24102562 – Phoebe Millward

Songwriting is a role within the music industry that involves writing lyrics, composing melodies, and being part of a song’s overall creative process. This portfolio will present my research on succeeding as a songwriter, focusing closely on the required skills, possible professional pathways, and the financial, marketing, and challenging aspects that could arise throughout your career.

—

There is no definitive answer as to whether you need a degree or academic qualification to be successful in music, but there are both positive results and drawbacks to consider. Spending a designated time honing your technical skills in an environment filled with musicians to network with can be rewarding and a great way to build skills and relationships. Learning to navigate the legalities can set you up for success in the industry and prevent you from falling into legal and financial traps.

Studying at university can be expensive with the high tuition costs, so paying out money with little return can be a setback at the beginning of your career. There is no need to have qualifications, as it is often a matter of who you know and the effort you put in that makes you desirable to work with, so some musicians may see it as a waste of time. An example of a successful songwriter who never received any music qualifications would be Taylor Swift. In an article by Chloe Appleby (2022), she discusses Swift receiving her doctorate in fine arts and reports that Swift opened up about missing the experience of attending college.

Overall, degrees are not an essential component of becoming a successful songwriter, but they have many advantages that can help you connect and improve, giving you more opportunities for success.

—

Songwriting requires a lot of perseverance, resilience, knowledge and creativity. Understanding digital audio interfaces such as Logic or Pro Tools is an essential skill to hone. When presenting your songs to artists for potential cuts, you want the demo to reflect the elements you intended accurately. Therefore, having the skills to record vocals and instruments to a high standard will make it more desirable to professionals in the industry. In an article by Ed Bell (2020), he goes through the different DAW options and which one would benefit a songwriter. He suggests that Logic Pro is the best for versatile songwriters, especially if you are working in multiple genres. 

Building and growing your portfolio of music as a songwriter is essential. The more you write, the better the songs you produce will be. Julia Michaels spoke about her hardships in a podcast with Ross Golan and how you “will encounter many rejections before you get your first chance.” (Michaels). 2025) In the same podcast, Michaels went on to say how she had written many songs prior to her writing ‘Sorry’, which went on to be Number 1 on the US top 100 Billboard charts, under Justin Bieber’s name. If Michales had given up after her first rejection, this achievement would never have happened.

—

The typical workday of a songwriter can differ dramatically. A common situation is receiving a brief that requires you to create a specific type of song for a particular artist. At this point, you have a responsibility to dive through the artist’s discography and analyse their work. This allows you to stay on theme with their creative direction, whilst not repeating the music they have previously released. Understanding what an artist’s songs are about, their typical phrasing, vocal register, instrumentation, and melody are all crucial elements to know. Once the song is complete, there is feedback, and as the songwriter, it is your responsibility to adapt your work to the feedback effectively and with a fast turnaround.

Collaborating is important as it creates a space for a higher volume of ideas. If done effectively, it can create a positive and healthy work environment for all musicians to excel. Being easy to work with is a responsibility that a songwriter must take on because if people find it hard to suggest ideas or believe that you are not open to creative input, they may not wish to work with you again, affecting your career and job opportunities.

—

Songwriting is not always paid well, so having a second source of income is wise. Royalties can often take a year or more to arrive and are not always predictable. PRS Royalties (2025) states on their website that there are four main distributions each year, meaning that if you wish to see more income within each set of three months, another job will be beneficial to keep you afloat. These can be music-related, hospitality or an entirely different occupation with consistent pay. This could cover your living expenses while you are building your connections and portfolio, allow you to buy more equipment and give you the opportunities to market yourself without the stress of limited money. Cliff Goldmacher spoke in The Weekly (2025) about how he sold advertising in a music magazine, which, to his surprise, led to crucial relationships with music publishers, labels and other industry professionals. He said that this enabled him to now be able to write songs for a living. Goldmacher is now a GRAMMY recognised number 1 hit songwriter, music producer and author. This shows that not only can a second job be good for money, but it can also create lifelong networks between you and important people in the industry. 

Another large payout can be writing for music libraries or sync licensing; these can generate a substantial amount of passive income through royalties. Synchronisation is “The process of music being combined with moving images, such as within film, television, advertising, trailers and video games.” (Anara Publishing, 2025). These are billion-dollar industries, so fees for the songwriters are often high.

