Music Knowledge
What Is Music Metadata?
Music metadata explained: title, artist, ISRC, UPC, genre, credits and artwork — why accurate metadata protects royalties and powers streaming discovery.
Metadata is the information attached to your music — track title, artist name, ISRC, UPC, genre, release date, credits and artwork. Platforms, stores and royalty systems depend entirely on metadata to identify, display and pay for your music.
Types of metadata
Descriptive metadata (titles, artists, genre, artwork) determines how your music appears to listeners. Administrative metadata (ISRC, UPC, rights) determines ownership and royalty payment. Both must be accurate.
Every platform presents your music using this data, so errors appear everywhere at once.
Why metadata errors cost money
Wrong ISRCs create duplicate release pages and split your stream counts. Missing writer credits mean royalties can't be matched. Incorrect genre can hide your music from the right listeners.
Metadata errors multiply across 200+ platforms — a single typo in your title means fixing it everywhere.
Good metadata hygiene
Decide your official artist name once and keep it consistent across releases. Use the same spelling, capitalisation and featured-artist format everywhere.
Before every release, validate your ISRCs and UPCs, proofread titles and credits, and use a metadata toolkit to catch problems before they reach platforms.
Key Points
- Data that identifies and displays your music
- Errors cause lost royalties and split streams
- Consistency across releases matters
- Validate before every release
Frequently Asked Questions
Who adds metadata?
You provide it when releasing; the distributor formats and validates it for platforms. Platforms display it directly, so quality starts with you.
Can I fix metadata after release?
Yes, through your distributor, but corrections propagate slowly across platforms and old data can linger. Getting it right before release is far easier.
What metadata is most important?
Title, artist, ISRC and UPC are critical for identification and royalties. Genre, credits and release date drive discovery and presentation.