Metadata is the set of information that accompanies every release: title, artist name, genre, language, version, ISRC, credits, and much more. It is transmitted to stores alongside the audio files and directly influences how your music is found, categorized, and paid for.
A metadata error can cause a release to be rejected, create confusion in your catalog, or lead to mistakes in royalty payments. This guide explains the main fields and how to fill them in without any issues.
Release Title and Track Title
Release name and track name are two distinct fields.
- The release is the "product" (e.g., "Deep Night" – an EP)
- The track is the individual song (e.g., "Deep Night", "Falling Up", etc.)
If you publish a single with one track, they often share the same name — but they remain two separate fields.
Title rules:
- Use consistent capitalization (e.g., capitalize as the actual release, not all caps for "effect")
- Do not add the version in the main title — use the separate "version" field
- Do not add "(ft. …)" in the title — use the "featured artist" field
- Avoid non-standard special characters that some platforms don't support
Version / Edit
The "version" field specifies what type of version the track is:
- Original Mix (or leave blank if it's the main version)
- Radio Edit
- Acoustic Version
- Remix (with the remixer's name)
- Live
- Instrumental
- Clean Version
- Explicit Version
Practical rule: if it's the standard, unmodified version, leave the field blank or use "Original Mix". The version field appears in parentheses after the title on stores: "Track Name (Radio Edit)".
Artist Name: Watch Your Consistency
The artist name in the metadata must be identical across all releases if you want your tracks to be grouped under the same artist profile on stores.
Common mistakes:
- "John Smith" on one release and "J. Smith" on another → different profiles on Spotify
- Extra space at the end of the name → duplicate profile
- Different capitalization → depends on the DSP, but it's best to be consistent
If you already have an artist profile on Spotify, check the exact spelling of your name and always use that.
Primary Artist vs Featured Artist
- Primary Artist: the main artist of the release. Appears first in the visual title.
- Featured Artist: a collaborator on the track, shown as "feat." or "ft." after the title.
Do not use the title field to add "feat. ArtistName" — use the dedicated "Featured Artist" field. Stores automatically handle the visual formatting.
Genre and Subgenre
Genre influences:
- how the DSP categorizes the release
- which editorial playlists it might end up in
- the algorithm (comparable artists, recommendations)
Choose the most accurate genre, not the "most popular" one or the one you think gives more visibility. An indie folk track categorized as "Pop" won't end up in indie folk playlists, and it will cause mismatches in recommendation systems.
If your distributor allows a subgenre, use it: it gives more precision.
Language
The language of the lyrics is a metadata field that affects distribution on certain stores (e.g., region-specific filters) and Spotify's NLP systems that analyze lyrics.
If the track is instrumental, select "Instrumental" or "No Vocals".
Explicit / Clean
- Explicit: the track contains profanity or adult content
- Clean: a version without explicit content
- Neither: a track with no explicit content (no need to check "clean")
If you distribute both an explicit and a clean version, they are two separate tracks with their own respective metadata.
Label and Catalog Number
- Label: the name of the label publishing the release. If you're an independent artist without a label, you can use your artist name, project name, or create an imprint (e.g., "Deep Night Records")
- Catalog number: an internal identifier for the release within your label. Not mandatory, but useful if you manage an extensive catalog
Copyright Lines (P-Line and C-Line)
As explained in the dedicated article:
- P-Line (℗): who holds the rights to the master (the recording). E.g.: "℗ 2026 John Smith"
- C-Line (©): the editorial copyright of the release. E.g.: "© 2026 John Smith"
Standard format: symbol + year + name of the rights holder.
Metadata Checklist Before Distributing
- Release title and track titles are consistent and correct
- Artist name is identical to previous releases
- Version/edit specified if necessary
- Accurate genre selected
- Language selected
- Explicit/Clean flag correct
- P-Line and C-Line filled in
- ISRC and UPC assigned (generated by the distributor if you don't have them)
- Featured artists in the correct field (not in the title)
Careful metadata = trouble-free release, correct royalties, consistent artist profile over time.
Related Reading
- ISRC and UPC: what they are, differences, and when you need them
- C-Line and P-Line: what they are, differences, and how to use them
- Explicit vs clean version: when you need them and how to manage them
- Collaborators: roles, credits, and common mistakes
- Uploading a release: fields, errors, and how to simplify the process