International Songwriting Competition (ISC) — 2026 rules page

One of the larger international song contests, open to amateur and professional songwriters of any nationality or origin. Entry works by song and by category, and you can enter as many songs and categories as you like — but each combination costs another fee. For 2026 the tiers are 25 dollars until 1 July, 30 dollars until 16 September, and 35 dollars until 23 November, with further promotions running into January 2027. Fees are non-refundable and ISC gives no feedback or critique.

Categories run wide: AAA, adult contemporary, Americana, blues, children's music, Christian, comedy, country, EDM, folk and singer-songwriter, hip-hop, instrumental, jazz, Latin, lyrics only, music video, performance, pop, R and B, rock, teen, world, unpublished and unsigned. Two carry a catch — unsigned and unpublished entries must also be entered in at least one other category, so they cost at least two fees.

Judging runs in two stages: a listening committee selects finalists, then industry judges pick winners. Songs are scored on melody, composition, originality and lyrics. Lyrics may be in any language. Notably, production values and performance quality are not considered except in the performance category, so a rough demo is not penalised.

AI use must be disclosed on the entry form and fully AI-generated songs are ineligible. You retain all ownership of your song.