Lyric Sheet Examples & Tips
How To Format A Professional-Looking Lyric Sheet
There are several different ways to present a lyric sheet,
especially for a pitch opportunity
The information below is excerpted from the book
"Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting
Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media"
by Tracey and Vance Marino
Here are lyric sheet guidelines and tips combined from various sources and books, including:
Nashville Publishers, (the late) John Braheny, Jai Josefs, Clay Mills & Marty Dodson of
SongTown, Berklee College of Music, Music Schools, Music Producers,
Music Supervisors, Hit Songwriters, and songwriting organizations.
Thank you to all who have contributed their input over the years
How To Format A Professional-Looking Lyric Sheet
There are several different ways to present a lyric sheet,
especially for a pitch opportunity
The information below is excerpted from the book
"Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting
Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media"
by Tracey and Vance Marino
Here are lyric sheet guidelines and tips combined from various sources and books, including:
Nashville Publishers, (the late) John Braheny, Jai Josefs, Clay Mills & Marty Dodson of
SongTown, Berklee College of Music, Music Schools, Music Producers,
Music Supervisors, Hit Songwriters, and songwriting organizations.
Thank you to all who have contributed their input over the years
THE BASIC RULES
ALL LYRIC SHEETS
- Typed
- Single spaced
- One sheet of paper
- No columns
- Use simple, easy-to-read fonts
(Fonts such as Arial, Times Roman, Helvetica,
Calibri, Century, Book Antiqua, etc.)
ALWAYS INCLUDE*
- Your name (and names of your co-writers) and
- Your Contact Information (phone number and email address are preferred generally)
*NOTE: For privacy reasons, you may omit your personal and
contact information for songwriting workshop meetings
OPTIONAL INFORMATION
- Your PRO affiliation such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (click HERE for information about the PROs)
- Who owns the rights to the copyright and master recording (needed for film/TV)
- Your mailing address, website address, a link to your song
- Your publishing company name if you have one
- The copyright date (use the current year)
EXCEPTIONS
- If providing lyrics for music aggregators (such as CD Baby, Tunecore, DistroKid),
they may have different, specific guidelines such as labeling
the Chorus, but not labeling the Verses, Bridge, etc.
- *When presenting a lyric sheet in a public forum, it is best to
omit personal and contact information.
The suggestions below are intended for pitches to Music Publishers and Music Supervisors.
ALL LYRIC SHEETS
- Typed
- Single spaced
- One sheet of paper
- No columns
- Use simple, easy-to-read fonts
(Fonts such as Arial, Times Roman, Helvetica,
Calibri, Century, Book Antiqua, etc.)
ALWAYS INCLUDE*
- Your name (and names of your co-writers) and
- Your Contact Information (phone number and email address are preferred generally)
*NOTE: For privacy reasons, you may omit your personal and
contact information for songwriting workshop meetings
OPTIONAL INFORMATION
- Your PRO affiliation such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (click HERE for information about the PROs)
- Who owns the rights to the copyright and master recording (needed for film/TV)
- Your mailing address, website address, a link to your song
- Your publishing company name if you have one
- The copyright date (use the current year)
EXCEPTIONS
- If providing lyrics for music aggregators (such as CD Baby, Tunecore, DistroKid),
they may have different, specific guidelines such as labeling
the Chorus, but not labeling the Verses, Bridge, etc.
- *When presenting a lyric sheet in a public forum, it is best to
omit personal and contact information.
The suggestions below are intended for pitches to Music Publishers and Music Supervisors.
Examples of a complete lyric sheet using the familiar
Public Domain (PD) holiday song "Jingle Bells"
(Courtesy of the book, "Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting
Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media" by Tracey & Vance Marino)
Public Domain (PD) holiday song "Jingle Bells"
(Courtesy of the book, "Hey! That's My Song! A Guide to Getting
Music Placements in Film, TV, and Media" by Tracey & Vance Marino)
Jingle Bells
James Pierpont / Sammy Songwriter / Lydia Lyricist
[RED TEXT = Optional: Labeling sections, such as Verse, Chorus, Bridge, Post-Chorus, Pre-Chorus, etc., helps Publishers, but it is also useful for Music Supervisors, Editors, Producers, etc., especially in the Film/TV Sync World]
VERSE 1
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight, oh
[Options: Use boldface type and/or indent this section]
CHORUS
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh
VERSE 2
A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank; misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot, oh
[Options: Use boldface type and/or indent the word CHORUS. DO NOT print out the entire Chorus again unless there are different lyrics]
CHORUS
VERSE 3
A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away, oh
[Options: Use boldface type and/or indent this section]
CHORUS & INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE
[Options: Use boldface type and/or indent this section]
BRIDGE
Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Bring your friends tonight and sing this sleighing song, oh
[Options: Use boldface type and/or indent the word CHORUS]
CHORUS
____________________
[Contact information can be put here where it's out of the way. Include your email and phone number, etc.]
©1857 [Use the current year] James Lord Pierpont and Snowglobe Music Publishing (BMI)
Website: www.JingleBellsSongwriter.com / Email: JPierpont@JingleBellsSongwriter.com
Phone: (617) 555.BELL / Mailing Address: 19 High Street, Medford, MA 02155
[The info below is useful for Film/TV pitches as it is extremely helpful for Music Supervisors on a deadline. However, be sure the statement is absolutely true and correct.]
