Song Evaluations and Coaching FAQ

SongU.com song evaluations and coaching provide specific written feedback on your songs or lyrics from your choice of professional song coaches.

You choose a coach, select the type of evaluation you want, submit your song or lyric, and receive an email when the evaluation is complete. Your completed feedback will be available in your Song Evaluation activity area.

Yes. Song evaluations and coaching are an additional paid service because the coach is paid for their time and written feedback.

SongU uses credits for evaluations, where 1 credit = $1.

Lite members:
Comprehensive Evaluation: 25 credits
Quickie Evaluation: 15 credits
Rewrite Evaluation: 15 credits

Platinum members:
Comprehensive Evaluation: 18 credits
Quickie Evaluation: 10 credits
Rewrite Evaluation: 10 credits

If you are looking for feedback that is included with membership, Song Feedback courses are another option. FDBK courses are included with Platinum membership.

Start by reading the coach bios, genre specialties, coaching philosophy, turnaround time, and any notes about the kinds of songs or submissions the coach prefers.

You can choose a coach based on genre, career background, teaching style, or the type of feedback you want. Some coaches are especially strong for commercial songs, sync, lyrics, country, pop, singer-songwriter material, or other specialties.

You may also submit the same song to more than one coach if you want multiple professional perspectives.

No. You do not need a professional demo for a song evaluation. In many cases, it is better to get feedback before spending money on a full demo.

A simple work tape, guitar/vocal, piano/vocal, or clean rough recording is fine as long as the melody, lyric, and basic feel of the song are clear enough for the coach to evaluate.

Turnaround times vary by coach and are listed in each coach’s bio. Many coaches complete evaluations within 7 to 14 days, but some may take longer depending on their schedule.

Occasional delays can happen because coaches may be traveling, in the studio, on tour, or working on professional deadlines. If your evaluation is significantly past the coach’s stated turnaround time, submit a support request and SongU will follow up.

A Best of SongU.com Award is a special recognition based on a coach’s personal opinion of how a song compares with other songs heard through coaching.

When a coach nominates your song for Best of SongU.com, the song receives a star icon by the song title wherever that song is visible on the site, including for pitch guests. It may also be placed in a special password-protected listening area where invited publishers and songpluggers can listen.

Maybe, depending on the coach and how AI was used. Some SongU coaches may be open to evaluating AI-assisted songs as part of the educational process, while others may choose not to evaluate AI-generated material.

You must clearly disclose how AI was used when submitting the song. For example, say whether AI helped with lyrics, melody, demo production, vocals, arrangement, or any other part of the submission.

Always read the coach’s bio and AI policy before submitting.

A song evaluation is private written feedback from the coach you select. It is a good option when you want detailed comments on a specific song or lyric and do not need to attend a live class.

A Song Feedback course, often listed as FDBK, is a live small-group session where a professional instructor and sometimes other members hear songs and discuss them in class.

Both can be helpful. A song evaluation gives you one-on-one written comments, while a feedback course gives you the experience of hearing feedback in a live educational setting.

SongU currently offers several evaluation types.

Comprehensive Evaluation: A detailed written evaluation with letter grades in multiple categories. This is a good choice for first-time submissions or when you want in-depth feedback.

Quickie Evaluation: A shorter, one-pass evaluation with letter grades and a concise summary to help you refine the song.

Rewrite Evaluation: A targeted follow-up with the same coach after you revise a song, typically within the allowed rewrite period.

Yes. Many coaches accept lyric-only submissions. Before submitting, read the coach’s bio and notes to make sure that coach is comfortable evaluating lyrics only.

If melody or music is important to the question you want answered, it may be better to submit an audio recording as well.

Disclose any meaningful use of AI in the song or demo. Be clear about which parts were created by humans and which parts involved AI.

For example:

Lyrics: I wrote the lyrics myself.
Music/Melody: I wrote the melody myself.
Demo: I used Suno to create the demo/production.

Or, if AI generated part of the melody or lyric, say that clearly. Full transparency helps the coach decide how to evaluate the work.

