CAMPUS NEWS AND HAPPENINGS
Quote to Inspire: "Dream big and dare to fail!" -- Olympian and adventurer, Norman Vaughan.
- Welcome January and a brand new year, Songwriters! 🎉🎊🥳
We hope your holiday season included some well-deserved time to rest and recharge. We're excited to kick off the new year with a new Golden Ticket Special Event Pitch with recording artist and writer, Lauren Lucas! We're also thrilled to introduce a brand new course - FDBK 240 with Anna Kline! As always, our coaches, song feedback instructors, and pitch guests are here to support you as you work toward your songwriting goals in 2026 through song evaluations, live feedback, and private sessions.
Congratulations to These Members: Fall/Winter 2025 Pitching Gold Stars Report! 📣
Celebrate the success of our peers! Find out which songs were picked up by our pitch guests from September to December 2025.
General Registration Reminders:📅
Our mentors and pitch guests are available for Private Sessions by appointment only. You may have two active live songwriting feedback courses (FDBK) at once, but you can add a third if there is still an open spot 24 hours before the class starts. Keep an eye on the live songwriting course schedule in case someone cancels during the week, and a seat opens up. Find your favorite coach for song evaluations in the Activity area. New to SongU? Welcome! Check out the FAQ Quick Start Guide for an overview of how to begin.
Welcome International Members! We've Got Live Courses That Fit Your Schedule🌐
When selecting live courses, check out GMT-friendly times on weekdays and Saturdays.
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Featured Pitch. Pitch #2558: Special Event! Golden Ticket with Lauren Lucas! Golden Ticket with Lauren Lucas! This special pitch event is your chance to submit your songs - or lyrics-only - for the opportunity to be handpicked by ACM-nomin... View all pitch opps.
Pitch #2558
Golden Ticket with Lauren Lucas! This special pitch event is your chance to submit your songs - or lyrics-only - for the opportunity to be handpicked by ACM-nominated recording artist and writer, Tony-nominated composer Lauren Lucas for an exclusive co-write session. Lauren is one of the composers behind the original score and the soulful voice of the main title theme of the 2025 hit Netflix comedy series "Leanne" starring Leanne Morgan. (But that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Lauren's music industry experience. We encourage you to follow her on Instagram and Spotify to explore more of her music and creative work.) SongU'ers, let's start 2026 by setting an intention to dare to dream big! Here's how to submit your songs or lyrics:
HOW IT WORKS: Lauren will listen to ALL submissions, either songs (melody + lyrics) or lyrics-only, and select her top contenders. All contender songs will receive a special Rising Star Award. From this group, Lauren will choose ONE writer to win the GOLDEN TICKET co-write, announced during a live countdown session called The Big Reveal.
WHAT TO SUBMIT + AI RULES: Submit as many songs or lyrics-only as you wish. Lauren is open to all styles and wants to know what your original writing is like. Your melody and lyrics must be completely human-written. Please submit songs with human-authored lyrics and music only. Both simple and professional demos are welcome. AI demo backing tracks and/or vocals are permitted, however, you must disclose any AI use in production, instrumentation, and/or vocals.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: First, place your event song (MP3 and typed lyrics) in your Song Locker. In the "Note for Pitch Guest" area, please let our guest know the following information, including disclosing any AI use in the production:
a)(required)What, if any, portion of the backing track and vocals are AI generated, or if the track was done without AI and/or with a live vocalist.
b) (choose one of the following): I wrote the melody and lyrics alone, or
c) I wrote the lyrics only, or
d) I wrote the melody only, or
e) My collaborator and I shared in lyrics and melody.
In the Pitching area submit your event song(s) using SongU credits from your Song Locker drop-down.
How will you know if you are a contender? Lauren will be listening throughout the submission period. You will receive an email from SongU.com when Lauren makes a decision on your song. It will let you know if your song was passed on or made it into the contender field. (Make sure your emails from SongU.com are not being sent to your junk/spam folder.) Our guests often review several songs at once, so you may receive multiple emails in a short time. This does not reflect when your song was heard.
The Big Reveal! Interview + Winner Announcement: Watch the Announcements and instructor-led course scshedule after the submission deadline for the SPEC-470 session, The Big Reveal! Sign up via your Live Course Activity area. The session will be recorded, and a transcript provided. We encourage all who submitted songs or lyrics whether or not you're a contender to attend. This live event includes a Q&A with the guest and the winner announcement for the Golden Ticket Co-Write!
Please read the Terms.
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Featured Pitch. Pitch #2566: Jon Pardi (Quick Pitch) Country Jon Pardi. Veteran music publisher with multiple cuts on major artists is listening to songs for Capitol recording artist Jon Pardi.
Seeking: ... View all pitch opps.
Pitch #2566
Jon Pardi. Veteran music publisher with multiple cuts on major artists is listening to songs for Capitol recording artist Jon Pardi.
Seeking: UPTEMPO, fun, positive that a crowd would sing along with. Lyrically: It needs to be a solid lyric with something different, original, and fresh in the subject and idea. No drinking songs. Better chance if lyric is centered on a positive relationship (with and different spin). NO NEGATIVE lyrics. Melodically: It needs to be country but with a more modern/interesting MELODY like "Friday Night Heartbreaker," but with a more Country PRODUCTION liked his single "Heartache Medication." Listen to those two songs before pitching. Melody needs to be in range for an alto singer. NO BALLADS. Male vocals only. In studio early February.
AI Guidelines: Based on the current copyright report (https://songu.com/FAQAI.aspx), this guest will only consider songs with entirely human-authored lyrics and human-authored melodies. AI may be used for demo production, but any such use of AI must be disclosed.
In general, here is what this pitch guest is seeking in every song that is pitched to them:
-- Fresh ideas and interesting titles; lead directly to the title in a strong way to make the title stand out.
-- Get your first verse set up much quicker to grab the listener within the first 30 seconds from when it starts. Most of the time, I don't even get to the second verse if the first verse does not draw me in. Your song may not need a pre-chorus. Try to get to the point and make it pay off quickly.
-- Before pitching, please do your research. Really listen to the artist and see what kind of songs they like to cut. Figure out what they like, how they sing, and what songs they lean toward.
-- Please read the description/brief and submit only what we request. For example, if we're looking for uptempo, only send uptempo. If we mention "no drinking songs", then please don't send a drinking song.
-- Read a lot for new ideas and stories. For Country songs, understand the writing of great writers like Shane McAnally, Michael Hardy, Don Schlitz, Bobby Braddock, Lori McKenna.
Pitch Follow-up: If this guest expresses interest in your song, they will pitch it with the understanding that you will be asked to sign a single song agreement with the publishing company if there is interest in the song.
UPCOMING INSTRUCTOR-LED COURSES
Registration for song feedback and mentoring courses (FDBK) begins one-week prior to course time starting at 10:00 am ET. Limit 5 participants per session.
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Wed Jan 28, 2026 08:00 PM (ET)
FDBK 330 Music Publisher Songwriting Feedback Course - Sync and Production with Queenie Mullinix
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Thu Jan 29, 2026 01:00 PM (ET)
FDBK 110 Songwriting Feedback Course with Lisa Palas
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Mon Feb 02, 2026 08:00 PM (ET)
FDBK 275 Songwriting and Production Feedback Course with Dylan Emmet
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Tue Feb 03, 2026 01:00 PM (ET)
FDBK 101 Songwriting Feedback Course - Sync, Production, and Country with Benn Cutarelli