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INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION |
| Can
I enter my song(s) from a country other than the U.S.? Yes, International Songwriting Competition accepts and encourages entries from all over the world. In 2004, ISC received entries from 77 countries throughout the world. ISC winners come from all over the world. |
| What
are my chances of winning if I live outside the USA.? ISC has the most international winners of any major U.S.-based songwriting contest. In 2004, the ISC Grand Prize winner was Gin Wigmore from New Zealand. In fact, about half of ISC's winners in 2004 were from outside the USA. |
| How
many songs can I enter? There is no limit to the number of songs you may enter into the songwriting contest. |
| How
many categories can I enter my song(s) into? You may enter as many songs as you want in different categories, or you may even enter as many songs as you want in the same category. |
| What
if my song does not fit exactly into a category? Enter it into the category that it fits best in. A great song will stand out and be recognized even if it does not fit exactly into a specific category. The categories are a guide, not a rule. Please do not email us and ask us to pick a category for you. You know your songs better than we do, and it needs to be your decision. |
| What
is the AAA/Roots/Americana
category? We have received emails from songwriters asking us to explain the kind of music that falls within this category. So, here goes...AAA stands for Triple A (Adult Album Alternative), which is a radio format. AAA playlists are much broader than the limited playlists of hit radio, and therefore depend on album tracks as well as on music released as singles. Stylistically, such stations may play rock, folk-rock, country-rock, modern rock, and blues music. Examples of artists in the AAA category include: Jewel, John Mayer, Fleetwood Mac, Jason Mraz, Ben Harper, Beck, The Jayhawks, Pete Yorn, Tori Amos, Coldplay, Train, etc. Americana music is a term that is a bit harder to define, but basically it is best described as progressive, roots country music, which offers an alternative to mainstream country. Examples of Americana artists include Gillian Welch, Joe Ely, Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, John Hiatt, Ryan Adams, etc. |
| What
is the Performance category? This category is based not only on songwriting but also on overall performance. The criteria include vocal delivery (unless it is an instrumental and has no vocals), instrumentation, melody, arrangement, lyrics, creativity, and overall likeability. It will be judged on the overall performance and delivery of the song, as well as the songwriting. This category will be judged on the total package – the overall quality of the song and the performance of it. |
| What
kind of jazz songs does ISC accept? ISC accepts both instrumental jazz and jazz with vocals – everything from traditional jazz to avant-garde, standards to smooth jazz, Latin to swing, and more. |
| Is
there a maximum time length to an entered song? No, you may enter songs of any time length. |
How
much does it cost to enter? If you enter after July 15, the fee will be $30 for each entry. There will be no discount for multiple entries after July 15. After July 15, the entry fee is $30 per song entry. |
| Will
ISC notify
entrants that their entry has been received? ISC sends out an email to all entrants notifying them that their entry has been received. However, as you know, email is not always 100% reliable, and sometimes is not received. This can happen for a variety of reasons: the email might be filtered out by a spam program (so check your junk mailbox), your server might be down, etc., etc. If your email address changes, please be sure to notify us, as email is the primary method ISC uses to communicate with entrants. If you do not receive any notification from ISC within a few weeks of sending out your entry, feel free to contact the ISC office at 615.251.4441 to verify receipt. |
| How
and when will winners be notified? All entrants will receive notification of the semi-finalists, finalists, and winners via email. Winners will be emailed and/or phoned. Finalists will be announced on February 1, 2006, and winners will be announced in March, 2006. Please do not call the ISC office to inquire about winners as it will slow down the process. If you do not receive an email, please check the website for updated information. |
| Does
ISC give feedback? ISC does not give feedback to entrants. |
| Does
ISC notify entrants about the status of their entry during the process? ISC has several rounds of judging and does notify entrants if their song(s) proceed onto the second or third round of judging. These are preliminary rounds and do not mean that the song has become a semi-finalist or finalist. |
| What
are the requirements for eligibility for the Teen category? The only requirement is that all entrants must be 18 yrs. old or younger by the deadline of October 14, 2005. If there are multiple songwriters, they must all adhere to this age requirement. Entrants may be from any country. Please be sure to have your parent or guardian sign the entry form! Please note that in order to attend Berklee College of Music's Summer Program, the winner must be at least 14 years old when attending. |
| What
