Lyrics and copyright: what you can share

Lyrics are their own copyright

A song usually contains at least two copyrights: the composition (words and melody) and the sound recording. The lyrics page on this site is a reference for listeners, not a public-domain text dump. The words are protected even when the stream is free to hear.

That means you can listen, quote a short line in a review with attribution, and link to the page. You cannot copy the full lyric into another site, print it on merchandise, or include it in a commercial product without permission.

What is usually fine

• Quoting a line or two in a review, essay, or classroom discussion, with attribution.
• Linking to the lyric page instead of copying it.
• Singing along, performing privately, or using the words in a personal notebook.
• Discussing the meaning, structure, or imagery without reproducing the whole text.

What needs permission

• Republishing a full lyric on another website or app.
• Printing lyrics on merchandise, posters, or packaging for sale.
• Using lyrics in a video, podcast, game, or ad (sync and commercial use).
• Feeding the lyrics into a commercial model or dataset for resale.

Sync, samples, and AI

A sync license is the permission to pair music or lyrics with moving images. It is separate from listening and separate from mechanical reproduction. If you want to use a track in a video, ask before you publish, even if the video is free.

AI training is its own permission question. A public stream is not a license to train a commercial model on the catalog and sell a derivative. If you are researching or building a personal tool, say so and ask; the answer may still be no, but the request is the honest starting point.

How to request permission

Email excavationstation@gmail.com with the track title, the intended use, the platform, and whether money is involved. A clear request gets a clear answer faster than a vague one. If the use is commercial, include a timeline.

If you are unsure whether your use is personal or commercial, describe it plainly. The terms and the streams vs masters guide explain the listening license; this page is about the words.

How to credit a lyric properly

A useful credit names the song, the recording artist, the songwriter if different, and the source you are quoting from. For a review, a format like “‘line’ from ‘Title’ by Excavationpro, from the asiancoastline.com lyric page” is enough. The link matters: it lets a reader check the context instead of trusting a screenshot.

Common mistakes are easy to avoid. Do not attribute a lyric to the wrong artist because a cover version is more famous. Do not present a paraphrase as an exact quote. Do not strip the songwriter credit when the composition and the recording have different owners. Do not use a lyric as a headline if the line is the whole hook and the article is commercial.

If you are unsure, quote less and link more. A short, accurate quotation with a working link is better than a full reproduction with a vague credit.

What about public-domain lyrics?

Some older songs are in the public domain, but the recording of them may still be protected. A public-domain lyric does not automatically make a specific recording free to use. Check the composition and the recording separately; the streams vs masters guide explains why those are different objects.

For modern catalog music, assume the lyric is protected until you have a written reason to think otherwise. That assumption is boring, and it keeps you out of the most common copyright mistake.

If you need a longer excerpt for a classroom or a private study group, keep it inside that setting and cite the source. Publishing the same excerpt on a public site is a different use with a different answer.