The design and content of all music-related infoboxes should follow Wikipedia'sverifiability policy,infobox style guideline andmusic style guideline. While this document may clarify details of their specific application to the infobox, it is primarily concerned with explaining usage and not with matters of Wikipedia policy and style.
This template adds an automatically generatedshort descriptionif the infobox is in the lead section and if there is only one instance of Infobox song in the article[a]. If the automatic short description is not optimal, override it by adding{{Short description}} at the top of the article.
Articles aboutsongs often include aninfobox that provides an overview or summary of the song. Generally, Infobox song is oriented more towards recorded music that has been commercially released. Other infoboxes, such as{{Infobox musical composition}} and{{Infobox anthem}} may be better suited to traditional or historical songs. The examples to the right are the infobox filled in with the most commonly used parameters.
An infobox provideskey facts as discussed in the article—it should not be too detailed or take up too much of the article space. It should only contain items, such as genres or songwriters, that are discussed in the article (or havecitations toreliable sources).
The code below can be copied and completed with information pertaining to particular song articles. The Parameters section provides guidance on using the fields.
The first template code below includes the most commonly used infobox parameters. If there is no information in the article to support the field, leave it blank. Remove the<!-- and--> to use the{{Start date}} and{{Duration}} subtemplates.
The second includes the full set of parameters; most articles will not need many of the fields and they may be left blank or removed. Please note that adding fields other than those listed, such as|arranger= or|recording engineer=, will not be displayed.
Most commonly used parameters
{{Infobox song| name=| cover=<!--just the file name-->| alt=| type=| artist=| album=| B-side=| released=<!--{{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}}-->| recorded=| studio=| genre=<!--do not add unsourced genres-->| length=| label=| writer=<!--for both music and lyrics-->| producer=| prev_title=<!--for a singles chronology-->| prev_year=| next_title=| next_year=}}
Full set of parameters
{{Infobox song| name=| version=<!--when a song is a remix/etc and the infobox needs that disambiguation to be noted-->| cover=<!--just the file name-->| cover_size=| alt=| border=| caption=| type=| artist=| album=| EP=| language=<!--only if not in English-->| English_title=| A-side=| B-side=| written=| published=| released=<!--{{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}}-->| recorded=| studio=| venue=| genre=<!--do not add unsourced genres-->| length=<!--For 2nd & subsequent lengths, use {{Duration|00:00}}-->| label=| writer=<!--for both music and lyrics-->| composer=| lyricist=| producer=| chronology=| prev_title=<!--for a singles chronology-->| prev_year=| prev_version=<!--same as the version param, for the previous song-->| next_title=| next_year=| next_version=<!--same as the version param, for the next song-->| tracks=<!--see "Track listing examples" section for album track listing options-->| misc=<!--for use of {{Extra chronology}}, {{Extra track listing}}, {{Extra album cover}}, {{Audio sample}}, {{External music video}}-->}}
Parameters
name
The title of the song. If not provided, the template uses the{{PAGENAMEBASE}} of the page. Since it is not linked,disambiguation terms, such as"(song)","(Beyoncé song)", etc., are not needed.
Add an image of a sheet music cover, picture sleeve, or other image appropriate for the song. First, one must be uploaded (seeWikipedia:Uploading images for details). Then, enter the file name (without File:) into the field, such as[Image Name].jpg.
alt
Use this field to provide alternative text or a description of the cover image for visually impaired readers. SeeWP:ALT.
caption
If there is an image, a suitable caption may be added that followsMOS:CAPTION (begins with a capital letter, no period at end if it is a sentence fragment, etc.) Please note that if the image isunambiguously a picture sleeve or record label for the release that is described in the infobox, then it is "self-captioning", and no caption needs to be entered in this parameter.
type
Specify "single", "instrumental", "composition", "promo", etc., as shown in the code table below. The entry will be automatically linked to the corresponding article, so only the unlinked code is needed (the default is "song"). This field is used to generate the header and color; please note that it is not used for genre, which is described in the|genre= fields.
A song that is called a "single" by sources, even if the song was not released as part of a single, may be classified as a "single".
