How Long It Takes To Write A Song: It's Really Up To You

If you're wondering how long it takes to write a song, I can guess that you're probably new to songwriting. Welcome! 

I've written songs just for fun all my life. Recently, I turned this habit into a career and became a "real" singer-songwriter with hundreds of thousands of streams in my first year releasing music. 

I put " " around the word "real" singer-songwriter because my approach to art in founded in the belief that all of us are artists. 

You are an artist, even if you haven't started—or finished—writing that song yet (keep going!). 

So, how long does it take to write a song? 

Of course, the real answer is "it depends". 

It depends on what you consider a song to be. Is it a professional-grade, chart topping hit song? Is it a simple, repetitive song you'd like to sing around a campfire? Does a song have words, or not? 

It depends what you consider to be a "finished" song. Would you like to end up with some lyrics on a piece of paper? Or do you think it's finished when you've recorded it professionally? When you've performed it for the first time? Or only once you've been able to sell it, or release it? 

I can't tell you how long it should take you to write a song, but I can tell you how long it takes me. 

When I'm writing songs, I consider a song to be finished (for practical purposes) 

Sound is a primal, universal experience. For most of us humans, music contributes heavily to the fabric of of culture, spirituality, expression, and identity.

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