Metadata is the backbone of the music industry, especially for record labels and music publishers. Without accurate metadata, you risk losing out on royalties, having your music go undiscovered, and causing confusion across platforms. In this guide, we’ll walk through some best practices for metadata matching to help you keep everything organized and ensure your music gets the recognition it deserves.
1. Standardize Your Data
The first step to successful metadata matching is making sure all your data follows a standard format. This includes using consistent artist names, song titles, release dates, and other key details. By sticking to one format, you reduce the chances of errors and make it easier to match metadata across different systems and platforms.
2. Keep Metadata Complete
Incomplete metadata is a common problem in the music industry. Every song, album, and release should have all its details filled out completely. Missing information can cause problems down the line, especially when distributing music or calculating royalties. Make sure you’re filling out fields like ISRC codes, contributor names, and copyright info to ensure your metadata is as complete as possible.
3. Regularly Clean and Update Metadata
Metadata can get messy over time. Whether it’s duplicate entries, outdated information, or typos, these errors can affect your music catalog’s accuracy. Take the time to regularly clean and update your metadata to catch these mistakes. This will help you avoid issues with royalty tracking, distribution, and matching metadata with other systems.
4. Use Automated Tools for Matching
Trying to match metadata manually can be time-consuming and prone to error. Instead, use automated tools that specialize in metadata matching. These tools can compare data from multiple sources, flag inconsistencies, so that you can update your records accordingly. By automating this process, you save time and improve the accuracy of your metadata.
5. Ensure Proper Rights Attribution
For record labels and publishers, it’s essential to accurately attribute rights to all contributors involved in a song. Whether it’s composers, lyricists, producers, or performers, making sure that everyone gets credited correctly helps ensure they receive their fair share of royalties. Check that your metadata includes all the relevant contributors for each track and match their information accurately.
6. Integrate Metadata Across Platforms
Record labels and publishers often work with multiple platforms for distribution, marketing, and royalty tracking. To keep your metadata consistent, integrate it across all platforms you use. This helps avoid discrepancies and ensures that your music is being represented correctly wherever it’s distributed.
7. Ensure Metadata Compatibility with Global Standards
Different countries and platforms may have their own metadata requirements and standards. To ensure smooth distribution and royalty tracking globally, make sure your metadata is compatible with industry standards like DDEX. Following these standards will help prevent issues when your music is distributed internationally.
8. Monitor and Audit Your Metadata Regularly
Metadata management isn’t a one-time task. It’s important to monitor and audit your metadata regularly to catch any issues early on. This could be done through periodic checks or using metadata management software to automatically flag potential errors. By staying on top of your metadata, you can avoid problems that may affect your bottom line.
Accurate metadata is key to ensuring your music reaches the right audience, gets paid for, and is properly credited. By following these best practices, record labels and music publishers can streamline their operations and maximize the value of their catalogs. Managing metadata might seem like a small detail, but it plays a crucial role in the success of your music business.