If an album track was later released as a single,use the most notable or best known. For example, "Stairway to Heaven" was released as a promo single in several markets and as a digital single in 2007, but became best known as a song from Led Zeppelin's fourth album.
If the article associates the original or primary rendition of the song with one artist, enter the name of the artist and link if they have a WP article. For band names that begin with "The", enter the lower case "the" (|artist=the Beatles, rather than|artist=The Beatles), consistent withMOS:THEMUSIC. For traditional or historical songs, when the focus is not on a particular rendition, this should be left blank (alternatively, consider usingTemplate:Infobox musical composition).
album
If the song was first released on an album, enter the name of the album and link. The template will italicize the album name and produce "from the albumName" in the header. If the song was originally released as a singlewell in advance of the album,|album= should not be used, since it is notfrom the album, but later added to one. For example, "Beck's Bolero" and "Back on the Chain Gang" were released as singles about 16 months before they were added to albums and became well-known before the albums.
EP
If the song was first released on an EP orExtended play, add the EP name in this field. The name will be italicized, etc., and should be used as described in the album subsection above. Please note: only albumor EP should be used and depends on which one was issued first.
language
If the song isnot in English, indicate the language (common languages should not be linked).
English_title
An English translation of the title may be included in this field.
A-side
If the article is about a song that was released as aB-side of a single, enter the name of theA-side and link as appropriate (do not use B-side). Quote marks will be added automatically.[1] For multiple entries, see Notes[2] for details. Fordouble A-sided singles, refer to theChronology for double-A-side singles section below.
B-side
If the article is about the song that was issued as the A-side of a single, enter the name of the B-side in this field (do not add A-side). Add a link if it has an article; quote marks will be automatically added.[1] For multiple entries, see Notes[2] for details. Generally, later releases or in secondary markets, reissues, etc., should only be included in the body of the article.
written
The year the song was written or composed may be added, if discussed in the article. This is usually used for historical songs, written before the advent of sheet music publishing or music recording.
published
The year the song waspublished also may be included, if discussed in the article. This usually refers tosheet music published before the rise of music recording.
released
Indicate the commercial release date, whether it is a single, album, or other. Usually, this is the date that it became widely available to the public, such as in retail. Dates for leaked copies, advance or limited promo releases to radio stations, etc., generally are not used, but may be included in an appropriate section of the main body if noteworthy. For example, album tracks that receive airplay should use the album release date, rather than when they were added to radio. If the same song is later released as an actual single and that becomes the best known (and|type=single is used), indicate the date the single was released. Enter the date using{{Start date}}. For example, use{{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD}} for the complete date,{{Start date|YYYY|MM}} if only year and month are known, or{{Start date|YYYY}} for just a year. For multiple entries, see Notes[2] for details. Generally, later releases or in secondary markets, reissues, on compilations, etc., should only be included in the body of the article.
format
The format parameter has been removed as a result ofa 2020 discussion. Any information entered in|format= will not be displayed.
recorded
Enter the date(s) the song was recorded. When there are many dates, it is best to summarize, using the month or range of months (e.g., January–March 2023). For multiple entries, see Notes[2] for details. Add the location of the recording in the|studio= or|venue= field.
studio
If the song was recorded in arecording studio, enter the name and location. Link the studio, but not well-known cities, states, or countries (seeWP:OVERLINK). Remove "Studios" if it appears in the name – use [[Sound City Studios|Sound City]] rather than [[Sound City Studios]]. For multiple entries, see Notes[2] for details. For "United States" and "United Kingdom", it is preferred that they be abbreviated "US" and "UK", but political subdivisions should never be (never "MA" for "Massachusetts", "ON" for "Ontario", etc.). See Notes[3] for details.
venue
Forlive recordings, include the name of the venue (concert hall, stadium, etc.) and location. Link as appropriate. For "United States" and "United Kingdom", it is preferred that they be abbreviated "US" and "UK", but political subdivisions should never be (never "MA" for "Massachusetts", "ON" for "Ontario", etc.). See Notes[3] for details.
genre
The field should include the music genre(s) that best describes the song. It should come from areliable source and alsobe stated and referenced in the body of the article; personal opinions ororiginal research must not be included. Note that most genres are not proper nouns and should not be capitalized. However, the first word in a list of multiple genres should be capitalized. For multiple entries, see Notes[4] for details.
