Metadata Matters: Your Final Quick-Check Before Distribution

We’ve got an important reminder for you:

Metadata isn’t just boring admin work — it’s royalty insurance and search engine optimization for your music. It is the reason how new fans find the music and how the royalties are paid to the correct creatives.

Before you distribute the next release, use this checklist to make sure the metadata is complete, accurate, and ready for global discovery.

Step 1: Metadata Basics

• Set the Metadata Language
• Enter the Release Title and Track Titles
• Add Title Versions (e.g., Live, Remix, Acoustic)
• Localize Titles if needed for different markets

Step 2: Artists and Contributor Credits

• Add All Performing Artists (Primary, Featured, Remixers)
• Link Artists to Spotify, Apple Music, and other DSP Profiles
• Credit All Contributors:
• Performing Artists (Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums, etc.)
• Composers and Lyricists
• Producers, Mixing Engineers, Mastering Engineers

Contributor metadata is now mandatory on most DSPs like Apple Music and Deezer.

Step 3: Genres and Descriptions

• Select a Primary Genre
• Add a Secondary Genre (optional)
• Write a Release Description (optional, recommended for platforms like Beatport)

Step 4: Lyrics and Explicit Content

• Upload Lyrics if the track includes vocals
• Mark Explicit Content (Explicit or Not Explicit)
• Set the Lyrics Language or mark the track as Instrumental

Step 5: Track Origin

• Declare the Track Origin:
• Original Work
• Cover Song (requires licensing)
• Public Domain or Traditional

Cover songs often require a mechanical license for download stores such as iTunes and Amazon. See if you can aquire the mechanical license with the Harry Fox Agency

Step 6: Track Properties

Mark Track Properties if applicable: * Remix or Derivative Work * Samples or Stock Music * Mixes, Compilations, Mashups * Alternate Versions (Radio Edit, Remaster, Live) * Special Genres (Sleep, Meditation, Classical) * Non-Musical Content (Podcast, Speech, ASMR) * Includes AI-generated material

Some track properties may limit eligibility for YouTube Content ID, TikTok, and Facebook Rights Manager.

Step 7: Writers and Publishing

• List All Writers using full legal names (and do not use the artist’s stage name)
• Assign Correct Roles (Composer, Lyricist, Arranger, or combined roles)
• Document Rights Holders Properly:
  • Set Publishing Status (Copyright Control, Published, or Public Domain)
  • Add Writer Shares
  • Include ISWC Codes

*Proper rights documentation ensures correct royalty payments and protects against future disputes. *

Step 8: Codes and Catalog Information

• Assign an ISRC for each track
• Assign a UPC for the release
• Use a Catalog ID (optional, must be unique if used)

Metadata Matters. The Music Deserves It.

We get it—metadata can be tedious. But keeping it clean and accurate ensures the music reaches the right ears, gets the right credit, and earns the right payouts.

For a deeper dive, read our full guide on music metadata and why it matters more than ever