the songwriter personality test to help you to know your strengths.
Grab the Writing Worship book to learn how to better guide your worship team.
Join the Facebook group for songwriters and church musicians to connect and share your songs.
Learn how to market your music and get more exposure, especially through streaming.
The Writing Worship flagship course includes 6 hours of instruction with a live co-write.
You may also join the Worship Songwriter Mentorship program, a 9 week-long small group intensive, or the Writing Club for graduates of Songwriter Mentorship.
7. American Songwriter
Do you think we could find a tune to these lyrics?
Since 1984, the American Songwriter magazine and podcast network has inspired songwriters, helped them to hone their craft, and kept them informed with the latest industry news. They run hugely popular song and lyric contests that attract thousands of contestants.
Their community offers several membership levels to choose from. Master and Pro members can get lyric critiques as well as access to their Online Industry Contact Database of over 3,000 publishing and label executives — including emails, LinkedIn profiles, business addresses, and more.
Master level members get 4 lyric critiques per year, and Pro members get 1 per year. Members also benefit from their library of recorded lyric critique walkthrough videos.
You can get a subscription to their magazine, including both print and digital versions, plus an app, group memberships tailored to your interests, vendor discounts, access to their writers room, and more.
8. Songwriting Pro
SongwritingPro helps you share, showcase, collaborate, connect, and get feedback on your songs from a global network of songwriters.
Founded by Brent Baxter, Songwriting Pro helps songwriters turn pro with:
One-on-one coaching, feedback, advice, and help from hit songwriters.
Daily Creative Kickstarter songwriting prompts.
Quarterly Get to Know the Pros events, an interview and Q&A series with songwriters, publishers, and more.
Monthly J.A.M. (Just Ask Me) sessions that let you ask any questions you like on the art, craft, or business of songwriting to a hit songwriter.
You can post your songs in the private Facebook group and request the kind of feedback you're looking for. Stuck on a particular song? Post what you have and ask for suggestions.
Connect and find co-writers with regular Co-Writer Cafe events that let you create with other Songwriting Pro members in smaller, 3- to 4-member breakout rooms.
Songwriting Pro has lots of coaching options depending on your level and what you need.
Or sign up for a Coach Write, where you can write with a pro while you learn to think like a pro. The goal is educational: to write the very best song possible.
9. My Song Club
My Song Club was founded by Sarah Spencer, who has been a professional Nashville songwriter since 2012. My Song Club is a resource for other writers to learn, feel good about their songs, and feel confident sharing them with the world.
My Song Club's goal is to help busy songwriters get more songs written.
They accomplish this goal through monthly workshops and events, weekly writing prompts, educational content and resources to help you grow as a songwriter, and most importantly, friends and collaborators to write with.
When you join, you'll get accountability, structure, and a community that keeps those songs coming and lets you find more joy in a life of making music.
The structure and resources are there to support you, especially when you feel lonely, lost, or not good enough. Songwriters need consistency and My Song Club helps you learn by doing. Sarah's partner site, Songfancy.com, offers how-to's and tutorials on writing commercial music.
10. SongU
SongU started in 2003, the first online education program for songwriters.
Their goal is to be a supportive, fun, and rewarding songwriting community. They believe that education empowers you and increases your chances of success.
SongU focuses on courses, coaching, and co-writing to help each writer make every song the best it can be.
SongU is not a pitching service, but pitching is a big part of their educational program. That's because learning to pitch songs and dealing with rejection is an important part of the learning process.
They offer instructor-led and self-guided courses taught by award-winning songwriters, song feedback, private one-on-one song coaching sessions, co-writes with professional songwriting mentors, special unscreened pitching events, weekly mentoring sessions, and more.
You can choose from 2 different membership levels depending on the level of support you want and how many songs you expect to pitch per month.
And… One Local Option
11. MeetUp
MeetUp has been helping people to meet others, make friends, find support, grow a business, and explore their interests and hobbies for the last 20 years.
MeetUp itself is not solely focused on music or songwriting, but it's such a large and popular platform that you're likely to find local groups you can join, either in person or online.
The personal connection and local focus is especially helpful if you're looking for local collaborators, bandmates, or performance opportunities.
Just head over to their site and search for "songwriting" plus your location to see what's available. Larger cities, of course, may have more events. If you have to broaden your search (say if you live in a smaller town), try searching for "music."
Set your preferred distance and be sure to scroll down through the list. If all else fails, broaden your search even more to travel farther and check out online events.
Don't see a songwriting MeetUp in your area? Consider starting one of your own!
Cautions About Songwriting Groups, Forums, and Clubs
As always, when it comes to anything in the music industry, do your due diligence. Check out the communities you're interested in, ask your friends for recommendations, and take advantage of the free trials that many of these online communities offer to make sure the groups you join are a good fit.
Beware of any groups or organizations that promise placements or other opportunities for money. No one can turn your songs into hits or turn you into a hit songwriter — it's simply not a realistic promise.
Kickstart Your Career with a Songwriting Community
Songwriters definitely go farther when we go together.
So don't think you have to do it alone.
Get support, encouragement, and the right resources and connections to make your songwriting journey more fun, successful, and rewarding.
Check out some of the songwriting communities we've listed above and give them a try, starting today.
You have nothing to lose and a whole lot of opportunities, learning, and friendships to gain.
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