Music Distribution Style Guide

Kinjari Music Content Style Guide

Getting Started

Welcome to the Kinjari Content Style Guide! This guide covers everything you need to know about preparing your music for distribution through our platform. Following these guidelines ensures your music meets the requirements of all major streaming platforms and stores, giving your releases the best chance of success.

General Style Guidelines
Metadata Requirements
Format Guidelines
Genre Classification
Explicit Content Rules
Cover Art Requirements
Audio Requirements
Licensing Requirements
Special Guidelines for Ringtones
Special Guidelines for Classical Music

General Style Guidelines

Metadata Writing

Album and Track Titles

Accuracy: Titles should match what appears on your cover art as accurately as possible.

Additional Information: Avoid including extra information in titles unless necessary for identification. Artist names should not be part of titles unless that's the official name.

Multiple Titles: Separate multiple titles with a slash and spaces (e.g., "Title One / Title Two").

Version Information: Use the version field, not the title field, to indicate track versions.

Live Content: Indicate live recordings in the version field (e.g., "Live").

Format References: Don't include references to physical formats, digital formats, or geographic locations in titles.

Video References: Don't include references to video formats or specifications.

Special Editions: Terms like "Deluxe Edition" are acceptable for expanded versions of previously released albums. Avoid terms like "Exclusive" or "Limited Edition".

Language and Capitalisation

Capitalisation: Follow proper capitalisation rules for your language. Full capitalisation or lowercase is generally not accepted.

Accents and Characters: Include all appropriate accents and characters required by the language.

Abbreviations: Abbreviate "Part" as "Pt." and "Volume" as "Vol.". Use consistent numbering throughout your release.

Special Characters: Avoid using special characters (like $, ¢, ∞) unless there's a justified reason.

Links and Promotion: Don't include links, email addresses, or social media references in your metadata.

Language Assignment: The album language should match the language used in the titles. Track language should match the lyrics. If it is an instrumental, select the language used in the title of the track.

Alphabet Characters: Each metadata field should use only one alphabet. Translations side-by-side in titles are not allowed.

Metadata Requirements

Artist Roles

Getting your artist roles right is super important for proper distribution and royalty tracking. Here's what you need to know:

Primary Artist

This is you or your band – the main creator of the release. It's the only mandatory role required for every release.

Using "Various Artists": Only use this when you have more than 3 primary artists on an album. When using "Various Artists" at the album level, make sure each track still shows its specific artist.

When not to use "Various Artists": Never use it when there are fewer than four primary artists or at the track level. Avoid variations like "V/A" or "Various" - they'll be rejected by streaming platforms.

Performer

These are the singers and instrumentalists who participated in your recordings. While you shouldn't list instruments in the metadata, jazz and classical releases can include instruments on the cover art.

Producer

The person who managed the sound recording and guided the overall concept. This role can appear on your cover art if it's reflected in the metadata.

Remixer

The person who re-edits or adds new elements to an existing recording. When including a remix, make sure to use "Remix" in the version field (e.g., "Flume Remix").

Composer

The person who wrote the music. This is especially important for covers or versions of another artist's work. For classical music, this field is mandatory at both track and album levels.

Lyricist

The person who wrote the lyrics. More streaming platforms are requiring this information, especially when a song is based on a literary text.

Publisher

The entity that owns the distribution rights. If you're self-releasing, you can use your artist name here.

Featuring Artist

Artists who collaborate with the primary artist. If they appear on the cover art, they must be reflected in the metadata at the album level for singles, or at the track level for albums.

Other Important Role Information

Artist Name Uniqueness: Before distributing, make sure no other artists are using the same or similar name to avoid confusion on streaming platforms.

Role Compatibility: All roles can be combined except for primary and featuring artists, which can't also be performers.

Special Characters: Avoid mixed alphabets, excessive lowercase/capitals, and special characters unless you can verify your usage on social media.

Original Artist Names: For covers, tributes, karaoke tracks, etc., avoid using the original artist's name as the primary artist. Instead, include the original composers and lyricists.

Format Guidelines

During distribution we will decide which format fits appropriately and will apply this for you, this is not something you can choose at this time. We provide this information here so you are aware of which option will be chosen.

If you would like a particular format, please raise a support request after submitting for review so that we can check and confirm this for you.

Singles

A release is considered a single when it: - Contains 1 track lasting between 0:30 and 29:59 - Contains 1-3 tracks with the same title (variations of the same song), totaling less than 9:59 - Contains 1-2 tracks with different titles, totaling less than 9:59

For all single-track singles, the album title and track title must be identical.

EPs

A release is considered an EP when it: - Has 2 tracks with at least one longer than 10 minutes - Contains 4-6 tracks with the same title (variations of the same song) - Contains 3-6 tracks with different titles - Has a total duration between 10 and 29:59 minutes

Albums

A release qualifies as an album when it: - Includes 7 or more tracks - Includes any number of tracks with a total duration exceeding 30 minutes

The maximum number of tracks allowed is 500, though we recommend smaller releases or splitting very large collections into volumes.

