Songsterr
Songsterr is a freemium online tab player and archive for guitar, bass, and drums, serving millions of musicians globally with 400,000+ songs of legally licensed, AI-transcribable interactive tablature.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersMadison, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Songsterr does
Songsterr, operated by Guitar Tabs LLC (a Wisconsin-domiciled LLC, Entity ID G038726), is an online tab player and archive for guitar, bass, and drums, providing interactive playback of legally licensed transcriptions across more than 400,000 songs and 1,300,000 tabs from over 60,000 artists. The platform's core technology synchronizes scrolling tablature with audio playback, isolating or muting individual instrument tracks and supporting loop, pitch shift, playback-speed control without pitch change, and hands-free voice navigation. Content is sourced through licensing relationships with music publishers, with a share of revenue paid as royalties to creators.
Songsterr firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Songsterr
- Legal name
- Guitar Tabs LLC
- Website
- https://songsterr.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Songsterr is a freemium online tab player and archive for guitar, bass, and drums, serving millions of musicians globally with 400,000+ songs of legally licensed, AI-transcribable interactive tablature.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Songsterr industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Interactive Music Tablature Software
- NAICS
- Other Sound Recording Industries (512290), Music Publishers (512230)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sample Libraries, Loops & Sound Content Platforms (MPAIAIAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- On-Demand Music Streaming Platforms (MPAIADAA), Ad-Supported Music Streaming (Freemium Tiers) (MPAIACAO), Rights Data, Metadata, Identifier & Repertoire Management (ISWC/ISRC/IPI, Matching) (MPAIAKAF)
Keywords
Where Songsterr is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madison
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Songsterr business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Songsterr Plus Subscription: Monthly subscription providing access to all advanced features including pause-free sync, playback speed, AI transcription, downloads (MIDI, Guitar Pro, MP3, WAV), solo/mute, loop, pitch shift, voice control, and ad-free experience. Access available across web, iOS, and Android platforms.
- Free Tier: Free access to all tabs with subset of player features including basic playback. Generates revenue through advertising displayed to free users.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier with basic playback features |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels2 records
Songsterr product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Songsterr operates an online interactive tablature player and archive for guitar, bass, and drums, providing access to over 400,000 songs and 1,300,000 tabs from 60,000+ artists, all legally licensed from music publishers. The service is delivered through a freemium model: a free tier offers basic synchronized playback with advertising, while the Songsterr Plus monthly subscription unlocks advanced features such as Pause-Free Sync with original audio, playback speed control, AI transcription of full tabs, multi-format downloads (MIDI, Guitar Pro, MP3, WAV), solo/mute, loop, pitch shift, and voice control across web, iOS, and Android.
Product overview
Songsterr is an online tab player and archive offering guitar, bass, and drum tabs for over 80,000 songs and 1,300,000 tabs by 60,000 artists. The platform operates on a freemium model with a free tier providing basic tab access and playback, and a premium Songsterr Plus subscription unlocking advanced features. Key products include the web-based tab player with synchronized scrolling, the Songsterr Plus subscription (featuring AI Transcription, Pause-Free Sync, Playback Speed, Loop, Pitch Shift, Voice Control, Print, and Download in MIDI/Guitar Pro/MP3/WAV formats), and native iOS and Android mobile apps. The platform also provides backing tracks for practice sessions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Songsterr Plus: Premium subscription service offering Pause-Free Sync with Original Audio, Playback Speed, Print, AI Transcription of Full Tabs, Download (Guitar Pro, MIDI, MP3, WAV), Solo & Mute, Loop, Pitch Shift, Voice Control, and an ad-free experience.
Products and services
- Songsterr Plus Monthly subscription unlocking advanced interactive tab playback, AI transcription of 50 full tabs per month, multi-format downloads (MIDI, Guitar Pro, MP3, WAV), and an ad-free experience across web, iOS, and Android for musicians learning guitar, bass, and drums.
- Songsterr (Free Plan) Free ad-supported tier providing access to the full archive of 400,000+ songs and 1,300,000+ guitar, bass, and drum tabs with basic synchronized playback and note-by-note scrolling for individual musicians.
