Many artists expect their lyrics to appear on Spotify the moment the song goes live. Usually they do not, because lyrics on most streaming services are not delivered with the audio. They come from a separate lyrics provider, and the artist has to put them there.
Who supplies the lyrics
Spotify states that its lyrics are provided by Musixmatch, and that listeners can read them but cannot add them. Japan is the exception: there, lyrics come from PetitLyrics. Musixmatch also sends verified lyrics to Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Shazam, JioSaavn and YouTube Music, and to search engines.
The steps
- Get verified. Create a free Musixmatch Pro account and add your artist with your Spotify artist link. Verification is reviewed and usually answered within a few business days. An email address on your own domain, label or management speeds it up.
- Find the song. If a release is missing, add it as a missing release. It can take up to 48 hours to appear.
- Transcribe. Write the lyrics in full, following the rules below.
- Sync. Time each line to the moment its first word is sung. With several voices, follow the main vocal.
- Send. Only verified lyrics are sent to partners. Changes can take a few days to show on Spotify, and each service decides when to display them.
Transcription rules that cause rejections
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Write every repeat in full | Use shortcuts such as "x2" |
| Mark sections such as #VERSE and #CHORUS | Leave sections unlabelled |
| Use the song's own script (Arabic in Arabic letters) | Transliterate into Latin letters |
| Transcribe only what is sung | Add notes, credits or spoken intros that are not in the vocal |
Why it is worth the hour
Synced lyrics keep listeners on the Now Playing screen, help people search for a line they heard, and make the song easier to sing along to on social video. Verified lyrics are also locked: once you verify them, other users can no longer edit them.
To time your lyrics before you sync them, use our free synced lyrics maker: it runs in your browser and gives you a timed .lrc file.
With Mazufa
Releasing with Mazufa is free: no upload fee, no subscription and no per-release fee, with the revenue share set out in your written agreement. Keep your final lyric sheet with your release files, so the lyrics you verify match the version you delivered. Apply at mazufa.com/apply.
Sources
- Spotify for Artists, Managing your lyrics on Spotify — https://support.spotify.com/artists/article/managing-your-lyrics-on-spotify/
- Musixmatch Help, How lyrics distribution works — https://musixmatch.helpscoutdocs.com/article/501-how-lyrics-distribution-works
- Musixmatch Help, How can artists add and synchronize lyrics on Musixmatch Pro — https://musixmatch.helpscoutdocs.com/article/190-how-can-artists-add-and-synchronize-lyrics-on-musixmatch-pro
On the limits of this guide. Lyrics providers change their processes. The steps above are as published by Spotify and Musixmatch on the date of this guide.