 SONG DEADLINE TONIGHT Dear Songwriters, This is a very quick reminder from the UKSC that today is the last chance to enter songs in the 2023 UK Songwriting Contest. The contest closes for song entries at midnight tonight on Tuesday 31 October. Submit songs at www.songwritingcontest.co.uk
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 SEMI FINALISTS ANNOUNCED This is a short message to say that results have been updated on the UKSC website today to show all positions and star ratings for all songs entered before October. Semi Finals positions and awards are shown, and Certificates can be saved and printed. If your song moves on to the Finals your Ceritificate will be updated to show this and your song will compete for a winning place,
October entries are with the judging panels and we will announce these results in early November. So, if you still have songs to enter, submit them now to see your results very soon. Check results on the Status and the Dashboard pages on the UKSC website. NOTE: You are very welcome to share your results and your songs with other songwriters in the exclusive UKSC Songwriting Community.  With the 2024 Paris Olympics approaching, the UKSC is again running its popular Olympic Theme category this year. The last winner of the Olympics category was successfully signed to a deal and released as a theme song for the Olympic Games under the direction of producer Mel Shaw (Founder of The Juno Awards and President of the Canadian Academy of Performing Arts and Sciences). It was covered by several artists in different genres from Rock to Anthem to Techno and also released as an Instrumental version. The song even had its own dedicated website during the Games. Watch a short video about the Anthem version of the Olympic winning track here on the UKSC YouTube channel. We have relaunched this category for the 2024 Olympic Games and the winning entry will be promoted during the Games in 2024. Songs may be in any style or genre. Instrumentals are also accepted in the Olympics Theme category.
Songwriters have until the end of October to submit songs to the UKSC 2023. The deadline is midnight at the end of Tuesday 31st. Check out all the song categories (Singer-Songwriter, Pop, Major Artists, Unsigned, Indie, Lyrics Only to name just a few - there is something for every songwriter) on the UKSC website. And while you are on the website check out the great judges this year - the judges are waiting for your song entry!  Your last chance to submit songs!
The International UK Songwriting Contest 2023 closes for entries at the end of this month on October 31. This month is your last chance to submit songs this year. The final deadline is midnight on Tuesday 31st. ARE YOU A FINALIST? Within days of submitting your song you will know if you are in the Semi Finals. And very soon after this we announce Finalists and will tell you if your song is in the Finals and competing for a Winner position in the 2023 event. This will be an exciting time as Finalists are announced and winners selected. And there will be Live updates on the UKSC website and on social media. OPPORTUNITIES Opportunities to get involved as a songwriter this year include the new Major Artists section which offers the chance for you to nominate a target artist for your song or lyric. Crisis and Protest Songs is for songs about the social, economic, political and other crises, division, changes and and unrest we face today. The Unsigned category is for those of you looking for deals, and many different genre categories. There is a Cover Songs category for you to pay tribute to your favourite songwriters with your own cover and interpretation of their song (you can even make changes and rewrite parts of the original). This year we also have the Olympic Games 2024 section where you can submit songs suitable for the Paris Olympics (the previous UKSC Olympic Theme winner was signed and released internationally by top producer Mel Shaw). There is something for everyone, every genre is there, and full details are on the UKSC contest website - check out the Song Categories Page. So... get your songs to us before the end of this month. We look forward to receiving them. The judging panels are already gearing up to be prepared, ready and waiting to select the Finalist and Winners for this year. Very Best Wishes, UKSC songwritingcontest.co.uk  Creative Commons License 2.0. Ralph_PH (2022) We're excited to announce a significant opportunity for songwriters: the UK Songwriting Contest is adding a 'Major Artists' category to the 2023 contest. Starting August 2023, this category provides a unique opportunity for songwriters to submit compositions tailored for globally recognised music icons.
