Articles in this category What Is Songbay? Songbay is a unique library which stores and advertises music and lyrics. These are purchased by anyone needing original material in their productions. Typical users include: Companies looking for ... Songbay for Sellers. How does it work? At Songbay, you can sell music and lyrics in a variety of ways and set your own fees: As a Download (Allowing personal use only). As a Cover version License (Allowing other artists to make a cover v... What rights do I need to upload, license or sell work through Songbay? Before you upload, license or sell any song, lyric, recording or other material through Songbay, you must own all necessary rights in that material. If you own only a share, you must have the clear pe... Who uses Songbay? Who uses Songbay? Songbay is used by: Songwriters, arrangers, lyricists, transcribers, musicians, record companies, publishers, management companies, advertising executives, producers, musical supervi... What Percentages of Royalties do I receive if I Sell or Buy Music or Lyrics at Songbay? With the exception of our 'Copyright Transfer' option, all royalties go to the composer or the lyricist. We take no percentage of royalties or sale fees. We strive to work fairly for composer, lyr... How Popular is Songbay? Very! Songbay has risen steadily up the search engine rankings over the last few years and is currently listed NO 1 on Google for lyric and in the top 4 for music searches. To prove the point, in your... How do I Purchase Songs or Lyrics at Songbay? How to Buy Music and Lyrics at Songbay Use our powerful search functions to find something suitable. You can search by style or keywords. Use the preview buttons to listen to songs / read lyrics. Sel... The prices are all shown in US Dollars, can they be shown in other currencies? Song and lyric listing/purchase prices on Songbay are shown in US dollars. Seller membership/subscription prices are shown separately on the Membership Options page and may be displayed in UK Sterling... How much does it cost to buy Music and Lyrics at Songbay? Average Prices and Buying Options At Songbay, you can buy music and lyrics in a variety of ways and use them for a variety of different projects. Simply choose the buying option which is most suitabl... How much should I charge for my Songs and Lyrics? Average Prices and Buying Options At Songbay, you can sell music and lyrics in a variety of ways and set your own fees, you can even negotiate directly with buyers and create your own personalized co... Will my Songs or Lyrics sell on Songbay? We would love to answer definitively 'yes' to this question. Some of our users seem to experience success straight away whilst others after several months and sometimes after several years. Our consid... Does Songbay buy Music or Lyrics directly from me? No, we do not purchase any songs or lyrics directly from our users. Songbay is an artistic 'show room' for songwriters and lyricists. Interested buyers or artists will be able to contact you directly ... Which Royalties can I receive if I sell my work at Songbay? If your work is sold at Songbay, it's highly likely that you will be eligible to receive royalties. When a copyrighted song or lyric is performed in public, played on the radio, sold as a CD or digita... How much does it cost to Sell My Music and Lyrics at Songbay? Membership to Sellers is by subscription. Our business model allows us to keep our pricing exceptionally low. Our seller packages cover admin, hosting and development costs and range from £2.99 to £9.... How do I upload my Songs or Lyrics to Songbay? To upload to Songbay, follow these simple steps: Register (You will need to register in order to sell music or lyrics at Songbay). On registering, go to your user area -Indicated 'My Songbay' in yell... How much does it cost to join for Buyers? How much does it cost to join? It is entirely free to join and search the Songbay song and lyric library. Once registered, you may also contact our artists directly. If you can't find a suitable o... What type of music or lyric can be uploaded? What type of music or lyric can be uploaded? Every genre of music/lyric can be added to the Songbay library and in any language. Which type of music/lyrics sell best on Songbay? Which type of music/lyrics sell best on Songbay? The list of uses for which buyers require music and lyrics is endless, hence all high quality material (of any genre) stands a good chance of getting ... What are your prices for Music and Lyrics? Average Prices and Buying Options At Songbay, you can buy music and lyrics in a variety of ways and use them for a variety of different projects. Simply choose the buying option which is most suitabl... I am not from the US or UK, can I still use Songbay? Yes, Songbay, although based in the UK , is an International company and welcomes submissions from artists from all round the world. Can I submit Songs and Lyrics in Languages other than English? Yes, we welcome music and lyrics of any language. How do I edit my uploads? We allow a variety of edits to uploads. You can change the description information of your song or lyric and alter the prices for which you wish to sell them. You can delist/ re-list items and add/ re... What are the Buying options at Songbay? What are the buying options at Songbay? At Songbay, you can buy music and lyrics in a variety of ways and use them for a variety of different projects. Simply choose the buying option which is most s... What are the selling options at Songbay? Selling Options At Songbay, you can sell music and lyrics in a variety of ways and set your own fees: As a Download (Allowing personal use only). As a Cover version License (Allowing other artists ... How do I get paid for my Song and Lyric Sales at Songbay? We use PayPal to