If you love writing and you love music, do you realize you can combine both of your interests and sell lyrics online?
Yes, you can!
You don’t need to be part of a record label or a songwriter to sell lyrics for money.
If you’re wondering, ‘where can I sell my song lyrics?’, wonder no more! There are many sites out there that can help you sell your lyrics online.
Who will buy your lyrics? Plenty of people will!
There are many musicians looking for lyrics out there, and your words could be just what they need to fill their tunes and become the next biggest hit.
If you’re worried about the competition, I will be sharing some useful tips with you. Just know that everyone starts somewhere.
You don’t have to be a struggling artist when there are many places for your to sell your original lyrics and many income streams to earn from.
If I’ve got you convinced and you’re saying, yes, I want to sell my lyrics, then you’re at the right place!
Read on to find out why you should sell lyrics online, how to sell your song lyrics and sites where you can do so!
DISCLOSURE
Some of the links on here are affiliate links, and I may earn if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA cost to you. I hope you find the information here useful! Thanks.
Where Can I Sell Lyrics Online? (Sites)
These are 21 of the best sites online to submit song lyrics for money and the answer to your question of ‘where can I sell my lyrics’:
1. Songbay
Songbay is the world’s largest original lyric library, and they are always on the lookout for lyricists of every genre.
Songbay charges a fee of £2.99 ($4.13) to £9.99 ($13.91) per month for you to put your lyrics on the site, but they allow you to set your own selling price. You are also allowed to keep all royalties and money that you make from the sale of your song.
Songbay is also unique in the sense that they provide free copyright protection and registration for free when you submit your lyrics.
With some sites charging up to $15 – $35 for this, you can just imagine how much you save and what peace of mind you have when using Songbay, where you can submit your lyrics online free.
You can read more about their copyright protection here.
2. Premium Lyrics
This site functions as a song lyrics supplier for musicians and composers, and they are always looking for lyricists to join their team.
You can read more about the application process here.
To apply, aside from registering on their site, you will need to submit three lyrics to be considered and to see if your style meets their audiences’ needs.
Do note that they only respond to successful applicants after about three weeks, so you should also try other sites in the meantime if you’re looking to make money off your lyrics fast.
3. SoundBetter
SoundBetter is a leading music and audio production marketplace that helps musicians connect with one another.
The site was acquired by Spotify, so you know it’s legit!
Musicians who are looking for lyricists, songwriters, singers, or sound engineers can upload their projects on the site and wait for proposals.
As a lyricist/songwriter, you can sell lyrics online free by responding to projects and jobs on the job board. To increase your chances of getting hired or chosen, work your way up by collecting good and positive reviews.
4. AirGigs
AirGigs is the first freelancer platform for those in the music industry. The site connects music creators to songwriters, music producers, vocalists, and audio engineers.
To get started, all you need to do is sign up as a seller on the platform and post a gig for services that you can deliver online – in this case, the service is lyrics writing.
You can set your terms, and should a buyer be keen, the payment will be made through AirGigs.
AirGigs takes about 8% –15% commission.
5. Upwork
Upwork is the world’s largest talent marketplace for freelancers and agencies to find more clients, so it’s easy to see why this platform is a great place if you’re looking to get started on your lyric writing journey.
All you need to do is set up a profile and apply to job listings looking for lyrics.
Just make sure you tailor your proposal to the poster’s requirements to stand a higher chance of being shortlisted for the job.
6. Fiverr
Similar to Upwork, Fiverr is also a platform that connects freelancers to clients requiring their services.
Fiverr is also where you can sell lyrics online at a starting rate of $5.
You market your services as a project, and customers decide if they want to hire you based on your project offering.
A quick search on Fiverr’s platform shows all sorts of lyric writing services being offered by freelancers, so whether you want to sell rap lyrics online or offer metal lyrics instead, the sky’s truly the limit.
7. Twine
Twine is another freelancer platform that allows aspiring lyricists and songwriters to find work.
They have about 6,000 songwriters on the platform, charging anywhere from about $50 a day to a whopping $500!
As a freelancer, join the platform, build a portfolio, and showcase your work.
Once on there, you can also search for and pitch for jobs and network with other creatives.
Who knows, you may just find a fellow freelance composer who is looking for a lyricist to co-pitch in response to a job posting!
8. Ditto Music
Ditto Music helps you distribute your music and lyrics to major streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music.
You get to keep 100% of the royalties and all the rights to your music.
There is a 30-day free trial, after which it costs $19 – $69/year to join.
9. Songtradr
Songtradr offers a global marketplace where you can distribute, license, and monetize your lyrics.
You can be discovered by major brands looking for music to play on TV, films, streaming platforms, and social media.
There is a free plan available, but to receive 100% of the royalties, choose between the $19/year or the $49/year plan.
10. TuneCore
TuneCore offers an all-in-one solution for selling song lyrics online, with distribution, licensing, publishing, and social media marketing.
There is a free plan with access to social platforms.
To release your music to digital stores worldwide, plans start from $14.99/year.
11. Music Xray
You can signup for free to Music Xray to get connected to music industry professionals.
