Template:Infobox song

This template defines the table "songs". View table.

File:Test Template Info-Icon - Version (2).svg Template documentation[view] [edit] [history] [purge]

Articles about songs often include an infobox 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 provides key 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 have citations to reliable 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.

Code

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

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="overflow:auto;"> </syntaxhighlight>

Full set of parameters

<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext" style="overflow:auto;"> </syntaxhighlight>

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.

version

The version of the song. This is used for infoboxes on remixes, such as at Save Your Tears § Ariana Grande remix.

cover

Add an image of a sheet music cover, picture sleeve, or other image appropriate for the song. First, one must be uploaded (see Wikipedia: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. See WP:ALT.

caption

If there is an image, a suitable caption may be added that follows MOS:CAPTION (begins with a capital letter, no period at end if it is a sentence fragment, etc.) Please note that if the image is unambiguously 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.

Code	Color	Link	Display
single	khaki	Single	Single by artist
song	#E6E8FA	Song	Song by artist
promo	#E6E8FA	Promotional single	Promotional single by artist
demo	#E6E8FA	Demo	Demo by artist
remix single	#E6E8FA	Remix	Remix by artist
instrumental	#E6E8FA	Instrumental	Instrumental by artist
composition	#E6E8FA	Composition	Composition by artist
hymn	#E6E8FA	Hymn	Hymn by artist
nursery	#E6E8FA	Nursery rhyme	Nursery rhyme by artist
other	#E6E8FA	other	other by artist

artist

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 with MOS:THEMUSIC. For traditional or historical songs, when the focus is not on a particular rendition, this should be left blank (alternatively, consider using Template: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 album Name" in the header. If the song was originally released as a single well in advance of the album, |album= should not be used, since it is not from 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 or Extended 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 album or EP should be used and depends on which one was issued first.

language

If the song is not 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 a B-side of a single, enter the name of the A-side and link as appropriate (do not use B-side). Quote marks will be added automatically.<ref name="quotes" group=""></ref> For multiple entries, see Notes<ref name="plainlist" group=""></ref> for details. For double A-sided singles, refer to the Chronology 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.<ref name="quotes" group=""></ref> For multiple entries, see Notes<ref name="plainlist" group=""></ref> 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 was published also may be included, if discussed in the article. This usually refers to sheet 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<ref name="plainlist" group=""></ref> 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 of a 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<ref name="plainlist" group=""></ref> for details. Add the location of the recording in the |studio= or |venue= field.

studio

If the song was recorded in a recording studio, enter the name and location. Link the studio, but not well-known cities, states, or countries (see WP: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<ref name="plainlist" group=""></ref> 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<ref name="location" group=""></ref> for details.

venue

For live 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<ref name="location" group=""></ref> for details.

genre

The field should include the music genre(s) that best describes the song. It should come from a reliable source and also be stated and referenced in the body of the article; personal opinions or original 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<ref name="flatlist" group=""></ref> for details.

length

Enter the length of the song in minutes and seconds using a colon to separate the two, such as 3:09. 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<ref name="plainlist" group=""></ref> for details.

label

The name of the record 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<ref name="flatlist" group=""></ref> for details.

writer

Use this field if the music and lyrics were written by one person or, in the case of multiple writers, where a separate lyricist and composer have not been clearly identified by a reliable source. Do not use this field if the |composer= and |lyricist= fields are used. For multiple entries, see Notes<ref name="flatlist" group=""></ref> for details.

composer

The person(s) who composed the song's music, 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<ref name="flatlist" group=""></ref> for details.

lyricist

The person(s) who wrote the lyrics, if different than the song's composer. If not differentiated in the article, use the |writer= field instead. For multiple entries, see Notes<ref name="flatlist" group=""></ref> for details.

producer

Enter the name of the person(s) credited as the actual record 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<ref name="flatlist" group=""></ref> 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. An alternative 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 the Manual 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;<ref name="quotes" group=""></ref> link it if there is a WP article. Leave this blank if the artist has no previous single. For double A-sided singles, refer to the Chronology for double-A-side singles section below.

prev_year

Enter only the year the previous single was released. Following the WP date 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;<ref name="quotes" group=""></ref> 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 the Track listing examples section below for explanations and codes.

misc

This is not a space for miscellaneous information or comments. It allows for the use of subtemplates, including {{Extra chronology}}, {{Extra track listing}}, {{Extra album cover}}, {{Audio sample}}, and {{External music video}}. Please refer to the template pages for explanations on their use.

Track listing examples

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 a navigation template or navbox 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.

Track listing using a separate sub-template

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 in bold.

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 that Template:Extra track listing#Usage for the code and explanation).

Track listing using the hidden template

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 that Template:Extra track listing#Usage for the code and explanation).

Code <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">{{Infobox song ...

| tracks =

3. etc.

</syntaxhighlight>

title

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 in bold. Link any track that has its own WP article, except for when the song is the subject of the article.

For multi-disc CDs, subheadings for "Disc one", "Disc two", etc. may be included. Similarly, subheadings such as "Side one" or "Side A" may be added for LP records and EPs. 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.

Code <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">{{Infobox song ...

| tracks =

Disc one

3. etc.

Disc two

5. etc.

</syntaxhighlight>

Chronology for double-A-side singles

Code: <syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext">{{Infobox song ... | A-side = | chronology = | prev_title = | prev_title2 = | prev_year = | title2 = | next_title = | next_title2 = | next_year = }} </syntaxhighlight>

A-side

Enter the name of the second- or flip-side of the current or article title.

chronology

Use this field to provide an alternative header to the automatically generated "The Artist singles chronology". Enter The 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

<div class="reflist reflist-columns references-column-width " style="column-width: Studio   ;"> <references group="" responsive="0"><ref name="quotes">If 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. </ref>

<ref name="plainlist"> For multiple entries, format the items as a normal bulleted list; don't use other list templates or <br/>. For example:<syntaxhighlight lang="wikitext"></references>

Short description

This template generates an automatic short description of the form YYYY [type] by [artist] under certain conditions, when it appears once in an article in the lead, |artist= is defined, and (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.

TemplateData

TemplateData documentation used by VisualEditor and other tools

See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Infobox song in articles based on its TemplateData. TemplateData for Infobox song An infobox for songs Template parameters This template has custom formatting. Parameter Description Type Status Name name The name or title of the song. Default (PAGENAME) String required Version version no description Line optional Cover cover image An appropriate image, such as a sheet music or single picture sleeve cover. Example A file name, without the File: <NAME.jpg> File optional Cover_size cover_size no description Number deprecated Cover_upright cover_upright no description Number optional Alt alt Alternative text for the cover image, to describe it to visually impaired readers. Line optional Border border Set to yes to put a 1 pixel border around the image. Suggested values yes Auto value yes Line optional Caption caption Caption for the image; this will overwrite automatically generated <"Song" cover> when a file is added to the "caption" field Example Sheet music cover, 1920. String optional Type type Specify "song", "single", "Instrumental", "Composition", etc. This generates the header and color. Suggested values single song promo demo remix single instrumental composition hymn nursery Line suggested Artist artist The name of the artist. String suggested Album album 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. String optional

See also

• Wikipedia:WikiProject Songs
• {{Infobox album}}
• {{Single chart}}

Notes

The above documentation is transcluded from Template:Infobox song/doc. (edit | history)
Editors can experiment in this template's sandbox (create | mirror) and testcases (create) pages.
Add categories to the /doc subpage. Subpages of this template.