Have you ever wondered how lyrics get posted online? Can just anyone do it, or do people get paid? And if you’re an emerging musician, how can you make sure your lyrics are available online for listeners to find?
Believe it or not, there was and still even is a controversy about who should be making money from lyric websites. SinceAs there are about 5 million lyric searches each day on Google, lyric websites are making money off of lyrics even though the musician is doing the work writing them. Nevertheless, you need to have your lyrics online for people to search, as lyric searches are even more common than illegal downloads of songs—and we all know how common that is. Hence why you need to know how to post your lyrics online. Read further to learn about:
If you want people to find your music, you should prioritize posting on the most popular lyric websites first. According to MakeUseOf.com, LyricsPlanet, MetroLyrics, LyricsMode, LetsSingIt, and Lyrics.com are among the best. We’re adding Genius to this list, though, since it is also very popular.
Different websites have different policies as to who can add lyrics and how one goes about editing them. However, many require accounts for access. This will benefit you anyway, though, as these lyric sites often have lively social forums where people love discussing music. If you want to get your name out and clear up the interpretation of your song—maybe even market yourself a little if situations arise—these are great spots to do this, as the truly committed music fans will be the ones with accounts as well.
Websites like Genius allow anyone to post lyrics, as long as they have an account. That includes you, the songwriter. It’s better to post them yourself, then, as you can ensure that they are 100 percent% accurate. This page explains how to post lyrics, but basically, you should follow established grammar rules when you do and use section headers if necessary.
Other websites are similar to Genius in that way they allow anyone to submit lyrics. MetroLyrics, LyricsPlanet, LyricsMode, and LetsSingIt also allow anyone to add lyrics, even people without accounts. Usually, there is either a “Submit” option at the very bottom of the page, or in the case of LetsSingIt and LyricsMode, an option to submit lyrics at the top, right-hand corner. Rather than allowing you to add lyrics yourself, LyricsPlanet allows anyone to request that lyrics be added for a song.
Since it’s likely that someone else has already posted your lyrics, you might want to verify its accuracy. Lyrics are often inaccurate and vary from website to website, and you want people to know the real meaning of your song; one word can change this. Other people who add your lyrics are only transcribing what they hear, so it’s vital that you check them.
With all this said, it’s likely that your lyrics are already online since lyric websites make money from providing as many lyrics as possible to attract more traffic. In fact, it’s a fine balance between endorsing websites that don’t pay the songwriter and using them to increase the odds that your music will get heard (and read). David Lowery, a songwriter for Cracker and Camper van Beethoven, recently created The Undesirable Lyric Website List, a list of websites that don’t pay the songwriter a stipend of what they make. The good news is that Rap Genius, which was on the list, just recently announced that they would be paying the songwriter. So if you want to join Lowery in his efforts, you could think about only using websites that do pay the songwriter.
