Content Guidelines

Understanding what content can and cannot be distributed helps ensure your releases go live without issues. This guide covers content policies, licensing requirements, and prohibited material.

General Content Requirements

All content distributed through LabelGrid must:

• Be owned by you or properly licensed
• Not infringe on anyone’s copyrights or trademarks
• Comply with platform content policies
• Meet quality standards for commercial distribution

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Original Content

What Qualifies as Original

Original content is music that you created or own the rights to:

• Songs you wrote and recorded
• Beats and instrumentals you produced
• Songs created with collaborators (with their permission)
• Music you’ve acquired full rights to

Rights You Need

To distribute original content, you need:

Right	Description
Master rights	Ownership of the sound recording
Composition rights	Ownership of the underlying song (or proper license)
Performer releases	Permission from all performers
Sample clearances	Licenses for any sampled content

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Cover Songs

A cover song is a new recording of a song originally performed by someone else. To distribute a cover, you must obtain a mechanical license for the underlying composition.

LabelGrid partners with Easy Song Licensing to help you get licensed. When you mark a track as a cover, you’ll be guided through the licensing process.

For the full guide on licensing, setup steps in LabelGrid, and what you can and can’t change, see Cover Song Licensing.

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Samples and Interpolations

What is a Sample?

A sample is a portion of an existing recording used in a new song. Using samples without permission is copyright infringement.

Clearing Samples

To legally use a sample, you need TWO licenses:

License	From Whom	For What
Master license	Original record label	The specific recording
Publishing license	Song publisher/writer	The underlying composition

Sample Clearance Process

1. Identify the song and recording owners
2. Contact the label for master rights
3. Contact the publisher for composition rights
4. Negotiate terms (may include upfront fee + royalty share)
5. Get written agreements before releasing

Interpolations

An interpolation is when you re-record part of another song’s melody or lyrics (rather than using the actual recording).

Interpolations require: Publishing license (not master license)

Royalty-Free Samples

Samples from royalty-free libraries may be used if:

• You have a valid license from the library
• The license covers commercial distribution
• You follow the library’s terms (some require credits)

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How to Clear a Flagged Release

If a release is sent back during review, here’s how to clear the most common flags.

Cover flagged

Set Track → Master → Composition Type to Cover Song, upload the mechanical license under Track → Licenses, and credit the original songwriter(s) and publisher(s). The performing/cover artist holds 0% publishing. See Cover Song Licensing.

Sample flagged

Upload your clearance — the master and publishing clearance for a sampled recording, or the Certificate of Content License from your sample marketplace — under Track → Licenses. For a shared or royalty-free instrumental that other artists also use, set Commercial Sample to Non-Exclusive under Track → Master; the next review pass will request the license.

Why was my release blocked on an audio match?

Our system fingerprints audio and may flag a track that matches existing catalog. Two common false positives:

• You re-uploaded your own previously distributed recording or back catalog.
• You used a licensed sample pack or a shared instrumental that others also use.

What to do: if it’s your own master, note it as a re-release and resubmit. If it’s a licensed shared instrumental, declare it as a non-exclusive commercial sample and upload the license, then resubmit for re-review.

After you fix and resubmit, the automated checks run again. If you re-uploaded your own catalog or hold a valid license and the flag persists, contact our support team and we’ll re-run the check.

Caution

If an issue asks for a license or documentation, upload it on the affected track under Track → Licenses before you resubmit. Resubmission is refused until the document is attached to that track: replying in the issue’s note thread on its own does not satisfy the requirement.

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AI-Generated Content

AI tools are increasingly used in music creation and artwork. LabelGrid requires AI disclosure on every release - both for artwork (release level) and audio (track level).

Key points:

• ✅ AI-assisted composition, production tools, and original AI artwork are generally accepted
• ❌ AI voices imitating real artists, deepfake vocals, and mass-produced AI spam are not allowed
• Honest disclosure does not negatively impact your release

For the full guide on AI policies, disclosure options, platform-specific requirements, and best practices, see AI-Generated Content.

