If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I find my own voice as a songwriter” you’re not alone. It’s one of the most common and important questions in songwriting, and the answer isn’t something you stumble upon overnight.
Finding your voice isn’t about waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s about doing the work until something honest, natural, and uniquely yours starts to take shape.
So, in saying this, here’s a clear, no-fluff breakdown of how to find your own voice as a songwriter.
1. Write Relentlessly
There’s no shortcut around this. Your voice emerges through repetition, trial and error, and sheer output. Write hundreds of songs. Most will be forgettable. Some will surprise you. A few will feel true to you.
That’s where your voice starts whispering.
Think of it this way: your voice isn’t found, it’s developed through the act of writing again and again and again.
2. Notice What Comes Naturally
You already have patterns. They’re showing up in your work whether you realise it or not.
Start paying attention to things like:
- The chord changes you always reach for
- Common lyrical themes or imagery
- A vocal phrasing or melodic shape that keeps resurfacing
Instead of fighting those tendencies, lean into them. They might just be the early signs of your authentic songwriting voice.
3. Copy Your Heroes (At First)
Yes, you’re going to sound like your influences in the beginning. That’s not a flaw, it’s a phase. Everyone starts there.
Study your songwriting idols. Deconstruct their lyrics. Learn their songs. Try writing in their style. Eventually, as you blend these influences together, your own sound will start to surface.
4. Tell the Truth (Even If It’s Ugly or Uncool)
Your voice lives in your truth. Write what you actually think and feel, not what you assume other people want to hear.
That doesn’t mean you have to be confessional in every song. You can write about someone else’s story, a fictional character, or an imagined world, but do it in a way that only you would.
5. Embrace Constraints
Oddly enough, limits often bring out your most original work. Try:
- Writing a song in 10 minutes
- Using only three chords
- No rhyming
- Only one instrument
- Singing in a different key or time signature than usual
These boundaries force you to think differently, and what comes out under pressure can often reveal something unexpected and personal.
6. Reflect on Your Own Songs
After you’ve written a decent handful of songs, go back and listen to them. Don’t judge them—study them.
Ask yourself:
- Which songs felt most natural to write?
- Which lyrics still hit you, even months later?
- Which songs do you love to play or sing?
- Which ones got a real reaction from people?
Look for patterns. Those moments of connection, whether internal or external, are signposts pointing toward your voice.
7. Perform (Even If It’s Just in Your Room)
Performance is where your voice starts to live. How you sing, phrase, strum, or deliver a lyric, all of that matters.
Even just recording voice memos or doing small open mics will help you discover what resonates with you and what feels forced. The more you perform, the clearer your identity becomes.
8. Be Patient. Be Persistent.
Finding your voice isn’t a task you complete, it’s a path you walk. And the more you walk it, the clearer it becomes.
Some days, you’ll feel like you’re onto something. Other days, you’ll question everything. Keep writing. Keep listening. Keep learning. Your voice is already in you, it just needs time and space to grow.
My Final Thought
Your songwriting voice is less about creating something new and more about uncovering what’s already there. It’s in your habits, your instincts, your stories, your weird ideas, your imperfections. It’s not about sounding different. It’s about sounding like yourself.
So keep showing up. Keep writing. And trust that your voice will find you—as long as you keep listening for it.
