Streaming services have many guidelines for lyrics. Here are some of them:
Refrain from mentioning the name of the vocalist or any extraneous information, like social media links or "intro" and "chorus" labels.
Write out repeated lines instead of using phrases like "Chorus 2x".
Each line should begin with a capital letter, and punctuation should generally be avoided at the end of lines unless it is an exclamation or question mark.
Blank lines should only be included between verses or choruses.
Lines should be relatively short, with one sentence per line.
Unless certain words are bleeped or omitted in the audio recording, explicit language should not be censored.
Numbers between 1-10 should be written out instead of using numerical characters.
Extra spaces should not be added at the beginning or end of lines.
Standardized spelling should be used, such as writing "Trying to" instead of "Tryna".
The most common reasons that streaming services reject lyrics are:
No line breaks between verses, choruses, bridges, etc.
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
And I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing (aah-ooh)
And I don't even need your love (ooh)
But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough (aah)
No, you didn't have to stoop so low (ooh)
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number (aah)
I guess that I don't need that, though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over
But had me believing it was always something that I'd done
And I don't wanna live that way
Reading into every word you say
You said that you could let it go
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know
But you didn't have to cut me off
Make out like it never happened and that we were nothing (aah-ooh)
And I don't even need your love (ooh)
But you treat me like a stranger, and that feels so rough (aah)
No, you didn't have to stoop so low (ooh)
Have your friends collect your records and then change your number (aah)
I guess that I don't need that, though
Now you're just somebody that I used to know
Too many line breaks
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor falls, the major lifts
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Too many grammatical errors (spelling, capitalization, etc.)
2 yung 2 hold on
And 2 old too just break free and runn
Sometimes a man get carried a way
When he feel like shall be having him fun
Much to blind to saw that damages he's don e
Sometime a man must wake to find that
Really he have no 1
Too young to hold on
And too old to just break free and run
Sometimes a man gets carried away
When he feels like should be having his fun
Much too blind to see the damage he's done
Sometimes a man must awake to find that
Really he has no one
Punctuation at the end of lines
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me.
Tell me where did you sleep last night?
In the pines, in the pines.
Where the sun don't ever shine.
I would shiver the whole night through.
My girl, my girl, don't lie to me
Tell me where did you sleep last night?
In the pines, in the pines
Where the sun don't ever shine
I would shiver the whole night through