The Genius community prides itself on having accurate lyrics for new releases first. We're also constantly trying to grow our database by adding old songs and more obscure tracks.How To Add LyricsAnyone can add a new song by clicking the "ADD A SONG" link at the top of the page. —> More on adding lyricsLyric AccuracyGenius prides itself in hosting accurate lyrics — this means lyrics should look clean and concise and the text itself should be as correct as possible. Users should make an effort to transcribe the full song.
Grammar (Spelling, Capitalization, etc.)Double-check all spellingUse standardized spellingsHow to spell numbersQuestion / Exclamation MarksQuotation MarksHyphens and Em DashesSymbols and Special CharactersOnly use conventional capitalizationTranscribe all lyrics as the artist says themIncomprehensible LyricsIf you don't understand a lyric, use "[?]"ApostrophesAlways use apostrophes when writing contractionsUse typewriter apostrophes/quotation marksPluralizing letters and acronyms/initialismsAd-libs / OtherTranscribe every ad-libReversed/Backwards lyricsYodeling/ScattingHow To Format LyricsIn addition to lyric accuracy, maintaining easy-to-read and well-organized lyric formatting is a crucial part of Genius.Lyrics should follow the song's streaming versionUse section headers above different song partsType out all lyrics, even when a section is repeatedBreak transcriptions up into individual linesInclude a header if the song is recorded in a language other than EnglishSound effects should be written within asterisksCensored words should be written as a series of asterisksInstrumental songs can be added to Genius using the "[Instrumental]" tagTranslations and RomanizationsAdditional song resources such as translations and romanizations should be added to Genius on a page separate from the primary lyric page:Romanized LyricsTranslationsHow To Edit LyricsDirect Edits: Most users can directly edit lyrics by clicking the "Edit Lyrics" button above the lyrics and below the page's header -> More on editing lyrics
Proposing Lyric Edits: This feature allows users and non-users to propose edits to lyrics that they normally wouldn't have access to edit on their own. Once a proposal has been submitted, it must be reviewed before being integrated into the lyrics.How to propose lyric editsHow to moderate proposed lyric editsMore on proposed lyric editsIntegrating Lyric CorrectionsWhile our Proposed Lyric Edits feature should catch most lyric corrections, sometimes users leave their suggestions in other areas of song pages. For editors, here are the best practices for handling those corrections in their respective setting:In the comment section below an annotation —> Upvote and archive if right, archive if wrongAs a question in the Q+A section —> Upvote and archive if right, archive if wrongAs an annotation —> Accept + delete if right, reject if wrongAdding Unreleased Music to GeniusUnreleased Songs (Snippets & Live Performance Premieres)
Unreleased song lyrics should ONLY be added to Genius if one of the following conditions applies:A snippet/full song has been teased by the artistThe artist performs the song in a live/livestream settingIn either case, citing your source is crucial — immediately after creating the song page, add Q&A with the following information:When/where the song was first revealedIf applicable, link to the video/audio (Only if the media is found on social media, SoundCloud, or YouTube — DO NOT link to leak sites)Snippet example:
"When and where was this song first previewed?"
"This snippet was originally posted by Lil Yachty to his Instagram story on March 2nd, 2018."Live example:
"When and where was this song first performed?"
"This song was originally performed live by The Weeknd in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 7, 2024."Please do not post lyrics for songs that leak pre-release, fan-made mashups, songs that go against our community policy, or songs that do not exist. Additionally, please do not create album pages to catalog unreleased music by a specific artist. Pages that do not adhere to our guidelines may be removed. Repeated offenses may result in an account ban at the discretion of Genius staff.
Adding Unreleased Albums to Genius
If an artist announces that they're working on a project, but the title hasn't been announced, you can use the artist's initials followed by the number that corresponds with how many albums they have in their discography. For example, if Drake is set to release his 5th studio album, it would be titled D5 until the official title is announced.
If an artist announces an album's title, it can be added to Genius as normal.
