The Ultimate Music Metadata & Credits Checklist

Ensure your music is ready for distribution, radio play, and sync licensing with our comprehensive metadata checklist. In the Canadian music industry, missing data means missing royalties. Don't leave your SOCAN or Re:Sound payouts to chance.

The Professional Music Metadata Checklist

Use this structure to organize your data before uploading to your digital distributor or The Musical Road.

1. Essential Release Information

• Release Title: Must match your cover art exactly.
• Version Information: (e.g., Radio Edit, Remix, Acoustic). Leave blank for the standard album version.
• Primary Artist: The main artist(s) credited for the release.
• Featuring Artists: Guest performers who do not own the master project.
• Genre & Sub-genre: Be specific to help algorithms (e.g., 'Alternative R&B' rather than just 'Urban').
• Release Date: Coordinate this with your Music Marketing Plan.

2. Technical Identifiers & Metadata

• ISRC: (International Standard Recording Code) for every individual track. Use our ISRC Code Generator & Validator if you need to assign new ones.
• UPC/EAN: (Universal Product Code) for the complete album, EP, or single package.
• BPM: Critical for DJ-focused promotion and club play.
• Key: (e.g., G Major) helps curators and DJs transition your track into sets smoothly.

3. Rights, Credits & Royalties (The 'Money' Data)

• Songwriters: Legal names only (avoid using stage names for registration).
• Publishers: The entity owning the composition rights. If you are independent, list your own publishing company or 'Copyright Control'.
• Split Percentages: Must total 100% for both lyrics and music composition.
• PRO Information: Specify your Performance Rights Organization (e.g., SOCAN in Canada, or ASCAP, BMI, SESAC, PRS).

4. Creative & Compliance Metadata

• Lyrics: Clean text without timestamps (unless you are providing synced lyrics for Instagram/Spotify).
• Explicit Content Tag: Yes/No. Accuracy is vital to prevent your release from being flagged or removed.
• Language: The primary language of the vocal performance.

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Pro Tip: The 'Sync-Ready' Standard for Music Supervisors

To get your music placed in film, TV, or Canadian advertising, music supervisors require 'Description Metadata' to find your tracks in their databases.

• Moods: (e.g., Gritty, Euphoric, Nostalgic)
• Instrumentation: (e.g., Rhodes Piano, Heavy Bass, 808s)
• Vocal Gender: (e.g., Male Vocals, Non-binary, Instrumental)

Ready to launch your next project? Use our Music Press Release Template Generator to turn this metadata into a professional pitch for Canadian media.