Songwriter and Composer Credits: What Stores Require and Why They Matter

Updated 2026-10-21 · 6 sources

Short answer

Credit the people who wrote the song at track level with the right role: composer for music, lyricist for words, or both. Use full, correctly spelled names, never placeholders like "TBD". Deezer requires at least one writing role per track, Apple requires accurate composition credits, and consistent writer data is what publishing registrations are matched on.

What stores ask for

  • Apple: composition and lyric roles must be listed at track level; if one person wrote all lyrics on an album, list the role at album level too [1].
  • Apple: supply complete, accurate credits; if credits aren't known, omit them rather than sending placeholders like TBD or Pending [1].
  • Spotify lists composers and lyricists among the key roles to set at track and release level [2].
  • Deezer requires at least one of Composer-Lyricist, Composer, Lyricist, Author, Writer or NonLyricAuthor on each track [3].

Composers aren't main artists

Spotify's style guide says non-performing contributors such as composers must not be listed as main or featured artist [4]. Apple credits licensed verses and beats with their own roles, not as Primary, With or Featuring [1].

Publishing

In the US, The MLC matches recordings to registered works: you register works and can use its matching tool to claim recordings [5] [6]. Consistent writer names and ISRCs make that matching easier.

Examples

Instead ofUseWhy
Composer: TBDLeave it out until knownApple bans placeholder credits.
Main artist: a writer who doesn't performComposer / Lyricist rolesNon-performers aren't main artists.

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FAQ

Do I credit myself if I wrote and performed the song?

Yes. You're the main artist and also composer and/or lyricist. Apple says an artist who is also a composer gets the Composer role too.

Is a producer a songwriter?

Only if they wrote part of the composition. Production has its own Producer role.

Related guides

Sources

  1. Apple Music Style Guide 2.4 (Apple)
  2. Spotify for Artists: Music metadata guidelines
  3. Deezer for Creators: How To Add Music To Deezer Through A Label
  4. Spotify Music Metadata Style Guide v2.2.0 (PDF)
  5. The MLC Help Center: How to register works with The MLC
  6. The MLC Help Center: Using the Matching Tool

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.