forward sale fees and other user payments. PayPal is one of the most efficient and secure forms of money transfer and is free to join for the vast majority of users. To perform neces... How can payment for music or lyrics work if I'm from a country that doesn't have PayPal? If you are from a country where PayPal is not available, please contact us before completing a sale so that we can review whether an alternative payment method is possible. In some exceptional circum... How do I receive my song or lyric after purchasing? How do I receive a purchased lyric or song? On purchasing a song or lyric at Songbay, choose the option 'My Sales/Purchases' from your user dashboard. You will then be able to download your chosen so... I'm having trouble entering my phone number when registering. As a workaround, please leave the phone number field blank and register as normal. You can always enter your phone number manually once registered from your user area. I have uploaded my song / lyric but is not displaying on my artist page. Please pay particular attention to the notification at the start and end of the upload process. Uploads will not appear live on Songbay until they have been reviewed and approved by our quality team. ... Are there any tie-ins with Songbay? Are there any tie-ins with Songbay? No. You can upgrade or close your account whenever you wish. If you want to upgrade your subscription, please go to songbay.co/membership-options If you no longer ... What is your selection criteria? What is your selection criteria? Music To maintain the quality of our library and the integrity of our service, we maintain exacting professional standards. Quality is such a personal choice that oft... Which formats can be uploaded to Songbay? What formats can be uploaded to Songbay? We currently accept the following file formats: MP3, WAV, .DOC, .DOCX, & JPG files Can I upload lyrics on their own (without music)? Can I upload lyrics on their own (without music) Yes! Do I have to pay commission if I sell, buy or license music at Songbay? Do I have to pay commission if I sell, buy or license music at Songbay? No. Songbay takes no percentages of sales or performance royalties. Artists keep 100% of all the money they make at Songbay. Am I still eligible for performance royalties if I sell music through Songbay? Yes! There is royalty known as the 'performance royalty', which is owed to a composer/lyricist whenever their music is broadcast or performed in public. This is not normally paid by people purchasi... Do I have to pay to search or contact artists? Do I have to pay to search or contact artists? No, we provide this service free of charge. Once registered, you can use the contact link on the artist's page or the live chat function from your user ... Can I still use Songbay if I already have a publishing, recording or management deal? Can I still use Songbay if I already have a publishing, recording or management deal? Yes-Songbay can work concurrently with any company, service or person working for, or on behalf of a songwriter. ... How does the exchange of contracts take place when I buy music or lyrics at Songbay? How does the exchange of contracts take place when I buy music or lyrics at Songbay? On receipt of funds and additional identification checks (required for Copyright Exchange sales only), both buye... My password is not working. "I'm having a problem with my password. The new password which was sent to me isn't working." Please follow these steps fully: On the login page, use either the reset password link to obtain a n... I want to purchase a copyright but can't see this purchase option available. "I want to purchase the entire copyright to a song or lyric but can't see this purchase option available." Many of our artists offer both licensing and copyright purchases of their songs and lyrics... Are your contracts exclusive or non-exclusive? With the exception of copyright exchanges, all sales through Songbay take place on a 'non exclusive' basis. This means the composer or lyricist retains all rights to their work. Can I see the full details of your licenses and contracts? Can I see full details of your contracts between buyer/seller? Yes, Please see: https://www.songbay.co/license-examples/ Copyright and security concerns? How secure is my material once uploaded to Songbay? Copyright Registration at Songbay / Copyright Protection at Songbay It's very secure! We give free Copyright Registration and Protection at Songbay In addition to all the other benefits of Songbay m... Who is responsible for tax declarations on net income generated through sales at Songbay? Who is responsible for tax declarations on net income generated through sales at Songbay? It is the responsibility of the seller, i.e., composer or lyricist, to make appropriate tax declarations to ... Technical Issues Technical issues and Fixes As with all online companies, users may experience technical difficulties from time to time. These are often the result of browser/ server/ software/ hardware conflicts w... I changed an image but the old one is still displaying? Image Display Issue If you change an image, you will often notice that the old image still displays. This is because your web browser is not displaying the most recent version of the page. The soluti... I have taken out a subscription but i can't upload. "I have taken out a subscription but my account is still showing 'Free user' and i can't upload." Log out of Songbay then login again, your account should now be updated. ... I have taken out a subscription but can't see anywhere to upload my songs or lyrics. You may have mistakenly registered as a Buyer Only and taken out a buyer subscription, which will not give you access to the seller features. Please log out, then back in again, and take out a