length
Enter the length of the song in minutes and seconds using a colon to separate the two, such as3:09. Do not use "3 minutes and 9 seconds", 3' 9", etc. If additional lengths are entered, use{{Duration}} for the second and subsequent lengths:{{Duration|3:09}} will produce "3:09". A seconds value must be included; enter "3:00" if the song is timed to three minutes only. The length should be taken from the original album or single release, instead of reissues, downloads, etc. For multiple entries, see Notes[2] for details.
label
The name of therecord company that issued the release may be included here. Generally, add later releases, those from different countries, reissues, etc., in the body of article instead of the infobox. Remove "Records" if it appears in the name – use [[Universal Records|Universal]] instead of [[Universal Records]]. For multiple entries, see Notes[4] for details.
writer
Use this field if themusicandlyrics were written by one person or, in the case of multiple writers, where a separate lyricist and composer have not been clearly identified by areliable source. Do not use this field if the|composer= and|lyricist= fields are used. For multiple entries, see Notes[4] for details.
composer
The person(s) who composed the song'smusic, if different than the lyricist. If not differentiated in the article, use the|writer= field instead. For instrumentals, use this field only (in WP song articles, "song" (music with words) is not usually used to describe an "instrumental"). For multiple entries, see Notes[4] for details.
lyricist
The person(s) who wrote thelyrics, if different than the song's composer. If not differentiated in the article, use the|writer= field instead. For multiple entries, see Notes[4] for details.
producer
Enter the name of the person(s) credited as the actualrecord producer(s). Do not include those listed as executive, co-, additional, vocal, etc., producers, unless a reliable source identifies their contribution as substantially the same as the main producers. These should be included in the article body or track listings rather than be listed here. For multiple entries, see Notes[4] for details.
chronology
This field and the following|prev_title= and|next_title= display the artist's immediate singles chronology. By leaving it blank, "The Artist singles chronology" is automatically displayed if any of the following fields are used. Analternative header may be displayed before the automatically produced "chronology", for example,The Artist American,The Artist UK singles, etc., produces "The Artist American chronology", "The Artist UK singles chronology", etc. Please note: if this field is used and a track listing is also wanted, it must be added using{{Extra track listing}}.
If|chronology= is blank, the first (English) letter of the artist name given in|artist= is automatically capitalized in the chronology header, so that band names starting with "The" appear as recommended in theManual of Style. If the first letter of the artist's name is stylized in lower case, or if the first letter in the artist's name is not part of the English alphabet, enter the artist's name in|chronology= as you wish it to appear. For example:
|artist=letlive. should use|chronology=letlive. for it to also appear there in lower case.
|artist=Édith Piaf should use|chronology=Édith Piaf to prevent the letter "d" (the first English letter) from appearing in upper case.
prev_title
Enter the name of the artist's previous single. Quote marks will be added automatically;[1] link it if there is a WP article. Leave this blank if the artist has no previous single. Fordouble A-sided singles, refer to theChronology for double-A-side singles section below.
prev_year
Enter only the year the previous single was released. Following the WPdate style guidelines, years should not be linked within the chronology section. Leave this field blank if there is no previous single.
prev_version
Same as the version parameter, if the previous song in the chronology requires disambiguation.
next_title
Enter the name of the artist's next single, if applicable. Quote marks will be added automatically;[1] link it if there is a WP article.
next_year
Enter only the year the next single was issued, if applicable.
next_version
Same as the version parameter, if the next song in the chronology requires disambiguation.
tracks
Several track listing options are available. See theTrack listing examples section below for explanations and codes.
Not all infoboxes should include album track listings. Articles about traditional or historical songs might not focus on a particular recording, so details about a later rendition, including album releases, are inappropriate for an infobox. Additionally, there may already be an album track listing with links to other songs in anavigation template ornavbox at the end of the article. These include an album navbox (for example,{{Thriller (album)}}), an artist song navbox ({{Rihanna songs}}), or an artist navbox that includes songs ({{Robert Johnson}}).
