Apple Music
Apple Music for Artists provides powerful tools to customize your presence, understand your audience, and promote your music across Apple’s ecosystem (including Shazam).
Portal: artists.apple.com
Important Apple Music Requirements
Before distributing to Apple Music, understand these key requirements:
Mandatory Credit Categories
Apple Music requires at least ONE credit in EACH of these three categories for every track:
| Category | Required | Example Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Composition & Lyrics | Yes | Composer, Lyricist, Songwriter |
| Performers | Yes | Lead Vocals, Guitar, Drums, Piano |
| Production & Engineering | Yes | Producer, Recording Engineer, Mixing Engineer |
Tip: A single person can fulfill multiple categories. If you wrote, performed, and produced a track, credit yourself with roles in all three categories.
Metadata Restrictions
Apple Music has strict metadata requirements:
| Prohibited | Why |
|---|---|
| Emojis | Not allowed in titles, artist names, or lyrics |
| ”Album Version” | Assumed default, don’t include |
| ”Dolby Atmos” | Format references not allowed in titles |
| Self-censoring | Don’t use asterisks - Apple handles censoring automatically |
| URLs/logos | No website addresses or QR codes in artwork |
Self-Censoring Policy
Artists should NOT self-censor with asterisks (fk).** Instead:
- Use the actual word in the audio
- Mark the track as explicit
- Apple handles censoring automatically for clean versions
Release Type Formatting
| Type | Apple Music Format |
|---|---|
| Single | Automatically adds ”- Single” suffix |
| EP | Automatically adds ”- EP” suffix |
| Album | No suffix added |
Note: You don’t need to add these suffixes yourself - Apple Music applies them automatically based on release type.
Profile Customization
Your Apple Music artist profile is your storefront on the platform. Make it stand out with custom content.
Profile Elements You Can Edit
| Element | Requirements | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Profile Photo | Minimum 750 x 750px, no text or logos | Use a clean, professional image |
| Header Image | Wide format banner | Match your current era/aesthetic |
| Bio | Text description | Tell your story authentically |
| Band Members | Individual member info | Helps fans discover side projects |
| Influences | Up to 5 artists | Shows up to Apple’s editorial team |
| Collaborators | Artists you’ve worked with | Helps with recommendations |
Q&A Feature
Apple Music lets you answer 5 curated prompts that appear on your profile:
- “Find a song of yours on Apple Music that you love and tell us what makes it special”
- “What’s one of the most memorable moments in your career so far?”
- And 3 more rotating prompts
Limit: 250 characters per answer
Tip: The Q&A section is visible to Apple’s editors and can help you get noticed for editorial playlist consideration.
How to Edit Your Profile
- Go to artists.apple.com
- Sign in with your Apple ID
- Navigate to Artist Profile
- Click Edit on any section
- Upload images or enter text
- Save changes (updates appear within 24 hours)
Analytics Dashboard
Apple Music for Artists provides detailed insights into how your music performs.
Key Metrics
| Metric | Description |
|---|---|
| Plays | Total number of streams |
| Listeners | Unique listeners |
| Shazams | How many times your songs were Shazammed |
| Song Sales | iTunes purchases |
| Top Cities | Where your listeners are located |
| Top Countries | Geographic breakdown |
| Listener Demographics | Age and gender (where available) |
| Source of Plays | How listeners found your music |
Trends & Insights
- See daily, weekly, monthly, or all-time data
- Compare performance across releases
- Track playlist additions
- Monitor Shazam velocity (rate of change in Shazams)
Shazam Integration
Since Apple owns Shazam, your Shazam data is integrated directly into Apple Music for Artists.
What Shazam Data Shows
- Total Shazams for each track
- Shazam Velocity - how quickly Shazams are increasing
- Popular Segments - the exact moments in your song that people Shazam most
- Geographic hotspots - where your music is being discovered “in the wild”
Why Shazam Matters
Shazam data is an early indicator of real-world interest:
- Songs trending on Shazam often break through to mainstream
- High Shazam velocity signals your music is catching on
- Popular Segments help you understand which parts of your songs resonate
Tip: If you see high Shazam activity in a city, consider booking a show there or targeting ads to that location.
Promote Tab
The Promote tab in Apple Music for Artists offers a suite of marketing assets.
Available Promotional Tools
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
| Social Media Posts | Customizable graphics with your music |
| Milestones | Shareable cards for achievements |
| Embeddable Players | Add Apple Music players to your website |
| Set Lists | Playlists to promote live shows |
| QR Codes | Direct links to your music |
Milestones
Milestones are shareable graphics that celebrate your achievements:
- First 1,000 / 10,000 / 100,000 / 1M plays
- Shazam milestones
- Editorial playlist adds
- Chart positions
- Album anniversaries
How to Create Promotional Assets
- Go to artists.apple.com
- Navigate to the Promote tab
- Select the asset type you want to create
- Choose a template, layout, and background color
- Download and share on your social channels
Editorial & Playlists
Apple Music’s editorial team curates playlists across genres and moods. While there’s no formal pitch process like Spotify, you can increase your chances of being noticed:
How to Get Editorial Attention
- Complete your profile - Fill out Q&A, influences, collaborators
- Deliver early - Submit releases at least 2-3 weeks before release date
- Provide context - Add detailed metadata through your distributor
- Be consistent - Regular releases help build editorial relationships
Note: LabelGrid delivers your metadata to Apple Music, including genre, mood, and other context that helps editorial teams discover your music.
Lyrics
Apple Music displays lyrics directly in the app. To ensure your lyrics appear:
- Provide lyrics through your LabelGrid release (in the track metadata)
- Or submit through a lyrics service like Musixmatch
Apple also supports Time-Synced Lyrics that scroll as the song plays - these are typically generated automatically or can be submitted through your distributor.
Music Videos
Apple Music supports official music videos. To deliver videos:
- Contact LabelGrid support about video delivery
- Provide video file meeting Apple’s specifications
- Videos appear on your artist page and track pages
Apple Music Analytics API
For labels and teams who need programmatic access, Apple offers an Analytics API:
- Retrieve play data programmatically
- Build custom dashboards
- Integrate with your business intelligence tools
Contact Apple for API access through the Apple Music for Artists dashboard.
Best Practices
- Complete your profile - Artists with full profiles get more visibility
- Answer Q&A prompts - Editors read these when considering artists
- Check Shazam data - It’s an early indicator of emerging interest
- Share Milestones - They drive engagement and streams
- Deliver releases early - Give editors time to discover your music
- Keep imagery updated - Match your profile to your current era