Welcome back to another Stanza update! First off, I want to thank all of you who contributed to this blog post by asking a question on the Google Form. Right now we’re kind of just waiting until we can launch Stanza iOS and also working on getting a few more songs into the system, so there’s not a lot for me to write about. The questions are much appreciated. We’ve tried to answer any questions that have come up as we’ve worked on Stanza for the past year and a half, but we wanted to give you a chance to ask anything that we might have missed. Let’s get into it.
Some questions were modified for clarity, grammar, or conciseness.
What is Stanza?
This is a very broad question, but I’ll try to answer it simply. In short, Stanza is an upcoming mobile app which will provide unlimited access to shape note Gospel sheet music for a small subscription fee. In even shorter terms, Stanza is a sheet music streaming service. We are trying to get as much sheet music as possible into the Stanza library, but we’re doing everything legally, so we need permission and a signed contract from the copyright holder of every song. The copyright holders will be paid royalties for the use of their songs in accordance with copyright law. For details about the project and the full story, refer to our extensive blog archive.
When did the dream to start the Stanza Music app start? A year ago? A few years ago?
This is another question with a long and complex answer. The idea of having a sheet music app has floated around the conference for quite a few years in the minds of various people. Taylor Dirks was the first one of us to start making moves toward something by starting SongMecca and working towards acquiring the Song Index. This was in 2021. In December of 2022, our group of singing and songwriting friends started talking seriously about making the app ourselves. This turned into Stanza Music, Inc. and the rest is history.
Will Stanza include sheet music for a four-part harmony Happy Birthday song? – Hopeful Happy Birthday Singers
Our current aim for the Stanza library is to have all of the songs that have been previously published in a book. Perhaps there is a four-part Happy Birthday song out there in a book somewhere that we will be able to have on Stanza someday. In the meantime, a quick Google search reveals that there is four-part Happy Birthday sheet music available for free online. Also, Happy Birthday is in the Public Domain, so you and/or a songwriter friend could legally make your own four-part version. My suggestion, however, is that rather than relying on digital sheet music you and your friends should memorize a four-part version so as not to tarnish the Happy Birthday experience by all having your noses buried in your phones.
What is your understanding regarding the legality of displaying sheet music on a projector?
As far as we know, there isn’t an issue. If someone has evidence to the contrary, please contact us. Our system is currently set up to record a use from one device as just one use, regardless of how many people are actually present and viewing the song.
Will there be projection capabilities with this app, using a desktop version, or in the mobile app? Rather than facilitating connectivity with a specific brand of projectors, it would be ideal if we could use an established option like the various cast options used by different platforms. How hard is that?
The easiest way to sing off a projector with Stanza will be to use screen mirroring from your device. We don’t really need to build special integration into the app. The only reasons that we may have a projector mode are so that we can get rid of notifications and on-screen buttons and so that the aspect ratio (the width and height of the screen) looks better. Screen mirroring from a phone tends to make for a thinner display. A fix for this might be to use a tablet as they have a better shape for screen mirroring. As far as using a computer, we have no plans to have a Stanza app for computers. The development costs would be enormous compared to the few computer users that we would have. That being said, newer MacBooks with an M-series chip should be able to run the iOS app.
Could the Stanza App have a pitch pipe feature?
Yes! It is currently a feature of the app, although it may not make it into the first version of the app due to some issues. It won’t automatically pitch the song or anything like that, it will just be a list of pitches for you to select.
How are songs ordered in Discover?
Currently, they are ordered by an algorithm that uses both popularity and randomness. You can be assured that we aren’t pushing our own favorites or anything like that.
How are the funds holding out?
Honestly, funds are very low right now, so any donations are appreciated. Before very long we hope to launch Stanza iOS and start taking in subscription money, which should solve the issue, but anything helps.
Do you have a discount option for ACD friends?
Kent tells me this question is referring to those with whom he has been working in Brazil for CDR/ACD (click here to read his reports of the work there). Yes, there is a discount option. If you pay yearly, you save ten bucks just like everyone else 🙂 Kent also says you can contact him for a special Stanza offer if you do ACD work in Brazil and then visit Goiás.
Will you offer a free subscription for CPS units and USA missions because they are doing the Lord’s work without getting paid?
This is something we haven’t talked about before. At this point, we’re not going to promise something like that. It would be difficult to regulate and manage. We discussed it a little bit, and perhaps if Stanza is doing well and we can support something like that we could offer to do it. Keep in mind that subscriptions could be gifted to missionaries or units if someone wants to.
When will the Android app be open for beta testing?/ When will I be able to use Stanza with Android?
I wish I could give you an exact answer to this, but I can’t. We have the Android app on our phones and it is working well so far. As we’ve been saying, it’s not far behind the iOS app now, so it probably won’t be very long before Android beta testing and then release.
There was another question about the amount of hours we have put into Stanza so far, but we haven’t been able to put together the numbers yet and I really need to publish this blog post. I will try to answer it next time or post it in the comments. I apologize for not being able to give definite answers to all of your questions. Though Stanza may come across as highly organized and structured as a Fortune 500 company, it may come as a surprise that we are actually just figuring this out as we go along. But we thank you again for your questions! Some of them made us think about things we hadn’t considered before. We always encourage questions, so keep them coming if you have them! Hopefully before long we will be announcing the iOS launch, Android beta testing, and all the good things. Til then.
Leave a Reply