Songwriting is one of the most underpaid careers in the music industry. A research report with Midia (2024) found that only 10% of songwriters were earning over $30,000 per year, with over half making less than $1000. Most of these creators stated that the primary problem was the low income seen from streams. “The streaming market now generates more than £1 billion annually for the UK music industry, and Spotify pay the artists approximately $0.003 – $0.005 per stream on average.” (Ditto Music, 2025). That is £0.022 – £0.037. Due to this complex revenue split, songwriters often find themselves with a streaming income of no more than 15%. Most commonly, the publisher will get a percentage of the royalties, and the composer will receive half of that. If multiple musicians wrote the song, then each writer will receive even less than this. 

The increased access to streaming has also led to an oversaturation of music. Illustrate magazine (2024) spoke about no longer needing labels to distribute music. Additionally, music is now algorithm-dependent, so it can lead to homogenised listening, with audiences becoming less likely to seek out new music. This makes the industry increasingly more untouchable for new artists. 

In July, Mark Savage (2025) wrote in an article about the new government and industry changes that could help songwriters. UK record labels and the government are reported to have agreed to a pay rise for songwriters and session musicians, along with writers receiving a daily £75, plus expenses for songwriting sessions. Although critics have said that this deal does not fix the streaming royalties, for the first time, songwriters are not expected to cover their own fees, whereas before they might have only been paid when a song was released, they should now receive payment in turn for their work. Raye directed words to record label executives during the 2023 Ivor Novello awards, saying that “it would be an insult to suggest that you go to work for free” (Raye, 2023), and she told the audience how expecting songwriters to do just that is an insult too.

—

Marketing as a songwriter can differ a lot from marketing as an artist. The responsibility of the songwriter is to promote their work, as opposed to promoting their artistic identity. An invaluable way of creating word of mouth is through networking. The more people you collaborate with, the more people who will talk about you, potentially suggesting you for projects. Apple Music for artists (2025) talk about the benefits of an electronic press kit for marketing and promotion and describes it as a way for industry professionals to access your work with ease, as if the EPK is a professional resume or business card. Here you can make a memorable first impression and highlight what makes you the best at what you do.

Along with an EPK, making sure you have a professional, up-to-date website will allow you to create connections and present what you do to the public. Websites show professionalism and give you credibility. In a blog on BANDZOOGLE, written by Julia Kater (2023), she goes on to write about how adding imagery and choosing a gripping home page template can make or break the attractiveness of your website for visitors. She also talks about the importance of a strong artist bio and clearly highlighting your successes and credits.

—

With songwriting comes intellectual and personal challenges. Creative burnout is a difficult hurdle to tackle. There will be periods of time, long and short, where you feel that you can not create anything. To overcome this, you can adapt the way in which you create by finding different environments or processes that could inspire new material. It is essential to write through the creative block.

Writing can be a vulnerable process, especially when it comes from a personal perspective. Surrounding yourself with supportive collaborators can help you create with comfort and allow for better results. To relieve pressure, writing for yourself and thinking of the potential audience afterwards will allow you to focus more on the art than the job.

To stay realistic and productive, Ari Herstand spoke in his book ‘How to Make It in the New Music Business’ (2023, p.24) about using SMART goals to focus your attention on different aspects of your career. The acronym stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. This can help to tackle the self-doubt that can come from being overwhelmed and feeling helpless in the midst of such a large industry. Instead of saying ‘I want my songs to be better,’ use SMART goals to guide your intentions. ‘I want to get better at writing interesting melodies by practising specifically on that element for three weeks.’ This makes this task seem less daunting and more achievable.

—

Songwriting presents career-progression opportunities that can help develop your skills and gain you more experience. This could include signing a publishing deal, which is when “a composer or songwriter chooses to sign with a publisher to benefit from their service in exchange for giving up a portion of their royalties by doing so.” (Musician’s Union, 2023). There are both positives and negatives to this. Publishing companies often have licensing departments that will be working to get songs placed, allowing for a huge increase in exposure, attraction of global audiences and gaining a more qualified repertoire. Financially, as a songwriter, having your song chosen for a project can provide you with a large, up-front payment. Additionally, you will see the benefits of performance royalties every time your song is publicly broadcast or streamed. Copyright on a song lasts for 70 years after death, as stated on the Gov.UK website (2025), so these benefits will occur throughout your entire life. Having your song used for an AD or TV show opener will help you to reach new milestones in your career and give you an opportunity to write for bigger artists, as a result of the exposure and increased financial income that could be reimbursed back into your music. Ari Herstand (2022, p. 79) suggests that signing with a stand-alone licensing company is better now, as it would mean they would not own your songs like a publishing company would, but you would still see the benefits. However, if you want to write for other artists, signing a publishing deal with a large company can be helpful, as you get offered a large amount of money to produce higher-quality demos, and these companies can place you in rooms with prominent artists, increasing your reach in the industry. Additionally, Herstand (2022, p.78) talked about how these huge advances from the publishing companies can be beneficial, relieving the stress of money and allowing you to focus solely on writing music.

