With the final deadline of the 2024 UKSC approaching at the the end of this month (on November 30) here are our top ten songwriting tips to help you write that final entry!. These are tips that professional songwriters use, and also some of our own recommendations based on our many years of experience and feedback from songwriters and song contest judges.

1. Study the Classics
The best way to write your own classic is to study the classics that others have already written. Choose some writers that you admire and sit down and study what they do. And ask your self these questions: What structures do they like to use? What makes the melody or lyric memorable? How did they use lyrics in the chorus and how did this relate to the verses? Analyse how they used rhyme schemes, and the order of the sections of the song. How long is the intro? Is there a hook and where does the hook appear? How is it repeated and how does it relate to the song´s subject matter and the song´s title? Read and listen to each verse. Do they all the verses lead to a main message that is found in the chorus? Answer all these questions and then apply this to your own songs.

2. Write About What You Know
Pick a genre and/or subject that you are familiar and comfortable with and know about. Especially something from your own personal experience. It could also be something something you are very passionate about. This provides a natural flow and motivation. It links you and your life experience to the song in a meangingful way. It makes the song sincere and believeable and you will feel more confident writing about something you know. The more you are personally involved and connected with the subject matter, the more deeply you feel the meaning or message, the more comfortable you are with the genre and style, the more authentic the end result will be. And listeners know authenticity when they hear it. Your song will speak to them on a different level than a mechanical, contrived approach.

3. Learn Song Structure and Music Theory
Lyricists need to understand song structure. They need to know what AABA and ABAB structure means. They need to know how to use metre and rhyme schemes. Music composers need to know basic music theory: at the very minimum they need to understand keys, the chords that work for each key, key changes, cadences, resolutions. This can be instinctive, without even knowing the technical terms or knowing what you are actually doing, but there must be a knowledge and understanding of these musical and structural elements to produce a worthwhile song. Songwriters never stop learning about the craft.

4. Take Notes. Often.
Most well known and successful songwriters talk a lot about the notes they take. Snatches of lyric. Subject matter ideas. Hooks. A chord progression. Search for Lennon and McCartney and you will find photos of their scrawled notepad ideas. Like the successful songwriters, you should always have something available to record your songwriting ideas. And go through these notes regularly, expand on them, build on them. Use your phone, or an envelope, or a napkin, or a special notepad, or anything that is handy. Many songwriters keep a notepad and pen by their bed every night because many of our best ideas come at night and sometimes even in our dreams. If you get that great song idea, a piece of melody or lyric, when you are half asleep, it always helps to have a pen and pad next to you. Don´t go back to sleep and rely on your memory and think you will still remember in the morning. You probably won´t, and your genius idea will be gone and lost forever.

5. Rewrite A Famous Song
Rewriting a well known song is always a good songwriting exercise. You can write new lyrics or a new melody to an existing song. In each case you already have the advantage of working with an existing melody or lyric, and this gives you a blueprint to work from. You could also try rewriting only parts of it - for example keep the verses but write a new chorus. Or Keep the chorus and try and write new verses that also work with that chorus. When writing a new lyric to an existing melody, or a new melody to the original lyric, make sure that you use the same amount of syllables and stress points within those syllables. Each piece must fit into place. Doing this well can create a completely new and original song. This is the basis for the Songwriting Challenge Category in The UK Songwriting Contest where contestants´ skills are tested to the limits.  

6. Collaborate
Some songwriters like to work on their own all the time. But most collaborate at least occasionally. Some writer´s find it much easier to write melodies and have a struggle finding words to go with them. Others only write lyrics. Others get together with their songwriting partner and share both the melody and lyrics work. Again, The UK Songwriting Contest has a special collaboration section for this. Check out the details and see how you can find your ideal partner by entering your lyric or melody. The UKSC will match up suitable lyricists and composers, put them in contact with each other and pass on work, and even professionally record selected songs.

