How Can I Use All Of The Stars By Ed Sheeran Lyrics Legally?

There's a neat legal shape to this: song lyrics are protected text. That means whether you post them on a website, print them in a zine, or display them in a video, you’re usually reproducing someone else’s copyrighted work. If your use is purely personal (like memorizing or singing along privately) you’re fine. But public uses require permission.

Start by defining the format. For a cover recording distributed online you need a mechanical license; services exist that handle that for you automatically. For a video where the words are shown in sync with music, you need a synchronization license from the publisher (and a master license if you use the original recording). Posting full lyrics on a site typically requires a print/reproduction license — many sites license through companies like LyricFind or Musixmatch. Quoting a very short excerpt inside a critique or review might be defensible as fair use, but there’s no hard rule. My practical tip: contact the publisher listed with ASCAP/BMI and get the necessary licenses, or use a licensed lyric provider to avoid legal headaches.

As someone who’s made a bunch of silly lyric videos and covered songs at coffee shops, I learned the hard way that lyrics aren’t free to reuse. If you want to sing 'All of the Stars' on a video and show the words, you’ll need two things: a sync license from the song’s publisher for the words-to-image timing, and a master license if you’re using Ed Sheeran’s recorded track. If I’m only recording myself doing a cover and uploading to streaming services, I get a mechanical license through a service that handles it (it’s surprisingly affordable if you use an aggregator).

YouTube is a weird ecosystem: sometimes copyright owners monetize covers instead of taking them down, but that’s not guaranteed. For printed uses—like putting the lyrics in a zine or book—you really should get written permission; publishers expect a fee for full-text reproduction. If you’re on a tight budget, I often either quote a single short line with commentary (safer, but not bulletproof) or summarize the lyric in my own words and link to an official source. Also, check whether the venue you play at has a blanket license with a PRO; that covers live performances, which is super handy.

Quick practical guide: don’t assume song lyrics are free. To legally use 'All of the Stars' you must pick the right license based on use: a mechanical license for recorded covers, a synchronization license for videos showing lyrics, a print/reproduction license for publishing the full text, and a master license if you use the original recording. Live performances are usually covered by the venue’s PRO license.

If you only want to share a short excerpt as part of a critique, that could fall under fair use but it’s risky. For convenience, use licensed lyric services (LyricFind, Musixmatch) or contact the song’s publisher via ASCAP/BMI to request permission. When in doubt, paraphrase or link to the official lyric page—it's the least headache-filled route I’ve found.

If you're trying to use the lyrics to 'All of the Stars' in something public, the first thing I tell friends is: figure out how you want to use them. Are you printing the full lyrics in a blog post or book? Making a lyric video? Singing a cover on YouTube or playing it live at an open mic? Each use touches different rights and different people. Generally, the songwriter and publisher own the words, so reproducing the full lyrics or putting them on a t-shirt requires permission and usually a license and fee.

Practically, I would search the performing rights organizations (ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) to find the publisher contact, or use licensed aggregators like LyricFind or Musixmatch if you want hosted, legal lyric displays. For a video that syncs lyrics to music you need a synchronization license from the publisher, and if you use the original recording you also need a master license from the label. For recorded covers distributed on streaming services you typically obtain a mechanical license (Harry Fox Agency/HFA or similar services). For live gigs, most venues already have blanket licenses with PROs.

If you just want to quote a line or two for a review, that can sometimes fall under fair use, but it’s not guaranteed — short quotes with commentary are safer than posting whole stanzas. If budget or time is tight, paraphrasing the sentiment, linking to an official lyric page, or directing people to the song on streaming services are simple ways to stay on the right side of copyright. I usually try the licensed route for anything that’s more than a short quoted phrase — it keeps things clean and avoids surprise takedowns.