—

This portfolio has explored songwriting as a career, bringing attention to the experience, skills, personal qualities and education needed for success. While qualifications can be valuable, networking and experience can help with progressing in the industry. Songwriting has both technical and business responsibilities, alongside financial and legal considerations. The career can present challenges such as an unstable income and high competition. However, the opportunities to express creatively and develop your career are rewarding. Dedication, skill development and promoting your work effectively can create a strong pathway for your career in the music industry.

Reference list:

Anara Publishing (2025). What is sync licensing? Available online: https://www.anarapublishing.com/sync-licensing/ [Accessed: 11/12/2025]

Appleby. C (2022). Did Taylor Swift go to college? Available online: https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/did-taylor-swift-go-to-college/

[Accessed 04/01/2026]

Apple Music for artists (2025). Why an electronic press kit matters. Available online: https://artists.apple.com/support/1121-why-an-electronic-press-kit-matters [Accessed: 11/12/2025]

Bell. E (2020). The six best DAWs for songwriters. Available online: https://thesongfoundry.com/best-daws-for-songwriters/ [Accessed 10/12/2025]

BIMM Music Institute (2025). Alumni. Available online: https://www.bimm.ac.uk/alumni/tom-odell/ [Accessed: 9/12/2025]

Entertainment.ie (2014). Tom Odell scoops up songwriter of the year at the Ivor Novellos. Available online: https://entertainment.ie/music/tom-odell-scoops-up-songwriter-of-the-year-award-at-the-ivor-novellos-266658/ [Accessed: 9/12/2025]

Friedman. S (2016). Is it really worth it to get a master’s in songwriting? Available online: https://blog.sonicbids.com/do-you-need-a-masters-in-songwriting-aj-smith [Accessed 9/12/2025]

Goldmacher. C (2025). The importance of navigating day jobs for songwriters. Available online: https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/the-importance-of-navigating-day-jobs-for-songwriters#:~:text=When%20it%20comes%20to%20employment,continue%20to%20grow%20with%20you. [Accessed: 11/12/2025]

Goldmacher. C (2010). The pros and cons of signing a publishing deal. Songwriter 101. Available online: https://www.bmi.com/news/entry/the_pros_cons_of_signing_a_publishing_deal [Accessed: 11/12/2025]

Gollasch. G (2024). Commercial radio’s share of learning falls back after a year of growth. Available online: https://www.marketingweek.com/commercial-radio-decline/ [Accessed: 10/12/2025]

Gov.UK (2025). How copyright protects your work. Available online: https://www.gov.uk/copyright/how-long-copyright-lasts [Accessed: 30/12/2025]

Herstand. A (2022). How to make it in the new music business: practical tips on building a loyal following and making a living as a musician. 3rd edition. WW Norton & Co.

Illustrate magazine (2024). The impact of streaming platforms on the music industry. Available online: https://illustratemagazine.com/the-impact-of-streaming-platforms-on-the-music-industry-how-spotify-apple-music-and-others-have-changed-the-game/ [Accessed: 30/12/2025]

Kater. J (2023). How to design a great songwriter website. Available online: https://bandzoogle.com/blog/how-to-design-a-great-songwriter-website [Accessed: 7/11/2025]

Michaels. J (2025). And the writer is, Ep 225: Julia Michaels | The Woman Who Changed Pop. [Video]. Available online: https://youtu.be/czkhxTdLInk?si=l-egfiBDJ_E-JgfI [Accessed: 1/12/2025]

Musicians Union (2023). Music Publishing. Available online: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/working-performing/composing-and-songwriting/music-publishing [Accessed: 11/12/2025]

PRS (2025). Royalties. Available online: https://www.prsformusic.com/royalties

[Accessed: 11/12/2025]

Raz. G (2014). TED Radio Hour. How do you get over writer’s block? Transcript available online: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/351545257

[Accessed: 7/12/2025]

Savage. M (2023). Ivor Novello Awards: Harry Styles wins, Raye calls out music industry greed. Available online: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-65640882 [Accessed 27/12/2025]

Savage. M (2025). Record labels agree to boost ‘insulting’ musicians. Available online: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cr4wyy3xq5vo

[Accessed: 27/12/2025]