Songwriter

A songwriter is an individual who writes the lyrics to a song. They can also write the music to a song, but it's not essential to write the music to a song to be called a songwriter. Many popular songwriters only write the lyrics. A person who writes the music is called a 'composer.' Although songwriters of the past commonly composed, arranged and played their own songs, more recently the pressure to produce popular hits has tended to distribute responsibility between a number of people. Popular culture songs may be written by group members, but are now usually written by staff writers: songwriters directly employed by music publishers. Some songwriters serve as their own music publishers, while others have outside publishers. Further more, songwriters no longer need labels to support their music. Technology has advanced to the point where anyone can record at home. The old-style apprenticeship approach to learning how to write songs is being supplemented by some universities and...