diff --git a/patacrep/content/__init__.py b/patacrep/content/__init__.py
index a2268ee7..43192a00 100755
--- a/patacrep/content/__init__.py
+++ b/patacrep/content/__init__.py
@@ -232,8 +232,8 @@ def process_content(content, config=None):
     """Process content, and return a list of ContentItem() objects.
 
     Arguments are:
-    - content: the content field of the .sb file, which should be a list, and
-      describe what is to be included in the songbook;
+    - content: the content field of the .sb file, which should be an imbricated list
+    and describe what is to be included in the songbook;
     - config: the configuration dictionary of the current songbook.
 
     Return: a list of ContentItem objects, corresponding to the content to be
@@ -245,21 +245,34 @@ def process_content(content, config=None):
     if not content:
         content = [["song"]]
     for elem in content:
-        if isinstance(elem, str):
-            elem = ["song", elem]
-        try:
-            match = keyword_re.match(elem[0]).groupdict()
-        except AttributeError:
-            contentlist.append_error(ContentError(elem[0], "Cannot parse content type."))
-            continue
-        (keyword, argument) = (match['keyword'], match['argument'])
-        if keyword not in plugins:
-            contentlist.append_error(ContentError(keyword, "Unknown content type."))
-            continue
-        contentlist.extend(plugins[keyword](
-            keyword,
-            argument=argument,
-            contentlist=elem[1:],
-            config=config,
-            ))
+        if isinstance(elem, dict):
+            # new way
+            for keyword, argument in elem.items():
+                if keyword not in plugins:
+                    contentlist.append_error(ContentError(keyword, "Unknown content type."))
+                    continue
+                contentlist.extend(plugins[keyword](
+                    keyword,
+                    argument=argument,
+                    config=config,
+                    ))
+        else:
+            # old way
+            if isinstance(elem, str):
+                elem = ["song", elem]
+            try:
+                match = keyword_re.match(elem[0]).groupdict()
+            except AttributeError:
+                contentlist.append_error(ContentError(elem[0], "Cannot parse content type."))
+                continue
+            (keyword, argument) = (match['keyword'], match['argument'])
+            if keyword not in plugins:
+                contentlist.append_error(ContentError(keyword, "Unknown content type."))
+                continue
+            contentlist.extend(plugins[keyword](
+                keyword,
+                argument=argument,
+                contentlist=elem[1:],
+                config=config,
+                ))
     return contentlist
diff --git a/patacrep/content/section.py b/patacrep/content/section.py
index 6aed27c6..24a27640 100755
--- a/patacrep/content/section.py
+++ b/patacrep/content/section.py
@@ -23,35 +23,29 @@ class Section(ContentItem):
         self.short = short
 
     def render(self, __context):
-        if self.short is None:
+        if self.short is None or self.keyword not in KEYWORDS:
             return r'\{}{{{}}}'.format(self.keyword, self.name)
         else:
             return r'\{}[{}]{{{}}}'.format(self.keyword, self.short, self.name)
 
 #pylint: disable=unused-argument
-def parse(keyword, argument, contentlist, config):
+def parse(keyword, argument, config):
     """Parse the contentlist.
 
     Arguments:
     - keyword (one of "part", "chapter", "section", ... , "subparagraph", and
       their starred versions "part*", "chapter*", ... , "subparagraph*"): the
       section to use;
-    - argument: unused;
-    - contentlist: a list of one or two strings, which are the names (long
-      and short) of the section;
+    - argument:
+        either a string describing the section name
+        or a dict
+            name: Name of the section
+            short: Shortname of the section (only for non starred sections)
     - config: configuration dictionary of the current songbook.
     """
-    try:
-        if (keyword not in KEYWORDS) and (len(contentlist) != 1):
-            raise ContentError(
-                keyword,
-                "Starred section names must have exactly one argument."
-                )
-        if (len(contentlist) not in [1, 2]):
-            raise ContentError(keyword, "Section can have one or two arguments.")
-        return ContentList([Section(keyword, *contentlist)])
-    except ContentError as error:
-        return EmptyContentList(errors=[error])
+    if isinstance(argument, str):
+        argument = {'name': argument}
+    return ContentList([Section(keyword, **argument)])
 
