
This article discusses the best practices for providing credits on a cappella recordings.
If you only take away only one lesson, make it this: credit all composers and do not confuse composers with "original" artists. As of the writing of this article, this is the most common and egregious error in a cappella liner notes.
Additionally, this article will include many customs unique to the a cappella community while also debunking legally dubious or nonsensical omissions that have grown more commonplace, particularly in collegiate and high school a cappella.
The complete article is extensive, so to assist those seeking quick answers, we begin with two lists:
- minimal credits; and
- best credits.
The two lists obviously overlap since "best" includes "least." These reference lists do leave many issues unaddressed, and so they are followed by a section focused on underlying principles, debated issues and in-depth discussion. Read on for everything you ever wanted to know about credits!