Help:Contents/Editing/Formatting/Artists

To help give users a consistent experience on the site, this page will outline the standard format for an Artist page. Additional notes relating to Japanese artists can be found at Help:Contents/Editing/Formatting/Artists/Japanese.

Conventions

There are a few practices which have become standards on LyricWiki, some involving page titles and some involving layout.

Title Guidelines

Capitalize the first letter of every word in the artist's name, the album's name and the song's name. (For more information about LyricWiki's page naming guidelines: Page Names)
For artists with names in non-latin based scripts, use the artist's native name followed by a space, then insert the romanized version of the name in parenthesis (with given name first and family name last).
To assist other users in locating the artist's page, pages should at the same time be created under alternative versions of the artist's name and redirects placed upon those pages directing to the correctly titled page. For example, 中島みゆき,Nakajima Miyuki and Miyuki Nakajima are simply pages which redirect the user to the correctly titled page: 中島みゆき (Miyuki Nakajima). See Help:Redirect for further details.

Artist Page Format

The Artist page consists of four major sections:

{{ArtistHeader}} (which includes the following:)
1. Wikipedia link (optional)
2. Official Site link (optional)
3. MySpace link (optional)
4. Hometown information (optional)
5. Artist image (optional)
List of albums and their songs
Artist information (which includes the following:)
1. Information about the artist (optional)
2. Listing of a musical group's members (optional)
3. Related artists list (optional)
4. Genre information (optional)
5. Label information (optional)
{{ArtistFooter}}

Generic Template

The following is a generic template of how the Artist page is formatted with some optional parameters. Replace the sections in <<>> with the correct information and remove the <<>> completely.

{{ArtistHeader
|star         = <<Colour>>
|officialSite = <<Website address - full URL>>
|myspace      = <<MySpace site ID>>
|wikipedia    = <<Wikipedia article title>>
|country      = <<Country>>
|state        = <<Region within the country>>
|hometown     = <<City or town>>
|pic          = <<Picture of artist>>
}}

== [[<<Artist Name>>:<<Album Title #1>> (<<YEAR>>)|<<Album Title #1>> (<<YEAR>>)]] ==
{{Album Art|<<Artist Name>> - <<Album Title #1>>.jpg|<<Album Title #1>>}}
# '''[[<<Artist Name>>:<<Song Title #1>>|<<Song Title #1>>]]'''
# '''[[<<Artist Name>>:<<Song Title #2>>|<<Song Title #2>>]]'''
# '''[[<<Artist Name>>:<<Song Title #3>>|<<Song Title #3>>]]'''
{{clear}}

== [[<<Artist Name>>:<<Album Title #2>> (<<YEAR>>)|<<Album Title #2>> (<<YEAR>>)]] ==
{{Album Art|<<Artist Name>> - <<Album Title #2>>.jpg|<<Album Title #2>>}}
# '''[[<<Artist Name>>:<<Song Title #1>>|<<Song Title #1>>]]'''
# '''[[<<Artist Name>>:<<Song Title #2>>|<<Song Title #2>>]]'''
# '''[[<<Artist Name>>:<<Song Title #3>>|<<Song Title #3>>]]'''
{{clear}}

== Group Members ==
{{H4|Current Members}}
* <<Member 1>> – <<Instruments played>> (<<Membership years>>)
* <<Member 2>> – <<Instruments played>> (<<Membership years>>)
{{H4|Former Members}}
* <<Former Member 1>> – <<Instruments played>> (<<Membership years>>)
* <<Former Member 2>> – <<Instruments played>> (<<Membership years>>)

{{RelatedArtists|<<First Related Artist>>|<<Second Related Artist>>}}
{{Genres|<<Main Genre>>|<<Another Genre>>|<<Yet Another Genre>>}}
{{Labels|<<Label>|<<Another Label>>}}

{{ArtistFooter
|fLetter     = <<Initial letter of the artist's name>>
|akuma       = <<Artist ID>>
|iTunes      = <<Artist ID>>
|allmusic    = <<Artist ID>>
|discogs     = <<Artist ID>>
|musicbrainz = <<Artist ID>>
|asin        = <<Artist ID>>
|lrcDB       = <<Artist ID>>
}}

