EARLY RESULTS DEADLINE
Do you want early results for your songs? Session One closes at the end of the month at midnight on Sunday 30th June. Submit before the deadline to get your results in days and see if you are in the Semi Finals. All Semi Finalists will be announced within days. You will receive your Star Rating from the judges for your songs and everyone will receive their Certificates and position in the event. UKSC Certificates will be awarded for Semi Finalist, Commended Entry, Special Mention and other positions. For a detailed explanation of your Star Rating and Award positions click here.

Time is running out so be sure to get your songs into the contest over the coming days. The deadline is at midnight on Sunday so you have the rest of this week and the whole weekend to submit. All songs entered after the weekend deadline will go into the second session (with results announced at the end of the contest in October/November).

*Don't skip the final Note at the end *

The music industry is buzzing with talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI) these days. This is because AI has huge implications for songwriters, producers, music companies, copyright holders and human creativity in general. Understandably, many songwriters feel personally threatened. Some see it as the end of true human creativity, while others see it as an exciting new world to be explored and exploited.

In this article we will look at one aspect of AI and how it is very important for songwriters to understand its uses and the legal implications regarding copyright and ownership of songs.

SONG OWNERSHIP
At the UKSC we have been studying AI carefully. We have looked at the various AI platforms and developments in depth and we have consulted with lawyers and organizations about copyright issues. The current situation today, as we understand it, is that legally the AI platform retains copyright on all material it creates. Keep in mind that the AI created work is legally known as the AI "output". "Output" is the crucial term here. The bottom line, at this time, is that it is becoming clear that all music or lyrics that an AI platform creates is legally owned by that platform and not by the person who creates it through their "input". So if you are using AI make sure that you don´t get carried away thinking that you wrote the masterpiece that you end up with. Carefully read the small print hidden in the terms and conditions of the software or platform you are using you will probably discover that the output created by AI is not owned by you. And often even your input isn´t owned by you either.

WATCH OUT!
When you enter your own original lyric for example into an AI song generator, and ask AI to create a song from this, the lyric is your input. Everything else that the AI creates in response to your input is legally regarded as the "output". If your lyrical input was entirely your own original work (and it is very important that you can clearly prove this!) you will retain the rights to your input and receive a co-write credit. But if these lyrics were themselves also written with the help of AI, even AI from a different platform, the basic rule will still apply, and you do not own those inputted lyrics. The bigger the mix of input sources, generators and platforms you use, the more complicated and messy it gets regarding copyright claims. And on top of this there is also the original sources that the AI was "trained" on and learned from to consider.

ORIGINAL SOURCES
AI song generators "learn" to do what they do by examining a huge amount of published music and songs that were written before AI existed. And these songs are, of course, owned by their respective copyright holders. These copyright holders might be individuals, publishers or labels etc. The UKSC predicts that in the future it is very likely that there will be major legal challenges coming from the copyright holders and writers of the original source materials that the AI learned from.

HIDDEN TRAPS?
At the UKSC we suspect that there may already be some hidden added coding and stamps included in AI output to identify the AI generated works. If this is not already happening we predict that this will arrive in the future. Another possibility is that in the near future specialised AI databases will be able to immediately recognise such  works if they appear online, and the owners of the AI platform will successfully claim their rights on this "output". We also suspect that the whole business plan of AI platform owners might be simply to encourage and promote the use of AI music generators and the creation of songs with AI as much as possible to achieve world wide viral hits and monetization, and then claim all royalties as their own. This would be a very lucrative business model.

THE BOTTOM LINE
The bottom line seems to be that you will only be credited as a co-writer with the AI platform if you can very clearly prove that you wrote all the original input yourself, without any help or ideas from the same AI generator or other AI platforms. If this is not the case then be very careful with writer credits for the song. It is important to give the correct writer credits to any AI software or platforms that you might use.

TELL US YOUR STORY
We are very interested in the uses of AI and the complex legal ramifications and we would like to hear from anyone reading this about how they are using it and what platform or software they are using. Add your comments and thoughts about AI to this blog post. You can also email the UKSC or use the contact form on the UKSC website if you have any thoughts about this. Or post in the UKSC entrants Community Group on Facebook. We would love to hear from you about this subject.

