BMG - YAHOO! TO OFFER SONG LYRICS DATABASE

YAHOO! TO OFFER SONG LYRICS DATABASE

Yahoo! and Gracenote have teamed up to offer a new music lyrics service offering access to hundreds of thousands of songs.

About 100 publishers are included in the database, including BMG, EMI, Sony/ATV, Universal and Warner/Chappell music publishing companies.

Music lyrics are commonly searched for and Yahoo! hopes to offer a comprehensive one-stop library.

Ian Rogers, general manager of Yahoo! Music, said: "You mean Bob Dylan isn't actually saying 'The ants, my friend, are in a bowling pin?'

"Finally, a free, legal and definitive way to settle a bet with the guy sitting next to you at the bar who is certain the Ramones' most famous anthem declares, 'I wanna piece of bacon'."

Gracenote began offering a lyrics and naming service two years ago and has built a database of legal song lyrics which are consistent with the publishers' sleeve notes.

Craig Palmer, president and chief executive officer of Gracenote, said the new service will be the largest database of lyrics available.

"Song lyrics are continually among the top ten searches performed on major search engines, though the results often provide consumers a frustrating experience filled with inconsistent and incomplete lyrics, and annoying pop-ups," he said.

"With Gracenote and Yahoo!, consumers will have access to the largest database of high quality lyrics linked directly to the rich album and artist content available throughout Yahoo! Music."