YouTube Lyric Video Checklist: Audio, 720p Export and Captions

Confirm the release files and permissions

Use the final audio master and the lyric version approved for this release. Confirm the artist and song names, featured-artist credits and any explicit or clean-language choices. Keep the approved audio, captions and artwork labeled together.

You are responsible for rights and permissions for the recording, lyrics, artwork and any other supplied materials. This checklist is a workflow aid, not a determination that a particular upload is cleared.

Check the video that was actually rendered

Watch from the first frame through the end with sound. The opening and final lyric, quiet passages and the fastest verse deserve special attention. Check that the audio is not silent, unexpectedly cut off or visibly out of sync with the captions.

Look at the exported file on a phone and a larger screen when possible. Confirm words are legible and not clipped or hidden against the artwork. An editor preview or a successful render notification is not a substitute for checking the downloaded MP4.

• Audio is audible and complete
• First and final lyric appear
• Fast passages remain readable
• No unintended clipping or missing image
• Downloaded file opens on the intended device

Match the shape and export to the destination

YouTube’s help page identifies 1280 × 720 as 720p. The current Lyric Video Forge self-service output is landscape at that size; it does not include a 9:16 vertical export or a timeline editor.

YouTube publishes recommended upload encoding settings, but the right settings may change and source quality matters. Check the platform’s current guidance. A landscape export is a separate creative decision from a vertical clip, which may need another tool or a separately scoped production.

Think about captions separately from artwork

A burned-in lyric is visible in the video image; it is not the same thing as a separate caption track that a viewer can turn on. Consider adding an accurate, separate caption track through YouTube Studio for accessibility, using a format YouTube supports.

Review the words and timestamps in that track. If the platform generates captions automatically, check the output instead of assuming that names, slang, ad-libs or sung lyrics were recognized correctly.

Document changes and final approval

Keep a copy of the exact MP4 that was approved and the subtitle source used to make it. If the artist requests a correction, revise the source captions, render again under the current credit terms and recheck the changed passage plus the full output.

Before publishing, check your title, description, release permissions and platform settings. A clean technical file supports a release, but no metadata change or video format guarantees audience reach.