"Helper" Example

{{ArtistHeader
|star         = Green
|officialSite = http://helpersite.com/
|myspace      = helperofficial
|wikipedia    = Helper (band)
|country      = United States
|state        = Nevada
|hometown     = Las Vegas
|pic          = Helper.jpg
}}

== [[Helper:Others (2001)|Others (2001)]] ==
{{Album Art|Helper - Others.jpg|Others}}
# '''[[Helper:Song One|Song One]]'''
# '''[[Helper:Song Two|Song Two]]'''
{{clear}}

== [[Helper:Save Me (2003)|Save Me (2003)]] ==
{{Album Art|Helper - Save Me.jpg|Save Me}}
# '''[[Helper:Save Me|Save Me]]'''
# '''[[Helper:Help|Help]]'''
{{clear}}

== Artist Information ==
This group is a fictional group for illustrative purposes only.

== Group Members ==
{{H4|Current Members}}
* George Helper – Guitar, keyboards (2005–current)
* Greta Helper – Bass guitar (2005–present)
* Henry Helper – Drums (2005–present)
{{H4|Former Members}}
* John Helper – Saxophone (2005)
* George Helper, Jr. – Tuba (2005)

{{RelatedArtists|The WTFs|The ZoomQuilts}}
{{Genres|Jazz|Ragtime|Pop}}
{{Labels|Columbia|Warner Brothers}}

{{ArtistFooter
|fLetter     = H
|akuma       = p289573
|iTunes      = 3949650
|allmusic    = 11:gnfuxq8hldae
|discogs     = Helper
|musicbrainz = 93b92c06-957f-416a-8de4-2907ca4e2cad
|asin        = 
}}

At the top of artists' pages, we use the template {{ArtistHeader}} or {{Collaboration}} (see below). Although all the parameters in the {{ArtistHeader}} are optional (see template page for complete list), these parameters help to categorize the artist and should therefore be completed. The most commonly used parameters are as follows:

Artist and romanizedArtist

If the pagename is different from the actual artist's name due to our page naming policy, the actual name can be specified using the artist parameter. This name will be used for the search links in the "External links" section at the bottom.

If the artist's name is in a non-Latin alphabet, the romanizedArtist parameter can be used to specify the romanized name. In this case, the artist parameter should be used as well, and should only contain the native name.

Example: On Ελευθερία Αρβανιτάκη (Eleftheria Arvanitaki), one would use

|artist          = Ελευθερία Αρβανιτάκη
|romanizedArtist = Eleftheria Arvanitaki

Wikipedia

If Wikipedia has an article about the artist, then a link to that article should be given in the wikipedia parameter. Only the article's page name is required.

Important: If Wikipedia's article on the artist includes a disambiguating word or phrase added in parentheses, such as Helper (band), this also needs to be included in the link name. This applies to the Wikipedia parameters in both the {{ArtistHeader}} and in the {{Artist}} template at the bottom of the page.

MySpace

If the artist has an official MySpace profile, the myspace parameter can be added. Only the profile name needs to be entered. For example:

|myspace  = helperofficial

TIP: This is usually the artist's name in lower case and with spaces omitted.

Official Site

If the artist has an official website, the official site parameter can be added and the full url to the site provided. For example:

|official site  = http://helpersite.com/

TIP: Links to an artist's official site can often be found on the artist's page at Wikipedia, or through Google search.

Star

See LyricWiki:Page Ranking for information on this.

Country, State and Hometown

Artists can also be categorized by their place of origin (in the case of a singular artist, their place of birth) using the parameters in the Artist Header for country, state and hometown.

For example:

|country  = United States
|state    = Nevada
|hometown = Las Vegas

will add the artist to the categories Category:Hometown/United States, Category:Hometown/United States/Nevada and Category:Hometown/United States/Nevada/Las Vegas.

