With the summer months and festival season finally upon us, May always marks an exciting time for the music industry — and with it comes a host of new development opportunities for songwriters.
From wellbeing initiatives managed by PRS Members’ Fund through to the educational likes of The Ivors Academy Summit, there’s a wide range of openings for songwriters of all backgrounds and levels to explore this month.
We’ve pulled together five opportunities for songwriters to check out in May 2026 — read on to find out more.
Find time to pause with PRS Members’ Fund’s Reset & Rewind initiative
As music creators, the pressure to keep working can often feel overwhelming. If you’re in need of some respite from your craft to recharge and recover — particularly following a period of illness, stress or anxiety — then you’ll want to check out Reset & Rewind, the latest wellbeing initiative from PRS Members’ Fund that has launched today (1 May).
Recognising the unique pressures of operating in today’s music industry, Reset & Rewind will provide successful applicants with funding to cover travel and accommodation costs for a short UK break of up to five days. The Fund are ready to provide financial assistance for up to 50 eligible PRS members, with applicants able to apply for up to £100 per day, or a maximum of £500 for five days, to cover their desired breaks.
This initiative is open to PRS members who have either held a membership for at least seven years or already earned £500 in royalties. Applicants must also be in a position where they could not have otherwise afforded to take a short break, while other details — including an up-to-date music CV, two months’ bank statements and medical evidence if illness is part of the reason for applying — are also required. Head here to find out more and submit your application.
Gain insights from The Ivors Academy Summit
Having launched last year with the mission of ‘empowering songwriters and bringing the global music industry together’, The Ivors Academy Summit will return on 19 May at BFI IMAX in south London for a day of knowledge-sharing, insight and connection.
Across a series of conversations, panels and practical sessions, the Summit — which is presented in association with ICE Services and PRS for Music — will ‘explore the future of music-making — from creative rights to the business of songwriting,’ the Academy say.
Insight will be provided by several guest speakers, including multi-platinum songwriters, award-winning composers and leading industry experts. You can see the full programme here and find any remaining tickets, which start at £69 + VAT for Core or Professional members of the Academy.
Apply for grant support from Chamber Music Scotland’s EDI Development Programme
The brainchild of Chamber Music Scotland and Creative Scotland, this initiative is designed to support composers and creators in the classical music space to ‘research, explore, share and develop areas of EDI (Equalities, Diversity, and Inclusion) connected to their practice and lived experiences’.
This year’s programme is now accepting applications until 11 May. Four grants of up to £2,000 are on offer, alongside access to a supported cohort space that will enable participants to ‘undertake projects that explore new ideas, grow their networks and share learning which enhances and innovates approaches to EDI’
You can find out more about the programme, including details of how to apply, by heading here.
Sign up for the Back to Basics industry workshop
If you’re just starting out on your songwriting journey and are eager to expand your knowledge about the music world — and you live in or can travel to London — you’ll want to mark 14 May in your calendar.
Back to Basics will take place on that date at Cockpit Deptford, hosted in collaboration by Lewisham Music’s Creative Futures programme, PRS for Music and PCAM. The workshop will offer ‘a rare opportunity to meet some of the UK’s top industry professionals’ and provide creatives aged 18 and over the chance to find out more about the industry, from understanding copyright and royalties to practical dos and don’ts for gigs, commissions and collaborations.
The workshop will comprise of three talks, a panel discussion (culminating in a Q&A) and an opportunity to network and play your own music to fellow attendees. Grab your free ticket via the sign-up link here.
Take part in UK Music’s Music Creators' Survey
Aimed at UK-based artists, musicians and songwriters, UK Music’s annual survey is now live — giving you the chance to make your voice heard and contribute to ‘shaping the future of our industry’.
The survey has a specific focus on gathering information about creators’ earnings in 2025, which will help UK Music calculate the overall economic contribution made by the industry to the UK last year. These findings are instrumental for both the collective and its respective member organisations (including PRS for Music) when lobbying the government around issues that are impacting songwriters and creators.
The Music Creators’ Survey should only take 10 minutes to complete, and, as an added bonus, respondents will get the opportunity to win one of five £100 Amazon vouchers. You can complete the survey here.
