We may not accept the following content for distribution to iTunes, Spotify and/or Pandora:
- Any content that does not conform to the iTunes Style Guide
- Any content that does not conform to the Spotify Style Guide
We may not accept the following content for distribution to ANY stores:
- Any content containing artists found in our Hidden Artist List (legitimate releases for further review should have documented exclusive rights, a sales one-sheet, and label manager approval).
- Misleading/deceptive content, including erroneous use of audio and art without proper license
- Tracks that appear on multiple releases, but do not have the exact same ISRC or metadata Soundalikes (Low quality, Misleading Tributes and Covers)
- Karaoke
- Karaoke with a lead vocal
- Generic concepts including:
- Relaxation
- Generic / Repurposed New Age
- Yoga
- Meditation
- Brain power
- Nature sounds
- New Age
- Workout / Fitness
- Any pre-1965 recordings without prior Label Manager approval
- Public Domain content
- Fake and/or keyworded artist names
- Generic artists, orchestras, or performers
- Duplicated albums: a duplicated album contains at least 50% of the same tracks as another album
- Tracks that have been delivered more than 5 times
- Thematic style Classical compilations (for babies, for study, for sleep, etc.)
- Generic holiday content
- Low budget content with little editorial value
- Titles packed with keywords
- Low quality cover art
- Radio broadcasts and live performances without prior Label Manager approval
Please Note: These content guidelines are subject to change.
Reasonable Exceptions
There may be instances in which a label is allowed to distribute content that appears to violate the content guidelines. This includes the following:
- Proven legitimacy of ownership of blacklisted artists
- High quality releases from real artists in the realm of generic content
- New Age
- Workout / Fitness
- Relaxation
- High quality Karaoke content
If you believe you have catalog that may qualify for an exception, please get in touch using the support tool in Workstation. It’s rare that we’re able to make exceptions but it can make sense in certain situations.