Pitching FAQ

Connect to a variety of music industry professionals in multiple musical genres, including Pop/Rock, Country, CCM, Urban and Film & TV. View the pitch listings, choose a song from your Song Locker to pitch, and it will be submitted directly to the guest. No screeners.

A Street Pitch is a SongU pitch opportunity where the guest listens through the SongU system and SongU tracks the guest’s response. When the guest makes a decision, your Pitch Activity status is updated and you receive an email from SongU.com.

A Fast-Track pitch is sent directly to the pitch guest as a web link, much like an industry drop-off. Since the guest is not making the decision inside the SongU system, SongU may not know exactly when the guest listens or whether they pass.

Your SongU membership includes a monthly pitch allotment based on your membership level.

Lite members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
FAM members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
Platinum members: 10 Street Pitches per month, plus unlimited Fast-Track Pitches.

If you need more Street Pitches, you may purchase additional Street Pitches when available. Additional Street Pitches are currently $10 each for Lite members and $7 each for Platinum members.

Your Pitching area shows your current available pitches, whether a pitch uses your monthly allotment or an additional paid pitch, and any applicable cost before you submit.

Many Street Pitch guests wait until after the pitch deadline to listen, especially if they will still have time to get selected songs to the artist. Please notify us in the Help/Support area if the deadline has passed by more than a month and your song is still marked as pending review.

Professional songwriters are rejected all the time. Hall of Fame songwriter Rory Bourke once said, "If you're not getting rejected every day, you're not doing your job as a songwriter."

Here are some common reasons why a guest might pass on a song:

• The song is good but does not beat what they already have for the pitch. While we may not always agree with their decision, we do have to respect their judgment.

• Not quite right for this artist. You can continue to pitch the song for other opportunities since it may be appropriate for another artist at a different time.

• The song needs improvement. The guest may feel the song could be improved musically and/or lyrically to make it more competitive. If you have not already, get feedback from a coach or instructor.

• The demo or recording is not competitive. The song may be ready, but the demo may not present the song in its best light or may not be competitive with industry standards. Instruments and vocals should be in tune and easy to understand.

• It just does not do it for them. Even good songs and future hits are often turned down many times. Musical taste is subjective. However, pay attention if a song consistently does not receive a positive response from a variety of sources.

Pending means the guest is still listening to songs for this pitch opportunity. Guests may continue listening after the submission deadline has passed. Once the guest makes a decision on your song, your Pitch Activity page will be updated and you will be notified automatically.

If your song has been marked as Maybe, it may appear in both the Pending area and the Maybe or Yes Interested area until the guest makes a final decision.

Sent Directly means the pitch guest has been sent a web link with your song included. There is no cancel option because SongU does not know exactly when the guest will listen. As is customary in the music industry for most pitches, you will usually only receive further notification if the guest expresses interest in your song.

No. Unused pitches do not accumulate or roll over. Your pitch quota is reset on the first of every month.

This is common. The listed deadline is the guest’s cutoff for receiving songs, not necessarily the final listening date. Guests often continue reviewing submissions after the posted deadline so they have time to prepare for an upcoming meeting, project, or opportunity. Once the guest listens and makes a decision, you will automatically be notified.

Fast-Track pitches are sent directly to the guest. Because the guest is not making the decision inside the SongU system, you will usually only receive further notification if the guest has genuine interest in your song. If three months go by and the Fast-Track pitch guest has not reached out, you can assume there was no further interest from that project team.

Your monthly pitch allotment depends on your membership level.

Lite members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
FAM members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
Platinum members: 10 Street Pitches per month, plus unlimited Fast-Track Pitches.

Your current available pitches are shown in your Pitching area. If you need additional Street Pitches, the site will show whether additional paid pitches are available and what the cost is before you submit.

You may cancel a pending pitch any time before the guest listens to your song. Canceling removes the song from the guest’s listening page, but it does not delete the song from your Song Locker. Any SongU.com credits used to purchase that pitch will be automatically returned to your account.

If the Cancel Pitch option is no longer appearing, it usually means the guest has already listened to your song or the pitch is no longer eligible to be canceled. Once the guest has listened, it is not possible to cancel the pitch.

For Street Pitches and Special Event pitches, you will receive an email notification after the guest listens indicating whether or not they are interested in your song. Fast-Track pitches are more like a typical music industry pitch: your songs are sent directly to the guest, but you will only be notified if the guest expresses interest in your song.

