Songwriters

Most songwriters are unable to support themselves from their songwriting alone and must hold other part-time or full-time jobs while writing songs in their spare time. The music industry is very competitive, and there are many more songwriters than paying projects. This situation is expected to continue in the coming years. In addition, the coronavirus pandemic has had a major impact on the music industry overall, with many music concerts and events cancelled and postponed in 2020. Many songwriters and other music professionals are working and collaborating remotely through video apps such as Zoom and FaceTime. This is not for the long term, but for the immediate future until the pandemic ends and concerts and other live, in-person music events resume.

There are a few bright spots for songwriters. The continued growth of independent filmmaking has created more venues for songwriters to compose film scores. Cable television and streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu, among others, also provide more opportunities for songwriting, both in the increased number of advertisements and in the growing trend for cable networks and streaming services to develop their own original programs. Many computer games and software feature songs and music, and this area should grow rapidly in the next decade. Also, as more companies, organizations, and individuals set up multimedia Web sites, there will be an increased demand for songwriters to create songs and music for these sites. Songwriters with MIDI capability will be in the strongest position to benefit from the growth created by computer uses of music. In another field, legalized gambling has spread to many states in the country, a large number of resorts and theme parks have opened, and as these venues produce their own musical theater and shows, they will require more songwriters.

The number of hit songs is very small compared to the number of songwriters trying to write them. Success in songwriting therefore requires a combination of hard work, industry connections, and good luck.