Rules

Follow these steps in order to fully participate in any of the monthly song cover labs. Failure to follow all of the steps may result in your video not being eligible to win personalized feedback from WGA.

How to submit

Send an email with the following details in order to be considered:

Email from: your WGA account email
Email to: info@worshipguitaracademy.com

Subject line: WGA Song Cover - [Month Year]

Email body:

1. Your first name or username
2. Your video link
3. Can WGA display your name/username and video link on our site?

Feel free to copy/paste the above text and provide your answers after each one.

Example:

WGA Song Cover - July 2026

Name/username: WorshipGuitarAcademy
Video link: vimeo.com/video/123456789
Can WGA display your name/username and video link on our site? Yes

When to submit

Submissions are accepted from the 1st of the month through 11:59 PM on the 20th of that month - eastern time in the United States. No exceptions after the deadline.

What to submit

One submission per person per month. There are no resubmissions. Send your best take before the 20th. It's better to spend the full 20 days to create your best video than rush to record yourself right away.

Your cover video

Here are guidelines about what is required and suggested for your cover video. Be sure to include the hashtag of the month in your video description in order to qualify: WGA Song Cover - [Month Year]

Your video must

• Show you playing guitar
• Show your full guitar with both hands visible
• Have your guitar sound be clear and prominant
• Directly address the specific cover prompt named in that month's lab
• Be uploaded to an accessible video hosting platform (vimeo, youtube, rumble)
• Include the month's lab hashtag in your video description

Your video can

• Be any length
• Use a backing track or recording as long as it does not overpower your guitar
• Include you singing as long as it does not overpower your guitar
• Be filmed on a phone (production quality is not a factor)
• Be posted as a public or unlisted video

Your video cannot

• Be audio only
• Be a screen recording of a tutorial or tab
• Be a recording of a recording
• Be an audio track of you playing with the video being something else
• Show only one hand or just the fretboard
• Show someone else playing
• Be a cover of the song but does not engage the prompt of the lab
• Be a previously posted video from before the lab month (no repurposing older videos)
• Be posted as a private video

How winners are selected

Submissions are reviewed privately after the 20th. There is no public vote during the submission window.

Up to two submissions are selected as winners each month. Each lab is always rhythm guitar specific. Selection is based on direct engagement with the lab prompt. It's not about overall playing ability, production quality, how long the video is, or how well produced the video is. A clear, honest attempt at the lab prompt at your actual level is what we are looking for.

Specifically, we look for:

• Alignment - does your video cover the all aspects of the lab prompt?
• Accuracy - how are you approaching the song? Factors include chords, strumming, dynamics, tension, and space.
• Confidence - are you committing to the song even through rough patches?

When winners are announced

Winners from each month are announced at the same time the next month's lab goes live (usually on or slightly before the 1st of the month). Both appear in the same email.

The monthly cover page will also be updated with all participants and winners (granted they give us permission to post their name and video).

Rights

By answering yes to the 3rd question above ("Can WGA display your name/username and video link on our site?"), you grant Worship Guitar Academy permission to share your name/username and video link on our site and social channels for promotional purposes of you, the lab, and WGA. If you want to keep your video just between you and WGA, simply answer "no" to the question.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to play the whole song?
The cover prompt will specifically state what section or sections to play, up to the whole song.

What if my playing is rough?
Submit anyway. A rough take that genuinely addresses the focus skill will be reviewed the same as a polished one. The focus of WGA is to get you playing guitar and developing skills along the way, rather than waiting until everything is perfect.

My video is private, can I still submit?
No. It must be unlisted or public. Private videos cannot be accessed for review.

Can I send a video file?
No. You must submit a link to a video hosting site, not a video file.

Do I need to say anything in the video?
No. Just play. Feel free to sing along if you want.

Can I update my submission before the deadline?
No. Only one video submission per person per month. Make it count.

I sent my email but have not heard back - did it go through?
Confirmations are not sent during the open window. If you emailed before the 20th with the required information, we will review. You don't need to resend unless you received an error through your email service.

Can I submit a video I already posted publicly?
A video used for the lab needs to be posted between the 1st and 20th of the month. This is the open period for the lab each month. Dates outside that range do not qualify for consideration. Your video should be filmed specifically for this cover lab. Repurposing an older video not made for the lab prompt is not a valid submission and you may be disqualified per the rules above.

What happens to my submission after the month closes?
The monthly cover archive page stays public permanently. Winners and participants are listed on the cover page if they chose to share their username/name and video link publicly. Private submissions are not listed publicly at this time.