Forever Songs vs BeatJar: an honest comparison

How ForeverSongs works

You fill in a form, pay $29, and within 24 hours you get a link to "a beautiful, private webpage" where the song streams. That is what $29 buys. Their own FAQ, on the page that compares them to hiring a songwriter, says: "You get a private song page and personal playback rights. To download the MP3 or use the audio in produced media, add the Commercial License from your song page." The price of that licence, like every add-on, appears only at checkout. Reviewers quote a range of figures we cannot verify, so we do not repeat them. Their terms say pricing "is dynamic and may change at any time".

On ownership their terms are unambiguous: "ForeverSongs owns all rights, title, and interest, including copyright, in all songs, lyrics, musical compositions, audio recordings." You may not sell it, put it on Spotify or Apple Music, or "register or claim copyright ownership". If the song "unintentionally resembles existing copyrighted works", the terms say "you assume sole responsibility".

There is a second funnel at /record that does offer a free preview: "Get My Free Preview", "No card needed to try". The preview is one minute, it "expires in 7 days", and you get one free remake before buying. The main homepage funnel has no preview at all.

On who makes the song, their FAQ says: "Absolutely! Our process is not automated. Every track is built from scratch by real lyricists and producers." Their privacy policy, on the same site, says: "Our Service uses automated processing, including artificial intelligence, to generate lyrics and music", and lists "AI service providers to generate personalized lyrics, music, and vocals" among its sub-processors. Their terms describe what you buy as "a generated creative work". We quote both and leave the reconciliation to them.

How BeatJar works

You type the story. We write the lyrics and show them to you, and we play you the whole song before you pay anything. Change it, or walk away. When it is right you pay from US$37.95 and the MP3 is yours: download it, share it, play it at the party, keep it. There is no licence to add and no private page you can lose access to. Revisions stay free after delivery, and you pick the delivery window at checkout. 28,500+ songs have gone out this way, rated 4.9 on Trustpilot from 1,000+ reviews.

What ForeverSongs does better

Stated fairly: $29 is the lowest headline price of any service we compared, and if streaming from a private page is all you need, it is a cheap way to make someone cry. They offer a one-hour express option, delivery by text message, a Song Vault subscription for people who buy many songs, and add-ons such as cover art, an alternate genre version and a scheduled gift e-card. Their "as seen on" strip names ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS and iHeart. They have 14,243 Trustpilot reviews at 4.9, and 38% of the positive ones praise the production and vocal quality. Their 30-day guarantee window is longer than most rivals', even if the remedy is at their discretion.

Before you order from either

• Ask what you get for the price. At ForeverSongs, streaming on a page; the file is a paid licence. At BeatJar, the MP3.
• Read the ownership clause. ForeverSongs keeps the copyright and forbids registering it or uploading it to streaming services. Decide whether that matters for your gift.
• Use the preview funnel if you use them at all. /record gives you a minute for free; the homepage gives you nothing.
• Check the date. Under 24 hours as standard, with express "not guaranteed". At BeatJar you choose the window.
• Know which Forever Songs you are buying from. ForeverSongs.com, Forever Song Studio and My Forever Songs are three different companies with different prices and policies.