Maybe - Will relisten means the pitch guest wants to listen to your song at least one more time before making a final decision. Once the guest listens again and makes a decision, you will be automatically notified. It is common for a song to remain Maybe after the posted submission deadline while the guest continues reviewing songs.

Before you can see the Pitching Opportunity listings, you must first take the short DIY course called GEN 120 Mandatory Pitching Orientation. It is in your Course Activity area. Be sure to mark the course as complete when you have finished it.

Yes! Interested means the Street Pitch guest liked your song and has indicated interest. Congratulations! You should receive an email with additional details. In most cases, this means the guest plans to pitch your song for an upcoming meeting or opportunity. If the project team expresses further interest, the pitch guest will follow up directly with you.

No. Songs submitted for pitching need to be in MP3 format, which is the standard format for pitching songs online. We do not accept mail-in CDs, WMA files, or email attachments. For more information, see the DIY course GEN 110 Preparing Your Audio for SongU.com.

Not For This Meeting / Pass means the pitch guest listened to and considered your song, but did not select it for this particular opportunity. Pitch guests often listen to many songs and can only select a few to play for an artist, producer, publisher, music supervisor, or other industry contact.

This does not mean your song is not strong. It may simply mean it was not the right fit for this specific pitch or project.

As is standard in the music industry, pitch submissions usually need to be complete songs with music and lyrics. The only exception is a Special Event pitch opportunity that specifically says lyric-only submissions are allowed. Lyric-only submissions are fine for Song Evaluations and Song Feedback Courses.

Not always. The demo should be strong enough to clearly show the song, but that does not always mean it needs a full band production. For ballads and sometimes mid-tempo songs, a high-quality guitar/vocal or piano/vocal demo may be enough if the vocal, performance, melody, lyrics, and overall feel are clear and professional.

For uptempo songs, you will usually need more production, especially drums and bass, so the groove, energy, and tempo are fully represented.

The main question is whether the demo helps the listener easily imagine the song being recorded by the artist or used for the opportunity. If the production is distracting, unclear, poorly performed, or does not support the style of the pitch, it may hurt the song’s chances.

When in doubt, choose the version that presents the song most clearly and professionally for that specific pitch opportunity.

Answer: You can view your submitted pitches and their current status in your Pitch Activity area.

From the main menu, go to:

Activity > Pitching > Pitch Activity

That page shows your pitch submissions and the current status of each one. This is the best place to check whether a song has been submitted, reviewed, selected, declined, or is still pending.

If you do not see a pitch you expected to find, first make sure you are logged into the correct SongU account. If it still does not appear, please submit a Help/Support request so we can check it for you.

Connect to a variety of music industry professionals in multiple musical genres, including Pop/Rock, Country, CCM, Urban and Film & TV. View the pitch listings, choose a song from your Song Locker to pitch, and it will be submitted directly to the guest. No screeners.

Your SongU membership includes a monthly pitch allotment based on your membership level.

Lite members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
FAM members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
Platinum members: 10 Street Pitches per month, plus unlimited Fast-Track Pitches.

If you need more Street Pitches, you may purchase additional Street Pitches when available. Additional Street Pitches are currently $10 each for Lite members and $7 each for Platinum members.

Your Pitching area shows your current available pitches, whether a pitch uses your monthly allotment or an additional paid pitch, and any applicable cost before you submit.

No. Unused pitches do not accumulate or roll over. Your pitch quota is reset on the first of every month.

Your monthly pitch allotment depends on your membership level.

Lite members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
FAM members: 1 Street Pitch per month.
Platinum members: 10 Street Pitches per month, plus unlimited Fast-Track Pitches.

Your current available pitches are shown in your Pitching area. If you need additional Street Pitches, the site will show whether additional paid pitches are available and what the cost is before you submit.

No. There are no gatekeepers between your songs and the music industry guests. For SongU.com pitches, your song gets heard directly by the guest songpluggers, publishers, licensing agents, and other industry pros for the listed projects.

Yes, when additional Street Pitches are available, you may purchase extra pitches beyond your monthly allotment.

Additional Street Pitches are currently $10 each for Lite members and $7 each for Platinum members.

Your Pitching area will show your available pitch balance and any applicable cost before you complete a submission.

