Explore our trusted collection of songwriting resources, critique services, lyric tools, recording gear, and music business links. Everything here is handpicked to support your success as a songwriter.
You'll find practical guides, industry links, books, courses, creative tools, copyright resources, and pitching platforms — all curated to provide extra support for every stage of your songwriting journey.
Some links below are affiliate links. If you make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products and services we genuinely trust and use ourselves.
Explore curated tools and websites to help you grow as a songwriter, protect your work, and pitch your songs like a pro. All links open in a new tab and some will take you to another site. ↗🌐
↓📁 Lyric Sheet Preparation Guide (PDF 97K)
Prepare your lyric sheet using the preferred method of professional studios and session vocalists.
↓📁 Demo Pre-Recording Checklist (PDF 268K)
Make sure your song is fully prepared before sending it to the studio.
↓📁 Beginners Guide to Songwriting and Studio Jargon (PDF 141k)
Ensure you're speaking the same language with producers, engineers, and pro songwriters, learn the lingo and slang with this easy-to-understand reference.
↓📁 Song Creation Proof Log (PDF 47k)
A single-song record sheet for documenting dates, collaborators, contributions, and revisions to help establish authorship and protect your rights.
↓📁 Song Split Sheet (PDF 108k)
A simple agreement for co-writers to clearly define each person's contributions and ownership percentages for a song.
↓📁 Guitar Chord Blanks (PDF 437k)
Sketch out voicings and share parts with other musicians.
↓📁 Guitar Tabs Sheet (PDF 30k)
Notate guitar parts, solos, riffs, and arrangements.
↓📁 Manuscript Paper (PDF 454k)
Standard 12-stave sheet music paper for writing full scores or melodic notation by hand.
↓📁 Scales, Chords, & Quick Guide (PDF 70k)
A quick reference showing every major scale, interval patterns, and how common chord types are built from the scale.
Here are some of our favorite books on songwriting and music that currently reside on our bookshelf.
The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs | by Jason Blume
If you could only buy one book that covers everything about the craft and business of songwriting, this is the one to get. Also includes bits of sage advice from various industry professionals, particularly hit songwriters and music publishers.
by Sue Young
Sure, you can use online rhyming dictionaries but none of them are organized in the way they need to be for songwriters but this one is — and that's why you need it!
(Amazon): Paperback | Hardcover
by Ralph Murphy
The late Ralph Murphy had several number one hits as a Nashville songwriter and platinum records as a producer. This book is filled with gold nuggets and helps define your target audience.
Survival in the Music-Biz | by Rand Bishop
As an artist, producer, and songwriter with a career spanning over 45 years, Rand Bishop has some stories to tell and does so in a humorous and entertaining way. This is a great behind-the-scenes look at the business that will teach you lots along the way!
Freeing the Writer Within | by Natalie Goldberg
This book is all about unlocking creativity and may just be the best book ever written on the subject. Any writer of any kind needs to read this book!
(Amazon): Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audiobook
A Step-By-Step Course & Workbook | by Sheila Davis
This workbook puts you through exercises that will help you learn, develop, and polish lyric writing techniques.
(Amazon): Paperback
by Julia Cameron
This book is considered one of the best books on creativity ever written. It dives deep into the creative process and takes you on a 12-week course of exercises.
(Amazon): Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover | Audiobook
Inside the Art of Songwriting | by Jimmy Webb
For an extremely deep dive into the craft of songwriting, this book is like looking over the shoulder of a master craftsman to learn both the thinking process and the hands-on techniques to get from idea to polished work. Chapter 7 is a gem in the art of chord substitution.
(Amazon): Paperback | Kindle | Hardcover
by Chas Williams
This is the system Studios in Nashville used to "chart" a song for session musicians. It's a shorthand version of musical notation. Its main advantage is that it's applicable to any key, making last-minute key changes easy. Plus, it's a quick method for writing down your own songs, song arrangements for gigs and covers, etc. Includes CD or download of 10 instrumentals so you can see and hear how the charts work.
(Amazon): Spiral Bound | Kindle
Here is some of our favorite gear that we feel can benefit both songwriters and musicians (we own it too).
This combination instrument tuner and metronome is perfect for practicing and keeping time when creating a work track. It has large backlit display, and a built-in microphone and speaker. You tap or set the tempo, which includes beat and tempo functions. And also features a 1/4" instrument cable input.
(Amazon): Korg TM60BK Tuner Metronome
If you can only own one microphone, make it this one. Most recording studios have several. This versatile mic is the go-to for guitars, drums and other instruments, and is great for live and studio vocals.
