Why Was My Release Rejected? The Most Common Reasons

A release rejected by stores usually comes down to five issues: incomplete or mismatched metadata, missing cover song licensing, an invalid ISRC, artwork that breaks store formatting rules, or content flagged as a duplicate of an existing release. Checking these five areas before you submit prevents most rejections and keeps your release moving toward approval.

Why is a release rejected by stores?

A release rejected by stores almost always traces back to one of five issues: incomplete metadata, missing cover song licensing, an invalid or missing ISRC, artwork that breaks a store’s formatting guidelines, or content flagged as a duplicate of an existing release. Distribution platforms run automated and manual checks before music reaches streaming services, and any mismatch between your release details and store requirements can trigger a rejection. The good news is that each of these reasons is specific and fixable once you know what the review team is looking for.

Moderation exists to protect listeners and rights holders, not to slow artists down. Stores want release titles, artist names, and artwork to match what will actually appear on the platform, and they want any cover song to carry proper licensing before it goes live. A rejection is not a permanent block — it’s feedback that tells you exactly what to correct before resubmitting.

Because different platforms apply slightly different review standards, a release that passes one store’s check can still be rejected by another. If that happens to you, our guide on why a cover song can be accepted by one store but rejected by another walks through the most common cause: why a cover song can be accepted by one store but rejected by another.

Why do metadata errors cause rejections?

Metadata errors cause rejections because stores rely on that information to catalog, credit, and display your release correctly, and inconsistent data breaks that process. Metadata is the set of details attached to your release — song title, artist name, release date, genre, and featured artists — that tells stores how to list your music. When a title on your audio file doesn’t match the title you entered, or when required fields like primary genre are left blank, review teams often reject the submission instead of publishing incomplete data.

An ISRC is an International Standard Recording Code, a unique identifier assigned to each individual recording so stores and reporting systems can track plays and payments accurately. A missing, duplicated, or malformed ISRC is a frequent rejection trigger because it breaks the chain of identification stores depend on. You can learn more about how these codes are structured from the official registration authority at isrc.ifpi.org.

Small inconsistencies cause big problems: a featured artist listed in the title but not in the artist field, special characters that don’t render correctly, or a release date that doesn’t match your actual delivery timeline. We recommend reviewing every metadata field twice before submitting, comparing it word-for-word against your audio file and artwork. Treat metadata as part of your release, not an afterthought typed in quickly at the end.

Why are cover songs rejected more often?

Cover songs are rejected more often because they require licensing that original compositions don’t, and stores check for that licensing before approving the release. A cover song is a new recording of a song originally written and recorded by someone else, and releasing one legally requires a mechanical license covering the underlying composition. Without that license in place, many stores will reject the submission outright rather than risk distributing unlicensed material.

The organization responsible for administering mechanical licenses for many musical works in the United States is The MLC, and you can review how mechanical licensing works at themlc.com. Globex Music handles cover song licensing as part of distribution, so artists releasing covers don’t need to track down the license themselves before submitting through our music distribution service.

Cover rejections also happen when the submitted title or artist credit implies an affiliation with the original artist that doesn’t exist, or when the song’s underlying composition can’t be confidently matched in licensing databases because the title is misspelled. Double-checking the exact title and original songwriter credit before you submit reduces this risk significantly. If you release the same cover more than once across different accounts or with slightly different metadata, that can also create separate complications worth understanding on their own.

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Why does artwork get rejected?

Artwork gets rejected when it doesn’t meet a store’s formatting or content guidelines, such as containing text that isn’t part of the actual release title, blurry or low-resolution images, or promotional text like “new single” or social media handles. Stores want cover art to represent the release cleanly, without extra branding or links that belong in a bio instead. Artwork that includes streaming logos, QR codes, or contact information is almost always flagged.

Image quality matters as much as content. A good rule of thumb is to use a square image at a high resolution with no visible compression artifacts, since blurry or pixelated art is one of the simplest reasons for rejection. Artwork that features copyrighted images you don’t have rights to — like photos of other artists or trademarked logos — can also be rejected for ownership reasons separate from musical licensing.

Consistency between your artwork and metadata matters too. If your cover art displays a title that doesn’t match the title field you submitted, review teams will flag the mismatch. We recommend finalizing your artwork text first, then entering your metadata to match it exactly, rather than designing art around a title you might still change.

Why do duplicate releases get flagged?

Duplicate releases get flagged because stores use matching systems to detect when the same recording has already been distributed, whether under the same title or a slightly different one. This protects listeners from seeing multiple copies of the same song cluttering search results and playlists. It also protects royalty reporting, since duplicate entries can split or confuse play counts tied to a single recording.

Duplication often happens by accident. Re-uploading a release after a small metadata fix, submitting the same cover song through two different distributors, or resubmitting after a rejection without removing the original entry can all trigger a duplicate flag. Even changing the artwork or spelling of a title slightly doesn’t always prevent a match, since stores often compare audio fingerprints as well as text.

If you’ve run into this with a cover song specifically, our article on why two versions of the same cover can appear as duplicate releases explains the common causes and walks through how to resolve them: why two versions of the same cover can appear as duplicate releases. The safest approach is to take down or edit an existing release rather than uploading a near-identical new one, and to keep a single, consistent version of each song across your catalog.

How can I fix a rejected release?

You can fix a rejected release by identifying the exact reason given in the rejection notice, correcting that specific issue, and resubmitting rather than starting an entirely new release. Most distribution dashboards include a rejection reason or category, and addressing that cause directly is faster than guessing. Following a clear, repeatable process also reduces the chance of a second rejection.

1. Read the rejection reason carefully and identify which category it falls into: metadata, licensing, artwork, or duplication.
2. Compare your metadata fields against your audio file and artwork to find mismatches.
3. If the issue involves a cover song, confirm the licensing has been completed before resubmitting.
4. Replace or adjust artwork that includes extra text, logos, or low-resolution images.
5. Check whether the same release or a near-identical version already exists under another title.
6. Resubmit through your distributor once every flagged issue has been corrected.

Resubmission timelines vary by platform, so patience after a fix is often necessary. With Globex Music, releases are moderated quickly, and submitting a release for $1 per release means fixing and resubmitting a corrected version doesn’t add ongoing cost. Keeping a simple checklist of title, artist name, genre, and licensing status before every submission prevents most repeat rejections from happening.

How can I avoid future rejections?

You can avoid future rejections by building a short pre-submission checklist and applying it to every release, since most rejections come from the same handful of avoidable mistakes. Consistency between your metadata, artwork, and audio file is the single biggest factor in a smooth approval. Establishing this habit early saves time on every future release, not just the current one.

Timing also helps reduce last-minute pressure that leads to rushed mistakes. If you plan to pitch a new release for editorial playlist consideration, Spotify recommends submitting it at least seven days before release through Spotify for Artists, which gives review teams time to process both the pitch and the release itself; see the official guidance at Spotify for Artists. Building in that buffer gives you room to catch and fix any rejection without missing your planned release date.

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