The Sims 4 - How to Write Songs & Lyrics - All Instruments Explained

One of the most time-consuming things to do in Sims 4 is to write songs! Still, it is fun, it can be accomplished with many different instruments, depending on the expansions and stuff packs you own. Still, being a musician in Sims 4 is not easy, and it’s definitely not the most “low effort – high reward” careers you can choose.

Writing songs in Sims 4 can get a bit complicated for a new player. To write songs and lyrics, you have to follow some very specific steps, as it requires a specific level, instruments, etc. I will give you some extra tips as well, which will help a lot to level up faster!

Without further ado, let’s move to the steps you have to follow to unlock the ability to write songs and lyrics!

Base Game Instruments

The base game includes 4 ways to write songs. They are all available in the Building mode, under the Activities & Skills category. Below I listed all the instruments you can use to write songs if you only own the base game and the level requirements. Keep in mind that the option to “Write Lyrics” is available only if you own “City Living”

Guitar

Level Requirement: Level 8

Instruments Available

• Pied Piper Acoustic Guitar
• StickiMo Travel Acoustic Guitar (Outdoor Retreat)
• Grim’s Ghoulish Guitar
• Freezer Bunny Blues Guitar
• Rock Legend Signed Guitar (Level 10 in Entertainer/Music Career)

Piano

Level Requirement: Level 8

Instruments Available

• Tickle My Ivories Grand Piano
• DigiRAD Keypad (City Living)
• Classical Genius Antique Photo ( Level 7 Entertainer/Music Career)

Violin

Level Requirement: Level 8

Instruments Available

• Stringvarious Violin
• The Virtuoso Violin

Expansions & Stuff Pack Instruments

There are currently 4 expansions/stuff packs that offer extra music skills and instruments. Same as before, most of them require to reach level 8 in order to unlock the option to create a mixtape and write songs or lyrics.

DJ Mixing (Get Together)

Level Requirement: Level 8

Instruments Available

• “Turn Table-Top Tote” DJ Booth
• “The Wub Tub Electromagic DJ Booth”
• Low-Fi Mobile DJ Booth

Media Production (Get Famous)

Level Requirement: Level 5

Instruments Available

• Mix Master Music Station

Pipe Organ (Vampires)

Level Requirement: Level 8

Instruments Available

• Napri Parlour Organ

Singing (City Living)

Level Requirement: Level 8

Instruments Available

• The Royal We Microphone
• All Guitars
• All Pianos

How to Resume Writing Interrupted Songs

If you have to interrupt during the writing of your song, the song will move in your inventory, in the form of Music Sheets, Song lyrics, and Mixtapes.

Click on the applicable item and click “Resume (Writing) Lyrics/Song/Mixtape”. Your Sim will instantly reach the instrument you were using for the song and continue its progress.

How to License Songs & Lyrics

After you finished your song, or lyrics, head over to your mailbox and click on the “License Song/Lyrics” option. Once you license your song or lyrics, you will receive the earnings through your email. You can license one song or lyric sheet per instrument.

After the initial license, you will receive money every day for one week. After that, you will have to either license new songs or relicense the old ones.

For Media Production, you can “Release a Track” or sign with a label to promote your songs for you. Keep in mind that you have to give the labels consistent tracks, otherwise they will drop you.

How to Make Money by Writing Songs & Lyrics

Just like real life, in order to make money out of something, you have to invest some as well. To make lots of money out of this, you have to purchase as many instruments as you can, if not all of them.

The best way to make money fast to invest in instruments is to grow a garden and sell your crops! This way you can stay home longer and practice music, write songs ore lyrics, and make money out of it top invest in instruments!

Purchasing a Busk and go for a “tip hunt” also works, as you can practice and make money at the same time. Prefer parks, crowded places, and lounges. You can also be self-employed by using your phone, and clicking the option “Register to the Ministry of Labor”.

There are a couple of mods that can help you to create and license music faster. One of them is “No Cool Down Time to License Songs/Lyrics”, which eliminates the cooldown of licensing songs and lyrics.

A huge help for me also proved to be Kawaiisatacey’s trait bundle, which contains 100 traits, and two of them are very helpful for musicians. These traits are “Talented” and “Naturally Musician”, and they can help you level up really fast in 0-time!