How do I come up with a song title?

Look for the short phrase in your lyrics that sums up the whole song, usually the hook in your chorus. If you don't have lyrics yet, start from an interesting phrase, a place, a name or a twist on a common saying, then write the song to deliver on it.

Should the song title be in the chorus?

In most pop, R&B and hip-hop songs, yes. Putting the title in the first or last line of the chorus helps listeners remember it and find the song when they search for it.

Can two songs have the same title?

Yes. Song titles generally aren't protected by copyright, so many songs share a name. A more distinctive title still helps, because it makes your song easier to find on streaming platforms and search engines.

How long should a song title be?

Most memorable song titles are one to five words. Short titles are easier to remember, say and search, though a longer conversational title can stand out if it's catchy.

How to write a song title: 8 ways to find a great one

A good song title is a short phrase, usually one to five words, that sums up the song and appears in the chorus, ideally as the hook. The easiest way to write one is to find the line in your lyrics that people will sing back, or to start from an intriguing phrase and write the song to explain it. Strong titles are specific, easy to say and easy to search.

What makes a good song title

The best titles tend to share these traits:

Short. One to five words is the sweet spot. Easy to remember, easy to type into a search bar.
Specific. “Spare Key” makes you picture something. “Feelings” doesn’t.
Intriguing. It raises a question. Whose key? Why a spare?
Singable. It sounds good out loud and sits naturally on a melody.
True to the song. The listener should feel that the title and the song belong together.

A title also does marketing work. It’s the first thing people see on a playlist, and it’s what they type when they try to find your track again.

8 places song titles come from

1. The hook

The most common source. The line that repeats in your chorus is already the most memorable phrase in the song, so it’s usually the right title. If your chorus keeps coming back to “Say it like you mean it”, that’s your title.

2. A phrase from conversation

Things people actually say make great titles because they feel familiar: “Text me when you’re home”, “Not tonight”, “Long story”, “You up?”

3. A twist on a common phrase

Take a saying everyone knows and change one word. “Home sweet home” becomes “Home, sweet nothing.” “Better late than never” becomes “Better late than yours.” The familiar shape grabs attention and the twist makes it yours.

4. A place or a name

A street, a city, a room, a person. Places and names make a song feel real and give you an instant setting: “Room 304”, “Third Avenue”, “Maria at the bus stop”.

5. An object

A concrete thing that carries emotion: “Plastic Ring”, “Spare Key”, “Cracked Screen”. The object becomes a symbol for the whole song.

6. A number or a time

“3 a.m.”, “Forty Days”, “Seven Missed Calls”. Numbers are specific and easy to remember.

7. A question

“Who Taught You That?”, “Did You Mean It?” A question title makes the listener want the answer.

8. A contradiction

Two ideas that pull against each other: “Cold Summer”, “Loud Silence”, “Rich and Lonely”. Contradictions hint at tension and mixed feelings.

How to write a song title, step by step

Write the song’s message in one sentence. “I keep going back to someone who isn’t good for me, because the nights with them beat the days without them.”
Underline the strongest words. Look for concrete nouns, vivid verbs and contrasts. Here: going back, nights, days without.
Write twenty title options. Use the eight sources above, and don’t stop at the first good one. “Going Back”, “Days Without”, “Night Shift”, “Better at Night”, “Worse in Daylight”. Keep a running list of title ideas separate from your songs; a notes app or Lyric Studio’s notepad both work.
Say each one out loud. Cross out anything awkward to say or hard to sing.
Picture it on a playlist. Would you tap it? Would you remember it tomorrow?
Test it in the chorus. Put your favorite at the start or end of the chorus and sing it. If it doesn’t feel like the hook, keep looking.
Search it. See how many songs already use the exact title. Sharing a title is allowed, but if it’s everywhere, a more distinctive version will be easier for people to find.

Title first or title last?

Both approaches work.

Title first gives you a target. Many writers start a session with a title idea because it tells everyone in the room what the song is about. With a title like “Spare Key”, you can brainstorm every question it raises, and those answers become your verses. This is also a reliable way to get moving when you’re stuck; see how to come up with lyrics for more exercises like it.

Title last works when you write freely and discover what the song is about along the way. When the draft is done, look for the phrase that keeps coming back or the line that hits hardest. That’s your title, though you may need to move it into the chorus.

Putting the title in the song

In pop, R&B and most hip-hop, the title should appear in the chorus, often more than once. The strongest spots are:

The first line of the chorus, so it hits as soon as the section starts.
The last line of the chorus, so it’s the last thing the listener hears.
Both, which is the classic bookend shape.

Spare key under the mat Told myself you’re never coming back But I still leave the porch light on like that Spare key under the mat

If your title is a single word, put it on the strongest beat of the chorus melody. If it’s a longer phrase, check that its rhythm matches the music, and that the title line mirrors the lines around it. A syllable counter makes that quick. Our guide on how to write a chorus goes deeper into hook placement.

Titles in rap and trap

In hip-hop, titles are often looser. A rap song might be named after a vibe, a place, a reference or a line from a verse rather than the hook. That’s fine, but if the song has a sung or chanted hook, matching the title to it still helps people find the track. In trap, short one- or two-word titles that match a repeated chant or ad-lib are common and easy to remember.

Test your title on someone else

Read your shortlist of three titles to a friend without explaining the song. Ask which one they’d tap on a playlist and what they think each song is about. If their guess matches your song, the title is doing its job. If they pick a different one than you would, ask them why. A day later, ask which title they still remember. The one that sticks without any help is usually the winner.

Common title mistakes

Too vague. “Love”, “Life” and “Pain” give no picture and are shared by countless songs.
Too long. Hard to remember, hard to search, hard to fit on cover art.
Missing from the song. If the title never appears in the lyrics, listeners may struggle to find the song later.
Hard to spell. Unusual spellings can look cool but make searching harder.
Wrong mood. A playful title on a heavy song sends mixed signals.

Song title checklist

One to five words, or a short, catchy phrase
Specific enough to picture
Easy to say and sing
Appears at the start or end of the chorus
Matches the song’s mood
Easy to spell and search
You wrote at least twenty options before choosing

If you need a starting point, browse our song ideas and prompts and try turning each one into a title. A strong title often writes half the song for you.