Artist Name Rules: Generic Names, "Official", Consistency and Compound Artists
Updated 2026-10-21 · 4 sources
Short answer
An artist name must be the artist's real performing name, spelled exactly the same on every release, with one artist per field and nothing else in it: no "Official", role, instrument, band affiliation or website. Generic or keyword names such as "Sleep Music", "White Noise" or "Lo-Fi" are rejected by Spotify and Apple.
What the platforms say
- Spotify doesn't allow SEO artist names like "Christmas Hits" or "Sleep Music", and asks for consistent spelling, punctuation and abbreviations from one release to the next [1].
- Apple rejects generic names (White Noise, Yoga, Music for Dogs, Lo-Fi, Sped Up, Workout, Meditation, Baby, Christmas, Top Hits…) and bans extra information in names [2].
- DistroKid lists "Official" in artist names as unacceptable [3].
- TuneCore: names are case-sensitive and must match across releases, with first name before last name [4].
Duos, bands and collaborations
Apple separates compound artists (two independent artists typed into one field, which isn't allowed) from bands or duos that are known together, which are entered as one name [2]. If two solo artists collaborate, add each as a Primary artist in their own field.
Brands and labels
Companies, brands and record labels aren't artists and shouldn't be listed as Primary. Apple's exception is production houses or studios on things like video game soundtracks or contracted library music [2].
Examples
| Instead of | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sleep Music | The artist's actual name | SEO / generic names are barred. |
| Nova Reyes Official | Nova Reyes | No "Official". |
| John Doe (Guitarist) | John Doe, with Guitar as a performer credit | Roles go in credits, not the name (TuneCore example). |
| Nova Reyes & Kai Lane (one field) | Primary: Nova Reyes · Primary: Kai Lane | One artist per field, unless they're an established duo. |
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FAQ
My artist name really is a common word. Will it be rejected?
Generic-name rules target names that describe a genre, mood or use (e.g. "Workout"). A distinctive name that happens to be a word usually isn't affected, but expect reviewers to check for keyword intent.
I changed my artist name. What happens to old releases?
Ask your distributor to update every release to the same spelling. Spotify displays metadata exactly as it's delivered, so mismatched names can split your catalog across profiles.
Related guides
Sources
- Spotify for Artists: Music metadata guidelines
- Apple Music Style Guide 2.4 (Apple)
- DistroKid Help: Release and Track Title Formatting Issues
- TuneCore Help: How should I format my album title, track title, and artist name?
Platform rules change. Each rule above is attributed to the company or standard that published it, as checked on 2026-10-21. This guide is not legal advice.