Can Metadata Errors Delay Royalty Payments?
In today’s digital music ecosystem, every song travels through a complex network of streaming platforms, publishers, and rights societies. The system looks seamless to listeners — but behind it runs a data engine that decides who gets paid, how much, and when. That engine is metadata.
For creators, metadata is not just a technical detail — it’s the financial DNA of their music. And when that data is inaccurate, incomplete, or mismatched, royalty payments can be delayed for months or even lost entirely.
At Music Rights Management (MRM) India, we see metadata as the foundation of fair pay. Our work over the last decade has shown that most payment delays are not due to platform inefficiency — they’re caused by metadata errors made at the very start of the release process.
What Is Metadata and Why It Matters
Metadata is the structured information attached to a song — the digital identity that allows music services, publishers, and rights organizations to track and pay creators accurately.
It includes essential fields such as:
- Song title, artist, and album name
- Composer, lyricist, and publisher details
- ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) for the master recording
- ISWC (International Standard Musical Work Code) for the composition
- Splits and ownership percentages
- Genre, language, release date, and territories
When metadata is properly registered and aligned, streaming platforms and collecting societies like IPRS, PRS for Music, and ASCAP can easily match usage data to the correct rights holder. But even a small mistake — a misspelled name, a missing code, or an incorrect percentage — can stop that process in its tracks.
How Metadata Errors Cause Royalty Delays
Metadata errors create “mismatches” between recording data (ISRC) and publishing data (ISWC). When the systems used by streaming platforms or performance rights societies can’t find an exact match, the royalties are held in unmatched or pending pools until the information is corrected.
Some common causes include:
- Incorrect or missing ISRC/ISWC codes
- Different spellings of artist or composer names
- Unregistered lyricists or publishers
- Duplicate submissions of the same track
- Inconsistent metadata between aggregators and PROs
Once an error enters the system, every downstream report — from Spotify statements to IPRS distributions — reflects the gap. The result is delayed or reduced royalty payments, often affecting multiple creators connected to the same song.
̧The MRM Approach to Metadata Accuracy
At MRM India, metadata validation is built into our rights administration workflow. Each release goes through a detailed audit process before delivery to digital service providers and societies.
Our team ensures:
- Every track has verified ISRC and ISWC codes.
- Composer, lyricist, and publisher credits are standardized according to DDEX and CWR formats.
- Ownership splits match across recording and publishing sides.
- All works are registered with relevant societies such as IPRS, PPL, and MLC for international recognition.
This proactive process reduces payment delays, prevents data duplication, and ensures faster royalty settlements for our clients — whether they are labels, composers, or independent artists.
How Artists Can Prevent Delays
Creators can take a few simple but powerful steps to protect their royalties:
- Double-check metadata before uploading or submitting to a distributor.
- Use consistent spellings for names and credits across all platforms.
- Register works promptly with your performing rights society (e.g., IPRS, PRS, ASCAP).
- Keep all ISRC and ISWC records in one organized document.
- Partner with a verified metadata administrator like MRM India to oversee registrations and corrections.
In Summary
Metadata errors are not just technical glitches — they are financial roadblocks. Every delay in data accuracy is a delay in an artist’s payment.
At Music Rights Management India, we believe accuracy is not optional; it’s a responsibility. Our mission is to make every creator visible in the global digital ecosystem through clean metadata, transparent reporting, and timely royalty administration.
Because in the end, when your data is right, your royalties arrive on time.