Songwriting is a craft that combines creativity, emotion, and technical skill. Whether you’re a budding musician or a seasoned artist looking to refine your abilities, the right course can significantly enhance your songwriting prowess.
In this article, we’ll explore ten of the best songwriting courses available online, each offering unique insights and techniques to help you craft memorable melodies and compelling lyrics.
From prestigious institutions like Berklee College of Music to specialized platforms focused solely on lyric writing, these courses cater to a wide range of skill levels and interests. They cover various aspects of songwriting, including lyric composition, melody creation, music theory, and even the business side of the industry.
Whether you’re looking to write chart-topping hits or simply express yourself through music, these courses provide the tools and knowledge to take your songwriting to the next level.
1. Lyrics Writing Course by Jacob Carter
The Lyrics Writing Course, created by lyricist Jacob Carter, offers an in-depth exploration of the art and craft of lyric writing. This comprehensive online program is designed to help aspiring songwriters and lyricists enhance their skills and unleash their creativity. The course covers a wide range of topics, from generating ideas and choosing the right words to organizing rhythms and rhymes for compelling verses, choruses, and bridges.
Jacob Carter, an experienced lyricist with over 10 years in the industry, leads students through six modules that delve into various aspects of lyric writing. The course begins by teaching students how to find inspiration and develop their unique writing style. It then progresses to more advanced topics such as lyrical structure, storytelling techniques, and genre-specific conventions.
Throughout the program, students have the opportunity to analyze influential lyrics and develop their own style through practical exercises and assignments. You can read how Jacob Carter analyzes the lyrics meaning of hundreds of songs.
The Lyrics Writing Course has received positive feedback from students who have praised its comprehensive content and practical approach. Many have reported significant improvements in their lyric writing skills and a newfound confidence in their ability to express themselves through song.
2. Lyric Writing: Tools and Strategies – Berklee Online
This comprehensive 12-week course taught by renowned lyricist Pat Pattison helps students sharpen their lyric writing skills through practical techniques. Students learn to generate better ideas, find the right words, and organize rhythms and rhymes into compelling verses, choruses and bridges.
The course covers important concepts like prosody, sense-bound writing, and metaphor, teaching students to craft more vivid and emotionally impactful lyrics.
3. The Singer Songwriter Specialization – Berklee Online (Coursera)
This 4-course specialization provides a well-rounded foundation for aspiring singer-songwriters. It covers guitar basics, singing techniques, lyric writing, and music production using Ableton Live. By the end, students will have written, performed, and recorded their own original songs. The specialization is designed for beginners but can benefit songwriters at any level looking to hone their craft.
4. Songwriting: Writing the Lyrics – Berklee Online (Coursera)
Taught by Pat Pattison, this course focuses specifically on lyric writing techniques. Students learn to identify point of view, use stressed and unstressed syllables effectively, employ various rhyming techniques, and create clear phrasing. The course helps songwriters tap into their creativity and express ideas more powerfully through lyrics.
5. Commercial Songwriting Techniques – Berklee Online
This course, authored by Andrea Stolpe, teaches a 10-step process for writing commercially viable songs while maintaining artistic integrity. Students learn to create memorable melodies and lyrics that forge an emotional connection with listeners.
The course covers techniques like “toggling” between detail and broader themes, as well as “destination writing” to enhance descriptive skills.
6. The Art of Songwriting – The Open University (FutureLearn)
This 6-week course provides a practical introduction to songwriting fundamentals. Led by professional musicians and academics, it covers melody, rhythm, harmony, and lyric writing.
Students write their own song using provided lyrics, learning from world-renowned musician Martin Simpson along the way. The course is suitable for complete beginners to experienced songwriters looking to refine their skills.
7. Songwriting: Lyric Writing – Elevate with ICMP
This online course focuses exclusively on developing lyric writing skills. Students learn techniques for telling powerful stories through song, exploring rhyme schemes, literary devices, and various writing strategies.
The course covers free writing, storyboarding, and writing to briefs to help songwriters approach lyrics from different angles. By the end, students will have a deeper understanding of lyric writing and improved skills for crafting emotive, compelling lyrics.
8. Writing Song Lyrics: Create and Combine with Melody – City Lit
This 6-week online course teaches students how to generate original lyric ideas and combine them effectively with melodies. Participants learn about lyric structure, creating hooks, imagery, scanning, and rhythm.
The course includes analyzing songs across genres, from the 1930s to today. Students will create and edit their own lyrics, receiving constructive feedback from peers and the instructor. By the end, participants will have written and refined original lyrics set to melodies.
9. Songwriting Simplified: Music Theory, Melody & Creativity – Udemy
This comprehensive course covers music theory fundamentals, chord progressions, melody writing, and lyric writing. It’s designed for both pianists and guitarists, requiring only basic playing skills.
The course promises that students will write a complete song by the end, following 5 simple steps. It includes practical tips on transposition, catchy melodies, and using the same chord progressions as hit songwriters.
With over 20 downloadable PDFs and easy-to-read chord and scale charts, it’s suitable for beginners and more experienced songwriters alike.
10. How to Write Lyrics – The Song Foundry
This video-based course, hosted by Ed Bell, focuses on the craft of lyric writing. It covers essential topics like generating ideas, structuring lyrics, creating hooks, and using literary devices effectively.
The course emphasizes practical techniques for finding the right words and making lyrics sound natural and conversational. It also discusses the importance of specificity in lyrics and how to use placement strategically to emphasize important words or lines.
