Metadata is the digital fingerprint of your music. It tells streaming platforms who you are, what your song is called, and who should get paid. But if there’s even the slightest inconsistency in your metadata, the system gets confused. And for that reason, you can lose access to all your streaming revenue forever!
This is why you must ensure 100% consistency in your song details across all streaming platforms, so you won’t have to be bleeding money without even realizing it.
Here’s metadata errors and their consequences look like:
1. Your Streams Might Not Count
If your artist name is slightly different on Spotify than on Apple Music (e.g., “AfroKing” vs. “Afro King”), these platforms might not recognize that you’re the same person. This could split your streams, making your songs harder to find. And worse, your streams may not contribute to your total royalties.
2. Your Royalties Could Go to Someone Else
Let’s say you feature another artist on your song, but their name is missing from the metadata on one platform while it’s included on others. This could lead to payment mismatches, where part of your royalty earnings get redirected to the wrong artist—or never even get paid at all.
3. Your Songs May End Up on the Wrong Profile
Ever seen an artist’s track appear under a completely different artist’s name? That happens when metadata doesn’t match perfectly across platforms. If your song lands in the wrong profile, you lose not only earnings but also potential fans who can’t find you.
4. You Risk Getting Your Music Taken Down
Major streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have strict guidelines. If they detect inconsistent metadata across different releases, they may flag your music for correction or take it down completely. You could end up wasting months of effort trying to fix something that could have been avoided.
The Ultimate Solution: A Distribution Company That Ensures Perfect Metadata
The only way to guarantee that your metadata is accurate across all platforms is to work with a reputable music distributor, and ensure you enter it all correctly at once.
If you need help with getting your music out without the headache of revenue loss associated with metadata error, then you should sign with us at Highvibes Distribution. When you distribute your music through Highvibes, you only enter your metadata once, and we ensure it remains the same everywhere—from Spotify to Apple Music, Deezer, and beyond.
Here’s a Summary of What Working with Us Looks Like:
100% Metadata Consistency – Every detail you submit stays identical across all platforms.
No Royalty Leaks – Your earnings go exactly where they should, with no errors. Streamlined Artist Profiles – Your name stays intact, making it easier for fans to find you.
No Takedowns – We ensure your music meets all platform requirements (with your corporation of course), so you never wake up to a missing track.
Avoid a Case of Small Mistake, Big Loss.
Metadata can be the difference between getting paid or getting ignored. Independent artists already have enough challenges; don’t let something as preventable as metadata deprive you of your deserved earning.
