Metadata Style Guide
Properly formatted metadata ensures your music appears correctly across all streaming platforms and helps fans find your releases. Follow these guidelines to avoid delivery issues and maintain a professional catalog.
Why Metadata Matters
- Discoverability - Correct formatting helps fans find your music
- Platform acceptance - Stores reject poorly formatted metadata
- Artist identity - Consistent naming builds your brand
- Royalty tracking - Accurate metadata ensures proper payment
Artist Names
General Rules
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Use official artist name | Use nicknames or abbreviations |
| Be consistent across releases | Change spelling between releases |
| Include accents and special characters | Replace special characters with ASCII |
| Capitalize correctly | USE ALL CAPS |
Primary Artist Names
Your primary artist name should be:
- Consistent - Same spelling across all releases
- Official - Match your verified profile names
- Clean - No label names, genres, or promotional text
Correct: Luna Martinez
Incorrect: Luna Martinez [Official], LUNA MARTINEZ, Luna M.
Featured Artists
Featured artists appear on specific tracks, not the entire release.
Format: Add as a separate featured artist field, don’t include in track title
Correct:
- Track title:
Midnight Dreams - Featured artist:
The Midnight Collective
Incorrect:
- Track title:
Midnight Dreams (feat. The Midnight Collective)
Artist Names with “The”
If “The” is part of the artist name, include it consistently:
The Beatles- correct (always with The)Weeknd- correct (officially without The)
Multiple Artists
For collaborations between equal artists:
Correct: Add each artist as a primary artist
Incorrect: Artist A & Artist B as a single artist name
Track Titles
General Rules
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Use sentence case | USE ALL CAPS |
| Use standard punctuation | Use excessive punctuation!!! |
| Keep it clean and simple | Add promotional text |
| Include parenthetical versions | Add hashtags or emojis |
Version Information (Important)
Version information MUST go in the Version Title field, NOT in the main track title.
| Field | What Goes Here | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Clean song name only | Midnight Dreams |
| Version Title | Any version designation | Acoustic |
The platform combines these for display: “Midnight Dreams (Acoustic)”
Why this matters:
- DSPs require version info in a separate metadata field for proper cataloging
- Putting version in the title causes metadata issues and may trigger rejections
- Artist role fields (Remixer, Featured) won’t auto-populate from the title
Acceptable Version Types
| Category | Version Title Examples |
|---|---|
| Recording type | Live, Acoustic, Alternate Take |
| Format | Instrumental, Radio Edit, Single Version |
| Mix type | Extended, Extended Mix, 12” Mix |
| Remix | DJ Shadow Remix, Club Mix |
| Style | Sped Up, Slowed Down, Lo-Fi |
| Remaster | 2024 Remastered Version |
Examples of correct formatting:
| Type | Title Field | Version Title Field |
|---|---|---|
| Remix | Midnight Dreams | DJ Shadow Remix |
| Acoustic | Midnight Dreams | Acoustic |
| Live | Midnight Dreams | Live at Madison Square Garden |
| Radio Edit | Midnight Dreams | Radio Edit |
| Extended | Midnight Dreams | Extended Mix |
| Original | Midnight Dreams | (leave empty) |
Common mistake: Entering
Midnight Dreams (DJ Shadow Remix)in the Title field. This is WRONG. PutMidnight Dreamsin Title andDJ Shadow Remixin Version Title.
Remixer Credits (Important)
For remix tracks, you must do BOTH:
- Put the remix info in the Version Title field (e.g., “DJ Shadow Remix”)
- Assign the remixer in the track’s Remixers field under Artists
The version title alone does NOT credit the remixer. You must explicitly assign the artist with the Remixer role.
| What to do | Where |
|---|---|
| Name the version | Version Title field: “DJ Shadow Remix” |
| Credit the remixer | Artists > Remixers: Select “DJ Shadow” |
What NOT to Include in Track Titles
Never include these in your track title:
- ❌ Version info:
Song (Remix)- use the Version Title field instead - ❌ Featured artists:
Song (feat. Artist)- use the featured artist field - ❌ Artist name:
Artist - Song - ❌ Release info:
Song [Single] - ❌ Year:
Song (2026) - ❌ Promotional text:
Song (OUT NOW!) - ❌ Hashtags:
Song #NewMusic - ❌ Emojis:
Song 🔥
What NOT to Include in Version Title
- ❌ “Album Version” or “Original Mix” - leave empty for originals
- ❌ “Dolby Atmos”, “Lossless”, “High-Resolution Audio”, “24-bit”, “192 kHz”
- ❌ “Explicit Version” or “Clean Version” - use the explicit content flag instead
Apple Music requirement: No emojis are allowed anywhere in metadata (titles, artist names, or lyrics). Tracks with emojis will be rejected.
Release Titles
Albums and EPs
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Use the official title | Add “Album” or “EP” to title |
| Include version if reissue | Add release year |
| Use proper capitalization | USE ALL CAPS |
Correct: Midnight Dreams
Incorrect: Midnight Dreams (Album), MIDNIGHT DREAMS, Midnight Dreams 2026
Version Releases
When re-releasing content, indicate the version:
Midnight Dreams (Deluxe Edition)Midnight Dreams (Remastered)Midnight Dreams (10th Anniversary Edition)
Singles
Single titles should match the track title exactly (without any version info):
Track title: Midnight Dreams (Radio Edit)
Release title: Midnight Dreams
Apple Music note: Apple Music automatically adds ”- Single” suffix to single releases. You don’t need to add it yourself.
