Editing Eurovision Song Contest (section)

=== Song eligibility and languages ===
{{further|List of languages in the Eurovision Song Contest}}

All competing songs must have a duration of three minutes or less.<ref name="Rules" /> This rule applies only to the version performed during the live shows.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muldoon |first=Padraig |date=30 March 2018 |title=Italy: Ermal Meta & Fabrizio Moro release three-minute Eurovision 2018 version of 'Non mi avete fatto niente' |url=https://wiwibloggs.com/2018/03/30/italy-ermal-meta-fabrizio-moro-release-three-minute-eurovision-2018-version-non-mi-avete-fatto-niente/220657/ |access-date=27 February 2021 |website=wiwibloggs.com}}</ref> In order to be considered eligible, competing songs in a given year's contest must not have been released commercially before the first day of September of the previous year.<ref name="Rules" /> All competing entries must include vocals and lyrics of some kind; [[a cappella]] songs and purely instrumental pieces are not allowed.<ref>{{Cite news |date=7 March 2013 |title=Eurovision: Rules, facts and controversies |work=[[The Scotsman]] |url=https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/eurovision-rules-facts-and-controversies-1586799 |access-date=21 March 2021}}</ref> Competing entries may be performed in any language, be that [[Natural language|natural]] or [[Constructed language|constructed]], and participating broadcasters are free to decide the language in which their entry may be performed.<ref name="Rules" />

Rules specifying in which language a song may be performed have changed over time. No restrictions were originally enacted when the contest was first founded; however, following criticism over the {{Esccnty|Sweden|y=1965|t=1965 Swedish entry}} being performed in English, a new rule was introduced for the {{Escyr|1966||1966 contest}} restricting songs to be performed only in an official language of the country it represented.{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=28–29}}<ref name="Naples 65">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Naples 1965 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/naples-1965 |access-date=4 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref name="Luxembourg 66">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Luxembourg 1966 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/luxembourg-1966 |access-date=4 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> This rule was first abolished in {{Escyr|1973}}, and subsequently reinstated for most countries in {{Escyr|1977}}, with only {{Esccnty|Belgium|y=1977}} and {{Esccnty|Germany|y=1977}} permitted freedom of language as their selection processes for that year's contest had already commenced.{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=68–71}}<ref name="Luxembourg 73">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: Luxembourg 1973 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/luxembourg-1973 |access-date=4 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref><ref name="London 77">{{Cite web |title=Eurovision Song Contest: London 1977 |url=https://eurovision.tv/event/london-1977 |access-date=4 July 2020 |publisher=Eurovision Song Contest}}</ref> The language rule was once again abolished ahead of the {{Escyr|1999||1999 contest}}.<ref name="Jerusalem 99" />{{sfn|O'Connor|2010|pp=156–159}}

There is no restriction on the national origin, country of residence or age of the songwriter(s). Furthermore, unlike performers who may only represent one country in any given year, songwriters are free to enter multiple songs in a single year sung by different acts. For example, in the 1980 edition, both {{Esccnty|Germany|y=1980}}'s and {{Esccnty|Luxembourg|y=1980}}'s entry were (co-)written by [[Ralph Siegel]], who – in a career spanning over 40 years – was involved in some form in the writing of dozens of entries — both advancing to the final and failing to make it past the national selection, including "{{lang|de|[[Ein bißchen Frieden]]|i=no}}" the winning entry for {{Esccnty|Germany|y=1982|t=Germany in 1982}}.