Ed Sheeran

The Best Way to Avoid Accidental Plagiarism

If you’re a songwriter, you probably have experienced this fear at least occasionally: the thought that something you’ve just written has already been written by someone else, and you’ve unintentionally copied it and called it your own. At the least, it’s embarrassing, and at most, it could be a legal liability. The good news is […]

Singer - Songwriter

Afraid That Your New Song Might Sound Like Someone Else’s Song?

You can spend a lot of time worrying about the song you’ve just written, wondering if it accidentally sounds like someone else’s song. Unintentional plagiarism does happen. But what’s the best way to deal with it? I’m talking about those times that the song you’ve written is striking you as sounding uncomfortably familiar, whether it’s […]

Piano keyboard and guitar

Tips for Songwriters: Avoiding Accidental Plagiarism

Given the few notes within an octave and the millions of songs that have been written using them, accidental plagiarism is a constant companion for most songwriters. Every time you come up with a great songwriting idea — especially something that you really like — you’re immediately wondering if you’ve stolen the idea from an […]