Transcribe

Certain guidelines differ between languages. Please make sure to always refer to the guidelines of the language in which you are transcribing.

We recommend transcribing using the Lyrics window of the Musixmatch Studio

‍
‍1. Always listen to the song

This seems obvious but it’s important; before transcribing, editing, or syncing lyrics, make sure to listen to the song in its entirety from a reliable audio source.

2. No copy/paste

Copy and pasting lyrics from other websites or apps is strictly prohibited. You’re fantastic and we want to see your work, not someone else’s! Make sure that you only add lyrics that you yourself have transcribed. This also naturally means that you can only contribute in languages which you speak to a native level.

3. Transcribe all audio content

Transcribe all repeated parts, avoiding the use of multipliers. If an artist sings the same word 5 times, we write it 5 times!

The #INSTRUMENTAL tag must only be used in cases where there are more than 15 consecutive seconds of music without any lyrical content.
It should also only be used to divide two different sections, and not within a single Structure Tag.

Linkin Park - In Pieces

Incorrect

#VERSE
‍Telling me to go
#INSTRUMENTAL
#VERSE
‍But hands beg me to stay

Correct

#CHORUS
‍And you, you will be alone
Alone with all your secrets
And regrets, don’t lie
#INSTRUMENTAL
‍#OUTRO
‍So I, I won’t be the one
Be the one to leave this
In pieces…

Backing vocals should be added in parentheses.

Refer to the list below when unsure whether to add content in a live recording of a track:
‍
- Indecipherable cheering from Audience - ❌
- Audible words coming from Audience - ✅
- Greetings from Artist - ✅
- Acknowledgments/thanks from Artist -✅
‍

With A Little Help From My Friends - Live at Fillmore East/1970 - Joe Cocker

Incorrect

By with a little help with my friends
By with a little help with my friends
By with a little help with my friends

Correct

(By with a little help with my friends!)
Oh, I get by! (By with a little help from my friends)
I'll try, oh yeah (by with a little help from my, oh)
(From my friends, yeah)
I'm gonna love them, gonna do that

Make sure to transcribe any names, producers, and/or record labels included as part of the song

Parachute - Timomatic

Incorrect

(Verse 1 - Timomatic)***
There's something 'bout you
There's something 'bout you
There's something in your eyes
Tells me we gonna be alright

*** Here the bracketed line does not directly reflect anything said/sung within the song, and so is incorrect.

Correct

Uh, Timomatic***
Yeah, there's something 'bout you
There's something 'bout you
There's something in your eyes
‍Tells me we gonna be alright

*** Here, ‘Uh, Timomatic’ is included, NOT because Timomatic is singing the section, but rather because he says his own name as an introduction to the verse

Transcribe filler parts when necessary.

Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

Correct

Oh I, oh I, oh I, oh I
Oh, I’m in love with your body
Oh I, oh I, oh I, oh I
Oh, I’m in love with your body

Don’t label the song sections unless you are tagging (see Structure guidelines) and, as mentioned above, don’t include the artist name or title of the song, unless explicitly mentioned as part of the lyrics.

Star Girl - McFly

Incorrect

(McFly) [Verse]
Hey, I’m lookin’ up for my star girl
I guess I’m stuck in this mad world

Correct

Hey, I’m lookin’ out for my star girl
I guess I’m stuck in this mad world

4. Transcribe lyrics in their native scripts, avoiding romanization!

This is a biggie!
‍
To help those of you who can’t read the original scripts, the romanized versions of Indian languages, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese lyrics are available as translations.

Voice - Aimer

Incorrect – Romanization

Hitori dewa nagasugiru yoru
Nee konya yumewa mirareruno?
Kanaenai negai wo mune ni
Moreru tameiki ga munashii

Correct – Original Script

一人では長すぎる夜
ねえ今夜夢は見られるの？
叶えない願いを胸に
漏れるため息が虚しい

When a song features lyrics in multiple scripts, your transcription should reflect this. Please present each language in its native script. If you aren’t confident transcribing in the language/script of the song, you should leave it to someone who is or ask the help of a native speaker on the Community Slack channel.