We designed our Street Pitch opportunities to connect members with dedicated publishers, songpluggers, and licensing agents who are looking for specific projects. This mimics how many publishing companies work. Unless you are writing directly with the artist or producer, a songplugger is still one of the primary ways outside songwriters get songs heard for potential cuts. A plugger may be able to play the song for an A&R team, producer, manager, or artist. We also make direct connections to independent artists who are listening for their own projects. We are proud of our members' success with their writing.

Street Pitches are the regular pitch opportunities that use your monthly pitch allotment. Lite and FAM members receive 1 Street Pitch per month, and Platinum members receive 10 Street Pitches per month.

Fast-Track Pitches are additional pitch opportunities available to Platinum members. Platinum members receive unlimited Fast-Track Pitches.

If a pitch requires a monthly Street Pitch or an additional paid Street Pitch, your Pitching area will show that information before you submit.

For Street Pitches and Special Event pitches, you will receive an email notification after the guest listens indicating whether or not they are interested in your song. Fast-Track pitches are more like a typical music industry pitch: your songs are sent directly to the guest, but you will only be notified if the guest expresses interest in your song.

Before you can see the Pitching Opportunity listings, you must first take the short DIY course called GEN 120 Mandatory Pitching Orientation. It is in your Course Activity area. Be sure to mark the course as complete when you have finished it.

No. Songs submitted for pitching need to be in MP3 format, which is the standard format for pitching songs online. We do not accept mail-in CDs, WMA files, or email attachments. For more information, see the DIY course GEN 110 Preparing Your Audio for SongU.com.

It depends on what your work tape sounds like. For pitching purposes, your tracks and vocals must be professional-sounding and competitive with industry standards, whether recorded in a home studio or outside studio. Simple, professional-sounding guitar/vocal or piano/vocal demos are permissible.

As is standard in the music industry, pitch submissions usually need to be complete songs with music and lyrics. The only exception is a Special Event pitch opportunity that specifically says lyric-only submissions are allowed. Lyric-only submissions are fine for Song Evaluations and Song Feedback Courses.

Yes. If you feel the song is well-suited for more than one opportunity, you may pitch it to more than one listing. If you receive multiple inquiries on the song, be sure to let all parties know so there are no surprises later. If someone wants to work your song exclusively or you are offered an exclusive contract, you will usually want to stop pitching that song to other opportunities.

Not always. The demo should be strong enough to clearly show the song, but that does not always mean it needs a full band production. For ballads and sometimes mid-tempo songs, a high-quality guitar/vocal or piano/vocal demo may be enough if the vocal, performance, melody, lyrics, and overall feel are clear and professional.

For uptempo songs, you will usually need more production, especially drums and bass, so the groove, energy, and tempo are fully represented.

The main question is whether the demo helps the listener easily imagine the song being recorded by the artist or used for the opportunity. If the production is distracting, unclear, poorly performed, or does not support the style of the pitch, it may hurt the song’s chances.

When in doubt, choose the version that presents the song most clearly and professionally for that specific pitch opportunity.

Answer: You can view your submitted pitches and their current status in your Pitch Activity area.

From the main menu, go to:

Activity > Pitching > Pitch Activity

That page shows your pitch submissions and the current status of each one. This is the best place to check whether a song has been submitted, reviewed, selected, declined, or is still pending.

If you do not see a pitch you expected to find, first make sure you are logged into the correct SongU account. If it still does not appear, please submit a Help/Support request so we can check it for you.

No. The deadline is provided to us either by the guest or the contact. Extensions sometimes occur at the guest's request and will automatically be reflected on the Pitching Opportunities page. Deadlines are listed in ET, which is New York City, USA time.

Many Street Pitch guests wait until after the pitch deadline to listen, especially if they will still have time to get selected songs to the artist. Please notify us in the Help/Support area if the deadline has passed by more than a month and your song is still marked as pending review.

SongU.com regularly runs Special Event pitches outside of our regular pitches to give members additional opportunities to have songs heard by hit songwriters, publishers, and other guests. These may lead to co-write opportunities, staff-writer-for-a-day experiences, and more. Special Event pitches may have an additional cost in credits depending on how much we compensate the guest for their time. They are announced in the weekly campus news and appear at the top of the pitch listings on the Pitching Opportunities page.