- Songsterr iOS App Native iOS mobile application providing access to the Songsterr tab player and archive on Apple devices, available through the Apple App Store.
- Songsterr Android App Native Android mobile application providing access to the Songsterr tab player and archive on Android devices, available through the Google Play Store.
Quantifiable outcome
- Users learn tabs 60% faster with Songsterr Plus
Companies that use Songsterr
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Songsterr technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration12 records
AI capability3 records
Feature9 records
Songsterr partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Music PublisherscoreSongsterr maintains great relationships with music publishers. All content provided through the Service is licensed, and a percentage of revenue is paid as royalties to support music creators.
- BraintreecoreThird-party payment processing service. Collects payment information and processes transactions. Adheres to PCI-DSS standards.
- PayPalcorePayment processor used for subscription billing and one-time purchases.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Songsterr competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ultimate Guitar: The largest guitar tabs and chords platform, with both free and Pro subscriptions. Direct head-to-head competitor on tab browsing, playback, and community-contributed content.
- Yousician: Interactive music learning app for guitar, bass, ukulele, and piano with real-time feedback. Overlaps with Songsterr on instrument learner audience, though Yousician emphasizes structured lessons.
- Arobas Music (Guitar Pro): Maker of Guitar Pro, the dominant desktop tab notation software that also publishes a tab library. Songsterr's MIDI/Guitar Pro export feature directly interoperates with Guitar Pro files.
- MuseScore: Open-source music notation software with a large community-contributed sheet music and tab library. Comparable content and freemium community model, though primarily sheet music rather than synced audio.
- Chordify: Chord and tab detection platform that automatically generates chords from audio. Closely comparable on the audio-to-notation angle, particularly as Songsterr invests in AI transcription.
- Soundslice: Interactive music notation and teaching platform with synced audio/video and tab creation tools. Highly comparable on the audio-tab sync experience and creator-side tooling.
- TrueFire: Subscription-based video guitar lesson platform with master instructors. Competes for the same paying guitar learner, though focused on video lessons rather than synced tab playback.
Broad incumbents
- Fender Play: Subscription-based guitar lessons platform from Fender, one of the most iconic guitar brands. Targets the same beginner-to-intermediate guitarist segment with structured curriculum rather than song-based tabs.
Emerging players
- JustinGuitar: Popular guitar teaching brand by Justin Sandercoe with structured lessons and song-based learning. Targets the same guitar learner persona with stronger curriculum depth.
- Pickup Music: Modern guitar learning app with structured learning paths and artist-led courses. Competes in the same guitar learner segment with a stronger lesson-oriented product.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Songsterr social profiles
Digital presenceSongsterr compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Songsterr financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Songsterr leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Songsterr funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Songsterr M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Songsterr
What does Songsterr do?
Songsterr operates an online interactive tablature player and archive for guitar, bass, and drums, providing access to over 400,000 songs and 1,300,000 tabs from 60,000+ artists, all legally licensed from music publishers. The service is delivered through a freemium model: a free tier offers basic synchronized playback with advertising, while the Songsterr Plus monthly subscription unlocks advanced features such as Pause-Free Sync with original audio, playback speed control, AI transcription of full tabs, multi-format downloads (MIDI, Guitar Pro, MP3, WAV), solo/mute, loop, pitch shift, and voice control across web, iOS, and Android.
Is Songsterr a public or private company?
Songsterr is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Songsterr founded?
Songsterr was founded in 2008. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Songsterr based?
Songsterr is headquartered in Madison, United States, in the North America region.
How does Songsterr make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Songsterr Plus Subscription is the primary driver. The others are free Tier.
Who are Songsterr's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ultimate Guitar, Yousician, Arobas Music (Guitar Pro), MuseScore, Chordify, Soundslice and TrueFire. Fender Play is listed as a broad incumbent. Emerging players are JustinGuitar and Pickup Music.
Does Songsterr have an API?
No public API is recorded for Songsterr.
What industry is Songsterr in?
Songsterr's product category is Interactive Music Tablature Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAIAIAF, Sample Libraries, Loops & Sound Content Platforms, with a secondary code of MPAIADAA, On-Demand Music Streaming Platforms. Its NAICS code is 512290 and its SIC code is 7370.