Lungi Dance (from "Lungi Dance") - Yo Yo Honey Singh

Correct

लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance
लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance
लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance
लुंगी dance, लुंगी dance

For any further doubts about scripted languages, including which are and aren't supported on Musixmatch, please check here.

Format

Certain guidelines differ between languages. Please make sure to always refer to the guidelines of the language in which you are formatting.

We recommend formatting using the Lyrics window of the Musixmatch Studio

1. Format lyrics following the song's structure

This includes breaking transcriptions up into individual lines

A Song For You - Carpenters

Correct

You taught me precious secrets
Of the truth withholding nothing
You came out in front and I was hiding
But now I'm so much better
And if my words don't come together
Listen to the melody
'Cause my love is in there hiding

Separate distinct sections of the song, keeping each one to a maximum of 10 lines

In the End by Linkin Park

Incorrect

I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end it doesn't even matter
One thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme to remind myself how

Correct

I tried so hard and got so far
But in the end, it doesn't even matter
I had to fall to lose it all
But in the end it doesn't even matter

One thing, I don't know why
It doesn't even matter how hard you try
Keep that in mind, I designed this rhyme to remind myself how

2. Be sure to make the format clear and homogeneous

This means capitalizing the first letter of every line and any proper nouns (names, places, brands)

It’s my life by Bon Jovi

Incorrect

yeah, this is for the ones who stood their ground
for tommy and gina, who never backed down
tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake
luck ain't even lucky, got to make your own breaks

Correct

Yeah, this is for the ones who stood their ground
For Tommy and Gina, who never backed down
Tomorrow's getting harder, make no mistake
Luck ain't even lucky, got to make your own breaks

Don’t go crazy with the capitals though! Not every word needs it…

Walk Straight Down the Middle - Kate Bush

Incorrect

Can't Move My Arms
Can't Move My Legs
Can't Say No
I Can't Say Yes
Can't Help Myself
I Need Your Help

Correct

Can't move my arms
Can't move my legs
Can't say no
I can't say yes
Can't help myself
I need your help

When using parentheses, use capital letters only in the following instances:

- Following question marks and exclamation marks
- To start a line
- Proper nouns
‍

Incorrect

I'm really hungry (Oh yes I am)
Are you hungry? (let's have some cake)
He's hungry (Really, really hungry)

Correct

I'm really hungry (oh yes I am)
Are you hungry? (Let's have some cake)
He's hungry (really, really hungry)

Transcribe numbers as words except for in the following cases:

- Numbers above 10 should be written numerically (11, 12, 13, etc…)
‍
- Once you get into the hundreds and thousands, however, it’s sometimes more logical to spell out the number rather than present it numerically (‘I’d walk a hundred, thousand miles just to see your face’)
‍
- If there are many numbers given in a row (if an artist gives a phone number, for example) write them numerically (I told him, “Call me on 07678, ‘fore it’s too late”)
‍
- Use numerals when exact times are emphasized ('It was 4:32'), being sure to add a.m. (ante meridiem) and p.m. (post meridiem) when necessary: (6 a.m., 8:30 p.m.)
‍
- If “o’clock” is used, however, all numbers should be written out (four o’clock, eleven o’clock)
‍
- Dates should be written numerically (1987)
‍
- Decades should also be written numerically, introduced with an apostrophe ('It was better in the ‘60s')

3. Pay attention to punctuation!

No end-line punctuation other than question and exclamation marks where needed. You can also use hyphens and ellipses to reflect interrupted or fading phrases, but there’s never any reason to include an end-line comma!

Physical (You’re So) - Single Version - Adam & The Ants

Incorrect

Eat your heart out,
Do it,
You can’t do it,
Can ya?

