Why Metadata Matters

Metadata is the information that travels with your files.

It determines:

• How easily your music is discovered
• How quickly it can be cleared
• Whether the right person gets contacted
• How professional your files appear

Clean metadata builds trust.
Messy metadata creates friction.

In fast-paced music workflows — sync pitching, A&R review, radio promotion — accuracy is everything.

What Is ID3v2 Metadata?

ID3v2 is the metadata standard used by:

• MP3 files
• AIFF files
• Most common industry software

Important:
WAV files do not reliably carry ID3v2 metadata.

DISCO supports the most widely used ID3v2 fields to ensure compatibility across platforms.

General Metadata Principles

Before diving into each field, follow these rules:

• Be accurate
• Be consistent
• Be concise
• Remove unnecessary characters
• Avoid clutter
• Think about how the recipient will search

Metadata is not admin work.
It is opportunity infrastructure.

The Essential Fields (Minimum Standard)

If starting from scratch, complete at least:

• Title
• Artist
• Contact info (in Comments)
• Artwork
• Lyrics

This is the baseline for professional delivery.

Field-by-Field Best Practices

Title

The track name — with essential version details.

Include:

• Instrumental
• TV Mix
• Demo
• Clean / Explicit
• Featured artists

Formatting tips:

• Keep it readable
• Avoid unnecessary internal notes
• Remove track numbers before sharing
• Use brackets consistently

Example:
Midnight Drive (Instrumental)
Golden Hour (feat. Luna) [Clean]

Artist

The primary performing artist or band.

Do NOT:

• List all session players
• List composers here (unless no performing artist exists)

Keep spelling and capitalization consistent — small variations create duplicate profiles.

Album

Name of the album, EP, or single.

If needed, include additional details in brackets:

Example:
Live at Carnegie Hall (Remastered)

Composer

List the songwriters (or only those who you represent or control).

For detailed splits and publishing information, use the Comments field (more space, better visibility).

Genre

Be specific - but controlled.

Good:
Indie Pop
Neo-Soul
80s Funk

Limit to 2–3 genres.

Do NOT add mood descriptors here (e.g., “upbeat,” “dark”).
Those belong in Comments.

Grouping

The Grouping field is best used to store high-level catalog or clearance information that should travel with the file.

There are two strong, practical uses:

1. Clearance & Control Information

This is especially useful in sync workflows.

Examples:

• One Stop | licensing@email.com
• 100% Master | 50% Publishing
• Master: XYZ Records | Publishing: ABC Music

However:

Because different software platforms display the Grouping field inconsistently, you should always duplicate critical clearance information in the Comments field.

Think of Grouping as helpful - not primary.

Comments is the primary field for critical information.

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2. Catalog / Label / Publisher Identifier

If you represent multiple catalogs or labels, Grouping can store:

• Catalog name
• Label name
• Publisher name

Example:

Sunset Sync Catalog
Bluebird Records

Year

Use the original release year.

If remastered or re-released, clarify that in the Album field instead.

Release Date

Improves filtering and search accuracy.

Include it when relevant.

BPM

Beats per minute.

Helpful for:

• Editors
• DJs
• Producers
• Sync searches requiring tempo precision

Track Order

Used for album sequencing.

Example:
1 of 10
2 of 10

ISRC

The International Standard Recording Code is like a social security number for commercially released audio tracks. Record labels and/or distributors typically generate the ISRC.

Lyrics

Often overlooked - highly valuable and are editable on their own tab.

Lyrics:

• Appear on shared DISCO playlists
• Travel with downloaded files
• Are frequently used in sync searches

Including lyrics increases discoverability significantly.

Don't have time to write out lyrics? DISCO AI can transcribe lyrics for you!

Artwork

Use original artwork whenever possible.

If unavailable:

• Use a clean, professional image
• Recommended size: 1000 x 1000 pixels
• Optimize for web

Avoid extremely large files that increase download size.

Comments (Most Important Field)

This is your professional safety net.

At minimum, include:

• Your name
• Your email address

Recommended additions:

• Writer splits
• Publisher names
• PRO affiliations
• Master sound recording ownership
• Control notes (“One Stop” if applicable)
• ISWC
• Label copy
• Mood descriptors

Example:

Contact: jane@email.com

100% Master (Control) | 50% Publishing (Control)
Writers:

Jane Smith (ASCAP) 50% (Control)

Joe Tree (PRS) 50% (Mushroom Publishing)

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Clarity here speeds up licensing.

Sync-Specific Metadata Tips

When pitching for sync:

• Clearly state ownership percentages
• Indicate “Control” next to any share you can license
• Include contact info for all rights holders
• Avoid vague or incomplete splits

Music supervisors value speed and accuracy.

As one supervisor noted:

“Correct song title, artist, composer, and contact is the minimum. Genre and mood tagging makes search faster.”

Common Metadata Mistakes

• Inconsistent capitalization
• Excess version details in titles
• Missing contact info
• Overloading Genre with mood descriptors
• Forgetting lyrics
• Forgetting ownership clarity

Small errors create unnecessary friction.

Think Like the Recipient

Before sharing a file, ask:

• Can someone license this quickly?
• Is ownership clear?
• Is contact information obvious?
• Would this be easy to search?
• Does this look professional at a glance?

If the answer is yes, your metadata is working.

Wrap-Up

Metadata determines whether your music:

• Gets found
• Gets pitched
• Gets cleared
• Gets placed

It signals professionalism, reliability, and readiness.

Clean metadata compounds over time.

Treat it as part of the creative process - not an afterthought.