(Amazon): Shure SM57 | Shure SM57 Bundle with clip and cables.
For excellent recorded vocals (male or female) and acoustic guitar in your home studio on a limited budget, this is a great choice and a lot of bang for your buck (perfect for voiceover work too). Get XLR NOT USB
(Amazon): Rode NT1-A-MP
If you own an XLR mic but only have 1/4" inputs on your recording gear, you'll need one of these adapters. Mine are from RadioShack (which you can't get anymore), but people swear this less-expensive PARTS EXPRESS XLR Female to 1/4" Male Line Matching Transformer works better or just as well as the Shure A85F Line Matching Transformer. Here are both:
(Amazon): Parts Express XLR-to-1/4" | Shure A85F XLR-to-1/4"
Sturdy and built to last. These are heavy-duty stands and are what we've been using for years for our musicians and vocalists.
(Amazon): On-Stage SM7211B Music Stand
These comfortable, closed headphones will prevent bleed through to microphones, while providing a flat response (non-tonal coloring) to give you an accurate and true representation of sound.
(Amazon): Sennheiser HD 280 Headphones
SongUSongU.com | As part of your membership, you can get critiques from real hit songwriters. Members can also choose their song evaluation coach. I used them when I was a member and the feedback was invaluable.
NSAI's Song Evaluation service allows you to have your songs reviewed and evaluated by professional songwriters.
Jason Blume is multi-genre Billboard Top 10 singles hit songwriter and author of the #1 best-selling book "6 Steps to Songwriting Success." He offers personalized feedback to help elevate your lyrics, melody, and song structure, and includes written notes with optional Zoom sessions.
SongU⭐ Staff Pick
SongU.com is based in Nashville and has close Music Row connections to publishers and independent song pluggers in town that bring opportunities for Country songwriters not always found with other pitching services. I believe it's worth the membership alone for access to these pitching opportunities.
TAXITAXI is a trusted platform connecting songwriters and artists to music supervisors and publishers. Excellent opportunities for getting songs pitched to film and television productions in particular, and to artists and publishers.
SongU⭐ Staff Pick
SongU.com offers a songwriting curriculum that covers everything you'll need to learn. in addition to online songwriting courses and coaching, you also get song evaluations, and song pitching opportunities with unique industry access. I have formerly been both a member and instructor.
NSAI provides song evaluations, workshops, and advocacy for writers at all stages.
Copyright.gov is where you can officially register your songs and lyrics to protect your work.
LegalZoom’s guide offers a helpful introduction to legal basics for musicians and songwriters.
SoundBetter⭐ Staff Pick
SoundBetter, now part of Spotify, lets you hire pro vocalists, musicians, producers, and engineers.
Kompoz is a virtual collaboration studio where you can co-write and record songs with others worldwide.
RhymeZone is a classic tool for finding rhymes, synonyms, and poetic phrasing.
HookTheory helps you understand music theory and analyze hit songs to improve your writing.
Music Gateway lists several helpful apps and tools for songwriting and music creation.
American Songwriter offers interviews, contests, and songwriting insights from today’s hitmakers.
CD Baby’s DIY Musician Blog covers everything from music promotion to royalty collection and creative tips.
BMI’s Indie Toolkit is packed with resources to help independent songwriters manage rights and royalties.
BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) is one of the largest performing rights organizations (PROs) in the U.S., BMI collects performance royalties for songwriters, composers, and publishers when their music is played on TV, radio, live venues, and streaming platforms.
ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) is another major PRO that helps songwriters and publishers collect royalties from public performances. Their extensive resources and tools help creators understand music licensing and earnings.
SESAC is a smaller, invitation-only performing rights organization, SESAC offers faster payouts and more personalized service for its members, including songwriters, publishers, and composers.
Harry Fox Agency (HFA) is a leading provider of mechanical licensing services in the U.S., helping songwriters and publishers manage reproduction rights and royalty collections when songs are sold, streamed, or downloaded.
SoundExchange collects and distributes digital performance royalties on behalf of recording artists and labels for non-interactive streaming (like Pandora or SiriusXM). It's essential for artists with music on streaming radio.
The MLC (Mechanical Licensing Collective) ensures that songwriters and publishers are paid mechanical royalties for qualifying U.S.-based digital streams and downloads. It's free to join and crucial for collecting earnings from DSPs like Spotify and Apple Music.
Tunebat helps you identify song keys and BPMs, perfect for remixing or performing covers.
Audd.io uses AI to identify songs and lyrics and can help validate your own references and demos.
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