Award program
International Songwriting Competition
The International Songwriting Competition is a global songwriting contest open to amateur and professional songwriters across a broad set of genre and special categories.
Entries must be original, rights-cleared and primarily human-authored. Released and unreleased songs may be entered; category selection, required entry materials, AI disclosure, fees and deadlines are submission mechanics rather than MAC Award-readiness scoring conditions.
Entry model
Open competition entry — one or more categories per song
Music Awards Center support
Eligibility, category and entry review; authorized submission.
- Who Can Submit
- Amateur and professional songwriters
- Who It’s For
- Songwriters • artists • all genres
- Submission Method
- Online or mail-in entry; per-song fee
Eligibility requirements
Key conditions that can affect whether a work or category is eligible.
Submit original, rights-cleared work
OfficialAll ISC entries must be original songs and must not infringe third-party copyrights or other rights.
Why it matters: Originality and rights are core ISC eligibility conditions.
Meet ISC entrant eligibility
OfficialISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters; entrants under 18 require a parent or guardian signature, and ISC employees/families/affiliates are excluded.
Why it matters: The competition is broadly open while retaining the stated entrant exclusions/guardian requirement.
Submission and participation
How entry, deadlines, membership, or participation work for this program.
Pay the applicable per-entry fee
OfficialISC charges a fee for each song/category entry according to the current published competition pricing.
Why it matters: Payment completes an entry but is not Award eligibility.
Provide required entry materials
OfficialOnline entrants provide playable audio by upload or link; lyrics are supplied where required, while Lyrics Only has its stated exception.
Why it matters: These are submission materials rather than artist/work eligibility blockers.
Music Awards Center recommendations
Practical preparation guidance from Music Awards Center. These are recommendations, not official award requirements.
Lead with the strongest work
Prioritize the strongest original songs and use multiple categories only where the work genuinely fits.
Choose categories deliberately
Map the song against the full ISC category taxonomy and special-category restrictions before filing.
Common submission mistakes
Music Awards Center guidance on what commonly trips up submissions — not official requirements.
- Entering non-original work
- Failing to disclose AI use
- Confusing category choice or fees with Award eligibility
- Missing Teen, Unpublished and Unsigned category restrictions
Ready to check your International Songwriting Competition readiness?
Run your free Readiness Assessment and receive personalized recommendations based on the official International Songwriting Competition eligibility requirements.