TIP: This information can often be found on the artist's page at Wikipedia, or on their official website.
For bands and artists from the U.K., define the country of origin by entering England, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland as the country, enter the county in the "state" parameter, and the town (or city) in the "hometown" parameter. If the country of origin cannot be established United Kingdom can be entered as the country.
To avoid multiple categories being created for the same location, please use the same place-names that English Wikipedia uses for their article titles. For example, Bavaria instead of Bayern, Lisbon instead of Lisboa, Basse-Normandie instead of Lower Normandy. EXCEPTION: Where Wikipedia has added a disambiguating term to the place-name (displayed in place-names not by parentheses, but after a comma), the disambiguating term should be omitted. For example in the case of Milo, Italy, Italy would not be entered in the same parameter as Milo, but in the country parameter.
If the artist comes from a country where you don't know what to enter for the state, look around the already existent hometown categories first. A list of country names approved for use on LyricWiki can be found at LyricWiki:List of Countries.
If the artist page is not for an artist but for a fictional character (EX: The Simpsons, South Park, etc.), then use the country of origin of the TV show/movie/etc., e.g. United States.

Picture

A further parameter is pic. See Uploading Artist Images for further information on this subject and what pictures are considered acceptable.

For one-album (or two-album) collaborations between two or more independent artists, where most parameters of the {{ArtistHeader}} wouldn't apply, the {{Collaboration}} template can be substituted. This produces an infobox similar to the ArtistHeader, but with information about each collaborating artist. See the template documentation on how to use it.

Album List

Albums should not be separated into categories, e.g. Studio, Live, Compilations, etc., but listed in chronological order, with the earliest album released at the top of the page.
If the album is a multi-disc set, the discs should be separated with subheadings to break up a long list of song titles. (Example: {{H4|Disc One}})
Bootlegs and other unofficial/fan made albums should not be listed.
Please avoid over inflating artist pages by unnecessarily listing compilation albums, e.g. Greatest Hits, Best Of, etc.
Links should be provided on the artist page to any album pages detailing singles. However, unlike albums and EPs, tracklistings for singles should not be included on the artist's page.

Tracklists

Songs should be linked to the albums they were originally released on.
Songs should be listed below each album heading in the order in which they appear on the album.
The song title should be kept as close to the official title as possible. As such additional notations, such as featured artists, whether the song is a bonus track, instrumental, live performance, etc. should not be included as part of the song's name, but be placed after the link to the song, i.e. in the second pipe.
Links to instrumentals should be created.
A useful tool, the Wikifyer, inspired by one of our users, Lentando, is available which generates a formatted song list from a list of tracks. It can be found here: Special:Wikify.

Bonus tracks

To create a numbered list with an optional header use the {{OL}} template.

Album Art

Help!

Album artwork can be displayed not only on the Album's page, but also on the Artist's page, as well. This is done by placing an {{Album Art}} template directly below the link to the Album page. The format of this template is:

{{Album Art|Artist's Name - Album Title.jpg|Display text}}

So, if one wanted to display the cover to "Help!" by The Beatles, then the completed template would look like:

{{Album Art|The Beatles - Help!.jpg|Help!}}

This would display the picture on the right.

Please note that the name of the album does need to be entered after the second pipe symbol to enable the picture to display correctly on the artist's page. (The year of release is not required).

Additional Notes

Best practice is to upload a JPEG of the album cover, no more than 500 by 500 pixels in size, and name it ARTIST - ALBUM.jpg.
The picture file does not have to be named in the prescribed format before it is uploaded to LyricWiki, however, this format is recommended, since this is the format that is automatically searched for and inserted into Album pages. As such, it does make searching for pictures much easier if the file has been named in this way.
The picture is not required to be a .jpg. Other formats, such as .gif or .png are acceptable.

Information About The Artist

The links in the ArtistHeader are intended to provide the user with quick access to in-depth information about an artist or group, but in some instances it may be desirable to have a very brief segment of information about the Artist on the page. This information can be given at the bottom of the page, after the albums have been listed, under the heading of "Information About The Artist". This section is optional.

Listing A Musical Group's Members

Another optional section is a listing of a musical group's members.