An album track listing may be added to infobox song as long as the following criteria are met: 1)the article does not have a navbox in which the song appears; and 2) a majority of the album's songs are linked to WP articles. Currently, three different approaches to listing album tracks are found in infobox song.
If a separate album track listing sub-template has been created, it may be added to the|tracks= of the infobox. Using such a template may be more convenient for multi-disc albums or those with many tracks. A header with the album name will be automatically generated, along with the number of tracks. The song title will not be linked, but will appear inbold.
The example to the right uses{{Astral Weeks track listing}} to demonstrate. To see its use in actual song infobox, click on the song links. Please note, if a singles chronology is also used in the infobox (|prev_title=, etc.),{{Extra track listing}} must be used in the|misc= field (refer to thatTemplate:Extra track listing#Usage for the code and explanation).
A second option does not require a separate album track listing sub-template to be created. Instead, the{{Hidden}} template is placed directly into the infobox in the|tracks= field, then the tracks are listed. This may be copied and added to other songs infoboxes from the same album.
The example to the right uses this approach. To see its use in actual infoboxes, click on the song titles. Also, please note that if a singles chronology is also used in the infobox (|prev_title=, etc.),{{Extra track listing}} must be used in the|misc= field (refer to thatTemplate:Extra track listing#Usage for the code and explanation).
Enter the number of tracks, such as "10 tracks". A header will be generated automatically, for example "That Album track listing".
text
In this field, add the album tracks, using# to generate a sequential numbering. The song titles should be in "quotes", with the article track also inbold. Link any track that has its own WP article, except for when the song is the subject of the article.
For multi-discCDs, subheadings for "Disc one", "Disc two", etc. may be included. Similarly, subheadings such as "Side one" or "Side A" may be added forLP records andEPs. To ensure that the track numbering continues sequentially after a subheading (rather than starting again at "1"), use<li value="x"> where "x"=the next track number.
Enter the name of the second- or flip-side of the current or article title.
chronology
Use this field to provide analternative header to the automatically generated "The Artist singles chronology". EnterThe Artist double A-side singles to display "The Artist double A-side singles chronology", etc.
prev_title
Enter the name of the previous single. If it has a WP article, add a link.
prev_title2
If the previous is a double A-side single, enter the name of the previous single second- or flip-side and link as appropriate.
prev_year
Enter only the year the previous single was released.
title2
If it is a double A-side single, enter the name of the second- or flip-side of current or article title. (The current or article title with be automatically generated with quotes and in bold and will appear as the first of the two; the year is also generated from the|released= year date.)
next_title
Enter the name of the next single. If it has a article, add a link.
next_title2
Enter the name of the second-or flip side of next-single, if it is a double-A. Link as appropriate.
next_year
Enter only the year the next single was released.
Notes
^abcdIf any details besides the actual song title (country, etc.) are added, quote marks need to be added manually to the song title. Additionally, for|A-side= and|B-side=, quote marks need to be added for each title if there is more than one.
^abcdef For multiple entries, format the items as a normal bulleted list; don't use other list templates or <br/>. For example:
| studio =*First item*Second item*Third item
will be displayed as a vertical unbulleted list:
Studio
First item
Second item
Third item
^abAs per RfC "Naming countries in infoboxes": When identifying a location, city or region in the United States or United Kingdom, the preferred approach is to use the country abbreviations allowed byMOS:ACRO, such as "Portsmouth, New Hampshire, US" and "Cardiff, Wales, UK", rather than spelling out the full country name. Avoid using abbreviations for states or provinces in all nations.New Hampshire rather thanNH,New South Wales rather thanNSW, orBritish Columbia rather thanBC (seeMOS:POSTABBR). Cities such as New York City and London may be rendered as "New York City, US" and "London, UK" or simply "New York City" and "London". Also, these should not be linked when the context makes it clear (seeMOS:OVERLINK). If only the country name is included, it may be written out in full.