We are following AI very closely and are fascinated by its possible uses and future implications. We looked at having an AI song category in the UKSC this year but we quickly rejected this idea and removed that category before it received any entries. We look forward to receiving your original, human written, song in the UKSC.

*NOTE: No AI was involved in the writing of the above article. It was 100% humanly and originally written by the UKSC. ;)

Good luck with you song entry,
UKSC

THE UKSC 2024 IS LIVE
The 2024 International UK Songwriting Contest is open for song entries and the judges are waiting for your songs. Full details of the prizes, judges and new song categories are on the official UKSC website at www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

SONG CATEGORIES
There have been changes in song categories this year (with the removal of one VERY controversial category - look out for a fascinating and important blog article about this coming over the next few days). UKSC 2024 Categories include Singer-Songwriter, Unsigned, Unplugged, Pop, AC, Lyrics Only, Major Artist, Crisis Songs, Country and more... There is a category for everyone and every style of music.

CO WRITING PRIZE
Multi award winning musician and songwriter Rachel Walker Mason will co-write a song with a winner this year. Rachel is a voting member of the GRAMMYs currently working with Grammy nominees, Billboard Hot 100 Artists and alumni from The Voice UK and American Idol. This is a great opportunity to work with a real industry insider.

CRISIS AND PROTEST
The Crisis and Protest Songs category has quickly become one of the most popular categories. Do you have a song about the current state of the world or any of the many crises that we all seem to face today? We want to hear them and read your lyrics.

BRITSONG AWARDS
The British Songwriting Awards (britsong.com) launches soon with the first winners announced in early 2025. The UKSC will provide the talent for the UK and International New Talent Awards sections and every UKSC entry in 2024 gets free entry into this awards event included.

Check out all the many benefits, opportunities and gifts for everyone who takes part, winner or not. Get the full details at www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

Best wishes,
The UKSC

.Multi award winning musician and songwriter (and UKSC judge) Rachel Walker Mason has announced that she will co-write a song with a winner of The UK Songwriting Contest this year. Rachel is a Recording Academy member and a voting member of the GRAMMYs currently working with Grammy nominees, Billboard Hot 100 Artists and alumni from The Voice UK and American Idol. She was named a UK Woman Of The Year in 2020 and she is a respected and well known figure in the UK and International music industries. This is a unique opportunity to work with, and co-write with, one of the most talented, experienced, well connected and respected names in the music business.

OTHER PRIZES IN 2024
There are prizes for everyone in 2024, even for non winners! Visit the prizes section on the UKSC website here for full details. In addition to the main prizes every song entered also gets to take part in the new British Songwriting Awards event (britsong.com), completely free of charge, and every song is matched to our industry insider list of required material.

CATEGORIES
We have changed the categories around this year. The favorites are all still there but there have been some interesting changes. Visit the Song Categories Page on the UKSC website here for details. Let us know what you think of the categories.

MORE TO COME
We have some new developments and opportunities for songwriters coming in 2024 so check back regularly and follow on social media for news and updates. The UKSC was founded with The BRIT Trust (the BRIT Awards charity organization) to discover and nurture new songwriting talent. This sets it apart from all other songwriting competitions and we remain true to that original aim. If you are one of the UKSC regulars we welcome you back this year. If you are new to the UKSC, from the UK or internationally, we welcome you to join us in 2024 and be part of this years event. As always, contact us at any time for support from the UKSC Team.

Very best wishes,
UKSC
www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

 
Dear Songwriter,

This is a quick post to tell you that The 2024 UK Songwriting Contest opened for entries this weekend. Check out the judges, the prizes, the new song categories, and the benefits of submitting songs to this top international songwriting event. Visit the website to learn about the new UKSC partnership with The British Songwriting Awards (britsong.com) and much more. Full details and entry forms are at www.songwritingcontest.co.uk

The UKSC Team are ready and waiting for your song submissions and we wish you every success in your songwriting this year!

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!