If your metadata is incorrect, your royalties become “unmatchable.” When Spotify or Apple Music sends streaming data to collection societies, they use your metadata (like ISRC and ISWC codes) to find out who to pay. If there is a typo in your name or a missing code, the money goes into a “Black Box”—a holding account for unclaimed funds. If not fixed within a few years, that money is often given away to the world’s biggest superstars.
1. The Financial “Black Box”
The music industry currently holds an estimated $2.5 billion in unclaimed royalties. Most of this money belongs to independent artists who made a simple metadata mistake.
- The Match Game: Collection societies (like ASCAP or The MLC) use automated “matching engines.” If your song is registered as “Midnight Sky” at your PRO but “Midnite Sky” on Spotify, the computer won’t see them as the same song.
- The Expiration Date: You don’t have forever to fix this. Many societies have a “Sunset Clause.” If royalties aren’t claimed within 2-3 years, they are considered “unallocated” and are distributed pro-rata to the top earners (meaning Taylor Swift gets a tiny piece of your missing check).
2. The “Split Profile” Nightmare
Have you ever clicked on an artist’s name on Spotify and been taken to a page with only one song that isn’t yours?
- The Cause: This happens when your name is formatted inconsistently (e.g., “DJ Smith” vs. “Dj Smith”).
- The Damage: This fragments your audience. Your “Monthly Listeners” are split between two pages, which hurts your chances of getting onto official editorial playlists. Algorithms like Discover Weekly won’t know which profile is the “real” you.
3. The 3 Pillars of Perfect Metadata
To get paid, your “Digital Passport” must have these three codes perfectly aligned:
| Code | What it is | Who gives it to you? | What it tracks |
| ISRC | Digital Fingerprint for the audio. | Your Distributor (DistroKid). | Streams & Sales. |
| ISWC | Digital ID for the composition. | Your Publisher (Audiobulb). | Songwriting Royalties. |
| IPI | Your personal ID number. | Your PRO (ASCAP/BMI). | You (the human creator). |
The Fatal Error: If your ISRC is not linked to your ISWC in the global database, you will collect your “Distribution” money, but you will never collect your “Publishing” money.
4. Can You Fix It After the Song is Out?
Yes, but it is a slow and painful process.
- The Distributor Route: You have to ask your distributor to send a “Metadata Update” to every store. This can take 2–4 weeks to reflect.
- The Publisher Route: At Audiobulb, we perform “Metadata Audits.” We scan your existing releases for errors, fix the registration at the source (the PROs and MROs), and file “Retroactive Claims” to pull your money out of the Black Box.
FAQ: Metadata Mistakes
I spelled my co-writer’s name wrong. Is that a big deal?
Yes. If their name doesn’t match their PRO account, their share of the money will be frozen. This can lead to a “Split Dispute,” which freezes your share of the money as well.
Do I need a new ISRC if I remaster a song?
Yes. A new version of the audio (remaster, remix, or edit) requires a new ISRC. However, it keeps the same ISWC because the underlying song hasn’t changed.
Why is my song “Unmatched” on The MLC?
This usually means your distributor didn’t include your publisher information when they sent the song to Spotify. You (or your publisher) must manually “match” the recording to the composition in The MLC database to release the funds.
Summary
Metadata isn’t just “admin”—it is the legal proof that you deserve to get paid. A single typo can be the difference between a sustainable career and a “lost” royalty check.
Your Next Step: Don’t guess if your data is correct. Link your catalog to Audiobulb for a free metadata health check. We’ll ensure your ISRCs, ISWCs, and IPIs are perfectly synced so you can stop leaving money in the Black Box.