Upload your lyrics to receive feedback and the opportunity to pitch to producers, record labels, and publishers.
12. ReverbNation
ReverbNation helps you reach a wider audience with tools for social media promotion, email marketing, and fan engagement.
The free plan allows you to submit song lyrics for money free by posting directly from your profile.
To get the chance to submit your lyrics to industry professionals, there are plans starting from $12.95/month.
13. LyricFind
LyricFind is a global leader in licensed lyrics with a huge database of lyrics from popular artists.
They can help you earn royalties from your lyrics by making them available to streaming services, websites, and other digital platforms.
14. Lyrics.com
Selling your lyrics here will get you a wide audience, as Lyrics.com has one of the most well-known lyrics collections online.
You can set a price range for your lyrics, but there is a submission and review fee of $75.
15. SoundBetter
SoundBetter features a job board where you can find postings by musicians, songwriters, producers, and vocalists.
Take advantage of this platform to connect with experienced music producers and industry professionals who can help bring your lyrics to life.
16. Songwriting Pro
Join a community of songwriters and network with them and industry professionals to learn tips, news, and feedback for your work. You can also pitch your lyrics to music publishers and record labels.
There is a 14-day free trial, after which it costs $20/month to join.
17. Demo My Song
This platform offers music production and recording services to help bring your lyrics to life.
Packages start from $250, but if you’re also looking to distribute and license your lyrics, then be prepared to fork out at least $500.
18. ASCAP
If you register with ASCAP as a writer, your intellectual property rights will be protected.
Every time your lyrics are performed, you will receive 50% of the royalties. The other 50% goes to the publisher.
They have temporarily suspended the application fee for new writer members, so go join now!
19. Taxi
Taxi connects independent songwriters to:
- record labels,
- film & TV music supervisors,
- music libraries,
- music publishers,
- music licensing companies,
- ad agencies,
- video game companies.
On Taxi, you can learn how to craft the perfect pitch for your lyrics so that they will get picked up by industry professionals and learn how to sell lyrics to tv-series.
20. Songcast Music
SongCast Music allows independent songwriters to sell their music and lyrics on major digital platforms like iTunes, Amazon, and Spotify.
You get to keep 100% of the royalties with plans starting from only $5.99/month.
21. Nashville Songwriters Association International
The NSAI is a professional association where you can improve your skills as a songwriter.
Learn how to sell your lyrics here, as there are weekly workshops, online pitching opportunities, mentoring sessions, and writing rooms.
It costs $225 to join as a new member, and renewal is $200.
Why Sell Lyrics Online?
To sell music lyrics online is really just like selling any other thing online, so the question really is, why not?
When you write lyrics, you are known as a lyricist.
This is slightly different from a songwriter who writes both the lyrics and the melody of a song.
While top songwriters and composers often have lyrical collaborators in mind when they pen tunes, there is still a market out there for indie and independent songwriters, labels, and composers who are searching for lyrics to the songs they’ve written.
The best part is that you don’t need to know how to compose or write a song before you begin your lyrics writing journey. You just need to be able to write lyrics that could potentially fit well into tunes and melodies.
How To Sell Lyrics Online?
Now that you know where to sell song lyrics, you might be wondering how to sell your song lyrics.
There are many ways to do this.
You can choose to work for a record label as a songwriter, or you could reach out to independent singers offering your lyric writing services.
You can also opt to sell your lyrics online, on marketplace-like platforms like Songbay, where literally anyone, like professional songwriters, musicians, and lyricists, could be searching for lyrics.
BUT before you sell your lyrics online, you have to first make sure that you own the rights to the lyrics that you are intending to sell.
The moment you write a set of lyrics, you, as the lyricist, own the copyright to the lyrics.
If pressed in a legal dispute, you need to be able to show that you are the original author of this piece and that your work predates any other similar or identical copies.
You can choose to register your lyrics with places like the US Copyright Office, to prove you own the copyright, or you can also sell your lyrics with sites that provide copyright protection with the lyrics you submit.
You also need to ensure that the lyrics you sell read like lyrics and can fit into tunes and melodies.
This means that you’ll need to properly structure your lyrics to ensure they are progressive and have a coherent flow.
You may also realize some of the best lyrics out there evoke strong feelings through the use of metaphors, imagery, and emotive language.
Lyrics writing may not come to you immediately, especially if you’ve only been writing prose or long-form writing, but you can try these affordable Udemy courses to hone your lyrics before selling them online:
- [FREE] Songwriting: Creative Lyric Writing Approaches
- Songwriting: How to Write Pro Standard Lyrics
- Hit Songwriting: Learn Lyric Writing! Be a Songwriting Pro
Types Of Royalties
If you want to know how you earn money from selling lyrics, you get paid when songs containing your lyrics are:
- sold,
- streamed, or
- played in public.
The process of licensing copyrighted lyrics and songs for play and streaming generates royalties.
You receive a royalty as an asset owner (ie. lyrics owner) as payment for the right to use the asset (ie. the lyrics).
You are paid usually through a rights organisation that would collect licensing fees from sites or buyers that buy or stream your songs.
