It may sound fancy, but a lyric sheet is simply a sheet of paper with your lyrics written down on it. What makes the idea of a lyric sheet fancy is the idea that music industry professionals have created a sort of standard for how a lyric sheet should look.
When it comes to the professionalism that you want to aim for with lyric sheets, think of it as a resume that you create for your song. You want it to look crisp, clean, and easy to read with the exact information that the reader would require.
The first thing you want to ask yourself when putting together a lyric sheet is who the receiver(s) will be. If you're in need of a way to send your lyrics to a friend or band member, you don't need to be too tied up about how to format your lyric sheet.
If you are, on the other hand, sending your lyric sheet to a music publishing company that is considering your work for commercial use, then you want to make sure you are sending a lyric sheet that is as presentable as it can be.
When you are creating a lyric sheet that will be sent or presented to industry professionals, there are a few rules you want to keep in mind. With these tips, you'll be able to impress the reader with your professionalism (and, hopefully, your amazing lyrics).
You want to keep your font in a legible and standard size that is in easy-to-read fonts. Don't try to take this moment to get fancy with your designs here; the key is in your lyrical content.
You also want to try to keep the lyrics to one page if you can.
To keep things short and simple, you want to avoid repeating lines in the song sheet. If you, for example, write the hook the first time, you can then just add (Chorus) when the chorus comes in again instead of repeating each of the chorus lines.
You also don't need to label each song section to keep things precise. For example, you don't need to have the level (Verse 2) when your second verse comes in. The idea is that your formatting will be clear enough that you don't need the labels.
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For lyric sheets, you can add contact information that can include your email, your phone number, and your street address if it is appropriate to do so. The contact info can be at the very top or at the very bottom of the lyric sheet.
You also want to include the writers’ names, PRO affiliation, and the year of copyright registration if it is applicable to do so and you have the information.
Again, if you're just creating sheets to share with your peers or your friends, there is no need to get into the particulars of the dos.
Some of the things that professionals in the music industry, including staff at BMI, will suggest against in the name of professionalism will be useful in less formal music collaborations.
Don't write your lyric sheet by hand; type it up and keep it neat!
Do make sure your lyric sheet is single-spaced and not double-spaced.
Do not include your tempo or key information, as it is not relevant to this sheet.
Also, do not include chords on your lyrics sheet since that is not relevant to this sheet either.
Do make sure that you've included your contact information in the lyric sheet.
Don't use any artsy fonts or symbols that may distract from the focal point of the sheet.
Do not include the story behind your lyrics on your lyric sheet.
Make sure you do double-check for errors before finalizing your lyric sheet.
As a session singer, writer, and producer that has worked with over 300 clients to provide high-quality jingles, singles, and features, Yona spends her time creating and marketing new music and helpful resources for creators. Check out Yona’s latest releases on her Spotify, her Youtube and share if you like it!
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