The UKSC has excellent connections with major music industry players and it is a first point of call for many TV and radio producers, important music events organisers, publishers and labels etc. Just this year for example we worked with The Voice UK to find suitable artists for this popular TV show. The UKSC invites submissions that complement the styles of established artists, both current sensations like Taylor Swift or BTS and legends from the past like Frank Sinatra or Elvis Presley. You will be asked to specify the artist on the entry form when you submit. For contemporary artists, winning entries and finalists will be actively promoted to the artists' team. While recording is not guaranteed, the UKSC will advocate for the winning songwriters and will initiate contact with the chosen major artists or their management team. This is your opportunity to have your songs considered by prominent figures in the music industry. If you are submitting a song composed for past musical legends, the winners will benefit from our selection of existing prizes as well as a chance to be featured on musicaid.fm. The Major Artists Category extends the UKSC's dedication to promoting the art and the craft of songwriting. We strive to help songwriters gain valuable connections within the industry. Your music deserves recognition, and we're here to help it happen. The deadline for submission into all categories is the 31st of October. This is when the contest ends and no more songs can be entered after this date. The Standard entry form can be found here. The PayPal entry form can be found here. Previously entered songs can be re-submitted into this new category. World-renowned Austrian microphone manufacturer LEWITT Audio has partnered with the UK Songwriting Contest this year to champion the talent and creativity of our global community of songwriters. Watch above as one of LEWITT's expert vocal coaches introduces a uniquely effective vocal warm-up technique. While it might raise a few eyebrows among your neighbours, this distinctive method will certainly spice up your vocal warm-up routine. We hope you like the result!
LEWITT Audio is the latest sponsor to join the UKSC in contributing prizes to this year's category winners. We are delighted to announce that they will be awarding their LCT 240 PRO condenser microphones to a selection of category winners at the end of the year. This adds to our impressive pool of prizes which includes professional mastering by Lurssen Mastering in Los Angeles, cutting-edge Digital Audio Workstation technology by FL Studios, an up-to-date registry of music industry contacts by the Music Business Registry and much more. Session Two of the 2023 UKSC is now under way and will be accepting entries until the 31st of October. Congratulations to all of those who have received their Judges' Star Rating and Awards so far. We look forward to welcoming more of your songs and sharing the results with the UKSC community at the end of the year. Happy Songwriting!  Submit your songs before the end of July to be considered for an exclusive showcase to top ITV producers and executives. Hold onto your seats as the Voice UK returns in 2024, promising to captivate the nation as the judges' chairs swivel to discover the UK's next superstar. Will.i.am, Anne-Marie, Sir Tom Jones, and Olly Murs (pictured above) will soon be coaching a selection of UK-based artists in the world's most iconic televised music competition. In anticipation of the upcoming series, the Voice UK has approached the UK Songwriting Contest to assist in the search for talented new artists. They are looking for solo artists, duos, trios, and groups to participate in the 12th series of the Voice UK, which will be aired next year. The UK Songwriting Contest is a musical institution with a reputation for attracting some of the most gifted and diverse singers and songwriters and we are happy to be collaborating with the Voice UK in the search for talented new artists.
ALL songwriters who enter the UKSC also benefit from free access to songwriting courses and webinars. These will be distributed after the end of Session Two to everyone who has entered the contest this year. All entries from Commonwealth nations are also granted free and automatic entry into the Commonwealth Song Contest as well as the option to take part in the International Songwriting Awards. Every year the UKSC category winners receive an impressive selection of prizes including musical equipment, software, professional mastering opportunities and more.
Submit your songs before the end of July to the UK Songwriting Contest, and seize the chance to be part of the Voice UK 2024. If you have already submitted this year or in previous years rest assured that our production team is currently working hard to identify the most suitable potential candidates. Good luck and happy songwriting! MIDNIGHT FRIDAY DEADLINE  Session One closes at the end of the month at midnight on Friday 30th June. Submit your songs before the midnight deadline and you will know within days if you made it to the Semi Finals. All Semi Finalists will be announced in July. All songs will have their positions published at that time and everyone will receive a Certificate in early July. Certificates will be awarded for Semi Finalist, Commended Entry, Special Mention and other positions. The judges' Star Ratings for all June entries will be announced at that time. For a detailed explanation of Star Ratings and Award positions click here. Two songwriters who submit their songs before the end of Session One will also benefit from our Music Business Registry GIVEAWAY - see below.