SongU.com song evaluations and coaching provide specific written feedback on your songs or lyrics from your choice of professional song coaches.

You choose a coach, select the type of evaluation you want, submit your song or lyric, and receive an email when the evaluation is complete. Your completed feedback will be available in your Song Evaluation activity area.

A song evaluation is private written feedback from the coach you select. It is a good option when you want detailed comments on a specific song or lyric and do not need to attend a live class.

A Song Feedback course, often listed as FDBK, is a live small-group session where a professional instructor and sometimes other members hear songs and discuss them in class.

Both can be helpful. A song evaluation gives you one-on-one written comments, while a feedback course gives you the experience of hearing feedback in a live educational setting.

Yes. Song evaluations are private between you, the coach, and SongU administration. Your written feedback is not posted publicly.

If your song receives a Best of SongU.com nomination, the song may receive special recognition on the site and may be included in a private listening area for invited publishers or music industry guests.

Yes. Song evaluations and coaching are an additional paid service because the coach is paid for their time and written feedback.

SongU uses credits for evaluations, where 1 credit = $1.

Lite members:
Comprehensive Evaluation: 25 credits
Quickie Evaluation: 15 credits
Rewrite Evaluation: 15 credits

Platinum members:
Comprehensive Evaluation: 18 credits
Quickie Evaluation: 10 credits
Rewrite Evaluation: 10 credits

If you are looking for feedback that is included with membership, Song Feedback courses are another option. FDBK courses are included with Platinum membership.

SongU currently offers several evaluation types.

Comprehensive Evaluation: A detailed written evaluation with letter grades in multiple categories. This is a good choice for first-time submissions or when you want in-depth feedback.

Quickie Evaluation: A shorter, one-pass evaluation with letter grades and a concise summary to help you refine the song.

Rewrite Evaluation: A targeted follow-up with the same coach after you revise a song, typically within the allowed rewrite period.

A rewrite evaluation is a follow-up evaluation with the same coach after you revise a song based on that coach’s earlier feedback.

It is meant to give the coach a focused second look at your rewrite, rather than starting from scratch with a full new evaluation. Rewrite evaluations are generally available within the time period listed for that service.

Start by reading the coach bios, genre specialties, coaching philosophy, turnaround time, and any notes about the kinds of songs or submissions the coach prefers.

You can choose a coach based on genre, career background, teaching style, or the type of feedback you want. Some coaches are especially strong for commercial songs, sync, lyrics, country, pop, singer-songwriter material, or other specialties.

You may also submit the same song to more than one coach if you want multiple professional perspectives.

Yes. You may submit the same song to more than one coach if you would like multiple professional perspectives.

Different coaches may notice different strengths, weaknesses, commercial possibilities, or rewrite opportunities. This can be especially helpful if you are preparing a song for pitching, demo production, or a serious rewrite.

Songwriting feedback includes both objective craft elements and some professional judgment. Coaches may agree on many fundamentals, but they may also hear different possibilities for the song.

This happens in the music industry all the time. One publisher, producer, or songplugger may love a song while another may focus on something that still needs work.

If you receive different opinions, look for patterns, consider the coach’s area of expertise, and trust the guidance that best serves your goals for the song. You can also bring the song to a feedback course for additional perspective.

No. You do not need a professional demo for a song evaluation. In many cases, it is better to get feedback before spending money on a full demo.

A simple work tape, guitar/vocal, piano/vocal, or clean rough recording is fine as long as the melody, lyric, and basic feel of the song are clear enough for the coach to evaluate.

Yes. Many coaches accept lyric-only submissions. Before submitting, read the coach’s bio and notes to make sure that coach is comfortable evaluating lyrics only.

If melody or music is important to the question you want answered, it may be better to submit an audio recording as well.

Use an MP3 file for song evaluation submissions unless the page specifically allows another format. MP3 is the standard format for listening to songs online and keeps file sizes manageable.

If you are having trouble preparing your file, see the DIY course GEN 110 Preparing Your Audio for SongU.com in your Active Courses area.