7. Don´t be too self critical
No one writes a great song every time. You probably won´t ever hear great songwriters´ disasters because they usually keep them to themselves and don´t share them. But you can be sure that even the most famous and successful songwriters have written terrible songs that are probably as bad as, or worse, than some of your own disasters. You need to accept early on that most of your efforts are not going to be Grammy winners. Especially if you are still a beginner and starting out. It takes a lot of time and practice to become good at songwriting. There will be a progression and your songs will get better - but only if you keep writing and don´t give up. Your first songs are the building blocks along the way, and you will get better with each one. Don´t be too hard on yourself.

8. Rewrite. Rewrite. Rewrite.
Probably the number one basic mistake that most beginner songwriters make is that they don´t rewrite. Maybe your song came in a flash of magical inspiration and you don´t want to mess or interfere with that. Or maybe you struggled long and hard to get the verses, and they work well with the chorus, and the last thing you want to do now is go back to the beginning and change things, let only delete or rewrite entire sections. But the truth is that you really do need to do this. Or at least you need to go though the song critically and consider changing things. Listen to some of the early versions of famous songs as they developed - Beatles songs are a great source and place to see this in action because they can be easily found on YouTube and elsewhere in their very rough unfinished and early states. You can clearly see how these songs changed and grew, and how whole sections were taken out or added, and lyrics and meanings and styles changed. This is what you should also do before you actually call a song complete. Be sure to look at all possibilities before you decide it is finished. And remember that all the great songs were scrutinized and often heavily edited before they were released.

9. Network
The easiest place to network is online and there are many songwriter’s forums on the internet. Some of these are much better and more useful than others, but if you find the right one it can be a good place to meet like-minded people and other songwriters. It could also be a good place for you to post your songs for opinions and maybe even critiques. The place that we recommend for UKSC entrants is, of course, our own Songwriting Community Group on Facebook. It´s a very friendly and helpful place for songwriters who enter songs in the UKSC and you will find some very knowledgeable and supportive people there - including professionals and even contest judges who sometimes pop in and follow posts. But check out all the others, do some searches, and also look closer to home and find out if there are any local songwriting groups, open mics, music clubs, theatre groups etc in your local area that you could get involved with.

10. Stay Positive
Songwriting can be a very humbling thing. You are putting your baby, your personal creation, out there for others to react to. This is a brave thing to do. Remember that. But the truth is that not everyone will like a song you have written. Some will actively dislike it and even other songwriters can sometimes be hurtful when pointing out what they don´t like about it. The thing you need to always remember is: never, ever, take it personally. It is not a personal judgement. Nobody equates your songwriting with you as a person. Every great songwriter has written terrible songs. Everyone learns and develops and improves. And every song that one person loves is hated by someone else. Keep positive. Move on. Believe in yourself. Learn from constructive criticism. Take every critique and suggestion on board and learn from it, but don´t accept that it is necessarily correct or the only possible reaction. And don´t ever change yourself to suit or impress others if you want to write great songs.

Take care, and best wishes from
The UK Songwriting Contest Team
www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

LINKS:
Entry Form: https://songwritingcontest.co.uk
Community Group: https://facebook.com/groups/uksongwritingcontest
Contest Website: https://songwritingcontest.co.uk
Facebook Page: https://facebook.com/uksongwritingcontest

Dear Songwriter,
In case you missed the announcement: all Session One results are online on the UKSC website. Go to the dashboard page and enter your email to see your results. Star Ratings for each song are there, and so is the position reached and also your Certificate. Details and tips on saving and printing certificates are also on the website and scores/ratings are explained.

If you are listed as a Semi Finalist htis means your song is now in the next stage of the contest and will be considered for the Finals.The contest is till very much open and you can submit more songs in Session Two even though you have already entered in Session One. (Note: If you submit a new version or recording of a Session One song please be sure to add V2 after the title).

The Session One results are on the dashboard page here. Check out the song categories and FAQ pages as well to see updates and visit again soon as we will be announcing a new co-writing song challenge in the near future.

The last chance to enter songs for early results is at midnight on Sunday 30th June, so there are only hours left to submit your songs at www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

Everyone who enters a song before the deadline will have their results within days and this will include your Star Rating from the judges and your position and award in the contest for each song. Certificate for every song entry will be prepared and will be available for download and printing.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS NEXT??

