Releasing a soundtrack is a bit different than a normal release. It’s important that the soundtrack genre is only selected when the music being released is associated with a piece of media, like a video game, film, or television show.
Do I need a license?
It’s likely that you’ll be asked for a contract between yourself and the owner of the associated media that gives you the rights to commercially distribute the soundtrack.
Your contract must explicitly feature:
- Party Names: Your legal/artist name and the legal name of the media owner/publisher.
- Media Title: The official name of the video game, film, or TV show.
- Effective Date: The execution date of the agreement.
- Commercial Rights: Express written permission granting you the right to commercially distribute the soundtrack across digital platforms.
- Execution: Legally binding signatures from all involved parties.
Recommended tools:
Check out these platforms to draft, sign, and manage your distribution agreements:
- Send Beats To: Streamlined for music licensing and beat/soundtrack distribution contracts.
- DocuSign: Industry standard for executing legally binding e-signatures.
How do I enter the metadata for my soundtrack?
Streaming platforms rely on exact formatting in the Version field to link your music to the correct media in search results.
Please note that soundtrack information cannot be included in the release title. Additionally, the abbreviation “O.S.T.” cannot be used anywhere in the release metadata.
Soundtrack Releases (Album)
State the media title and the type of soundtrack in the Album Version field.
| Soundtrack Metadata for an Album | Correct | Incorrect |
| Release Title | Frozen | Frozen OST or Frozen Original Soundtrack |
| Album Version Information | Original Motion Soundtrack |
Soundtrack Releases (Single)
If you are releasing a standalone single from a soundtrack or a compilation from several soundtracks, please indicate the media source for each individual track in the Version field.
| Soundtrack Metadata for a Single | Correct | Incorrect |
| Track Title | Let It Go | Let It Go (Frozen) or Let It Go (O.S.T) |
| Track Version Information | From “Frozen” | |
| Track Title | How Far I’ll Go | How Far I’ll Go (Moana) |
| Track Version Information | From “Moana” |