^abcdefFor short horizontal lists of two or three items, comma separators are acceptable, but for longer lists, format the items as a normal bulleted list; don't use other list templates or <br/>. For example:
| genre =*Item one*Item two*Item three
will be displayed as a horizontal list separated by middots:
Genre
Item one
Item two
Item three
Short description
This template generates an automatic short description of the formYYYY [type] by [artist] under certain conditions, when it appears once in an article in the lead,|artist= is defined, andpublication date(P577) is defined on Wikidata. A manually entered short description will override the automatic one. If an article can generate a satisfactory automatic description, any preexisting manual description may be deleted.
The name of the album on which the song originally appeared.
String
optional
EP
EP
The name of the EP on which the song originally appeared. Only use album or EP; both will not be displayed.
String
optional
Language
language
Only if the song is not in English, indicate the language.
String
optional
English title
English_title
The English translation of the name of the song, if it is in another language.
Line
optional
A-side
A-side
For singles: the name of A-side of the current or title single.
String
optional
B-side
B-side
For singles: the name of the B-side of the current or title single. Only one of the fields 'A-side' or 'B-side' should be used.
String
optional
Written (date)
written
The date the song was written; this is usually used for songs created before music publishing or recording
Date
optional
Published (date)
published
The date the song was published; this is usually used for songs created before the rise of music recording
Date
optional
Released (date)
released
For recorded music: The earliest known date of commercial release, using a single occurrence, using {{Start date}}. For April 1, 2015, enter {{Start date|2015|04|01}}.
Date
optional
Recorded (date)
recorded
The date(s) the song was recorded.
Date
optional
Studio
studio
If the song was recorded in a recording studio, enter the name and location.
String
optional
Venue
venue
For live recordings, include the name of the venue (concert hall, stadium, etc.) and location.
String
optional
Genre
genre
The genre(s) that best describes the song. This must not be original research, and should be stated and referenced in the article.
String
suggested
Length
length
The length of the song, using {{Duration}}. To display 3 minutes 45 seconds as 3:45, enter {{Duration|m=3|s=45}}.
Number
optional
Label
label
The record company label which originally released the recording. Releases in other territories, different formats, reissues, etc., should be included in the body of the article, not in this field.
String
optional
Songwriter/Writer
writer
The name of the person(s) credited with writing both the music and lyrics for the song. Where a separate lyricist and composer have been clearly identified by a reliable source, use the "composer" and "lyricist" fields instead.
String
optional
Composer
composer
The name of the person(s) who composed the song's music, if different than the lyricist. If not differentiated in the article, use the "songwriter/writer" field instead.
String
optional
Lyricist
lyricist
The person(s) who wrote the lyrics, if different than the song's composer. If not differentiated in the article, use the "songwriter/writer" field instead.
String
optional
Producer
producer
The person(s) who is credited with the record production.
String
optional
Chronology (artist)
chronology
For singles: Replacement of artist's name for the chronology section.
String
optional
Prev_title
prev_title
The name of the previous single in the artist's chronolgy.
String
optional
Previous concurrent
prev_concurrent
The name of the previous single in the artist's chronology, if it was released as a dual single.
String
optional
Prev_version
prev_version
no description
Line
optional
Prev_title2
prev_title2
The name of the previous single in the artist's chronolgy.
String
optional
Prev_year
prev_year
The year of the previous single in the artist's chronology.
Number
optional
Title
title
The name of the current or subject single.
String
optional
Title2
title2
For a double A-side single: the name of the second or flip-side of the current single in the artist's chronology.
String
optional
Concurrent title
concurrent_title
The name of the other single in the artist's chronology, if this was released as a dual single.
String
optional
Year
year
To change the automatically generated year: the year of the single in the artist's chronology.
Number
optional
Next_title
next_title
The name of the next single in the artist's chronology.
String
optional
Next concurrent
next_concurrent
The name of the next single in the artist's chronology, if it was released as a dual single.
String
optional
Next_version
next_version
no description
Line
optional
Next_title2
next_title2
For a double A-side single: the name of the second- or flip-side of the next single.
String
optional
Next_year
next_year
The year of the next single in the artist's chronology.
Number
optional
Tracks
tracks
To add a full-album track listing.
String
optional
Misc
misc
To add extra subtemplates, such as {{Extra chronology}}, {{Extra track listing}}, {{Extra album cover}}, {{Audio sample}}, etc.
