Soundscribe Described
Soundscribe is a service for songwriters to have a platform for their songs to be heard, found and used by consumers of original music, whether they be performers searching for original music to record for themselves or play live, or people requiring original music for advertising, radio jingles, tv or film.
What
Soundscribe is a platform encouraging songwriters to upload even the most basic audio recordings of their compositions (recordings can be labelled 'raw', 'multi-track demo' or 'radio-ready'). This way we are not excluding quality recordings, but are also encouraging, for instance, someone's basic composition, freshly written and sung into an iPhone. A consumer can therefore easily search for a basic songwriting idea or recording to be developed by other musicians, or search for a finished product to use as such or reinterpret in their own way.
Why
Millions of songs have been written over time which have never seen the light of day - for a variety of reasons. How many of them could be lost gems? Other major websites have done much to give unknown performers a platform, and of course some of these performers have been songwriters too. But what of those songwriters who don’t want to be performers as well, don't know people who will perform their music, don't have the technical knowledge to turn their compositions into polished recordings, or maybe don't have the style or image which might get them noticed on YouTube? This is the essence of Soundscribe – it is all about capturing the work of the songwriter rather than the performer.
How
Songwriters register on Soundscribe and can then upload a sound file + an image file (giving the opportunity to upload lyrics or sheet music) for each of their compositions. Songs are tagged by the composer according to mood, category if applicable (though don’t restrict yourself too much by genre: you could write a Sinatra-esque song which could end up as a punk rock record - look at 'My Way'), etc. The upload is timestamped and copyrighted. Consumers looking to use an original song also register and may then find a song they want to use. Use is on a trust basis - it is up to the consumer to credit the songwriter and ensure royalties are due. If someone makes a million without crediting the songwriter, the copyright and timestamp of the original upload will help the songwriter claim what he or she is owed. Songs can be rated and commented upon by users if the composer allows.
Who
There is a world of songwriters out there who have written some great songs but have never done much with them for one reason or another. We at Soundscribe want to help those composers get their songs heard by people who want to develop or use them further.
Where
Soundscribe is designed for a global market.
When
Soundscribe is due to be launched by the end of 2019.