Compilations

A release containing two or more tracks that have previously been distributed as part of separate releases.

Genre Classification

Your genre selection should accurately reflect your music's style. Use the genre list available on our platform for both album and track levels.

Special Genre Cases

Classical Music: See the dedicated section below for specific guidelines.

Karaoke: Use "Karaoke" as the primary genre, with the appropriate style as the secondary genre.

Soundtracks: Only use this for music related to movies, documentaries, series, musicals, or video games. For soundtrack releases, use the format "Title (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)".

Spoken Word: Content must be at least 3 minutes long and can include poetry, tales, short stories, monologues, comedy, educational content, or album commentaries.

Avoiding Generic Content

Avoid using generic terms in your artist names and titles, especially: - Genre names (e.g., "Rock," "Pop," "Trap") - Instrument names (e.g., "Guitar," "Piano") - Functional descriptions (e.g., "Music for Sleeping," "Music for Yoga")

These may be flagged as potentially misleading content.

Explicit Content Guidelines

Cover Art

If your artwork contains references to drugs, violence, sex, or obscene language, include the "Parental Advisory" logo. Extremely explicit imagery may be rejected by streaming platforms.

Lyrics and Metadata

Mark tracks with explicit content by checking the "explicit lyrics" box. If any tracks are explicit, the album will be automatically flagged as explicit.

Important Notes

Instrumental songs cannot be explicit
Self-censorship is not permitted - submit titles as originally intended
Streaming platforms may automatically censor explicit words (e.g., "f**k")
Content with hate speech or extreme violence may be removed
Nazi references or content glorifying Nazism is strictly prohibited

Cover Art Requirements

Technical Requirements

Your cover art must meet these specifications: - Perfectly square dimensions - Between 3000x3000 px and 5000x5000 px - JPG, TIFF, or PNG format - RGB mode (not CMYK) - Maximum file size of 36 MB

White covers are not allowed as they may be interpreted as errors.

Content Requirements

No website addresses or social media mentions
No phone numbers or email addresses
Artist credits must match metadata
No track listings
No album descriptions or artist biographies
No pricing or promotional information
No references to physical or digital formats
No translation or transliteration of content
No misleading information or prominent references to artists who don't perform on the release
Explicit content requires the Parental Advisory logo
No pornography, violent content, or offensive symbols

Audio Requirements

Mastering and Format

All audio files must be professionally mastered and meet these requirements: - FLAC or WAV format - Minimum 16-bit, 44.1 kHz, stereo (recommended: 24-bit, 48kHz or 96kHz)

Quality Requirements

No background noise or sound imperfections
No silent sections exceeding 10 seconds at the beginning or end
No sudden cuts, long pauses, or abrupt endings

Other Audio Guidelines

Hidden tracks must be included as separate tracks
Silent tracks and white noise tracks are not allowed
Audio files must match their corresponding track titles
Tracks should generally be longer than 30 seconds (with exceptions for intros/outros in albums)
Previews, commercials, snippets, and trailers are not permitted

Licensing Requirements

Samples and Cover Versions

If your track uses material from third parties: - Covers require proper listing of composers and lyricists - Transformations of original compositions require licenses - Original titles must be respected unless licenses state otherwise - Avoid references to original artists in titles for covers/tributes - Avoid deceptive or misleading information

Remixes and DJ Sets

Original work remixes don't require licenses
Remixes of other artists' work require proper licenses
Continuous mixes and DJ sets are not allowed
Public domain recordings are not permitted
Sound-alike tracks that imitate originals are not accepted

Special Guidelines

Ringtones

Currently, our platform doesn't support ringtone distribution. When this feature becomes available, remember: - Ringtones must be submitted as ringtones, not songs - Don't include descriptive language like "Tone" or "Ringtone" in titles - Karaoke ringtones are not accepted - Classical music ringtones must include the composer in the title

Classical Music

General Notes

Standard style rules apply to classical music with these additional considerations: - iTunes distribution has special requirements - Metadata must be extremely precise and consistent - Use IMSLP as a source for standardised metadata - English is typically used as the standard language for official titles - Follow language-specific capitalisation rules for multi-language titles

Album Level Guidelines

Ensembles, choirs, soloists, and orchestras can be primary artists
Composers must be indicated at the album level
If there are four or more composers, use "Various Composers"
Album titles should follow the format: "Composer: Piece Name"

Track Level Guidelines

Composers must be indicated for each track
If multiple composers are featured, include surnames at the beginning of track titles
For unknown composers, use "Anonymous"
Track titles should include the official name, genre, key, catalogue number, and movement information

Special Considerations

Arrangements must be indicated in the version field
Variations by the artist should be noted in the version field
Tributes and homages are allowed only for classical music
Cover art may include instrument names and performer roles

Ready to Start Distributing?

With these guidelines in hand, you're all set to successfully distribute your music through Kinjari. If you have any questions or need clarification, our support team is always here to help you navigate the process. Let's get your music heard worldwide!