Rules

What to submit

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.

Email info@worshipguitaracademy.com with the following:

Subject line: WGA Song Cover - [Month Year]

Email body:

Your first name or username
Your WGA account email
Your video link
If you are a winner, can we 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
WGA account email: info@worshipguitaracademy.com
Video link: vimeo.com/video/123456789
If you are a winner, can we 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.

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
Directly address the specific skill focus named in that month's lab
Be uploaded to an accessible video hosting platform
Include the month's lab hashtag in your video description on Vimeo, Youtube, etc.

Your video can:

Be any length
Cover any section of the song according to the lab prompt
Use a backing track as long as it does not overpower your guitar
Include you singing along 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 other than you playing guitar
Show only your hands or fretboard
Show someone else playing
Be a cover of the song but does not engage the focus topic of the lab
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, not overall playing ability, not production quality, not how long 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 what you played align with 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 is updated accordingly.

Winners receive personalized written feedback from WGA on their specific submission — what it shows, what to work on, what is working. Winners may also be featured on the Worship Guitar Academy site, and we may reach out about other opportunities for featured players. Personalized feedback is delivered directly to winners up to a month after the lab closes for the month.

Rights

By answering yes to the 4th question above ("If you are a winner, can we 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.

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.

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 monthly prompt is not a valid submission and you may be disqualified.

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