How to Add Song Credits to Genius by Genius Lyrics
What Are Credits?Credits are the list of performers who participated in the creation of a song. We break credits down into the following categories:
Artist: The Artist credit is attributed to the artist(s) who the song was released by. Credits on Genius should be listed in accordance to how the song is listed on streaming services, preferably Apple Music. If the primary artist listed on streaming services is a list of multiple artists (Migos, Nicki Minaj & Cardi B's "MotorSport" for example), group the artists together in the "Artist" field, then create an additional "Primary Artists" additional role with the artists listed out individually.
One exception to this rule is for supergroups — two or more artists that come together to release under an alias. These are often listed on streaming as the group name along with the members all as one primary artist (for example: KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Kanye West & Kid Cudi). To simplify this, only use the group name.
Writers: The writer song credit is attributed to the artists who wrote the song—this includes both the artists who composed the music and those that wrote the lyrics.
Featured Artists: Featured artists are guest artists that substantially contribute to a song—usually through vocals and songwriting.
Producers: Producers handle the composition of music—in hip-hop they're generally the person(s) who made the beat.
Additional Credits: This field covers all other artists who contributed to the song—this includes artists who played specific instruments, handled various forms of engineering, etc.When Should/Shouldn't You Add Credits?Song credits should ONLY be added to Genius once they've officially been released. This means:You shouldn't make assumptions for any credit fieldsYou should be able to provide a reputable source for the credits you addCredits should never be added to certain song pages, in order to prevent those pages from appearing in artist discographies on Genius. Don't add song credits to:Translation/Romanization pagesFan-Made MashupsUnofficial RemixesUnofficially Released CoversHow to Find CreditsLiner Notes: Liner notes are the credits that come in the sleeve of a physical album. They can also sometimes be found in the booklets that come with the purchase of a digital album.
Performance Rights Organizations: A Performance Rights Organization (P.R.O. for short) is an organization that helps an artist collect public performance royalties. For writers to collect money from their P.R.O., they have to register songs they took part in —> How to find P.R.O. credits
Streaming Services: Streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL offer song credits within their metadata —> How to find credits on streaming services
Social Media: Sometimes the primary artist of a song/other reputable sources will mention a song's writers on social media. These credits are okay to use as long as the source is reputable.
Other Websites: Reputable song credit sites like AllMusic and Discogs are okay to source from. Crowdsourced sites like Wikipedia can serve as a reference but require additional confirmation.Additional Role StandardizationsSince different sources list credits differently, we’ve created our own set of standardized additional roles. When adding credits from official sources, refer to this guide to find the right standardized title to use. Note that this list of credits only lists the credits we’ve found to be most-used. If the credit you’re attempting to add isn’t listed here, use your best judgement or reach out to streetlights for further assistance. When adding these credits, keep in mind that all roles should be listed individually.
Writing RolesWritten By*ComposerLyricistTranslatorProduction RolesProduced By*Co-ProducerExecutive ProducerVocal ProducerAdditional ProductionProgrammerDrum ProgrammerArrangerStudio RolesMixing EngineerMastering EngineerRecording EngineerEngineerAssistant Mixing EngineerAssistant Mastering EngineerAssistant Recording EngineerAssistant EngineerStudio PersonnelAdditional MixingAdditional MasteringAdditional RecordingAdditional EngineeringPreparerVocal RolesVocalsLead VocalsBackground VocalsAdditional VocalsChoirAd-LibsLabel / Publishing RolesLabelPublisherDistributorCopyright ©Phonographic Copyright ℗ManufacturerInstrumental RolesGuitarBass GuitarAcoustic GuitarElectric GuitarRhythm GuitarCelloDrumsBassKeyboardsPercussionPianoViolinOrganSynthesizerStringsTrumpetViolaSaxophoneTromboneScratchesInstrumentationLocationsRecorded At*Mastered AtMixed AtArtwork CreditsArtworkArt DirectionGraphic DesignIllustrationLayoutPhotographyVideo Credits
Video Credits should always be written in the following format: “Video” + “Role Title.” Examples:Video DirectorVideo ProducerVideo Director of PhotographyVideo CinematographerVideo Digital Imaging TechnicianVideo Camera OperatorNote that video cameos should NEVER be included as an additional role. Instead, list those names in the Q+A section.
