Template:Infobox song
 | This template is used on approximately 79,000 pages and changes may be widely noticed. Test changes in the template's /sandbox or /testcases subpages, or in your own user subpage. Consider discussing changes on the talk page before implementing them. |
 | The design and content of all music-related infoboxes should follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy, infobox style guideline and music 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 generated short description. If the automatic short description is not optimal, replace it by adding {{Short description}} at the top of the article. |
 | This template uses Lua: |
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | “{{{Name}}}” | ||
|---|---|---|
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | Song | ||
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | “{{{Name}}}” | ||
|---|---|---|
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | Song | ||
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
{{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 =
| 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 =
| next_title =
| next_year =
| 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.
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 |
|
|
| song | #E6E8FA | Song |
|
|
| promo | #E6E8FA | Promotional single |
|
|
| demo | #E6E8FA | Demo |
|
|
| remix single | #E6E8FA | Remix |
|
|
| instrumental | #E6E8FA | Instrumental |
|
|
| composition | #E6E8FA | Composition |
|
|
| hymn | #E6E8FA | Hymn |
|
|
| nursery | #E6E8FA | Nursery rhyme |
|
|
| other | #E6E8FA | other |
|
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.[1] For multiple entries, see Notes[2] 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.[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 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[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 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 2024). 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 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[2] for details. For "United States" and "United Kingdom", it is preferred that they be abbreviated "U.S." and "UK", but political subdivisions should never be (never "MA" for "Massachusetts", "ON" for "Ontario", etc.). See Notes[3] 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 "U.S." 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 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[4] 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[2] 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[4] 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[4] 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[4] 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[4] 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[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. 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 Piafshould use|chronology=Édith Piafto 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. 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.
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.
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
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | “{{{Name}}}” | ||
|---|---|---|
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | 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 in bold.
The example to the right uses {{Rumours tracks}} 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).
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | “{{{Name}}}” | ||
|---|---|---|
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | Song | ||
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
{{Infobox song
...
| tracks = {{Hidden
| title =
| text =
#
#
# etc.
}}
- 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
{{Infobox song
...
| tracks = {{Hidden
| title =
| text =
'''Disc one'''
#
#
# etc.
'''Disc two'''
#<li value=>
#
#
# etc.
}}
Chronology for double-A-side singles
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | “{{{Name}}}” | ||
|---|---|---|
| colspan="3" scope="col" style="background: Template:Infobox Song/color;" | Song | ||
Code:
{{Infobox song
...
| A-side =
| chronology =
| prev_title =
| prev_title2 =
| prev_year =
| title2 =
| next_title =
| next_title2 =
| next_year =
}}
- 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 singlesto 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
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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. - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 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
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 As 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 by MOS:ACRO, such as "Portsmouth, New Hampshire, U.S." 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 than NH, New South Wales rather than NSW, or British Columbia rather than BC (see MOS:POSTABBR). Cities such as New York City and London may be rendered as "New York City, U.S." and "London, UK" or simply "New York City" and "London". Also, these should not be linked when the context makes it clear (see MOS:OVERLINK). If only the country name is included, it may be written out in full.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 For 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 form YYYY [type] by [artist]
under certain conditions, when it appears once in an article in the lead, |artist= is defined, and Lua error in Module:Wikibase at line 40: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). (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
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See a monthly parameter usage report for Template:Infobox song in articles based on its TemplateData.
TemplateData for Infobox song An infobox for songs
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Tracking categories
- Category:Pages using infobox song with deprecated parameters (0)
- Category:Pages using infobox song with unknown parameters (0)
- Category:Infobox song with A-side or B-side quote formatting fix needed (0)
- Category:Song articles with missing songwriters (0)
- Category:Song articles with both composer and songwriter (0)
- Category:Song articles with both lyricist and songwriter (0)
- Category:Song articles with lyricist but not composer (0)
- Category:Music infoboxes with unknown value for type (0)
- Category:Music infoboxes with malformed table placement (0)
- Category:Music infoboxes with Module:String errors (0)
- Category:Duration without hAudio microformat (0)