Current members should be listed before former members with each group given a subheading indicating their status. If a group is no longer active, a single member list can be used.
It is helpful if the musical contribution to the group by each member is listed as well. Members can also be listed with the time-frame of when they were a group member.
If any of the members have had solo projects, links to their respective Artist pages can be created directly from the members list. Where these pages do not exist, links to articles about them on Wikipedia can be made by using the {{wpi}} template.

Example (for Aerosmith):

== Group Members ==
{{H4|Current Members}}
* [[Steven Tyler]] – Vocals, piano, harmonica (1970–current)
* [[Joe Perry]] – Lead guitar (1970–1979, 1984–current)
* {{wpi|Tom Hamilton}} – Bass guitar (1970–current)
* {{wpi|Brad Whitford}} – Guitar (1972–1981, 1984–current)
* {{wpi|Joey Kramer}} – Drums, percussion (1970–current)
{{H4|Former Members}}
* {{wpi|Ray Tabano}} – Guitar (1970–1972)
* {{wpi|Jimmy Crespo}} – Lead guitar (1979–1984)
* {{wpi|Rick Dufay}} – Guitar (1981–1984)

Musical groups and solo artists will often have a close connection with other musical groups and solo artists. Linking to these artists pages is optional but it is helpful in enabling users to move easily from one related artist page to another. Placing these artists in alphabetical order is preferred.
Examples of artists that should be listed:

Other bands which members have been in
Bands which this band spun out of
Bands which spun out of this one
Other bands or solo artists that have worked or collaborated closely with the artist
Relatives of the artist

Example #1 (for The Beatles):

{{RelatedArtists|Julian Lennon|Sean Lennon|Traveling Wilburys|Wings|Yoko Ono}}

will produce the format as illustrated below:

Related artists

Where an artist pages does not exist on LyricWiki for the related artist, links can be made to articles about the artist on Wikipedia by using the {{wpi}} template.

Example #2 (for George Harrison):

{{RelatedArtists|John Lennon|Paul McCartney|Ringo Starr|The Beatles|Traveling Wilburys}}
{{wpi|Ravi Shankar}}

will produce:

Related artists

Ravi Shankar

LyricWiki allows for artists to be categorized by their music genre. Up to 9 genres can be specified by use of the Genres template:

{{Genres|<<Genre>>|<<Another Genre>>|<<Yet Another Genre>>}}

A list of all genres can be found here. If you are unsure of an artist's musical genre, it is often given in the artist's Wikipedia article.

LyricWiki also allows for artists to be categorized by their record label. Up to 20 labels can be specified by use of the Labels template:

{{Labels|<<Label>|<<Another Label>>||<<Yet Another Label>>}}

A list of all labels currently on LyricWiki can be found here. If you are unsure of an artist's record label(s), it is often given in the artist's Wikipedia article.

Use of the Template:ArtistFooter places external links at the bottom of the page to artist-related pages. The basic format of the template is:

{{ArtistFooter
|fLetter     = <<Initial letter of the artist's name>>
|akuma       = <<Artist ID>>
|asin        = <<Amazon ASIN>>
|iTunes      = <<Artist ID>>
|allmusic    = <<Artist ID>>
|discogs     = <<Artist ID>>
|musicbrainz = <<Artist ID>>
|lrcDB       = <<Artist ID>>
|youtube     = <<Artist ID>>
}}

The following guidelines apply to the fLetter entry:
- The first letter should always be used, even if the artist name starts with "The", "A" or "An" (or their equivalents in other languages).
- If the first letter is a number, then use: fLetter=0-9
- If the first letter is a symbol (like ";", "(", "-", "*", or "$"), then use: fLetter=Symbol
- If the first letter is a character from a non-Latin writing system that uses symbols for entire words, (Chinese, Japanese, & Korean), then the fLetter is the language of the character. For example: fLetter=Chinese
- If the first letter is a character in a non-Latin alphabet such as Cyrillic, Greek, etc., or is an "accented" character such as Á, Ö, or Ç, use the true fLetter character, not fLetter=Symbol
See the template documentation for information about the other parameters.

Help:Contents/Editing/Formatting/Artists

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