The scoop on songwriting contests

Okay, here’s the thing about songwriting contests — I have mixed feelings. On the one hand, they can be a great way to create opportunities for songwriters, both amateur and professional, whether it’s good publicity, cash prizes, getting top industry comment or recording contracts.

And I certainly know some very deserving people who have won big prizes. A very funny songwriter I know, Eric Schwartz, won the comedy/novelty first prize at the 2008 International Songwriting Competition. Abbie Gardner, one-third of the trio Red Molly and a solo songwriter to be reckoned with, won the top folk prize at the 2008 John Lennon Songwriting Competition.

My biggest problem, though, is that the fees for songwriting contests can really add up quickly — especially if you just use your credit card without thinking too much about it on SonicBids, an online submission site. At $30 per song per contest a typical fee, you can easily spend hundreds of dollars — as I have over the years, without anything to show for it.

So am I just bitter because I haven’t received so much of an “honorable mention” through my songwriting contest submissions? Could be…(wah…boo hoo…) but I also just think that songwriters should consider carefully before spending relatively big money on contests with long odds — hundreds if not thousands of competitors in your chosen category.

That said, if you do decide to submit to contests, I’d personally recommend sticking with ones that are really considered reputable. I’m not saying that I really know which ones those are, but I have submitted to the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, the USA Songwriting Contest, and the International Songwriting Competition. Oh, and I think the Billboard Songwriting Contest is another one…

I’m really looking for feedback on this post: What contests have you submitted to? Which ones do you think are worthwhile? What tips would you give other songwriters looking to test their chops in a contest? Do you bother?

  • Bev Grant

    Hey Sharon – I used to submit occasionally and hadn't looked at any of them in a while until today, when I went to my SonicBids EPK, kind of on a whim, and then I got your post. Interesting.
    I agree with you about the high cost of fees. Makes me think about how much money these contests must make in fees alone and maybe we should start one:-) I've also found it very discouraging, after entering a number of them, that the response is often non-existent and I guess they just hope you won't follow up. I have no idea what kind of quality control Sonic Bids does with these contests, although I just noticed that the are guaranteeing your money back if not notified by a specified date. That's an improvement! Here's what I've entered and won:

    First place – Song of the Year in Historical Circumstances category of the International Narrative Music Contest Awards – 2005 (Women are Coming)

    Top 10 in 10th Annual Unisong International Songwriting Contest – 2005

    Honorable mention in 11th Annual Unisong L.U.N.C.H. category – 2006 (Sunshine of Recovery)

    Honorable mention in the 2006 Singer/Songwriter Awards (Round II).

    Top 40 in 2008 Public Domain Music to Life Songwriting Contest & Concert (Where Women Rule)

    Top 20 in 12th Annual Unisong International Songwriting Contest – 2007 Social/Political category (Women are Coming)

    What have I gotten from any of this? Not much – mostly trial subscriptions to things like SongU, and other music service sites. Will I enter again? Well, there I was on the contest site and felt pulled to click that enter button, but $35 a song feels like a lot right now.

  • Marc

    I'm a developing singer/songwriter and I have used the song contest as a way of soliciting feedback on my work. So, i've stayed pretty much with Song Contests that provide the option to receive written feedback. Billboard and Great American and NSAI Song Contests all do a pretty good job of providing objective feedback with a consistent approach.

    I still continue to use Song Contests for feedback and hope to win some recognition someday, but that isn't my driving reason for participating. And I would caution anyone who enters it expecting that.

  • Sharon Goldman

    That's a good point…submitting to get feedback. I did do that once…I think it was the Mid-Atlantic song contest or some such thing. It was interesting to get feedback from total strangers!

  • http://www.sonicbids.com/brentlillie Brent Lillie

    Hi Sharon
    Just found this so hopefully you’ll get my post.
    Over the last two years my record is as follows:
    ISC – Finalist Comedy Novetly (twice)
    USA Songwriting Contest – Honourable Mention
    Australian Songwriting Awards – 1st Ballad, 2nd Australia and two finalist spots.
    UK Songwriting Contest – Semi Finalist
    Billboard World Songwriting Contest – Honourable Mention
    Along with these there have been numerous wins, placings and finalist spots in major Australian awards – details are in my EPK.
    I think songwriting contests are a good way to test your songs out. The above are reputable contests but I have to say that little has come in the way of recognition by peers because of these wins. Cash and prizes would perhaps just cover the cost of entries which I estimate to be around the AUS$1500 mark. The successes are good for the resume but I am pretty much over it now and have set different goals, namely to have my original material recorded by a major US artist. Will I bother entering more contests? I would have to record more of my material first. My biggest tips: they might say production standards of submitted material don’t count but believe me, they do. The better it sounds, the better chance you have.
    If you play live, the song that seems to go over best with your audience is most likely to be the one that has the most success in songwriting contests. Record that song first and submit it.
    Don’t expect publishers and record labels to fall at your feet. Everyone in this industry is pretty much just interested in themselves. You have to work hard to be noticed.
    Good luck with your songs!