Berklee Online presents
A man plays a chord progression on an acoustic guitar.

Common Chord Progressions and How to Make Them Your Own

Songwriting is an art form that requires creativity, imagination, and an understanding of music theory, but if we’re being honest, there’s also a degree of “fake it ‘til you make it.” And with that approach in mind, one technique you could try is to utilize classic chord progressions to write your own.

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Two songwriters work together to write topline for a song.

What is Topline Songwriting?

Topline is a specialized niche of songwriting where the focus is on melody, lyrics, and performance over a preexisting track/beat/sonic structure. Learn a bit of history of how the craft of topline has become a significant role in the creative space of the music industry.

Learning how to copyright your songs and/or lyrics is not as difficult as you might think.

How to Copyright a Song

Copyrighting a song or lyrics does not have to be a difficult process for songwriters. Follow these simple steps to make sure you legally protect your intellectual property.

Love songs cassettes

How to Write a Love Song

The key to a great love song is a specific yet universal message that feels like it’s about you and your special someone. This is how you achieve that.

Some people want to fill the world with silly love songs.

Best and Worst Love Song Lyrics

Learn why the Flamingos “I Only Have Eyes for You” has the best love song lyrics of all time, and why Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect” is, well, not perfect.

Marisa ‘Dynamyte’ Kouroubacalis, drummer in The Hip Hop Nutcracker

Disney’s ‘Hip Hop Nutcracker’ Features Marisa ‘Dynamyte’ Kouroubacalis

Marisa Kouroubacalis is a singer, songwriter, and drummer who goes by the artist name Dynamyte. Hear how this Berklee Online student landed a principal role in “The Hip Hop Nutcracker,” streaming on Disney+ November 25.

A songwriter sitting in a chair with a notebook open, a pencil pressed to their lip, deep in thought.

Prosody in Music and Songwriting

Prosody in songwriting is when all the elements work together to support the central message of the song, creating an appropriate relationship between the elements. Learn how to enhance your songwriting with prosody!

person writing a song in a notebook

How to Choose a Song Title

As a songwriter, finding a song title is the big question, and the hard one, because a title is only as good as your imagination—your ability to do something interesting with it. Pat Pattison shares how you can make your song titles more interesting.

A piano with holiday lights running along the keys.

How to Write Original Holiday Songs

’Tis the season to spice up your catalog of originals with holiday songwriting tips courtesy of songwriter Brady Rymer, Berklee Online songwriting instructors Andrea Stolpe and Jimmy Kachulis, as well as Berklee’s Joe Bennett, who helped compose what is winkingly known as “the happiest Christmas song, according to science.”

Olivia Rodrigo and Joe Biden putting on sunglasses at the White House.

How Did Olivia Rodrigo Become Famous?

From American Girl to “New Girl,” to Disney Channel and topping the global music charts, learn how Olivia Rodrigo became famous.