Metadata errors are the single most common reason a cover song submission gets delayed or rejected during moderation. Because a cover requires accurate songwriter and publisher information tied to the original composition — not the performer’s own name in the composer field — even small data mistakes can trigger a review flag or a takedown after the fact. Getting the metadata right the first time is the difference between a release that clears moderation in a day and one that sits in limbo for a week.
This matters more for covers than for original music. An original release only needs accurate performer and producer credits. A cover release needs those plus the correct original songwriter names, because that information is what triggers the mechanical license and routes royalties to the composition’s rights holders. Get it wrong, and you’re not just risking a slow review — you’re risking a rejected mechanical license.
What is the most common metadata mistake on cover songs?
The most common mistake is listing yourself as the songwriter or composer when you recorded a cover. The songwriter field must contain the name(s) of the person or people who wrote the original composition — the melody and lyrics — not the artist performing the new recording. If Dolly Parton wrote «Jolene,» her name goes in the composer field even if you’re the one singing it. Your name belongs in the performer/artist field only.
This mistake is easy to make because most distributor upload forms default to auto-filling the songwriter field with the artist’s account name. First-time artists routinely skip past that field without correcting it, which is exactly why platforms flag cover submissions for manual review — the moderation team has to verify the real songwriter before a mechanical license can be issued.
Why does the song title format matter for covers?
Title formatting matters because streaming platforms and rights databases use it to distinguish a cover from the original recording, and inconsistent formatting causes matching errors that can misattribute streams or delay indexing. The accepted convention is to keep the title clean — just the song name — and use the version or subtitle field, if the platform offers one, to note «Cover» only when needed for clarity. Stuffing the title itself with text like «(Cover of Original Artist)» is one of the fastest ways to get a submission bounced back for correction, since most platforms consider that promotional or descriptive clutter that violates title field guidelines.
A clean, consistent title also protects you later. If a listener or a rights holder searches for the original song and your cover’s title is formatted oddly, it won’t surface correctly in search or in «also performed by» listings, which quietly costs you discoverability you’d otherwise get for free.
Do you need to credit the original artist in the metadata?
Yes, but not as the songwriter. The original performing artist’s name typically doesn’t belong in any metadata field at all beyond an optional version/subtitle note — what has to be accurate is the original composer and publisher information, since that’s what mechanical licensing and royalty routing are actually based on. Confusing «who performed the original» with «who wrote the original» is a frequent error, especially for songs where the performer and songwriter are different people, such as most Motown-era catalog or songs written by professional songwriters for other artists.
If you’re not sure who actually wrote the song, that information is public and searchable through performance rights organizations and standard music databases before you submit — guessing is what leads to licensing errors down the line.
What happens if metadata errors slip through moderation?
If incorrect metadata slips through, the most likely outcomes are delayed or misdirected royalty payments, a retroactive correction request from the distributor, or in more serious cases a takedown if a rights holder disputes the songwriter credit. Because royalties on a cover are split between the performer (via streaming royalties) and the original songwriter/publisher (via the mechanical license), wrong composer data means money can get routed to the wrong place or held until it’s fixed.
This is also why fast, careful moderation matters more for covers than people assume. A distributor that reviews cover submissions manually and confirms songwriter data before release catches these errors before they become royalty problems. Globex Music runs cover songs through a fast moderation process specifically because catching a metadata mistake before release is far simpler than untangling a royalty misdirection afterward.
A quick pre-submission metadata checklist
- Composer/songwriter field contains the original song’s actual writer(s), not your artist name
- Title field is clean, with «cover» noted only in a version/subtitle field if the platform supports one
- Performer/artist field correctly lists you or your band, not the original artist
- Publisher information matches the original composition where the platform requests it
- Featured artists, if any, are listed consistently across the title and credits fields
Why getting this right matters more with a low-cost, high-volume release model
Globex Music distributes cover songs starting at $1 per release with automatic mechanical licensing included, to more than 200 streaming platforms, with royalty payouts starting from just $10. That pricing model only works well for artists who submit clean metadata, because accurate songwriter data is what allows the automatic licensing step to process quickly instead of triggering a manual hold. Compare that to the ongoing cost structure elsewhere in the market: DistroKid charges a $44.99 annual fee, TuneCore charges a $24.99 base fee plus per-cover licensing fees and a 20% commission on social platform revenue, and CD Baby charges $9.95 per single plus a 9% royalty commission that continues indefinitely. None of those fee structures reward you for clean metadata — the fee is the same whether your submission is flawless or flagged. With a $1 per-release model and no annual fee, artists who take the extra two minutes to check their composer credits, title formatting, and publisher data get faster moderation and a cleaner royalty trail from day one, at a fraction of the ongoing cost of the alternatives.
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