❔ Frequently Asked Questions About Songwriter Demos

◈ Most demo projects are completed within two weeks. Timing can vary based on studio schedule and musician availability. We work on a first-come, first-served basis and will always keep your project moving forward.

📌 Note: This estimate covers our production time and doesn't include any additional time needed by your chosen vocalist.

Many pro demo vocalists now work independently through platforms like SoundBetter, AirGigs, and Vocalizr. That shift gives you more control — you get to choose the singer that fits your song's tone and style, and communicate with them directly.

You also benefit from secure transactions and accountability that come with those platforms.

We make it easy by providing trusted recommendations and step-by-step guidance inside our client portal. But you're always welcome to choose any vocalist you like.

Yes — one complimentary mix revision is included. This covers changes to balance, EQ, or other mix elements, but does not include re-recording any parts.

👉 Important: Other than tuning, we do not alter or revise the vocal performance. Because you hire the singer directly, final vocal approval is your responsibility. If we spot a performance issue in the files you send, we'll let you know before production continues.

Once you've taken time to review, send us a clear list of requested mix changes. If anything gets missed from that list, we'll correct it at no charge. Additional changes outside of the original list may incur a fee (currently $35/hour). We're happy to give an estimate in advance. Typically, an hour is enough for most adjustments.

Recommendations for Listening to Your Mix

🎧 We recommend listening to your mix on multiple systems and environments before submitting notes. For the most accurate playback, disable any tone-boosting features (like bass boost or surround modes) and set your system to a neutral or reference setting.

📻 A *NOTE* about audio systems: For best results, make sure your audio systems are adjusted to what we call "flat." Meaning, they are not boosting the bass or treble or are exaggerating any frequencies. Do this:

• Set bass and treble settings or knobs to zero(0).
• If your system has settings such as "Studio," "Reference," or "Neutral." These modes are aimed for a flat, accurate playback.
• On systems that have a "direct" or "pure direct" mode, use them, which often disables tone settings.
• Turn off any settings such as "Bass Boost," "Loudness," "Dynamic EQ," or "Surround Sound" modes.
• Avoid presets such as "Rock," "Pop," or "Movie."
• Listen to speakers positioned at ear level.
Don't position speakers in corners, which can amplify low frequencies.

Yes — we can provide a master-rights release for the instrumental tracks we create, and you're free to use them commercially at no extra charge.

However, vocal rights are handled separately. Since you hire the vocalist directly, you'll need to request a release from them if you plan to use their vocal commercially. Most vocalists offer buyouts (often equal to their original fee) and may request anonymity in public-facing materials.

To help, we can provide a free master-release template that includes optional name/likeness language you can use when finalizing your agreement with the vocalist.

Absolutely! If you'd like to sing your own demo, we're happy to support you. Complimentary vocal tuning is included with all demo packages, and we offer special project rates for artists creating a series of songs or an album.

🎤 Just a heads-up: If your demo is intended for pitching to publishers or sync agents, it's important to meet industry vocal standards. A great song can be overlooked if the vocal doesn't match commercial expectations. But if you're promoting yourself as an artist or creating the demo for personal use, singing it yourself can be a great fit — and we'll help you get the best possible result.

Yes! we offer stems and session files as optional add-ons.

For an additional fee, we can provide stems or all of your session audio files. Pricing depends on song length and track count. Contact us for a quote.

🎛️ Every demo package includes three mixes by default:

• Full mix
• Backing track (no vocals)
• Karaoke mix (no lead vocal)

All are delivered in both WAV and MP3 formats.

Stems: Stems are rendered in WAV 24-bit stereo by instrument group (Drums, Vocals, Guitars, etc.) and include the same processing applied in the mix. Unprocessed tracks can be rendered upon request.

Raw Audio Session Files: Includes all raw, unprocessed audio files (vocals + instruments) from your session. Perfect if you want to remix, revise later, change vocalists, add parts, or bring your song to another studio. (Currently priced at $35, pricing subject to change).

💾 We highly recommend requesting the raw audio files. Due to space limitations, files are stored for only 3–6 months — keeping a local copy ensures you always have access.

What is vocal gender swapping, and why do it?
Vocal gender swapping is a creative tool we use to help singers of the opposite gender learn your song more easily.

For example, if you're a male writer pitching to a female artist, it can be helpful to provide a female-voiced guide track. This makes it easier for the vocalist to hear phrasing, melody, and range in a context closer to their own voice.

How is vocal gender swapping done?
We extract your vocal and use it as a reference to generate a new version with an AI voice of the opposite gender. We may also shift the key to make it more natural and realistic.

📌 Please Note: This service is best used for guide vocals only. We do not recommend using AI vocals for demos intended for commercial pitch or licensing, as most music companies currently reject AI-generated vocals.

*This service typically requires up to 3 hours labor (Currently priced at $35 per hour, pricing subject to change). Email for a quote.

While we are professional songwriters, we don't officially offer paid song critiques — for two reasons:

• It could create a conflict of interest if we're also helping with your production or songwriting.
• We prefer to focus on what we do best: helping you finish or produce your song.

That said, we're always happy to offer informal thoughts during the process, and we've listed trusted third-party critique services on our Resources page if you're seeking outside feedback.

