Guide to Songwriter Credits + Why Getting Them Right Matters
Getting songwriter credits right is crucial for making sure you get paid and recognized for your work. In this Guide to Songwriter Credits from CD Baby, find out what proper songwriter metadata is, why it’s important and how it can protect your rights.
Guide to Songwriter Credits + Why Getting Them Right Matters
by CD BABY via DIY Musician
When you’re releasing music, it’s easy to focus on the sound and skip over the business parts—like metadata. But those details matter a lot, especially when it comes to getting credit and payment for your work. In this article, we’re diving into songwriter credits—what they are, why they’re essential, and how CD Baby makes sure you have your credits covered.
What Is Song Metadata?
Before we zoom in on songwriter credits, let’s talk about metadata as a whole.
Song metadata is the digital information attached to your music. It includes everything from your artist name and release date to your genre, producer details, and language. But one of the most important parts of metadata is your songwriter credits—the information that identifies who actually wrote the song.
This metadata isn’t just filler—it’s used by platforms, publishers, and rights organizations to properly track, catalog, and monetize your music. Without it, your music could go unrecognized—or worse, unpaid.
What Are Songwriter Credits?
Songwriter credits refer to the names of the individuals who contributed to writing a song. That could include:
- Lyricists
- Composers
- Co-writers
- Collaborators
Whether you wrote the whole track solo or shared writing duties with a team, your credits make sure everyone involved gets properly acknowledged—and compensated.
Why do these credits matter? Because they directly impact royalty payouts. Your publishing royalties (mechanical, performance, sync, etc.) are tied to your credited ownership. If your name isn’t listed as a songwriter, you might not see a cent—even if you wrote the entire song.
Why DSPs Require Songwriter Metadata
Over the past few years, there’s been a growing push in the music industry for transparency and accuracy when it comes to rights. That’s why Digital Service Providers (DSPs) like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon now require detailed songwriter metadata for new releases.
Here’s why:
- Accurate Royalties: Songwriters get paid through publishing royalties, which are tracked and distributed by rights organizations. If your credits aren’t listed, there’s no data trail to match your contribution to your payment.
- Rights Management: DSPs need to know who owns what, so songs can be properly registered and managed across different countries and systems.
- Avoiding Disputes: Clear metadata helps prevent ownership conflicts that can delay or block releases from going live.
The bottom line: including songwriter data is no longer optional—it’s essential.
CD Baby Has Always Been Ahead of the Curve
While many distributors are now playing catch-up, CD Baby has required songwriter credits from the beginning.
Why? Because we believe that every artist, writer, and collaborator deserves:
- Proper recognition
- Access to all royalty streams
- Legal protection for their work
By requiring this info up front, we ensure your release is ready for everything—from streaming services to sync placements to publishing collection. We’ve built our platform to support the full lifecycle of your song, not just the upload.
Whether you’re working solo or collaborating with others, our system makes it easy to list all songwriters, designate publishing shares, and make sure everyone gets what they’re owed.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Skip the Credits
Your song is your creation—and your name belongs on it. Don’t let a missing metadata field be the reason you lose credit, royalties, or opportunities.
When you distribute through CD Baby, we make sure your credits are captured, stored, and sent where they need to go. From day one.