There are a few types of royalties:
- Physical Mechanical Royalityes – These are royalties derived from every physical unit of music sold, such as a CD.
- Digital Download Mechanical Royalties – As its name suggests, these are royalties generated whenever a song is downloaded through legitimate online music stores.
- Streaming Mechanical Royalties – This is generated whenever a song is streamed through a service, such as Spotify and Apple Music.
- Performance Royalties – This is earned whenever a song is played or performed in public, such as on radio, TV, in a concert, or during a public performance.
- Printed Music Royalties – These are payments made for the sale of printed sheet music, which could be in the form of musical notations or lyrics.
FAQs On Sell Lyrics Online
Sell Lyrics Online – How Much Money Can You Earn?
If you use a site like Songbay, you can earn anything from $0.99 for offering your song as a single download for personal use only to $6,000 for a copyright exchange, allowing the buyer full rights to your lyrics.
As a freelancer selling your music, you can also earn royalties whenever someone purchases a license from you if you have not sold the full rights of your lyrics.
You can also sell lyrics to record labels. If you opt to be tagged to a record label or publishing house as a full-time lyricist or staff writer, you could earn as much as $55,000 a year.
How Do Songwriters Get Rich?
If you’ve played music on Spotify and Apple Music before, then you were probably making some songwriters richer by the minute.
Songwriters earn first from selling their songs to music artists and selling lyrics to record labels that are searching for the next musical hit.
Thereafter, every time the song is sold, gets played on the radio, or is streamed online, songwriters receive mechanical royalty payments.
Songwriters also earn if their songs get used in movies, television shows, games, or in commercials.
Imagine if a song gets popular and then sticks around for a few decades – the songwriter will continue to rake in money as long as the songs get played.
The richest ones, however, are the songwriters who sing their own songs.
You might even know some of them, like Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey, and Jay-Z.
Other Ways To Make Money From Music
If you love listening to music and mixing up playlists on Spotify, did you know you can get paid for it?
Playlist Push hires curators to listen and review songs. In doing so, you discover new music by independent artists for your playlists and could potentially help them launch their careers.
Other sites where you can get paid to listen and review music include:
How Do I Sell A Song I Wrote?
To sell a song you wrote, you can:
- Pitch your song to music publishers on platforms like Songwriting Pro
- Work with a music licensing agency like Songtradr
- Sell it on digital music platforms like Apple Music and Spotify
- Pitch your song to new artists who are looking for the next big hit
How Much Can You Sell A Song You Wrote?
You can sell a song you wrote to independent artists or producers for anywhere between $200 – $1000. It depends on the quality, the demand for the genre and style of the song. You can also earn royalties from streaming, radio play, public performance, and other uses of your music in the media.
Where Can I Sell My Music Online?
You can sell your music online through:
- Your own website which you can setup easily
- Streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music
- Digital music stores like CD Baby
- Music sales platforms like Bandcamp
- Music licensing platforms like Songtradr
- Music promotion and discovery platforms like SoundCloud
Some of them charge a fee, while others take a commission.
How Do You Submit A Song To An Artist?
Follow these steps to submit a song to an artist:
- Find up-and-coming artists and the type of music they usually produce
- Record a good-quality demo of your song
- Search online for the contact information of their management, label, or publisher
- Pitch your song and explain why you think it will be a good fit
How To Sell Song Lyrics?
To learn how to sell a song lyric that you wrote, the general steps are:
- Record a demo to show how the lyrics fit with a song
- Register your lyrics with an organization like ASCAP to receive royalties
- Find online platforms like Songbay where you can sell song lyrics for money
- Create a listing to help buyers find you
- Promote your work on social media
How To Sell Lyrics Without Music?
Can you sell lyrics without music? It is possible but challenging since most buyers look for a complete song. Consider working with other songwriters or musicians and offer your lyrics for use in their songs. Then record a demo of the song and sell it on platforms like Songbay. Also, try promoting your work on social media.
How To Sell Your Song Lyrics To Artists?
To learn how to sell lyrics to artists, try these steps:
- Find new artists who would be a good fit for your lyrics
- Reach out to the artist and their management team through email or social media with a pitch
- Provide a demo of your lyrics
- Remember to be professional
How To Sell Lyrics To Rappers?
Here is how to sell lyrics to rappers:
- Develop your skills by studying popular lyrics and practicing regularly
- Compile a portfolio of your best lyrics and put it up on your website
- Attend open mic nights to network and showcase your work
- Find rappers who might be interested in your style and pitch to them
- You can also sell on platforms like BeatStars
How to sell my lyrics question answered!
If you’re thinking to yourself, should I sell my lyrics online, then I hope I’ve convinced you that you should!
Now you know all about selling lyrics online and where to sell lyrics.
You may not be the hands behind the next pop hit but for every composer out there, there will always be a need for an accompanying lyricist.
If you have a way with words, then you should definitely try to sell lyrics online.
Who knows, your lyrics may hit a chord with the right audience, and those people may continue playing the song created with your lyrics for years to come, and you might be able to rake in royalties as time passes.
Now that’s surely music to your ears, right?
How To Sell Lyrics Online And Earn Money For It!
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