 
 CONTENT_PLUGINS = dict([
diff --git a/test/test_content/sections.source b/test/test_content/sections.source
index 339815be..26ca63dc 100644
--- a/test/test_content/sections.source
+++ b/test/test_content/sections.source
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-[["section", "Traditional"],
-                "exsong.sg",
-                ["section", "Example"],
-                "texsong.tsg",
-                "chordpro.csg",
-                "exsong.sg"]
\ No newline at end of file
+- section: Traditional
+- "exsong.sg"
+- section: Example
+- "texsong.tsg"
+- "chordpro.csg"
+- "exsong.sg"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_content/sections_short.source b/test/test_content/sections_short.source
index fe70d510..8f6c0582 100644
--- a/test/test_content/sections_short.source
+++ b/test/test_content/sections_short.source
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-[["section", "Traditional", "tradi"],
-                "exsong.sg",
-                ["section*", "Example"],
-                "texsong.tsg",
-                "chordpro.csg",
-                "exsong.sg"]
\ No newline at end of file
+- section:
+    name: Traditional
+    short: tradi
+- "exsong.sg"
+- section*: Example
+- "texsong.tsg"
+- "chordpro.csg"
+- "exsong.sg"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_content/test_content.py b/test/test_content/test_content.py
index 23d498bc..e2a48496 100644
--- a/test/test_content/test_content.py
+++ b/test/test_content/test_content.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 import glob
 import os
 import unittest
-import json
+import yaml
 
 from patacrep.songs import DataSubpath
 from patacrep import content, files
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from .. import dynamic # pylint: disable=unused-import
 class FileTest(unittest.TestCase, metaclass=dynamic.DynamicTest):
     """Test of the content plugins.
 
-    For any given `foo.source`, it parses the content as a json "content"
+    For any given `foo.source`, it parses the content as a yaml "content"
     argument of a .sb file.
     It controls that the generated file list is equal to the one in `foo.control`.
     """
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ class FileTest(unittest.TestCase, metaclass=dynamic.DynamicTest):
             """Test that `base.source` produces the correct file list"""
             sourcename = "{}.source".format(base)
             with open(sourcename, mode="r", encoding="utf8") as sourcefile:
-                sbcontent = json.load(sourcefile)
+                sbcontent = yaml.load(sourcefile)
 
             with logging_reduced('patacrep.content.song'):
                 expandedlist = content.process_content(sbcontent, cls.config.copy())
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ class FileTest(unittest.TestCase, metaclass=dynamic.DynamicTest):
             if not os.path.exists(controlname):
                 raise Exception("Missing control:" + str(sourcelist).replace("'", '"'))
             with open(controlname, mode="r", encoding="utf8") as controlfile:
-                controllist = json.load(controlfile)
+                controllist = yaml.load(controlfile)
 
             self.assertEqual(controllist, sourcelist)
 
diff --git a/test/test_songbook/content.sb b/test/test_songbook/content.sb
index 7e5ee2c8..d012cd0d 100644
--- a/test/test_songbook/content.sb
+++ b/test/test_songbook/content.sb
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@ chords:
   repeatchords: no
   diagramreminder: all
 
-content: [
-  ["section", "Test of section"],
-  ["sorted"],
-  ["songsection", "Test of song section"],
-  ["cwd(content_datadir/content)",
+content:
+  - section: Test of section
+  - ["sorted"]
+  - ["songsection", "Test of song section"]
+  - ["cwd(content_datadir/content)",
     "song.csg", "song.tsg",
     ["tex", "foo.tex"]
-  ],
-  ["include", "include.sbc"]
-  ]
\ No newline at end of file
+  ]
+  - ["include", "include.sbc"]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_songbook/content_datadir/songs/include.sbc b/test/test_songbook/content_datadir/songs/include.sbc
index fefa39b1..16351055 100644
--- a/test/test_songbook/content_datadir/songs/include.sbc
+++ b/test/test_songbook/content_datadir/songs/include.sbc
@@ -1 +1 @@
-[["section", "This is an included section"]]
+[{"section": "This is an included section"}]