Metadata is the structured description of your release: titles, artists, contributors, genre, language, explicit flag, and more. Humans read the pretty store page; systems read the fields. When they disagree, listeners get confused and opportunities like search and radio suffer
Pick a primary genre that honestly matches the core sound - even if you blend styles. Some platforms allow subgenres or moods; use them when they help describe the recording without stuffing keywords. Misleading genres can backfire when playlists and editors expect a different vibe. For a full list of industry terms, check our [music industry glossary](/glossary)
Think of metadata as your release's resume. Just as a well-written resume gets past automated screening systems, well-structured metadata gets your music past the algorithmic filters that determine who hears it. Every field you fill out accurately increases the chances that the right listeners discover your work through search, radio, and recommendations
The explicit content flag is a small detail with real consequences. If your track contains explicit language and you do not flag it, stores may remove it after the fact. If you flag a clean track as explicit, you lose access to listeners who filter for clean content. Get it right the first time and save yourself the hassle of correcting it post-release
Contributor credits are another metadata field that matters more than most artists realize. Listing your songwriter, producer, mixing engineer, and mastering engineer correctly helps those professionals build their own profiles on platforms that display credits. It also creates a network of connections that can lead to future collaborations and professional opportunities.
Language metadata affects how stores surface music in regional contexts. If vocals are mixed languages, follow your distributor's guidance for primary language. Instrumental tracks have their own conventions; do not guess if the form offers an explicit "instrumental" option.
Consistency across singles builds artist identity. If your project name includes punctuation or stylization, mirror it exactly each time. Changing spelling between releases fractures search and verified artist association.
Your artist name is effectively a brand. If you release as "DJ Waves" on one single and "Dj Waves" on the next, streaming platforms may create two separate artist profiles. Merging them later is possible but time-consuming and may result in lost playlist placements or follower counts. Decide on your exact name formatting before your first release and stick with it permanently.
Featuring artist formatting also matters. Platforms have specific rules about where the "feat." credit goes - in the title field, in a separate artist field, or both. Your distributor's upload form will guide you, but preparing this information before you start the upload process prevents last-minute confusion and rejected submissions.
Copyright and sound recording lines belong to the rights holders you name. They signal professionalism to industry readers and sometimes appear on lyric sites or partner tools that ingest feed data.
When you update metadata after release, not every field is editable on every store, and some changes require redelivery. Getting it right the first time is cheaper than emergency fixes during a campaign. [LUCY Academy](/academy) has a full module on metadata best practices if you want to go deeper. Ready to put this into practice? [Start distributing with LUCY](https://app.lucysounds.com) and get your metadata right from the start.
The copyright line format follows a standard pattern: the copyright symbol, the year of release, and the name of the copyright holder. For the sound recording, use the phonogram symbol instead. If you own your masters and compositions, both lines will show your name or your publishing entity. If a label or publisher is involved, their name goes in the appropriate line.
Post-release metadata corrections can take days or weeks to propagate across all stores. During that time, your release may show incorrect information to listeners. Some stores cache metadata aggressively, meaning even after your distributor submits the correction, the old version may persist for a while. This is why prevention is always better than correction when it comes to metadata accuracy.