From today, the world of digital music will never be the same. Spotify has officially started a quiet revolution—one of those operations that aren't announced with great fanfare, but that change everything.
The new standard imposed by Spotify on publishing credits is clear, drastic, and chilling:
“Ogni traccia deve contenere il nome legale completo di tutti i compositori e di tutti i lyricist. Chi non rispetta questo requisito verrà rifiutato immediatamente.”
It's not a warning. It's not a guideline. It's not a suggestion.
It's a requirement. And it's immediate.
And what's about to happen is predictable: an unprecedented purge of songs released without proper credits. A castle that has stood for years is about to crumble.
Spotify Official Source: https://support.spotify.com/us/artists/article/metadata-formatting-guidelines/
Spotify Editorial Credits
The problem isn't the change… it's the speed at which it's coming
Spotify is introducing new advanced features — SongDNA, About the Song, full credit analysis, contributor visibility, behind-the-scenes professional recognition systems.
This means one very simple thing: Spotify can no longer afford bad data. Ever again.
Over the past 10 years, the market has exploded:
- millions of songs distributed with incomplete data,
- incorrect or missing credits,
- authors registered with stage names,
- initials instead of legal names,
- disputes between publishers,
- incorrect royalties (or royalties frozen for years).
Spotify is tired of acting as a notary for other people's incompetence.
Hence the drastic decision: anyone who doesn't provide perfect credits is excluded. It doesn't matter who you are, how many streams you have, or how much you've invested in promotion. The platform will make no exceptions.
What will happen in the coming weeks?
The consequences, if no one complies, are easy to imagine:
- thousands of releases rejected upon delivery,
- tracks removed from the catalog without notice,
- royalties blocked for “dati insufficienti”,
- distributors forced to re-release entire catalogs,
- labels in total panic,
- artists who will lose streams, playlists, algorithms, rankings.
Remember: if even a single composer has an incomplete name, the entire release is cancelled. It's an atomic bomb for the industry.
And the alternative platforms will follow suit. Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music: everyone will fall into line. It's not a change for Spotify… it's a change for the entire industry.
Why did Spotify make this decision?
Here are the reasons—plain, simple, and worrying.
1) Publishing disputes are on the rise.
Uncredited authors mean lawsuits, complaints, and royalty freezes. Spotify wants to prevent legal battles that aren't its own and is placing the blame where it belongs: on the metadata provided by distributors.
2) The new “Song Credits” ecosystem is strategic.
Spotify is becoming an information platform, not just a music platform. Premium users will have detailed profiles with:
- expanded credits,
- background vocals,
- musicians and instrumentalists,
- additional producers,
- engineers, mixers, mastering,
- orchestrators, and technical staff.
Further reading: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-rolls-out-expanded-song-credits-previews-new-songdna-and-about-the-song-features-for-premium-users/
3) Incomplete metadata is worth millions of dollars
Every mistake in the credits leads to royalties that end up in the so-called “black box funds”, generic funds of collecting societies. A disaster for legitimate authors, who never see that money.
4) The major labels no longer accept mistakes
The major labels no longer tolerate incorrect metadata from improvised independent distributors. Spotify was forced to lock down the system: those who don't respect the standards simply don't get in.
While the others go crazy... DISTRID is already perfectly aligned
Here's the key point: while most independent distributors will have to reinvent themselves quickly, DISTRID is already ready.
Thanks to the supervision of Mantovani America LLC, DISTRID has anticipated the standards and has already implemented:
- automatic checks on legal names,
- mandatory specification of Composer / Lyricist / Composer & Lyricist,
- immediate blocking of incomplete metadata,
- professional editorial workflows,
- system compliant with the Spotify, Apple Music and Merlin directives,
- human support with real experience in the publishing and digital industry.
While others are running for cover, DISTRID customers can already apply updates to their already distributed releases.
Anyone who doesn't update their credits is a “artista fantasma”
There are artists who are at real risk of:
- being removed from platforms,
- losing royalty streams,
- no longer being traceable as authors,
- disappearing from playlists, algorithms, editorial rankings.
If you're not in the credits with your full name, it's as if you don't exist. Your music remains, but you disappear.
How to fill in the credits correctly
When you upload a release to DISTRID:
Enter:
- full legal name and surname for each author and composer,
- Full legal name and surname for each author of the text,
- the precise role: Composer, Lyricist, or Composer & Lyricist.
Absolutely avoid:
- stage names,
- abbreviations,
- initials,
- aliases,
- fields left incomplete or “provvisori”.
Always check that the legal name corresponds to the one registered with SIAE, BMI, ASCAP, GEMA, etc.
Those who make mistakes pay. And risk a lot.
The market is becoming more professional. Those who don't follow the rules will be eliminated.
Spotify said it clearly: the correct visibility of contributors can be “life-changing” for professionals.
For this reason, we will no longer accept releases made “alla buona”, with incomplete data, uploaded in a hurry, or managed by unqualified distributors.
The question is simple:
Do you want to be part of the industry that resists or the one that is being erased?
Do you want to comply and protect your copyright? We can talk about it right away.
The new publishing system requires expertise, precision, and professional supervision.
I have been working in the music, publishing, and digital distribution industries for over twenty years. I have seen artists lose tens of thousands of euros due to metadata errors, songs disappear, and disputes that last for years.
Don't let this happen to you.
Book a meeting with me. Secure your career, your credits, and your royalties before the wave of removals arrives.
Schedule a Meeting!
