# Why don't they credit songs in TV shows?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-credit-songs-in-tv-shows/324221>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 30, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-credit-songs-in-tv-shows/324221 "2005-09-30T16:49:01Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-credit-songs-in-tv-shows/324221/1 "2005-09-30T16:49:01Z")

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In movies, it seems like they have to put the full publishing and performance credits in the end credits. TV shows don’t have that. Why the difference?

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**Author:** ![Flipshod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f19dbf/32.png) [@Flipshod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flipshod)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-credit-songs-in-tv-shows/324221/2 "2005-09-30T17:37:13Z")

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WAG- not an opportunity for 5 minutes of credits, so they pay in advance for the right to use them without giving credit

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**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\
**Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-dont-they-credit-songs-in-tv-shows/324221/3 "2005-09-30T18:21:15Z")

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If you look fast enough and far enough down in the credits you’ll often see at least a stripped-down version of the performing/composing credit.