The judges have already read lyrics entries and listened to the recordings of many of the songs entered earlier in Session One. Now they are working very hard every day to process and judge the entries coming in during the last week and before the Sunday night deadline. Our aim is that all songs in Session One will have been through the complete judging process and be ready for results announcements with a week after the deadline.

At that time full results will be online on the UKSC website and you will be able to see your entries and see the judges results and download certificates. You will be able to access this by logging in with the email address you used to submit your songs, so there is no need to remember passwords etc.

If you have made it into the Semi Finals we will announce this within days of the deadline and Semi Finalist Certificates will be online for downloading. If you are a Semi Finalist at that point this means that your song continues in the contest through more selection processes and to be considered for a place in the Finals. If it goes into the Finals your Semi Finalist Certificate will be updated to a Finalist Certificate at that time.

Entry forms are at https://www.songwritingcontest.co.uk/entryform

So, if you want to have early results please try and get your songs to us before the midnight Sunday deadline to avoid disappointment. All songs submitted after the deadline, from Monday on, will go into Session Two and results for that second session will not be until after the 2024 contest closes later this year. Please contact us at any time if you have any questions.

Very Best Wishes,
From The UKSC Team

The UKSC WInning Christmas Song, Sailing Home For Christmas, has been announced early to in time for the big day. All other winners will be announced as they are confirmed, on the UKSC website.

SAILING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS
This outstanding Christmas Song was written onboard HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain's biggest warship and flagship on a 7 month Operational tour to the Far East in 2021 and was entered in the UKSC 2023. The song, written by Dave Emery, captures the emotions of being separated from family and the anticipation and delight of coming home. It has been released with all proceeds going to the Royal Navy & Royal Marines Charity (RNRMC) and Culdrose Military Wives Choir who are featured on the track. Both charities give so much to support Armed Forces personnel deployed and their families back home. The UKSC congratulates the guys for this great song and performance and wishes all UKSC entrants a Very Merry Christmas.

Lyrics
Overhead, all the stars looking down our house,
Cold and bright
The curtains' closed
But the chimney smoke says
‘Come, it’s warm inside’

All at once, and the ache from each
Day I’ve been gone; 7 months
It fades to the past, I’m here at last
This Christmas has finally come

The butterflies start
A flicker in my heart
I feel my chest start to glow
I’m shaking as I ring the doorbell
And see you stood waiting there in the hall

I whisper, ‘Merry Christmas, darling
Been a really long wait I know
I’ve missed this, all that I wished for
Was coming back to see
You after sailing home’

From inside, and I’m hearing
The voice of a child calling out
The footsteps come
I hear you running racing
Through the house

The butterflies start
A flicker in my heart
I feel my chest start to glow
I’m shaking as I kneel to greet you
I just can’t believe
How much you’ve grown

I whisper, ‘Merry Christmas, darling
Been a really long wait I know
I’ve missed this, all that I wished for
Was coming back
To see you after sailing home’

So here it is then
Merry Christmas darling
And we’re stepping in from the cold
With this you’ve been making
My wish come true
Here underneath the mistletoe

I whisper, ‘Merry Christmas, darling
Been a really long wait I know
I’ve missed this, all that I wished for
Was coming back
To see you after sailing home’

So here it is then
Merry Christmas, darling
And we’re stepping in from the cold
With this you’ve been making
My wish come true
Here underneath the mistletoe

Come on let’s live this
Merry Christmas, darling
Leave our tears out here in the snow
Just this, it’s all that I’ve wished for
And now I’m back to see you after
You after sailing home
Sailing home

CREDITS
Music & Lyrics - Dave Emery
Choral arrangement - Pete Truin

Vocals - Phil Clark
Backing Vocals - Culdrose Military Wives Choir
Rhythm Guitar - Dave Emery
Lead Guitar - Adam Rosser
Bass Guitar - Lloyd Warlow
Drums/Percussion - Ben Jones

Produced by Gareth Young, The Cube Recording Studio

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