FAQ

8BFR is a music-first social network for independent artists, beatmakers, producers, and music fans. It combines music streaming, a beat store, social features like feed, chat, DMs, groups, pages, and stories, plus AI creator tools, games, and more in one platform.

Yes. The platform is free to join and use. You can earn coins through activity and games, or purchase them in the Coin Shop. Optional paid subscriptions are available for premium features like the verified badge and profile upgrades, but they are never required.

8BFR was created by James Siburt, an independent artist and developer who built the entire platform from a phone using Termux. It is a passion project designed to give independent creators a real platform.

Verified artists and beatmakers can upload and sell music directly on 8BFR. Buyers pay sellers directly via PayPal. 8BFR does not process payments. The seller receives 100% of the payment at the point of sale.

After receiving payment from a buyer, the seller sends 20% to 8bfr.music@gmail.com via PayPal to support the platform. The seller keeps 80%. This is an honor system. It is not automatically deducted. If a seller consistently does not honor the split, the site owner reserves the right to revoke their selling privileges.

Beatmakers upload their beats, set their own prices, and upload their own license agreements for MP3 Lease, WAV Lease, Trackout, and Exclusive, each with separate terms. Buyers browse, preview up to 30 seconds, select a format, and pay the producer directly via PayPal. 8BFR is a gateway, not a party to the transaction. 8BFR and James J. Siburt are not responsible for refunds, license disputes, or copyright issues.

Optional paid tiers include: VIP at $4.99 per month for enhanced profile features, Creator Pro at $9.99 per month for advanced creator tools and visibility, and Elite at $19.99 per month for maximum perks. These are optional. You can use 8BFR fully without subscribing. See the Pricing page for details.

Coins can be used to tip other users, buy stickers, purchase in-game items, and unlock profile perks. You earn coins through platform activity like posting, engaging, playing games, and referring friends. You can also buy them in the Coin Shop.

During signup or from your profile, submit a link to your Spotify artist page. The site owner reviews and approves your verification. Once verified, you can upload and sell music on the platform. Verification is free. It just proves you are a real artist.

Artist or Beatmaker verification is free. It proves you are a real creator via Spotify and unlocks upload and sell privileges. The verified badge with checkmark is a separate paid feature available through subscriptions that adds a checkmark to your profile for visibility and credibility. They are independent of each other.

No. Only verified artists and beatmakers can upload music. This protects the platform from copyright issues and ensures quality. You can still enjoy all other features including listening, playlists, community, and games.

Music industry roles like producer, songwriter, DJ, singer, rapper, engineer, dancer, photographer, and more are self-selectable from your profile. However, artist and beatmaker roles are only assigned after the owner verifies you. Staff roles like owner, co-owner, admin, and mod are owner-assigned only.

Yes. Unlike platforms that bury independent content, our algorithm is designed to help creators get discovered. It factors in plays, likes, shares, and engagement to rank songs in the charts. Every uploaded song also gets played on the community radio. No pay-to-play.

Charts rank songs by play count and engagement. Categories include Hot 50, Trending, New Releases, Top Beats, Most Liked, and Most Played. You can filter by time period including this week, this month, and all time. Charts update automatically as listeners engage with music.

KidZone (12 and Under) - A fully separate, moderated creative space. A parent must create their own account first, verify their identity, then create the child's account as a sub-account. No main site access, no DMs, no purchases. Parents receive a Parent Badge and can monitor all of their child's activity.

Teen (13-15) - Main site access with parental consent. Restricted features: no tipping, no purchases, no live streaming. 2-hour daily default.

Full Access (16+) - Everything unlocked.

This complies with COPPA and emerging state laws. See our Age Policy for full details.

Yes. The platform is monitored for safety purposes. Any illegal activity, especially involving minors, results in an immediate permanent ban and law enforcement referral. Parents with the Parent Badge can also monitor their child's activity directly.

Step 1: The parent creates their own 8BFR account first as Full Access, 16 and older. This gives them access to the adult section of the site.

Step 2: From their account, the parent clicks Create Child Account to set up a KidZone sub-account for their child.

Step 3: The parent is asked to verify their identity before the child account can be created.

Step 4: Once verified, the child's KidZone account is created and linked to the parent.

The parent receives a Parent Badge which makes them a moderator for their child's account. Parents can monitor all of their child's activity on the platform for safety including posts, interactions, and usage time. Children never sign up on their own.

The radio plays community-uploaded songs continuously. Every song uploaded by verified artists gets into the rotation. It uses an algorithm that prioritizes 8BFR platform songs and avoids repeating the same artist back-to-back.

Groups are community spaces where members can post, discuss, and connect around shared interests. Group creators are admins and can promote members to moderator. The site owner can take over or transfer ownership of any group.

Pages are public-facing profiles for brands, projects, or creative identities, similar to Facebook Pages. Page owners can post text, photos, and videos.

8BFR offers a full suite of AI-powered tools through AI Studio, available to all users, including lyric writing, beat ideas, album cover generation, music promotion, social media content, translation, and 30+ more tools. Additional standalone tools include the Mastering Studio (real-time EQ, compression, pitch correction, noise removal, A/B preview), File Converter (convert between MP3, WAV, FLAC, OGG with spatial audio enhancement), Stem Splitter (separate vocals, drums, bass), and Music Video Maker. Creator Tools offers background removal, voice-over generation, thumbnail creation, caption writing, hashtag generation, video script writing, and photo retouching for influencers and content creators.

8BFR has a full Multiplayer Arena with 1v1 games including 8-Ball Pool (real physics), Chess, Checkers, Connect 4, Tic-Tac-Toe, Darts, Bowling, and more. Wager coins against opponents, earn rankings from Rookie to Legend, and join tournaments. Game groups let you create private rooms with friends. A separate safe selection is also available in KidZone.

Each game has its own ranking based on wins: Rookie (0-4), Beginner (5-19), Apprentice (20-49), Intermediate (50-99), Advanced (100-199), Skilled (200-499), Veteran (500-999), Expert (1000-2499), Master (2500-4999), Grandmaster (5000-9999), Legend (10000+). Rankings are per-game so you can be a Legend in pool but a Rookie in chess.

Yes! Open any DM conversation and tap the phone or camera icon to start a 1-on-1 voice or video call. Calls are peer-to-peer and free with no time limit.

Go to Create Post to record video, take photos, write text posts, or upload media. Features include 13 filters, 11 effects, front/back camera with picture-in-picture, timer, flash, AI photo generation, captions, and duration options from 15 seconds to 10 minutes.

Creator Tools at creator-tools.html are designed for influencers and content creators. Tools include background removal and replacement, AI voice-over, thumbnail maker, caption writer for TikTok/Instagram/Amazon/YouTube, hashtag generator, video script writer, and photo retouching.

Go to Sign Up, choose your roles, enter your details, and verify your email with a 6-digit code. You get 50 free coins to start. If someone referred you with their invite code, you get an extra 100 bonus coins. If you are an artist or beatmaker, you can submit your Spotify link during signup for verification.

You can select music industry roles like producer, DJ, songwriter, and community badges like fan, supporter, 8bfrfan from your profile editor. Staff roles and verified badges can only be changed by the site owner.

Go to Reset Password and enter your email. You will receive a link to create a new password.