This Changed My Songwriting Forever 

▶︎▶︎ 50-Song Masterclass: www.homestudiocorner.com/50 (Free Bonus Masterclass from my new songwriting course.)

Dua Lipa was on Jimmy Kimmel recently and said she wrote 97 songs for her upcoming album, 80 of which were terrible. You don’t have to love her music to respect her process.

Yes, I am a songwriter. I've written hundreds of songs. But I'm old, so... I want to add #8: There's no one way to write a song. I've written lyrics first where I can hear the song in my head and I just have to figure out the changes. I've written music first and recorded it into Voice Memos (or the late, great Music Memos on iPhone) for later perusal. I've written a whole song in 5 minutes--music and lyrics--and had it be pretty close to the final version. I write song titles in Apple Notes and use those as jumping off points. I've written choruses that late4r became full songs. I've written lines or verses that later became songs. I've written using a drum machine. I've written using an instrument I'm not as comfortable with. TLDR: you have to train yourself to HEAR the songs, no matter where they might initially come from. I've often heard writers say they're more like radio receivers than anything else. You're constantly trying to find the frquency and when you do you try to hold it as long as you can. The more you do it, the better you are at finding the frequency. I started out as a songwriter, but I've gone on to write just about everything you can write. I have a Masters of Fine Art in fiction writing. I've written novels. I've had poetry published. I've written articles, opinion pieces for publications big and small and the best thing I ever did was develop a habit of writing every day. I used a technique called Morning pages (from The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron). The idea is you take a Composition Notenook and you write 3 longhand pages every day as soon as you get out of bed. What you write doesn't matter. It's the act of writing.I did that for more than 10 years. The result has been that I am never stumped by the page. I can sit down and write at any time and trust that I'll be able to make it good eventually. It's a writing superpower and well worth developing if you want to write anything.

I agree with what you say, but would like to add to it. 1 having a writing partner to bounce ideas off of can be priceless. The interchange of ideas can be priceless. 2 you want to write a song? Go live life, experiencing life will give you plenty of ideas. Jimmy K

The "Write More" topic is cool. I ran into this with making pottery of all things. The teacher called it "editing". Make lots and "edit" - keep the best ones.

capturing ideas is so gamechanging. youre NEVER going to remmber that idea you want to without it.

Yes, songwriter and recording artist here. Have probably written around 100 songs or more in multiple genres. Have been fortunate to have had my last 5 releases in a row all get a respectable amount of radio airplay and all make the top 100 of "red dirt" country music charts. ALL the advice Joe gives here is right on the money!! I always say the magic is in the rewrite, and honest feedback is SO important. I actually have a group for songwriters on FB, Pitch Ready Listening Sessions, that focuses on feedback, rewrites, etc. Thanks for a great video and a great channel, Joe!!

Finish the song before you start recording is a great tip i need to implement.

Yes, I’m a songwriter/musician. Started on piano at 5, guitar 16, bass 19, and recently picked up the drums in the last few years. Have written probably a hundred or more songs. Played in a few bands and do my recording mostly on my own. Great advice here! One thing I’d like to add, as a lyricist and a singer, I try to write my lyrics so they come out sounding like I wrote it about whoever is listening to it. Keeping words a little less specific and more general will allow people to consider the content on their own terms rather than see it through somebody else’s eyes. It’s mind boggling how many people think my songs are about them!

The only way you can start from nothing is to start noodling on the guitar or piano until an interesting melody line comes up, then add to it. Kind of like letting order come out of chaos. It can come to you almost immediately or take up to an hour. I prefer to have an idea in my head, ideally a complete idea, but usually starts with an interesting hook or chorus then you come back to it later and add verses and a bridge.

