The lyrics & metadata checklist for music distribution

Distribution runs on deadlines and clean metadata. The lyric is not an afterthought — it feeds synced display on DSPs, explicit tagging, publishing registration and sync opportunities later. Here is the checklist distribution teams use to get lyrics release-ready, especially for Spanish and Portuguese catalogs.

1. Accurate, structured lyrics

A wall of text is not deliverable. You want sections labeled, ad-libs separated from the main line, and the regional slang intact rather than normalized. For Latin catalogs, dialect tuning is the difference between a lyric sheet that reads right and one your team has to rewrite by hand.

2. Synced (LRC) lyrics where platforms support it

Several platforms display time-synced lyrics. A timestamped LRC export means you can deliver synced display without a separate manual pass. Build it into the transcription step, not after.

3. Explicit-content review

Explicit tagging affects placement and playlisting. An assistive explicit-content suggestion speeds up review by flagging likely cases — but the final tag is a human decision your team owns. Treat any automated flag as a review aid, not a compliance determination.

4. Confidence flags for fast QA

At catalog scale you cannot re-listen to everything. Per-line confidence lets your team review only the lines the model is unsure about, which is what makes batch delivery realistic.

5. The right exports for each downstream system

• Clean lyric sheet (TXT) for briefs and publishing.
• Timestamped LRC for synced display.
• Catalog/distribution metadata for delivery.