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Articles, analysis, and updates on music metadata standards, distribution changes, and best practices for keeping your catalog compliant across every store.

StandardsFeatured

DDEX ERN 4.1.1: What Changed and Why It Matters for Your Catalog

The latest Electronic Release Notification standard introduces structural changes to contributor credits and sound recording identification. Here's what you need to update before your next delivery cycle.

Jun 27, 2026 8 minCompliance Team
Distribution

Spotify Updates Content Policy: New Title Guidelines Effective Q3 2026

Spotify has tightened its rules around SEO-optimized titles and descriptive metadata. We break down the exact changes and how to audit your existing catalog for compliance.

Jun 21, 2026 5 min
Best Practices

The Hidden Cost of Missing Songwriter Credits

Incomplete contributor metadata doesn't just cause rejections — it directly impacts royalty collection. We examine real cases where credits were lost between distribution and DSP display.

Jun 14, 2026 6 min
Technical

ISRC vs ISWC: Understanding the Difference

These two identifiers serve fundamentally different purposes in the music ecosystem. Misunderstanding them leads to registration errors and royalty misallocation. A clear, practical guide.

Jun 9, 2026 4 min
Standards

Apple Music Genre Taxonomy: A Complete Mapping Guide

Apple Music's flat genre hierarchy differs significantly from Spotify's micro-genre system. Learn how to map your internal tags correctly and avoid browse-category misplacement.

Jun 2, 2026 10 min
Distribution

Amazon Music HD: Metadata Requirements for Lossless Delivery

Delivering to Amazon Music's HD and Ultra HD tiers requires additional metadata fields beyond standard distribution. This guide covers sample rate, bit depth, and codec tagging.

May 26, 2026 7 min
Best Practices

5 Artwork Mistakes That Get Releases Rejected

Cover art is the single most common cause of metadata rejection. We walk through the five most frequent artwork failures and how to catch them before delivery — not after.

May 19, 2026 5 min
Technical

How Language Codes Affect Lyric Synchronization Across Stores

A mismatched language code field can break lyric display on YouTube Music, Apple Music, and Deezer. We trace the issue from metadata source to end-user display.

May 13, 2026 6 min
Industry News

Global Music Distribution: Regional Store Requirements for 2026

From JioSaavn in India to Kuwo in China, regional stores have unique metadata requirements that differ from Western DSPs. An overview of the most critical regional specifications.

May 7, 2026 9 min
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