Correct

Eat your heart out
Do it
You can’t do it
Can ya?

Always write contractions using an apostrophe (‘)

Examples

it’s when referring to “it is” and its when describing possessives
you’re when referring to “you are” and your when describing possessives
ballin', not ballin (contraction of “balling”)
‘til, not til (contraction of “until”)
'em, not em (contraction of “them”)
‘cause for shortened 'because' and cause when used as verb
don’t not dont

Use a single hyphen to replace explicit words in censored versions. If the beginning of the word is still audible, include it as below:

Correct

I don’t care what the - you say
I’m gonna live my life anyway
I got people to see and sh- to do
So b- I’m gon’ be okay without you

4. Direct Speech

When direct speech occurs in a track, it should be given within speech marks (“) following a comma. The first letter of the direct speech should be capitalized.

Do You Feel Like We Do by Peter Frampton

Incorrect

My friend got busted just the other day
They said don't walk, don't walk
Don't walk away

Correct

My friend got busted just the other day
They said, "Don't walk, don't walk
Don't walk away"

5. Use standardized spelling for slang

Slang can get a bit crazy, so to help you out, we’ve put together a list of the most common slang words and phrases we see.

Examples

‘Cause (Because)
Cuz (Cousin)
E’ry (Every)
Finna (Fixing to)
Gon’ or gonna (Going to)
I’ma (I’m going to)
Lil’ (Little, UNLESS it’s a proper name: Lil Wayne)
Nah mean? (Know what I mean?)
Outta (Out of)
‘Til (Until)
Tryna (Trying to)
Turnt (Turn up)
Yo (The greeting)
Yo’ (Your)

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A quick note... 🎵
‍
It can occasionally happen that there’s a ‘conflict’ between our guidelines and the artist’s assumed intentions based on how they’ve spelt/formatted the title. (E.G. ‘U R the 1 4 me’)
In such cases we encourage you to reach out to a member of our Content Team for guidance.

‍

Sync

Note 🎵
When synching, remember to also fix any errors in the lyrics' transcription. When you save a track, you are putting your name to all aspects of it being correct

We recommend syncing using the Sync window of the Musixmatch Studio

1. Synchronize each line in time with the music when the first letter of the line is sung

Don’t start or finish the sync with the #INSTRUMENTAL tag (see the Structure guidelines)

And remember, the #INSTRUMENTAL tag must only be used in cases where there are more than 15 consecutive seconds of music without any lyrical content.
It should also only be used to divide two different sections, and not within a single Structure Tag.

Complete the sync right after the last sung line.

A Case of You - Joni Mitchell

2. Take care and make a sync to be proud of!

If you make a mistake and your synchronization is out of time, be sure to correct it before saving!

There it is - James Brown

Adjust the beginning of the line using the +/- buttons next to the timestamp

If you find that the sync is completely wrong (it happens, nobody’s perfect) you can reset it by clicking on the three dots at the top right of the page and choosing to restart the sync

On the Mobile app, you can correct errors by using the Up arrow to return to previous lines, where you’ll then be able to re-sync using the Down arrow

Amnesia - Roxen

3. Check your sync!

Whether you’re creating your own sync from scratch or proofreading somebody else’s, don’t forget to check it for accuracy. You should check the sync of each individual line, using these play buttons:

Jealous - Theo

Translate

We recommend translating using the Translate window of the Musixmatch Studio

1. Don’t copy and paste and don’t use machine translation websites and services for full translations

You’re fantastic, and we want to see your work, not someone else’s! Make sure that you only add lyrics that you yourself have translated. You can of course research if you don’t know how to translate a word, but whole phrases shouldn’t be copied from other sites.

2. Translate line by line, focusing on already verified content

Take the track one step at a time, focusing your translation on the related line only. Don’t translate two or more lines into one single line. In order to avoid potential losses of your translation in future, we also strongly recommend only translating lyrics that have already been verified, and locked.

