Known as the inventor of the “symphonic poem,” Liszt accompanies many of his works with writings of various forms, which we call “paratexts.” These paratexts seem to be a powerful way to get media attention on his music; but what can be said about their distribution, circulation, and reception? We will look for the prefaces of Liszt’s symphonic poems, their traces and their influence in the press and more broadly in the French and German media space (including posters, programs, announcements and concert reports), in order to question their function in the media coverage of his music: to what extent do the paratexts allow the composer to orientate the listening process? What roles do they play in music reception? After some considerations on the role of paratexts in the Lisztian aesthetics, we propose some new ideas through several case studies (diffusion in Germany, Paris, Angers, and Nancy).