Album Roles
Album Roles are roles that should be placed on album pages rather than the songs on the album.Executive ProducerAll Artwork CreditsA&R
Artist: The Artist credit is attributed to the artist(s) who the song was released by. Credits on Genius should be listed in accordance to how the song is listed on streaming services, preferably Apple Music. If the primary artist listed on streaming services is a list of multiple artists (Migos, Nicki Minaj & Cardi B's "MotorSport" for example), group the artists together in the "Artist" field, then create an additional "Primary Artists" additional role with the artists listed out individually.
One exception to this rule is for supergroups — two or more artists that come together to release under an alias. These are often listed on streaming as the group name along with the members all as one primary artist (for example: KIDS SEE GHOSTS, Kanye West & Kid Cudi). To simplify this, only use the group name.
Writers: The writer song credit is attributed to the artists who wrote the song—this includes both the artists who composed the music and those that wrote the lyrics.
Featured Artists: Featured artists are guest artists that substantially contribute to a song—usually through vocals and songwriting.
Producers: Producers handle the composition of music—in hip-hop they're generally the person(s) who made the beat.
Additional Credits: This field covers all other artists who contributed to the song—this includes artists who played specific instruments, handled various forms of engineering, etc.When Should/Shouldn't You Add Credits?Song credits should ONLY be added to Genius once they've officially been released. This means:You shouldn't make assumptions for any credit fieldsYou should be able to provide a reputable source for the credits you addCredits should never be added to certain song pages, in order to prevent those pages from appearing in artist discographies on Genius. Don't add song credits to:Translation/Romanization pagesFan-Made MashupsUnofficial RemixesUnofficially Released CoversHow to Find CreditsLiner Notes: Liner notes are the credits that come in the sleeve of a physical album. They can also sometimes be found in the booklets that come with the purchase of a digital album.
Performance Rights Organizations: A Performance Rights Organization (P.R.O. for short) is an organization that helps an artist collect public performance royalties. For writers to collect money from their P.R.O., they have to register songs they took part in —> How to find P.R.O. credits
Streaming Services: Streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music, and TIDAL offer song credits within their metadata —> How to find credits on streaming services
Social Media: Sometimes the primary artist of a song/other reputable sources will mention a song's writers on social media. These credits are okay to use as long as the source is reputable.
Other Websites: Reputable song credit sites like AllMusic and Discogs are okay to source from. Crowdsourced sites like Wikipedia can serve as a reference but require additional confirmation.Additional Role StandardizationsSince different sources list credits differently, we’ve created our own set of standardized additional roles. When adding credits from official sources, refer to this guide to find the right standardized title to use. Note that this list of credits only lists the credits we’ve found to be most-used. If the credit you’re attempting to add isn’t listed here, use your best judgement or reach out to streetlights for further assistance. When adding these credits, keep in mind that all roles should be listed individually.
Writing RolesWritten By*ComposerLyricistTranslatorProduction RolesProduced By*Co-ProducerExecutive ProducerVocal ProducerAdditional ProductionProgrammerDrum ProgrammerArrangerStudio RolesMixing EngineerMastering EngineerRecording EngineerEngineerAssistant Mixing EngineerAssistant Mastering EngineerAssistant Recording EngineerAssistant EngineerStudio PersonnelAdditional MixingAdditional MasteringAdditional RecordingAdditional EngineeringPreparerVocal RolesVocalsLead VocalsBackground VocalsAdditional VocalsChoirAd-LibsLabel / Publishing RolesLabelPublisherDistributorCopyright ©Phonographic Copyright ℗ManufacturerInstrumental RolesGuitarBass GuitarAcoustic GuitarElectric GuitarRhythm GuitarCelloDrumsBassKeyboardsPercussionPianoViolinOrganSynthesizerStringsTrumpetViolaSaxophoneTromboneScratchesInstrumentationLocationsRecorded At*Mastered AtMixed AtArtwork CreditsArtworkArt DirectionGraphic DesignIllustrationLayoutPhotographyVideo Credits
Video Credits should always be written in the following format: “Video” + “Role Title.” Examples:Video DirectorVideo ProducerVideo Director of PhotographyVideo CinematographerVideo Digital Imaging TechnicianVideo Camera OperatorNote that video cameos should NEVER be included as an additional role. Instead, list those names in the Q+A section.
Album Roles
Album Roles are roles that should be placed on album pages rather than the songs on the album.Executive ProducerAll Artwork CreditsA&R