Shape of You - Ed Sheeran

Incorrect

The club isn't the best place to find a lover

La discoteca no es el mejor lugar para encontrar a una amante así que, al bar

So the bar is where I go

es a donde voy

Correct

The club isn't the best place to find a lover

La discoteca no es el mejor lugar para encontrar a una amante

So the bar is where I go

Así que, al bar es a donde voy

3. Don’t forget about our Transcribing and Formatting guidelines!

Your translations should follow these guidelines just as your transcriptions do

4. Don’t translate in a romanized version. As with transcriptions, it’s important to always use the original script

Gimme More - Britney Spears

Incorrect

Every time they turn the lights down

Ve jab bhi batti bujhaate hain

Just want to go that extra mile for you

Main bas aapke liye wah atirikt meel jaana chaahti hoon

Your public display of affection

Aapka apne sneh ko sabke saamne pradarshit karna

Feels like no one else in the room (but you)

Aisa lagta hai jaise ki kamre mein koi nahi hai (lekin aap)

Correct

Every time they turn the lights down

वे जब भी बत्ती बुझाते हैं

Just want to go that extra mile for you

मैं बस आपके लिए वह अतिरिक्त मील जाना चाहती हूँ

Your public display of affection

आपका अपने स्नेह को सबके सामने प्रदर्शित करना

Feels like no one else in the room (but you)

ऐसा लगता है जैसे कि कमरे में कोई नहीं है (लेकिन आप)

5. Try to maintain the tone of the original line. If the lyric is funny in the source language, try to make it funny also in your translation!

6. If you come across an untranslatable word, keep it as it is

Diet Mountain Dew - Lana Del Rey

Correct

Diet Mountain Dew, baby, New York City

Diet Mountain Dew, tesoro, New York City

Never was there ever a girl so pretty

Non c'è mai stata lì una ragazza così bella

Do you think we'll be in love forever?

Pensi che ci ameremo per sempre?

Do you think we'll be in love?

Pensi che ci ameremo?

As you know, we aim for perfection here at Musixmatch, and so if a word doesn’t have a proper translation, we prefer to keep it in its original language. (This also applies for brand and city names, see below)

7. Be Creative

Languages are very complicated and it’s not always possible to build a perfect translation. Focus instead on conveying the message of the original lyrics. Translating each word literally will likely not result in a good translation, but a bit of imagination will go miles!

Structure

Desktop App Only

We recommend adding structure using the Tag window of the Musixmatch Studio

What does “Structure” mean to Musixmatch?

When we talk about Structure, we’re talking about the ‘parts’ of a song. Every song is divided into sections which have distinct names and functions

Which are…?

Before we describe the structure tags, a quick disclaimer! Please note that not every song will have every section. Each song is unique and beautiful, and we respect that. It’s important not to force anything in order to include them all. Follow your heart (and your ears) and tag the song as you see fit!

Here’s each structure tag explained, with the help of…

Lady Gaga - Bad Romance

Lyrics with Structure Tag

Explanation

#INTRO
‍Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
‍‍Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance

The Intro (inputted by typing #INTRO and pressing the enter key)
‍
The Intro comes at the beginning and introduces the song. Refrain from using the Intro tag in other parts of the transcription
‍
It may also introduce the performers by name, especially in rap songs
‍
This tag should be used for labelling the lyrical introduction to a track. Not to be confused with the instrumental tag

#HOOK
Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah
Roma, roma-ma
Gaga, ooh-la-la
Want your bad romance

#HOOK
Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah
Roma, roma-ma
Gaga, ooh-la-la
Want your bad romance
‍

The Hook (inputted by typing #HOOK and pressing the enter key)
‍
The Hook is the catchiest part of a song - the bit that gets stuck in your head!