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Prohibited Content

The following content cannot be distributed through LabelGrid:

Absolutely Prohibited

Category	Examples
Hate speech	Content promoting violence or discrimination
Illegal content	Promotes illegal activities
Harmful content	Encourages self-harm or dangerous behavior
Unauthorized recordings	Bootlegs, leaked content
Impersonation	Pretending to be another artist
Spam/low-quality	AI-generated spam, sound effects as music

Content Requiring Special Handling

Category	Requirement
Explicit content	Must be marked as explicit
Politically sensitive	May have limited distribution
Religious content	Some platforms have restrictions
Sound effects/ASMR	May be rejected as non-music

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Explicit Content

What Counts as Explicit

Content should be marked explicit if it contains:

• Strong profanity
• Sexual content or references
• Graphic violence
• Drug references
• Content unsuitable for minors

How to Mark as Explicit

In LabelGrid, set the explicit flag at:

• Track level - Mark individual explicit tracks
• Release level - If most/all tracks are explicit

Self-Censoring Policy

Do NOT self-censor your lyrics with asterisks or bleeps.

Wrong	Correct
”F**k” in lyrics	”Fuck” with explicit flag enabled
Self-bleeped audio	Clean audio or explicit audio

Why? Apple Music and other platforms handle censoring automatically. Self-censored content creates confusion and may be rejected. If your song contains explicit content:

1. Use the actual words in your audio
2. Mark the track as explicit
3. Platforms will handle clean versions automatically where needed

Platform Handling

Explicit content may:

• Be filtered in family/kids modes
• Require age verification in some regions
• Have limited radio play
• Display explicit label (E) in stores

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User-Generated Content (UGC) & Remixes

Official Remixes

To release an official remix:

1. Get written permission from the original artist/label
2. Obtain necessary licenses (master + publishing)
3. Credit the original work properly
4. Follow any restrictions in your agreement

Unofficial Remixes and Bootlegs

These cannot be distributed:

• ❌ Remixes without artist/label permission
• ❌ Bootleg recordings
• ❌ Mashups without all licenses
• ❌ DJ mixes with unlicensed tracks

Fan-Made Content

If fans create content using your music:

• They need your permission to distribute commercially
• Consider offering official remix opportunities
• Monitor for unauthorized commercial use

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Compilations and Various Artists Releases

How “Various Artists” Works

“Various Artists” is automatically generated by the system — you should never type it as an artist name. Here’s how it works:

1. Add artists per track — assign each track’s performer(s) as Main Artist at the track level
2. System calculates — LabelGrid evaluates the number of unique main artists on the release and automatically determines when to display “Various Artists” at the release level
3. Individual credits preserved — every artist still appears on their respective tracks across all platforms

Spotify note: Spotify displays “Various Artists” on releases with 5 or more main artists. Releases with fewer than 5 main artists show all artists individually.

Creating a Compilation

To release a compilation:

1. Set the Release Type to Compilation
2. Have rights to all tracks included
3. Get permission from all artists (if you don’t own masters)
4. Add each track’s performer as Main Artist at the track level — do not manually enter “Various Artists”
5. Ensure proper metadata for each track

Licensing for Compilations

Scenario	What You Need
Your own catalog	Standard distribution rights
Other artists’ tracks	Written licensing agreements
Cover songs	Mechanical license for each cover

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Quality Standards

Regardless of content type, all releases must meet quality standards:

Audio Quality

• Minimum 16-bit/44.1kHz WAV files
• No clipping or distortion
• No excessive silence
• Professional mix quality

Metadata Quality

• Accurate and complete information
• No misleading artist names
• No spam keywords
• Proper language settings

Artwork Quality

• Minimum 3000×3000 pixels
• No text clutter or URLs
• Appropriate imagery

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Before You Release

Use this checklist before submitting:

• I own or have licensed all content
• Cover songs have mechanical licenses
• Samples are cleared or royalty-free
• AI content meets platform requirements
• Explicit content is properly marked
• Remixes have proper authorization
• Quality standards are met

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Changes Required vs. Rejected

When our review finds a content problem, the outcome is one of two things — and they’re handled very differently. See Validation and Review for the full breakdown.

Changes Required (fixable)

Most content issues come back as Changes Required. Your release is unlocked so you can correct it:

1. Review the required changes - Check your email and your release’s issues dialog for details
2. Address the issue - Get proper licenses, fix metadata, or remove problematic content
3. Resubmit - Click Resubmit for Review to send it back

Rejected (terminal)

Rejected is reserved for serious policy violations. A rejected release is permanently locked — it cannot be edited or resubmitted, and it won’t be distributed.

If your release is rejected, contact support to understand the specific reason and discuss your options.

Appealing a rejection

If you believe a rejection is a mistake, you can appeal. Contact support and include:

• The release ID and the rejection reason you were given
• Proof of your rights — licenses, master ownership, or evidence the content is your own work

Our team will re-review with that information. See Appealing a rejection for more.

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Need Help?

If you have questions about whether your content can be distributed or need help with licensing, contact our support team.