This term is usually used with film, TV, and sync pitches. It means the submitted track and vocal should be high quality and ready to be used without having to re-record or remix it.

Answer: Sync pitches are opportunities to place songs in visual media such as TV shows, films, trailers, commercials, video games, and online content.

“Sync” is short for synchronization, which means music is being synchronized with picture. In other words, the song would be used along with a visual scene, advertisement, or other media project.

Sync pitches are different from artist pitches. An artist pitch is usually looking for a song that an artist might record. A sync pitch is usually looking for a recording that can be licensed and used in a specific media project.

Because sync placements often involve licensing both the underlying song and the actual recording, the quality and rights status of the demo/master can matter more than with some artist pitches. For example, the song may need to be fully cleared, properly owned or controlled, and free of copyright or AI-related issues that could create licensing problems.

If a SongU pitch is listed as a sync opportunity, read the pitch description carefully. The listing may include specific requirements for style, mood, tempo, lyrical theme, vocal type, production quality, ownership, or AI restrictions.

Your coach has one primary focus: to help you make the song you submit as strong as possible based on your level of writing and your goals. Pitch guests are looking for very specific songs based on their project and current needs. Bring your song to a Song Feedback course or watch for special Behind-the-Scenes listening sessions where a songplugger listens and responds in a live session.

Professional songwriters are rejected all the time. Hall of Fame songwriter Rory Bourke once said, "If you're not getting rejected every day, you're not doing your job as a songwriter."

Here are some common reasons why a guest might pass on a song:

• The song is good but does not beat what they already have for the pitch. While we may not always agree with their decision, we do have to respect their judgment.

• Not quite right for this artist. You can continue to pitch the song for other opportunities since it may be appropriate for another artist at a different time.

• The song needs improvement. The guest may feel the song could be improved musically and/or lyrically to make it more competitive. If you have not already, get feedback from a coach or instructor.

• The demo or recording is not competitive. The song may be ready, but the demo may not present the song in its best light or may not be competitive with industry standards. Instruments and vocals should be in tune and easy to understand.

• It just does not do it for them. Even good songs and future hits are often turned down many times. Musical taste is subjective. However, pay attention if a song consistently does not receive a positive response from a variety of sources.

No. SongU.com does not take part in the publishing or administration of your song. You retain all rights to your song, and SongU.com takes no publishing or royalty share. SongU.com is simply the means to connect your song to the SongU.com pitch guest.

Some SongU.com pitch guests are music publishers or songpluggers. Read each pitch description carefully to see whether there is an expectation of sharing some amount of publishing. You are under no obligation to accept offers from SongU.com pitch guests, but please be respectful of their time if you already know you would not be interested in sharing publishing. Important: SongU.com strongly encourages you to seek advice from an experienced entertainment attorney or qualified music copyright expert before signing any contract or agreement.

This is common terminology for Film/TV and sync pitches. It means you must own or control the song and master recording, and you must be clear of obligations from any other talent performing on your track. If you hire vocalists, musicians, or other talent to create a demo, you should obtain signed clearances from all musicians and vocalists before pitching the song for any Film/TV opportunity.

That depends on your comfort level. In the United States, copyright protection generally begins when your song is fixed in a tangible form, such as a recording or written lyric. However, if you ever need to bring a copyright infringement claim in the United States, registration with the U.S. Copyright Office may be required before filing suit. Copyright infringement is rare, but if you are nervous about someone stealing your song and you live in the United States or a country with similar copyright laws, you may choose to register your copyright. You can learn more at the U.S. Copyright Office website.

Go to your Pitch Activity page to view the pitches you have made and their current status. You can sort or filter your pitch records by date pitched, song title, pitch listing, or pitch ID. You can also use the Jump to links to quickly open Pending, Maybe/Yes, Pass, and Fast-Track sections.

Pending means the guest is still listening to songs for this pitch opportunity. Guests may continue listening after the submission deadline has passed. Once the guest makes a decision on your song, your Pitch Activity page will be updated and you will be notified automatically.

If your song has been marked as Maybe, it may appear in both the Pending area and the Maybe or Yes Interested area until the guest makes a final decision.

This is common. The listed deadline is the guest’s cutoff for receiving songs, not necessarily the final listening date. Guests often continue reviewing submissions after the posted deadline so they have time to prepare for an upcoming meeting, project, or opportunity. Once the guest listens and makes a decision, you will automatically be notified.

