Music Metadata 101: ISRC Codes, UPC Codes, and Credits Explained
by October 20, 2025Metadata is not the exciting part of making music, but it is one of the most important. Metadata is the information attached to your release, and it tells platforms who made the song, who owns it, and who gets paid. Bad metadata can mean lost royalties, split artist profiles, and songs that are hard to find.
RMG Empire note: The business side decides who gets paid. Roots Music Group helps artists understand ownership, splits, and strategy as part of our artist development services.
What Is Music Metadata?
Music metadata includes your artist name, song title, featured artists, songwriters, producers, genre, release date, label name, language, explicit content tag, ISRC code, and UPC code. Your distributor sends this information to every store and streaming service.
What Is an ISRC Code?
An ISRC, or International Standard Recording Code, is a unique 12-character code that identifies a specific recording. Every song, and every version of a song, gets its own ISRC. A clean version, a remix, and a live version each need separate codes.
Most distributors will create an ISRC for you. If you re-release a song through a new distributor, reuse the original ISRC so your stream history stays connected.
What Is a UPC Code?
A UPC, or Universal Product Code, identifies the whole release, whether it is a single, EP, or album. The UPC identifies the product, while each song inside it keeps its own ISRC.
Why Credits Matter
Listing songwriters, producers, and featured artists accurately helps everyone get credit and paid. Credits also help your collaborators discover your work and build your reputation in the industry. Document credits and ownership splits before release with a split sheet.
Common Metadata Mistakes
- Spelling your artist name differently across releases
- Putting a featured artist in the song title instead of the featured artist field
- Using all caps or extra emojis that stores may reject
- Choosing the wrong primary genre
- Leaving out songwriter information
- Creating a new ISRC for a song that already has one
Metadata and Your Artist Profile
If your metadata does not match, your song can land on another artist’s profile with the same name, or on a brand-new duplicate profile. Always check your artist profile link during upload, and fix mistakes immediately through your distributor.
Keep a Master Catalog Sheet
Create a spreadsheet for every release with the title, ISRC, UPC, release date, writers, producers, splits, publishers, and distributor. When a sync opportunity, label deal, or royalty question comes up, you will have everything in one place.
Metadata is part of a complete release process. Review our independent release checklist next.
How RMG Empire Can Help
You do not have to figure this out by yourself. With the RMG Artist Development & Release Partnership, RMG Empire works with you on:
- Publishing education and ownership guidance
- Organized metadata and catalog records
- Career planning with clear income goals
- Guidance before you sign any agreement
Learn more about working with RMG Empire.
Build Your Career With RMG Empire
Roots Music Group supports artists with distribution setup, metadata, and release infrastructure. From Los Angeles to Miami, Atlanta, and New York, Roots Music Group supports RMG Empire artists with development, release strategy, marketing, and booking preparation.
Let’s build something that lasts. Get in touch.
RMG EMPIRE STAFF
RMG Empire Staff is the editorial team at Roots Music Group Inc., an independent record label and artist-services company rooted in Los Angeles with a creative network across Miami, Atlanta, and New York. The team shares practical guidance on artist development, release strategy, marketing, publishing, and booking for independent artists.
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