Be careful not to confuse it with the Chorus! It’s often more repetitive and a little less melodic‍

#VERSE
I want your ugly, I want your disease
I want your everything as long as it's free
I want your love, love, love, love
I want your love

#VERSE
I want your psycho, your vertigo shtick
Want you in my rear window, baby, you're sick
I want your love, love, love, love
I want your love (love, love, love, I want your love)
‍

The Verse (inputted by typing #VERSE and pressing the enter key)
‍
The Verse is the bit of a song that is the most narrative. It tells the story and is usually a little less memorable and catchy than the Chorus or Hook

When two or more sections of the song have almost identical melodies but different lyrics, you can consider each section one verse!

There are usually multiple verses in a song, but there’s no need to number them in your Musixmatch transcriptions. You can simply tag each one as #VERSE‍

#PRE-CHORUS
‍You know that I want you
And you know that I need you ('cause I'm a free bitch, baby)
I want it bad, your bad romance

The Pre-chorus (inputted by typing #PRE-CHORUS and pressing the enter key)
‍
This is the linking section between the Verse and the Chorus

Not every song has a distinct Pre-chorus, but if it’s there it’s usually distinguished from the verses by a change in the melody or the instrumentation

#CHORUS
I want your love, and I want your revenge
You and me could write a bad romance
I want your love and all your lover's revenge
You and me could write a bad romance

#CHORUS
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh, oh-oh-oh
Caught in a bad romance
‍

The Chorus (inputted by typing #CHORUS and pressing the enter key)
‍
This is most likely the bit the song is famous for

It is repeated throughout the song, usually without changes to the melody or lyrics

It often contains the song title

#BRIDGE
Walk, walk, fashion baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, fashion baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, fashion baby
Work it, move that bitch crazy
Walk, walk, passion baby
Work it, I'm a free bitch, baby
‍
#BRIDGE
I want your love, and I want your revenge
I want your love, I don't wanna be friends
J'veux ton amour, et je veux ta revanche
J'veux ton amour, I don't wanna be friends

#BRIDGE
No, I don't wanna be friends (caught in a bad romance)
I don't wanna be friends, want your bad romance
Caught in a bad romance
Want your bad romance‍
‍

The Bridge (inputted by typing #BRIDGE and pressing the enter key)
‍
The Bridge commonly comes about 60% of the way through the song and often introduces new melodic and lyrical ideas before a final repetition of the Chorus

It does sometimes, however, ‘re-imagine’ a Verse or the Chorus - maybe presenting the same lyrics with different instrumentation to spice it up a bit

It’s usually pretty easy to identify in any case as it’s specifically intended to give a brief departure from the rest of the song, before coming back with a final majestic return from the Chorus
‍

#OUTRO
‍Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah
Roma, roma-ma
Gaga, ooh-la-la
Want your bad romance

The Outro (inputted by typing #OUTRO and pressing the enter key)
‍
The Outro takes a song to its conclusion - always coming at the very end of the track
‍
As the Intro is used just at the beginning of the track, the Outro should be used only at the end
‍
It’s often very similar to the Intro, if not identical. The important difference is where it comes in the track

Instrumental (inputted by typing #INSTRUMENTAL and pressing the enter key)

The clue’s in the name with this one!

The #INSTRUMENTAL tag must only be used in cases where there are more than 15 consecutive seconds of music without any lyrical content.
It should also only be used to divide two different sections, and not within a single Structure Tag.

Bad Romance doesn't feature an #INSTRUMENTAL section, so here's an example from Joni Mitchell instead. There's another example in the Transcribe section of the guidelines, if you need it.

A Case of You – Joni Mitchell

Bad Romance is a fairly straight-forward song structure wise, so here’s another slightly harder example for clarity’s sake

Polyhymnia – Keaton Henson

Lyrics with Structure Tag

Explanation

‍The track starts with a clear verse.

It focuses on story-telling and the melody isn’t too showy - that’s not its job here.

The instrumentation also gives us a clue, as it’s pretty minimal. The song generally has minimal instrumentation, but compared to other parts of the song, this section is notably ‘thinner’.

