What is ISC?

"the songwriting competition to take note of" – The New York Times

The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual song contest designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. ISC is renowned for its prestigious panel of judges that includes Grammy winners, chart-topping iconic artists, and high-profile music industry executives, offering the opportunity to have your songs heard by the most influential decision-makers in the music industry. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians from anywhere in the world are invited to participate. 

Win cash, prizes, recognition, and exposure!

74 winners will share in more than $175,000 in cash and prizes, including the overall Grand Prize of $25,000 in cash! ISC is a great opportunity for songwriters, musicians, and performers to win cash and prizes, further their music careers, and gain recognition and exposure in the music industry.

Categories include: AAA (Adult Album Alternative), AC (Adult Contemporary), Americana, Blues, Children's Music, Christian, Comedy/Novelty, Country, EDM (Electronic Dance Music), Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Hip-Hop/Rap, Instrumental, Jazz, Latin Music, Lyrics Only, Music Video, Performance, Pop/Top 40, R&B/Soul, Rock, Teen, Unpublished, Unsigned, and World Music. Entrants may submit as many songs as they wish - in the same category or in multiple categories.

Click here to view descriptions of above categories. 

In addition to cash and merchandise prizes, winners benefit from a multilateral promotional campaign designed to give international exposure and attention to their songwriting achievements. 

Depending on the category, submissions are judged on the following criteria:

• Creativity
• Originality
• Lyrics (excludes songs that do not have lyrics)
• Melody
• Arrangement
• Overall likeability

Some categories may have additional criteria. Production/Recording quality and vocal ability are NOT criteria (except in the Performance category in which Vocals are a judging criteria).

PLEASE NOTE: ISC carefully considers the role of AI in music and takes its inclusion very seriously. To protect the integrity of the competition, we are committed to upholding ethical standards and ensuring a fair playing field for every songwriter. Please refer to our Rules considering the entry of any song created partially or wholly by AI.

JOIN THE RANKS OF PREVIOUS WINNERS:

Tones and I, Coco Jones, Jordan Adetunji, Illenium, Vance Joy, Gotye, Bastille, Kehlani, The Band Perry, Dean Lewis, Kimbra, Passenger, Kasey Chambers, Lindsey Stirling, Amy Shark, Kate Miller-Heidke, Adrianne Lenker (Big Thief), Fantastic Negrito, Gregory Porter, Gin Wigmore, Andrew Bird, for King & Country, Tommy Castro, Heather Morgan, Tom Hambridge, Omar Sosa, Faouzia, David Kushner, Larkin Poe, Remy and Pascal LeBoeuf, Caamp, and many more.

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