Songwriting
A perfect wedding gift, an alternative to a best man’s speech, a birthday celebration, a special occasion – the possibilities are endless.
Why commission a song?
There are many reasons to commission a song – a gift, a celebration of a special event or even that you might just fancy having a song written about you!
Here are some frequently asked questions about the process of commissioning a song. If your question isn’t answered, please get in touch.
Want to hear what I can do? Take a listen to songs I’ve written for customers.
What occasions can you write songs for?
I can write you a song for any purpose – weddings, engagements, proposals, anniversaries, birthdays, retirements….. You name it, I’ll write you a song about it!
What can you do for a wedding?
If you’re getting married, a song could be the perfect gift for your partner. It might be a romantic ballad to say how you feel or an instrumental piece for part of your ceremony. You might want to walk down the aisle to an original song or dance your first dance to a song written just for you.
If you’re the best man, you might be looking to an addition or even an alternative to a speech. Perhaps a humourous song about the groom might be called for!
If you are attending the wedding of a family member or friend and are looking for a gift that’s a bit different, a song is the answer. It’s something the happy couple will treasure for years to come!
Who owns the copyright of the song?
I retain the copyright but you are free to use the song for whatever purpose you wish provided that you do not gain financially from it.
If you have written the words yourself, you will obviously own the copyright to them.
What style of music can you write?
Whatever you want! You decide on the style and I’ll write you the song. So if you’d like a romantic ballad for your partner, a rock and roll birthday song, a disco style anniversary song – you’ve got it! Have a listen to some examples of my work.
How much input can I have into the song?
The whole process is driven by you.
Tell me who the song is for, what the occasion is and what detail you would like to feature in the lyrics. If you have an idea about what style of song you’d like, you can specify that too. If you’ve already written a poem or lyrics, I can provide the music.
Once I’ve written the song, I’ll email you a demo version so that you can hear how the work is progressing. At this point we can discuss any changes you’d like to make and I can give you an idea of how the final song will sound. Once you have approved the demo version, I will then work on the final version of the song.
How long does it take?
Ideally I like to have about 6 weeks to work on your song. We’ll agree a deadline at the start of the process.
It may be possible to complete it in less time depending on my workload. Get in touch to discuss your requirements.
How do I receive the final song?
Your song can be delivered to you on a CD printed with an image of your choice, on a USB memory stick or by email.
How much does it cost?
It depends on what you want! A song recorded with a vocal and guitar costs from about £200. If you want more, you can have it! I can work to your budget.
We’ll agree on a price at the start. I usually ask for a deposit initially – between £50 and £100. The next payment, usually around 50% of the total price is payable once you have approved the demo version of the song. The balance is payable when your song is complete.
Payments can be made via Paypal. I can send you a payment request and you simply follow the instructions in the email to make the payment. You don’t need to have a Paypal account to pay by this method, just a credit or debit card. Alternatively, payments can be made via BACS.
You Lucky Sod!
Retirement
This humourous song was written for a colleague to celebrate his retirement. Luckily, he saw the funny side of it!
A song makes a great collective gift from workmates saying farewell to a colleague.
You're My Hero
Birthdays
The lyrics for this song were written by 9 year old Jess as a birthday present for her Dad. I just added the music.
He was thrilled with the result.
Under Filipino Skies
Weddings
This song was commissioned by a friend of the bride and groom as a unique wedding gift.
I could also write a song as a gift from the bride to the groom or vice versa. Or how about a song as an alternative to a best man’s speech?
Janie Lew
This song was commissioned by the parents of the bride. I performed it live at the wedding to accompany a video of images from the bride’s childhood.
Seven Year Hitch
This song was commissioned by a Dad, Paul Anderson, for his daughter and her partner on their wedding day. Paul wrote the lyrics himself and asked me to produce an upbeat song. This is the result!
What I Can't Seem To Say
Anniversaries
The lyrics for this song were written by Paul Anderson for his wife. He asked me to put the words to music. This is the result!
If you’ve written some words you’d like to use in a song, get in touch!
You Can Still Hear Him Singing
Remembrance
This song was commissioned by a customer who had recently lost her father. It’s difficult to write something like this but very worthwhile.
The song was played at her wedding.
Will You Marry Me?
Proposals
Can’t find the words to pop the question? This song could do it for you! It’s available to buy for just £40 with your partner’s name recorded in the lyrics. How could they say no?!
Alternatively, I could write you a totally original song.