How to write songs in The Sims 4 with your Sim's instrument of choice

GamesLife SimThe SimsThe Sims 4How to write songs in The Sims 4 with your Sim’s instrument of choiceWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 - A sim sits at an electric keyboard playing a song

If your Sim is a shower singer, occasional guitar busker, or secret piano virtuoso,writing a song inThe Sims 4is a fantastic way to turn their talent into your family’s main source of cash. Paired with the ability to license music, you can rake in hundreds of Simoleons in royalties per song daily. Or, if you’re just doing it for the love of music, you can also just keep tracks under your belt for future performances.

Writing a song can be confusing because it’s locked until later skill levels, presumably to protect the general public from the awkward musical attempts your Sim makes at level 1. To make things worse, writing and licensing songs are both required steps of the Musical Genius aspiration with little explanation—trying to figure out how to meet this requirement in my early Simming years made me lose my mind.

Luckily, if you’ve already thought about becoming a Sim songwriter, it’s likely that the option to write songs and lyrics is just a few levels away. Here’s everything you’ll need to know about writing songs and lyrics in The Sims 4, including how to unlock both and how to let your new songs shine through licensing and performances.

How to write songs in The Sims 4

“Write song” becomes available at skill level 8 for each instrument.(Image credit: Electronic Arts)

The Sims 4 - Interaction menu for an electric keyboard with the option “write song” selected

To unlock the ability to write songs in The Sims 4, you’ll need to make sure your Sim has reached level 8 in their instrument of choice: Guitar, Piano, Violin, Pipe Organ (if you have the Vampires pack), or Singing in the City Living pack. Once you’ve hit level 8—whether through practice or cheats—click your instrument and find the “Write Song” option. From here, you’ll have a few genre options to pick from.

The Sims 4- A Sim plays the guitar happily while selecting “resume mournful lament” from their sheet music in inventory.

Singing works a bit differently—you’ll find a “Write Lyrics” option when interacting with a microphone at level 8. However, if you want to write lyrics to accompany the piano or guitar, you’ll need to hit level 3 in that instrument’s skill as well. Once you’ve hit both milestones, then you can interact with your instrument and hit “Write Lyrics.”

If you want to perform a song after you’ve written it, you can do so through the usual method of interacting with an instrument and clicking “Sing Song,” although your new song will appear under its own fancy little “written” category. Or you can just let your Sim rest—they’ve earned it.

More Sims 4 guidesSims 4 build tips: Best home makeoversHow to do homework: and find lost homeworkHow towrite a song: Musical Sim goalsHow toage up infants: life stage completeHow tomake stairs with a landing

Sims 4 build tipsHow to do homeworkwrite a songage up infantsmake stairs with a landing

More Sims 4 guides

Sims 4 build tips: Best home makeoversHow to do homework: and find lost homeworkHow towrite a song: Musical Sim goalsHow toage up infants: life stage completeHow tomake stairs with a landing

How to cheat your Sim’s music skills

If you’re eager to write songs and would rather skip the time (and bothering your neighbors if you’re in an apartment) that practicing an instrument requires, you can get there withThe Sims 4 cheats. Just open the cheats console, enter the code “testingcheats true” and then “stats.set_skill_level [skill code] 8”. The skill codes for each instrument are:

For example, if you want to rapidly get your Piano skill to the required level 8, you’d type “stats.set_skill_level Major_Piano 8” into the console.

Sims 4 cheats: Life hacksSims 4 mods: Play your waySims 4 CC: Custom contentSims 5: What we knowSims 4 building tips: RenovateSims 4 challenges: New rules

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

TOPICSElectronic Arts

TOPICS

More about the simsThe Sims designer Will Wright says a ‘Britney Spears-level’ pop star loved her ‘mundane’ life in The Sims: ‘It is so boring, it’s wonderful’I just found out you can become a car thief in The Sims 3 and somehow it led to love at first sight with the man who burgled my homeLatestThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsSee more latest►

More about the sims

The Sims designer Will Wright says a ‘Britney Spears-level’ pop star loved her ‘mundane’ life in The Sims: ‘It is so boring, it’s wonderful’I just found out you can become a car thief in The Sims 3 and somehow it led to love at first sight with the man who burgled my home

A famous person in The Sims

The Sims designer Will Wright says a ‘Britney Spears-level’ pop star loved her ‘mundane’ life in The Sims: ‘It is so boring, it’s wonderful’

The Sims 3 - a kleptomaniac sim gets ready to steal a car

I just found out you can become a car thief in The Sims 3 and somehow it led to love at first sight with the man who burgled my home

LatestThe Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcementsSee more latest►

Latest

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

The Sims 4 - a woman with red hair and a purple top exclaims with excitement

The Sims begins its 25th anniversary celebration next week with a Behind The Sims episode of news and announcements

See more latest►

Most PopularHow to use the Sacrificial Heart in Path of Exile 2How to make Mushroom Pizza in Disney Dreamlight ValleyFallout season 2—what we know about the next season set in New VegasHow to unlock Sally in Disney Dreamlight ValleyHow to find a Fast Recon Vehicle in Helldivers 2Best Witch starter build in Path of Exile 2If you’re struggling to look cool instead of cute in Infinity Nikki, don’t miss these hidden clothing merchantsHow to get more spirit in Path of Exile 2Best Sorceress starter build in Path of Exile 2How to obtain Bedrock Crystal in Infinity NikkiHow to get units in Marvel Rivals

Most Popular

How to use the Sacrificial Heart in Path of Exile 2

How to make Mushroom Pizza in Disney Dreamlight Valley

Fallout season 2—what we know about the next season set in New Vegas

How to unlock Sally in Disney Dreamlight Valley

How to find a Fast Recon Vehicle in Helldivers 2

Best Witch starter build in Path of Exile 2

If you’re struggling to look cool instead of cute in Infinity Nikki, don’t miss these hidden clothing merchants

How to get more spirit in Path of Exile 2

Best Sorceress starter build in Path of Exile 2

How to obtain Bedrock Crystal in Infinity Nikki

How to get units in Marvel Rivals

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

How to write songs in The Sims 4#

How to cheat your Sim’s music skills#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

How to write songs in The Sims 4

How to cheat your Sim’s music skills

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals