Hear the real song
Ordinary Days
Written for Emma, from Daniel, ten years after a rainy morning in a Portland bookshop
A buyer's guide, from one of the companies
How to choose the best personalized song company for the person you have in mind
No company is best for everyone. Decide what matters most to you, then check nine things before you pay. We make personalized songs too, so our own answers are here, each with a link to check it.
Step 1
Answer these five questions first
Searching for the best custom song company starts with your own answers. Each one points toward a way of getting a song made; if most point the same way, start there.
Step 2
Nine things to check before you pay
Whichever personalized song company you're considering, these questions separate a gift you're glad you bought from one you regret. The weight is our view of how much each usually matters for a gift; yours may differ.
Can you hear the whole song before paying?
Why it matters
A personalized song is made once, for one person. If the name sounds odd or the mood is off, you want to know while your money is still yours.
How to check
Look for a full-length preview of your own song, not a short clip or examples from other orders. If there's no preview, ask what happens when you don't like it.
How long it takes to arrive
Why it matters
Birthdays and anniversaries don't move. A song that turns up the day after is a different gift.
How to check
Find the delivery time in the FAQ or at checkout, and whether faster delivery costs extra. “Usually” and “up to” are not the same as a promise.
How many changes you get, and when
Why it matters
First drafts are rarely perfect. What counts is whether you can fix the lyrics or the style, and whether that happens before or after you've paid.
How to check
Search the terms for “revisions” or “changes”. Look for a number, and for what counts as one change.
Who, or what, is singing
Why it matters
A human singer and a synthetic voice can both make a lovely gift, but they're different products. You should know which one you're buying.
How to check
A clear company says so on its homepage or in its terms. If you can't find the words AI, synthetic or a singer's name anywhere, ask before paying.
What you actually receive
Why it matters
An audio file is only the start. Depending on how you'll give it, you may want a video, printed lyrics or a link that opens on their phone.
How to check
List the formats you get after paying, and whether anything, such as a video or a gift page, costs extra or stops working after a while.
Who owns the song afterward
Why it matters
Posting it online, playing it at a wedding or using it in a business video all depend on the rights you're given.
How to check
Find the rights or license section of the terms. See whether commercial use is allowed, and whether there are limits on AI-made work.
Whether the refund policy is written down
Why it matters
Custom work is often non-refundable, which is fair when you can hear it first. Finding that out after paying is not.
How to check
Read the refund policy before you order. It should say plainly when you get money back, for example after a duplicate charge.
What happens to your story and photos
Why it matters
You're sharing private memories and pictures of someone else. They should be used to make the gift, and deleted when you ask.
How to check
Check the privacy policy for who receives your story, how long unfinished orders are kept and how to delete your data.
Whether it can be sung in their language
Why it matters
A song in someone's first language lands differently, especially for parents and grandparents.
How to check
Look for a song-language choice in the order form, not just a translated website.
Step 3
Three ways a personalized song gets made
Most companies work in one of these ways. None is better in general; each trades one thing for another. Here is what each one usually looks like.
Commission a songwriter
A person writes, sings and records it for you
What you usually get
- A real human voice, sometimes performed live
- A conversation with the person making it
- Room for unusual requests
What you usually give up
- Usually the highest price of the three
- Usually the slowest: plan in weeks, not hours
- A deposit before recording is common
Suits you ifYou want a real singer or a performance on the day, and you have time.
Use an AI song service
You tell the story; the company's AI makes the song
What you usually get
- Fast: often minutes rather than days
- Usually far cheaper than commissioning a person
- Some let you hear and change it before paying
What you usually give up
- The voice is synthetic, not a person
- Less back-and-forth than with a musician
- Results vary, so a full preview matters
Suits you ifYou want it soon, at a gift price, and an AI voice is fine.
Make it yourself with an AI tool
A general music app and your own prompts
What you usually get
- Control over every word
- Often the cheapest route
- Fun, if you like tinkering
What you usually give up
- Your time: prompts, retries and editing
- The lyrics, the polish and the wrapping are on you
- Each tool's terms decide what you may do with the result
Suits you ifYou enjoy making things and have an evening to spare.
