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Guidelines for Submitting Lyrics
Guidelines for Submitting Lyrics

Ensure your lyrics are accurately formatted and submitted to Random Sounds, allowing listeners to engage fully with your music.

Updated over a month ago

Accurate lyrics are essential for enhancing listener engagement, enabling fans to connect deeply with your music. To ensure your lyrics are properly displayed on Random Sounds, please follow these guidelines:

General Formatting

Structure: Align the lyric format with the song’s structure. Separate sections like verses, choruses, intros, bridges, or hooks with line and section breaks.

Spacing: Single-space all lyric lines and double-space between stanzas.

Capitalization

Grammar Rules: Adhere to standard grammar rules. Capitalize proper nouns and ensure each lyric line begins with a capital letter.

Examples of Capitalization:

• Acronyms (e.g., NASA, FBI)

• Brand names

• Divine references in religious songs (e.g., “God,” “You,” “Him,” “Your”)

• Geographical locations (e.g., East Coast, Southside)

• First word in parentheses

• Title casing

Punctuation

End-Line Punctuation: Avoid periods or commas at the end of lyric lines. Use exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks as needed.

Within-Line Punctuation: Follow standard grammar rules.

Specific Punctuation:

Hyphens: For dropped words, spelled-out words, and acronyms (e.g., L-Y-R-I-C-S)

Parentheses: Enclose background vocals in parentheses at the end of a line, starting with a capital letter

Apostrophes: For certain slang and contractions (e.g., ’Rari for Ferrari)

Repeated Lines

Ensure the lyrics match the audio exactly. Write out repeated lines fully.

Correct:

Until you respect me and my dogs

I’ll keep barking up the wrong tree

I’ll keep barking up the wrong tree

I’ll keep barking up the wrong tree

I’ll keep barking up the wrong tree

Incorrect:

Until you respect me and my dogs

I’ll keep barking up the wrong tree

(Repeat x3)

Spoken Word

Do not transcribe spoken word or conversational content within a song.

Non-Word Vocal Sounds

Transcription: Transcribe non-word vocals sparingly and only if they add narrative or stylistic value.

Improvised Scatting: Considered instrumental content; do not transcribe.

Harmonious Sounds: Transcribe non-lyrical, harmonious non-word vocal sounds (e.g., “ooh,” “ah,” “whoa”) and onomatopoeia (e.g., “burr,” “skrrt”).

Sound Effects: Exclude computer-generated sound effects (e.g., door slamming, car horn, phone ringing).

Clean and Explicit Lyrics

Clean Versions: Use the term “clean” only if there is a corresponding explicit version of the track. Represent omitted or edited content with asterisks.

Explicit Versions: Transcribe all explicit language as heard in the audio.

Explicit Audio Example: ”I’m the motherfucking man”

Lyrics: I’m the motherfucking man

Censored Audio Example: ”I’m the mother(bleeped out) man”

Lyrics: I’m the **** man


Disclaimer: This article is adapted from Apple’s Lyrics Guidelines. For the original guidelines, please visit: https://artists.apple.com/support/1111-lyrics-guidelines

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