Songwriting competition
Encyclopedia
A songwriting competition is a contest
whereby musician
s submit original music
to a third party or forum, generally to win a prize
or some other benefit. Songwriting competitions have existed long before the advent of the Internet
, but today many are conducted through websites or musician forums. An example is the John Lennon Songwriting Contest
in New York, which was founded by Yoko Ono
in 1997 and has existed both online and offline. Other important songwriting competitions are the Unisong International Song Contest
in Los Angeles or the International Songwriting Competition
in Nashville.
Winners receive money prizes exposure and airplay
of their song
s, sometimes recording contracts. Songwriting competitions are often called "career-boosts".
A variation on the theme of songwriting competitions is ComProsers, whose inaugural contest asks participants to read a short story first and create a piece of music inspired by that story.
Songwriting competitions differ from singing competitions, such as American Idol
, because the latter do not require that the music submitted or performed be original; in fact, the music is usually published and rather well known. American Idol has, however, recently launched a subsidiary songwriting competition of its own.
Competition
Competition is a contest between individuals, groups, animals, etc. for territory, a niche, or a location of resources. It arises whenever two and only two strive for a goal which cannot be shared. Competition occurs naturally between living organisms which co-exist in the same environment. For...
whereby musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
s submit original music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
to a third party or forum, generally to win a prize
Prize
A prize is an award to be given to a person or a group of people to recognise and reward actions or achievements. Official prizes often involve monetary rewards as well as the fame that comes with them...
or some other benefit. Songwriting competitions have existed long before the advent of the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, but today many are conducted through websites or musician forums. An example is the John Lennon Songwriting Contest
John Lennon Songwriting Contest
The John Lennon Songwriting Contest, named for the former member of The Beatles, is a songwriting competition for songwriters, open to amateurs and professionals. The contest accepts instrumental pieces as well as songs with a vocal component. Though all entries must include a CD, cassette, or...
in New York, which was founded by Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono
is a Japanese artist, musician, author and peace activist, known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking as well as her marriage to John Lennon...
in 1997 and has existed both online and offline. Other important songwriting competitions are the Unisong International Song Contest
Unisong International Song Contest
The Unisong International Songwriting Contest is the oldest international songwriting competition, that is for and judged by songwriters.Unisong International Song Contest was founded in 1996 by songwriter Alan Roy Scott , publisher David Stark and songwriter/promoter Brett Perkins .Unisong is...
in Los Angeles or the International Songwriting Competition
International Songwriting Competition
The International Songwriting Competition is an annual song contest based in Nashville, TN, whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of...
in Nashville.
Winners receive money prizes exposure and airplay
Airplay
* Airplay is the amount of time a song is played on the radio.It may also refer to:* AirPlay, an audio & video streaming technology from Apple Inc.* Airplay , Foster & Graydon music project from 1980* Citroën C1, Citroën C1 Airplay...
of their song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
s, sometimes recording contracts. Songwriting competitions are often called "career-boosts".
A variation on the theme of songwriting competitions is ComProsers, whose inaugural contest asks participants to read a short story first and create a piece of music inspired by that story.
Songwriting competitions differ from singing competitions, such as American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
, because the latter do not require that the music submitted or performed be original; in fact, the music is usually published and rather well known. American Idol has, however, recently launched a subsidiary songwriting competition of its own.