kind of music can I enter into the Teen category? You may enter any kind of music (for example: rock, pop, folk, blues, country, instrumental, etc). You do not need to specify the genre of music on your application. You may also enter just lyrics without music. Please make sure that the lyrics are typed or written out legibly. |
| If I entered last year, can I enter again this year? Yes, and you can enter either the same song(s) or new songs. Since we have many new judges this year, it will be "new ears" listening to your entries. |
| Am
I allowed to enter songs that have been entered into other songwriting
competitions? Yes, we welcome all songs, even if they have been entered (whether they won or not) into other songwriting competitions. |
| Do
you have any specific instructions for the entry? Please put all your songs on one CD or tape. It is easier and more affordable for you and for us. Please make sure the songs are clearly marked with the name of the song, the name of the entrant, and the category. If you are sending a CDR, please put a piece of masking tape on the spine and write your name in black magic marker. Use a regular-sized case, not an ultra thin one. Use the same procedure if you are sending in a cassette tape. Also, please make sure that the entrant's name is clearly marked on the CD, CDR, or tape. |
| How
do I enter lyrics only? Please send in the lyrics typed or neatly written. They do not need to be accompanied by music, but if you prefer, you may also send in the song on CD or tape. You do not need to include sheet music, chords, or any other kind of musical notation - only the lyrics. If the lyrics are in a language other than English, please include the English translation, if available. You do not need to specify the kind of music the lyrics are written for, but if you want to, that's fine with us. It will not affect the judging process in any way. |
| Does
ISC own my song once I have entered it? No, absolutely not. The entrant retains ALL rights to the songs, and ISC does NOT own the song or any rights to it. |
| May
I enter a song that I wrote if the rights to it are owned by a publishing
company? Yes, but make sure to get permission from the publishing company. If the song is selected as a winner, you will be required to send ISC their signed approval. |
| May
I shop a song I entered to a record label or publishing company? Yes, of course. Since ISC has no ownership in any song entered, you may continue to do business as usual with any song entered into ISC. In fact, we encourage you to be proactive and do whatever you can to gain success with your songs. |
| If
I am entering from outside the US, what type of payment do you accept? Unfortunately, if you live outside the US, we cannot accept personal checks. We only accept bank checks, international money orders, a credit card, (or PayPal if you enter online). Please do not send us personal checks with the word "US Funds" written in next to the amount. Also, we cannot do transfers of monies into our bank account. |
| If
I am Canadian, can I send in a personal check and just write in "US Funds"
on the check? We cannot accept personal checks with the words "US Funds" written in next to the amount. We only accept bank checks, international money orders, a credit card, (or PayPal if you enter online). |
How
can I enter online? |
| What
is the ISC Compilation CD? ISC produces a Compilation CD of the Grand Prize winner and all the First Place winners. If the Lyrics Only winner has a recorded song, it will be included. The CD is not for sale, and is used for publicity and promotional purposes only. It is sent out to A&R, press, radio, and more. Since it is not sold, there are no royalties paid to artists on it; however, all songwriters will retain full rights to their songs. The purpose of the Compilation CD is to heighten awareness and increase exposure for all winners, and most importantly, to help them further their careers. |
| What
is the People's Voice? The People's Voice is an additional way to win prizes and recognition. It is completely separate from the regular winners that are selected by ISC judges. Once ISC announces the finalists, their songs are put up on the website for a month, and the public is invited to vote for their favorite song. The finalist who receives the most votes wins a lot of great prizes (stay tuned for an update on People's Voice prizes). |
| Do the judges listen to all the entries, or is there a screening process? There is a screening committee that listens to all entries and selects the group of finalists which are then sent to the judges. The judges then select the winners from this group of finalists. The screening committee is comprised of ISC staff who are all qualified music business professionals with extensive experience in songwriting and music. ISC does not utilize any outside screeners. The screening process is carefully and respectfully implemented with the goal of selecting the best songs to send on to the judges. |
| How
long has ISC been in existence? This is the fourth year for ISC. However, the founder of ISC has been in the music business for almost 20 years and also created two other high-profile, annual events that foster and encourage new talent: NEMO Music Showcase & Conference (going into its 10th year) and the Boston Music Awards (going into its 19th year). Click here for a bio of the Founder/Director. |