Troubleshooting · songcode docs

When something goes wrong, Songcode says why in one of three places: the status line at the bottom of the stage, a short message that appears and fades at the bottom of the window, or a line in red inside the sheet you are using. Find the message below.

#Getting in

what you see	why, and what to do
The sign-in page where the app should be	No one is signed in in this browser. Sign in, or create an account. See accounts.
The early access page where the app should be	No one is signed in and this browser has no invite. Sign in from the link at the bottom of that page, or open your invite link to create an account. See early access.
`that invite didn't work.`	The code or link is wrong or was cut short. Copy the whole link from the email.
The early access page after it worked before	You were signed out, the site’s cookies were cleared, or this is a different browser or a private window. Sign in from the link at the bottom of that page.
`songcode is invite only for now.` inside the app	The invite in this browser is no longer valid. Open your invite link again.

#Generating

the status line says	why, and what to do
`missing api key. add one to generate.`	No key is saved for the selected provider. Add one in the key sheet.
`that is not a valid api key`	The key does not look like one of that provider’s keys. Check the provider selected in the sheet matches the key.
`anthropic rejected that key. check it and try again.` (or `openai`)	The provider turned the key down. It may be revoked, mistyped, or from an account with no billing set up. The key sheet opens so you can replace it.
`openrouter keys are not supported. use an anthropic or openai key.`	Songcode takes a key from Anthropic or OpenAI only. Make one there and paste it in the key sheet.
`that anthropic key lacks access to this model`	The key works, but its account or workspace is not allowed to use the model behind the setting you picked. Pick another setting in the model row, or change the key’s permissions with the provider.
`rate limit reached. try again in a minute.`	Songcode allows 12 generations a minute from one network. Wait a minute.
`daily limit reached. try again tomorrow.`	Songcode allows 400 generations a day from one network. People on a shared network share that count.
`prompt too long (2000 chars max)`	Shorten the prompt.
`the model declined this prompt. rephrase and try again.`	The provider’s model refused. Describe the music itself and leave out whatever it may have objected to.
`anthropic rate limit reached. wait a moment and try again.` (or `openai`)	The provider’s own limit for your account, which depends on your usage tier there. Wait, or use a cheaper model setting.
`anthropic error (529). try again shortly.` or another number	The provider failed or is overloaded. Try again in a minute, and check the provider’s status page if it keeps happening.
`generation failed. try again shortly.`	Something failed that Songcode has no better words for, usually a dropped connection between Songcode and the provider. Try again.
`the plan ran long and left no room for the song. try again.`	The model used its whole allowance planning and wrote no song. It is rare, and happens with pieces composed voice against voice, such as a fugue. Generate again, or ask for a shorter piece or fewer voices. On a plan the track is not counted. With your own key the provider still bills what the model used.
`the model ran out of room.` followed by a problem	The track was cut off before it was finished, which happens most with long full tracks on fast. What arrived is kept. Generate again, pick balanced or best, or ask for less in the prompt.
`fixing 2 problems…` and then an error	The check found problems, the one repair did not clear all of them, and Songcode kept the better version. The stems that work still play. Fix the named stem in the code, regenerate that stem in the stems view, or generate again.
`partial track kept. play it or generate again.`	You pressed stop, or the connection dropped mid-track. The complete lines play.

Nothing happens when you press generate? Check the line under the button. It says what the next press will do, and it says add key when there is none.

A track that sounds wrong but shows no error is a matter of taste and prompt. See when the result is not right.

#Playing

what you see	why, and what to do
`loading the Songcode Audio Engine…` or `loading sounds…` that stays	The first play downloads the Songcode Audio Engine and the sounds. On a slow connection it can take a while. Give it half a minute.
`the Songcode Audio Engine failed to load. click to retry`	A download failed. Click the message. If it keeps failing, a content blocker or a strict network may be stopping the sound files. Allow them for songco.de, or try another network.
`the Songcode Audio Engine failed to load. you can still copy the code.`	The same, after a retry. The code can still be read, copied and saved.
Playing, and no sound	Check the tab is not muted, the system volume, and which output device the browser uses. In the stems view, check no stem is soloed and the ones you expect are not muted. On an iPhone, check the silent switch.
A red status line naming a line and a stem	That stem cannot be read, and the others still play. The message says why. See errors in the code view.
An error about a sound name	The track names a sound Songcode does not have, or the sound list did not finish loading. Reload and play again. If it stays, replace the name with one from the sounds page.
`nothing playable in this track`	No stem in the code can be read. Look for the `line` number in the message, or undo back to a version that played.
Clicks, dropouts or stutter	The browser is short of processing time. Close heavy tabs, plug in a laptop that is on battery saver, and try Chrome or another Chromium browser, where Songcode is tested most. A full track with many stems asks the most. A downloaded file plays without the load.
An edit is not heard	In the code view an edit is heard after update. See hear an edit.

#Drafts, publishing and opening

what you see	why, and what to do
`too many publishes. try again in a minute.`	Songcode allows 12 publishes a minute from one network. The track stays a draft meanwhile.
`draft not saved. trying again.`	A draft could not be written, usually because the connection dropped. The app tries again on its own every few seconds; the track on screen is untouched.
`saving too often. try again in a minute.`	Drafts were written faster than Songcode allows. The next change is saved once the minute is up.
`title required`	Give the track a title: click it in the transport.
`code required (100KB max)`	There is nothing to publish, or the code is larger than a track ever needs to be.
`publish failed`	The request did not arrive. Check the connection and press publish again. The track on screen is untouched and still kept as a draft.
`draft not found`	The draft was deleted, or belongs to another account.
`track not found`	The link’s track does not exist. Check the address was copied whole.
The library says it could not load	Press retry in the library.

A published track cannot be deleted from the app. Publishing it again updates the same link. See drafts, publishing and sharing.

#Downloading

what you see	why, and what to do
`nothing to export`	There is no track on the stage.
`the Songcode Audio Engine is unavailable. audio export needs it.`	The Songcode Audio Engine did not load, so only the source file can be downloaded. Fix playing first.
`export failed`, or another red message while rendering	The render stopped. Try a shorter duration, close other heavy tabs and try again. A long full track needs a lot of memory while it renders.
The file is silent or missing a stem	A stem that cannot be read is left out of the file as it is left out of playback. Check the status line after pressing play.

#Accounts

Sign-in and email problems are listed on the accounts page.

#Start clean

If the app behaves strangely after an update, reload the page with the cache bypassed: ⇧⌘R on a Mac, ctrl shift R elsewhere. Your key, panel widths and view choice are kept in the browser’s storage and survive a reload.

Clearing the site’s data resets everything stored in the browser, including the API key and your sign-in, so have the key and your password at hand before you do.

#Still stuck

Send the text of the message and what you were doing through the feedback sheet. For a problem with one track, publish it and include the link. To ask other people, or to see whether someone else has hit it, post in the Songcode Discord.