We tracked every click from 52 weeks of Saturday Brew emails. Here is the definitive list of what you loved the most.
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that musical writers are looking for two things: better tools and deeper connection.
When we looked at the data from MusicalWriters.com’s weekly “Saturday Brew” email, the winners weren’t just random viral videos. They were practical solutions (like how to bypass paywalls), massive industry shifts (the end of Finale), and opportunities to showcase work (our New Works Cabaret).
Missed a week? Here are the top 50 most-clicked links of 2025, categorized for your bookmarking pleasure.
🛠️ The “Must-Have” Toolkit
Your favorite tools were all about removing friction: bypassing paywalls, finding recipes, and formatting scripts.
- Archive Buttons – The #1 hack for bypassing paywalls legally.
- Blank Page – A distraction-free writing app for when you just need to get words down.
- Dead Outlaw Audiobook – You loved this audiobook version of this year’s Dead Outlaw musical.
- SuperCook – Enter your ingredients, find a recipe. (Because “what’s for dinner?” is the hardest creative block).
- iLovePDF – The essential utility for merging and splitting PDF scripts.
- My Retro TV – A nostalgia machine that plays TV from the 90s. (Perfect for procrastination).
- The NASA Nap – A sleep hygiene guide that caught everyone’s eye in February.
- Cat Bounce – It’s literally just cats bouncing.
- Merriam-Webster Dictionary Update – The new words added to our vocabulary in 2025.
- Emojis Wiki – The encyclopedia for what every emoji actually means.
🏆 Submissions & Awards
The deadlines you rushed to meet and the winners you celebrated. Don’t forget that MusicalWriters.com members have access to our full submissions calendar all year long!
- Kokandy Productions Submissions – A major opportunity for new musicals in Chicago.
- MacDowell Fellowship – The legendary artist colony application.
- NMI Conference – A top event for networking and learning.
- SHE-DFW Submissions – A major opportunity for women and gender-marginalized writers.
- Live & In Color Submissions – The retreat that everyone wanted to attend.
- Rhinebeck Writers Retreat – One of the most sought-after writing residencies.
- The Fred Ebb Award – One of the most prestigious songwriting prizes.
- New Dramatists Admissions – The holy grail of playwriting residencies.
- Hamilton x Canva Contest – The design challenge that sparked your creativity.
- Richard Rodgers Awards – The announcement of this year’s winners.
📰 The Industry News That Mattered
The stories that defined the theatre world in 2025.
- The End of Finale – The software shakeup heard ’round the world.
- The Colony Theatre’s Big Move – A major venue update that caught everyone’s eye.
- Upcoming Cast Recordings – The release calendar everyone bookmarked.
- Public Domain Day 2025 – Duke University’s breakdown of what entered the public domain this year.
- Wicked Goes Non-Replica – A first look at the Austrian production that reimagined the blockbuster.
- Six: The Musical in Cinemas – The global phenomenon hit the big screen.
- 2025 Trends Forecast – Forbes’ predictions for the creative year ahead.
- Industry Social – BroadwayWorld’s hub for industry updates.
- The Most Produced School Shows – A fascinating look at what high schools are actually performing.
- Upcoming Broadway Shows 2025 – TimeOut’s preview of the NYC season.
💡 Inspiration & Craft
The advice that kept you writing through the year.
- The Broadway Bookshelf TikTok – The viral account that kept us entertained.
- New Year, New Musical Masterclass– Our January kick-off course was a massive hit.
- Elizabeth Gilbert on “How to Write” – Permission to be a “hot mess.”
- Finding the Song Form – A technical deep dive that resonated with composers.
- Jake Knapp’s “Burner List” – A focus method for people who hate to-do lists.
- Music for Plays – A step-by-step guide for incidental music.
- Writing Scary Musicals– Our deep dive into bringing horror to the stage.
- Amateurs vs. Professionals – Farnam Street on the difference between habits and inspiration.
- Freelancer’s Tax Guide – The PDF that saved us during tax season.
- The Science of Introverts – Why quiet creatives have an edge.
- How to Market Yourself – Practical advice for getting your work seen.
❤️ Community Favorites
The MusicalWriters.com events and pages you visited most.
- MusicalWriters.com Membership Info – Learn how you can join MusicalWriters.com here!
- Musical Writers Festival Homepage – Early Bird Registration now available for our 2026 Musical Writers Festival.
- MusicalWriters.com Facebook Page – View updates and watch our Pitch Night events live on Facebook.
- MusicalWriters.com Instagram – Follow MusicalWriters.com on Instagram for updates, highlights, quotes, and spotlights.
- MusicalWriters.com YouTube Channel – View performances, workshops, and masterclasses for free on YouTube.
- Staged Reading Series – Several times a year, MusicalWriters.com members have the opportunity to pitch their show for a fully funded, staged reading opportunity.
- Song Submission Audits – Is your song ready for a cabaret or other performance opportunity? Use this checklist to find out!
- MW Final Draft Musical Template – A top download from the Saturday Brew this year.
- Get to Know Alyssa Payne – An interview with one of our 2025 Featured Festival Guests
- “Lend Me A Chainsaw” – A MusicalWriters.com full production from October.