GIVEAWAYS As Session One of the 2023 UK Songwriting Contest closeS we are giving away two Music Business Registries with the most up to date contact information for music industry professionals to help you get ahead in the industry (RRP $100). Two randomly chosen songwriters who enter a song between now and the end of Session One on the 30th of June will be awarded this fantastic resource. We have lots of giveaways throughout the year so stay tuned to our socials to find out when they are happening. ENTRY FORMS The standard entry form is here. The PayPal entry form is here. UKSC Songwriters invited to join the music industry voting panel for the Commonwealth Song Contest. Attention all UKSC Songwriters! The Commonwealth Song Contest is calling upon your expertise for the final round of voting in the 2022/23 Commonwealth Song Contest (CSC). Over 15,000 people worldwide have already taken part in the open round of public voting. However, your input as songwriters holds significant value and will be used to help determine the overall winner of the event. We invite you all to evaluate the 7 Grand Finalist songs and choose one which stands out to you as the overall winner. We ask you to consider all aspects of the songwriting process when making your selection including the lyrical craftsmanship, melody, composition and originality of each song. Your valuable input will add an extra layer to the robustness and integrity of the judging process and help make the Commonwealth Song Contest a true celebration of songwriting talent. If you are registered with us as a songwriter or have subscribe to this newsletter you will receive an email soon with a link to the private industry voting form. This closed music industry round of voting will remain open until the 16th June. The Commonweatlh Song Contest (CSC) is a major international music event representing 2.5 billion people across the 56 Commonwealth nations. Since 2018, all songs from Commonwealth nations submitted to the UK Songwriting Contest have gained automatic and free entry into the CSC. From a total of over 20,000 songs, 7 grand finalists were chosen from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Malta, Saint Lucia, Singapore and the United Kingdom to represent their countries in the event. Over 15000 people from around the world have voted for their favourite song between the 9th and the 31st of May (see results here). The results of this round of public voting saw Belle Sisoski from MALAYSIA take first place with her song, 'Stop Your Games' followed by Emmanuel Carlos St Omer from SAINT LUCIA in second place with his song, 'Blame Me' and Terra Spencer representing CANADA in third place with her song, 'Brick and Mortar'. The contest has been closely contested with exceptionally crafted songs by Emma Cutajar (MALTA), Leea Nanos (AUSTRALIA), Azeem Alam (UNITED KINGDOM) and Matilde G (SINGAPORE) adding to the list of Grand Finalists. The final closed round of voting by registered UKSC songwriters will be open until the 16th of June. Your valuable input in evaluating the 7 Grand Finalist songs will play a crucial role in determining the winning song in the competition. Help shape the future of the Commonwealth Song Contest and celebrate the artistry and talent across the diverse musical landscape of the Commonwealth Nations by voting for your favourite song. All UKSC registered songwriters will receive an emailed link to the private industry voting form shortly. Thank you for taking part. Semi-Finalist Announcement: Submit Your Songs Before June 30th to Discover If You've Made It to the UKSC Semi-Finals The 2023 UK Songwriting Contest is well underway, with Session One having opened on February 27th and set to close at midnight on June 30th. We're excited to announce that shortly after the closure of Session One, we will be revealing which 5 Star Rated songs have made it to the Semi-Finals of the contest. We value the feedback and support of the UKSC songwriting community, and based on your input, we have introduced the early results system. For every song submitted before the end of each month, we release the Judge's Star Rating at the beginning of the following month. Songs submitted before the end of April received their Judge's Star Rating in early May, and if you submitted before the end of May, your rating will be available from the first week of June. All songs awarded a 5 Star Rating are carefully considered for a place in the Semi-Finals of the competition. We hope this system provides valuable early feedback and allows you to gauge how well your song is performing in the contest. The UKSC can now confirm that we will be releasing a list of all five Star Rated songs which have made it to the Semi-Finals of the contest shortly after Session One closes on the 30th June. Additionally we will be announcing the UKSC awards at the same time for exceptional songs which performed highly in the contest but did not make it to the list of Semi-Finalists. To see a full breakdown of the Star Rating system and UKSC awards visit the Scores Explained page here. As many of you are already aware, we no longer have the dashboard system in place for results and certificates. You will be able to access your results and find out if you have made it to the Semi-Finals or if you have received a UKSC Award by using the search tool found on the Status Update page. This will be updated shortly after the closure of Session One on the 30th June. We would like to congratulate all the talented songwriters who have submitted their songs to the contest so far and we wish you all the best with the upcoming Semi-Finalist and UKSC Awards announcements. Unleashing the Power of Chord Progressions: Setting the Mood in Your Music As songwriters and musicians, we often find ourselves drawn to the power and beauty of simple chord progressions. These progressions have the ability to captivate audiences and convey a range of emotions with their inherent simplicity. Understanding the impact of chord progressions on a song's mood is a powerful tool for songwriters as it allows you to effectively convey the desired emotions to your audience. Musicians often use roman numerals to represent chords in a key, making it easier to transpose songs (change between different keys). Each roman numeral corresponds to a specific chord built on a particular note within the key. For example, in the key of C, the I chord is C major, the IV chord is F major, and the V chord is G major. Lowercase numerals indicate minor chords, while the vi chord represents the relative minor, sharing the same notes as the major key but starting on a different note. Here are three examples of commonly used chord progressions in popular music and the moods they evoke: 1- The I-IV-V (1-4-5) chord progression is a staple of many happy and upbeat songs. This progression provides a sense of stability and resolution, and the major chords used create a feeling of positivity and energy. There are many examples of songs which use this simple chord progression including "Twist and Shout" by The Beatles and "Wild Thing" by The Troggs. 2 - The I-V-vi-IV (1-5-6-4) chord progression is widely recognised for its infectious and uplifting qualities evoking not only a sense of familiarity and joy but also nostalgia. Starting with the tonic chord (I) for stability, it transitions to the dominant chord (V) to build anticipation. The shift to the relative minor chord (vi) adds a touch of vulnerability, while the resolution to the subdominant chord (IV) brings a satisfying conclusion. One of the world's most recognisable songs using this simple chord progression is "Let It Be" by The Beatles. 3 - 'Canon' is another well known chord progression named after Pachelbel's Canon. This unmistakable classic (listen here) uses a I-V-vi-iii / IV-I-IV-V pattern originally in the key of D major. The gentle and harmonious progression of this simple chord sequence produces a sense of calmness and beauty. "Memories" by Maroon 5 and "Don't Look Back In Anger" by Oasis are two songs from recent times which use this classical Baroque sequence as a backbone to the song. Chord progressions have a profound impact on the mood of a piece of music. These sequences can be short and simple such as the I-IV-V sequence of "Twist and Shout" or longer and meandering such as the I-V-vi-iii / IV-I-IV-V used by Pachelbel. Songwriters should be encouraged to experiment with these sequences and elaborate on them. By incorporating variations and extensions such as major 7ths, dominant 7ths, suspended chords, key changes etc, songwriters can take these progressions to new heights, adding depth and colour to their compositions. What are your thoughts on this article? Do you believe in the power of pre-defined chord progressions evoking a particular mood? Do you have a set of go-to chord sequences or do you start again at the drawing board with each song? Can composition be reduced to a set of simple rules or do you think we should break away from these chord sequences in order to add more colour and orginality to our music? Comment and link to us on socials @uksongwritingcontest to discuss. World-class microphone manufacturer LEWITT audio joins the UKSC as a sponsor. We are excited to announce that LEWITT audio has joined forces with the UK Songwriting Contest as a proud sponsor for 2023. LEWITT audio are a world-class Austrian microphone manufacturer well known for pushing the boundaries in audio technology. Their commitment to innovation has made them a leader in microphone and audio interface design and their products are trusted by amateurs and professionals alike. LEWITT believe that everyone deserves access to amazing sound, no matter where they are or what their budget is. As part of this exciting partnership, LEWITT will be awarding their LCT 240 PRO condenser microphones to select category winners of the contest this year. At the UKSC we are always working hard to add to the extensive list of prizes available to UKSC participants and category winners. A full breakdown of the prizes for 2023 can be found here which includes professional mastering by Lurssen Mastering in Los