You may cancel a pending pitch any time before the guest listens to your song. Canceling removes the song from the guest’s listening page, but it does not delete the song from your Song Locker. Any SongU.com credits used to purchase that pitch will be automatically returned to your account.

If the Cancel Pitch option is no longer appearing, it usually means the guest has already listened to your song or the pitch is no longer eligible to be canceled. Once the guest has listened, it is not possible to cancel the pitch.

Maybe - Will relisten means the pitch guest wants to listen to your song at least one more time before making a final decision. Once the guest listens again and makes a decision, you will be automatically notified. It is common for a song to remain Maybe after the posted submission deadline while the guest continues reviewing songs.

Yes! Interested means the Street Pitch guest liked your song and has indicated interest. Congratulations! You should receive an email with additional details. In most cases, this means the guest plans to pitch your song for an upcoming meeting or opportunity. If the project team expresses further interest, the pitch guest will follow up directly with you.

Not For This Meeting / Pass means the pitch guest listened to and considered your song, but did not select it for this particular opportunity. Pitch guests often listen to many songs and can only select a few to play for an artist, producer, publisher, music supervisor, or other industry contact.

This does not mean your song is not strong. It may simply mean it was not the right fit for this specific pitch or project.

Part of the music business is learning to move through rejection toward the YES responses. You can keep pitching the song when it is a good match for future opportunities, bring it to a Live Song Feedback Course for fresh professional feedback, book a Private Session for more specific guidance, or review the pitch listing carefully to decide whether another song in your catalog might be an even better fit next time.

Answer: You can view your submitted pitches and their current status in your Pitch Activity area.

From the main menu, go to:

Activity > Pitching > Pitch Activity

That page shows your pitch submissions and the current status of each one. This is the best place to check whether a song has been submitted, reviewed, selected, declined, or is still pending.

If you do not see a pitch you expected to find, first make sure you are logged into the correct SongU account. If it still does not appear, please submit a Help/Support request so we can check it for you.

A Street Pitch is a SongU pitch opportunity where the guest listens through the SongU system and SongU tracks the guest’s response. When the guest makes a decision, your Pitch Activity status is updated and you receive an email from SongU.com.

A Fast-Track pitch is sent directly to the pitch guest as a web link, much like an industry drop-off. Since the guest is not making the decision inside the SongU system, SongU may not know exactly when the guest listens or whether they pass.

Sent Directly means the pitch guest has been sent a web link with your song included. There is no cancel option because SongU does not know exactly when the guest will listen. As is customary in the music industry for most pitches, you will usually only receive further notification if the guest expresses interest in your song.

Fast-Track pitches are sent directly to the guest. Because the guest is not making the decision inside the SongU system, you will usually only receive further notification if the guest has genuine interest in your song. If three months go by and the Fast-Track pitch guest has not reached out, you can assume there was no further interest from that project team.

Yes! Interested means the Fast-Track pitch guest liked your song and indicated interest. Since Fast-Track pitches are sent directly to the guest, the follow-up process is different from a Street Pitch. If there is further interest, the guest will follow up directly with you. If you are provided with the guest’s contact information, you may also reach out directly.

This is a positive response and an encouraging sign, but it is not a guarantee that the song will be recorded, placed, or pitched further.

Marked as a Contender means your song has been selected as a contender for a Special Event pitch opportunity. Congratulations! You have automatically earned a Rising Star Song Award. Watch for details about the live Big Reveal, where the final results are announced. You will be able to register for the Big Reveal in the Instructor-Led Course catalog.

Not Selected as a Contender means your song was reviewed for this Special Event pitch opportunity but was not selected as a contender for the Big Reveal. This does not mean the song is not strong. It simply means it was not selected for this particular Special Event opportunity.

If your song has received a SongU award, you may see an award icon in the Awards area. Click the award icon to view and share your award and print your official certificate.

Best of SongU.com means the song was nominated by a coach as one of the outstanding songs they heard.

Rising Star means the song received Rising Star recognition from a Special Event pitch opportunity.

Gold Star means the song received interest from one of our pitching guests.

Pitch records for the current month in which they were pitched cannot be deleted yet. Once the month has ended, the Delete option will become available for eligible pitch records.

Deleting a pitch record only removes it from your Pitch Activity page. It does not delete the song from your Song Locker.

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