Lyric Sheet Example & Publisher Tips
There are several different ways to present a lyric sheet, especially for a pitch opportunity.
The below example and tips were combined from various sources:
Nashville publishers, Berklee College of Music, John Braheny, Jason Blume, Jai Josefs,
NSAI, BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, Clay Mills & Marty Dodson (SongTown),
hit songwriters, pro lyricists, and many others.
The basic rule is to present lyrics typed, single spaced, and on one sheet of paper.
Use simple, easy-to-read fonts (Arial, Times Roman, Helvetica)
Include the most important information:
Your name (and names of your co-writers) and
Your contact information (phone number and email address).
That's it!
OPTIONAL INFORMATION
- Your PRO affiliation such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (click HERE for information about the PROs)
- Who owns the rights to the masters and who controls the copyright (good for film/TV)
- Your mailing address, website address, a link to your song
- Your publishing company name if you have one
- The copyright date (use the current year)
The below example and tips were combined from various sources:
Nashville publishers, Berklee College of Music, John Braheny, Jason Blume, Jai Josefs,
NSAI, BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, Clay Mills & Marty Dodson (SongTown),
hit songwriters, pro lyricists, and many others.
The basic rule is to present lyrics typed, single spaced, and on one sheet of paper.
Use simple, easy-to-read fonts (Arial, Times Roman, Helvetica)
Include the most important information:
Your name (and names of your co-writers) and
Your contact information (phone number and email address).
That's it!
OPTIONAL INFORMATION
- Your PRO affiliation such as ASCAP, BMI, SESAC (click HERE for information about the PROs)
- Who owns the rights to the masters and who controls the copyright (good for film/TV)
- Your mailing address, website address, a link to your song
- Your publishing company name if you have one
- The copyright date (use the current year)
Here is an example of a complete lyric sheet using the familiar
Public Domain (PD) holiday song "Jingle Bells"
Public Domain (PD) holiday song "Jingle Bells"
Jingle Bells
James Pierpont
VERSE 1
Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight, oh
CHORUS
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh
VERSE 2
A day or two ago I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank; misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot, oh
CHORUS
VERSE 3
A day or two ago the story I must tell
I went out on the snow and on my back I fell
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away, oh
CHORUS & INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE
BRIDGE
Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Take the girls tonight and sing this sleighing song, oh
CHORUS
____________________
©1859 James Pierpont Music Publishing (BMI)
Website: www.JingleBellsSongwriter.com / Email: JPierpont@JingleBellsSongwriter.com
Phone: (617) 555.BELL / Mailing Address: 19 High Street, Medford, MA 02155
Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go laughing all the way
Bells on bobtail ring making spirits bright
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight, oh
CHORUS
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh, hey
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way
Oh what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh
VERSE 2
A day or two ago I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fannie Bright was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank; misfortune seemed his lot
He got into a drifted bank and then we got upsot, oh
CHORUS
VERSE 3
A day or two ago the story I must tell
I went out on the snow and on my back I fell
A gent was riding by in a one-horse open sleigh
He laughed as there I sprawling lie but quickly drove away, oh
CHORUS & INSTRUMENTAL INTERLUDE
BRIDGE
Now the ground is white, go it while you're young
Take the girls tonight and sing this sleighing song, oh
CHORUS
____________________
©1859 James Pierpont Music Publishing (BMI)
Website: www.JingleBellsSongwriter.com / Email: JPierpont@JingleBellsSongwriter.com
Phone: (617) 555.BELL / Mailing Address: 19 High Street, Medford, MA 02155
Pro Publisher Tips
- There's no "right or wrong way," according to one publisher, but he added, "I really appreciate well-organized lyric sheets"
- It's best to have the rhymes and phrases line up (see the "Jingle Bells" lyrics above)
- First impressions are important. Keep it simple. One publisher said "Remember, it's all about communication"
- Keep punctuation to a minimum. Think about the phrasing and where the singer will take a breath in each line
- Just type "CHORUS" after each verse instead of writing it all out over and over again. It gets in the way. One Publisher said her biggest pet peeve, when it comes to lyric sheets, is seeing the Chorus written out over and over!
- Lyrics should always be on one page, single spaced. If the song is too long to fit on one page, experiment using a slightly smaller font, or change the margins and the line spacings
- The best fonts to use are Arial, Times New Roman, Helvetica, Calibri, Century, Book Antiqua, or anything that's simple and easy to read. The font size should be no smaller than 10 points and no larger than 14 points
- Avoid using CAPS throughout. It's difficult to read and IT LOOKS LIKE THE SONGWRITER IS YELLING
- Be sure to proofread carefully (and make sure words such as "it's" and "its" or "they're" and "their", etc., are used correctly). Details are important!
- Make sure every word the listener hears on the song is written on the lyric sheet
- On publisher said, "Think of a lyric sheet as a "musical resume. How you present it is very important, especially to a publisher for a once-in-a-lifetime pitch opportunity"
- The actual copyright year of when you wrote the song is not necessary. Instead, always use the current year -- even if the song was written years before. One publisher said he likes to imagine that every song he hears is fresh and was written just for him
