Lyrics & Credits Display

Getting your lyrics and credits displayed correctly on streaming platforms helps fans connect with your music and ensures everyone involved gets proper recognition.

Why Lyrics Matter

• Fan engagement - Listeners spend more time with songs that have lyrics
• Social sharing - Lyrics can be shared to Instagram Stories
• Accessibility - Helps hearing-impaired fans enjoy your music
• Discovery - Some platforms index lyrics for search

How Lyrics Get to Platforms

Lyrics reach streaming platforms through two separate paths:

1. LabelGrid direct delivery - LabelGrid delivers the lyrics you add to your release directly to the platforms that support lyrics ingestion. Apple Music receives them in Apple’s own lyrics format, including timed (synced) lyrics. Other supporting platforms receive your lyrics as static text.
2. Musixmatch (artist-managed) - A separate, self-service path you manage yourself through the Musixmatch for Artists portal. LabelGrid does not deliver lyrics to Musixmatch on your behalf.

Which Platforms Show Lyrics

Platform	How Lyrics Get There
Apple Music	LabelGrid direct delivery in Apple’s lyrics format; supports timed (synced) lyrics
YouTube Music	LabelGrid direct delivery where the platform supports lyrics ingestion
Spotify	Sourced from Musixmatch - manage yourself via Musixmatch for Artists (not delivered by LabelGrid)
Amazon Music	Sourced from Musixmatch - manage yourself via Musixmatch for Artists (not delivered by LabelGrid)
Deezer	Sourced from Musixmatch - manage yourself via Musixmatch for Artists (not delivered by LabelGrid)
TikTok	Caption overlay, not traditional lyrics

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Musixmatch for Artists

Musixmatch is the leading lyrics platform, powering lyrics on Spotify, Amazon, and others. This is an artist-managed, self-service path that you handle yourself - it is separate from LabelGrid’s direct lyrics delivery, and LabelGrid does not submit lyrics to Musixmatch for you.

Portal: artists.musixmatch.com

Getting Verified

1. Go to artists.musixmatch.com
2. Create an account
3. Verify your identity as an artist
4. Link your social media or website
5. Verification is usually granted within 48 hours

What Verified Artists Can Do

Feature	Description
Add lyrics	Submit official lyrics for your songs
Edit lyrics	Correct errors in existing lyrics
Sync lyrics	Add timestamps for karaoke-style display
Verify lyrics	Confirm community-submitted lyrics are correct
Analytics	See how often your lyrics are viewed

Submitting Lyrics

1. Sign in to artists.musixmatch.com
2. Search for your song
3. Click Add Lyrics or Edit Lyrics
4. Enter the lyrics exactly as sung
5. Submit for review

Syncing Lyrics (Time-Stamped)

Synced lyrics scroll as the song plays, karaoke-style. To sync:

1. Find your song in Musixmatch
2. Click Sync Lyrics
3. Play the song and tap when each line starts
4. Review the timing
5. Submit for review

Tip

Synced lyrics appear on more platforms and are more engaging for fans.

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Including Lyrics in LabelGrid

You can submit lyrics directly through your LabelGrid release:

1. Go to your release in LabelGrid
2. Navigate to the track details
3. Find the lyrics field
4. Paste your lyrics
5. Save and submit

Lyrics submitted through LabelGrid are delivered to platforms that support direct lyrics ingestion, including Apple Music. The lyrics text you enter supports multiple languages and non-Latin scripts.

Plain-text vs. timed (synced) lyrics

LabelGrid handles two kinds of lyrics:

• Plain-text lyrics are entered per language in the track’s Lyrics field — one Lyrics field per language version. LabelGrid generates untimed lyrics from this plain text and delivers them to the platforms that accept them, including Apple Music.
• Timed, or synced (karaoke-style), lyrics are supported by uploading an .lrc file. This is done through the LabelGrid API (a developer/integration path), not through a web-app upload button. Only the .lrc format is accepted, and the file is queued and processed in the background. LabelGrid reads the [mm:ss.xx] timestamps in the file and converts them into timed lyrics, which are delivered to the platforms that accept timed lyrics.

Formatting Guidelines

• Use standard capitalization (not ALL CAPS)
• Include line breaks where natural pauses occur
• Don’t include chord notations or musical directions
• Don’t include timestamps (those go in a separate sync file)
• Avoid special characters that might not display correctly

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Credits & Expanded Credits

Credits give recognition to everyone who contributed to a song: songwriters, producers, engineers, musicians, and more.

What Credits Include

Role	Examples
Songwriter	Lyricist, composer
Producer	Beat maker, music producer
Performer	Featured artists, background vocalists
Engineer	Mixing, mastering, recording engineer
Musician	Session players, instrumentalists

Adding Credits in LabelGrid

When creating a release in LabelGrid:

1. Go to your track details
2. Find the Contributors/Credits section
3. Add each contributor:
   • Name (as they want to be credited)
   • Role (select from dropdown or enter custom)
4. Save your changes

How Credits Appear on Platforms

Spotify: Shows credits when users tap the three dots menu > Song Credits

Apple Music: Expanded Song Credits (2025) show all delivered credits for each track, giving visibility to writers, producers, engineers, and musicians

YouTube Music: Credits displayed on song info pages

TIDAL: Detailed credits page for each track

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Songwriter Pages

Some platforms have dedicated features for songwriters.

Spotify Songwriter Pages

Songwriters with 5+ eligible songs can get a Songwriter Page:

• Display credits for all songs you’ve written
• Written By playlist auto-generated
• Songwriter Promo Cards for social sharing

To claim your Songwriter Page:

1. Ensure you’re credited on songs in Spotify
2. Apply through Spotify for Artists or your publisher
3. Wait for verification

Apple Music Songwriter Features

Apple Music’s expanded credits give more visibility to writers:

• Full credit information displayed in-app
• Searchable by songwriter name
• Helps editors discover your work

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Troubleshooting

Lyrics aren’t showing on Spotify

1. Check if lyrics exist in Musixmatch
2. If not, submit them as a verified artist
3. Allow 24-48 hours for updates to sync
4. Some older songs may take longer to update

Credits are missing or wrong

1. Update credits in your LabelGrid release
2. Submit an update to re-deliver metadata
3. Allow time for platforms to update (can take days to weeks)
4. For urgent fixes, contact LabelGrid support

Lyrics are incorrect

1. If community-submitted: edit them in Musixmatch
2. If you’re verified, your edits take priority
3. Report incorrect lyrics through the platform’s app

Someone else’s lyrics appear on my song

This can happen with similar song titles:

1. Flag the issue in Musixmatch
2. Submit correct lyrics as the verified artist
3. Contact Musixmatch support if needed

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Best Practices

1. Submit lyrics before release - Have them ready in Musixmatch before your song goes live
2. Include all credits in LabelGrid - The more complete your metadata, the better
3. Use consistent names - Credit people the same way across all releases
4. Sync your lyrics - Time-stamped lyrics perform better
5. Verify your Musixmatch profile - Gives you control over your lyrics
6. Check credits after release - Verify they appear correctly on each platform

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Resources

• Musixmatch for Artists
• Spotify Song Credits Help
• Apple Music Style Guide - Credits