Trust & Legal
These terms govern your use of VerseTrade. By creating an account or using the platform, you agree to them.
Last updated: August 2026
By accessing or using VerseTrade ("the platform"), you agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the platform.
You must be at least 18 years old to use VerseTrade. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure and for all activity that occurs under your account. You agree to provide accurate information when registering as a buyer or a writer.
Writers may list only original lyrics that they own and have the right to sell. By listing a lyric, you represent and warrant that it is your original work, free of third-party claims, and that you hold all rights necessary to license or transfer it.
VerseTrade sells human songwriting. Every listing requires you to certify that you wrote the lyric yourself and hold the rights to license it. Listing work you did not write - whether taken from another writer or generated by a tool and presented as your own - is a breach of these terms.
Using AI is not banned; concealing it is. If a tool assisted you - brainstorming, rewriting a line, translating a phrase - declare it at upload. Disclosed assistance is permitted and is shown on the listing so buyers can decide for themselves. Wholly generated lyrics passed off as your own writing are not permitted at any level of disclosure.
We do not decide authorship by running text through an AI detector. Those tools are unreliable on song lyrics - which are short, repetitive and stylised by nature - and are known to misjudge writers working in a second language or in Indian languages. Instead, every listing is reviewed by a person before it goes live, and we act on your declaration, on evidence of copying, and on credible reports.
Where we find an undisclosed breach, we may remove the listing, reverse a completed sale and refund the buyer, and suspend or delete the account. If your work is wrongly removed, contact us and a human will re-review it.
Lyrics may be offered under different licence tiers - Non-Exclusive, Exclusive, or Full Copyright Transfer. The rights granted to a buyer depend on the tier purchased and are set out in the deed of transfer for each transaction. See our Rights & Ownership page for details.
All payments are processed through the platform and held in escrow until a transaction is completed. Funds are released to the writer only after the deed of transfer is signed and rights are delivered. See our Escrow Policy for the full process.
VerseTrade charges a flat 5% commission on the sale value of every completed transaction. This fee is charged to the lyric seller, not the buyer — the buyer pays the full price, and the seller receives 95% of it. The fee is disclosed and itemised before checkout. We may update our fees from time to time, with notice.
Until a sale completes and rights transfer, all lyric content remains the property of the writer. Preview content shown before purchase is protected and may not be copied or reused.
The platform is provided "as is." To the maximum extent permitted by law, VerseTrade is not liable for indirect or consequential losses arising from use of the platform. Our total liability for any claim is limited to the total amount paid on the relevant transaction. Nothing in these terms limits any liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
Disputes between buyers and writers are governed by the terms of their licence and applicable law. VerseTrade may provide transaction records and evidence, and take platform-level action where appropriate.
We may update these terms from time to time; continued use after changes constitutes acceptance. Questions? Reach us via our Contact page.