Lyric Guidelines

General Formatting:

The format and structure of a song's lyrics should align with the song's structure. When transcribing, use line and section breaks to distinguish between different parts of the song. Lyrics should be single-spaced, with each stanza separated by a double space. Background vocals should be on a separate line after the main vocals.

If unsure when to input a line or section break, some common indicators include:

• A clearly defined chorus, verse, intro, bridge, or hook

• Changes in the song's tempo

• Shifts in the artist's delivery of lyrics, such as transitioning from singing to rapping.

Punctuation

Avoid ending lyric lines with a period or comma. The only end-line punctuations allowed are exclamation points, question marks, and quotation marks, which should be used appropriately.

Traditional grammar rules should be followed regarding punctuation within the line.

Other acceptable forms of punctuation include:

• Hyphens for dropped words, spelt-out words, and acronyms (e.g. M-U-S-I-C)

• Apostrophes for specific slang and contractions (e.g. 'Rari for Ferrari)

Capitalization

Capitalization in your lyrics should follow traditional grammar rules. Proper nouns should be capitalized. Additionally, all lyric lines should begin with a capital letter. Here are examples of words that must be capitalized:

• Divinity and religious intricacies ("God," "You," "Him," and "Your" in spiritual songs)

• Acronyms (ASCAP, BMI)

• The geographical location (Westside, Downtown, etc.)

• Title casing (Title Capitalization Rules)

• The first letter of the first word in parentheses (Like this)

• Brand names (LabelGrid, Promoly, BeatTracker)

Repeating lyrics:

The written lyrics should align with the audio; if a line is repeated in the audio, it should also be written out in the lyrics.

For example,

Daft Punk - Around the World

Correct

Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world
Around the world, around the world

Incorrect

Around the world, around the world (x5)

Non-Word Vocal Sounds

Transcribe non-word vocals sparingly and only if they enhance the song's meaning or style.

Do not transcribe improvised scatting, as it is considered instrumental content.

Include "harmonious non-word vocal sounds" such as "ooo," "ah," and "whoa," and onomatopoeia like "burr" or "skrrt."

Do not include computer-generated sound effects in lyrics.

Scripts

For Indian languages, please provide a Romanized version of the lyrics as the primary copy. The original Brahmic script can be included as an optional separate attachment.

Spoken Word

Spoken word or conversational content within a song should not be transcribed.

Explicit Lyrics

The term "clean" can only be used if there is a corresponding explicit version of the track.

If a track is labelled as clean, any dropped or edited content must be represented by asterisks.

If the track is explicit, all explicit language must be transcribed as it is heard in the audio.

For example:

Audio: “Tear this motherfuckin' roof off like two dogs caged”
Lyrics: Tear this motherfuckin' roof off like two dogs caged

If the lyrics are partially or fully censored words, replace them with asterisks in the lyrics.

For example:

Audio: "Tear this mother (bleeped out) roof off like two dogs caged"
Lyrics: Tear this mother **** roof off like two dogs caged

Time-Sync

Ensure that the time sync is applied to the specific audio version submitted to DSP, partially Apple Music. Remember that different versions of the same song will have different time-sync.