The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) is an annual song contest whose mission is to provide the opportunity for both aspiring and established songwriters to have their songs heard in a professional, international arena. ISC is designed to nurture the musical talent of songwriters on all levels and promote excellence in the art of songwriting. Amateur and professional songwriters and musicians are invited to participate. ISC has the most prestigious panel of judges of all the songwriting and music contests in the world (for example Chris Martin, Dua Lipa, the president of Republic Records, offering exposure and the opportunity to have your songs heard by the most influential decision-makers in the music industry. Categories include:
AAA (Adult Album Alternative)
AC (Adult Contemporary)
Americana
Blues
Children's Music
Christian
Comedy/Novelty
Country
EDM (Electronic Dance Music)
Folk/Singer-Songwriter
Instrumental
Jazz
Latin Music
Lyrics Only
Music Video
Performance
Pop/Top 40
R&B/Hip-Hop
Rock
Teen
Unpublished
Unsigned Only
World Music. Entrants may submit as many songs as they wish - in the same category or in multiple categories. Some categories may have additional criteria so read the rules tab of the website.
Prizes:
There are 71 prizes in total and what you receive is slightly different each year. This is what the winners of the 2019 competition received:
2019 GRAND PRIZE WINNER
o $25,000.00 (US) cash
o One fully mastered album from Lurssen Mastering.
o One CR89 Low Noise Condenser Microphone and one CR21 Small-Diaphragm Condenser Instrument Microphone (Pair) from MXL Microphones.
o 12-month Master Tour subscription by Eventric.
o Two Free Releases (Single or Album), Free Publishing Administration, Free YouTube Monetization, Store Automator for both releases, and New Music Friday Spotify Playlist Consideration provided by TuneCore.
o $100 gift certificate from Sweetwater Sound Inc.
o One Studio One Professional provided by PreSonus.
o 1-year subscription to Celebrity Access.
o 1-year Featured Membership from GigSalad.
o 12-month subscription to Merch Cat.
o 1-year SongU Platinum Membership.
o One KeyLab 88 MkII weighted keyboard, with V-Collection 7 Software Plug-in Bundle, from Arturia
o One Ultra Series Telecaster from Fender
2019 FIRST PLACE WINNERS
o Two Free Releases (Single or Album), Free Store Automator for both releases, and YouTube Monetization provided by TuneCore.
o One 770 Cardioid Condenser Microphone (Midnight) from MXL Microphones.
o 12-month Master Tour subscription by Eventric.
o 1-year Featured Membership from GigSalad.
o 1-year Subscription to Celebrity Access.
o 9-month subscription to Merch Cat.
o Full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music Five-Week Summer Performance Program to the 1st Place Teen Category Winner.
o One V-Collection 7 Software Plug-in Bundle from Arturia
2019 SECOND PLACE WINNERS
o One Free Release (Single or Album), Free Store Automator ($10 value), and YouTube Monetization provided by TuneCore.
o $100 gift certificate from Sweetwater Sound Inc.
o 6-month subscription to Merch Cat.
o Full scholarship to the Musicians Institute Summer Shot Program to the 2nd Place Teen Category Winner.
2019 THIRD PLACE WINNERS
o One Free Release (Single or Album) and YouTube Monetization provided by TuneCore.
o 3-month subscription to Merch Cat.
o 6-month Platinum Membership from SongU.
2019 PEOPLES' VOICE WINNER
o One Free Release (Single or Album) provided by TuneCore.
o One Notion provided by PreSonus.
o $100 gift certificate from Sweetwater Sound Inc.
o 1-year Featured Membership from GigSalad.
o 1-year Subscription to Celebrity Access.
o 12-month subscription to Merch Cat.
o 1-year Platinum Membership by SongU.
2019 "10 DAYS OF SUMMER" SPECIAL PROMOTION
o Ten finalists will receive a $100 gift card from Sweetwater Sound Inc.
o One overall winner will receive a $100 gift card from Sweetwater Sound Inc., an aerial drone and a promotional package from ISC.
2019 "DEMO YOUR LYRICS" SPECIAL PROMOTION
o One overall winner will be selected and awarded a Pro Demo Package from Pearl Snap Studios. This package includes access to unlimited standard instruments and a vocal track, and it includes additional production and mixing time to make sure every element is a perfect fit.
o Nine runner-ups will be awarded a Basic Demo Package from Pearl Snap Studios. This demo package includes a simple demo with one instrument (normally a guitar or piano), a vocal track, and background vocals (if needed).
2019 "INSPIRE YOUR SONGS" SPECIAL PROMOTION
o Three overall winners will be selected and awarded a Spire Studio from iZotope.
o Additionally, all three winners will be promoted on ISC's website and social media channels.
2019 FENDER SELECT PRIZE
o One winner chosen by Fender will receieve an Acoustasonic Telecaster.
Entry fee and deadlines:
" Early Bird Deadline | June 10, 2020 | $25 (817 baht) per entry (Even if you enter the same song, just into a different category, you have to pay another entry fee)
" Regular Deadline | September 16, 2020 | $30 (980 baht) per entry
" Extended Deadline | November 4, 2020 | $35 (1144 baht) per entry
We recommend this competition for passionate teenage songwriters who are considering a career in song writing and would like to start now/gain more experience. Songs can be written in any language as long as an English translation is provided. If you enter the Teen category, the one of the prizes given to the First place winner is a full scholarship to Berklee College of Music's 5-Week Summer Performance Program, which is an amazing experience and can change your whole outlook on song writing, so entering the teen category may be better for those who are looking for additional experience before kick-starting their career.