She is moving to Montreal in January. Or she has just come out of a break-up, or you have known each other for twenty years. You want to give her what you never say out loud, without falling back on the "BFF forever" card from the corner shop.
Here are five gift ideas for your best friend, woman or man, with their budget and their trap. Then the song that tells the story of your friendship: what goes into it, and the group version.
Friendship has no official date
Couples have Valentine's Day, families have Christmas. Friendship has neither a date nor a ritual, so we give our best friend the gift we would give a colleague, on her birthday. Yet the moments that count are elsewhere: moving abroad, a break-up, a new baby, ten years of friendship. Or a Tuesday, for no reason. What leaves a mark is proof that you remember what she has forgotten, just like the gifts that move people to tears.
Five gift ideas for your best friend
A photo album or memory book
For the friend who keeps everything. Budget: €20 to €40 for a printed photo book. Write a caption under each picture: "Lisbon, 2014, the missed train" beats ten silent pages. The trap: between sorting and printing, allow two to three weeks.
A weekend or an experience for two
For the friend who needs nothing except time with you. Budget: €50 to €300, from a pottery class to two nights in the city of your first trip together. The trap: the voucher that expires at the back of a drawer. Set the date before you hand it over.
Matching jewellery or objects
For friendships that love a symbol. Budget: €20 to €80 for two bracelets or two key rings engraved with a word that is yours. The trap: the split heart you wear at 13 and never again at 35.
A letter
For everyone, and it costs nothing. A handwritten letter with three specific memories often outlasts everything else. The trap: a letter that stays generic for lack of examples.
A custom song
For the friend you share a hundred inside jokes with, or for celebrating as a group. Budget: €5 to €13. A song composed around your story, with their name and your anecdotes, that you will still play in ten years. The trap: a story that is too vague, which gives a song you could give to anyone.
A custom song for your best friend, in practice
You tell the story, our music AI composes the lyrics and the music, and the song arrives a few minutes later. The form, with no account needed, asks for the first name, the occasion ("Birthday", or "Other occasion" for a move or a break-up), a style (Disco, International pop, Rap, Rock, Ballad or Dance soul) and your story, written freely or guided by a few questions.
Before you pay, you read the lyrics, edit them freely and check the name; you can also ask for a different text. You then receive two versions and keep your favourite.
What to put in the lyrics
- How you met: the back row in Year 8, the flatshare found through an online ad.
- The inside jokes: the nickname only you use, the word you made up one night and never let go of.
- The night that went wrong: running out of petrol at 3 am, New Year's Eve ending at the hospital.
- The promise: "we'll go to New York before we're 40". The song can remind them of it, or announce that it is finally happening.
Set the tone: teasing, tender, or both. For a move abroad or a break-up, a ballad that ends on "I'm here" beats a party anthem. For a birthday, the logic is close to the 20th birthday song written by the whole gang, only more personal.
The group version, and the big day
If the whole gang is giving, gather one memory from each friend in the story. Split six ways, the song comes to a few euros per person. With The Platinum, add up to ten photos of the group, which scroll by as polaroids during the karaoke. More ideas on our birthday song page.
The gift page is shared by link or QR code: for a friend who is moving away, send it at the moment the plane takes off. For a birthday, put The Gold Record's full-screen karaoke on the living room TV. You can listen to a full song, karaoke included.
The mistakes that ruin a friendship gift
- The generic gift: the "world's best friend" mug tells no story at all.
- The inside joke that hurts: a disastrous night is only funny if she laughed about it too.
- Telling your life rather than theirs: the song is about them and the two of you.
- Waiting for the right occasion: friendship does not have one.
Prices and timings, straight up
Three packages, delivered in a few minutes, at €5, €8 and €13. The Single: about 2 min 30, two versions, a shareable gift page and the MP3. The Gold Record: about 3 min 30, full-screen karaoke and an illustrated album cover. The Platinum: about 5 min, two styles, up to ten photos and an MP4 video sent by email as soon as it is ready. Details are on the three packages page.
| Idea | Budget | Lead time |
|---|---|---|
| Memory album | €20 to €40 | Two to three weeks |
| Weekend for two | €50 to €300 | A date that fits two diaries |
| Engraved matching jewellery | €20 to €80 | A few days to two weeks |
| Handwritten letter | Free | One evening |
| Song (The Single) | €5 | A few minutes |
| Song from the gang (The Platinum) | €13, split | A few minutes |
Frequently asked questions
Which occasion should I pick in the form for a friendship song?
"Birthday" for their birthday; "Other occasion" for a move, a break-up or ten years of friendship, explaining the context in the story.
Can I make a song for my best mate, not just a female friend?
Of course: the song follows what you tell it. Rock or Rap suits friendships built on banter, Ballad suits the more serious moments.
How do we give a song as a group?
One person places the order, gathers a memory from each friend in the story, then shares the link. You can order it the night before, it is ready in a few minutes.
What if an anecdote comes out wrong in the lyrics?
You read the lyrics before paying and edit them freely. If the whole text does not suit you, ask for another one.
The bottom line
Friendship has no official date: the right moment is a move, a break-up, a friendship anniversary, or a Tuesday for no reason. An album, a weekend, jewellery or a letter say a lot if they are specific. A custom song goes further when you have memories to tell.