Songwriting: the noble art of taking your most embarrassing emotions, dressing them up in a clever metaphor, and then asking strangers to listen to them on repeat. If you’ve ever scribbled lyrics on a napkin at 1 a.m. convinced you’ve just written the next Bohemian Rhapsody, only to re-read them sober and question every decision you’ve ever made, congratulations, you’re a songwriter.
And because apparently suffering through the creative process alone isn’t enough, we now have an entire genre of podcasts dedicated to dissecting exactly how your favorite artists crafted their masterpieces, so you can feel simultaneously inspired and completely inadequate in the comfort of your own home. Grab your guitar, your journal, and whatever emotional baggage is fueling your next chorus, because these podcasts are about to make you feel like you almost know what you’re doing.
Song Exploder
Song Exploder is a podcast in which musicians deconstruct their own songs, walking listeners through the creative process piece by piece. Each episode features an artist reflecting on one of their tracks, unpacking the sounds, ideas, and decisions that shaped its writing and recording.
Ditty In A Dash
In Ditty In A Dash, artist and songwriter Frances challenges her most creative friends to write a song from scratch in just 15 minutes. Each episode features a chart-topping, award-winning guest discussing their musical journey before the timer starts, offering a rare glimpse into the talents of some of the industry’s biggest songwriters.
Switched on Pop
Hosted by musicologist Nate Sloan and songwriter Charlie Harding, the podcast invites listeners to take a deeper look at pop music and explore the ways it resonates with us all.
The Portfolio Composer
The podcast helps composers master the business side of their craft through a focus on mindset, marketing, and essential business skills.
Songwriter Trysts
Hosted by Rae Leigh, Songwriter Trysts is an intimate space where artists from around the world share their passion for the craft. Through conversations, workshops, and showcases, the show helps songwriters write, record, release, and perform their music while fostering a strong, supportive community.
The Working Songwriter
Each week, Joe Pug sits down for a conversation with one of today’s most accomplished songwriters.
Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond
On Broken Record, artists across genres and generations come together to explore what it truly means to devote a life to music, sharing the inspirations, experiences, and vulnerabilities that shape their craft.
Strong Songs
On each episode of Strong Songs, host Kirk Hamilton takes listeners inside a piece of music, dissecting it to uncover exactly what makes it tick.
Sodajerker On Songwriting
Sodajerker On Songwriting is a program devoted to the art and craft of songwriting, created and hosted by the UK songwriting team Sodajerker. The show features in-depth interviews with some of the most accomplished songwriters and musicians working today.
Songwriters on Process
The podcast features in-depth conversations with songwriters focused solely on their writing process, no band drama, no tour stories, just songwriters being treated as the writers they are.
Songcraft: Spotlight on Songwriters
Songcraft is a bi-weekly podcast featuring in-depth conversations with and about the creators of lyrics and music that have stood the test of time. Listeners will recognize the names and know the songs, and the show brings their stories to life.
Pitch List
Based in Nashville, #1 songwriter Chris Lindsey, known for hits like “Every Time I Hear That Song” by Blake Shelton and “Poison and Wine” by The Civil Wars, dives deep into what makes creative people tick on Pitch List, featuring candid conversations with some of music’s top songwriters and artists.
The DIY Musician Guide Podcast
The DIY Musician Guide Podcast is a fortnightly live-streamed conversation on YouTube covering a wide range of music-related topics.
SongTown on Songwriting | Mastering the Art of Great Songs
Clay Mills and Marty Dodson present SongTown on Songwriting, a celebration of great songs, real songwriters, and the craft that binds them together. The podcast offers expert songwriting tips, inspiring stories, and music industry insights to help listeners sharpen their skills and fuel their passion for the craft.
What’s in a Song
Hosted by Berklee College of Music Professor Scarlet Keys, this weekly podcast dives deep into the craft of songwriting through conversations with top songwriters, producers, and creatives, leaving listeners inspired and equipped with practical tools they can apply to their own writing.
Songwriter Theory
A show designed for singer-songwriters who are done settling for “almost great.” Each week, the host equips listeners with practical, proven methods to transform promising ideas into complete, timeless songs they’re proud to release.
Walking The Floor with Chris Shiflett
Chris Shiflett, known as the guitarist for Foo Fighters, Dead Peasants, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, is the man behind “Walking The Floor”, a podcast where he sits down one-on-one with a diverse lineup of musicians, writers, athletes, and artists to dig into their creative journeys, challenges, triumphs, and everything that falls in between. Notable guests have included the likes of Merle Haggard, Dwight Yoakam, Mike Ness, Steve Earle, John Doe, Sturgill Simpson, and many more.
Do you know of another podcast about songwriting that you think should be on this list? Let me know
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