Seller ... How much should I charge for a copyright? The pricing of copyright exchange sales should be considered very carefully since if you choose to sell the copyright, you are agreeing to hand over all rights and all future royalties to someone else... My company would like to purchase several copyrights. What restrictions are there? "My company would like to purchase the copyrights of several songs you have listed. Are there any restrictions with what we may do with a song? i.e., can it be resold? can it be performed on the radi... Can i add my own vocals and re-arrange a song or lyric? Yes. You would need to purchase a 'Derivative-Use-License'. You may then re-record it or re-arrange it, or re-mix it, or re-score for different vocalists or instruments. If a lyric, you may ... If I purchase a lyric, can I add it to my own music? Yes, absolutely. The lyric would still be owned by the seller/lyricist, who would be entitled to a share of the royalties if the lyric is turned into a completed song. Songbay contracts specify a mini... Why do Songbay contracts recommend a 25% royalty share for lyricists rather than 50%? Our contracts specify a minimum 25% royalty share for lyricists when a lyric is turned into a completed song. This is not because we undervalue lyrics; strong lyrics are vital to a successful song. Ho... I've purchased a song, where can i download it? From your user area, select the option 'Sales/Purchases'. From here you will be able to download and receive a completed contract. I've purchased a lyric, where can i download it? From your user area, select the option 'Sales/Purchases'. From here you will be able to download and receive a completed contract. I'm interested in collaborating with one of your songwriters, how should i go about this? Please feel free to contact artists directly using the live chat and messages features from your Songbay dashboard, or by using the contact links on each artist page. Collaboration is very popular at ... How can I find collaborators or let artists know I am open to songwriting collaborations? Collaboration is a major part of Songbay. Many songwriters, lyricists, composers, producers, artists, and buyers use Songbay specifically to find original material and connect with other creators. Mem... I need a song written specifically for me, is this something you offer? How to request a bespoke custom-written original song? This is very popular at Songbay. The best approach would be to search for suitable artists writing in your chosen style, then contact them direc... How does the Songbay Copyright Protection work? Copyright Registration at Songbay / Copyright Protection at Songbay In addition to all the other benefits of Songbay membership, we give our Songwriters full Copyright Protection and Copyright Regist... I don't think I've received payment for a sale. Songbay forwards seller payments after completion, fund clearance, and any necessary checks. To perform necessary admin and security checks, and to allow for account processing times, we normally mak... How do I change package / upgrade my account? How do I change my membership package / upgrade my account? There are no tie ins with Songbay, you may switch package/upgrade whenever you wish. To do so, go to our membership options page and sel... How do I upload Songs and Lyrics? To upload to Songbay, follow these simple steps: Register (You will need to register in order to sell music or lyrics at Songbay). On registering, go to your user area -Indicated 'My Songbay' in yell... I'm having trouble with my profile picture. "I'm having trouble with my profile picture, its sideways. I've tried several different rotations before upload, any tips?" Our system displays an image in the same orientation as the original uplo... How do your subscriptions (packages) work? We offer monthly or yearly subscription packages. A subscription is an ongoing payment giving access to our service. Each subscription package offers different user benefits, features and upload level... How do subscriptions work? We offer monthly or yearly subscription packages. A subscription is an ongoing payment giving access to our service. Each subscription package offers different user benefits, features and upload level... Audio Player Issue. "The player doesn't seem to be working, nothing happens when i press play" This sometimes happens with a web browser we do not support, is out of date or missing various plugins. We support most op... I want a song for to use in an advertising campaign for my company. Which buying option do i need? You should choose our 'Single Use License'. Can membership prices be shown in US dollars or other currencies? For full details of current seller membership benefits and subscription packages, please see our Membership Options page: https://songbay.co/membership-options Seller membership/subscription prices ... I'm looking for a ghostwriter (pop songs). Is this something you offer? Yes this is becoming increasingly popular at Songbay. Although not always mentioned in the artist's profile, many are offering ghostwriting services. It's best to contact any artists you con... Copyright Protection. Can I just upload my songs as they are or do I need to register them with a copyright company? "Hi, Songbay representatives! I've been searching for a long time among the lots of internet-resources and it seems that Songbay is just perfect for my purposes. I'm just at the beginning of selling ... Do I receive the individual song tracks or stems with purchases? We can only provide the audio/ lyric content which has been uploaded by the artist (displayed publicly on our site). Please note, for song license purchases, we supply a stereo recording. We do NOT... How do I change my password? Login to your Songbay account and from your user