Set Your Songwriting Goals

Set Goals!

Setting goals can shift your songwriting into high gear and help you achieve your dreams. But it’s important to choose your goals carefully.

Pick goals that are achievable. Make sure they’re something you have control over.  Avoid vague goals like “I’m going to write a hit song.” Instead, make them specific, break them down into small steps and create a timeline.

Don’t try to do too much – that’s a set up for failure. Instead, pick three or four things you really want to accomplish. Write them down then keep that list where you can see it.

Here are four goals that can get you started. 

Go Ahead – Collaborate on a Song

I regularly check through the top songs in the Rock, Country, AC, and Urban genres and, guess what… in all four genres a majority of the hits are collaborations. In the Country genre, in fact, ALL of the top songs are frequently collaborations!

Collaborating (co-writing a song with one or more other songwriters) has so many benefits that it’s worth putting some real effort into learning how to do it and finding compatible songwriting partners to work with. It may take some time, maybe a few false starts, but it can more than repay you in the long run.

REASONS TO COLLABORATE

  • A collaborator can offer new ideas and nudge you out of old habits.
  • If you fall in love with a line that isn’t working, a collaborator can point that out and keep the song moving forward.
  • Working with a collaborator gives you added motivation, energy, and goals to meet.
  • The cost of demoing your song can be half what it would be if you wrote it alone.
  • Chances are you’re stronger in one area (lyrics or music) than another; a collaborator can add strength where you’re weak.