Google adds song lyrics to search results
And a new revenue stream for artists.
Looking to capitalize on the constant stream of people trying to figure out how does that song go again?, Google unveiled a new featured placement for song lyrics Monday. So, the next time you google the lyrics for "Total Eclipse of the Heart," Bonnie Tyler's beautiful words will appear directly in your search results. The new feature is part of a multi-year licensing deal with Toronto company LyricFind, Billboard reports, and will actually result in a new source of income for musicians and publishers.
The new lyrics cards rolled out to users in the US today, although the deal with LyricFind reportedly includes international licensing as well. While the deal terms weren't made public, LyricFind CEO and co-founder Darryl Ballantyne thinks it will be "a significant revenue stream" that could amount to millions for music publishers and songwriters.
"It's all based on usage," Ballantyne told Billboard. "Royalties are paid based on the number of times a lyric is viewed. The more it's viewed, the more publishers get paid."
For users, this means you no longer have to click through to a third-party site to get the proper lyrics on that new Bieber song. Google, meanwhile, gets to legitimize lyrics search, which has long been dominated by bootleg sites that capture advertising revenue whether or not they are licensed to reprint the lyrics themselves. And, of course, Google will also profit from the partnership — every snippet card in search results gets a link to the full lyrics on Google Play where users can also buy the song or start a free radio station.