dashboard choose the link: 'Songbay Account' From here you will be able to change your Password The direct link to this area is: https://songb... How do I change my email address? Only admin can update email addresses. Please email us or use our contact form, to request an email change. Contact Us >> How do I upload images with my Songs and Lyrics? Login to your Songbay account and from your user dashboard choose the link: 'Edit Your Uploads' From here you will be able to add images to your uploads. The direct link to this area is: http... How do I change my Profile Image? Login to your Songbay account and from your user dashboard choose the link: 'My Songbay Profile' From here you will be able to change your Profile Image. Once you have uploaded your new image, reme... How do I add or update my social media accounts such as Facebook and Twitter? Login to your Songbay account and from your user dashboard choose the link: 'Songbay Account' Select 'Enhanced Info' (at the top of the page) From here, you will be able to add/update your social m... How long does it take to receive a purchased song? With the exception of Copyright Exchange sales (where additional checks are required), the process is normally instantaneous. Upon payment, simply go to your user area and choose the option: 'My ... How do I close my account? Close Account Instructions To close your account, simply login to your user area at Songbay and choose the option: 'Songbay Account', you will be asked to enter your security answer. 2. Choose one... I've received a collaboration offer from an interested user, what should i do now? Firstly, you should establish legitimacy of the collaboration offer. Make sure the offer has come directly from the Songbay website and that the user is a registered Songbay member. You should then fi... Can I change the price I originally listed for my songs? Yes, To edit uploads/content/descriptions/prices or to add artwork to uploads, login to your Songbay account and from your user dashboard choose the link: 'Edit Your Uploads' then 'Edit Details' ... Can I purchase original music and own all rights? Yes, providing the artist has chosen to use the 'Copyright Exchange' selling option. There are several different selling/purchase options at Songbay. If the artist has chosen to offer this o... If I upload materials on your web page and offer it for sale, can I also use the same materials to sell it on other web sites besides Songbay? Yes, absolutely. There are no exclusive tie-ins with us, so you are free to simultaneously advertise and sell your material on any other platforms. We will also give you full copyright protection of y... Do i need to join a Royalty Collection Agency to use Songbay? Royalty Collection Agencies We are not responsible for tracking or paying royalties. This is the job of a royalty collection agency. We advise all songwriters to register with their regional royalty ... Can I hide or make my uploads private? Can I hide or make my uploads private? Yes, to hide your uploads, use the 'Edit your Uploads' link in your user area, then navigate to the upload you wish to hide, and click on the 'Visible Publicly'... Can I sell Hindi or Marathi language songs on Songbay? We accept all language submissions and Hindi songs are very much on the increase at Songbay. English, and other European languages are still the most popular with buyers. How do Copyright Exchange Sales work? Copyright Exchange Process Entering into a Copyright Exchange agreement is a big commitment, since all rights of the song or lyric are transferred from seller to buyer. As such, we need to be absolut... Instructions Video Instruction guides on using the main Songbay Features We have a list of instructional videos of our most popular features. Including: How to upload your lyrics and songs How to edit your lyrics... How do I update my card details? How do I update my payment details used for my subscription? All our customer payment details are stored securely with our payment handlers PayPal or Stripe. We do not handle card details directly. D... OTP password Issue OTP Code not working An OTP code (One time password) is a security measure that our system automatically invokes whenever a user signs in using an unrecognized device, or from a different geographi... Security answer issue Forgotten security answer If you have forgotten your Songbay security answer, please use the Forgotten security answer reset form. You will be asked to confirm your account details and then choose a ... Account Upgrade issue Account Upgrade issue I have taken out a subscription, but my account has not upgraded and I still cannot upload. If you are experiencing this issue, please log out, wait 5 minutes, then log back ... I closed my account but am still being invoiced I closed my account but am still being invoiced It not possible to be charged after closing your account. This could indicate that you may have a duplicate account or subscription in place or have no... Can I use an alias or artist name instead of my public name? Can I use an alias or artist name instead of my public name? Yes, you need to register with your family name (required for sales contract creation), but this information is held privately. You can use... Song approvals: how do I check if my upload has been approved? At the start and end of the upload process, Songbay explains that uploads can take up to 72 hours to approve. In the vast majority of cases, uploads are approved within 24 hours. We do not send approv... Song purchases - audio formats: do I receive stems, remixes, or backing tracks? Songbay displays and sells only the song versions uploaded by our users. For song purchases and licenses, this normally means a stereo audio upload. We do not create unique remixes, backing tracks, in...