The Best Songwriting Books to Level Up Your Craft

By:

Sarah Spencer

Required reading for songwriters! The best songwriting books, books on creativity, and the music industry. | SongFancy.com

These are the best songwriting books I’ve ever read.

Plus a few more. Because most likely if you’re interested in songwriting, you’re definitely a creative, and you’re probably curious about how the music industry works, too!

So I’ve organized this list into three categories – Books on Songwriting, Books on the Music Business, and Books on Creativity.

These are books I’ve read cover to cover, keep as a reference, or would consider to be staples in any songwriter’s library.

Enjoy the songwriting books and let me know if you pick up any of them!

Songwriting Books

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Writing Better Lyrics
By Pat Pattison

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Songwriting Without Boundaries: Lyric Writing Exercises for Finding Your Voice
By Pat Pattison

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Pat Pattison’s Songwriting: Essential Guide to Rhyming: A Step-by-Step Guide to Better Rhyming for Poets and Lyricists
By Pat Pattison

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Murphy’s Laws of Songwriting
By Ralph Murphy

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Six Steps to Songwriting Success, Revised Edition: The Comprehensive Guide to Writing and Marketing Hit Songs
By Jason Blume

 

MUSIC BUSINESS Books

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This Business of Songwriting: Revised 2nd Edition
By Jason Blume

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Making  Music Make Money: An Insider’s Guide to Becoming Your Own Music Publisher
By Eric Beall

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Market Your Music Online Workbook
By Katherine Forbes

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How Nashville Became Music City, USA: 50 Years of Music Row
By Michael Kosser

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Getting Signed! An Insider’s Guide to the Record Industry
By George Howard

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Music, Money, and Success
By Brabec & Brabec

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What They’ll Never Tell You About the Music Business
By Peter M. Thrall

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All You Need to Know About the Music Business: 9th Edition
By Donald S. Passman

 

Creativity & Happiness

The War of Art
By Steven Pressfield

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The Artist’s Way
By Julia Cameron

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Steal Like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You About Being Creative
By Austin Kleon

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The Little Spark – 30 Ways to Ignite Your Creativity
By Carrie Bloomston

 

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Sarah Spencer

Sarah Spencer is an award winning singer/songwriter based in Nashville, TN.

Born in the Sunshine State, Sarah Spencer writes vibrant, shining americana/pop music. She works in Nashville TN as a singer/songwriter, as well as a UX designer for a marketing firm.

Follow Sarah on Spotify to get her latest releases.

You can jump on her email list at SarahSpencer.com or purchase her debut EP, "Freshman Year" on iTunes.