What I'm finding is that the songs I wrote to play live in the band, which always went down well, and we played for years, need something extra when it comes to recording them. The constraints of bringing a song to band practice, and getting 4 other people to pick it up quickly, meant that for the most part, you had to keep it simple, and repetitive. Anything complicated would be brushed aside, or the guys think they know it, take off with it, and then play over top of what I'm trying to show them. Simple and repetitive works well live, intro, verse, chorus, lead break (which is the verse, chorus or both), verse, chorus, lead break (we had two lead guitarists), verse, chorus, and perhaps the intro again as the ending, but it's too long, too repetitive, too boring (!) when people are sitting listening to it, rather than being drunk and dancing. So now, recording those songs by myself, I'm finding it's not so simple, they need something more, but also, need to be cut down to length so I have to lose parts of it too. So I'm not really a songwriter, rather, someone who has around 20 songs that have been played live in a band situation, but the majority of them need to be re-written for being recorded. Most were written between the ages of 17 and 25, and I'm 54 now, so that comes into play too.

Thumbs up for the "plethora" 3 amigos reference! Songwriter here, terrible at recording/production. I've written close to 150 songs at this point I believe. I do believe my current momentum of songwriting will produce a new and large batch of songs to sit down and try to actually record a decent sounding album, picking the best ones and discarding the rest.

I'm a song writer Since the late 70''s, let's say, I did write and compose maybe 100 songs (quite a few after having watched your 50/12 challenge, but anyway). I dived into DAW's world in 2002, and managed to arrange and re-record most of those songs, together with creating new ones. Since 2022 (or so) and my retirement, l improved almost each and every day my skills and (begin to) understand how my DAW and gears work. All this thanks of you, Joe, and to some other RU-vid teachers. It's really passionating and worth full to get the best out of my songs! Cheers from Belgium!

I've written a few hundred songs over the years and of course it took me some time to find the best method. The one that works best is - just like you said - the permanent collecting of ideas. It might be a set of lyrics (or just a few words that sound good in combination), a chord progression, a bassline. I always say: I'm writing down what I know - and deal with what I don't know later. When it comes to evaluating a finished song I put myself in the position of the listener - to see what effect the song has on me. If it makes me wanna move or if it drives me to tears or whatever my raction might be then I know that I got something valuable. If that's not the case I know that the song sucks.

This is great, mate. I would also add to your tips list: Recycle. If you have a bunch of songs that you overall do not think are good enough for a particular record, recycle them! You may find that the verse chord changes of one song and the chorus of another song fit together really well. I have been recycling for many years. It makes songwriting a whole lot easier as well. Is it a little "cheating"? Perhaps, but it has worked for me!

All good advice, thanks Joe!

Thanks for sharing, Joe! loved the 50 video. I would love to get a glimpse of the song-per-morning workflow. Excited for the masterclass.

Incredibly helpful, even as an instrumental composer! Thank you for the great video!

I like your style, very personal and still concise. Appreciated!

Wow. Great video. Excellent advice. Thanks for sharing.

Dude… I love your voice and the clarity of your presentation. Great topic… And very good advice.

great video, used to write songs for 20yrs.. had 10yrs off from playing and recording. enjoying learning and improving my guitar skills before i get into songwriting again to help the process

Yes, I am a songwriter. I’ve written over 50 songs and love the process. Some songs are “ok”, others are great to perform, and I have some jewels that are recorded.

Great video as always Joe!

Yes. 35 songs and counting. I write for me only. I tell stories. I'm learning to record myself. What is 'good ' to others, I'll share with more. Like I said, some songs are just for me.

If you have a song that sticks in peoples heads to where can’t stop humming it, you got a record BABY!!

I've co-written over 100 songs and agree with all of these points. I would add one more. The songs I write have 4 elements, rhythm, harmony (chords), melody, and lyrics. When I get a song idea, I always have better results if I complete at least a first draft of all 4 elements. I find there is momentum to writing a song, and it is better (if possible) to maintain that momentum. Stopping in the middle of the process seems to kill the momentum of the song creation process for me. I have hundreds of half-written songs that lost momentum and as a result I lost the spark that was there at the beginning. I am dreadful at picking up a half-written song and finishing it. Also, I see many people in the comments who mention co-writing. Joe, there is another video for you - 7 tips for co-writing - above and beyond these 7 tips.

