How to Get Started with Songkeeper
Create your first song, add an artist or project, then organize lyrics, writers, files, and recording metadata in Songkeeper.
The fastest way to start is to create a song, then fill in the composition and recording details as the work develops. Songkeeper keeps the song, its recording versions, and its uploaded files separate so credits and assets stay organized.
Go to Songs, choose New Song, enter a song title, and optionally select a primary artist or project. Songkeeper creates the song plus an Original recording version so you can add files and recording metadata immediately.
What to Set Up First
You can create a song with only a title. If you already know the artist, project, writer, or rights-owner details, adding them early makes later metadata work faster.
| Setup Area | Use It When |
|---|---|
| Artists | You want the first recording version to show a primary artist. |
| Projects | The song belongs to an album, EP, client job, or other body of work. |
| Songwriter info | You want to use saved writer details when adding publishing splits. |
| Rights-owner info | You want to use saved owner details when adding master ownership. |
1. Create Your First Song
Go to Songs and click New Song. Enter a title, then optionally select an artist or project. When you save, Songkeeper opens the new song on its Files tab with an Original recording version selected.
For a field-by-field walkthrough, see creating songs.
2. Add Composition Details
A song is the : the title, alternate titles, writers, publishing shares, lyrics, and composition identifiers such as an .
- Use song metadata for title, alternate titles, genre, work type, language, samples, notes, and copyright year.
- Use the Publishing tab to add writers and publishing parties. Writer and publishing shares must total 100% when entries are present.
- Use lyrics for writing, collaboration links, printing, lyric tools, and locking finalized lyrics.
3. Add Files and Recording Metadata
Recording details live on the selected recording version, not directly on the song. Use this level for the audio-specific information that can change between an original, acoustic version, remix, live take, or master.
- Upload demos, mixes, masters, and related assets from the Files tab.
- Add primary and featured artists, non-featured performers, production credits, and master owners in Recording Info.
- Add BPM, key, time signature, label, studio, recording date, release date, countries, genre, and explicit lyric status when you know them.
See recording metadata for the full recording-version field breakdown, or song vs recording versions for the underlying hierarchy.