Goals give your songwriting direction, motivation, and a way to measure progress. Without them, it's easy to drift — writing sporadically, never quite finishing songs, or staying in your comfort zone. Thoughtful goal-setting transforms songwriting from a hobby into a practice with purpose. Here's how to set goals that work.
Output goals focus on quantity — how many songs you'll write, how often you'll write, or how many hours you'll dedicate to songwriting each week. Examples: "Write one complete song per week," "Spend 30 minutes writing every morning," or "Complete 52 songs this year." Output goals build consistency and discipline, which are the foundation of growth.
Craft goals focus on improving specific skills. Examples: "Write a song in a genre I've never tried," "Master writing bridges," "Improve my rhyme vocabulary," or "Write three songs that use minor keys." Craft goals push you out of your comfort zone and address specific weaknesses in your songwriting.
If songwriting is more than a hobby, set career goals that move you toward professional milestones. Examples: "Submit songs to three publishers this quarter," "Perform at five open mics this month," "Record demos of my ten best songs," or "Build a songwriting portfolio." Career goals connect your creative practice to concrete outcomes.
"Get better at songwriting" isn't a useful goal because you can't measure it. "Write one song per week using a different rhyme scheme each time" is specific and measurable. You can track your progress, evaluate your results, and know definitively whether you've achieved the goal.
Combine weekly or monthly goals (short-term) with yearly goals (long-term). Short-term goals provide immediate motivation and structure. Long-term goals provide direction and ambition. The short-term goals should collectively contribute to the long-term vision.
Goals aren't permanent. Review your goals monthly or quarterly. Are they still relevant? Are they too easy or too ambitious? Have your priorities changed? Adjusting your goals based on what you've learned keeps them useful and motivating rather than rigid and discouraging.
Setting songwriting goals transforms vague creative aspiration into a concrete plan for growth. By combining output, craft, and career goals, keeping them specific, and reviewing them regularly, you create a roadmap that keeps you motivated and constantly improving.
For support in reaching your songwriting goals, Fast Rhymes provides tools that help you write more efficiently and creatively every day.
19/02/2026
Everything you need to write songs & poetry.