Song writing and Recording go hand in hand for me. Ever since I wrote my very first song 20+ years ago, I've always demoed, listened back, heard the next verse etc. So demoing and listening is a huge part of my song writing process. I also kind of love writing a guitar riff, building around it until I've got a song created in my DAW. I'll usually re-record everything when it's time. I do HATE writing lyrics though, I always struggle with them. I can hear the melody and I just fill in the La La's with whatever words I can come up with that makes sense.

Yes, I consider myself a songwriter and probably written 100-200 songs over 30yrs. Although, most of them, I've not done anything with (yet). I tried my hand at recording about 13 yr ago, which I'd say was decent. I put it all aside when I started my biz. In the last few years, I got the bug to really focus on writing again with intent to record. I got presonus & watching how-to vids online, I found Joe's videos. This one is very helpful, as well as your other ones. I truly appreciate what you're sharing and looking forward to learning more.

Joe, love all the video tutorials you do! Each one has some nugget I can apply to my musical life. I wish you cheers on your songwriting course. One hint that has kept me from songwriting was when every song out there appeared to be in the "I-V-vi-IV" format. Every measure chord change and do not allow for bridges or any changes to the mantra like beat and melody. There is so much out there to learn about true song writing. I want to encourage you to explore and expand from what you already know for this course and challenge yourself to write above the line and then pass it onto others so one day we can get passed the "1-5-6m-4" dulldrums! Cheers!

Yes, I am a songwriter. I have written and finished a dozen or so songs. Haven't yet recorded any, but I am in the middle of a 3 yr writing challenge and will have at least 12 songs recorded at the end of next year.

Yes, I am a songwriter, 26 so far. I love the process, and I agree with all of your tips!!

A songwriter since college, oh so many years ago. Old enough to be a folkie. I've probably written about 50 songs. I find getting an idea the hardest part. Second hardest is doing something different.

Yes, I've written/produced/performed around 100 or so original songs, many of them are online and can be found with a quick Google search, but this doesn't stop me from wanting to improve as evident from my reiterations of my own tunes.

Yes about 30 songs so far ,love you content.

I think these tips are great ! As a checklist for writers that have been at it slightly longer too. Thanks

Nice “Three Amigos” reference. 👍Enjoyed the video, as usual. Thanks!

I remember back when you originally did the 50 song challenge (and the accompanying purple notebook) and thinking what a great idea it was. I tried doing it myself (with a red notebook), quickly realizing I was in way over my head without any fundamentals, lol. Definitely going to check out this masterclass!

Yes, I'm a songwriter. Written approximately 50 songs. Approximately 35 are in progress. 20 will recorded and finished this year.

"Finish The Song First" Hell yes!!! The best tip! I am so guilty of this!!

Thanks Joe.

Very good video as always Joe. Today I managed to appear in this month's mix reviews and I was very happy that both you and Gregor liked my song. Much of what I have learned, I have learned from you two, from how to record from scratch to learning how to use studio one correctly.

Aah! Coincidence!!! I was today checking out your old songwriting videos

Thanks Joe

So, as a long time songwriter I think all of these tips are valuable. But I actually use my DAW in the songwriting process. That way I can change the arrangement, add/takeaway parts, etc. Right now, I'm working on a massive project. 3CDs worth of material for a rock opera. I'm having to break this thing down into lots of chunks. Like I have to write a bit about each of the characters. They need a backstory. They need it because I need it. I need to understand the characters in order to make the story compelling and work in the framework of the plot and the story beats. This is not something one has to do with a basic EP or album. But it makes sense for this project. Plus I'm going to work on this album with four or five songs at a time. Meaning, these songs will come out as streaming first. When I have the first full CD done, then there'll be an actual physical CD. I will do the same for each CD, giving myself and my other players and production team a year for each album. That's flexible, so we'll see how it goes. Anyway, all that to say there are other recording projects that can add layers of detail and sort of mandate different tools and methods. What I'm doing now is essentially pre-production. I have the basis for all the songs, guitar parts, vocals, maybe some bass or drum loops all in the DAW. Then the others get an opportunity to work their magic.

