How to Write a Rap Song with Imudb's Rap Writer

Write a full song from first bar to finished take, on your phone or computer. No sign-up, no downloads, and your lyrics stay on your device.

1. Quick start

1. Name your song. Open the song menu at the top and choose + New Project.
2. Pick a beat. Tap Free Beats in the bar at the bottom and choose a built-in beat, or tap Load Beat to use your own audio file.
3. Set the tempo. Built-in beats set it for you. For your own beat, open Beats & Flow, play the beat and tap Tap Tempo along with it.
4. Write. Add section tags such as [Verse 1] and [Hook], then write one bar per line.
5. Save. The app saves automatically every few seconds. Press Ctrl + S (or tap Save) to also keep a version you can go back to.
6. Rehearse and record. Open The Booth, press Rehearse to practise with the teleprompter, then press REC.
7. Export. Download your lyrics as a text file, share a lyric card image, or download your takes.

2. Writing your lyrics

Section tags and song structure

Put each section name on its own line in square brackets, or tap the buttons above the editor. The Song Structure panel counts the bars in each section and compares them with common lengths:

Tap a section in the panel to jump to it. The panel also estimates the song's length from your bar count and BPM.

The live rhyme map

Below the editor, every bar is shown with:

• A letter for its rhyme scheme within the section, such as AABB or ABAB. A dash means the bar's end word doesn't rhyme with another bar in that section.
• A syllable count, so you can keep your bars even for a steady flow.
• A colored end word when it rhymes with another bar. Rhymes are matched by sound, so "street" and "heat" match even though they're spelled differently. A solid box means a perfect rhyme; a dashed box means a slant rhyme (same vowel sound, different ending).

Bar Bank and starter bars

The Bar Bank holds punchlines and loose bars that don't have a home yet. Type one in and tap Add, or select lines in the editor and tap + Selection to move them into the bank. Tap ↵ to put a bar back into your lyrics.

Stuck? Starter Bars offers opening lines by theme (Hunger, Flex, Pain, Loyalty, Reflection), and the Ideas tab has a random topic generator and a 4-bar ghostwriter skeleton.

3. Finding rhymes

• Automatic: finish a bar and press Enter. The Rhymes panel shows perfect and near rhymes for that bar's last word. You can switch this off with the Auto checkbox.
• Any word: double-click a word in your lyrics, or put your cursor on it and tap Word at cursor (best on phones).
• Multisyllable rhymes: the Rhymes tab groups perfect rhymes by syllable count, longest first, which helps you find multis.
• Word Power: find synonyms and describing words, and browse the Slang & Craft Library. Tap any word or term to insert it.

4. Beats and tempo

Built-in beats

Open Beats & Flow (or tap Free Beats in the bottom bar) to find original instrumentals in boom bap, trap, lo-fi and UK drill styles. They are generated right in your browser. Tap Preview to listen, then Use in song to put one on your current song. Tick Match my song's BPM to create the beat at your song's tempo.

Built-in beats are royalty-free: you can record over them, release and monetize your songs. You can't sell the beats on their own or register them with Content ID. See the built-in beats license.

Your own beat

Tap Load Beat in the bottom bar and choose an audio file (MP3, WAV, M4A and so on). The beat is saved with that song, loops while you write, and plays automatically when you rehearse or record.

BPM, tap tempo and metronome

Each song remembers its BPM. It drives the Booth teleprompter and the length estimate. To find a beat's BPM, play it and tap Tap Tempo on each beat 4–8 times. The metronome clicks at the song's BPM with an accent on beat one.

5. Rehearsing and recording in the Booth

1. Wear headphones. Otherwise the beat plays out of your speakers and into your vocal recording.
2. Set the beat intro. Choose how many bars play before your first line (for example 4 bars). The teleprompter counts you in.
3. Rehearse. Press Rehearse. The beat starts and the teleprompter highlights each bar at your BPM. If you get out of sync, tap the bar you're on to re-sync from there.
4. Record. Press REC and allow microphone access the first time. Press STOP when you're done.
5. Review takes. Takes are saved with the song. Play them back, download them, or delete the ones you don't want.