The lyrics and storytelling are in the spotlight.

Here’s what makes this song harder than Bad Romance, as it’s not initially super clear what this section should be tagged as.

There’s clearly been a progression from the last verse, lyrically, melodically, and in the instrumentation. But (to us at least) it doesn’t quite have the ‘gravity’ that a chorus often has.
‍
We eventually decided to tag this as a verse, saving the chorus for later in the song.

We then clearly have another verse, as it follows the same lyrical themes and melody as the first one.
‍
There’s then an Instrumental passage before the next lyrical section...

Which is the chorus. Maybe now it’s clearer why we avoided the chorus tag earlier. (It is possible to have two distinct choruses in one song, but in this case we don’t think it’s necessary)

The chorus almost announces itself here, with a swelling build up and impactful change in instrumentation.
As is common with choruses, it encourages us to sing along, perhaps more than the other sections.
‍
This is a great example of how a chorus can be very clear without belonging to a catchy pop song. It’s about the encouraged reaction. The song has been designed so that this is the most impactful section, safely letting us tag it as the chorus.

We end with a clear outro.

The lyrics and melody are largely the same as in the end of the chorus but the instrumentation thins, preparing us for the end of the song.

Dos and Don’ts

Do start every song with a Tag

Do leave a space between the final line of one paragraph and the Tag corresponding to the next one

Do assign a Tag to every section of the song (including after #INSTRUMENTAL sections - see the above Joni Mitchell example for guidance)

Don’t number sections. It’s fine to have two distinct verses before a chorus. The correct way to tag them would be #VERSE and #VERSE, NOT #VERSE1 and #VERSE2

Don’t panic! Structure can be subjective. What we hear as a pre-chorus, you could think is a verse. If you have any doubts you can ask the community for advice if need be.

Don’t translate tags. For now at least, all structure tags should be provided in English.

Performer

Desktop App Only

We recommend adding performers using the Tag window of the Musixmatch Studio

Why tag performers?

Too often we love a song but can’t tell who exactly is singing what, especially with tracks from bands or those with featuring artists. The Performer Tagging feature aims to put an end to this challenge, and you can help make sure that your favorite performers are getting the attention they deserve! Check out the guidelines below to find out how.

1. Make sure you’ve already added all needed structure tags to the song before beginning to tag performers

Performer tags are added section by section, so it’s important to make sure the structure is well-defined before we begin. You should also ensure that all other areas of contribution (Lyrics and Sync) are correctly added before starting to tag performers.

2. Work sections one by one and listen to each one in full before starting to tag the performers

Songs can have many vocalists in sometimes complex combinations. Working section by section helps keep things simple!

3. Start by focusing on sections of text delivered by only one performer

Let’s take a look together with Señorita by Shawn Mendes feat. Camila Cabello

Remember that we want to tag individual performers. So if a band is involved in the song you’re working on, you should assign the lyric to the individual performer singing it rather than the band in general. If you’re not sure who the specific performer of a line is, a quick internet search should help you identify them

4. You'll now see the targetted content highlighted and assigned to the chosen artist.

(Artists are color coded to help with visual clarity)

5. Next, tackle sections with multiple performers, adding the artists one by one

If a line is delivered by multiple performers, highlight the line multiple times, adding a different artist each time. You’ll notice we get a third color, assigned to the combination of all artists together.
‍
Be careful to not leave any white spaces when highlighting the vocals of different performers!
‍

6. Repeat this process for every section of the song!

All good so far? If you still have doubts, you can check out this page for further details and examples.

And there we have it!

Remember, you can also always ask for community support on the #performer-tagging-beta channel of the Curators Slack workspace.
‍
Beyond that, you’re ready to try it for yourself! Use your newly gained knowledge on Performer Tagging to further enrich your favorite songs and make sure your top artists get the credit they deserve!

Lyrics Guidelines

Transcribe

Format

Sync

Translate

Structure

Performer

Company

Products

Community