One-stop licensing clearance. The composition's copyright, publishing, and master recording are all owned (and/or controlled) by James Pierpont. Stems and alternate versions (such as no vocals) of the recording are available, as well as a signed Writer's Split Agreement.
The Finished Lyric Sheet Would Look Like This
Jingle Bells
James Pierpont / Sammy Songwriter / Lydia Lyricist
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight, oh
CHORUS
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh
A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank; misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot, oh
CHORUS
A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away, oh
CHORUS & INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE
BRIDGE
Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Bring your friends tonight and sing this sleighing song, oh
CHORUS
____________________
©1857 James Lord Pierpont and Snowglobe Music Publishing (BMI)
Website: www.JingleBellsSongwriter.com / Email: JPierpont@JingleBellsSongwriter.com
Phone: (617) 555.BELL / Mailing Address: 19 High Street, Medford, MA 02155
One-stop licensing clearance. The composition's copyright, publishing, and master recording are all owned and controlled by James Pierpont.
Stems and alternate versions of the recording are available, as well as a signed Writer's Split Agreement.
James Pierpont / Sammy Songwriter / Lydia Lyricist
Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go, laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight, oh
CHORUS
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh
A day or two ago, I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank; misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot, oh
CHORUS
A day or two ago, the story I must tell
I went out on the snow, and on my back I fell
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away, oh
CHORUS & INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE
BRIDGE
Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Bring your friends tonight and sing this sleighing song, oh
CHORUS
____________________
©1857 James Lord Pierpont and Snowglobe Music Publishing (BMI)
Website: www.JingleBellsSongwriter.com / Email: JPierpont@JingleBellsSongwriter.com
Phone: (617) 555.BELL / Mailing Address: 19 High Street, Medford, MA 02155
One-stop licensing clearance. The composition's copyright, publishing, and master recording are all owned and controlled by James Pierpont.
Stems and alternate versions of the recording are available, as well as a signed Writer's Split Agreement.
Tips & Quotes About Lyric Sheets
from
Music Supervisors, Publishers, Producers, and Hit Songwriters
from
Music Supervisors, Publishers, Producers, and Hit Songwriters
- One Nashville Publisher said, "Think of a lyric sheet as a 'musical resume.' How you present it is very important, especially for a once-in-a-lifetime pitch opportunity."
- "There's no right or wrong way," one Publisher said, adding, "but, I really appreciate reading well-organized lyric sheets. It shows me the songwriter cares."
- Music Supervisor: "Lyric sheets aren't really necessary because, obviously, the listener won't have one. However, I like to see them any way, and most of my colleagues feel the same way, especially when getting to know a new songwriter and (his/her) songs."
- Publisher: "It's best to have the rhymes and phrases line up." (see the "Jingle Bells" lyrics above)
- Music Supervisor: "First impressions are important. Keep the lyric sheet simple. Remember, it's all about communication."
- Publisher: "Keep punctuation to a minimum. Think about the phrasing and where the singer will take a breath in each line."
- One music publisher said her biggest pet peeve, when it comes to lyric sheets, is seeing the entire Chorus written out after every verse or song section. "Please, just type the word "CHORUS" after each verse instead of writing it all out over and over again. It gets in the way."
- Another Published agreed: "Unless your Chorus has some changes, there's no need to keep writing it."
- Publisher: "Lyrics should always be on one page, single spaced. Always. If the song is too long to fit on one page, experiment using a slightly smaller font, or change the margins and the line spacings."
- Music Supervisor: "I get scared when I see a long, two-page lyric sheet."
- Publisher: "The best fonts to use are Arial or Times New Roman or anything that's simple and easy to read. The font size should be no smaller than 10 points and no larger than 14 points."
- From a Music Supervisor: "Avoid using CAPS throughout. It's difficult to read and IT LOOKS LIKE THE SONGWRITER IS YELLING."
- Nashville Publisher: "I don't like being distracted by misspellings in a lyric sheet. Be sure to proofread carefully. Make darn sure words such as 'it's' and 'its' or 'they're,' 'their,' or 'there' are used correctly."
- A Music Supervisor said, "I prefer indenting sections like the Pre-Chorus, Chorus, and Bridge because it makes it easier to see where I am in the song, but that's just me."
- Publisher: "Make sure every word the listener hears is written on the lyric sheet."
- Producer: "Never include sheet music, chords (or chord symbols) on a lyric sheet. This would be a song chart. A song chart is different than a lyric sheet. Sometimes I need both, but most of the time a lyric sheet is all I want."
- Music Supervisor: "Please include the lyrics with your recording, along with artwork and metadata."
- Music Publisher: "The actual copyright year (of when you wrote the song) is not necessary. Instead, use the current year, even if the song was written years before. I like to imagine that every song I hear is fresh and was written just for me!"
- A demo studio Producer: "I need to have the different sections (Verse, Pre-Chorus, Chorus, Bridge, etc.) labeled because it makes it easier when I'm setting up a recording session."
- Hit Songwriter: "I do an outline of my lyric sheet before I start writing. It helps me to see how the song is unfolding."
- Music Supervisor: "I don't really care how you do your lyric sheet as long as your SONG is great!"
- Hit Songwriter: "If you are a hit songwriter, none of the above matters!"