Love it, mate! With the exception of my current album, which is songs for my kids, I'll usually write 30 songs to go into pre-production on 25 to record 20 to mix 15 to release 10-12 as an album. Quite often you'll end up with some really good songs left over which, for whatever reason, didn't make the album, and this gives you a starting point for the next album, or singles to release between albums.

Yes 25 songs working on 100 songs for a year. I made this challenge for myself

My goal is the create one distributable song a month, then in January put them together as a CD/EP. It might be a bit ambitious as I have 2 kids in college and work as a Software Development Manager for WAY over 40 hours a week to support my family Music is my hobby not my job, but that doesn't mean I don't want my music to be the best it can be.

Wonderful tips ❤

I am more of a lyricist. My method is not typical to get my music out. I write the words and then sing the melody and send to my "bands" to create the rest of it. I have 25 or so finished songs with about 20 available online. My passion is creating songs. It is what I want to do more of.

Amazing advice! I'm guilty of most of those mistakes, except #1, I always record voice memos of my ideas.

Yes, I feel like I'm a songwriter. Have written countless songs, and have 50+ of the ideas you talk about. Great video, which you can really use, even if you have already written quite a few songs. I would like a little "songwriting corner" again ;-) Keep up the good work.

Biggest ‘Red Flags’ when I’m asked to Cowrite- - The linear thinker. _(Start with first word and first chord then progress.)_ - Brain block on ‘placement holders’ tbd later. - Acts as if this is the last song they will ever write. The telltale sign of all oft his is their ‘writers notepad’. I’d venture to say most who identify as a ‘songwriter’ have notepads and voice apps full of ideas. They hear a line at dinner and time stops to get that in their phone…maybe outside and hum it into their phone! It’s a constant awareness.

Solid tips. Thanks man!

BTW, this vid convinced me to like and subscribe. Thanks for your work!

More songwriting content please. 🙏🙏🙏

I have the ability to get a rhythm in my head. I record it and shelve it! 50 of those sitting in my Presonus files. I stink at lyrics, though I do title my shelved projects and try to build it up from there when I have the time. Overall, it takes me forever to mix and finalize an instrumental song.... with no lyrics. Start, Verse 1,Chorus, Verse 2, Chorus, Bridge, Verse 3, Extended Chorus, End. 😊

Perfect! Great advice! I've been through exactly the same process of creating X songs for an X songs album to my perpetual regret. Mostly I would cut my total output to one third and I would have had a significant crop of decent songs. I still begin recording songs not yet complete, but following your advice, I will quit the habit... Thanks for a great and inspiring vídeo!

Yes, I’m a songwriter, written a little over 40 songs, only two of which seem to be catchy enough for folks to remember them.

Yes, I am a songwriter. I started when I was about 7 years old, and have written many songs. At first most of my songs were instrumentals, because I am not a vocalist. But these days, with all we can do with DAWs like Studio One, I am discovering joy to write lyrics and sing on my songs.

I'm a songwriter and have finished hundreds of songs. Some of my best songs have parts of old unfinished songs in them. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. One song on the album I'm recording now was an unfinished song from six years ago. I kept the chorus, dropped the verses, added the bridge from another song, then wrote one verse at the beginning that glues it all together lyrically and musically. It's a gem of a song. Don't get discouraged by duds, they're not failures, they're resources for future use.

Yes I am (a songwriter). Probably over 100 songs written and recorded and quite a few more written and discarded (weeded out because they failed your "is it a great song?" test) I have to start with an idea - usually some sort of story or phrase that I like the sound of - and go from there. Played one song on TV and had it taken up for a documentary on WW1.Lots of local radio plays and streamed or downloaded in over 50 countries in the last 3 months. Total income for that time period? Just over $20. Hey, if it wasn´t for the fame and groupies...(OK - neither of those actually happened). We do it because we love it and if the music is in there we need to let it out, don´t we?

