Cover Song Metadata: Titles, Credits and Licensing Before You Distribute
Updated 2026-10-21 · 5 sources
Short answer
Title a cover with the song's real title and credit yourself as the artist. Never put the original artist in the title or any artist field: no "Originally Performed By", "In the Style of" or "Tribute to". Credit the original songwriters as composer and lyricist. Get the composition licence before distributing, and don't make it sound or look like the original: Apple hides sound-alikes.
Titles and artist fields
- Spotify: cover titles must not reference the original artist; no "Made Famous By", "Originally Performed By", "In the Style of", "Tribute to" or "Cover of" in the title or version [1].
- Apple: for cover albums the original artist's name must not appear in any artist field, at track or album level [2].
- Apple hides sound-alikes, and covers or tributes that sound very similar to the original [2].
Credits
Apple requires composition and lyric roles at track level [2], and Deezer requires at least one composer, lyricist or author role on every track [3]. For a cover, those are the original writers. See songwriter and composer credits.
Licensing
SoundOn won't accept a cover without the correct licence [4]. Deezer says covers need licensing for the publishing rights of the original composition, and that your distributor can help [3]. Distributors reject unauthorized covers [5].
Examples
| Instead of | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| I'm Yours (Acoustic Cover of Jason Mraz) | I'm Yours (Acoustic Cover) | Spotify style guide example. |
| Artist: "Nova Reyes & Jason Mraz" | Artist: Nova Reyes · Composer/Lyricist: the original writers | Original artist never in artist fields. |
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FAQ
Where does the original artist's name go, then?
Nowhere in titles or artist fields. Writer credits name the original songwriters, which is how listeners and societies identify the composition.
Does a remix of someone else's song count as a cover?
No. It uses their recording, so you need the rights holder's permission. SoundOn won't accept remixes or samples without the correct licence.
Related guides
Sources
- Spotify Music Metadata Style Guide v2.2.0 (PDF)
- Apple Music Style Guide 2.4 (Apple)
- Deezer for Creators: How To Add Music To Deezer Through A Label
- SoundOn Help Center: Releasing Music FAQ
- Novecore Support: Why was my release rejected?
Platform rules change. Each rule above is attributed to the company or standard that published it, as checked on 2026-10-21. This guide is not legal advice.