Bachelor of Music in Songwriting

As a songwriting major, you’ll learn to write artfully as well gain the skills for writing commercially-viable songs. Over eight semesters, while completing the college’s core music curriculum, you’ll develop a creative approach to contemporary music compositions. Using the college’s state of the art facilities, you will work with a diverse community of musicians, faculty, and industry professionals, gaining real world experience while earning a bachelor's degree.

WATCH

Shape Your Songs in a Community of Songwriters

Hear from students and faculty on what makes Berklee's Songwriting Department a great place to find who you are as an artist. Explore a wide range of styles, including EDM, roots, and hip-hop, and find your voice in a close community of songwriters who will support you while pushing you to take creative risks.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

Learn about financial aid, scholarships, and others ways of paying for your Berklee education.
Study Abroad

Study abroad at our Valencia, Spain, campus. It is recommended that songwriting majors study in Valencia during their third, fourth, fifth, or sixth semester. For specific program information, please see the chair of your major or contact the study abroad office.

Alumni Story

Charlie Puth B.M. '13 Sets YouTube Record

At nearly 3 billion views, songwriting alumnus Charlie Puth's video with Wiz Khalifa, "See You Again," is the most-watched video in YouTube's history.

Meet More Alumni

Student Spotlight

John Mayer Shares the Stage with Student Songwriters

On a tour stop in Boston with his band, Dead & Company, songwriter and guitar titan John Mayer '98 visited the Berklee Performance Center (BPC) to hear original songs from six Berklee students.

Full Description

As a student majoring songwriting at Berklee, you will have the opportunity to develop your creative and technical skills in all aspects of songwriting and production. Through a combination of coursework and electives, you will gain knowledge in areas such as melody, harmony, rhythm, song structure, lyrics, song arrangement, beat and track production, live instrument recording, vocal production, live performance of original songs, and the business of songwriting.

As a student, you can choose to specialize in one or more areas of songwriting, including songwriter-performer, songwriter-producer, songwriter-topliner, musical theater songwriter, and/or songwriter for sync. The program offers a core set of courses that provide the foundational knowledge necessary for any songwriter, while a range of electives allow you to explore different genres, styles, and career paths. Your coursework will culminate in a portfolio of original songs and recordings, along with one-on-one mentoring from faculty to help you plan your career after graduation.

Throughout your time in the program, you will have opportunities to collaborate with classmates, participate in recording sessions, attend seminars, take interdepartmental courses, and engage in a variety of other activities that build community and promote networking. You will also have the chance to showcase your work at department performances and open mics, as well as participate in ensembles and campus-wide concerts.

The program places a strong emphasis on music technology, providing instruction in tools such as Logic, Live, and Pro Tools, as well as third-party plugins that are essential for producing professional-quality recordings of your songs. You will have access to recording studios and songwriting suites that are designed specifically for songwriting and production.

Faculty in the songwriting program are experienced professionals who have worked with industry icons, luminaries, and legends. Many of them have backgrounds as songwriter-performers, songwriter-producers, songwriter-topliners, musical theater songwriters, songwriters for sync, and have won or been nominated for prestigious awards such as the Grammys, Latin Grammys, Emmys, and more. They will provide guidance and mentorship as you develop your skills and pursue your career goals.

What Will I Learn?

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

analyze the melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and lyrical structures of songs in a variety of contemporary and traditional styles;
synthesize and apply knowledge of songwriting tools and techniques;
synthesize and apply knowledge of lyric writing tools and techniques;
arrange original songs that support and serve the melody and lyrics;
examine and execute songwriting production practices for professional audio representation of original songs;
perform original songs live;
assess and apply various aspects of the business of songwriting; and
construct a professional portfolio of original songs.

Entrance Requirements

There are no entrance requirements to declare the songwriting major. Please follow the regular declaration of major process as outlined by the Registrar's Office.

Curriculum and Courses

There are 31 required credits specific to this major (21 major core credits, and 10 songwriting track credits) in addition to the B.M. required core music courses (41 credits), liberal arts courses (40 credits), and general electives (8 credits) for a degree total of 120 credits. See the sample curriculum here.

Songwriting Core (15 credits)

SW-110 Songwriting Foundations (2 credits)
SW-115 Essential Keyboard for Songwriters or SW-116 Essential Guitar for Songwriters (1 credit)
SW-211 Songwriting 1 (2 credits)
SW-212 Songwriting 2 (2 credits)
SW-221 Lyric Writing 1 (2 credits)
SW-222 Lyric Writing 2 (2 credits)
SW-231 Arranging for Songwriters (2 credits)
SW-335 The Business of Songwriting (2 credits)
Major electives (2 credits)

Technology Core (4 credits)

Introductory DAW class (select one):
- SW-161 DAW for Songwriters: Pro Tools (2 credits)
- SW-181 DAW for Songwriters: Ableton Live (2 credits)
- SW-191 DAW for Songwriters: Logic Pro X (2 credits)
Advanced technology requirement (select one):
- SW-261 Advanced DAW for Songwriters: Pro Tools (2 credits)
- SW-281 Advanced DAW for Songwriters: Ableton Live (2 credits)
- SW-291 Advanced DAW for Songwriters: Logic Pro X (2 credits)

Songwriting/Performer Track

SW-236 Guitar Techniques for Songwriting OR SW-238 Keyboard Techniques for Songwriters (2 credits)
SW-370 Strategies for the Songwriter Performer OR SW-371 Singer/Songwiter Workshop (2 credits)
Major electives (2 credits)
SW-390 Senior Seminar in Songwriting: Songwriter-Performer Focus (2 credits)
SW-490 Directed Study in Songwriting: Songwriter-Performer Focus (2 credits)

Songwriting/Producer Track

SW-383 Advanced Skills for the Producer-Songwriter (2 credits)
SW-374 Vocal Production for Songwriters OR SW-425 Multi-DAW Workflows for the Songwriter/Producer (2 credits)
Major electives (2 credits)
SW-391 Senior Seminar in Songwriting: Songwriter-Producer Focus (2 credits)
SW-491 Directed Study in Songwriting: Songwriter-Producer Focus (2 credits)

Songwriting/Topline Track

SW-321 Advanced Lyric Writing 1 OR SW-372 Topline 2 for Songwriters and Producers (2 credits)
SW-421 Advanced Lyric Writing 2 OR SW-472 Topline 3 for Songwriters and Producers (2 credits)
Major electives (2 credits)
SW-393 Senior Seminar in Songwriting: Songwriter-Topliner Focus (2 credits)
SW-493 Directed Study in Songwriting: Songwriter-Topliner Focus (2 credits)

Songwriting/Sync Track

SW-363 Songwriting for Film and TV (2 credits)
Choose 2 courses:
- SW-241 Survey and Application of Popular Song Styles (2 credits)
- SW-273 Music Supervision: Selecting and Licensing Music for Media (2 credits)
- SW-461 Writing the Film Musical (2 credits)
SW-394 Senior Seminar in Songwriting: Sync Focus (2 credits)
SW-494 Directed Study in Songwriting: Sync Focus (2 credits)

Songwriting/Musical Theater Track