Adding Tracks to an Unreleased Album
If an unreleased album's tracklist hasn't been officially revealed, only add the following tracks to it:Songs that have officially been confirmed to appear on the projectRecent singles that were not a part of a previous album cycleRecent snippets or confirmed titlesTrack numbers —> Make sure to leave track numbers blank until the tracklist has been officially announced — adding track numbers gives the page a heightened sense of authenticity.
Album bio —> The bio section should include sources as to when and where the title and artwork (if applicable) were announced. If the album's tracklist is still speculative, add the following in bold to the top of the album bio:This tracklist is unconfirmed. It is compiled of recent singles, snippets, and song titles sourced from streaming services, PRO's, and social media. It is purely speculative and has not been confirmed by the artist. We will update this tracklist as more information comes to light.Songs with AI-Generated VocalsSongs that include AI-generated vocals may be added to the site when they fit at least one of the following criteria:The song has been released by an established recording artist, is not fan-made, and is not by an AI, mashup, or cover artist (e.g. "Taylor Made Freestyle" by Drake)The song has been officially released and is distributed on streaming services (e.g. "U My Everything" by Sexyy Red & Drake)The song has been released by the artist whose voice has been synthesized (e.g. "SKY CITY" by ¥$)The artist (or estate of) whose voice has been synthesized has given consent for their voice to be usedThe song has been released by an established recording artist and the AI-generated vocals are not meant to sound like anyone in particular (e.g. "BBL DRIZZY BPM 150.mp3" by Metro Boomin)The song has been officially released by a virtual or AI group or artist and is distributed on streaming services (e.g. "Jack Park Canny Dope Man" by Travisbott)To learn how to label AI in song pages, see "Including Artist Names" in the "Use section headers above different song parts" annotation.Sourcing LyricsPlease do not copy and paste lyrics to Genius from any lyric website. Doing so is essentially plagiarism and will result in a warning or strike on your account.
The only time it is permissible to use an existing set of lyrics in your transcription is if the artist or their team releases lyrics. These official lyrics can be found in numerous places: some common examples are on Bandcamp, the song's YouTube/SoundCloud bio, press releases, and in the liner notes included in a physical release.
Official lyric sheets often contain errors though — most often small formatting mistakes, but in some cases, egregious comprehension mistakes that include inaccurate words altogether. When adding official lyrics, make sure to update them to adhere to Genius' core standards:Make sure all lyrics are included, including repeated sectionsMake sure lyrics are accurate — any inaccuracies should be editedMake sure lyrics are formatted well — update all formatting to adhere to Genius' standardsWant to Dive Deeper?But wait, there's more! Since you know the basics and have now become hooked on transcribing, here's how you can take your transcription game to the next level:
Release Calendars
Transcribing from and updating our release calendars are a great way to help out! Whenever you transcribe a song found on the release calendar, you can either edit or leave a comment on the annotation, indicating that the song is up.
Join the @transcribers forum!
Subscribing to the @transcribers forum is a major key to becoming a top notch transcriber. Here, you'll get updates, new transcription requests, and general conversation around transcription topics. If subscribed, you'll also get notifications when someone around the site needs your help.
Transcribing high traffic pages
We've all been here before — everybody wants to transcribe the biggest song releases. When everybody tries to transcribe at the same time, it only makes the process more strenuous and time-consuming. There is currently no way to entirely prevent other users from attempting to transcribe while you are, but here are some tips:How to transcribe high traffic songsHigh traffic song etiquetteShell PagesWhat is a shell page?How to make shell pagesNon-Anticipated Releases/Already Released SongsHighly Anticipated ReleasesManaging Duplicate PagesWhat is a duplicate page?How can I determine which page is considered a "duplicate"?I know what the duplicate page is — now what?Awarding Transcription IQHow does transcription IQ get awarded?What songs should be manually awarded IQ?ContactAnyone in the @transcribers forum can answer questions about the transcription experience on Genius. If you have any additional questions, feel free to hit up @streetlights!
