What is the difference between a songwriter and a composer?

[Jeffery]

I saw Kim’s post on the forums about a future music composer contest. This made me wonder about the difference between a songwriter and a composer. Can anyone explain the difference to me?

[Kim]

I think a songwriter is a composer unless they are just writing lyrics and a composer can be a songwriter but not necessarily. A composure might compose symphonies or instrumentals. 🎼

[Amy]

I saw Kim’s post as well. Now I am wondering the same think, Jeffery!

[Maura]

We have a few songwriters and composers in our community. @senoj , I saw you have been active on the forums today. Could you help us understand the difference between a songwriter and a composer? 😀

[Kim]

We have more than a few. We have hundreds in the original network at https://studentfilmmakers.network and more in the original forums at http://www.studentfilmmakersforums.com – We want to be sure and invite them when we start our composure contest. 🎼

[Maura]

We will invite them all of course 🙂

[Christian]

Kim had it right.

A composer is sort of an umbrella term for a creative who compose music in any shape or form.

Most people think of the old composers (Bach, Mozart, Beethoven etc) when hearing the term. This is not wrong, they’re “classical composers”.

Today the term “media composer” is quite common and means someone who compose for film/tv/video games.

A songwriter is a composer but a composer doesn’t have to be a songwriter.

[Author]

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