Angeles, high specification Digital Audio Workstation technology by FL Studio, Songwriting courses and webinars for every UKSC entry by SongU, an exclusive up to date registry of music industry contacts by the Music Business Registry and much more! What equipment do you need to start recording to a professional standard from your own home? When recording music you need to consider the source, the gear and the room you are recording in. In the following video LEWITT walk you through some of the gear you might need. Early Star Rating Results Announced  Attention all songwriters who submitted their entries to the UK Songwriting Contest before the end of April: we are delighted to announce that the eagerly anticipated early Star Rating results have been released! If you submitted your entry before the end of April, you can now find out how well your song is doing by simply typing in your email address into the search bar on the top of the status update page here. Songs are awarded a Judge's Star Rating from zero to five stars. All 5 Star Rated songs will progress to the next round of the contest and be carefully considered for a place in the Semi Finals and Finals of the competition. For a detailed breakdown of the Star Rating system including special awards and final positions please read the following explanation on the UKSC website: Scores Explained. We understand that waiting for the results can be a nerve-wracking experience, and so we have taken your feedback on board and made some changes this year. From now on we will be announcing the Star Ratings for all entries submitted before the end of each month during the first week of the following month. So, if you submit your entry before the last day of May, you can expect to find out your Star Rating during the first week of June. We hope that these changes will help to make the competition more transparent and engaging for all participants, and we wish you the best of luck in your songwriting journey! Subscribe to the UKSC newsletter via the link at the bottom of the page to receive the latest UKSC news straight to your email. Vote Now! The Commonwealth Song Contest announces finalists for 2022/2023 The Commonwealth Song Contest is back. This major international music event represents the 2.5 billion people of the 56 Commonwealth nations. Thousands of musicians from across the nations entered the first Commonwealth Song Contest (CSC) in 2018 with Katie Kittermaster from the UK taking the winning position following a round of public voting. To coincide with the coronation of King Charles III, The Commonwealth Song Contest has returned for a second year celebrating the diversity and talent across the Commonwealth nations. From tens of thousands of entries submitted between 2018 and 2022, the CSC has selected seven grand finalists from Australia, Canada, Malaysia, Malta, Singapore, Saint Lucia, and the United Kingdom. The round of public voting is now officially open, and it's time for you to show your support for your favourite artist. To cast your vote in support of the songwriter of your choice visit the Commonwealth Song Contest website here. Commonwealth Song Contest Grand Finalist Countries 2022/23 Australia: LeeA Nanos Canada: Terra Spencer Malaysia: Belle Sisoski Malta: Emma Cutajar Saint Lucia: Emmanuel Carlos St. Omer Singapore: Matilde Girasole United Kingdom: Azeem Alam Song submissions for the 2022/23 CSC were administered and organised in partnership with The UK Songwriting Contest and internationally with the music submission platform SubmitMySong.com, the Song Copyright Office (SCO), and others. Since 2018, every participant in the UK Songwriting Contest has received automatic and free entry into the CSC, a practice which will continue in 2023. You can stay up to date with the Commonwealth Song Contest by following their socials on Facebook and Instagram. Subscribe to the UKSC newsletter via the link at the bottom of the page to receive the latest UKSC news straight to your email. Nick Paschenda wins UKSC 2022 Lurssen Mastering AwardEach year, the UKSC awards more than £500,000 ($600,000) in gifts, prizes, and international event entry (a full list of which can be found here). One of the prizes included in this extensive list is the chance to have your song professionally mastered by Lurssen Mastering - the multi-Grammy Award-winning studio based in Los Angeles, CA. In 2022, UKSC double award winner Nick Paschenda was the recipient of the Lurssen Mastering award, granting him the opportunity to have the lullaby he wrote for his son professionally mastered. As you can see in the above video, Nick was absolutely thrilled with the result. At the time of writing, his newly mastered song has already garnered over 27,000 listens on Spotify - an impressive feat. Well done Nick! You can listen to Nick Paschenda's original song here, and the newly mastered version on Spotify here. Subscribe to the UKSC newsletter via the link at the bottom of the page to receive the latest UKSC news straight to your email.
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