Every track needs correct songwriting credits. Stores use them for display, and they are needed to collect songwriting royalties.
What is required
Each track needs at least:
- one songwriter credit (Songwriter, Writer or Lyricist), and
- one Composer credit.
The same person can hold both roles. For instrumental tracks, credit the composer of the music.
Use full legal names
Enter each writer's full legal first and last name, for example "Jane Smith", not an artist name, nickname or initials. Releases with stage names or single names in writer fields are not accepted.
Other contributor roles
You can also credit:
- Featured Artist: shown next to the track title on stores
- Producer, Engineer, Mixer, Remixer
- Lyricist
Only credit people who actually contributed to the track. Use the bulk tool in the Track Details step to apply the same credits to every track.
Collecting songwriting royalties
Credits alone do not collect publishing royalties. To register your compositions with collecting societies worldwide, see Publishing Administration.