How do you write the name of a song?

As an expert in the field of writing and publishing, I often get asked about the correct way to write the name of a song. There are a few different styles that can be used depending on the context and the specific guidelines you're following. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you navigate this topic.

Step 1: Understand the Context
The first step in writing a song title is to understand the context in which you're writing it. Are you writing an academic paper, a blog post, a tweet, or a formal document? The context will often dictate the style you should use.

Step 2: Quotation Marks
One common method is to use quotation marks around the title of the song. This is often used in informal writing and is a good choice when you're mentioning the song in a sentence. For example: "Have you heard the new song 'Believer' by Imagine Dragons?"

Step 3: Italics
Another option is to use italics for the title of the song. This is a more formal style and is often used in academic writing and professional documents. For example: Have you heard the new song _Believer_ by Imagine Dragons?

Step 4: Underlining
Underlining is less common in the digital age, but it was traditionally used in place of italics when writing by hand or when italics were not available. If you're using this method, you would underline the title like this: Have you heard the new song Believer by Imagine Dragons?

Step 5: Capitalization
When writing a song title, it's important to use proper capitalization. Most style guides recommend title case, which means capitalizing the first letter of each major word. Prepositions, articles, and conjunctions are typically not capitalized unless they are the first or last word. For example: "The Song of the Century"

Step 6: Subtitles and Parentheticals
If the song has a subtitle or parenthetical, it should be included in the title and separated by a colon or a dash. For example: "Thriller: The Musical" or "We Will Rock You (Queen Live)"

Step 7: Collaborations and Features
When a song is a collaboration between two artists, both names should be included. If the song features another artist, the featured artist's name is often in parentheses. For example: "Walk This Way (feat. Aerosmith)" by Run-DMC

Step 8: Punctuation
Finally, be mindful of punctuation. While the title itself should be enclosed in quotation marks or italicized, the surrounding punctuation should follow standard English grammar rules. For example: "I love the song 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' don't you?"

In conclusion, the way you write a song title can vary depending on the context and the style guide you're following. Whether you choose to use quotation marks, italics, or underlining, the most important thing is to be consistent and to follow the rules of capitalization and punctuation.

In English, when punctuating these magazine titles, headlines, and song or movie titles, keep in mind these two options:Put the title in quotation marks. Quotation marks enclose titles of smaller works or parts of a whole.Set the title off from the rest of the writing with italic or underlining.