In Oscine species, changes in songs are age-dependent: some species do not change their singing repertoires after a short sensitive period, whereas others may include new songs throughout their lives. In many cases, changes in singing repertoires are more pronounced between the first and second years of life. I describe changes in song composition from one year to the next in 23 pied-flycatcher males, which differed in breeding plumage coloration. Eight yearling birds showed profound between-season syllable repertoire turnover whereas seven yearlings and eight older males retained their previous song composition. Males with profound changes in their repertoire were significantly paler, arrived later and had smaller first-year repertoires than other males. Although additional studies are needed to clarify the relationship between these factors, it seems plausible that dark- and pale-coloured pied-flycatcher males have different patterns of between-season repertoire turnover: pale males change their syllable repertoire sufficiently between the first and second years of life but not thereafter, whereas dark males develop a rather stabilised repertoire by the first year of life. This agrees with the finding that pale and dark birds exhibit different breeding strategies.