Yes. Include any helpful context that will help the coach focus the evaluation. For example, you can mention the genre, intended artist, commercial goal, problem areas, co-writers, whether the song is a rewrite, or whether AI tools were used.

Keep the note clear and concise so the coach can focus primarily on the song.

Possibly, depending on the coach. Some coaches are comfortable evaluating instrumental music, while others focus primarily on songs with lyrics and melody.

Check the coach’s genre specialties and bio before submitting. If you are unsure, submit a support request and SongU can help guide you.

Turnaround times vary by coach and are listed in each coach’s bio. Many coaches complete evaluations within 7 to 14 days, but some may take longer depending on their schedule.

Occasional delays can happen because coaches may be traveling, in the studio, on tour, or working on professional deadlines. If your evaluation is significantly past the coach’s stated turnaround time, submit a support request and SongU will follow up.

When your evaluation is complete, you should receive an email notification. You can then view the completed feedback in your Song Evaluation activity area on SongU.com.

If you cannot find the completed evaluation, check your email and your Song Evaluation area, then submit a support request if you still need help.

Yes. If you revise your song after receiving feedback, you may be able to use a Rewrite Evaluation with the same coach for a targeted follow-up.

A rewrite evaluation is best when you want the coach to focus on how well the revised version addressed the earlier feedback.

A Best of SongU.com Award is a special recognition based on a coach’s personal opinion of how a song compares with other songs heard through coaching.

When a coach nominates your song for Best of SongU.com, the song receives a star icon by the song title wherever that song is visible on the site, including for pitch guests. It may also be placed in a special password-protected listening area where invited publishers and songpluggers can listen.

Yes. If one of your songs was nominated for Best of SongU.com, you should see a link in your completed evaluations area that allows you to update the MP3 or lyric for that awarded song.

Use that update link rather than deleting the song and creating a new song record.

The Best of SongU.com nomination is tied to the specific song record in your Song Locker. It does not automatically appear on another member’s copy of the same song.

The award symbol can also disappear if you delete that song file and create a new song record for the song.

Maybe, depending on the coach and how AI was used. Some SongU coaches may be open to evaluating AI-assisted songs as part of the educational process, while others may choose not to evaluate AI-generated material.

You must clearly disclose how AI was used when submitting the song. For example, say whether AI helped with lyrics, melody, demo production, vocals, arrangement, or any other part of the submission.

Always read the coach’s bio and AI policy before submitting.

Disclose any meaningful use of AI in the song or demo. Be clear about which parts were created by humans and which parts involved AI.

For example:

Lyrics: I wrote the lyrics myself.
Music/Melody: I wrote the melody myself.
Demo: I used Suno to create the demo/production.

Or, if AI generated part of the melody or lyric, say that clearly. Full transparency helps the coach decide how to evaluate the work.

Possibly. Some coaches may be willing to focus on the parts of the song that you wrote, such as your lyric, concept, structure, or rewrite choices. Other coaches may prefer not to evaluate AI-generated material at all.

Read the coach’s bio and AI policy before submitting, and clearly explain what was human-written and what was AI-generated.

First, make sure the file is really an MP3 and that the filename is simple and not too long. Avoid unusual characters such as question marks, exclamation points, quotation marks, apostrophes, or symbols.

Also check the file size. If the MP3 is too large, compress it before uploading.

For step-by-step help, see GEN 110 Preparing Your Audio for SongU.com in your Active Courses area.

You can compress the MP3 before uploading it. The easiest approach is usually to export or convert the MP3 at a lower bitrate suitable for web listening.

For specific guidelines, see GEN 110 Preparing Your Audio for SongU.com in your Active Courses area. There are also free online audio converters that can help reduce the file size.

If a coach or SongU support lets you know that your audio will not play, check that the file is a valid MP3 and not just another file type renamed with an .mp3 extension.

Try exporting a fresh MP3 from your recording software or audio converter, keep the filename simple, and upload the corrected file. If you still have trouble, submit a support request.

Submit a Help/Support request and we will do our best to assist you.