Profile of Song of the Year Song Contest

Song of the Year Song & Lyric Writing Competition

The Song of the Year Song Contest has been running for over 10 years; it is open to all aspiring songwriters across the globe. Each month there will be 1 winner and 4 finalists in each category. These results will be narrowed down to Category Winners (or Top 10), and then trimmed down further to determine the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners at the end of the contest year.

You can submit your song/s to any of the ten categories; namely Pop, Rock, Country, Hip Hop, Christian, Adult Contemporary, Instrumental, Folk, Dance/Electronic and Lyric Only.

Those who would like to enter this contest may do so either online or snail mail. Those submitting online must include a completed entry form plus the song in mp3, wma, wav and other audio formats. Those submitting by mail-in must send their songs on CD, DVD or cassette tape along with a completed entry form. There is an entry fee to join this contest.

Entries will be judged based on the quality of songwriting itself.

The top 5 winning songs in each category will be forwarded to major record labels, music publishers, booking agents and other experts in the field for further consideration. There will be 40 Category Finalists, 10 Category Winners, a 3rd place winner, a 2nd place winner and a 1st place winner. The first place prize package includes $30,000 in cash, Apple Mac Pro, a Home Studio package, a Yamaha Keyboard Workstation and other exciting prizes.

At the time of this writing, the deadline to enter for this month's round is on September 7, 2012. Category winners will be announced on October 29. These dates vary per month so make sure to check out the Song of the Year Web site for the latest news and updates.

Song submissions will be judged by a panel of notable songwriters, music professionals and other industry insiders.

For more information on the Song of the Year Song Contest's rules, deadline of entries, etc., visit their official Web site.

Reference

Song of the Year. (2012). In Song of the Year Song & Lyric Writing Competition. Retrieved from http://www.songoftheyear.com/index.html

In the words of singer-songwriter Norah Jones, "There's a lot of personal stuff that can go into songwriting but there's also a lot of dramatization and fictionalization. You have to do that to make a good song."

Here are some songwriting articles to help you:

The Songwriter As A Storyteller - Learn what details to include in your song to make it more compelling.

The Parts of a Song - You've heard about the verse, bridge, chorus, refrain, coda, etc. These are all parts of a song; here's a concise explanation of each part.

Strong Opening Lines - Some of the best songs are those that have strong opening lines; here's how to come up with yours.

A Word on Titles - Suggested ideas on coming up with catchy song titles.

Which Comes First, Melody or Lyrics? - When writing a song which comes first, the melody or lyrics? Learn the answer here.

What is a hook? - Definition of the word "hook" as used in music, with examples for further reference.

What is a riff? - Definition of the word "riff" plus some song samples.

Other Song Forms - Other types of lyric writing strategies and guidelines.

Song Collaborations - It is a common practice among musicians to collaborate on songs. Sometimes these collaborative works become huge hits and along the way long-lasting friendships are made.

They Write the Songs - Get to know the men and women behind some of your favorite timeless songs through these profiles.