Hey Joe, I typically watch your mixing vids without commenting but to your songwriting question: I write. I’d say at this point in time I’ve written 400-500 songs. Out of these, 20% have seen the light of day. In the last 3 mo the I’ve written two albums worth of keepers. Thanks for what you do.

Yes, I'm a songwriter and have only written, then produced 6 songs. They seem pretty good and have gotten really good feedback. They are here on my RU-vid channel. I'm looking for my 7th song and am coming up dry. Thanks for your tips!!

Thank you.

I am, i had a lot of incompletes, but my hard drive crashed before christmas..i am glad i converted some of them to wave or mp3, and uploaded them

I love songwriter’s ❤ I have created about twenty and you have been very helpful 🔸 thank you 🔹

my tip, start with a cool title that would intrigue a DJ, for example, to choose it from the bunch. 😊

Good video. Like probably everyone here I am a songwriter. I've written well over 1,000 songs, of which maybe 200 wouldn't be too embarrassing if someone stumbled across them and another 70-100 I'd be glad to have someone hear.

4:22 It’s funny that you say to be weary of songs that only sound cool after adding the band, because I often feel really good about songs when it’s just me and piano, then not quite right when I make the full band demo.

I’ve written 90+ songs… I do it for fun, because creating things is in my nature. So the process isn’t a pain for me. It’s also how I process ideas and feelings about things..

Great tips. I have a small group of friends with whom I've created a songwriting group. I pick a phrase every month as a prompt or idea sparker and then we all write a song with that phrase in it somewhere. Then we record a demo and post it for us all to check out and listen. A lot of months result in mediocre songs but the purpose is to keep each other accountable and post SOMETHING every month. I've managed to get enough winners over the past year, that I'm going to record some for my first EP. 🎉

Yes, Im a song writer. Cant count how many I've written. Have 100s of song placements in film and TV, and cuts by artists besides myself. I agree with cowriting. Having ideas to bounce of another writer is excellent. And a huge factor is dont fully commit to your lyrics. Like you said about feedback, usually turn into a rewrite... many times with the producer or another writer. Gotta be open to other ideas. On word can change everything. Nice video.

I recorded an entire 14 song album with some good band mates. We went into each session blind. We used a white board and asked if anyone had a good idea. We would write the parts down. Organize it and jam it a couple times through then hit the record button. After the basic tracks were done, everyone would go home and I would sit down and record vocal ideas until something stuck. Usually by the next day the vocals were done and then we would work on additional percussion and solos. And fix anything in the mix. 14 songs like that. You can write songs in the studio. And they came out super fresh. They didn't sound regurgitated. That's what art is all about. Paint the picture and move on. Can't paint the same picture twice. The second one sucks. Keep it fresh.

My partner is the best. She 100% supports the time I spend playing and making music, but the price is she is she is 100% honest about the quality of songs I write. I remember the first time there were crickets after she listened to something. Man it hurt but then she explained why and once my bottom lip stopped trembling it was some of the most valuable feedback. You need a thick skin but open ears to be a good song writer and feedback is probably the single most important thing to actively seek out. Otherwise you're just writing in an echo chamber of your own opinion.

I've only written about 10 of my own songs, but I have contributed lyrics and ideas for another singer-songwriter with hundreds of millions of views USING some of MY LYRICS.

I use the 3 day rule. I write a song and put aside for at least 3 days. When I come back to it, it isn’t as amazing as it was immediately after I wrote it. I can look at it more objectively and start the re-write with a fresh mind.

This list covers most things that Lennon-McCartney seemed to have been guided by. McCartney said it was rare, if ever, they had a writing session where they didn't finish with a completed song.

One of the many reasons I like SO is the arranger track, makes arranging so easy. I re-arrange my songs a lot. 😀

Tips 5 and 6 are absolutely great, and l totally agree with them. I'm not so sure about the rest though, they seem more like personal preference. Tip 2 makes some sense I guess, but tip 4 is downright bad.

Hey buddy:) song writer. About 20 that are 80 percent done. 3-4 that are 99 and only 1 that’s 100 percent done and on Spotify haha

My answer: Yes. Up to now I have written and/or c-written about 100 songs, though I do not count them.