Yes – all songwriting services include two free revisions to make sure the lyrics or melody feel right to you. Whether we're polishing a few lines or adjusting a melodic phrase, we'll work with you to refine the song until it feels finished.

Additional revisions beyond the first two are available at $35 per round. Our goal is to help you land on a version that's true to your vision and ready for production or pitching.

If your goal is to copyright your song, then a moderate-to-significant rewrite is usually required to meet the U.S. Copyright Office's standards for human authorship. This allows us to reshape the lyrics or melody enough to make them sound natural, emotionally resonant, and legally copyrightable.

This level of rewrite is typically needed if you plan to pitch, publish, or register the song for copyright protection. If you're unsure, we're happy to review your material and recommend the best option for your goals and budget.

Yes, you will. If we're writing from scratch or rewriting your AI-generated lyrics or melody under a work-for-hire agreement, full ownership is yours upon payment. That means you'll hold the copyright and can legally register the song as your own.

If we're revising AI-generated content, we ensure the result is original enough to qualify for copyright protection. Either way, you'll be able to confidently claim ownership of a song that's truly yours.

No. All of our songwriting services are provided as work-for-hire, which means you don't need to credit us or share ownership. Once the work is completed and paid for, the final lyrics and/or melody are yours to copyright and use however you like. Likewise, if you started with AI-generated content, you're not required to credit the AI—though depending on the platform, you may need to review their usage terms. If we revise or replace AI content to make it copyrightable, the final result is entirely yours.

Absolutely. We encourage collaboration! You can provide notes about your theme, mood, style, and any lines or phrases you want us to include or keep. Once we send you the first draft, you'll have two rounds of free revisions to help shape the final result.

"Topline" or "top line" refers to the main vocal melody line (the one that sits on top) of your song. It's what the singer sings—what most listeners remember.

The person who writes this melody is called the "topliner." This term came about to describe people who specialize in writing a vocal melody (and often the lyrics) to an existing music track.

Full payment is required in advance.

When we send your project quote, it will include an invoice with a secure payment link via your preferred provider—PayPal or Stripe. Your project is officially added to our production queue once full payment is received.

You may notice your invoice or payment receipt is issued from Music City Recording – that's our parent company handling secure payment processing.

We accept either PayPal or Stripe.

• How to Pay with PayPal (No Account Needed): You can pay with a credit card, debit card, or bank account. Just click the link we send, then select "Pay with Debit or Credit Card" or "Check Out as Guest." It's quick, secure, and you'll get instant confirmation.
• How to Pay with Stripe (No Account Needed): Stripe accepts all major credit and debit cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other local payment methods. Just click the secure link we send and choose your preferred payment option at checkout. It's fast, flexible, and fully encrypted.

Please Note: Our prices do not include the transaction fees charged by PayPal or Stripe. To offset this cost, a 4% processing fee will be added to your invoice total and clearly labeled as "Fees (PayPal 4%)" or "Fees (Stripe 4%)" depending on the payment method used.

You may cancel your project at any time.

• Before Work Starts: We'll refund the full service fee you've paid, minus the 4% payment processing fee (PayPal/Stripe), which is non-refundable.
• After Work Has Started: You'll only be billed for the portion of work completed, calculated either by percentage of completion or by hours worked (current hourly rate: $35 USD). Any remaining balance will be refunded to your original payment method, minus the 4% processing fee.
• Why is the 4% fee non-refundable? PayPal and Stripe keep their transaction fees when a refund is issued, so we can't recover those costs.
• If applicable, the remaining balance will be refunded to your original payment method.

You own the underlying song and have full rights to use the music track we create. We grant you a commercial use release for our production work.

However, the vocalist's performance is a different matter. Most demo singers record vocals for demonstration purposes only. If you plan to release or monetize the demo, you'll need to obtain a commercial use or master rights release from the vocalist—this often requires an additional buyout fee.

To help with that process, we can provide you with a standard master release form that includes optional name and likeness language.

To fully own the song and make it legally yours, both the lyrics and melody typically need some level of human rewriting. That's where we can help. We offer top line melody and lyric development assistance to help turn your AI-assisted idea into an original, copyrightable song that's ready for the industry.

For a deeper dive into the subject, visit the U.S. Copyright Office page on Copyright and Artificial Intelligence↗🌐.

You can—but it's not recommended. Copyright registration isn't legally required to pitch your song, but it does give you added protection in case of a dispute over ownership. It also signals to industry professionals that you're serious about your work.

If your song was created using AI or heavily AI-assisted, you may not be eligible for copyright until human contributions have been made. Our Songwriting Services can help transform your draft or song into something fully original—and copyrightable.

No problem! If you're in a country that's part of the Berne Convention (which includes over 180 nations), your copyright is automatically recognized in the U.S. from the moment your song is created.

Still, we recommend registering your copyright—either through your local authority or directly with the U.S. Copyright Office↗🌐. This step provides stronger legal protection, simplifies licensing, and serves as proof of ownership if disputes arise.

Only if you have the proper rights. If your song demo features a vocalist you hired, you must obtain a master rights release—or written permission—from that vocalist to use their performance commercially.

Most vocalists charge a separate buyout fee for commercial use, and some may also request that their name or likeness not be used in association with your release. Be sure to finalize these terms directly with your vocalist before uploading your demo to platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, or YouTube.