Most rejections come from the same 5 small mistakes. Check these before you send your release for review.
1. Wrong track language
Stores use track language to classify tracks, run lyrics services, and meet regional rules. A wrong language can get a track rejected.
If a track has vocals, don’t mark it as instrumental.
Select the main language of the lyrics. If there is more than one, choose the one used most.
Don’t leave the default language without checking it.
2. Wrong explicit tag
Stores enforce strict rules on explicit content. A wrong tag is one of the fastest ways to get rejected.
Mark a track Explicit if it has strong language or adult themes.
Mark it None if it has no explicit content.
Mark it Clean only if it’s a clean version and an explicit version is already in stores.
3. Artist name in the track title
A track title should be the song name only. Stores already get the artist from the artist field, and a name in the title can cause invalid or duplicate listings. Leave out extra branding too.
Right: track title “Midnight Drive,” artist “Alex Rivera.”
Wrong: track title “Alex Rivera - Midnight Drive.”
4. Cover art problems
Stores treat cover art as part of your release details. The title on it must exactly match your release title. Leave out social media handles, web addresses, and promotional text, and use cover art made for this release, not a different version. See the cover art rules.
5. Inconsistent release details
Stores compare new releases with what they already have. Mismatched details can break artist pages, create duplicate profiles, or fail validation. This matters most when you move from another distributor.
Spell artist names exactly the same on every track.
When you switch distributors, match your existing details unless you mean to change them.
Check track titles, artist names, and formatting before you send.
After you fix a rejection
Resubmit the release. It goes straight back to our review team, and you don’t need to do anything else. If you fixed what we flagged, it moves forward as normal. If the problem is still there, we reject it again for the same reason.
Not sure what to change? Read the rejection feedback again. It’s written for your release. If you’ve made the changes and it was still rejected for a reason that doesn’t add up, contact support with your release name.