Love the 3 Amigos reference 😂

I’m a guitarist/songwriter. I’ve written over 50 songs. Just finished recording my first album. 😎👍🎸🎶

Yes, I am a songwriter. 32 years playing guitar, singing, and writing. Written about 100 songs. I feel that most of mine were effortless, but I do find times we I get hung up on a phrase, or a line.

2:22..."it's pretty frustrating, and you end up just getting grumpy..." Amen to that!! LOL!

Yes, I am a songwriter. I've easily written over 100 songs. I almost always get the chorus in my mind out of nowhere. From there, I write the rest around it. I don't know why this happens, but it's magical when I hear a chorus out of thin air, that doesn't even exist. I actually did record a song that was missing two lines in the 2nd verse. I recorded all of the vocals, and then put my brain to the test & came up with a great couple of lines. Then I recorded them. It was a father/daughter song called "#1." What I realized was I was focused too much on the great things about parenthood, and I needed a couple of lines that tell how difficult it can be. Then *BOOM!* Those words just came to me. The song is on my channel. Guess what? I'm not even a parent. I just wanted to write a song about a father's love for his daughter, inspired by "Butterfly Kisses" from 1997. 🙂

50 songs IS a lot for one album. I'm not sure if I've written any more than that in my lifetime. I was quite prolific for a while in my 20s, but I tended to take a break if my lyrics started to become repetitive after a few songs. I stopped writing songs in my late-20s as I wanted to collaborate with bandmates. Of course, one band I was in was were the drummer wanted to write the songs, in another the vocalist couldn't write lyrics, so it was demoralising. In the end, I was in a band that arranged my song sketches and some stuff came from jams that lasted three years or so (we even got some stuff on 16-track tape!). Not much since though

Yes, a songwriter. I have a full length album, a handful of songs that haven't been recorded yet and an EP collaboration.

Yes. About 2-3 songs per week. Raw/concepts songs

I wish some major stars of modern music would learn that not every song they write needs to end up on an album. If you look at the album bloat on the most recent albums by Morgan Wallen, Beyonce, and so many others, it's just a handful of decent tunes floating in a sea of mediocrity. Anyway, this was an amazing video. Glad it appeared on my feed. I'm just learning how to write songs and this will truly help.

I am a song writer who has written about 3 songs and have many unfinished ones, I would love help and this video is great. Tysm!

Wrote a song in high school, haven’t written for 30 years wrote 2 more today, decided to see if there still some music in me.

Yes I've written probably over 175+ "proper" recorded songs over the last 50 years and plenty of others that never made but I'm still making new music as I don't think I will or can stop. My current task is finding ways to cope with my failing powers and hearing. Studio One (other DAW products are available) is an enabler for this.

Yes, probably 100 or so, some with lyrics but some are instrumental. I always start with rhythm, which is fun with electronic music production.

Feedback is a tricky thing. You have to find people who know what style you’re trying to achieve and also people who won’t just tell you it’s good just to be nice. But I’ve also had people tell me certain songs aren’t that great , but I’ve recorded them and I enjoy listening to them, so there is a fine line on what is “good “ and what isn’t. At 46 years old, I write and record songs that I myself enjoy listening to and if other people like them, great. If not, i still have my day job.

Yes. A couple of hundred songs, since 1969, so not that many.

Aye, ancient songwriter with plenty of material written, some up here on YT. Learnt a lot from your Studio One tutorials (thanks Joe) and am currently revisiting some 25 year old songs. Just a note to bear in mind - my most popular (and hideously catchy) song is far from my own favourite (I think I've written better stuff) so don't discount any idea because there's no accounting for what other listeners might like.

I wrote over 300 lyrics in the past 10-12 years - guess you could call them sonets, or the like. Few of them became actual songs. I pull some of them off the shelf from time to time, or stitch a few verses together, and a new song is born - some which were meant to be a solo project became integral parts of my bands's repertoires.

Yes, have written close to 30 between 2020 and 2023. Would like to write more frequently