How to make a custom song for someone
A custom song needs three things: who it is for, what the occasion is, and one detail only the two of you know. Cantio writes original lyrics around them, shows you the words before any music is made, and produces a finished track in the language and genre you pick. It takes minutes and needs no account.
What you need before you start
- Their name, and your relationship to them
- The occasion — or no occasion, which are usually the best ones
- One detail that is theirs: a shared memory, an inside joke, a wish, or a genre you know they love
- An iPhone or iPad on iOS 16.4 or later
The four steps
- Say who the song is for. Enter their name, your relationship to them, and the occasion you are celebrating — a birthday, an anniversary, Mother's Day or Father's Day, or nothing at all.
- Add the detail that makes it theirs. A shared memory, an inside joke, a wish, or a genre you know they love. If nothing comes to mind, Cantio can surprise you.
- Read the lyrics before the music. Cantio shows you the words first. Edit any line, ask for a rewrite, or approve them as they are. Nothing is recorded until you say so.
- Generate, listen, and send. Every story comes back as two different songs, so you keep the one that sounds most like them. Share it to WhatsApp, Telegram, Messages or email, or save the track.
Choosing the detail
The detail is the part that does the work, and specific beats general every time. "She likes coffee" is true of almost anyone. "She made me coffee every morning of the year I was ill" is true of one person, and it is the kind of thing that turns a nice song into their song.
It does not have to be a big moment. A phrase they always say, the way they answer the phone, the thing they are famously bad at — small and exact carries further than important and vague.
Which language the song is in
Cantio writes and sings in 11 languages, so the song can be in the language your person actually speaks rather than the one you searched in.
What it costs
Cantio is free to download. Creating songs is unlocked with Cantio Plus — a weekly or annual subscription that includes a new song every week — or with a one-time song pack if you would rather not subscribe. All purchases are billed through your Apple ID, and a subscription renews automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. The Cantio Terms of Use have the full detail.
What happens to what you type
No account is required. The details you enter are used to generate your song, and your stories stay on your device. The Cantio Privacy Policy is the full picture.
More questions are answered on the Cantio page.