Our answers
The nine checks and the price, answered for SongToLove
Every answer comes from our terms, policies or FAQ, with a link, so you don't have to take our word for it. We don't rate anyone else here.
| What to check | Our answer | Check it |
|---|---|---|
| Hear it before paying | Yes, in fullYou hear both complete versions, with a light spoken watermark, and read the lyrics before checkout. | Terms: listening before you pay |
| Time to arrive | A few minutesThe lyrics take about a minute; two complete versions follow a minute or two later, while you wait on the page. | FAQ: how long it takes |
| Changes | Before you payBefore paying, you can change the lyrics, style or mood and make new versions, a limited number of rounds; the app shows how many are left. After payment the song stays as it is, while your gift's photos and message can still change. | Terms: ordering and options |
| Who sings | Synthetic voicesAI writes the lyrics and produces the music, and the vocals are synthetic voices. No real singer or artist performs on your song. | Terms: what SongToLove is |
| What you receive | MP3, MP4, PDF, linkThe song as an MP3 without watermarks, a vertical MP4 lyric video, a lyrics PDF and a private gift page with a link and QR code. The gift email can go out now or on a day you pick. | Terms: ordering and options |
| Rights | Transferred to youWhen you pay, we transfer to you the rights we hold in the version you bought, commercial use included. In some countries AI-made work may have limited copyright, and we can't promise a song is unique. | Terms: rights in your song |
| Refunds | Generally noBecause you hear the whole song first, we generally don't refund after payment. We do refund duplicate or incorrect charges, and orders we can't deliver. | Refund policy: when we refund |
| Story and photos | Delete any timeYour photos aren't sent to our AI providers. Unpaid drafts expire after 96 hours, and you can delete a song and everything in it from its page or by email. | Privacy policy: AI generation |
| Song language | Four languagesEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese or Italian. You choose it when you describe the song. | In the song form |
| Price | $34.99$34.99 for the song you keep. Extras, such as an instrumental version or a streaming release, are optional and priced at checkout. | Terms: prices and payment |
Honestly
When we're not the right company
If one of these is true for you, you'll be happier elsewhere, and we'd rather say so now.
You want a real person to sing it
InsteadCommission a songwriter or a singer. Our vocals are synthetic voices.
You want it performed live at the party
InsteadBook a musician for the day. We deliver files and a gift page, not a performance.
You want it to sound like a famous singer
InsteadWe don't imitate real artists or clone voices, and we decline requests that ask for it.
You need an exact length, say 60 seconds
InsteadSong length varies and we can't guarantee one. A video editor can trim the file to fit.
You want to keep changing the song after paying
InsteadMake your changes before checkout. After payment only the gift page's photos, message and look can change.
You need a song that's guaranteed one of a kind
InsteadWe can't promise exclusivity with AI-made music. A commissioned songwriter is the closer fit.
ForEmma
Emma, you make grey days golden
AI photo · fictional peoplesongtolove.com
Judge for yourself
A finished SongToLove gift, from a real order
Comparisons only go so far. This is a song we made and the gift page it came with: listen, then decide whether it's the kind of thing you want.
- Two complete versions to choose between
- Changes before paying, in limited rounds
- MP3, lyric video, lyrics PDF and a gift page
A finished song from a real order, sung in English by a synthetic voice. The photo on the phone is an AI photo of fictional people.
FAQ
Choosing a personalized song company: questions
Straight answers, including where we're not the best fit.
What's the difference between an AI song and one from a human songwriter?
A songwriter writes and sings it, which usually takes longer and costs more, and can include a live performance. An AI song service writes and produces it with AI, so it's faster and cheaper, and the voice is synthetic. Both can move someone; they're different products.
How can I tell whether a song company uses real singers or AI?
Read the homepage and the terms. A clear company says it outright. If you only find vague words like “artists” or “studio” and never a singer's name, ask before you pay. For the record: our vocals are synthetic voices, and our terms say so.
Can I hear the song before I pay?
With us, yes: both complete versions with a light preview watermark, plus the lyrics. Elsewhere it varies, so look for a full-length preview of your own song rather than examples from other orders.
Who owns a personalized song after I buy it?
That depends on each company's terms. With us, once you pay we transfer our rights in that version to you, commercial use included. AI-made work may have limited copyright protection in some countries, so we can't promise it's unique.
How long does a personalized song take?
Anything from minutes to weeks, depending on how it's made. Ours takes a few minutes: lyrics in about a minute, then two full versions soon after. If your date is close, check delivery time before anything else.
Can I get a refund if I don't like it?
Custom songs are often non-refundable, so read the policy first. Ours: you hear the whole song before paying, so we generally don't refund afterward, but we do for duplicate charges or if we can't deliver.
Can you make it sound like a famous singer?
No. We don't imitate real artists or clone anyone's voice, and we don't reuse existing lyrics. You choose a style, a mood and a male, female or duet voice instead.