The Power of Songwriting Camps in The Rise of Co-Writing

Structured, collaborative spaces where artists can experiment, connect, and create are rare. But that’s exactly what a good songwriting camp offers – not just a place to write songs, but a space to build community, mentorship, and momentum. These camps bring artists together to explore new ideas and grow, creatively and professionally.

At Songtrust, we’ve invested in songwriting camps with partners across the spectrum – from grassroots camps like HRDRV, to large-scale showcases like Anti Social Camp NY+ UK, to virtual sessions with Muse. In every case, our focus is making sure creators leave with both songs and the tools to protect and monetize them. What we’ve learned is that the best camps are designed thoughtfully to prioritize three key things: purpose, access, and community.

Setting a Purpose

Co-writing is no longer a niche – it’s becoming the default for many music creators. And, ultimately, writing camps amplify this shift. They act as launchpads for creativity, giving artists and songwriters space to experiment, collaborate, and create without distraction. While some camps are more freeform, we’ve found the most impactful ones have a clear purpose at the outset, whether that’s exploring a certain theme, connecting artists from different genres or stages in their careers, or offering professional development through sync-focused sessions or guest mentorship.

A strong camp is where you know you’re meant to leave with at least one or two new songs, but you also gain new skills, new relationships, and a renewed excitement for writing.

From a publishing perspective, roughly half of all No. 1 hits in the U.S. and UK are now co-written. In the UK alone, the share of co-written singles rose from 44% in 2015 to 63% in 2020. We see this trend reflected in song registrations, too, with more splits, more writers on song registrations. This change in how music is made is a big part of why we invest in songwriting camps.

Expanding Access

Traditionally, the types of creative support and collaboration found at camps was something available to those working within traditional publishing settings. But, as more and more artists and songwriters value independence and retaining their copyright ownership, many don’t have the same access or resources to the kinds of matchmaking or studio coordination. Songtrust is working to fill that gap by creating avenues for creators to meet, connect, and collaborate. In every camp, we show up not just as administrators, but as educators. Demystifying publishing and reinforcing that protecting rights is a key part of our role and essential to creating music.

In-person camps spark creative energy, but are often limited to those who can afford to travel or are based in or near major cities where they occur. Part of the investment in songwriting camps includes eliminating friction and creating opportunities for writers to collaborate from around the world, and within the flexibility of their everyday lives. That’s why we’re exploring virtual songwriting camps in collaboration with platforms like Muse – to give creators more flexibility. These virtual spaces foster the same real collaboration and offer an alternative to those who can’t always be in the room.

Community as a Catalyst

More than just creative incubators, camps serve as professional accelerators that connect songwriters with publishers, producers, and platforms. We see emotional and professional benefits all the time. Creators stepping into mentorship roles, learning new tools, or just finding people they feel creatively aligned with.

We’ve also made it a priority to build strong content campaigns around the camps we host and sponsor, capturing behind-the-scenes moments and sharing the stories that emerge, not just to promote, but to document and celebrate the community being built. This also allows us more opportunities to do marketing and promotional activities with our writers, even though this isn’t a service we actively provide. 

Recently, we launched Songtrust Amplified, a new rewards and engagement program that will give Songtrust clients access to perks and offers that span from educational to mentorship, and get alerted of exclusive event opportunities, including camps. It’s part of our broader vision to meet clients where they are and build deeper, more meaningful connections between writers, resources, and one another.

As more creators maintain ownership of their rights and pursue independent paths, publishers must find new ways to add value and that starts by investing in people.

When writers feel supported and understand how the industry really works, their songs perform better. They know it’s up to them to push, promote, and build momentum, instead of waiting on a distributor or publisher to do it for them. When they collaborate, new creative opportunities, markets, and even genres emerge.

And when the industry invests in them, they keep writing, releasing, and earning. And when that happens, everyone wins.

Songtrust was built to make music publishing more accessible. But access alone isn’t enough. Writers need opportunities, networks, and platforms that empower them to grow. With Songtrust as the publishing backbone, trusted partners as enablers, and Amplified as the connector, we’re creating a holistic ecosystem that empowers songwriters at every stage of their journey. Writing camps are about more than songs — they’re about sustainable creative careers.