The Song Post.
Edition No. 14 — November 2, 2026Fees shown · terms summarized · sources linked

The Song
Post.the songwriter’s front page

Competitions, scoring & placement calls and retreats — read, checked and plainly described before they reach you. Fees shown. Terms summarized. Nothing pushy, ever.

25 open · 3 close by next Friday
Free to read · we take no cut
The lead — competitionVerified Sep 29

International Songwriting Competition 2026.

Closes
November 23
Entry
$35 per song, per category
You could win
$25,000 cash plus studio time, guitars and gear
Your rights
You keep every ownership right in the song you enter — Rule 14.
Read the full record →
Scoring & placement

Scarborough Philharmonic — New Generation Film Composers, scoring an animated short

with Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra
Closes
November 2
today
Entry
No application fee
It pays
No cash. A 2–4 minute animated film to score, a paired film composer-mentor, at least two mentorship meetings and five Zoom group workshops, and the finished film on the orchestra’s YouTube channel
Nothing about rights in the music you write for the film appears in the captured terms — the call for proposals, captured September 29, 2026.
Verified · Sep 29The record
Competition

International Acoustic Music Awards 2026

with International Acoustic Music Awards
Closes
November 6
this Friday
Entry
$35 per song
You could win
No cash, $11,000 of merchandise and services to the Grand Prize winner
“Entrants and their collaborators will retain full rights to all work submitted for the competition” — Rule 5.
A publicity-rights note: Rule 6: “Entry constitutes permission to use winners names, likeness and voices for future publicity and advertising purposes without additional compensation.” A publicity grant over winners, not a claim on the song — the same clause shape appears in ISC’s Rule 10 and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest’s Section 5.
Verified · Aug 2The record
Retreat

Opening Lines — four days of co-writing on a Tennessee lake

with American Songwriter
Closes
November 13
two weeks
Entry
$1,799 shared, $2,199 private, $2,499 premium
Your week
Four days, daily masterclasses and assigned co-writing rooms
The camp page states nothing about rights or splits in songs written there — captured August 2, 2026.
Verified · Aug 2The record
the lead closes three weeks — no rush, read it well

Competitions

worth your entry fee — every rights line on the card
All eleven →
Competition

International Acoustic Music Awards 2026

with International Acoustic Music Awards
Closes
November 6
this Friday
Entry
$35 per song
You could win
No cash, $11,000 of merchandise and services to the Grand Prize winner
“Entrants and their collaborators will retain full rights to all work submitted for the competition” — Rule 5.
A publicity-rights note: Rule 6: “Entry constitutes permission to use winners names, likeness and voices for future publicity and advertising purposes without additional compensation.” A publicity grant over winners, not a claim on the song — the same clause shape appears in ISC’s Rule 10 and the John Lennon Songwriting Contest’s Section 5.
Verified · Aug 2The record
Competition

The American Songwriter Lyric Contest — 2027, Session One

with American Songwriter
Closes
November 15
two weeks
Entry
$15 per lyric
You could win
No cash. The 2027 prize package is not yet published; what the page confirms for every session is that all 15 finalists are featured in American Songwriter and first through fourth place have their lyrics published, and the terms name a Gibson guitar for first place and a Nashville co-writing trip for the year’s Grand Prize winner
The license has no stated end date — Section 5 (Content).
A heads-up: Section 5 (Content) takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to American Songwriter in writing before you enter.
Verified · Sep 29The record
Competition

Great American Song Contest 2026

with Songwriters Resource Network
Closes
November 18
two weeks
Entry
$40 per song
You could win
$2,500 cash to the Grand Prize, plus $500 per category winner and a $1,000 lyric prize
Writers retain all rights to their songs, lyrics and compositions — contest rules.
Verified · Aug 3The record

Scoring & placement

scoring calls and libraries that publish their terms in full
All six →
Scoring & placement

Scarborough Philharmonic — New Generation Film Composers, scoring an animated short

with Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra
Closes
November 2
today
Entry
No application fee
It pays
No cash. A 2–4 minute animated film to score, a paired film composer-mentor, at least two mentorship meetings and five Zoom group workshops, and the finished film on the orchestra’s YouTube channel
Nothing about rights in the music you write for the film appears in the captured terms — the call for proposals, captured September 29, 2026.
Verified · Sep 29The record
Scoring & placement

The American Songwriter Song Contest — Sync Ready category

with American Songwriter
Closes
December 7
five weeks
Entry
$25 per song
It pays
$1,000 cash to the Sync Ready first place and $500 to second, with $10,000 cash to the Grand Prize across all categories
The license has no stated end date — Section 5 (Content).
A heads-up: Section 5 (Content) takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to American Songwriter in writing before you enter.
Verified · Aug 13The record
Scoring & placement

Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards — Film/Media Scoring

with Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards
Closes
March 31
months away
Entry
$50 (US) youth division, $75 (US) emerging division
It pays
$1,000 US cash to the emerging division winner and $750 US to the youth division winner, plus possible publication by founding partner Concord
The license has no stated end date — the Film/Media Scoring rules page (captured August 13, 2026).
A heads-up: the Film/Media Scoring rules page (captured August 13, 2026) takes a licence over what you send and never states how long it lasts. Scope, duration and revocability are what a licence means — an ownership disclaimer standing next to it settles none of them, so this is the question to put to Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards in writing before you enter.
A publicity-rights note: the Film/Media Scoring rules (promotion) gives Marvin Hamlisch International Music Awards the right to promote anyone who enters to print, broadcast or internet media — a publicity-rights grant over the person entering, and a separate question from what happens to the work.
Verified · Aug 13The record

Retreats & camps

places to go and write — nobody there wants a piece of your songs
All eight →
Retreat

Opening Lines — four days of co-writing on a Tennessee lake

with American Songwriter
Closes
November 13
two weeks
Entry
$1,799 shared, $2,199 private, $2,499 premium
Your week
Four days, daily masterclasses and assigned co-writing rooms
The camp page states nothing about rights or splits in songs written there — captured August 2, 2026.
Verified · Aug 2The record
Retreat

Yaddo residency — the winter cycle

with Yaddo
Closes
December 20
seven weeks
Entry
$35 to apply; room, board and a studio at no cost
Your week
Two weeks to two months in Saratoga Springs, with room, board and a studio
Nothing about rights in work created during the residency appears in the captured terms — the application page, captured August 11, 2026.
Verified · Aug 11The record
Retreat

Ucross residency — Fall 2027

with Ucross Foundation
Closes
January 15
months away
Entry
$40 to apply; no charge to attend
Your week
Two, four or six weeks on a Wyoming ranch with lodging, meals, a private studio and a $1,500 stipend
Nothing about rights in work created during the residency appears in the captured terms — the residency FAQs, captured August 11, 2026.
Verified · Aug 11The record

Closing
soon

three dates between now and next Friday — informative, never alarming
Mon 2Scarborough Philharmonic — New Generation Film Composers, scoring an animated shortno application fee
Fri 6International Acoustic Music Awards 2026$35 per song
Fri 13Opening Lines — four days of co-writing on a Tennessee lake$1,799 shared, $2,199 private, $2,499 premium

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