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Release metadata, explained

Every field that goes with your release, why it matters, and how to fill it correctly.

Why metadata matters

Metadata is what every DSP, every algorithm, every search query, every royalty payment, and every sync licensing opportunity sees about your music. Get it right at submission and your release behaves the way you expect across every platform. Get it wrong and you'll spend months untangling it after the fact.

Required fields

Release title

The name listeners see. Capitalize like a book title: capital letters on the first word, last word, and any major word in between (skip articles like "the", "a", "an" and short prepositions unless they're first or last). Don't include the artist name. Don't include "feat." or featured artists in the title.

Primary artist

The main artist on the release. For a solo release, this is you. For a collaboration, this is whoever has the primary creative billing. Don't put multiple artists in this field unless they're an actual group. Use the Featured artist field for guests.

Featured artist

Add featured artists here. They'll show up on every DSP as "feat. [Artist]" automatically. Don't add the word "feat." yourself. DSPs format it.

Primary genre and secondary genre

Pick from the DSP-standard list. Primary genre drives algorithmic recommendations. Pick the closest match, not the most flattering. Secondary genre is optional and helps cross-genre listeners find you.

Language

The primary language of the lyrics. If the track has no lyrics, pick Instrumental. If it's bilingual, pick the dominant language. This affects where DSPs recommend your music and how it shows up in non-English markets.

Release date

The day your music goes live on DSPs. Submit at least 4 weeks ahead. Friday is the global new-release day.

Label

Your label name. If you're self-releasing, use your artist name or a label you've made for yourself. The label name appears in copyright lines.

Copyright (C-line and P-line)

Two separate copyrights. The C-line (©) covers the composition (the song). The P-line (℗) covers the recording (this specific performance). For self-released indie music, both usually say something like "2026 Your Name" or "2026 Your Label Name".

Optional but recommended

ISRC

International Standard Recording Code. A unique 12-character identifier for each recording. If you've registered with your local PRO or music rights org, you may have your own. If not, NotNoise auto-generates one for you. ISRCs are how royalty data gets tied back to your recording across every platform.

UPC or EAN

A barcode for your release as a whole. Same as ISRC: bring your own or NotNoise generates one. Required for physical sales and most DSPs prefer to have one.

Explicit flag

Mark tracks with profanity or explicit content. Wrong tagging gets your release demoted in editorial playlists, or filtered out of family accounts. If you have a clean version too, distribute it as a separate track.

Contributor credits

Producer, songwriter, mixing engineer, mastering engineer, featured musicians. These show up on the Spotify track credits screen and inform sync licensing opportunities. Fill them in even if you did everything yourself. List yourself as the songwriter and producer.

DSP-specific rules to know

  • Spotify — strict on title case. "All caps" titles get rejected unless that's the artist's deliberate name style. Don't include featured artists in the title field.
  • Apple Music — canonical name matching. If your artist name has a stylization like "$IRENS", Apple may convert to "Sirens" unless the name is established.
  • Amazon Music — punctuation in titles can trigger review. Avoid emoji and non-standard symbols.
  • TikTok and Instagram — inherits Spotify's metadata. Get it right at submission and it flows through.

Common gotchas

  • "feat." formatting — never type "feat." or "ft." in the title. Use the Featured Artist field. DSPs format it.
  • Version tags — "(Remix)", "(Acoustic)", "(Radio Edit)", "(Live)" go in the track title in parentheses. Capitalize first letter.
  • Re-release date traps — if you re-release a previously distributed track, the original release date matters for editorial pitching. New releases get the pitching window; re-releases don't.
  • Contributor splits — don't confuse contributor credits (who worked on the song) with royalty splits (who gets paid). Splits are a separate setup and they're how you pay collaborators.
  • Language vs lyrics language — Language is about the lyrics, not the country. A French song made by a Canadian artist is still French.

What to do if you spot a mistake

Before submission, edit freely. After submission but before delivery, contact support@notnoise.co and we can pull the release back to draft. After delivery, some fields can still be edited (artwork, contributor credits, secondary genre) but others are locked to preserve royalty integrity (ISRC, UPC, artist name on first release). See Managing your catalog for what's editable when.

Last updated: May 27, 2026

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