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.

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!

A person siting on the floor holding an electric guitar.

Song Lyrics Generators: Are They Good for Songwriters?

As a professional songwriter, I was highly suspicious that song lyric generators would be sophisticated enough to generate complete songs. However, this does not render their services completely useless.

3 Lessons H.E.R.’s ‘Hard Place’ can Teach us about Songwriting

Andrea Stolpe walks us through H.E.R.’s song “Hard Place,” and tells us why it’s a great example of prosody, and how you can apply the same principles to your songwriting.

A musician with their guitar sitting on a bridge.

How to Write a Bridge to a Song

The problem with bridges is we’re often more clear about what we don’t want them to be than what we do.

A rusty orange sign with white letters that read: MOTEL, against a blue sky.

Songwriting Techniques Using Destination and Object Writing

With these songwriting tips from Berklee Online instructor Andrea Stolpe, learn how to write lyrics using the destination writing technique. 

Two people collaborate writing a song.

How to Find a Music Collaborator

Berklee Online songwriting instructor Andrea Stolpe talks about finding a collaborator as a songwriter and what they can bring to your music.

Song Lyrics: Writing with Small Moments

If you’ve been writing songs very long, you may have heard how important “imagery” can be in songwriting.

Man standing on top of a mountain observing the view and deep in thought about writing song lyrics.

How to Write Song Lyrics

Learn how to write song lyrics for the first time with these five steps from singer and multiplatinum songwriter Andrea Stolpe at Berklee Online.

How to Get Better Feedback On Your Songs

Berklee Online songwriting instructor Andrea Stolpe offers six tips for getting better feedback on your songs as a songwriter.