Songwriting has long been at the core of music, and for a time, it was one of the safest ways to earn a living. Today’s industry driven by streams and fractional royalty rates has made it harder for writers to maintain their craft, but that won’t stop talented people from trying.
The surge in podcasts about songmaking proves that songcraft has universal appeal. Some episodes put recognizable names and faces in the guest seat, but many episodes shine a light on unseen creators behind the scenes.
Although you don’t have to be a musician to ask how it’s done, many of these podcasts are hosted by professional songwriters. What they share is an emphasis on the tireless work it takes to get the first hit and the constant effort to maintain momentum. The message is clear: It’s not glamorous, but once a song connects with people, it’s totally worth it.
Here are seven songwriting podcasts we recommend, ordered by launch date from longest running to newest.
Liverpool-based musician duo Simon Barber and Brian O’Connor, known professionally as Sodajerker, are hosting it. Sodajerker on songwriting Podcast for 15 years. Delving deeper into the songwriting process with classic and current creators, they have welcomed Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Jimmy Webb and Todd Rundgren and, most recently, Chaka Khan and Phil Collins. Episodes focus on specific historical songs, while also highlighting each guest’s current releases, and often providing revealing insights. Award-winning podcast spawns BBC World Service documentary Secrets of SongwritingAnd as of 2020, its interview archive is housed in the British Library.
Hrishikesh Hirway’s song blast This is the gateway podcast to the world of songwriting for many music fans. Launched in 2014, the series features over 300 episodes, each featuring a song lasting less than half an hour. An accomplished musician who has released albums as The One AM Radio, Hirway turned to podcasting in hopes of gaining insight into the creative processes of fellow musicians after writer’s block. However, this popular show took on a life of its own, becoming his daily job and spawning a Netflix series. It’s going from strength to strength with recent guests like Elvis Costello, Olivia Rodrigo and Charli XCX.
Podcasters turned authors Nate Sloan and Charlie Harding examine the Top 40 songs from 2014 to find out why they became hits and how we, as listeners, are reacting to them. A professor of musicology and a lyricist/music teacher respectively, the pair’s approach is both academic and forensic. The cast occasionally features in episodes, among them Carly Rae Jepsen, Tove Lo and Lizzie McAlpine. Mostly, both analyze the music in great detail. The series spawned a book, Switched on Pop: How Popular Music Works and Why It Matters (2019), and the podcast has been featured on Netflix.
Being featured on And the author is… The song has become a badge of honor for the composers. Hosted by acclaimed songwriter Ross Golan, who has written hit songs for Selena Gomez, Jason Derulo and Celine Dion, the weekly podcast offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the song sausage is made. Guests include Finneas, Bebe Rexha, Ryan Tedder and Ziggy Marley. Geared towards music professionals and fans alike, the series features over 250 episodes. Lasting over an hour, each conversation highlights the songwriting process and the guest’s musical journey, focusing on the successes as well as the difficult times.
lyricist on process The focus on writing more than lyrics makes sense, since its host, Ben Opipari, holds a PhD in English Language and Literature. The project began in 2010 as written interviews with songwriters and evolved in 2022 into a podcast of writers talking about writing, which can apply to songs or books. Their far-reaching guest list ranges from Julia Jacklin, Rostam and Jason Newsted to Death Cab for Lucious and Cutie’s Ben Gibbard. What sets the podcast apart is that Opipari is not a songwriter, but his love for music and the writing process is evident throughout his interview style.
Geared towards established and emerging songwriters, songwriter soupHosted by Grammy-nominated songwriter Laura Weltz, is an invaluable resource. The industry- and lifestyle-focused podcast serves as an audio handbook for songwriters, sharing best practices and insider expert tips for surviving and thriving in this difficult-to-navigate creative space. Experts Weltz has welcomed include Tayla Parks, Gabe Simon and Joybeth Taylor who debuted in the series’ fifth season. This season also marks songwriter soup As an official non-profit, expanding access beyond the conversation to practical ways for songwriters to keep themselves safe professionally and personally.
Justin Bieber’s “Sorry,” Imagine Dragons’ “Believer” and Chappelle Rhone’s “Good Luck, Babe!” Justin Tranter, the writer of several billion-streaming hits like , could have retired a long time ago. Instead, the Grammy nominee has expanded his reach into a variety of areas, including podcasts InfamousWhere he interacts with industry decision makers and those who shape pop culture, including music creators. Guests arrive in pairs: the celebrity, so to speak, and the partner who helped them get to where they are. The podcast, which launched earlier this year, has already analyzed the careers of Katy Perry, Melanie Martinez, Troye Sivan and Debbie Gibson, among others.