Songwriters tend to want two kinds of gift: something that helps them get ideas down, and something that helps them get better at the craft.
Prices checked on Amazon UK, 26 October 2026.
Songwriters tend to want two kinds of gift: something that helps them get ideas down, and something that helps them get better at the craft. That makes notebooks, rhyming dictionaries and songwriting books easy wins, while a small MIDI keyboard helps someone who records demos at home. This guide covers both, from well-known songwriting books by Jeff Tweedy and Pat Pattison to a MIDI keyboard from Akai Professional. This guide covers 6 gifts that were in stock on Amazon UK with a live buy-box price when we checked on 26 October 2026. Our overall pick is the Akai Professional LPK25 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller at £39.00, the budget pick is the How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy at £9.49, and our pick for families is the Songwriter's Journal (Notebook) at £12.69. Prices and stock change often in the run-up to Christmas, so check both on Amazon before you buy.
Our picks
Akai Professional LPK25 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
Akai Professional LPK25 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller
£39.00
Best overall
How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy
How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy
£9.49
Best budget
Songwriter's Journal (Notebook)
Songwriter's Journal (Notebook)
£12.69
Best for families
How we pick
We shortlist products sold on Amazon UK using capacity, features, customer ratings and price band. We do not lab-test every model unless a page says so. The Amazon page is the live price. How we recommend.
Compare at a glance
| Product | Last Amazon price | Buy |
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£39.00
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£9.49
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£12.69
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£10.40
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£16.65
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£14.09
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The products
Buying advice
Our top picks
Best overall: Akai Professional LPK25 25-Key USB MIDI Keyboard Controller (£39.00). For a songwriter who builds demos on a computer. The listing describes a 25-key MIDI controller with responsive keys, octave up and down buttons to reach the full range of software instruments, a sustain button and a built-in arpeggiator. It needs a computer or compatible device and music software to make sound.
Best budget: How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy (£9.49). A short, readable book from the Wilco frontman. The listing shows a 176-page Faber and Faber paperback published on 3 February 2022.
Best for families: Songwriter's Journal (Notebook) (£12.69). A notebook for capturing lyrics and ideas. The listing shows a 160-page journal from Peter Pauper Press, published on 1 March 2014.
Other gifts for songwriters
New Oxford Rhyming Dictionary, 2nd Edition (£10.40). A reference book many lyricists keep on the desk. The listing shows the second edition from OUP Oxford, 448 pages, published on 11 July 2013.
Writing Better Lyrics by Pat Pattison (£16.65). A lyric-writing guide for someone who wants to work on craft. The listing describes it as the essential guide to powerful songwriting, a 304-page paperback from Penguin Publishing Group published on 8 January 2010.
Songwriting For Dummies, 2nd Edition (£14.09). A broad introduction for a newer songwriter. The listing shows the second edition, a 400-page paperback from For Dummies published on 17 January 2020, with Peterik named as author.
What to look for in a gift for songwriters
Ideas or recording. Notebooks, books and rhyming dictionaries help with writing, while a MIDI keyboard helps with recording. Think about which they do more.
Their setup. A MIDI controller like the Akai LPK25 makes no sound by itself, so it suits someone who already uses music software on a computer.
Experience. Songwriting For Dummies covers the basics, while Writing Better Lyrics and How to Write One Song suit someone who already writes songs.
Paper versus phone. Many songwriters use phone notes, but a dedicated journal like the Peter Pauper one keeps lyrics in one place.
Rhymes and words. A rhyming dictionary such as the New Oxford one is a quick reference when a lyric gets stuck, and it is useful for poets and rappers as well as songwriters.
Gift sets. A book plus a notebook makes a simple bundle, for example the Tweedy book with the Peter Pauper journal.
Budget. Prices in this guide ran from £9.49 to £39.00 when we checked.
Prices were checked on Amazon UK on 26 October 2026 and can change at any time. Check the current price, details and delivery date on Amazon before you order.
Frequently asked questions
What to get a songwriter?
Gifts that help with writing or recording work well. In this guide that includes Jeff Tweedy's How to Write One Song (£9.49), the New Oxford Rhyming Dictionary (£10.40) and the Akai Professional LPK25 MIDI keyboard (£39.00), prices as checked on 26 October 2026.
Is songwriting one word?
Yes, songwriting is usually written as one word, as in the titles of Songwriting For Dummies and the subtitle of Writing Better Lyrics, The Essential Guide to Powerful Songwriting.