The Booth records your raw vocal without the browser's automatic volume and noise processing, so it sounds more natural. Record in a quiet room.

6. Analyzing your song

Open Analyze and tap Run Deep Analysis:

• Complexity: how varied your vocabulary is and how many multi-syllable words you use.
• Rhyme density: the percentage of bars whose end word rhymes with another bar.
• Flow consistency: how even your syllable counts are from bar to bar.
• Section breakdown and repeated words: spot a verse that runs long, or a word you lean on too often.

7. Songs, versions and backups

• Switch songs from the menu at the top. Each song keeps its own lyrics, BPM, beat, Bar Bank and takes.
• Versions: every Save or Ctrl + S keeps a snapshot (the last 30). Restore one from the Projects tab. Your current lyrics are kept as a version first, so nothing is lost.
• Rename, duplicate or delete songs in the Projects tab. Duplicating copies the lyrics and the beat, which is handy for trying a remix.
• Back up: songs are stored only in this browser. Use Export Backup regularly and Import Backup to restore songs or move them to another device. Backups include lyrics, versions and the Bar Bank. Beats and takes aren't included, so download the takes you want to keep.

8. Where to find free beats

Want something other than the built-in beats? These sites offer free instrumentals, loops and samples:

• YouTube Audio Library ↗Free instrumentals for creators inside YouTube Studio. Licensed for videos, and some tracks need attribution, so check the terms before putting a song on streaming platforms.
• Pixabay Music ↗Royalty-free hip-hop, lo-fi and trap tracks under the Pixabay Content License. You may not resell a track on its own.
• Free Music Archive ↗Instrumentals under Creative Commons licenses. Many are non-commercial (NC), so read each license before you release.
• ccMixter ↗Creative Commons instrumentals made for vocals and remixes. Credit the producer the way the license asks.
• BandLab ↗Free online studio with royalty-free loops and sound packs to build your own beat.
• Looperman ↗Free community loops. Each uploader sets their own terms, and some ask for credit or a share if you profit.
• Freesound ↗Drum hits, textures and samples under CC0 and CC-BY licenses, for making your own beat.
• BeatStars (free beats) ↗Many producers offer free downloads, usually for non-profit use. Buy a lease before you release or monetize.

Know the license before you release

• "Free for non-profit" means you can't earn money from the song (no paid streams or monetized videos) without buying a license.
• "Free for profit" usually still requires credit, such as "prod. by [producer]" in your title or description.
• Creative Commons "NC" means non-commercial only. "BY" means you must credit the creator.
• Save proof. Keep a screenshot or copy of the license page with your project files.
• Watch for Content ID. Some free beats are registered with Content ID, so your upload may be claimed. When in doubt, use a built-in beat or buy a lease.

9. Shortcuts and mobile tips

• On phones, the Rhymes panel sits right under the editor, so suggestions show up where you're typing.
• Add the page to your home screen from your browser's share or menu button for one-tap access.
• Your songs live in the browser you use, so stick to the same browser on the same device, or move songs with Export and Import Backup.

10. FAQ

Do I need an account?

No. Open the app and start writing.

Where are my lyrics stored? Can Imudb see them?

They are stored in your browser on your device. We never receive them. See the Privacy Policy.

Why isn't a line highlighted in the rhyme map?

Its end word doesn't rhyme with another bar's end word, or you've repeated the same word (repeats don't count as rhymes). Rare or made-up words are matched by spelling, which is less accurate.

Does it work offline?

Once the page has loaded, writing, the structure panel, beats you've already loaded, the Booth and your takes all work offline. Rhyme lookups and new word pronunciations need an internet connection.

Can I release songs made with the built-in beats?

Yes. They're royalty-free for your songs, including on streaming platforms and monetized videos. Just don't sell the beats on their own or register them with Content ID. See the Terms of Use.

Start writing now