Artwork Requirements
Technical Specifications
| Specification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 3000 × 3000 pixels (minimum) |
| Format | JPG or PNG |
| Color mode | sRGB (CMYK auto-converts) |
| Resolution | 72 DPI minimum |
| File size | Under 300 MB |
Content Requirements
Must include:
- High-quality, clear imagery
- Appropriate for all audiences
Must NOT include:
- Explicit content without proper tagging
- Contact information (email, phone, website URLs)
- Social media handles (@username)
- Pricing or promotional text
- “Available on Spotify” or other store references
- Blurry or pixelated images
- Copyright-infringing images
Aspect Ratio
Artwork must be perfectly square (1:1 ratio). Non-square images will be rejected.
Text on Artwork
If your artwork includes text:
- Ensure it’s legible at small sizes (300×300 thumbnail)
- Text should not be cut off at edges
- Avoid tiny text that becomes unreadable
Genre Selection
Choosing the right genre affects how your music is discovered, categorized, and recommended to listeners. Each streaming platform uses genres differently, so accuracy matters.
Primary and Secondary Genres
| Selection | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Primary genre | Main genre that best describes the release—this is the most important choice |
| Secondary genre | Additional genre for discovery and cross-categorization |
Tip: Think about what genre a fan would search for to find your music. That’s usually the right choice.
Best Practices
- Be accurate, not aspirational — Choose genres that describe your actual sound, not genres you wish you fit into
- Be specific when appropriate — “Tech House” is better than just “Electronic” if that’s what you make
- Stay consistent — Use the same genre approach across your releases to build a coherent catalog
- Consider your audience — What genre would fans expect to find your music under?
- Check release type requirements — Some content types (soundtracks, karaoke, fitness) have mandatory genre requirements
DSP-Specific Genre Notes
Different platforms handle genres differently. Here’s what you need to know:
Beatport (Electronic Music Only)
Beatport only accepts electronic and dance music. If your release doesn’t fit an electronic genre, don’t distribute to Beatport.
| Accepted | Not Accepted |
|---|---|
| House, Techno, Trance, D&B | Pop, Rock, Hip-Hop |
| Dubstep, EDM, Breaks | Country, Folk, Acoustic |
| Deep House, Tech House | R&B, Jazz, Classical |
| Ambient, Downtempo (electronic) | Anything non-electronic |
Important: Beatport has strict genre standards. Releases that don’t fit will be rejected.
Apple Music
- First genre listed is primary — Make it the best description of your release
- Choose the most specific genre — “Salsa y Tropical” rather than just “Latin”
- Indian music requires a language genre — Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, etc. must be primary or secondary
- Soundtracks must use “Soundtrack” genre — This is mandatory, not optional
- Classical music — Use “Classical” as primary with era/format as secondary
Spotify
- Genres affect algorithmic recommendations — Spotify uses your genre to suggest your music to listeners
- Consistency helps discovery — Similar releases with consistent genres perform better in recommendations
- Don’t game the system — Incorrect genre tagging can hurt your algorithmic placement
General (All Platforms)
- Most platforms accept a wide range of genres
- Choose based on musical content, not marketing goals
- When in doubt, choose the broader parent genre
Common Genre Mistakes
| Mistake | Why It’s a Problem | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|---|
| Selecting popular genres for exposure | Algorithms detect mismatches; may hurt placement | Choose accurate genres |
| Using overly broad genres | Harder to stand out in huge categories | Be as specific as accurately possible |
| Using overly niche subgenres | May not exist on all platforms | Use parent genre if subgenre unavailable |
| Changing genres between related releases | Fragments your catalog and confuses algorithms | Stay consistent for similar music |
| Ignoring platform requirements | Content may be rejected or miscategorized | Check DSP-specific rules above |
| Selecting “Electronic” for non-electronic remixes | Genre describes sound, not production method | Choose based on how it sounds |
Special Content Types
Some content has mandatory genre requirements:
| Content Type | Required Genre | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Film/TV Soundtracks | Soundtrack | Mandatory on Apple Music |
| Anime Soundtracks | Anime | Mandatory on Apple Music |
| Karaoke/Backing Tracks | Karaoke | Includes performance tracks |
| Fitness/Workout Music | Fitness & Workout | For fitness-specific remixes |
| Indian Film Music | Language genre (Hindi, Tamil, etc.) | Must be primary or secondary |
| Classical Music | Classical | Use era/format as secondary |
Language Settings
Metadata Language
Set the metadata language based on the title and artist name:
- English title = English metadata language
- Spanish title = Spanish metadata language
- Mixed = Use the primary language
Lyrics Language
Set the lyrics language based on the vocal content:
- English lyrics = English
- Instrumental = Select “Instrumental” option
- Multiple languages = Select the predominant language
Character Limits
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Track title | 200 characters |
| Release title | 200 characters |
| Artist name | 200 characters |
| ISRC | 12 characters (fixed) |
| UPC | 12-13 digits (fixed) |
Tip: Keep titles concise even though limits are generous. Long titles get truncated in apps.
Common Rejection Reasons
Metadata Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| ALL CAPS in titles | Use sentence case |
| Featured artist in title | Use featured artist field |
| Promotional text | Remove and use marketing tools instead |
| Inconsistent artist names | Standardize across releases |
| Version info in release title | Move to track title |
Artwork Issues
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Image too small | Upload 3000×3000 minimum |
| Not square | Crop to 1:1 ratio |
| Contains URLs | Remove all web addresses |
| Social handles visible | Remove @mentions |
| Blurry/pixelated | Use higher resolution source |
Best Practices Summary
- Be consistent - Use the same artist name across all releases
- Keep it clean - No promotional text in metadata
- Use proper fields - Featured artists go in their own field
- Quality artwork - High-resolution, square, no text clutter
- Accurate genres - Choose genres that match your sound
- Review before submit - Check everything twice before submitting
Need Help?
If you’re unsure about formatting or your release was rejected for metadata issues, contact our support team.