Every songwriter I know wants to write better songs. Not just different songs or more songs, but songs that feel alive, connected, and full of meaning.
I recently came across a post on Songwriting.net called “5 Steps to Becoming a Better Songwriter” that hits this idea in a way that feels practical and inviting, not overwhelming. The core of the article isn’t about shortcuts or magic tricks, it’s about opening up your creative world and building habits that expand what you can express.
The article lays out five simple but powerful steps for improvement.
First, it suggests broadening what you listen to, not just the genres you’re comfortable with but ones that stretch your ear and break your patterns. Listening deeply is like building your own vocabulary; every new style adds a fresh colour to your palette.
Next, the author talks about co-writing with other songwriters. When you sit at the same table with another writer, you’re forced to explain your ideas and see things from a different angle. That friction, that exchange, often sparks breakthroughs you wouldn’t find alone.
Setting monthly and annual songwriting goals comes next. Setting goals feels like plotting coordinates on a map, without them, we wander; with them, there’s momentum. For example, the article suggests aiming to finish a set number of songs or try new techniques each month.
One of my favorite points is about revisiting your older songs. Looking back at early work with a more seasoned ear is like reconnecting with an old self and discovering treasures you missed the first time around. You can reshape a chorus, update a lyric, or try a different rhythm and suddenly the old becomes renewed.
The last step is all about experimenting with your process. Try writing a song backward, switch instruments, impose weird constraints like using only questions for lyrics, or give yourself a ten-minute sprint. These kinds of deliberate experiments shake up the routine and get the creative blood flowing.
When I reflect on these steps, what I appreciate most is how they treat songwriting not as a trophy to chase but as a practice to grow in. Writing music isn’t a linear ladder to climb; it’s a field to explore.
The work of listening, collaborating, setting achievable goals, and experimenting feels less like a checklist and more like pathways into deeper creativity.
Songwriting is such a personal craft, but it’s also shaped by the breadth of what we take in and the connections we make. These steps remind you that growth rarely comes from repeating the same patterns.
We grow when we push at the edges of our comfort zones and try new ways of thinking and doing.
If you want to dig deeper into these ideas and get the full set of tips straight from the source, check out the full article at Songwriting.net. There’s more context and examples there that are worth the read.
Before you go, I want you to make a small commitment today: try listening to a genre you usually skip, or sit down with another writer and start a new idea together. Those tiny steps are often the ones that lead to your most surprising songs.
Let me know what you come up with so we can compare notes.
